Sol Times Newspaper issue 179 Costa Blanca issue

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SolTimes issue 179

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Vettel pips Hamilton to the post & Alonso finishes fifth

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel netted his fourth victory of the season this morning at the Montmeló circuit in Barcelona - despite Fernando Alonso’s conviction he would get a place on the podium because of racing on home territory.

Vettel is now comfortably hanging onto the world number one spot with 41 points, while Alonso (Ferrari) failed yet again to reach the top three, coming in fifth place.

The German-born winner had to fight until the very last corner to contain the UK’s Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), and at first Alonso seemed to be steaming ahead after passing both Vettel and Australia’s Mark Webber (Red Bull) and taking a clear lead.

A cruel end for Alonso to a race with a great start saw him falling into fifth place, behind Hamilton in second, the UK’s Jenson Button (McLaren) third and Webber in fourth place, although ahead of Germany’s Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) in sixth and seventh position respectively.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Landslide victory across Spain for PP

A LANDSLIDE victory for the right-wing Partido Popular (PP) means radical changes in town halls and regional governments throughout the country.

Although the full count is not over, the PP has netted an average of 47 per cent of the votes in all regions so far.

Galicia, Andalucía, the Basque Country and Catalunya are still being counted.

Only Asturias and Navarra do not now have PP governments, the regional elections here having been won by the FAC and the UPN respectively.

In terms of local elections – by province – only Barcelona, Lleida, Tarragona, Pamplona, Soria, Cuenca, Guipúzcoa (of which San Sebastián is the capital) Toledo and Vizcaya (of which Bilbao is the capital) did not see the PP leading, meaning that the party received the majority vote in 43 out of Spain’s 52 provinces.

This historic landslide on the part of the PP is thought to be a response to the recession and poor state of the job market.

In terms of regions, Francisco Camps continues as president

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of the Comunidad Valenciana, and Esperanza Aguirre as leader of the Comunidad de Madrid.

The 2011 elections saw 550,000 blank votes – 2.54 per cent of those participating – the highest in Spain’s history and believed to be an act of protest.

Also this year, 800,000 youngsters who have turned 18 since 2007 were able to vote for the first time.

Non-Spaniards are only able to vote in their local town elections, not in the regional ones, and will not be able to vote in the general elections in 2012.

Despite the PP’s sweeping the board, Spain’s president and socialist leader José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero – who announced recently he would not be standing again next year – has refused to stand down and bring forward next year’s elections.

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Lorca sets wheels in motion for repairs to first 500 houses

LORCA town council has already processed 500 applications for home repairs – and complete rebuilding, in some cases – for those left without a roof over their heads following the devastating earthquake on May 11 which left nine dead and nearly 300 seriously injured.

The council has set up 35 temporary ‘customer service’ desks to handle enquiries and requests for assistance from the victims of the horrific quake, which measured 5.2 on the Richter scale.

Already, 1,200 people have been attended to and 900 appointments made, but an estimated 1,500 people a day have been applying for help.

Dedicated desks are open from 09.00hrs to 20.00hrs, Monday to Saturday, although booking an appointment first is necessary due to the huge volume of affected residents.

A free-phone telephone line has been set up – 900 117 816 – for those who are unable, or prefer not, to attend the town hall in person.

The council website, which previously attracted between 1,500 and 2,000 hits a day, is suddenly receiving around 200,000 daily.

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Murcia Region The percentage of those who had voted by 6 o’clock for the Local Elections on 22nd May was 52.27% in the Murcia region.

This was slightly lower than the figure of 53% for the 2007 elections, according to a report by regional spokeswoman María Pedro Reverte.

However, perhaps not surprisingly, the figures from Lorca were also slightly down at 48.57%, nearly 4 points less than in 2007.

This figure shows that by 6 in the evening 28,670 of the 59,030 voters who are eligible to vote in the municipality had done so.

Murcia Region Corte Inglés and the Red Cross have collected over €6,075.56 over two days. The collections have been taken in all of the Murcia Region branches, and concluded on Saturday.

Tables for donations had been set up in El Corte Inglés in Avenida de la Libertad, Gran Via Salzillo, Centro Comercial El Tiro in Espinardo and Alameda de San Anton in Cartagena.

The collections, in collaboration with the Cruz Roja, are for the earthquake victims of Lorca.

An additional opportunity to donate will be given to all staff, with the amount being added to the total already raised.

El Corte Inglés has also sent around 15,000 one and a half litre bottles of water to the stricken city.

Lorca The Concejal de Política Social del Ayuntamiento de Lorca, Lali Ibarra, announced that Caritas will manage the Food Bank of Santa Quiteria, set up for those affected by the earthquake.

The Councillor says that Caritas will apply the same procedures as have been used by similar facilities - assessing the needs of all those families who are not in the camp of La Torrecilla, where the Red Cross is doing an impeccable job.

Murcia An exhibition by artists, some of whom have Downs Syndrome, is being held in the Espinardo Campus.

The Asociación para Personas con Síndrome de Down, ASSIDO, allows people with Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities to become visible to the rest of society.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Arte en nuestras vidas’ is a collection of paintings and collages, is on show at the Centro Social Universitario del Campus de Espinardo until the 27th of May. This is the second exhibition of this type. For more information contact the agency via e-mail at casillas@assido. org.

ASSIDO is a nonprofit association, dedicated to the union of families and to improve the quality of life for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. This is the second oldest association in Spain dedicated specifically to people with Downs syndrome and this year celebrates its 30th anniversary.

It is also one of 27 constituent associations within the Federation of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and Cerebral Palsy in the Region of Murcia.

Benidorm A British part-time resident from Villajoyosa, near Benidorm, is hoping for a resolution to devastating problems that have arisen in her top floor four bedroom apartment, in a traditional townhouse at Los Salvadores. In 2006 she suffered a flood due to a burst pipe. Her insurance company, AEGON, which is now part of AXA, paid a total of 44,800Euros for repairs, to cover damage to her flat and the two below her, who had no insurance. As the lady was not a full-time resident she put responsibility for repairs into the hands of a solicitor, who put the money on deposit in a bank in Altea, but no repairs were undertaken. The reason for this was given as delay in waiting for permissions from the Ayuntamiento, yet although she repeatedly visited the Ayuntamiento with her interpreter, she was told that it was the builders who were causing the hold-up. After a showdown with both the builder and the lawyer she was told that the problem lay ‘with the gypsies’.

She then turned to the Europeans Department at Villajoyosa Town Hall, who recommended that she make a string of denuncias, which has at last brought the matter to a head. An Ayuntamiento spokesperson said it was a ‘private problem’ but the Council were able to get the lady a criminal lawyer and ensure she understood the court process. ‘Today she has a lawyer, the case is going to court, and she can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.’ he said. t is hoped that this sad and long drawn out case, which has dragged on for nearly 6 years, will be resolved in her favour in January, when her hearing is due.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Spain is still revolting...

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PROTESTORS who have been camping in the main squares of most of Spain’s provincial capital cities since last Sunday – May 15 – say they intend to stay there for at least another week.

The revolt is at its most intense in Barcelona’s Plaza de Cataluña and Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square, where every inch of road and pavement is occupied by indignant residents sleeping under the stars.

Some have set up tents; barbecues and paellas are being cooked in the open air, and in a number of cities even films have been shown al fresco to keep the campers entertained.

Segovia’s protest is made up of just 10 people, camping under the arches of the famous aqueduct, with televisions set up.

In some cities, shifts are being organised to ensure that the revolt does not end just because the participants are tired and want to sleep in a proper bed.

This means the protestors can take it in turns to go home without the peaceful demonstration having to end or dwindle.

They have also been taking it in turns to vote throughout the course of today.

Whilst business-owners complain that the campers are costing them customers, no riots or other disorderly behaviour has been reported –

in fact, in Barcelona, participants have organised a rota to sweep up and tidy the square every morning.

Although the ‘Spanish Revolution’ has been arranged to coincide with the regional and local elections for maximum impact and visibility, it is not directly related to any party in question.

The countrywide demonstration – which extends as far out as the Balearics and the Canaries – is a cry for help from Spain’s so-called ‘lost generation’ – highly-qualified, skilled and capable, a massive percentage of them have been out of work for months if not years, and are simply unable to find even menial jobs.

Once their dole money has run out, they are not entitled to free State healthcare or any other benefits, and once they stop work, they also cease to contribute to their State pension.

The minimum retirement age has recently been lifted to 67, but as nearly 50 per cent of the under-30s and over a third of the 18-40 age-group are not able to work or pay into the system, they fear that even by age 67 they will not qualify to retire.

And whilst even most thirtysomethings still have to live with their parents, banks all over Spain have repossessed literally millions of homes where their unemployed owners cannot pay the mortgage, forcing these people to either sleep on the street or on a friend’s or relative’s sofa.

carrier bags ‘tax’ negatively received

The new tax on plastic bags that came into force on 1st May has been received negatively by traders, who feel that there are many unresolved problems in the implementation of the scheme.

Problems include the payment of the tax, which is due quarterly, and whether the inclusion of the charge to the customer should form part of the VAT charge; the exclusion of some small shops due to special tax arrangements, the treatment of plastic bags stocks already held by small shops before the commencement of the tax and the inclusion of otherwise of bio-degradable bags.

The Comisión de Comercio de la Cámara (Chamber of Commerce) is to inform traders of the order of the Ministry that outlines the certifications and requirements for bags designed for reuse and for biodegradable bags, which are exempt from this tax.

According to the law, businesses must pass the full amount of the total tax on consumers.

At present this is five cents for each single use plastic bag, but in 2012 it will rise to 10 cents.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Rise in foreign visitors to Spain picks up steam

A rise in the number of foreign visitors to Spain picked up steam in April as arrivals from its two main markets, Britain and Germany, posted doubLe-digit growth, official data showed.

Spain welcomed 4.7 million foreign tourists last month, a 20.95 percent jump from the same time last year, bringing total arrivals in the first four months of 2011 to 13.8 million -- up 8.5 percent, the tourism ministry said.

The number of arrivals last month was boosted by the fact that the Easter week holidays this year were held in April while last year they were split between the end of March and the start of April, it said in a statement.

The number of tourists from Spain’s main market Britain soared 42 percent in April over the same time last year to 1.15 million while the number of visitors from

Sport

Germany rose 11.4 percent to 817,000.

The tourism industry, a mainstay of the economy, received a boost this year as the unrest in the Arab world cause tourists to switch to Spain rather than risk booking a holiday in a potential trouble spot.

The economic recovery underway in several northern European countries, especially Germany, has also contributed to the rise in visitor numbers to Spain as more people from those nations go on foreign holidays.

The Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, where resorts tend to offer all-inclusive packages like those available at seaside resorts in Tunisia and

Egypt, saw the biggest jump in foreign tourist arrivals.

The archipelago received 912,977 foreign tourists in April, a 19.3 percent increase over the same time last year, bringing total arrivals in the first four months of 2011 to 3.7 million, up 26.7 percent.

Spain slipped from third to fourth place among the world’s most visited countries in 2010, behind France, the United States and China, according to figures from the UN World Tourism Organisation.

It received 52.6 million foreign visitors last year, up slightly from 52.5 million in 2009.

