IslandConnections Edition 629 by Island Connections Media Group

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1984 - 2010

The Canary Islands’ biggest fortnightly English newspaper read by thousands of tourists & residents

he final of the III Concurso Internacional de Jóvenes Diseñadores Plataforma Atlántica de Tenerife, which was organised through the Tenerife Moda programme, took place on 28th October at Magma Arte y Congresos, Costa Adeje. 11 finalists selected from 154 original competitors took part in this international fashion design contest with entries from Tenerife, Lanzarote, Portugal, Belgium, Latin America and Russia. Fashion TV were present at the event to record clips which are to be broadcast in over 130 countries, forming a magnificent promotion for the island. Each of the competing designers showed their collections on the catwalk, with the help of 40 models, the majority of whom were from the Canary Islands. At the end of an extremely enjoyable evening, during which the audience were shown clothing ideas suitable for day, evening and formal wear, the prizes were taken by: 1st: Margot Inés Ferreira Rosales, 34 years old from Uruguay (€4,000) 2nd: Annette Kölling, 30 years old from Belgium, but born in Germany (€2,000) An additional prize was awarded for innovation and commercial viability to Cintia Vanesa Sosa and María Fernanda Arnaldi (who

5th - 19th November 2010

/ 1.80€ at Newsagents / www.islandconnections.eu / www.newscanarias.net

III International Young Designers in Tenerife Credit Gary Hill (www.garyhill-photography.com)

Edition # 629 /

Winning designer Margot Inés Ferreira Rosales and model

work together as Savanquita!). They are both Argentinian and aged 27 years (€2,000). There were many dignatories and invited guests present at the event, some of them involved in the prize presentation. They included Cabildo councillor for tourism, José Manuel Bermúdez, Cabildo councillor for economic development, business and employment, Efrain Medina, Adeje mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, Adeje councillor for economic development and taxation Ermitas Moreira and Guía de Isora mayor Pedro Martín. The judges panel included designer David Delfin, Vanesa Cabeza and actress Rossy de Palma as well as international model Damián Martín and Carnaval designer Santi Castro. They shared the difficult task of selecting the winners with designers Ros Jiménez and Jacqueline Cuestas, Tenerife Moda creators from the companies Roselinde and Morena Mía respectively. Continued on page 3

Special Feature

Property

The state of the market, buying and selling in the Canary Islands, legal advice. Centre Pages Botellón

Page 55

football

CD Tenerife

Whew! CD Tenerife seal their first win of the season.

Adeje moves to stamp out Page 6 on-street drinking

Pages 21-36

Guide

Pages 8-9

The Sports Megastore 8.000m2

Motorway Santa Cruz La Laguna, Exit “Las Chumberas”. La Laguna, Tenerife. Tel: 922 62 79 00, Fax: 922 82 11 07

www.decathlon.com

7Islands

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Experience in government Old hands at wheel

Gánigo

CIT winners lauded

Credit: ACFI Press

The new government

The 2010 CIT Sur awards were presented recently in the Mare Nostrum Resort,in Las Américas. CIT is the centre for tourism initiatives, and annually recognises individuals and companies who have gone the extra mile in promoting the island as a tourist destination. Here in the south the winners this year were:

Business: Accomodation: Rafael Adrián Commerce and crafts: Rosa Martín Bautista Leisure and adventure: Ocean Dream´s Factory Restaurants, bars, discos: Vicente Cruz Arteaga y D. Claudio González González Agencies and transport: Sierra y González

ollowing the withdrawal of the Partido Popular from the regional government president Paulino Rivero has named his new team, and has obviously decided to opt for experience over experimentation. Back at the cabinet table is María del Mar Julios, a former regional health minister. She takes the up the job of regional vice-president, previously held by PP regional head Soria, as well as becoming Minister for Employment, Industr y and Commerce. The president has also, with just seven months to

go before regional elections, reduced the number of government departments from ten to eight. Jorge Rodríguez moves to Finance and the considerably impor tant depar tment of Tourism, previously in the hands of Rita Martín, has been incorporated into the office of the President, a move that has come in for some criticism. Domingo Berriel, already in charge of Environment, will also take charge of Agriculture and Fisheries, held by the PP’s Pilar Merino, and Health, formerly held by Mercedes Roldós, now has Fernando Bañolas in charge. The changes signify gains for the CC in Gran Canaria, no doubt a

plus when the elections are held in May. Speaking to press after the announcement, Rivero said the new administration would be “stronger, more capable and more frugal”, just the kind of reassuring words the electorate may want to hear in the run up to an election during an ongoing economic crisis. Certainly political cynics will see the PP has having taken the early exit as an opportune way of distancing themselves from the islands’ problems come election day. But if Rivero’s can manage to pull one or two political rabbits out of the hat in coming months that move may backfire.

Boroughs/towns: Adeje: Pueblo de Taucho Arico: Manuel Marrero Reyes Arona: Ramón Rodríguez Sempere Granadilla de Abona: TIGAYA Guía de Isora: Craftworkers collective San Miguel de Abona: Municipal band Santiago del Teide: D. Sebastián Escuela Santos Vilaflor: D. Goyo Tavío CIT Sur also gave a ‘Special Mention’ to Fred Olsen and an ‘Honorary Mention’ to Eduardo Oramas Alayón.

We tracked down the crew to some of the filming locations

I spy…

TV crew in action

The world and his wife-to-be have been alerted to the fact that a TV crew from the UK have been in Tenerife recently filming. Our trusty investigative team at Island Connections did track them down but have been sworn to secrecy (!) as to their identity – all will be revealed at a later date. Suffice it to say there has been a crew here shooting surprise visitors to our lovely island, visiting some top locations, and all in all we believe putting together a package that will only serve to delight those who already know how much fun Tenerife is and encourage those yet to find out to come and visit.

Church services

Remembrance day

Services will be held as follows:

November 11th: Espiritu Santo Church, Los Gigantes, 10.30am. November 14th: (RBLS) Westhaven Bay, Costa del Silencio, 10.30am. Anglican Chaplaincy, San Eugenio, Pueblo Canario, Las Américas, 10.15am, Espiritu Santo, Los Gigantes, 6pm, San Blas, Golf del Sur 6pm and All Saints’ Church, Puerto de la Cruz, 10.50am. South Tenerife Christian Fellowship, Apolo Centre, Los Cristianos 10.50am, Coral Mar Square, Costa del Silencio, 10.15am.

The best of fashion & food Your favourite store there is also here

Open all day

Pilar, 5 (Textiles & Toiletries) 922 281 555 Bethencourt Alfonso, 10 (Simply Food) 922 286 819

Publisher & Proprietor Tina Straub, Joe Schacher

Island Connections S.L. C.I.F: B-38748315 Printed by Artes Gráficas del Atlántico S.A. Dep. Legal: TF-287/93

Is published and printed fortnightly by ISLAND CONNECTIONS S.L. Adverts, texts, photos or other parts of this publication are property of the publishers. They may not be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any other form or means without the prior written permission of the publishers. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for the contents of articles supplied by our contributors or advertisers claims. The publisher reserves the right to refuse to publish adverts, texts or advertising features. Advertisements once contracted cannot be cancelled and have to be paid in full. The publishers can not be held responsible for variation on colour printed in this newspaper. Advertising conditions are to be obtained in our offices.

7Islands

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 Continued from front page In making their decision, the judges evaluated the originality, quality and creativity of the collections presented, their innovation and adaptability to the market, as well as their commercial viability. The judges’ decision was announced by Esther Medina, director and owner of Hotel Contemporáneo and vice president of Ashotel, Silvia Fauró, director of the Vogue Italia group, Pedro Mansilla, sociologist and journalist specialising in fashion, as well as Milagros Bentabol, director of the press group of Mila Bentabol Madrid. Following the event at Magma, the guests moved on to OMM in Playa de las Américas for an after-event party.

III International Young Designers in Tenerife Winning design by Margot Inés Ferreira Rosales

CLIL programme

Bilingual teaching“a sham” The much-publicised ‘bilingual’ teaching programme allegedly operating in hundreds of schools across the Canaries is a total sham, say teacher unions here. Highlighted by regional president Paulino Rivero as the flagship of the Canarian education system, the programme, which is known as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), is part of a wider European curricular initiative designed to enhance the English skills of pupils in primary and secondary schools. Essentially, it involves certain subjects, such as geography, history, music etc being delivered through the medium of English in state schools. However, although praised as the key to “creating a bilingual population of children” by the government, teachers say the programme is not working due to the lack of investment in resources. “It is a complete fraud. We want to know where the money received from the EU for CLIL has gone. The teachers who have signed up to teach CLIL do not receive proper extra training and many are paying for their own English tuition privately to be able to deliver the classes” says the STEC teachers’ union, which has challenged the Department of Education to list the Canarian schools where the programme is being followed properly. The union criticism comes on the heels of complaints by teachers that it is virtually impossible to maintain standards in subjects if the pupils cannot understand the content due to the language barrier. “Whether you like it or not, you have to drop the level of what you are trying to teach in say geography to adapt it to the children’s command of English” said one teacher in San Isidro who is part of the CLIL programme.

CI-2 Second prize winner Annette Kölling

Winning design by Margot Inés Ferreira Rosales

Winners of the prize for innovation and commercial viability, Cintia Vanesa Sosa and María Fernanda Arnaldi

Photos by: Phil Crean

Lottery location

Confital

Telde’s Nudist luck beach continues angers locals Telde’s run of lottery luck is fast earning the town a reputation as the place to buy tickets for this year’s Christmas draw.

he second biggest town in Gran Canaria was struck twice by ‘lottery lightening’ in the space of just two days at the end of October. The draw known as La Primitiva brought a massive eight million euros to a local resident, not to mention a rush of TV cameras and journalists to the door of the ticket office where the ticket was issued. The prize would have been even bigger if a second winner, from Guadalajara on the mainland, had not chosen exactly the same sequence of numbers. Two days later the same Primitiva draw brought more prize-money to a Telde local, who had to be content to share the jackpot with another 47 people, although he had no complaints about the €57,000 windfall.

Las Palmas Council’s decision to set aside part of the city’s Confital Beach for nudism has received a mixed reaction from locals.

hile some have raised no objections to the regular prospect of users baring their all, others have hit out at the decision and are calling for a rethink. Interviewed in the Canarias 7 paper, Francisco Pérez, who uses Confital almost daily, said he was worried that the beach was no longer suitable for his young grand-daughter. “This has always been a family beach and although I have nothing against nudists they should use somewhere else. This decision has been taken to benefit a small number of people, some of whom are not content to take everything off but do other things as well!”

Sea safety

British yacht rescued safely

A British yacht was rescued safely off Los Cristianos on November 2nd after getting into difficulty at sea.

he local Sea Rescue Unit says a Fred Olsen ferry en route to Los Cristianos overheard a distress call from the yacht, named as the Quest of Mersey, and contacted the emergency services.

he vessel was drifting around five miles of f the coast of the island after apparently losing power. It was towed into Puerto Colón and its four crew members, who were said to be in good health, were disembarked safely.

he incident comes a day after the crew of another British-registered yacht had to be rescued 95 miles off Lanzarote and airlifted by helicopter to Gran Canaria.

Arico murder

Pensioner gets 17 years

A 79-year-old man from Arico has been sentenced to 17 years in jail for the murder of his wife in a domestic row.

lvaro González, who is just months short of his 80th birthday, was found guilty last week of punching his 72-year-old wife to death during the row. He will serve at least 10 years of his sentence for the brutal killing.

e was also ordered to stay away from his home town for 10 years and to pay €250,000 compensation to his wife’s family.

he jur y at Tenerife’s Criminal Court took just five hours to reach a unanimous guilty verdict for the killing, which occurred in December 2008 hours after the defendant, who had previous convictions for domestic violence, learned that his wife was intending to leave him.

7Islands

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Not his time

Elderly escapade By Barbara Belt

t is not unknown for vehicles to come off the road and when it happens in La Gomera, the consequences are usually dire. Most roads snake around barrancos with steep slopes of hair-raising depth. Recently installed roadside barriers on main stretches go some way to prevent - or at least minimise - the plunge into oblivion, but most of the island’s road network remains unprotected by crash barriers. Stories of lucky escapes are part of local folklore, as are morbid tales of plunges over the edge. Very few people, of any age, live to tell the tale themselves, making the recent news of such a plunge off the road all the more remarkable. A passing motorist was perplexed by the sudden appearance and disappearance of another car on the road which was coming in the opposite direction. Once outside the island’s towns and villages, there are very few cars on the road at night. Ferry arrivals and departures produce short

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Cars and the very twisty roads in La Gomera are not always a happy combination

bursts of motoring activity, and quickly all goes quiet again. It is not unusual to drive across the island without meeting another vehicle on the road, so when the driver in question saw distant lights approaching, he noticed. The oncoming car failed to appear where expected, and our hero decided it must have

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stopped for some reason. When it was nowhere to be seen round the next curve either, he was perplexed. He drove on for a while. J.J. G.M, the driver in question, said “I was in a hurry to get home. I’d been out all day and was pretty hungry and tired. I was also listening to a football match on the radio, so it didn’t hit me at first when

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the car disappeared. I’d driven on for a couple of kilometres without giving it much thought and then it suddenly hit me that it must have gone off the road. There was no other explanation. So I turned round and went back to where I thought I’d seen the lights, but I couldn’t see anything. I felt a bit stupid then and wondered if I’d imagined the whole thing, but I drove on a bit, stopped the car and got out to look over the edge. Then I saw light way down in the barranco. “I called the emergency services on 112 and told them a vehicle had gone over the edge and was about two hundred metres down. They asked me to wait there, so I did. It was pretty horrible waiting there, wondering how many people were down there in the car. I assumed they were dead. I was shaken up by it all”, he continues. A specially equipped emergency ambulance quickly arrived at the spot, just outside El Cabello, on the San Sebastián to Vallehermoso road, as did the Guardia Civíl. They set up a rescue procedure and, with lighting, the car turned out to be a jeep. At this stage in the story, rescue personnel could see exactly how far the jeep had fallen and were talking in terms of bringing up bodies rather than injured people. The driver and his female companion turned out to be very much alive. They were conscious and chatty when their rescuers eventually got down to them. After being checked by medical personnel from San Sebastián’s medical centre they were taken by ambulance to the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe hospital in the capital. “It was extraordinar y. A miracle! We’ve never seen anything like it. There we were preparing to bring up bodies and they were not only alive but relatively unscathed”, says ambulance crew member Juan. The driver was found to be suffering from mild head injuries and later discharged. His companion hurt her leg, but was also discharged. The fact that anyone can survive a two hundred metre car plunge with such minor injuries is remarkable, but this driver is ninety-six years of age and his companion eighty-four. When asked to comment on their miraculous escape, our driver, born in nineteen fourteen in La Gomera, offered a philosophical, “...when your number’s up, there’s nothing you can do. It’s not time for me yet”.

CabildoNews Island promotion

Travelling gourmets T

he Tenerife Cabildo may be on the right lines in promoting the gourmet offering of the island according to the International Tourism Trade Fairs Association. Food is a physical necessity, but it is increasingly being recognised as an essential part of the sensations a tourist receives in the destination. The ITTFA claim that, “today’s tourist is better informed, more cultured, well travelled and looking for new experiences. Food offers a gateway into other cultures, through taste, through food preparation and the whole eating environment. Food and drink provide lasting memories that define a holiday or travel experience. “Part of the joy of travel is the enjoyment of trying out unaccustomed cuisines, but not just the eating but the finding it, for example truffles and the producing of them, parmesan cheese and wine. Travel exhibitions now provide ideal platforms for food tourism, be that as part of a country or region exhibit or as a stand alone attraction such a specific food event or location. For example Cheddar in Somerset, England is visited for its cheese production and Reims in France for its champagne production.” New events are being organised constantly along these lines. Look out for tapas routes, tasting sessions and cookery exhibitions at a venue near you.

Bus station upgrade T

he ongoing renovations at the main bus station in Costa Adeje should be complete in December.

In a recent visit, Cabildo coordinator for mobility and security, Manuel Ortega, and Adeje tourism councillor Miguel Ángel Santos, oversaw the progress of the work, which has been carried out without disruption to the daily operation of the bus network, avoiding major disruption to passengers. The station hosts over half a million travellers annually and coordinates the operation of 103 buses serving 17 routes. As well as major reforms to the station’s infrastructure, bus company Titsa are planning to introduce a series of inter-urban routes to the growing metropolitan area.

Click! Your special corner of Tenerife

Click Tenerife T

he Tenerife Cabildo are asking people to send pictures of their favourite spot on the island, and be in with a chance of a prize. Photos (people can post up to three photos of places, activities, fiestas or traditions) will be placed on www. sientoxciento.com where the public can comment and vote for their favourites. You have until December 31st to enter, and prizes for the popular winners will include concert tickets and entry to some of Tenerife’s theme parks. Cabildo tourism chief José Manuel Bermúdez said that through the web people had “a platform via which they could show their special places on the island”, places that tourists and residents could get to know better.

7Islands

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

BritishConsul By Matthew Vickers, British Consul, Canary Islands

Municipal Elections 2011

Your vote is your voice If you didn’t already know that there are municipal elections being held on 22nd May 2011, then you’ll soon find out: no doubt your streets will shortly be inundated with candidate campaigns. Municipal elections are held every four years and the outcome determines the local councillors who then elect the local mayor. The municipal administration in Spain has power over the local police, traffic enforcement, urban planning and development and social services, amongst others. These services affect the daily lives of all of those of us who are residents here in Spain. Many people don’t realise that, as an EU national over the age of 18 at the time of elections, they can have a say in their local community by voting. In fact, you’re even entitled to stand as a candidate, and there are now a number of British councillors across Spain. The first and very easy step to being eligible to vote is registering on the padrón at your local town hall. It’s surprising how many different reasons we hear for not registering: people say they didn’t know they had to, they haven’t had time and some are worried about a ‘Big Brother’ state watching their every move. It’s actually a legal obligation to be registered on the padrón if you are a resident, and it’s not at all designed to monitor in detail your comings and goings, but to provide the right local services. Money is assigned to a town hall depending on how many residents are in that area, and so if there is no record of the residents, the town may fall short on essential services such as police officers and street cleaners. In addition, registering will allow you access to benefits and social care as well as that all-important ‘X’ on the municipal ballot paper. Residents of nationalities other than Spanish have to also explicitly let the town hall know that they want to exercise their voting rights in Spain. Here’s what you need to do, according to your circumstances:

• If you’re not on the padrón: Visit your town hall to sign on the padrón and tell them that you also wish to vote in the upcoming elections.

• If you’re on the padrón but have never registered to vote in Spain: You should soon receive a letter from the Electoral Census Office. Sign the declaration on the bottom of the letter to say you would like to vote and send it back to your corresponding Office. Over 750,000 letters have already been sent out. If your address isn’t up-to-date on the padrón, you’ll need to contact the town hall to make sure you get your letter.

• If you’ve already registered to vote in Spain: You don’t need to re-register. Start thinking about who you want to vote for! Although there are currently more British Nationals than any other EU citizens already registered to vote, there are also more Brits than any others who are yet to do so. Recent figures show that only about half of us who are eligible to vote have registered with the Electoral Census Office. At the consulate we know that the British community get involved in their Spanish surroundings through social clubs, voluntary organisations and campaign groups. And we know of thousands of Britons who voice their concerns through online forums, society meetings and publications like this one. But this is one opportunity you really wouldn’t want to miss – the chance to have a productive voice in your local area. I’ll be making my vote count – will you? For more information contact your town hall, your Electoral Census Office or phone 901 101 900.