24 arrested in Barcelona after posing as policemen to rob tourists The Mossos d’Esquadra have detained 24 people suspected of being members of an organised group responsible for robbing American and Asian tourists in Barcelona in over 80 separate incidents, by passing themselves off as police officers and demanding fines.

According to the press statment given by the police, the thieves had made off with at least 80,000 euros in cash and credit card fraud.

As well as the 24 detainees, of whom all but one have been released on bail, a further 14, all of Rumanian nationality, are being sought by the police.

The gang targeted tourists in the area around Camp Nou, the Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi, the Montjuïc fountains, Parc Güell and the biggest tourist sites in the Ciutat Vella (Barcelona’s historic old town).

Police have been investigating the gang since last November, but their task has been complicated by the fact that the perpetrators live in hostals or B & B’s, moving frequently from one address to another.

One of the gang members

would disguise himself as a tourist in order to strike up conversation with other tourists, to ask them directions, or to take a photo of him in front of one of the main sites, at which point other gang members dressed as police officers would come over and ask for the tourists’ documentation.

The disguised tourist would immediately produce his, prompting the others to do the same.

When the victims handed over their wallets, the thieves would take advantage of the situation and steal money.

According to the victims, they then asked for credit cards to check that the identity papers were correct. Some were even asked to punch in their PIN numbers into a mobile ‘phone and then the thieves would simulate telephone enquiries to check the data.

All the victims complained of feeling intimidated and bullied.

Four of the 24 detainees, all of whom have criminal records, were arrested when a similar gang of Rumanian thieves was broken by the police in Barcelona in 2009.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Spain bail out Portugal to tune of 5 billion euros

The Spanish Econonmy Minister, Elena Salgado, has confirmed today that Spain will provide between 4.5 and 5 billion euros to the rescue programme drawn up for Portugal, which will total some 78 billion euros altogether.

Salgado explained that Spain’s contribution would be “in the form of guarantees” and not a loan and was 12.7% of the 26 billion euro rescue fund as corresponded to Spain as a member of the Central European Bank and of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) created a year ago by the Eurozone member states.

The minister’s announcement came on the back of a decision by the EU finance ministers

to give the green light to Portugal’s rescue package, after accepting the conditions demanded by Finland.

The 78 billion euro iad package will cover Portugal’s finance needs for the next three years and will be provided in equal parts by the IMF and the EU’s two financial bodies in these circumstances, the EFSF and the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM).

Salgado calso commented on the situation in Greece, after members of the Eurozone said yesterday that the country had to make a bigger effort to cut costs if it wanted more aid in addition to the 110 billion euros that were pledged last year.

Anti-crisis protests shake up Spanish elections

Protesters fuming over Spain’s economic crisis and sky-high jobless rate camped in Madrid and across the country to vent their anger ahead of the local elections.

More than 1,000 demonstrators turned out in Madrid’s central square Puerta de Sol last Tuesday night and knots of protesters remained the following morning, some vowing to stay until the vote.

Others rallied in scores of cities including Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza and Palma de Mallorca, responding to calls on online social networks, television coverage, and the Real Democracy Now protest organization.

“We are tired of the unemployment, the corruption of politicians. It is always the same thing. I have no job and I don’t see how I can get one any time soon,” said 25-year-old Jordi Perez in Madrid.

“They have to know how we feel,” Perez said.

Spain’s jobless rate hit 21.19 percent in the first quarter of this year, the highest in the industrialized world. For the young the situation is more desperate: 44.6 percent unemployment for under-25s in February.

Carrying placards reading “Make the guilty pay for the crisis” and chanting “They call this democracy but it is not”, the protesters hope to be heard in regional and municipal elections Sunday.

Mostly peaceful, the protests began May 15, lamenting Spain’s economic crisis, politicians in general, and corruption.

They seem to have caught political parties by surprise.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s ruling Socialist Party was “alarmed” by the protesters, fearing them to be

5

Demolition goes on in Lorca as Real Madrid players visit

Work to demolish unsafe buildings and remove all the rubble carries on in Lorca today, as the town prepares to receive the Real Madrid football team before their charity game against Murcia to raise money for those affected by the earthquake last week.

Some time after 8am last Wednesday, three buildings in the La Viña and Alfonso X districts, two of the most badly damaged areas of the town, were pulled down on the instructions of the inspection team, which has carried out no fewer than

six inspections over the past days and has come to the conclusion that the buildings cannot be saved.

Previously, demolition workers tried to pull down another building in the La Viña district, which ultimately collapsed, but not without

disaffected left-wing supporters who would abandon the party in the ballot box, the leading daily El Pais said.

Weekend polls forecast devastating losses for the Socialists as voters punish them for the government’s handling of the economic crisis, including painful austerity measures.

Mariano Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party, which stands to make huge gains in the elections, said he could understand the protesters’ motives.

The youth unemployment rate was “terrible,” and unacceptable

causing significant damage to the neighbouring Cristo Rey church.

The Real Madrid players visited the district of La Viña, before heading off to Murcia to play the charity friendly at the Nueva Condomina stadium at 7pm, with the aim

of raising money to help those left bereaved, injured and homeless by the disaster.

The players, with club president, Florentino Pérez, will arrive around midday and will visit the area most damaged by last Wednesday’s earthquake, which left nine people dead and more than 300 injured.

After meeting some of the residents, the players attended Lorca town hall, to take part in a symbolic act of support for the people of the town.

For their part, the residents evacuated from their homes after the earthquake spent their first night last Tuesday in a new specially-built, camp set up in the Torrecilla sports centre.

In total, just over a thousand people have been relocated, after those who have drifted into the Lorca camps from other towns in search of free hand-outs like food, clothing, beds or tents, were sent back home.

in a country like Spain, he said.

“Zapatero made a mistake. First he did not see the crisis, then he was wrong on the measures and then he spent money we did not have. And he has put us in a very difficult situation,” Rajoy said.

“I think things can change and sincerely I am in politics to try to do so,” he said.

Polls published in the centre-left El Pais and the conservative El Mundo tipped broad losses for the Socialists including in strongholds such as Barcelona, Seville and the Castille-La Mancha region. The Socialist Party is “on the edge of a catastrophe,” El Mundo predicted.

Zapatero announced on April 2 that he would not stand for a third term in general elections scheduled for March 2012.

Some in the party believe a new leader could halt the Socialists’ plummeting popularity.

But while the Socialist Party touts its tough economic reforms internationally as a sign that it is repairing Spain’s finances, analysts say they will have to pay the price at the polls.

“What worries me really is the future of our children and our youngsters,” said one government worker, Maria Jose, whose salary was cut by five percent along with the rest of the public sector as part of government efforts to rein in Spain’s public deficit.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Spanish economy picks Spain’s Gamesa touts big up pace in last quarter Indian wind turbine deal

Spanish economic activity picked up gently in the first quarter of 2011, official data showed on Wednesday, but could not prevent the jobless rate shooting to a record high.

Boosted by a surge in exports, gross domestic product rose 0.8 percent in the quarter from a year earlier, the National Statistics Institute reported. That compared to 0.6-percent growth the previous quarter.

Exports supported the lift in activity, rising 11.2 percent in the first quarter from a year

earlier.

But domestic demand remained weak, the figures showed, as households buckled under the high unemployment rate.

Spain’s jobless rate hit 21.19 percent in the first quarter of this year, the highest in the industrialised world. For under-25s the unemployment rate was 44.6 percent.

Economic output expanded 0.3 percent in the first three months of 2011 when compared to the previous quarter, the figures showed. That was up from a 0.2 percent pace in the final quarter of 2010.

Sport Spanish journalist freed in Libya

The Libyan government says it has freed Spanish photojournalist Manu Brabo and three other foreign journalists detained for illegally entering the country.

The others freed with the Spanish photographer were two Americans, James Foley and Clare Morgana Gillis, and a Briton named as Nigel Chandler. The fate of a

South African photographer also being held by Libyan authorities is unclear.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said those freed had been given permission to stay and report in the country but would be escorted to the Tunisian border if they wanted to leave, adding, “If anyone was mistreated then we extend

our apologies.”

He said: “We know that there are foreign, special, European army experts fighting with the rebels so the army do not know immediately that these people are journalists, that they are harmless.

Manu Brabo (a photographer), James Foley (who works for GlobalPost) and Clare Morgana Gillis (who is a freelancer) were detained April 4th.

Ms Gillis, who writes for the Atlantic and USA Today, told the Associated Press news agency the four were at Tripoli’s Rixos Hotel and were fine. She said a judge had given them a suspended one-year sentence. The fate of South African photographer, Anton Hammerl, also held on 4 April, is still unclear.

WELLBEING CHECKS

Spanish wind turbine giant Gamesa has won a 1.4-billion-euro deal to supply turbines in India, touting it as one of the largest contracts of its kind in the world

Gamesa signed an outline agreement with Caparo Energy India Ltd to deliver wind turbines with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW over the next five years, it said in a statement.

The agreement was one of the largest wind turbine contracts signed in India and among the biggest in the world, Gamesa said. It was valued at $2 billion over the five years, a spokeswoman told AFP. The announcement pushed Gamesa shares up 1.99 percent to 6.40 euros in afternoon trade.

Gamesa said it would produce the turbines at its factories in India, supplying 150 MW of turbine capacity in 2012 alone.

“The deal represents a turning point in the

Indian wind energy market and heralds further progress in the industry’s rapid growth in India,” the company said.

Wind turbine capacity totalling 2,500 MW was installed in India 2010 and the country’s targets call for the 5,000 MW a year through 2015, it said.

The wind sector in India had been growing at 30-40 percent annually in the past five years and this was set to accelerate, the company said.

Gamesa announced earlier this month that net profit rose 67 percent from a year earlier to 13 million euros (18 million) in the first quarter of 2011, notably because of surging wind turbine sales in India.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

cordoba......

More than 150 home have been evacuated in Villa de Río and Cañete de las Torres (Córdoba) because of the torrential rain that has fallen in the area and that have already left one woman in her eighties dead.

Between 40 and 70 homes have been evacuated in Villa del Río and a further hundred or so in Cañete, some of which had floodwater over two metres deep.

Firefighters, residents and neighbours are all working together to pump the rain water out and clean the affected properties and streets, which have have been converted into rivers by the torrent of rain that began at about 5.30pm last Wednesday evening.

The emergency services working in Cañete have described the situation as an “complete disaster” with two streets “in a terrible state” as the gushing flood water “ripped off” iron gates and dragged dozens of cars in its wake.

They also confirmed that the woman found dead had been dragged by the sheer force of the water over a kilometre and a half from her home to neighbouring fields where she was found.

Firefighters are concentrating on the biggest properties at the moment, to prevent large structures becoming unsafe or load-bearing walls collapsing.

Work is also being carried out to clean out the gutters, which are currently blocked with up to 40cm of mud.

Residents of Cañete, where it is still raining lightly, say they have never experienced a situation like this before.

The torrential rain also forced the closure of the railway line in Villa del Río, where 140 passengers had to be evacuated and transferred by bus to their destination and the A-4 motorway has now reopened after being closed in both directions in the area yesterday.

The Spanish Met. Office (AEMET) still has the area on orange alert for rain and storms.