Control of the seas

Watery legal headache

promise by the Spanish gover nment to devolve control of the waters in and around the Canaries to the region looks set to give legal exper ts plenty of work. The promise, part of a package of measures agreed to persuade two Canarian MPs in Madrid to vote in favour of the 2011 Budget and save premier José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

from a humiliating defeat, was immediately queried by the opposition on the grounds that there is no legal provision for a region to be awarded rights over the surrounding sea. Control is considered vital by the Canarian government, not just for environmental and fisheries reasons, but also to ensure the islands have the last say in the event of any offshore oil located nearby. However, law professors,

including Carlos Jiménez from Alcalá University, says the agreement is not worth the paper it is written on because the waters are international under maritime law. “Only archipelagos which are themselves recognised states have rights over their own waters, but the Canaries are part of Spain and cannot be given control. In any case, under international law Spain’s rights extend to the 12 nautical miles around each

island but not the 12 miles surrounding the Canaries as a whole”. Other experts consulted say Spain agreed to the designation of the waters between the Islands as ‘international waters’ when the country signed up to the 1980 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and cannot therefore offer the Canaries a change in status without first applying to have the Convention amended.

7Islands

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Live Arico founder and dog owner/carer Eugenio

Ostrich farm and restaurant owner Juan

Air navigation aid

Controllers slammed over fresh delays Air traffic controllers in the Canaries have come under fire again, this time for allegedly obstructing the start of a new air navigation radio aid system used in control towers.

Fur and feathers Live Arico/Ostrich farm

he news that a dog or dogs from the recently relocated Live Arico dog refuge had broken out and attacked and killed four ostrich chicks in the adjoining farm was reported in local Spanish press and Island Connections two weeks ago. But quickly the issue became one of interest on a wider scale, with the Tenerife Forum carr ying our report, which then generated an avalanche of responses. Island Connections called up to see both Eugenio, founder of Live Arico (though no longer president) and Juan Vicens, owner of the Ostrich farm on Camino Toledo II just off the exit opposite the Tenerife South airport. The two properties are indeed adjacent, and with three hundred dogs in the Live Arico installation one can understand how an owner of an ostrich farm would have misgivings when they moved in April. The drive up the windy road brings you into dry farm land,

with banana farms stretching as far as you can see on three sides. The ostrich farm and restaurant has been in operation for 15 years now, since Juan moved over from Mallorca. It’s a tourist attraction and restaurant, and he has open air sections and swings for children as well as extensive enclosures for the ostriches. Eugenio moved in next door in April, having moved from inadequate housing for the dogs in Amarilla Golf. He told Island Connections that one of the first things he wanted to proceed with was reinforcing the fencing between the two farms as well as work on the installation (housing, hospital area, offices, etc) but as he has yet to receive the necessary paperwork he can do nothing. And visually it does look like it’s in need of major work. The land is rented. Juan says that the law is very clear, and you simply cannot have a dog refuge within one kilometre of a farm such as his, and sooner or later Eugenio will have to go.

The facts of the current case are not in dispute – four dogs, one of which was chipped in Eugenio’s name, entered the ostrich farm on the night of October 19th and killed four chicks. That is fact. The other three dogs escaped (Eugenio claims they are not from his refuge) but the one that was caught was his. He is willing to pay whatever restitution he is ordered to by the courts. However this case is, it would appear, the proverbial tip of the iceberg. From our conversations with both individuals, it would appear that they have never spoken to each other about their mutual concerns, nor do they plan to do so formally. Juan says that since Live Arico moved next door he has lost in the region of €60,000 as the chicks that are hatching are weak and not surviving, and he is way down on stock. He also claims that a dog of Eugenio’s attacked an ostrich in front of a group of tourists. He says the noise of 300 dogs barking is unbearable, day or night (“imagine what the noise is like when a cat wanders nearby”, he says), and that the refuge have not passed inspections, their existence in the area is not supported by the local authorities, and in effect he wants to see them gone as quickly as possible. He says he has made his complaints legally and is waiting for them to be

The chicks that were killed were similar in age to these ones

resolved through the courts. But he makes it clear that he doesn’t see any other solution. Live Arico must go. Eugenio wants everything to be above board. He says he is just waiting for the paper work to be in order to begin the reformations needed to make this into a proper refuge for the number of dogs he is caring for (300, and he says he cannot take any more). He will pay for the damage caused by his dog – “we are always telling the public they have to take responsibility for the actions of their animals, I must do the same”, he told Island Connections. He says he has been visited by representatives from the Cabildo and council and believes the licences will arrive. He gave us the impression that he didn’t think there would be much point in trying to talk face to face to Juan. So it’s something of a stalemate. But there is of course another, perhaps bigger question.

Who should be looking after 300 abandoned dogs? And what about all the other dogs who don’t have the protection of the small number of refuges that do exist, mostly run by volunteers, around the island. Eugenio says this is a huge problem here, and one of the issues that needs to be addressed is that authorities who licence dogs, especially those classed as ‘dangerous breeds’ are not enforcing the rules that do exist. “Refuges are not the solution, we need tougher laws” he says. Dogs need to be chipped, and owners who abandon them fined for doing so. There should also be greater awareness placed on the responsibilities of dog ownership when someone is getting a dog in the first place. Coming up to Christmas, when kids are going to start seeing puppies as the ideal Christmas/Kings present this is par ticularly relevant. As things stand neither Eugenio’s nor Juan’s problems seem likely to be solved in the short term. And even if the courts do force Eugenio to move, and he sets up elsewhere, the bigger problems of so many abandoned dogs in Tenerife will continue to exist. We will keep you informed.

The first day of the new procedure led to delays averaging two hours in Canarian airports, with over 200 flights affected. The controllers had warned in the days leading up to the launch of the new system, which was introduced in Gran Canaria airport, that they were not fully familiar with the changes in routes required or with the requirements of the system. Their threat of chaos materialised from early morning despite instructions by AENA, the Airports’ authority, to ensure that back-up teams were on duty.

Spain’s transport minister José Blanco said he had “taken full note” of the delays caused in the Canaries and referred the problems to the country’s Air Safety regulator to see if action should be taken by the controllers. An AENA spokesman said that all the required training in the radio system had been given and extra staff were deployed on the day to ensure the system got off to a smooth start. “There is no reason why any delays should have been experienced, except if controllers were doing it deliberately” said a source.

TenerifeGeneral

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

Choo choo news

Train on track

The train link between Santa Cruz and the south of the island should be up and running by 2018, according to the Tenerife Cabildo. The corporation’s head Ricardo Melchior has revealed that one of the strings attached to Canarian MPs’ support for the 2011 Budget in the Spanish Parliament was a promise by Madrid to sign the funding agreement for the train project in early 2011. According to the Cabildo, the deal entails an annual payment between 2011 and 2018 of around 300 million euros by the State, which will fund 70 per cent of the overall cost of the project. It is expected the north to south train will carry 13 million passengers every year. Melchior challenged ecologists who oppose the train link on environmental grounds to explain why they are backing a similar project in Gran Canaria.

Bin there…

Ring Rescue

An employee of a jewellery shop in Puerto de la Cruz has the town’s binmen to thank for rescuing €1,500 worth of rings she inadvertently threw into a street wastepaper bin in the town. By the time the woman realised several hours later what she had done the bin, near Puerto harbour,

had been emptied by street cleaners and its contents transferred to the bigger bins near the Semiramis Hotel. According to the El Día paper, the town’s refuse collection lorries, which were due to start their late evening rounds, were delayed slightly as staff were sent to rummage through the larger bins in search of the missing bag, which was eventually located, with its collection of rings and other items of jewellery intact.

CNC

Rally Low turn-out

A rally to press for independence for the Canary Islands from Spain attracted only about a hundred supporters, despite a massive publicity campaign by the organisers in the weeks leading up the event. The rally, organised to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the adoption by the independence movement of the socalled Canarian National Flag (white, blue and yellow stripes with seven green stars in a circle), was led by Antonio Cubillo, the 80-year-old head of the Canarian Nationalist Congress (CNC), a political movement set up several decades ago to pressure for an end to Spanish occupation of the islands. Although very small, the rally did attract the attention of cruise passengers visiting Santa Cruz, who took photos of the protest after querying the meaning behind the demonstrators’ chants, in poor English, calling on “Spanish Go Out of Canary Island”.

Street party sanctions

Night night, sleep tight A

deje mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga has announced a borough wide plan to eradicate the ‘botellón’ or the on-street drinking parties that are a scourge in parts of Spain. The mayor and council, with the full cooperation of the local and national police, are introducing a series of preventative and punative measures aimed at stamping out this practice in Adeje. “We are not against nighttime leisure” but the habits and practises that blemish the tourist image of Adeje, such as street drinking and outdoor macrofiestas, in inappropriate places, the mayor said. Very simply, he added, drinking on the street is

Councillor Barrera, mayor Fraga and the chief of local police announcing the measures

an offence and the offenders can be fined, though he did stress that the idea would be to put preventative measures in place, though if and when necessary “corrective measures” would be taken. Hundreds of young

people congregate at weekends at certain sites, including car parks, children’s playgrounds and even waste ground, to get drunk on alcohol purchased in supermarkets. In many cases, the participants park their vehicles on

the pubic highway next to the chosen site and use their car boots as makeshift bars, complete with music blaring from the stereo systems. The council have said that they are also in the process of passing a new byelaw on the use of public spaces. At the same time they are also making sure that clubs and pubs are complying with regulations regarding noise levels, breaches of which will also incur sanctions. These new measures are designed to ensure that residents and tourists have the right to a good night’s sleep, something that isn’t the case currently in many parts of the borough.