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Britain’s Royal Society wins Spanish prize

Britain’s centuries-old science institute The Royal Society has been awarded Spain’s prestigious ‘Prince of Asturias’ Prize for Communications and Humanities for promoting “knowledge for the benefit of humanity.”

“The Royal Society is the longeststanding scientific community in existence in the world and the most prestigious institution of human knowledge in the history of Great Britain,” the Prince of Asturias Foundation said in a statement.

“Since its beginnings, the Society has combined the role of a research institute with that of a centre for the exchange of knowledge for the benefit of humanity.”

The Royal Society, founded in 1660, describes itself as “a fellowship of the

world’s most eminent scientists and ... the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.”

It aims “to expand the frontiers of knowledge by championing the development and use of science, mathematics, engineering and medicine for the benefit of humanity and the good of the planet,” it says on its website.

Members have included Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, James Watson, Benjamin Franklin, Albert

Cyclist Xavier Tondo dies in garage door accident

32-year-old cyclist, Xavier Tondo, died today after getting trapped and crushed between his car and the automatic garage door of an apartment block in Pradollano, Sierra Nevada, where he was training.

The freak accident occurred shortly after 10am when it appears that the Team Movistar cyclist, who was preparing for the Tour de France, was setting out for training.

The manager of his Movistar team, Eusebio Unzue, said another Spanish professional cyclist, Benat Intxausti, of the Euskaltel team, was in the vehicle at the time.

Tondo finished sixth in the Vuelta a Espana in 2010 and won the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon in April.

“He was an incredible person who loved this sport more than anyone,” said Tour de France champion Alberto Contador.

Earlier this year, Tondo lifted the lid on a doping ring when he informed authorities after receiving emails in which he was offered banned substances.

His death is the latest tragedy to hit the sport after Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt was killed after a crash in the Giro d’Italia earlier this month.

Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

The Asturias foundation annually hands out eight awards, each worth 50,000 euros (70,000 dollars) in the fields of communication and humanities, scientific and technical research, social science, arts, letters, international cooperation, international understanding and sport.

The Communications and Humanities Prize rewards “the scientific, technical, cultural, social and humanistic work performed at an international level by

individuals, institutions or groups of individuals or institutions.”

Previous winners have included the Internet search engine Google, the National Geographic Society and Cable News Network (CNN).

Shopkeeper who shot robbers freed pending trial

A shopkeeper arrested for shooting a group of robbers who held up his premises on Friday has been temporarily released without having to pay bail.

Hearing noises in the night, the accused, known as Desi, went downstairs with a shotgun and found three robbers fleeing the premises.

He fired shots at them as they leapt into their getaway car, killing one and injuring another.

The robbers were finally arrested near the health centre in La Roda (Albacete) when the Guardia Civil caught up with them.

Desi received a standing ovation from

crowds of residents in his home town of Sisante (Cuenca province) when he was freed.

He still faces an attempted murder charge, has to report to the courts twice a month and is unable to leave the country, but until his case comes to trial, Desi can continue to live at home with his wife and small son and run the tobacconist’s he owns.

When Desi was arrested and charged, over 1,000 people staged a protest march in the middle of Sisante.

Business-owners and homeowners say they live in constant fear due to a wave of burglaries sweeping through the town.

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8

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Man tries to board train with pony in Wales Undeterred, the man said, “I know the law” and got into an elevator with the horse, and walked it across the bridge and onto a platform.

When the train arrived he boarded the service and tried to pull the pony on with him until a conductor intervened.

After a brief argument the man retreated and left the station

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Shocked staff refused to serve the man, telling him horses were not allowed on the train.

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A spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales said the company did not allow livestock to board trains.

“We do allow small animals, such as dogs and guide dogs, onboard but not large animals that could pose a risk to the general public,” she said.

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Thousands face volcanic ash cloud flight cancellations

Thousands of passengers face UK flight cancellations because of drifting ash from an Icelandic volcanic eruption.

Airports likely to be affected from 1300 to 1900 BST include Londonderry, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick, Durham Tees Valley, Newcastle and Carlisle, air traffic services company Nats said.

European air traffic controllers said 252 flights had been cancelled so far.

Ryanair said it had carried out a test flight over Scotland and challenged a ruling some flights should be grounded.

The carrier said its one-hour flight at 41,000ft showed there was no visible volcanic ash cloud or evidence of ash on the airframe, wings or engines.

It claimed the “red zone” over Scottish airspace where ash has been classified “high-

density” was a misguided invention by the Met Office and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Meanwhile, the UK’s emergency response committee, Cobra, will meet at 1530 BST to discuss the knock-on effects of the ash cloud.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who will lead the talks, said although there would be widespread disruption for Scottish airports, it was unlikely to last long.

He told the British press he expected Edinburgh and Glasgow airports to be clear by afternoon on Tuesday, and northern Scottish airports by Wednesday morning.

“At the moment the model suggests that disruption later in the week is likely to be

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limited, but of course the weather patterns are changing all the time,” he said.

At 0800 BST on Monday the Met Office said the ash had already reached northern Scotland and would spread to Wales, northern England and Northern Ireland by midday and across much of the UK by the end of the day.

But forecasters said changing wind patterns make it hard to predict its exact path and concentrations would vary between regions.

The following airlines have announced cancellations: British Airways is not operating any flights between London and Scotland until 1400 BST KLM cancelled flights to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Newcastle as well as flights from Durham Tees Valley Airport EasyJet cancelled flights from Glasgow until lunchtime Ryanair said it has been advised by the Irish Aviation Authority not to operate flights from Glasgow Prestwick, Edinburgh or Aberdeen until at least 1300 BST on safety grounds, but believed that was no basis for the cancellations Aer Lingus cancelled 12 flights to and from Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh Flybe cancelled 11 flights to and from Scotland BMI said flights to and from Aberdeen were subject to delay but services in and out of Glasgow and Edinburgh were unaffected Glasgow-based Loganair has cancelled 38 flights. Only inter-island routes in Orkney are unaffected Eastern Airways will not be operating any services in or out of Scottish airspace Elsewhere, US President Barack Obama has been forced to shorten his visit to Ireland because of the ash.

And the situation is being closely followed by Barcelona FC, whose players are due to fly to London for Saturday’s Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley.

The cancellations come just over a year after another volcanic eruption in Iceland caused

9

widespread disruption across Europe, including the closure of UK airspace, amid concerns about the damage volcanic ash could cause to engine aircraft.

This year, in the UK, the decision on whether to fly or not in ash cloud conditions is down to individual airlines, although they have to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for final approval.

The CAA said procedures were “totally different” compared with last year and although no airlines had applied to fly in high-density ash, some had applied for, and been given, permission to fly in medium ash.

Andrew Haines, from the authority, said: “It’s a very fluid situation, partly because of the nature of the volcano, but also because the north of England and Scotland - as we’ve seen - have had very exceptional, windy conditions.”

The Grimsvotn volcano in Vatnajokull National Park began erupting on Saturday and closed Iceland’s airspace for a period.

Experts say the eruption is on a different scale to the one last year and ash particles are larger and, as a result, fall to the ground more quickly.

Frances Tuke, from travel industry body Abta, urged passengers to contact their airlines, which he said had legal obligations to their customers.

He said passengers could have a claim under European “denied boarding” regulations.

These state that if a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than five hours, passengers are entitled to be either re-routed, given a replacement flight, or a refund.

Since last year, the CAA has graded ash levels as low, medium or high, and airlines are notified if levels reach medium or high.

All British aircraft can fly in medium-density ash but the airlines need to consider whether to fly, according to risk assessments.

The Foreign Office is advising passengers to remain in regular contact with their travel agent or airline for the latest news on the status of flights and bookings.

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...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

WHAT’s ON?

Cultura PILAR DE LA HOR ADADA - Casa by ours rcol wate of Exhibition Carmen Chamón y Pura Moya 17 May to 28 May 0 h. y de Mondays to Saturdays 8.00 a 14.0 h.

0 16.00 a 22.0 casa-cultura@ email: Info pilardelahoradada.org

drawing ROJALES - Studio 17 Life art 2pm & 1pm 11am ays Frid workshops 4pm es.eu/ More info a www.martin- enterpris STUDIO17 or email Phone Mar tin at 648 535 165 u es.e mar tin@mar tin-enterpris

ersity CASA LA PEDRER A - Music Arts & Craf ts BENISSA - Exhibition hall of Univ festival Annexe 11am Castillo “Los colores del puerto” by Juan Grand designs house 04 & 05 June free kids io 1€ y Carp - 6pm Entr Todos’ From 13 May to 03 June Dance shows from ‘Flamenca para Tel: e offic ism Tour , More info from cers Dan k wor and Foot tography 965732225, Horse parade, art & pho .net tinfo uris @to issa ben il: Ema Susanne by ns ratio onst dem & exhibitions Wallace, Ken es, on of anne Stok BENISSA - Casal Jove - Exhibitipintura Sayers, Suz &Rico lace Wal n Eilee de n, r inso Talle Rob Mar tin paintings organized by: de lía ceja (Lunatic Art) del AMPA Padre Melchor y Con Zephora, Juventud. 28 May to 10 June Music & drama from UK band Actors pm. o, 0 radi 08.3 , TKO s band, Inauguration: 28th to 13.30 choirs, bras Monday to Friday, from 09.30 am16.00 pm Studio, Dramatic Licence patchwork, pm. Tuesdays and thursday from making, lace Craf ts: amano, perg to 07.30 pm. h, stitc s cros ery, embroid e Information Benissa Tourism offic issa@ ben handmade jewellery.

Email: 965732225, Tel: s House Exhibitions from Santa Pola Doll touristinfo.net and club t boa el mod Museum & Torrevieja es. re plan cent model aero DENIA - Cultural a “Pop Painting exhibition by Paco Chik Tel:660 816 620 Art” ibition in 27 May - 26 June ROJALES - Cuevas del Rodeo - Exh ia.es ery More info emaill: cultura@ayto -den gall ro gole Men the Sala of her art ibition By Susanne Sayers and members ROJALES - Cuevas del Rodeo - Exhvas del guration inau with June out ugh thro classes, en la Sala Mengolero de las Cue day. mid on Sunday 5th June at Rodeo. delrodeo.

Until 30 May http://cuevas style oil PAGO Art Studio - ‘Bob Ross’ spaces.live.com s. clas e scap nesdays land Los MONTESINOS Art classes Wed Saturday, June 18 10:00am-5:30pm - anneker r44@hotmail.

10.30am - 12.30pm Suzanne Contact Anne Kerr tudioAt Bar Rosa, Price 8€ Contact co.uk, phone 965977045, www.arts Stokes:- 680 961 025 k co.u ses. clas painting website: www.sue -stokes.co.uk

BARBERSHOP BOOST FOR A BUDDY!!

Q4, the popular quartet from the Torrevieja Harmonisers, decided it was time to boost the spirits of ERNST DIRKSEN. Ernst, one of the Harmonisers, has been ill and unable to attend rehearsals for some time. Q4 decided to arrange a special lunch and transport for him to San Luis’s restaurant Villa Salada. He was amazed to see over 100 old friends in attendance!