Watamu

The wheels on the bus… W

atamu is a place where waiting for a bus can take six

months.

Tenerife Estate Agents, Clear Blue Skies Group have long been associated with charities in Africa, previously through Save the Children, and more recently with a charity called The Children of Watamu. A client of Clear Blue Skies, Sue Hayward r uns this charity in Watamu, Kenya tr ying to save and educate hundreds of children whose lives have been ravaged by disease and hunger. Some months ago, Sue asked Clear Blue Skies’, staff and friends if they could raise finance for the purchase of a minibus to transport the chil-

Watamu by bus

dren from outlying areas to their school. Previously, they were using ‘Tuk-Tuk’s’ a dangerous and antiquated mode of transport. The money was sent many months ago, and in

October, at long last, the bus arrived in Watamu in Kenya, and after frantically having the seats fitted, Sue and her team finally took it to let the kids see it. In Sue’s words, “thank you

Alan (Nicolson) for the kindness and generosity of Clear Blue Skies, you have made a lot of people happy today…we put lots of balloons on the bus, and when the children came home from school, they were all cheering. I took them for a ride in the bus, and the children were all singing at the top of their voices, it was brilliant, as we drove along, I thought, this is one of the happiest days of my life”. Clear Blue Skies Group and their staff and friends are proud to have helped in a small way, to make the lives of these lovely African children better, and continue to allocate money each time they make a sale to this worthiest of causes plus other fund raising ventures during the year.

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

TenerifeGeneral

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Arona

Footpath for Palm Mar access T

he Ayuntamiento of Arona is to create a footpath along the access road to Palm Mar from the TF-66. The work has been allotted a budget of €360,000 and has been included in the Plan de Barrios. The announcement was made by the Alcalde, José Alberto González Reverón during a meeting with the local residents’ association. He explained that this work, which will be directed by the councillor for works, Ramón García, could commence before the end of this year. The new footpath, which will run along the length of the access road, is being designed with its surroundings in mind so the materials to be used will blend in and produce the minimum visual impact. At the same time, the existing overhead cables will be placed underground and the fronts of the two buildings situated alongside

Council delight

El Médano hotel reprieve

Granadilla Council says it is delighted at the decision to grant the El Médano Hotel a reprieve from demolition.

the first section of the access road will be improved. There is some planting to be done too, with the creation of a green zone which will include typical local vegetation and hopefully reduce the visual impact of the asphalted road. Reverón stated that the council was, “satisfied to be able to carry out this project, which

has long been requested by the Palm Mar residents and which will contribute considerably to strengthening the natural and cultural values of the area”, bearing in mind that it is not just an urbanisation, but it is an area situated between the protected natural spaces of Montaña Guaza and the Malpais de Rasca.

Mayor Carmen Nieves Gaspar said that the ruling by the High Court against the Department of Coast’s order to pull several parts of the hotel down enabled the town to “look forward and contemplate a new use for the building” The concession granted to the company currently managing the hotel runs out in 2018 and the council is mulling over various options for the controversial building, which has been the focus of massive local pressure to save it from demolition. The options include an old people’s home, a catering school and a thalassotherapy centre. However, experts warn that the court

ruling does not resolve the demolition issue definitively and all will depend on the Department of Coast’s willingness to persist with its order at a higher level.

TF1

Three hurt in coach fire

Three passengers required treatment after the coach they were travelling on caught fire on the TF1 motorway on a Saturday night in October. The blaze occurred near the main Fañabé junction at just before 9pm. The three, two men and a woman, were taken to the El Mojón Health Centre for treatment for respiratory problems caused by smoke inhalation and one of them was transferred to Hospiten Sur for further treatment. Traffic suffered serious disruption as the fire brigade tackled the fire, which totally destroyed the bus.

Cashing in

Sunday opening debate continues

The debate on whether shops in the centre of Santa Cruz should open on Sundays and public holidays could be resolved w i t h i n a fo r t n i g ht , according to the local traders’ association. Many shops are believed to be keen to cash in on the presence of thousands of cruise tourists in Tenerife but are prevented from doing so by strict trading legislation. Although the law bans large stores (over 300 square metres) and franchises from operating on Sundays in the city, other shops say they would be prepared to open if the authorities approve the proposal. Passengers arriving on the liners have repeatedly highlighted the lack of shopping possibilities in Santa Cruz as a negative factor in the stop-over.

TRIANA 8 / CC MUELLE / MELONERAS KIOSCO 35 / CC LAS ARENAS – GRAN CANARIA CC SAFARI SHOPPING CENTRE - TENERIFE

TenerifeGeneral

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

Flight news Credit: Frédéric Vincent

Parker-Pearson is one of the world’s leading authorities on Stonehenge

Stones and science

‘Bluehenge’ expert gives Tenerife talk

ne of the world’s leading authorities on Stonehenge visited Tenerife recently to give a talk on the latest archaeological finds in the vicinity of the historic site. Mike Parker-Pearson from Sheffield University gave a public lecture at the Science and Cosmos Museum in La Laguna, whose auditorium was packed for the occasion. Through an interpreter, Parker-Pearson discussed the theories surrounding the possible reasons for the construction of Stonehenge and reported on the excavations carried out since 2008 by 55 archaeologists from all over the UK on a new site dubbed Bluehenge, which is named after the colour of the fragments of giant Welsh stones found there. The newly discovered stone circle is thought to have been put up 5,000 years ago - around the same time work on Stonehenge began - and appears to be a miniature version of the latter. Although its monoliths have disappeared, the circle of holes remains. It is about 60 feet wide, has 27 holes, and the chips of blue stone found in the holes appear to be identical to the blue stones used in Stonehenge, suggesting that the creators of Stonehenge originally built two prehistoric stone circles.

Air Berlin blow for Tenerife North

September statistics

Company deputy chief for Spain and Portugal Pablo Casado gave the news at a press conference recently, explaining that “the time was not ripe for experiments”. “According to Casado, 2009 was “a difficult year’ at Tenerife North for the airline and the fall in passenger numbers has continued throughout this year. “The type of client that uses the north of the island is different to the type that flies with us to Tenerife South and we have to reappraise whether it is viable to continue targeting the former in the present climate” he said. The pull-out is a devastating blow to areas such as Puerto de la Cruz, which are heavily dependent on the German market. Cabildo tourism officer José Manuel Bermúdez put on a brave face at the news, insisting that the vast majority of tourists in the north fly in via the south anyway. However, he called on the Canarian government to launch a specific programme to inject new life into Tenerife North airport to remedy its current “competitiveness

According to the statistics provided by the Cabildo, hotel occupation rose by 6.53 per cent (non-hotel overnight stays were up 0.71 per cent). Although there was actually a slight drop in the number of Britons visiting the island, there was a healthy increase in German visitors of almost 18 per cent. According to tourism councillor Bermúdez, the figures reflect a steady increase in numbers arriving from abroad as well as positive indications from the Spanish peninsula after fewer Spanish visitors arrived this summer.

erman low-cost airline Air Berlin is to pull out of Tenerife North next summer.

Air Berlin planes won’t be landing in Tenerife North next summer

problems”. The Air Berlin pull-out has surprised some, not least when it is recalled that the Düsseldorf flight was usually 80-90 per cent full last summer. The airline says it will increase capacity to Tenerife South during this winter by 62,000 seats.

Tourist numbers rise September brought good news for Tenerife’s tourism chiefs with an announced increase of 3.66 per cent on the numbers visiting the island that month.

Cruise Information Month

until the end of November at Tenerife Sunshine.com Troya Beach Office

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Fantastic Prizes to be Given Away including a free cruise with Royal Caribbean, Up to US$2000 Free Credit On Board, Free Cabin Upgrades & Many Many MORE!!! Book your Cruise Appointments by ringing 922 751 867 or e-mail us at info@tenerifesunshine.com

Tenerife & SouthWest

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

South west

SW / Guía de Isora

Pedro González Exhibition

Santiago del Teide

Lions Club International

The run-up to Christmas is the main time of the year for fundraising by the Santiago del Teide Lions, and their members put many hours into organising various events.

18th November - 8th January - Centro Cultural Guía de Isora

edro González was born in Valleguerra, Tenerife in 1927. Although he began to pursue his artistic career at a very early age it didn’t stop him dedicating himself to scientific studies (he earned a degree in chemistry) and also showing his political mettle and he was elected mayor of La Laguna, a

position he held for seven years. Today his fame and the respect he has won as a painter extends way beyond these islands, and his art has gained admirers all over Europe, in Venezuela, Canada and the USA. Pedro’s work reflects his surroundings, his core elements emerge from his island

of Tenerife, the sea, the villages and towns, the countryside, the mountains, Teide and those who occupy these spaces …places close to his heart. They reflect the man behind the paint brush, a painter who is serious and profound, an artist, a politician and an historian.

Anglican Chaplaincy of St Francis

Services and supports T

he Anglican Chaplaincy of Saint Francis, Tenerife South forms part of the Church of England, Diocese in Europe, which covers the whole of continental Europe. Interested members of the public have three options when it comes to places of worship in South and South West Tenerife, San Blas on the Golf del Sur on Sunday at 6pm, San Eugenio, Pueblo Canario, Playa de Las Américas on Wednesday and Sunday at 10.15am and Los Gigantes, main Square on Thursday at 10.30am and Sunday at

6pm. Father Keith Gordon told us, “all our services have the Eucharist (Holy Communion) at their heart, are all in English

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and, except for the Wednesday ser vice all have well-known hymns”. As part of their mission the church supports a number of local and international charities, including Veniños helping street children in Venezuela, and the Asociación San Juan in Adeje, which is a care centre for mentally and physically handicapped young people. They are also involved in The Living Room – a Christian ‘dry’

space in Veronicas and carry out regular prison visits. Fr Gordon said they they also support the nuns of Arona and Vilaflor who are tireless in helping the poor in their areas. If you want to keep in touch with the church and support their ongoing work here are a few notes for your diar y. Ever y Saturday in the main square, Los Gigantes, they host a sales table with clothes and bric-a-brac. On November 6th, there will be Afternoon Tea at 10 Calle Adelfas, Los Gigantes 3.30 – 5pm. Call 922 861997 for details. November 11th is Remembrance Day. At Los Gigantes there will be a Service of the Word at 10.30am with two minutes silence at 11am with the Royal British Legion. November 14th is Remembrance Sunday, services at San Eugenio 10.15am with two minutes silence at 11am and at San Blas at 6pm. There’s a book sale on November 13th Book Sale at El Médano (922 176110 for details), and the much-loved Christmas Bazaar takes place on November 27th in the Main Square, Los Gigantes. 10:30am Grand Raffle, Live Music, Tombola, produce, Bric a Brac, Clotes, Books and much much more. Free admission.

They receive many requests for assistance in their area, for example the centre for the mentally impaired needs a new commercial dryer for their laundry room, Caritas are crying out for help for the people in the mountainous areas who have lost their jobs and many local children are having problems buying school books. The Santiago del Teide Lions help the local people and in order to do this, they need all the help that you can give them. The first event planned is a coach trip to Puerto de la Cruz on Thursday November 18th and includes two hours of shopping at C.C. La Villa in La Orotava plus a visit to the Majestic, Bitter and Twisted’s new entertainment bar, for a hot Christmas buffet and cabaret. Price per person is €26 including the coach. Please do give this all the support you can. Tickets are available from MDI Alcala and The Dive Centre in Los Gigantes, or telephone 607435267 or 637819204.

Festival de Teatro y Danza

Adeje’s cultural menu

Adeje’s festival of theatre and dance will see performances of a variety of works in the town’s cultural centre every Friday and Saturday evening throughout November. A number of different companies are presenting works throughout the month. Teatrofia, Delirium Teatro and Abubukaka come together to offer a selection that, in the words of the town’s cultural councillor Epifanio Díaz Hernández, “shows that theatre in the Canaries is of a very high standard, allowing us to present such an excellent gamut of works for people in Adeje and Tenerife South in general”. The directors involved in the festival also voiced their gratitude to Adeje council for continuing to fund the event despite the ongoing economic crisis, even though support from other sources was hard to come by, according to director Juan Reyes. Every Friday and Saturday at 9pm there will be a different play staged in the Cultural Centre (see our ‘Whats On’ page for listings or the Adeje web site), with works for all ages. The festival ends on the weekend of November 26th and 27th with Dracula, by Danceart, and Burricias performed by Abubukaka.

Business NEWS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

2011 tax budget

Tax hikes for wealthy in Spain’s 2011 budget By Bill Blevins, Financial Correspondent, Blevins Franks

he Spanish government has approved its budget for 2011 which sees tax rises for the wealthy and spending cuts of €122 billion, or almost eight per cent. They are expected to boost revenue by €170-€200 million.

Island Connections readers who are high net worth taxpayers should review their tax planning to see what steps they can take to protect their wealth. Finance minister Elena Salgado said, “it is the most austere budget for recent years.” Spain is trying to repair its economy having scraped out of recession earlier this year by just 0.1 per cent. It aims to slash its deficit to six per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011, from an expected 9.3 per cent in 2010 and 11.1 per cent in 2009. For 2012 the deficit is expected to be 4.4 per cent, reaching 3 per cent by 2013.

Top rate of tax up two per cent The top rate of income tax levied by the state will jump two per cent from 43 per cent, with the introduction of two additional tax bands from 2011. Annual income from €120,000 to €175,000 will be taxed at 44 per cent and income over €175,000 will be taxed at 45 per cent. Currently there are four tax bands and tax rates, with tax rates starting at 24 per cent. In certain autonomous regions, such as Cataluña and Andalucia, the top rate of tax could be even higher as the autonomous communities control 50 per cent of income tax. In May, prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, warned of a tax on “those who actually have more”. There was much speculation about what this would involve having already raised tax on savings in last year’s budget. Many thought that a wealth tax rate, currently effectively reduced to zero, would be increased

Spain’s Finance minister Elena Salgado

but so far this has not happened. There is still room for the government to increase revenue further by reversing the 100 per cent wealth tax credit in the future. An exemption relating to capital gains tax on investment funds was abolished. Spain is not the only country to increase tax for higher earners next year KPMG’s individual income tax and social security rate survey 2010 shows an upward trend across Europe and other advanced economies where governments are seeking increased revenues from their country’s highest earners. The Spanish budget, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on 24th September, still has to go through parliament but it is expected to be passed later in the year. Tax rises are never good news and the more you earn the higher the rate of tax you have to pay. Following the global financial crisis, governments are focusing on higher earners to bear the brunt of tax rises to help fill treasury coffers. British expatriates in Spain

have also been suffering low bank interest and disappointing currency exchange rates. Fortunately you can often positively address the situation with an effective tax planning and wealth management strategy, structured to legitimately limit the amount of tax you pay while at the same time aiming to protect your wealth. A financial manager specialising in these areas such as Blevins Franks can advise you on your specific requirements.

Governments are focusing on higher earners to bear the brunt of tax rises To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website: www.blevinsfranks.com

Business NEWS

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Plan renove

New for old I

f your old electrical appliance is on the blink, look out for grant offers under the Government’s plan to introduce more energy and water efficient appliances into the home, Plan Renove. The idea is that each home will replace old and inefficient appliances with a newer more efficient model. Appliances covered include fridges, freezers, ovens, dryers, washers and dishwashers. Help is also available to switch electric ceramic hobs for induction models. The minimum grant is €50 and the amount given depends on the model and level of efficiency you choose and whilst the most efficient models are more expensive they save money in the long run. All you need is proof of identity as a Spanish resident (original and photocopy) and to be over 18. Some regions do require proof of registration at your local council, empadronamiento, but at the time of writing this is not required in the Canaries. Your new appliance is delivered and the old one taken away to the tip. For replacement of fridges, combined fridge freezers, freezers with a new A++ energy model you will receive €125 and for an A+ model €105. Washing machines switched for an A level efficiency model will be grant

credit:13dede

aided to the tune of €105, induction hobs, dishwashers and dryers of A level efficiency will also be grant aided by €105. Information on which shops are taking part in the scheme and when the grants are available can be obtained from the Regional Government offices.

House sales

Market starts to move August sales for homes were up by 29.6 per cent.

n total 43,817 homes exchanged hands in August, 89.6 per cent were standard homes and 10.4 per cent under the ‘protected’ regimen which allows those with lower incomes to get onto the property ladder. New properties were marginally more popular at 53.2 per cent of the total sales, 23,310 homes, and the remaining 20,507 were second hand. The August increase is the eighth consecutive monthly increase after three years of a depressed market and falling sales. Land sales also increased.

ndalusia saw the most movement and 57.5 per cent of the total national sales were in this region, followed by Valencia, Madrid and Catalonia. The average sale ratio per thousand inhabitants across the country was 117, with La Rioja peaking at 191 and the Canaries at the tail end with 87 sales for every thousand residents.

Marketing

Tourist oscar

A campaign by the Yorkshire tourist board has been voted the best in Europe.

he campaign was named Europe’s best at the World Travel Awards Europe held recently in Turkey. They are now firm favourites for a place, if not a win, for the best in the World award which will be announced during the World Travel Fair in London on November 7. They will have 15 strong contenders including Abu-Dhabi, Australia, Dubai, Jamaica, India, the Maldives, South Africa and New York for the important trophy.

Prize draw

Free Caribbean holiday

In addition to the three fabulous hotels in Tenerife, the Bahía Principe group also has three in Mallorca and 13 in the Caribbean.

hey are currently running a promotion for people who sign onto their web site to enter a draw for a free, seven night, all inclusive stay with flights from Madrid to one of their Caribbean hotels. Click onto www.tellevamosalcaribe.com/ register your name and details, answer three simple questions (at the time of going to press the answers were bachata y merengue, azul and bachata) and cross your fingers. If you haven’t yet stayed at one of their superb resorts in Tenerife, check out what you’re missing on www.bahia-principe.com/BP/.

Business NEWS

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

There are now stricter controls in place for those claiming unemployment benefits. Changes to the unemployment legislation mean that the €426 subsidy will continue for a further year for those who have used all their unemployment benefit entitlement, but there will be strict controls over those who turn down job offers or refuse to attend courses. Unemployed between 30 and 45 years old who have no dependents will now be unable to claim the subsidy and previously there was a period of 100 days ‘grace’ for the unemployed to sign on for courses, now this period has been reduced to 30 days. After that period those claiming benefit will be obliged to sign up for courses which can improve their possibilities of obtaining work. Failure to attend a course which fits in with the individuals work history and abilities will mean that their benefit could be withheld.

Investments

Look after the pennies…

A new savings scheme is gathering popularity. Whenever you pay for an item of over €15 with your credit card, you can opt to save the ‘change’. Your card is charged with the amount spent, rounded up to the next €5 and the balance is transferred to a savings account which pays up to five per cent APR, is freely available and is free of commissions and charges. How many of us have a jar at home full of small change which is pulled out once a year for Christmas, holidays or special occasions such as a child’s birthday? The banks’ idea is that this small change should be in their keeping and earning them and you some interest. Caixa Galicia is one of the banks now offering this service with an upper limit of €10,000 on the savings accounts. Check out your bank on-line or ask in your local branch to see if your bank now has a similar scheme in place.