Ernst was delighted to listen to Quartets including Q4, EuFOURia and Lead’s Astray. The ‘Harmonisers’, conducted by Gail Grainger, sang many songs known to Ernst, then Gail’s Ladies Quartet ‘Viva’, from the ‘Spangles’ chorus in Los Alcazares, added some comedy numbers to bring a smile to Ernst’s face!

Jan, Ernst’s wife, who also sings with the ‘Spangles’, had a tear in her eye as she was presented with a beautiful floral arrangement. She also mentioned how they are so grateful to the ‘Harmonisers’ and PAUL CUNNINGHAM NURSES for continued help throughout their difficult time. Thanks also to “Stormin’ ” Norman Higgins, Ernst’s Physiotherapist who was on hand throughout the afternoon.

We wish Ernst continued improvement and look forward to hearing him sing with the ‘Harmonisers’ in the not too distant future!

If you are looking for a hobby which includes making amazing friends - call Peter Stephen on 966 716 643 or email him on pascinspain@gmail.com or simply turn up on a Tuesday morning at the Hotel Cabo Cevera, La Mata, Torrevieja for a sample of harmony singing.

New members always welcome!

‘This is Spain Exhibitions’ Showcase for Local Businesses 27, 28, 29 May - Hotel La Zenia

Programme of Entertainment Saturday 28th May: 12:00 Maria O’Hara 12:30 Lewis Laking 1:00 Emily Hullman 1:30 Flamenco for all dancers, directed by Raquel Pena: 630 689 431 2:00 Terry Jay 2:30 BJ Bluesman 3:00 Lyden B 3:30 Bono U2 Sunday 29th May 12:00 Tony Kelly 12:30 Terry Jay 1:00 Kingsury academy of dance 1:30 Fashion Show 2:00 Emily Hullman 2:30 BJ Bluesman 3:00 Kye Jaymes

Raffle Prizes 100 euros cash, donated by Indigo Car Hire 2 tickets to Shaun Foster Conley concert on 11 June, donated by Ticketplanner El Principe Spanish course of book and double CD, courtesy of El Principe Centre Voucher for full diagnostic health analysis donated by Natural Health Centre 12 bottles of wine, courtesy of Pocket Pages 2 tickets to Shaun Foster Conley concert on 11 June, donated by Ticketplanner Stainless Steel kettle from Cocina de Colores Spanish lessons with Castelar College A haircut from Salon Puri Makeover/consultations with free samples donated by Mary Kay Basket of goodies, from Utopia Cats ......................... and many more!

This Is Spain Exhibitions on the Costa Blanca South will be held at the Hotel La Zenia, Orihuela Costa. The hotel is situated off the La Zenia roundabout, on the beach front, with easy access from the AP7, exit 763, and the N332.

The event will take place over the weekend of 27th, 28th and 29th of May, between the hours of 10am and 6pm. There is ample car parking within the area.

Included in the 1 euro entry fee will be a free ticket for the raffle, always a popular event at the This Is Spain Exhibitions events.

For more information, or to book one of the few remaining stands, call Christine Roche on 699 549 261 or 965 632 835 or email her at info@ exhibitions-spain.com. Also, see the website at www.exhibitions-spain.com for regular updates.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

11

dog recovers after ‘fire’ ordeal

Animal protection service the Brigada Azul was called on to investigate an horrific case of animal abuse after a dog was doused in petrol and set on fire in Pinoso.

The Brigada Azul responded immediately and, with the help of the dog’s owner, launched an investigation. Locals, horrified at the act, were eager to help and the Brigada Azul officers were quickly able to identify a suspect. Details of the investigation were handed over to the SEPRONA unit of the Guardia Civil.

SPARE JOY-STICK ANYONE?

Sunday May 22nd., saw 70 members of “Freewheelers” head to the mountains of the Sierra del Carche above el Pinoso. Having reached the Manor House Restaurant at an altitude of some 1372 foot, it was time to switch off engines, and take in the fresh Sierra air.

Within a few minutes of the final classic car drawing into the car park, the minibus of Sol-Aero flying club, drove up the lane, in readiness to take 12 or so members, the 2 minute drive to the airstrip, for a flight in a lawnmower with wings, sorry, a micro lite aircraft. Other members who had decided that a flying was not their kettle of fish, took on the local Manor House team at “Petanc”.

“Freewheelers” played well, in fact, for many, it was their first try at the game, but it was the Manor House team, after a heated discussions behind the Potting Shed, and a re-count, took the match.

The minibus arrived back a little sooner than expected, due to a broken elastic band, or was it a jammed aileron, on the flying “Atco”, but with the agreement that they would return and give it another shot. Fearless lot, some of these classic car owners!

A splendid roast lunch ended a very pleasant run into the mountains.

For details of “Freewheelers” , drop a line to: freewheelers08@yahoo.co.uk Photo: “Freewheelers” take up the noble art of “Petanc”.

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SEPRONA is now acting on the information provided by the Brigada Azul and a denuncia made by the dog’s owner. The youth thought to be responsible is due to appear in court and if found guilty could face a year in prison and a fine of up to than 18,000 euros.

Brigada Azul supporters held a demonstration on Saturday (21st May) at noon in the town hall square in Pinoso to demand that the person who set the dog on fire receive full punishment under the law.

The dog, Rex, has suffered severe burns but is recovering from his ordeal.

Said Raúl Merída of Fundación Internacional para la Protección de los Animales (FIPARM), the charitable foundation that runs the Brigada Azul, “We hope the courts will hand out the strictest penalties under the law for this appalling case. This person should be detained and put in prison immediately.

“The Brigada Azul dealt with a similar case in San Vicente ten years ago and we are disgusted to see this happen again.”

The Brigada Azul is a charitable organisation based in the Alicante area that was set up to investigate cases of animal mistreatment. For more information on the work of the Brigada Azul visit www. brigadaazul.com .

may - June 2011 thursday 26th Weight Watchers 10am Zumba Fitness 6.45pm - 7.45pm Quiz with a twist 8.30pm

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Kings, Queens and Diamond show - See box for details Saturday 28th Cliff Richard tribute plus steve dale 2 course meal and show 8pm 10€ show only 9pm 3€ Sunday 29th Happy Hour 8-9.30pm Karaoke with Vibe FM DJ Ritchie Sparks 9pm

Monday 30th Line dancing intermediate 10.30 - 12pm Dance Classes Beginners and intermediate Ballroom and Latin America 8pm - 10pm Tuesday 31st Auction starts 1pm Goods in 11am Zumba fitness 5.45pm - 6.45pm Dance Classes - Beginners and intermediate Argentine Tango and social dancing 8pm - 10pm Wednesday 1st Line Dancing beginners 5pm - 6.30pm Live music with ‘Keely’ from 9pm thursday 2nd Weight Watchers 10am Friends Unlimited - Your gardening queries answered by John Wyatt Line Dancing intermediate 5pm - 6.30pm Zumba Fitness 6.45pm - 7.45pm Quiz with a twist 8.30pm friday 3rd Dolly Mixtures Ladies Club Get-together 2.30 - 5pm. Closed 6pm for private parties

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12

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Look Good Feel Great Can you eat your Beauty that won’t break the bank

15 great tips to keeping up your beauty routine when money’s tight!

Use every drop of beauty products...

Add a little rose or orange flower water (from pharmacies) to almost-empty pots and shake gently to loosen creams from hard-to-access corners. The flower waters soften skin, too.

way to better sight?

Can eating carrots really help you to see in the dark?

Train dry skin not to gulp moisturiser...

Before applying expensive face cream, celebrity facialist Emma Hardie massages a few drops of vitamin E oil on to skin (break a capsule and swallow the rest). She says: ‘You’ll use less cream and help strengthen your skin’s anti-dehydration barrier too.’

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‘The most important daytime anti-ageing ingredient is a high-factor sunscreen,’ says dermatologist Dr Stefanie Williams. ‘I always use a moisturiser with built-in sunscreen rather than layering sunscreen and moisturiser, which can clog pores.’ Try SkinCeuticals Ultra Facial Defense SPF50, £34.50 (www.skinceuticals.co.uk). We also rate No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream SPF15, £20.50, (www.boots.com) with very high levels of UVA filters, as these rays can even penetrate glass in winter.

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Nivea has gone one better - you won’t pay more than £3.99 for any of its Visage Daily Essentials. Best-selling Rich Moisturising Day Cream, £3.99, from the Dry & Sensitive range even gets an upgrade to SPF15. Likewise, Johnson Rehydrating Night Cream for dry skin and Oil Balancing Day Fluid for combination skin are both £3.99.

Die-hard soap and water fans could trade up to the Dove Cream Bar, £1.15 for two, which is especially for delicate skin. (all available from www.boots.com)

Go for handbag size...

The sensual, expensive-smelling perfumes from new British perfumer Daniel Vaudd start at a mini-sized £14.95 for three 10ml sprays. And if you fall in love with fresh and flowery The Guilty Mind, citrus and leather The Guilty Act or classic rosy Our Loving Embrace, trading up won’t break the bank at £35 for 60ml (www. danielvaudd.com)

Make scent last longer...

Help your fragrance linger longer, suggests perfumer Lyn Harris: ‘Spray your favourite scent on to your hands and run your fingers through your hair. It is incredibly porous, and holds scent for longer than skin.’ In cold weather, a few sprays on your scarf mean you’ll enjoy your scent all day. Try the trick with the comfortingly woody Miller Harris Terre de Bois Eau de Toilette, £44 for 50ml - a winter classic with staying power, so even a little goes a long way.

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Create your own bespoke scent...

Fine fragrance expert and perfumer Roja Dove put us on to the Neal’s Yard Baseline range - un-perfumed, no-nonsense natural and organic bath and body products to which you can add your favourite essential oil, such as classic rose. At last, a bespoke body collection we can actually afford! We love the Body Oil, £5.70, Massage Oil, £8.30 and Bath & Shower Gel, £5.70. (www. nealsyard.co.uk)

Multi-task eye shadow...

‘Dampen one half of your regular powder eyeshadow and use it as beautifully intense, co-ordinating eyeliner,’ says Sharon Dowsett, UK make-up director, Maybelline New York.

Stop buying not-quite-right lipstick...

Instead, stick to a simple rule for everyday lip chic and go for a colour similar to your lips. Look out for L’Oréal Paris Color Riche Boosting Serum Nude Collection, with active anti-ageing ingredients to moisturise lips in very wearable soft rose pinks and beiges, for £8.67. For evening, go up a notch - a warm or pinky red is always glam.

Make your pencils last...

Buy a proper sharpener that won’t crumble them to stubs try the double barrelled Space NK Pencil Sharpener, £5 (www. spacenk.co.uk) You can adjust the blades to make a sharp point for brows or a rounded shape for eyeliner.

Buy the best tools you can...

Bad brushes ruin make-up application and make you question whether your products are up to scratch. We like the Ruby & Millie Mini Brush Set, £10 at Boots - professional standard and great value (www.rubyandmillie.com)

Get more out of lipsticks & concealers...

Even when you think you’ve worn sticks down, there’s always about a third left in the base. Dig the good stuff out with a cotton bud and transfer to a pill case. Try the clear plastic Muji P P Pill Case, £1.50 (www.muji.eu)

Plump for affordable eye make-up...