Grant aid I

f you or your children are thinking of further education in the near future, don’t just stop at the administration authorities when looking for grant aid. Apart from grants from the various government administrations, banks and savings banks both offer grant aid to students. The grants are not limited to studies carried out in Spain, you can apply for financial aid to study a Master’s degree in the United States, to complement an Erasmus grant or to complete a hands-on practical year in journalism in the UK for example. The majority of the grants are aimed at mobility and whilst they

are not easy to obtain and there are a high number of candidates, the end result is worthwhile. The standards and regulations set are high and strict and the candidates selected are those who, according to the selection committee members, have the most merit, capacity, best curriculum and interest in the proposed project. Great personal references and the quality of the studies you wish to undertake are also factors taken into consideration. As an example, La Caixa offer 250 grants every year for postgraduate studies of the full cost of the course and a monthly payment of between €1,300 and €1,500. If you decide to study

Internet

away from Spain, the grant will also cover the cost of transport to and from your chosen place of study, health insurance and the cost of an academic orientation course. Many other savings banks offer similar help and there are also funds available for those involved in job placement schemes. Over 15s have grants available for language studies

in the United States and those in the fourth year of secondary education can opt for a grant to study abroad for a year. Most banks will insist on the parents having an account and some of the aid is means tested. If you or your child would like financial help towards studying in the future, check out what’s on offer now, open your account and get the ball rolling.

Connecting speeds T

hree times slower connection speeds for Internet than in the sur rounding European countries is the depressing result of a recent study.

Average download speeds are 5.67 megabits and upload at 395 kilobits. We are behind Portugal, Germany, France and the United Kingdom in this aspect. Portugal, for example, has an average download speed of 15.67 megabits, Germany at 15.26 and France and the UK, 8.41 according to a report by adslzone.net, a specialist Internet website, after checking

out almost five million samples. Although the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommend an upload minimum capacity of one mega to enjoy to the full all the possibilities of the Web, Spain falls below half of that. The study claims that Movistar offers the fastest broadband download connections, Jazztel and Vodafone come out top

for the upload capabilities and the cable companies, Telecable, R, Euskaltel and Ono are outlined as the most efficient companies for fast connections, as they supply over 80 per cent of the speeds contracted. credit:wyrls

New dole legislation

Financing studies

credit:Jrdurao

Unemployment benefit

902 107 111

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Health

HouseCalls

Health News

Dr. De La Flor

healthytenerife@gmail.com

De Puy

Hip prosthesis recall

Dear Dr. De La Flor Dear Dr. De La Flor,

is more likely. Menopause: Aging slows the metabolism, so you burn fewer calories, and any changes in lifestyle (e.g. exercising less) play a role. Smoking Cessation: Nicotine curbs your appetite, so once you quit, you may feel increased hunger pangs, which leads to overeating. It also affects your metabolism, and some people don’t decrease their calorie intake to compensate for the slowdown. Lastly, nicotine is notorious for dulling the taste buds, so you may find food tastes better once you kick the habit, which can lead to overindulgence. Make sure you share your goals with your GP. In your case, you might need a few lab tests to make sure ‘the engine’ is running well. He/she will help you prepare a personalised plan. Be tough, stay focused and positive. Best of luck to you!

I have a bad work environment and I feel down about it. Can antidepressants work for me? Sincerely, Susan

Dear Susan, A report recently published by the American Medical Association showed that the drugs work best for very severe cases of depression and have little or no benefit over placebo (inactive pills) in less serious cases. That report isn’t the last word on the topic, but it got plenty of media attention. When considering antidepressants, there are four essential questions that experts agreed on: 1. Do you truly have depression? You have to be diagnosed by a medical professional, somebody who understands the diagnostic criteria and you very well. I’m appalled when I hear patients telling me that their doctor prescribed antidepressants after a five minute visit. Life crises or challenges can trigger symptoms that look like depression, but don’t lend themselves to being treated with medication. It’s normal to feel sad or discouraged about these things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a psychiatric disorder. Likewise, if there’s the death of a loved one, again, grieving is normal. It’s a human process, and grieving can sometimes be similar or overlap a little bit with symptoms of depression. So doctors shouldn’t necessarily assume that people who come in with these situational problems are the ones who need to be treated with medications. 2. Are you willing to stick with treatment long-term? To be honest with you, with antidepressants, patience and attitude matters more than medication! You have to be willing to stick with treatment for the long-term to get the most benefits. Most antidepressants don’t work immediately. 3. Would counselling/coaching help your mild depression, either alone or combined with an antidepressant? 4. Do you have a good working relationship with your doctor? Look for a doctor who cares about you, motivates you and strives to find the right treatment for you. Make sure you renew your attitude every single day, since every morning as we wake up we have an opportunity to change things around and enjoy the process of that fight. Best wishes!

Work on your weight reduction goals with your GP

Dear Dr. De La Flor,

that some people experience weight gain after beginning drug treatment simply because they’re feeling better, which leads to a better appetite.

I’m 48 and have been tr ying to lose weight but can’t. Sincerely, Sabrina

C o r t i c o s t e r o i d s : They are notorious for causing weight gain. Fluid retention and increased appetite are the main reasons.

Dear Sabrina, When I have a patient with your complaint, some of the areas I ask questions about before talking about food and nutritional habits are: Sleeping habits: Some boast about sleeping little and that’s plain stupidity since it puts your health at risk. When we are sleep deprived, hormones that affect appetite take over, making you hungrier (and unbearable!) the next morning. Solution - enjoy your sleep and if necessary take a nap! Stress: When life’s demands get too intense, our bodies go into survival mode: Cortisol, the ‘stress hormone,’ is secreted, which causes an increase in appetite. Solution - take it easy, don’t sweat the small stuff! Antidepressants: An unfortunate side effect from some antidepressants is weight gain. Talk to your doctor about switching to another drug if you think your antidepressant is causing weight gain. But realise

Hypothyroidism: Hypofunctioning makes you feel tired, weak and cold. Since metabolism slows, weight gain

Dr. De La Flor, licensed G.P. Holds certificates in coaching, nutrition and medical exercise from Berkeley University and the American Council on Exercise. His medical approach is highly influenced by Positive Psychology; an empowering, encompassing way of approaching patients through the study of their strengths and virtues to enable them to thrive and lead fulfilling lives, accept the past, find happiness in the present, and hope for the future. You can reach the doctor at 00-34-697.888.666 to schedule a consultation in his surgery or in your home/business

Coaching Corner :: Dr. De La Flor

Natural rhythm Natural rhythms are found for almost every biological function we have; sleep and alertness, body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, the production of hormones and digestive secretions. The major source of mental alertness comes from deep within the brain, from the master circadian pacemaker that controls key internal rhythms within us. ‘Circadian’ refers to a biological rhythm that repeats itself approximately every 24 hours. Our moods as well as our mental energy are also monitored by this biological clock or pacemaker. When we vandalise our rhythms, the body enters into an ‘Internal Desynchronisation’ a feeling of malaise that affects our physical, mental and emotional performance. For maximum performance, our biological rhythms should be as finely tuned as a Formula 1 race car.

Resolution:

For the next two weeks, let’s try to pamper our natural rhythms by striking a balance between work and family, family and leisure, eating habits, fun and moderation … soon we’ll be building healthy, empowering habits that will make our lifestyle be more productive and effective.

According to some media reports there is concern being voiced in Spain at the recall of 93,000 De Puy prosthetic hips worldwide because of fears they could affect the health of patients.

The company is part of the Johnson and Johnson group. The ‘ASR XL Acetabula Systema’ and ‘ASR XL Hip Resurfacing System’ were distributed in 2003 to 70 health centres across the country. Regions not included were Aragón, Cantabria, Ceuta, Melilla, Extremadura, Navarra and La Rioja. DePuy said that it was issuing the voluntary recall after new data from a British joint replacement registry showed about 1 in 8, or around 12 percent, of those who received the implants needed corrective procedures, called revision surgeries, within five years. That failure rate appears to be about twice the industry average, says Kevin J. Bozic, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon and vice chairman of orthopaedics at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, who has studied revision rates in hip replacement. According to the company’s website, “data recently received shows that more people than expected who received the ASR Hip System experienced pain and other symptoms that led to a second hip replacement surgery, called a revision surgery. New data shows that five years after implantation, approximately 12 per cent of patients (one in eight) who had received the ASR resurfacing device and 13 per cent of patients who had received the ASR total hip replacement needed to have a revision surgery. For this reason, DePuy Orthopaedics is recalling its ASR™ XL Acetabular System and DePuy ASR™ Hip Resurfacing System. The Spanish Ministry for Health has issued an alert to health professionals saying that they should check to see if they find more problems, but consider that not all the patients given the model need to be operated on again. If your replacement was prior to 2003 there’s no need for concern. However the best, if you think you have the model concerned, is go and see your doctor.

ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

health directory

Health Directory Useful Vocabulary

Describing your symptoms

I have a pain (here) Tengo dolor (aquí) I have stomach ache Tengo dolor de estómago I have chest pain Tengo dolor en el pecho I have a sore throat Tengo dolor de garganta I feel sick Tengo nauseas I feel dizzy Tengo mareos I have a temperature Tengo fiebre I have diarrhoea Tengo diarrea I have cramps Tengo calambres I have sunburn Tengo quemaduras del sol I have something in my eye Tengo algo dentro del ojo I have difficulty breathing Tengo dificultad en respirar I am sick a lot Vomito mucho It itches Me pica I get pain when I pass urine Me duele cuando orino

Frequency & type :

Sometimes A veces All the time Todo el tiempo A lot Mucho A little Poco Stabbing p�� ain Dolor punzante

Looking for health care Buscando asistencia sanitaria

I need a doctor / dentist / midwife Necesito un médico / dentista / matrona

Where is the nearest hospital/doctors’ surgery / dentist / out of hours chemist? ¿Dónde es el hospital / clínica / dentista / farmacia de guardia más cercano?