The brilliant ‘baked’ formula of Bourjois Eyeshadows, £5.99, now includes delicious new shades that are so light, silky and easy to blend, you could do it with your eyes closed...

Try the less-is-more look...

Walking Groups

We offer a three day walking tour of the stunningly scenic Sierra Espuna for walking groups.

All inclusive of beautiful hotel accommodation, experienced guide, all breakfasts, lunches and evening meals (beer and wine) all for only 159€ per person See website for further details, Click on walking Tel 968 631 008 or see www.espuna-adventure.com

Mix your lipstick with a touch of Vaseline Lip Therapy, from £1.11, and dab it on cheeks as well as lips for a youthful, dewyfresh glow. Try it with Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lipstick in Mystic Mauve, £6.99.

Master mascara...

Hate the way it goes dry and clumpy before you finish it? Try not to pump the brush and force air into the tube, and hold the wand briefly under hot water. ‘It de-clogs the brush and dilutes the mascara inside the tube to give it a new lease of life,’ says Lancôme make-up artist Ashley Ward.

Don’t chuck it away...

If it’s out of season - improvise.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer Duo Bronzing Powder, £5.99, can be used all year round to warm you up on washed-out days.

The eyes are not just a window to the soul; they may be a surprisingly reliable guide to how healthily you eat. While there is no correlation between refusing to eat your carrots and actual night vision, nutrition and optical health are closely linked, with scientists currently looking at the role played by vitamins and minerals in the prevention of eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.

That a link exists has long been understood: the eye condition xerophthalmia, a common cause of blindness in developing countries, is known to be caused by a lack of vitamin A, which is found in sources such as meat and fresh vegetables.

In fact, vitamins and minerals are crucial to eye health, as they are constantly required to help ward off damage caused

by UV light rays. A healthy blood supply is necessary to supply nutrients and oxygen to the eye. So, conditions such as high cholesterol, which clog arteries elsewhere in the body, are also important in the eye region.

Professor Ian Grierson, head of ophthalmology at the University of Liverpool, is one of the pioneers in nutritional research. He says: “It is quite difficult to show real benefit to an individual, that by changing their diet it will benefit their sight – the studies needed would be too big and expensive.”

However, Prof Grierson approaches the idea from a different angle: “My interest is in AMD. For a lot of sufferers of this condition, there are no treatments at all, so it occurred to me to look at the risk factors for the disease instead, with a view to prevention.

“These risk factors don’t just make you more prone to developing AMD, but to it becoming more severe if you do have it.”

He explains: “AMD is on the march as we are all living longer [according to the Macular Disease Society, AMD affects 30 million people worldwide, half a million of them in the UK], and it is undoubtedly lifestyle related.

“The main risk factors are gender (females are more susceptible), your age (the older you are, the more likely you are to develop it), whether you smoke or have done, your weight, and your diet.”

Problems occur because the macula (the centre of the retina) works so hard to give us colour and fine vision, it also produces by-products called free radicals that damage the cells. Prof Grierson explains: “It is like a factory in there. The antioxidants which we get from food protect our cells from these toxins by neutralising them, but if the diet is deficient in the right ones there is no safety net, and the macula suffers permanent damage.

“We really need to increase levels of the right antioxidants in patients and the general population.”

send your budget beauty tips to: editor@soltimes.com

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

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...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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Operating a 24 hour emergency service, Unblock-ARod are always there for those occasions when things have to be put right quickly. Unblock-A-Rod will get to the heart of the problem and have your drains flowing in no time at all. As well as private customers, UnblockA-Rod have contracts with many urbanisations to carry out regular maintenance on community drains.

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The Variety Show Group and The Marina Tappers support Paul Cunningham Nurses

First Summer Show is Friday 3rd June at Casa Ventura in San Luis The Variety Show Group have dates booked from now until the end of the year and these shows are not to be missed if you are looking for a night of fabulous entertainment. This group of just 6 people are just what they say they are and the ‘variety’ of their performances is amazing. The first show coming up for Paul Cunningham Nurses is on Friday June 3rd at Casa Ventura, San Luis. This will be a fun night with music and songs from 60’s country ballads and also some ‘sing-a-longs’ for the audience.

The Marina Tappers will also be there to entertain you with some of their fantastic routines. The show starts at 8.30p.m. tickets are just €4 and food will be available

on the night. Last week at The Lounge Bar in Torrevieja The Variety Show Group were in excellent form and with the help of The Marina Tappers they raised €785 for the charity they were supporting on the night!!

Here are some photos taken on the night!

After Casa Ventura on Friday June 3rd the next show is at Tony G’s in Toretta II on Wednesday 15th June and then on to Catorce in Benijofar on Friday 15th July check our website for more dates as they are booked. You will not be disappointed!!

Call or text 639 318 526 to reserve your tickets!

If you would like to book The Variety Show Group for your venue please contact Eileen or Bonnie on 966 921 153 or 966 926 294

Hole filled, tiles replaced – “good as new”

COSTA BLANCA SAMARITANS FUNDRAISING EVENTS 18TH JUNE 2011

The Costa Blanca Samaritans are hosting a charity double on Saturday 18th June at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club.

During the day 80 golfers will play a team stableford event with a shotgun start at 10am and there are still a few places available.

The winning four man team will each win a widescreen TV courtesy of John at Rental and Sales Centre Los Dolses. In addition, any player getting a hole in one at the par three 14th will win a brand new car. The prize giving ceremony will take place as soon as possible after the finish.

Cost of entry is 60 euros per person to include buggy and complimentary light refreshments, and a donation to Costa Blanca Samaritans.

Anyone wanting to play should phone John on 679 871 156.

Although there are limited spaces for players, Costa Blanca Samaritans are still looking for sponsors for individual holes and prizes - anyone interested in being a sponsor should contact Graeme on 693 688 939 or by email to challenclark@aol.com.

In the evening a Gala Dinner Dance is being organised at a cost of 45 euros per head, to include a Cava reception, 4 course meal with wine, beer, soft drinks and coffee plus entertainment from The LA Concert Band and the dulcit tones of Paul Allen in his inimitable Brat Pack style tribute.

During the proceedings a raffle will be held with many major prizes, donated by local businesses and individuals, with all proceeds going to Costa Blanca Samaritans. Raffle tickets

are available from the offices of all the main sponsors – Canal Print Rioja, Rental and Sales Centre Los Dolses, Golf Factory Cabo Roig – so even if you cannot be at the event you still have the opportunity to support this highly worthwhile charitable cause based here in Spain.

The Costa Blanca Samaritans is a non profit making self funded registered charity providing emotional help to those in need. For further information about either the golf day or the evening dinner dance contact Denise on 699 168 819 or by email denise1sams@hotmail.com

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Shopaholic alert!

Here you can be anything from hippy to sophisticated.

Go for posh; ‘pijo’ (pronounced ‘pee ho’) and dress with sophistication. They are always smart with shirts, jackets, expensive shoes and not a hair out of place.

At the other end of the spectrum there’s the hippystyle dress code in Madrid. A large proportion of the 20–30 age group are relaxed and bohemian in their style.

For stylish designer goods go to the Salamanca barrio (district) in the North East of the city. It’s about 10 to 15 minutes from the centre on the metro; here you’ll find wall to wall boutiques and designer outlets.

For younger and funky hippy styles go to the barrio of Chueca, and the streets Fuencarral and Calle Hortaleza. They both start at Gran Via, and head up towards the Tribunal area.

The further away from Gran Via you get, the more alternative the styles; towards Tribunal you’ll find more shoe shops too.

Between Gran Via and Puerta de Sol, the streets are bursting with shops like Mango, Zara, Pimkie, Bershka, H&M (on Gran Via) and the department store El Corte Ingles.

Head down the Calle Mayor and Calle Arenal directly off Puerta del Sol, and on the Arenal, look for ‘Blanco’ and at Calle Mayor, 37 ‘Custo Barcelona’ – the über trendy store that clothes stars such as Christina Aguilera and Julia Roberts. This store is a must, if not to buy then just to look into - their prices match their styles in terms of outrageousness, and they are the beloved of the celebrity names.

Shoeholics go to Calle Serrano in barrio Salamanca,

15

It’s been a long winter, but now the flowers are blooming, the birds are nesting, and shopping is in the air! And where better to shop than Madrid? Flights start from as little as 25€ so what are you waiting for!

for ‘Farrutx’, famous in Madrid for hand-made shoes, very Spanish, very elegant, very pricey! Calle Augusto Figeroa has hip and unusual styles, try ‘Caligae’, less of a shock to the pocket! Carolina Herrera on Calle Serrano is brilliant for bags, while you are in the area.

Men looking for sports gear go to the huge Nike shop on Gran Via; there is not a sport that represented! For smart casuals, stay on Gran Via and try H&M. Huge, well laid out, and reasonably priced.

For luxury clothes, find Calle Argensola for Loreak Mendian. Trendy, and sells clothes exclusive to Spain.

You can be sure that you’ll end up with something unique and ahead of the fashion, and the prices are affordable too. Kwaleon, an excellent place for denim and sportswear, especially for the skating and boarding set.

Or men, go for the ultimate statement and pop into Justo Algaba, Calle de la Paz. This is where Madrid’s toreros come to have their traje de luces - suit of lights - the traditional glittering bullfighting suit) made in all their intricate excess.

A custom-made suit starts at around 2500€ while the sexy pink tights and the little ballet pumps are a good deal more affordable!!

If your man is going to do a Juan Belmonte (arguably Spain’s greatest living bullfighter) then ladies hasten to Calle del Maestro Victoria, to Maty for anything related to flamenco.

Founded in 1943, its endless rails display ‘faralaes’ (typical flamenco dresses), shoes, ornamental combs

a n d any other accessories you can think of, but also stocks anything needed for ballet and gymnastics.

They also do regional costumes, and have their own workshop where the flamenco dresses are made.

But if you think that that is al Madrid has to offer the dedicated shopper, then think again – I haven’t even ventured into the delights of the rastro, Spain’s largest open-air market! ...time for a coffee. yes?

16

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Riddle of the whales who disappeared in the night Pod of 60 vanish after two died

The pod of 60 pilot whales at risk of beaching themselves on the Scottish coast vanished yesterday after two died.

The creatures swam off after the body of a female, killed by an infection, washed up in Loch Carnan in South Uist.

A second dead whale was spotted on a nearby islet but could not be reached last night due to bad weather.

Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue were on stand-by in case the pod returned. But storms and winds of up to 70mph scuppered their plans to search by helicopter.

A post-mortem examination on the female found ‘potential evidence of an infection’ in a fatty region of its forehead.

The examination showed that grisly scrapes and cuts on the whale’s body were not enough to cause its death.

Alisdair Jack of the BDMLR said last night: ‘It is very disappointing to have found the second stranded whale.

‘It was spotted through binoculars at around 4pm. Our fear has been that the first dead whale would not be the last.’

The pod was first seen in the loch on Thursday. Around 20 of the whales were suffering from head wounds that may have been caused by boats or by rocks close to

the shore.

At the end of October last year, 33 pilot whales came close to being stranded in the same sea loch.

Less than a week later, they were found dead on a beach in Co Donegal.

Pilot whales prefer deep water but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.

Calum Watt, senior inspector for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the whales’ strong social bonds meant healthy animals within a pod would follow sick and injured ones on to shore.

He said, before the second dead whale was found: ‘This could be the first of many other whales coming in - we hope it’s not.

It would be great if this is the only one to come in.’

Cult of Apple

why the must-have brand triggers brain reaction ‘similar to religious devotion’ Fans of Apple products are known for their extreme devotion to the technology brand.

But a new TV programme suggests that this desire for iPods and iPads can occasionally border on the religious.

An MRI scan of an Apple fanatic’s brain has found the same part lit up as a believer’s did when they gazed upon religious imagery.

Journalist Alex Riley carried out the test for the BBC documentary Secrets Of The Superbrands, during which he also attended the opening of Apple’s Covent Garden store.

He likened the scene to ‘an evangelical prayer meeting’, as staff hysterically cheered hundreds of delirious customers flooding the store, many of whom had slept outside

overnight or travelled from other countries despite their being no free products or discounts on offer.

To understand their fervour, he commissioned a team of neuroscientists with an MRI scanner to look inside the brain of one such fan.

‘The results suggested that Apple was actually stimulating the same parts of the brain as religious imagery does in people of faith,’ he said.

During the programme, Riley also spoke to the Bishop of Buckingham, who reinforced his claims.

The bishop explained that Apple stores contain a lot of religious imagery, such as stone floors, altar-like product stands and arched windows.

are you an apple fan?

tell us why you wouldn’t swap it for a pc! editor@soltimes.com

www.europa-network.com

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

17

Faith’s Homecoming at the Easy Horse Care British Funerals in Spain Rescue Centre

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specialist vet Gaspar Castelijns.

Rod and Sue would like to thank everyone who has donated to The Faith Appeal, and the Centre’s tireless fundraisers for all their efforts, but we still need another 567 euro to pay for Faith’s surgery whilst in Barcelona.

She has three experimental prosthetic limbs, all slightly different that have been made for her on a budget. Now she is much more active she needs a more permanent design at cost of 1000 euros for each limb.

To make a donation please contact Sue on 652 021 980 or visit our website www. easyhorsecare.net.

Further updates will be provided on Faith’s progress over the forthcoming weeks.

You can visit Faith any day at the Rescue Centre from 1.00 to 4.00pm, home made cakes and refreshments available on our main open days with Sue’s very popular horse tours Wednesdays and Sundays 1.00 to 4.00pm. Hot, tasty food and delicious cakes available.

Forthcoming Events for the Faith Appeal Fun Day Sunday with Dave Knights from TKO gold, with his special mix of music, name the year competition, fun quiz and prize raffle.

Dave has raised 150 euro from the Darren and Dave challenge on TKO gold that he will be presenting on the day.

There will also be face painting for children, Sue’s horse tours, books and quality second hand goods, beauty treatments, massages etc. All for a donation to the Centre.

THE VELVETONES HARMONY CHORUS

At Wednesday’s rehearsal at El Paraiso it was an occasion for the Velvetones to sing “Congratulations” as well as “We’ll Meet Again”.

Elaine Jacques, (centre) who sings bass, was congratulated on her forthcoming marriage and presented with a bouquet. Her fellow bass singers gathered round to give her a good send-off.

Eileen Clark, who sings tenor, has been with the chorus since 2005 and is returning to live in England. The Velvetones thanked Eileen for her commitment to the chorus. She has been a loyal member and has played an important role in all activities, both musical and social. Eileen received our good wishes for her new life. Eileen (far left) was also presented with a bouquet.

The Velvetones meet every Wednesday at El Paraiso Restaurante in Plaza Halcones 27, Torrevieja between 10 am and 1 pm. Musical director, Jan Ryder, 966 78 53 13.

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AIRPORT

Rod Weeding, co-founder of Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre arrived home from Barcelona with brave little Faith after a seven and half hour journey, along with Cookie another mini who had also travelled to Barcelona to see specialist horse vet Gaspar Castelijns. As Faith is the first ever horse to have and a front leg amputation in Spain, Sol TV, Canal Vega TV , the Mayors of Rojales and Benijofar and other local politicians, news paper reporters, an emotional group of volunteers together with our celebrity representative Georgie May were at the Rescue Centre to welcome Faith home.

Faith is doing amazingly well, she is pain free and is bearing her weight on her new prosthetic leg. She walked out of the horse trailer, into the Rescue Centre and posed for pictures in the garden with her many friends at the Centre whilst tucking into her food; she was clearly excited to be home.

Sue Weeding, co-founder of the Rescue Centre, explained that the little horse had stood up in the horse trailer all of the journey home from Barcelona on her new prosthetic limb and said that the trailer wasn’t really designed to carry sick and disabled horses on long journeys but was merely a very basic horse trailer, designed to carry healthy horses. The Centre was desperate for funding to enable them to buy a new horse trailer to transport sick animals to the Alicante Hospital and also to transport Faith for regular check ups to Barcelona by

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18

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

QUEEN MUM of SONG RETIRES Jean Townson has decided to retire from public singing at the ‘young’ age of 83.

She first appeared on stage at the age of six. By the time she was a teenager, Jean was being hailed as the new ‘Isobel Bailey’ Over the years she has starred in many musicals, and sung on radio and television in variety shows with many famous stars.

Jean preferred though to stay an amateur, she married her childhood sweetheart Rowland and had two daughters. She and Rowland have been married for over 60 years and he has always been her biggest fan.

She has been a much loved and respected member of almost every singing group on the Costa Blanca since retiring here to live in San Luis with her husband in 1991.

For many years she sang with “The Silver Belles”, “Gilbert & Sullivan Society (a founder member) “Cantabile”, and “Crescendo”. She has a huge repertoire of songs and has often stepped in at a moment’s notice to fill a gap in the programme.

For the last couple of years, Jean has only sung with Crescendo, including the RBL 90th anniversary concert in Alicante in April, the day before her 83rd birthday where she was interviewed for local TV, the oldest member of the 160 strong choir.

At Crescendo’s rehearsal last Wednesday, Chas Smith the MD asked Jean if she would sing a solo for the choir….. facing them, as all they could

normally see was her back as she sang. Her daughter Janice quickly provided the music for Sue Trick to play and Jean sang “Bill” from Showboat, bringing tears to a lot of eyes as she brought so much emotion to the song, with a voice that certainly belies her age!

First horses arrive at Amigo Mio

Membership secretary Phyl Webb presented Jean with a bouquet and Choir Chairman Mary Mitchell gave her a specially made plaque from Crescendo, then it was time for a glass of Cava all round.

Jean will be singing with the choir for the last time at Chas’ farewell concert on May 25th……or will she? Somehow we think this lovely lady will always be singing!!

The association Amigo Mio, the charity that has taken over the management of the new centre for abandoned animals in Orihuela, last week took two mistreated horses into its care.

The horses were rescued by animal protection service the Brigada Azul together with the Guardia Civil’s SEPRONA unit earlier this year.

Both horses were severely malnourished and in a state of abandonment. They have spent the past few months being cared for in a specialist centre where they have been treated for malnourishment and various injuries. They have now been certified as ready for adoption by a vet.

The previous owners of the horses could face six months in prison and a fine of up to

www.thechioceisclear.info

18,000 euros.

The two horses are the first to use the new stable block at the Orihuela centre. Amigo Mio will care for the horses until suitable new homes are found.

Amigo Mio is looking for volunteers to help out at the Orihuela centre. People are needed to help with everything from dog walking – in the lovely countryside surrounding the centre – to grooming, socialisation of animals and fundraising. For more information call 648 498 668 or email info@centroproteccionanimalesorihuela. com .

For more information on the work of the Brigada Azul visit www.brigadaazul.com

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Jukebox legends

“Mr Voice” Andy Jones will star in Broadway & Hollywood spectacular - Tour dates now available The fabulous voice of Andy Jones will feature in a sensational tour of eight venues in the region during June. The shows, commencing on 9th June, will illustrate the fabulous songs that hit the stage on Broadway and The West End with such splendour and Andy is just the singer to bring it all to life on the Costa Blanca! Over 37 years, Andy has been on stage with the Doyle Cart’e Opera Company and performed in almost every Gilbert and Sullivan Show inc Carousel, Guys and Dolls,Oklahoma, Camelot, Merry Widow, The Card,Calamity Jane, and a lot if other. Such a powerful voice from such a small guy is amazing and Andy says “I have been to numerous auditions for the big shows and I have been told that although I can sing and act the parts perfectly, I am to small to be considered! Well, small or not, Andy will be belting it out on this tour! During Andy’s 37 years on stage, he has appeared at top venues throughout Europe and performed with many top stars such as Black abbots, Bernard Manning’ Vince Miller, Wayne Fontana and many others.

Broadway & Hollywood also features great songs from musical movies made famous in the 60s and 70s. Films that you will know and love and songs that will bring memories flooding back will be performed by Jukebox Legends.

Peter & Fiona will once again show their amazing versatility as they support the incredible talent that is Andy Jones for this three hour

GOLF GOSSIP with Ivie Davies

RECESSES ION AND GOLF?

spectacular fund raising tour in aid of HAH (Help at Home - Costa Blanca). Someone could win 50 Euros at each show with the very popular HAH “will the key turn” competition.

Jukebox Promotions Peter Day says “ Tickets are just 7-50 Euros and there is a special block booking deal where groups of 10 or more can get 2 tickets FREE at any one venue. Each venue will offer a preshow meal option at a great rate although tickets for the show can be booked without buying food.

We are very excited about working this tour theme with Andy as he has such a fabulous voice and has so much experience with Broadway and West End shows - It’s going to be a great tour so don’t miss it” The tour dates and details are (all shows start at 8-30pm) Tickets are available at the chosen venues or by calling the info line on 695 135 134 Thursday 9th June La Rustika (Los Arcos), Torrevieja Friday 10th June Casa Venture, San Luis Tuesday 14th June Olympia, Mil Palmeras Sunday 19th June Casa Nicolas, Altos del Limonar Monday 20th June La Marina Sport Complex, San Fulgencio Thursday 23rd June Rocajuna, Punta Prima Tuesday 28th June Asturias, N332, Punta Prima Wednesday 29th June The Club, Quesada

The 2011 English Open at St Mellion has been cancelled amid growing concerns over the viability of professional golf tournaments in England.

Organisers say they were unable to raise the £2m sponsorship needed to hold the event in August.

Over the past two years £20m has been invested in upgrading St Mellion’s course and facilities. The PGA and the Open Championship will now be the only professional events held in England in 2011.

The English Open has not been played as part of the European Tour since 2002, Darren Clarke winning the last event at the Forest of Arden.

The tournament was due to return to the European schedule at St Mellion in 2009, but was postponed for two years after developers suffered financial difficulties.

However, problems raising money have struck once again, said Stephen Towers, resort director at St Mellion.

“We’d need a headline sponsor to bring in over £1m to stage this event,” he said.

“So going out there and finding sponsorship we’re looking at the high-end blue-chip companies, but a lot are involved in Olympic sponsorship and many others are curtailing their spending back with the current economic times.”

The economic benefits of staging a professional golf tournament are substantial - last year’s Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor brought in £84.5m to

the Welsh economy.

Sponsors are unwilling to take the initial step, despite the potential rewards.