Can I get treatment on the national health here? ¿Puedo recibir atención aquí por la Seguridad Social? Please call an ambulance. Por favor llame a una ambulancia

Existing conditions I am allergic Soy alérgico(a) I’m diabetic// Soy diabético(a) Asthmatic Asmático(a) Epileptic Epiléptico(a) I’m pregnant Estoy embarazada I have anaemia/arthritis Tengo anemia/artritis I have high blood pressure Tengo hipertensión I have low blood pressure Tengo hipotensión

Hospitals USP COSTA ADEJE HOSPITAL Urbanización San Eugenio, s/n, 38660 - Adeje Tels: • 922 752626 • 922 791 000 • 900 112 111 Hospital La Candelaria Carretera Del Rosario 145 Santa Cruz de Tenerife 922 602 000 hospitaldelacandelaria. com Hospital Universitario Carretera Cuesta-Taco San Cristobal de La Laguna (Tenerife), 922 678 000 www.huc.es HOSPITEN SUR Playa de Las Américas Arona-Tenerife Tel.: 922 75 00 22. Fax: 922 79 36 18 HOSPITEN C/ Pescadores, Edf. Discovery, Carretera Gral. La Cuesta. Taco 38108 La Laguna Tel.: 922 626240 Fax: 922 614355 HOSPITEN BELLEVUE C/ Alemania, 6 Urb. San Fernando. Puerto de la Cruz Tel.: 922 38 35 51 Fax: 922 37 03 12 HOSPITEN TAMARAGUA C/ Agustín de Bethencourt, 30 Puerto de la Cruz Tel.: 922 38 05 12 Fax: 922 38 08 50

Documents needed Be aware that to receive medical attention in Spain you will need to present identification, residence certificate and passport for residents and a passport for visitors. In addition visitors should present their European Health Insurance Card for emergency health care at a Social Security Hospital. Private hospitals will not accept the EHIC and will ask you to pay for your treatment or provide adequate insurance. Please make sure you are aware whether or not the service you need provides care under the Social Security system, before you sign to accept anything. Residents in Spain will be expected to show their Health Card (tarjeta sanitaria) to gain access to full health care at Social Security hospitals. If you are not eligible for a Social Security Health Card, you must ensure you have adequate private insurance.

Physiotherapy PHYSIOTHERAPIST / OSTEOPATH Officially registered Nº967 Philippe Hoogstoel Home visits Tel: 677 818 661 English, Spanish, French, German spoken

Emergency

080 092 091 062 016

Fire Brigade Local Police National Police Guardia Civil domestic violence

Missing Children> 116000

Chemist Farmacia de Guardia

24H Service

The various chemists in the Canaries take it in turns in each area to make sure that there is access to medicine all over the islands. Enter the website of the Federation of Canarian Chemists:

www.fefarcan.com and click on ‘farmacias de guardia’ at the top right of the page.

Counselling Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) South:

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 5.45pm, Friday at 11.45am. 1st Floor Apolo Centre, Los Cristianos (next to bus terminal).

630 478 448 (24 hrs).

HEALTH WITHOUT LIMITS Dr. Fu Qiang Li Chinese massage and acupuncture

Tel. 922 717 906 Mobile 679 787 290 Complejo Palo Blanco Fase 2, Avda. Los Pueblos, Costa Adeje

Gynaecology Dr Michael Theis Calle La Hoya 55 Puerto de la Cruz In the south on Saturdays at Hospital Las Americas Tel 922 370 897 Specialist in gynaecology

Gran Canaria Hospital Dr. Negrín

C/. Barranco de la Ballena, s/n. 35020 Las Palmas. Tel. 928 450 000 Fax: 928 449 100

DENTAL CLINIC FAÑABÉ PLAZA

FREE check-up and X-ray Emergency Phone Line (for Bank Holidays & Weekends)

Materno-Insular

Avda Maritima del Sur 35016 Las Palmas. Tel: 928 444 500 Fax 928 444 288 Clínica San Roque – Sur

Mar de Siberia 1 Urb. Meloneras 35100 MaspalomasMeloneras Tel: 928 063 600 Clínica Roca

C/ Buganvillas 1 35100 San Agustín Las Palmas. Tel. (0034) 928 76 90 04 Fax: (0034) 928 76 12 48 Clínica Salus Las Palmeras

Avda. de Tenerife, 24 Centro Comercial Kasbah Playa del Inglés Tel: 928 762 992

687 744 225

Tel: 922 714 225 • Fax: 922 724 130

C.C. Fañabé Plaza, Avda. Bruselas 2nd floor (in front of Hotel Jacaranda). Playa Fañabé, Costa Adeje, Tenerife Sur www.tenerife-dental.com

Lifestyle Choices

Hospital Insular

Plaza Doctor Pasteur 35020 Las Palmas. Tel. 928 313 033

online counselling & healing

Counselling

District Nursing Services now available at home. Cancer Care, Respite, long term care for your relative.

Login to www.counsellingandhealingonline.com Free e.book and half hour assessment 922 781 702 for appointment • info@choices.com

DOCTOR

De La Flor Lic. 06089

 GP Providing All Family Medical Services.  Success Coaching Programs for Depression, Alcoholism, Low self-esteem, Eating Disorders.

 Action Plan, Attitudinal Training designed to meet your needs and empower you to achieve greater health & happiness.

10 years of experience in the USA

New location in ADEJE, HOME VISITS available BEST PRICES (30-40 €) & RESULTS GUARANTEED!

00 34 697 888 666

Fussengel

Home care or home help in your hotel or apartment from 1 to 24 hrs. Dementia care a speciality. Rates start at just €7.

Your home visits’ service • Chiropody • Manicure • Massages Call Claudia: 687 662 849

Tenerife Nursing and Care S.L.

Tel. 922 163 236 or 639 977 334

or eMail: fussengel@gmail.com

Emergency

DIAL 112 Emergency Single emergency line

Missing Children> 116000

Dr. Luke R. Ramsay Bsc. D.C., F.C.C

Board Certified Craniopath with over 25 years experience

Back Pain, Neck Pain, Sciatica, Migraines and Sports Injuries Edif La Arenita, Loc 4, Palm Mar Tel. 922 748 904 / 661 265 344 • www.lukeramsay.com

We look after your dental health and are offering free bacteria testing with painless elimination in only ten minutes (value €100). Please ask for Mandy to make an appointment.

Dental Surgery, Implants and Periodontics South: C/ Amalia Alayón, 11, 1º D, Los Cristianos. Tel. 922 78 83 28

North: Plaza del Charco 6, 2nd floor, Puerto de la Cruz. Tel. 922 38 13 47

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

living lifestyle

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ISLAND CONNECTIONS :: EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010

HealthFitness

Dr. Li Fu / Acupuncture

info@bfit.es

Fabian

Lose weight, not money! I

Unblocking pain cupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical A technique for unblocking chi (ch’i or qi) by inserting needles at particular points on the body to balance the opposing forces of yin and yang.

Chi is an energy that allegedly permeates all things. It is believed to flow through the body along 14 main pathways called meridians. When yin and yang are in harmony, chi flows freely within the body and a person is healthy. When a person is sick, diseased, or injured, there is an obstruction of chi along one of the meridians. Traditional Chinese medicine has identified some 500 specific points where needles are to be inserted for specific effects. Acupuncture has been practiced in China for more than 4,000 years. Today, the needles are twirled, heated, or even stimulated with weak electrical current, ultrasound, or certain wavelengths of light. Some use tuning forks over the acupoints. Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture offers a unique perspective on the nature of health and illness that is different from what we would deem to be the more traditional Western perspective. It holds the human body in great reverence, respecting and promoting its endless capacity for rejuvenation and recovery. The symptoms are recognised as the body’s language. Through differentiation of signs and symptoms a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine can analyse the root cause of the condition. By harmonising the body, mind and spirit, Chinese doctors are able to combat or prevent illness to improve the quality and duration of life. Acupuncture is now widely used in clinical medicine and accepted within the broad description of ‘modern medicine’. For example, a patient with chronic bronchitis can continue taking his ‘normal’ medicine at the same time as undergoing acupuncture and may be surprised at the result! A patient with slipped discs, if treated with acupuncture, may be cured without any need for surgical intervention. A patient with essential (primary) hypertension may take normal medicine and at the same time treat the condition with acupuncture and could soon find that she or he will no longer need the medicine. If you have any questions about acupuncture or would like to know more/make an appointment call 922717906 or 679787290 and ask for Dr.Li. His office is based in Complejo Palo Blanco Fase 2, Avda.Los Pueblos, Costa Adeje.

get the odd comment, when I am out and about, about the articles I write here, but I have never had so many calls as I did from my last column. If you remember, in the last issue we asked for those who are looking for significant body transformation to contact us, whether that be for gaining muscle and lean mass or wanting, as most do, to lose weight. We offered four places on one of our courses with three months gym membership, however the response, as I have said, was so great we want to accommodate as many people as we can.

The Challenge

12 weeks course Nutrition, lifestyle & exercise

There is a cost though. Each person who wants to take part in the challenge must buy three months of VIP gym membership at €177 per person. Why? One does not need to be a personal trainer and life coach for nearly 10 years to know that one thing that motivates people is money! If you start

something that you don’t pay for, well it doesn’t matter if you finish! For example; we have just had a ‘re-opening the gym offer’ of one month free membership for all new members, and you’d be surprised as to how many people are more in-

Beauty News

Mediterranean diet

Benefits

ollowing tests in which more than 10,000 volunteers were studied over F a period of six years, the Universities of

Navarra and Harvard have concluded that following a Mediterranean diet slows down the usual weight gain associated with age. During the six year study, weight changes were compared between volunteers who re-

Starts: 16th November until: February

So here is the challenge. If you wish you can take part in our programme that will start on the 16th November and run through Christmas until February. In total it will be 12 weeks of courses, in nutrition, lifestyle and exercise. This is normally worth €260 per person, but to anyone that wants to take the challenge through Island Connections, this is FREE. Contact us now on 922 789 000.

ligiously followed a Mediterranean diet and those who did not. The results showed that men following the diet gained an average of 128 grammes a year and those who did not gained more than double that amount, registering 287grammes a year. The results were not so marked in women where the dieters gained an average 224 grammes a year and non-dieters 300 grammes a year. The Mediterranean diet consists of eating mostly grains, fruits, beans and vegetables with fish or small portions of lean red meat dressed with moderate amounts of olive oil, and can also help to lower your cholesterol level, your risk of heart disease and cancer.

terested in the offer than in the gym! Some people are even prepared to pay at reception without even looking to see if it will suit their needs. So there is method behind the madness! Back to our programme. All those who want to sign up will be invited to an open day where we will assess your body-type to set your goals and objectives, and begin the journey together. Four of the group will be rewarded at the end of February with annual VIP membership (€699). Two of the victors will be decided by the group themselves as to who has lost or gained the most within each category and two will be decided by our team, as to who we believe has made the most progress personally. Yes this is subjective, but decisions will be final!

So that’s the challenge. I invite you to accept it. I can guarantee that if you follow my programme of exercise and nutrition you will be well on your way to achieving your goals. If you want to lose weight I am so confident of the studies and what I practice and preach that if you do not lose weight and feel better in the time that we are together I can guarantee you 100 per cent of your money back. Whatever gym you are going to or whatever exercise you are able to fit into your routine, ask your trainer or doctor as to what more you could do to help you reach your goals, before those New Year resolutions come around again!

Bfit! and I hope to see you soon.

PropertySpecial

EDITION 629 :: 05/11/2010 - 19/11/2010 :: ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Property purchase vs rental credit:svilen001

The Nobel Prize winners for Economic Sciences

Diamond, Mortensen and Pissarides

Analysing the crisis

The end of fiscal rebates for homebuyers

uring the remainder of this year, we could witness an increase in house sales in the Spanish market, although it is extremely doubtful that this increase would be accompanied by a rise in the prices of those properties. This possible increase in sales will be due to the ending of the financial incentives for buying a home in the year 2011, something which some economists already requested in the year 2004-2005 to increase State tax collections, and because they could see an overheating in the residential construction sector which would provoke a rise in prices.

These financial incentives are only valid for people who make tax declarations in Spain (Impuesto de la Renta de las Personas Físicas or IRPF), and will not be totally eliminated in the case that you bought your home prior to 2011, but the amount of rebate that can be claimed will depend on the level of income earned and declared, based on a scale. Those who do not make tax declarations in Spain are not affected by these financial incentives in any case. Taking into account the current legislations in the country in which you make your tax return, something to consider – for example in the case of investors, is the possibility of

creating a management company for property rental so that you may be able to claim some other type of financial benefit which the Canary Islands offer, despite the fact that the financial benefits previously enjoyed by these so-called financial societies have disappeared. Actually, one focal point which the Spanish government is trying to promote is the geographic mobility of workers, and one of the ways to help this is by promoting property rental instead of property purchase, because a worker who is a property owner is more likely to resist moving away from his home to search for work.

ust a few days after the awarding of the Nobel Prize Jwasn’t in Economic Sciences (a category which, in fact, created by Alfred Nobel, but introduced at a

later stage by the Swedish bank Sveriges Risbank), in this second year of the economic crisis, there was some surprise that the prize was given to economists whose work was focused on explaining ‘markets with search costs’, looking at why so many people are unemployed at the same time that there are a large number of job openings. The work of the winning economists, Peter A. Diamond, Dale T. Mortensen and Christopher A. Pissarides, as well as analysing unemployment benefits, examined qualifications of unemployed persons and the relationship between length of time on the dole and the qualifications of the job seeker. The latter is hugely important in seeking work and particularly when it comes to individuals knowing where they can viably look for a job, with the assumption that the qualified job seeker knows her or his particular professional sector and market. One also has to take into consideration the time that many may take to retrain and acquire new skills and qualifications in order to change their targeted sector. Applying this notion to the Spanish labour market, where, as in most of the economies of the developed world, the crisis is a result of excessive production which cannot be met by a restricted demand due to excessive financial planning, we can see that in part it is relevant, despite the fact that a large number of unemployed come from the construction and related industries, and that the cost of redeploying workers from this sector to others, including retraining, is relatively high. However the worker must be disposed towards a move in terms of geography as well as sector to make this work. If we add to this the fact that new production initiatives require capital which is actually difficult to find, we begin to understand the crux of the Spanish crisis: an excess of production capacity, a lack of finance and a glut of workers in a sector that is over subscribed.

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14 DAY GUIDE

5th - 18th November 2010 :: BBC1 / BBC2 / ITV1 / Channel4 / Channel5 / Skysports1 / Skysports2 Programmes and timings are subject to change at the Broadcaster’s discretion.

sport >

Live International Rugby Union Ireland v South Africa J

ohn Inverdale introduces coverage of the autumn international at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. BBC2 / 6th November, 5.10pm

Credit Chris Gascogine

ITV1 / Documentary / 10th November, 7.30pm

Entertainment >

aily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards Carol Vorderman hosts the annual glittering gala.

Farewell Jack Jack Duckworth Jack Duckworth was one of Coronation Street’s most popular characters and, as the nation prepares to say goodbye to him, this one-off special pays tribute to one of the best loved figures in soap.

Bill Tarmey first stepped into the role in 1979 and went on to make the part iconic, establishing Jack as a work-shy, womanising, pigeon fancier and providing some of Coronation Street’s most memorable moments.

Britain Awards ITV1 / 10th November, 8.00pm Farewell Jack looks back at the character’s re-invention as Vince St Clair, the time he dressed up as a woman to join the ladies bowling team, and the moment when Vera served his beloved pigeons to him in the shape of a pie. Don’t miss Jack’s departure from the Street on Monday, 8th November, at 8.30pm on ITV1.

film >

Shallow Hal

omedy about a shallow man who only dates young, beautiful women until a motivational entrepreneur hypnotises him.

Five / 7th November, 9.00pm

TV22

IC TV GUIDE

/ Friday 05/11/2010 BBC2 / Music

5th November - 11:50pm Later... with Jools Holland Eric Clapton plays tracks from his current album

one 6:00 Breakfast 9:15 Animal 24/7 10:00 Homes under the Hammer 11:00 Cowboy Trap 11:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 12:15 Bargain Hunt 1:00 BBC News at One 1:30 BBC London News 1:45 Doctors 2:15 Moving On 3:00 BBC News 3:05 Copycats 3:30 Big Babies 3:50 Shaun the Sheep 4:00 Fee Fi Fo Yum 4:30 Horrible Histories 5:00 Newsround 5:15 The Weakest Link 6:00 BBC News at Six The latest national and international news stories from the BBC News team, followed by weather. 6:30 BBC London News 7:00 The One Show 7:30 Helicopter Heroes 8:00 EastEnders Vanessa sinks to sickening depths to win back her daughter’s love - but will it be worth it? Meanwhile brides-to-be Ronnie and Kat go head to head over their reception plans, and Roxy makes a devastating discovery. 8:30 QI 9:00 New Tricks When the gun used to murder a talented young boxer 15 years ago surfaces in an armed robbery, UCOS are drawn into the darker side of professional boxing in a case that causes conflict and friction among the team. 10:00 BBC News at Ten 10:25 BBC London News 10:32 BBC Weather 10:35 The Graham Norton Show Graham is joined by Hollywood hellraiser Johnny Knoxville and veteran comedienne Joan Rivers 11:20 The National Lottery Draws 11:30 Eurotrip Teen comedy.

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Children’s Entertainment Programmes include The Pingu Show and Bob the Builder: Project Build It. In the Night Garden Animal Park The Daily Politics GMT with George Alagiah Due South Ready, Steady, Cook Ben Fogle’s Escape in Time Diagnosis Murder Flog It! Pointless The Hairy Bikers’ Cook Off Eggheads Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two Claudia Winkleman presents backstage gossip and behind-the-scenes action from the dance show. The Big Silence Abbot Christopher Jamison, a Benedictine monk, believes that he can teach five ordinary people the value of silent meditation Mastermind Gardeners’ World David Attenborough’s First Life Travelling to the fog bound coastline of Newfoundland and the Australian outback, Attenborough unearths the earliest forms of animal life to exist on Earth. The Stephen K Amos Show Guests: Arnab Chanda and Jesse Griffin. Newsnight The Review Show Later... with Jools Holland Eric Clapton plays tracks from his current album. There’s also English folk band Bellowhead, the eleven piece band bought together by John Spiers and Jon Boden. Day of The Dead Zombies threaten the future of humankind in this third instalment in George A Romero’s gruesome Living Dead series.

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Daybreak Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning ITV News This Morning Loose Women ITV News & Weather 60 Minute Makeover Dickinson’s Real Deal Midsomer Murders The Alan Titchmarsh Show Alan chats to musical theatre legend Elaine Paige. Plus Ashley Pearson makes her pick of the week’s movie releases. London Tonight ITV News & Weather Emmerdale Chas enjoys seeing Eve in a sticky situation. Adam is disgusted when Holly begs him to help her score. Aaron struggles as he is shown the ropes on caring for Jackson. Coronation Street Kevin is anxious as he waits for some potentially life-changing results. John’s suspicions lead him closer to home. Michelle’s new job is causing controversy. Cheetah Kingdom Tragedy hits Okonjima when four-year-old cheetah Frankie is attacked by a leopard Coronation Street Kevin confronts Molly with the DNA results. Sophie’s party gets out of control with Rosie organising things. John and Fiz are terrified when they are faced with an intruder. Paul O’Grady Live Paul will be talking to Coronation Street legend Barbara Knox, as well as comedian and actor David Walliams. ITV News & Weather The Hitcher Horror remake about a young couple who become embroiled in a bloody battle of wits with the psychotic hitchhiker they picked up. The Zone

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