It’s no great surprise the tournament has been cancelled; it’s a reflection of the trend that we’re seeing in European golf at the moment in that the sponsors are to be found the other side of the world, not in Europe, not in Great Britain and certainly not in England.

I personally have experienced this in trying to get the PGA EuroPro Tour here.

There are economic benefits to be had but what you need is for companies to put their hands in their pockets to put the sponsorship money up first and foremost.

They’re prepared to do that in the growing markets in the Far East and so many European Tour events take place in Asia now.

It’s not going to turn around until companies recognise that golf can provide them with the impetus through sponsorship to grow their company.

GIGGLE ON THE GREENS

A guy gets home from a hot sticky round of golf in the Summer and gets home and has a shower. On exiting from the shower he turns to his wife and says.

“What do you think the neighbours would say if I mowed the lawn like this?”

His wife replied, “They would think I married you for your money” SEE YOU ON THE NEXT TEE!

saturday & tuesday market moncayo “At The Procomobel Home Centre, Guardamar”

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IN and around spain...

in and around espana...

IN and around spain...

Tarragona is the perfect town for soaking up history, sun and the laid back Spanish lifestyle. Roman history buffs - it doesn’t get much better than this, short of visiting Rome itself.

The Romans settled a military camp here originally in 218bc, which quickly grew to be the capital of Roman Spain.

Tarragona

Many of the Roman buildings have been well preserved and meandering around the city, you get a real feel for what a beachside Romanesque town really felt like.

The Museu De La Romanitat provides access to the Roman Circus and Roman Vaults, where the

chariots raced to entertain the crowds.

A short walk towards the ocean from here and you will come across the Balco De Maditerrani, a lovely look out that takes in the breathtaking view of the excellently preserved Roman Amphitheatre, with the stunning Mediterranean as its back drop.

There are also other Roman sites scattered around Tarragona, including the Passeig Arquelogic, which is a walking path around the old city walls starting just west of the main street La Rambla Nova.

beachside restaurants where you can take a break from the sun worshipping with a cool drink and some food under the shaded huts.

The free spirited beachgoer may even want to check out the Playa el Torn but only if you’re willing to forget your swimwear!

Parallel to La Rambla Nova is the Rambla Vella, the main street of the old town where you’ll find restaurants and shopping, also check out the Placa de la Font for a great choice of cafes.

Other attractions of Tarragona include the Musea Arqualaogic, which has a rich array of cultural artifacts from Tarragona’s history including mosaics, frescoes and pottery and is free to get into on Tuesdays.

The 12th Century Cathedral with Roman and Gothic influences is a must see for history buffs, as well as the Necropolis Museau which holds a fascinating collection of Roman, Pagan and Christian burial relics.

For the more adventurous, or to sweeten the holiday for younger people, just 7km from Tarragona is Port Adventura, a huge theme park catering for the tamer ride goers and for those daring enough to take on Europe’s biggest rollercoaster - the Dragon Kahn.

Along with many other thrilling rides there is a fantastic water park (the Caribe aquatic) and don’t miss the sound and light show in the evening.

A word of advice, to save yourself from walking and queuing in the hot Spanish sun, the theme park is much pleasanter on a summer evening, and that leaves the daytime to enjoy the water park.

La Rambla Nova is a lovely wide boulevard lined with shops, restaurants and accommodation and ends dramatically with a cliff face that overlooks the main beach - The Platja de Miracle.

For a true local treat visit Tarragona during the Saint Magi Festival in August to watch the Castellers form human pyramids; a life size statue also adorns La Rambla Nova if you miss the actual event.

There are many other quality beaches surrounding Tarragona; the Platja Larga is ideal for those who like things a bit quieter.

There are also numerous caravan parks and even a couple of

Directions: Take the E-15 towards Murcia. Continue on the E15/Ap-7 towards Valencia and then onto Tarragona. The E-15 will take you straight there – approx 8 hours

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Summer Time…

21

There’s nothing like summer to get people excited about summer outdoor decorating. One of the wonderful things about summer weather is that it lets you expand your living space without a costly home renovation or addition. In many cases, you don’t have to do much decorating at all; all you really have to do is sweep off the terrace and move a comfortable chair outside. Others of you may want to create a room outside, and the newest products for outdoor living can help you do that at a minimal cost.

..and, they say, the living is easy! It’s time to enjoy the wonderful weather and beauty of nature.

Comfortable outdoor furniture is a must, but doesn’t have to be expensive. Two lounging chairs and a table with four chairs for eating will really make your outdoor space comfortable. Many products are available in a wide range of prices and come ready-to-assemble.

Make a modest investment in cast aluminium or wrought iron pieces that will last longer. More substantial furniture pieces made of teak, redwood, or the new, less-expensive eucalyptus will give you many years of service if treated properly.

Wicker furniture looks wonderful and classic outdoors, but does not wear well in the elements. Cushions must be brought in from the rain and the wicker will deteriorate in the hot sun and humidity if not cared for properly.

A glass- or porcelain-topped table will hold up well throughout the season. Top it with an umbrella to keep the sun off. You may want to look at a fade-proof umbrella. Some new umbrellas are enhanced with solar-powered LED lights strung up the inside on the spine; they give a wonderful light for 8 hours after dark and are easy to maintain.

To enhance your outdoor space, flowers and plants are a must! Classic terracotta pots can be put anywhere to create a border around your outdoor space and with the choice of style and colour available here in Spain, there’s no excuse!

So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy the outdoors in your new-found outdoor living space!

Spanish banks offer 100% loans to clear distressed property

Whilst over in the UK the tightening of lending conditions has made securing a home with less than 25% deposit an impossiblity for most would-be buyers, over in Spain banks are making it easier than ever for investors to get in on the market without the difficult commitment of an initial lump sum - as long as you’re willing to buy distressed.

Due to the extreme oversupply of homes still plaguing the mainland in particular, the country’s major financial institutions have begun offering special 100% mortgages on the many repossessed properties they have on their books.

Whilst loans for any new properties appearing on the market are being severely tightened in terms of eligibility criteria, those who agree to purchase the dispossessed properties stand to receive between 90 and 100% finance over up to 40 years, with deals currently being offered by Santander, BBVA, Caja Madrid, La Caixa and CAM, according to the Financial Times.

With many developments having sprung up rapidly just before the 2007 crash, most of the properties the banks are selling are in fact new build or close to it. Santander’s Altamira division, which sells homes from developers whose projects fell into administration in the crisis, is offering up to 100% over 40 years on its many new build properties in a bid to rid itself from exposure to mortgages as per the government’s restructuring

efforts. The seven major Spanish banks were estimated by AFP to hold 45 billion euros in risky assets at the beginning of 2011, and to avoid seeking financial bailout, says the central bank, they must clear at least 15 billion euros of this.

The largest proportion of debt reduction must come from ridding the institutions of bad mortgage debt, hence why even the more reputable banks in the country are now eager to offload properties great and small. For the canny investor looking for a cheap way into the second home market - and a potential long-term asset once prices begin to rise again - the amount of great value, bank-assured property deals in Spain appears to be getting better and better.

Article courtesy of www.themovechannel.com

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A sunshine person who enjoys meeting business people and can bring energy and purpose to the role Experience is not

IT’S ENOUGH TO FRIGHTEN THE SHEEP! As if computers, conservation, cycling, painting, theatre and radio presenting (To mention but a few) is not sufficient to be getting on with, the Asociacio’n De Anglopariantes, otherwise known along the south coast of Spain as A.D.A.P.T., now boasts a Metal Detecting Group.

Formed in September 2010, the team now consists of some 14 “Stick Wavers”. With permission, under strict guidelines, to investigate the beaches from Torrevieja to Los Nietos, findings have resulted in sets of keys and jewellery, being reunited with owners. Any rubbish found on the sands, such as bottle tops, ring pulls, cans, nails and screws, are removed and placed in the bins provided by the council.

Chief “Womble” Gordon, points out that the team offer help to anyone who has lost a metal object of importance, provided the approximate area where the valuable was lost, is known.

A request has recently be made, for members to trace a lost mains electricity cable, within the grounds of an old

essential as full and on-going training is provided. Excellent

finca.

When the beaches become busy, the team turn inland, to farmland between the coast near Los Urrutias and the AP7 motorway.

A local landowner here has given permission to detect across quite a number of acres. Irrigation pipes and broken plough parts seem favourite “Finds” across these fields, but as “Womble” Rod keeps telling his troops, the Knights Templar’s gold, is just around corner, in the next field!

Any reader wishing to find out more about detecting with A.D.A.P.T., should have a look at the web site: www. adaptsanpedro.eu where details about joining can be viewed.

O.k., headphones plugged in, detector on and off we go. Krugerrands or a brass tap, there again, what was that “Womble” Rod said?

Rob Barnes.

Photo: Just a few of the sanguine team.

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Life with Linda...

There is never a right time for change, but as a person, business woman and as a professional I have been through my fair share and come out of the other end to tell the tale.

When I came back to Spain in Oct 2005, I was burnt out emotionally, physically and psychologically. I had ballooned in weight due to being so unhappy personally and under so much stress professionally. I did not make life easy for me coming here as I came with a very negative personal partner and both my elderly and wheelchair bound parents.

For many years here nobody had any idea of my past vocation as I had no interest in sharing what I had been doing, I just wanted to leave it all behind me. However, as certain careers are vocations you never quite get away from them, as I started my own healing and personal improvement, losing weight can caring about myself, so too did my business start.

Quesada Wellbeing was founded on the battles I had with my own massive weight gain, although I was aware of my unhappiness I had felt trapped in the UK. Although I had been a Forensic Psychologist and involved with personal and professional development for well over 20 years, I still let myself slip into the pit of unhappiness and despair.

Radical changes were needed and this is what I did, in the first six months of moving here. I started to shed my weight and my depression, even thought....or maybe because I also ended the disastrous relationship. I lost my best friend in that time, my mum, but I dealt with it a lo better than I would have done 6 months before. All in all I was feeling a lot better.

As my weight dropped and my personal self esteem returned, my business grew but in a direction that I had never really envisaged.

It seemed to go from strength to strength, but once again I was in a spiral going in a direction that I felt I was not in control of. Although by this time I looked and felt a different person, I still do not feel in control. My work with

the Weightloss Challenge was amazing and the results were phenomenal I believe because it is an all round package, of individual support and the psychological background.

It was not until in 2008 I lost my dad and my husband, (although we had been separated a long time, we were close) in just 10 days, did my real battle with the past come to light. Sorting all of our history and unfinished business did I lay a lot of ghosts to rest. It was from there, that I actually looked at what I wanted and where I wanted to, it took two years sort all the legal and physical side of death out, not to mention the emotional side.

It was also a great healing process, so in late 2009 all through 2010 I have been steering my own course of exactly where I wanted to go.

The freedom, the elation and the self discovery have just been amazing, I am now exactly where I want to be, doing just what I want to do and I have learnt that there really is not many people out there doing that. They are compromising and making do with situations, just as I did. But it is just like a bottle of shaken champagne, the pressure builds up inside until the cork pops. Then things can flow out.

In the past twelve months, I have written a successful eBook, now publishing in a paperback book, I have conducted courses, mentored and been mentored, developed in public speaking and achieved awards I would not have thought of. Every single one of us has huge potential but we make excuses for ourselves, we undervalue our self and our knowledge.

Change in all of our lives is inevitable, but how we deal with it is not. We have choices and where we are today is because of the choices we have made up to now, but that does not mean that the future has to stay the same, because we do have the choice to change it.

Now my passion is to help people make changes in themselves to enhance their lives and achieve their goals. Are there any changes needed in your life?

By Linda Sage BA Ed(Hons), Dip REBT, Dip CST ~ www.lindasaqementoring.com ~ Tel: 966 716 919 Member Toastmasters International

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GARDEN & HOME...

wild flowers with jenni…

Last week I briefly mentioned THMPD which stands for Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive which came into effect recently throughout the European Union which has had a devastating affect on the traditional herbal medicines. As with any new law its sweeping reforms do not take into consideration many of the difficulties and expenses that are now required by law & it is thought that the only winners will be the big conglomerates who can pay the 30 thousand plus to licence a herb & of course those who have a vested interest in keeping traditional medicines to a minimum i.e. the large pharmaceutical companies.

Companies need to demonstrate that the herbal medicine has been in use within the EU for at least 30 years or 15 years within the EU and 30 years outside the EU. Just researching this law has given me a headache, there have been many petitions to stop the implementation of this law as many people feel, as I do, that our lives are being totally controlled by some paper-pushing bureaucrat.

Friends and family laugh when I tell them I am going to bow out of society and go and live in the middle of nowhere.

I will grow my own fruit & veg (& herbs of course!!), keep the obligatory menagerie of animals for company, chop my own wood & no-one will be able to tell me what I can and cannot do because I will be old and very, very cranky and when I die they can just tip me in the compost heap!!

Anyhow before that all happens I am going to introduce you to a lovely little succulent the Sedum Sediforme /stone crop which is very common in the campo at La Pedrera although initially is it difficult to find. You can identity it by the acid yellow/green flowers that are placed on flower stalks that curve downwards.

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When fruits appear in June & July the flower stalks turn upwards making the top of the plant look like a cup. The local name is Raim de Pastor (Shepherds Grapes) and the fruit makes a good pickle. Pick the new sprouts while still tender and boil for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain and cover with fresh water and lemon juice. This can be kept

in the fridge for a week and can be eaten, as the Spanish do, with olives, crisps and even jamon. As always happy walking, Jenni

Don´t forget you can pop in at our TEA GARDEN at Casa La Pedrera, The Grand Design House & Outdoor Activity Centre, & pick up a guide for walks around the beautiful La Pedrera Lake, Torremendo. Call 660816620 or visit www. thingstodoinspain.info for directions & details of our forthcoming events: Music, Arts & Craft Festival on the 4th & 5th of June 11am - 6pm

GARDEN CLUB of VEGA BAJA… On Tues May 17th a coachload of garden club members set out to visit two gardens. The first was the “Jardin de l’Albarda” in Pedreguer. The guide who met us at the gate was a German lady called Camilla who spoke perfect English. She explained how the garden was started then took us on a tour. There is a formal garden, a shade house, a huge rockery, and a wild garden. This part was the most interesting as the narrow paths wound around pools and streams. At one point under the trees some of us were fortunate to see two tiny shrews chasing each other round a tree and a few steps further on were a family of frogs sitting on lily pads in a pool. Camilla told us that only indigenous plants are grown here and no insecticides are used. She also said that there are four open air concerts in the garden every summer which she will let us know about nearer the dates.

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Next stop was Monroe’s for lunch where everyone tucked into the carvery.

A short ride in the coach and we arrived at the Algar Cactus Gardens where there are over 500 different cacti and succulents. Peeping from in between some of the largest were fantastic models of dinosaurs, and several of the party had photos taken of “it’s behind you!” for their albums. The area selling small versions of many of the plants did a roaring trade, then it was back on the coach for the ride home. Everyone said what a good day out it had been and a big vote of thanks was given to Andrew Duckworth for arranging it.

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dad’s army..............

When we first arrived in Spain, the one thing that struck me was how friendly all the ex-pats were towards each other. People who we had never laid on eyes on before would invite us round for drinks or dinner, and it seemed a case of here we all are in the same boat and “Hey, let’s make sure we start as we mean to go on”. But have you noticed that often, something seems to happen to change that.

Oh sure, for the most part people are still friendly and open, but it’s noticeable how some inexplicably slip back into the bad old ways of back home. Niggles with neighbours, perceived injustices and petty difference rear their unpalatable heads time and again – many of our friends living in other urbanisations report the same thing, and you only have to read the papers to see that this is so.

It’s almost as if we cannot live without conflict.

And yet, when a major conflagration affects our very existence such as the two world wars, everyone pulls together and previous differences are put into context and seen for what they really are. Pathetically unimportant.

I have no personal memories of the last war – I was not even a glimmer in the milkman’s eye back then - but my Dad would regale me with tales from war time Britain.

We all know of the stories of heroism and hardship on the front line, but there were thousands of men and women who were not called on to fight because they had equally important work to do. They had a vital part to play in the country’s war effort in the munitions and supply factories throughout Britain and were the invisible army. Nevertheless they became a constant target for

enemy bombers, and so in their own way, they were also very much in the front line.

Although my family had always lived in Berkshire, my Father’s job took him to Banbury in Oxfordshire where he was involved in the aircraft inspection department at the Northern Aluminium Company’s plant situated nearby.

The factory must have been massive, because in the company’s newspaper, ‘Safety First’, there are sections dealing with their football; bowls; angling; athletics; rugby; tennis; cricket and rifle clubs. Not to mention the company male voice choir and women’s circle. The 1939 September edition is particularly interesting to me because, under the heading, “Best Wishes”, the marriages listed includes Mr B.A.Bird to Miss B.Norris on the 7th August – my Mum and Dad. I remember my Father telling me that because of the very real danger from air attack on such a priority target, once war had been declared a full scale replica of the plant was erected some miles away in the Oxfordshire countryside. It covered the same ground area as the real plant, the difference being that the dummy version stood only two or three feet off the ground. It did not take long for the Luftwaffe to locate the scale model and destroy it, satisfying the Germans that they had obliterated a major aircraft factory, and leaving the genuine article free to continue its important work.

The building of new planes involved the dismantling of downed enemy aircraft, and some of the finds in the wreckage were somewhat gruesome – severed limbs being fairly common. Another important aspect of this work was to ascertain German technological developments, and each aircraft

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

viewpoint

was scrutinised minutely before being re-cycled into parts for new British machines. Nothing was wasted.

Whilst Dad was doing his bit at the factory, Mum took in two evacuee children from Coventry, and I can only guess at the terrible emotions when night after night enemy aircraft bombed Coventry mercilessly, with the huge fires clearly visible in Banbury.

There were also some humorous moments, and one which I like, involved a period of illness for my Dad when he had a bout of pneumonia and was in bed feeling very groggy.

Mum had a strange habit of locking the bedroom door if she had to go out, because she had this weird notion that Dad was more secure that way, and presumably safer from German abduction. Their house backed onto the railway goods sidings, and one day when Mum was out shopping and Dad locked in, a stray German bomber decided to offload his deadly cargo on this Oxfordshire backwater, and must have decided that the goods yard was a tempting target.

One minute dad was dozing and the next he was running round the bedroom in his nightshirt like a man possessed; broken door handle in his hand, unable to get downstairs to the shelter.

He told me that he got himself back to work at the earliest opportunity after that, because Mum was a bigger worry to him than Hitler.

There are few saving graces to war, but there is a part of me that would like to have experienced the comradeship, solidarity and sense of purpose that is so sadly lacking today.

So there you have it. Let’s have a good war and all become friends again.

oh, by the way....

Most of us have done something stupid in our lives. Sometimes so stupid, that we have a problem admitting it even to ourselves.

Embarrassing – best to be forgotten! A while ago I was in Camposol, having been in the shop of Best Wishes. On leaving and entering the round-about, I was far, far away in my own thoughts (always wondered about this “in my own thoughts”, because you can hardly be in someone else’s thoughts; that is, if you are, they feel sorry for you, and you are not sorry for yourself, when you are in your own thoughts, so …………. Ah! Never mind!). Back to my own thoughts and the round-about!

Well into the round-about, a “blip” interrupted “my own thoughts”, something like “Hey, Lady! Something is wrong here!?!?” And then it dawned on me. I was going the wrong way round! Well, in Britain it would have been the right way round, but I am not British, and I have not even lived in Britain. I took a quick look around – had anybody seen me? –, ducked deep behind the wheel, dipped into the parking lot, and swung confidently, head held high, out in the round-about; this time the right way round! I, Biggy Marshall, solemnly swear that I will never, ever shake my head in despair if I see somebody going the wrong way in a roundabout, or by mistake find themselves on the left side of the road. I have named it a “British moment”, adding it to my “senior moments”, and “blond moments” (yes, I am “legally” blond).

I have been an interpreter on a Cruz Roja First-Aid course.

Though interpreter on the course, I also went through the training, and was a bit apprehensive about learning CPR. I mean, once you have the certificate, you have an obligation to admit CPR when necessary – and I felt it was holding another person’s life in your hands –so to speak.

I did know what CPR is, but wanted to find out exactly what the abbreviation stands for, so I looked it up on Internet. Next time you look something up on Yahoo, have a look at the sponsors’ adverts on the right hand side of the page. On this occasion I was promised “First Aid Cpr at Amazon.co.uk – Low Prices on First Aid Cpr. Free UK Delivery on Amazon Orders”. Wow! Isn’t it amazing what you can buy at Amazon? And, if you should have a heart attack in the UK, you get the CPR delivered for free!

Awesome! – or “Cpr – Fantastic prices on golf equipment, Buy it.

Sell it. Love it. Ebay” Huh! Well, I do know some golfers, who would benefit by having CPR on the golf course; especially if they constantly end up in the bunkers, or are slicing at every tee. Love it? I doubt anybody would not love it, as it prevents brain and organ damage. Can you imagine if I had searched for terrorists?

Well, you do not need delivery of terrorists in UK; they seem to

have home-grown ones!

Like all other nations the Spanish national characteristics have good and bad sides. Their solidarity was very visible when the whole of Spain rallied in aid of Lorca after their devastating earthquake earlier this month.

Real Madrid brought “A drop of happiness in a sea of sadness” when they visited the area. All the heavy-weight stars were there, Ronaldo, Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Mou etc. They met with the residents, had their picture taken, signed autographs, and proceeded to play a charity match at Nueva Condomina against Murcia. 31,000 spectators watched the match, with all the money from the ticket-sale – a whopping €600,000 - going to Lorca. Guess that football can be other things than 22 guys chasing the same ball, and then kick it away when they finally get it!

But, charity was invented by the Brits, and also the Brits in Murcia had charity events in benefit of Lorca. In Puerto de Mazarrón, the expatriates organised a concert in supersonic time, which took place last Saturday. I visited right after the doors opened, and the hall was already ¼ full, and the raffle-prizes stacked on a huge table. Performers were entertaining for free, and people streamed in, some with their picnic boxes, prepared to have a great evening.

Biggy Marshall is educated within law and administration and has been writing most of her life. She has been published in the Danish press as well as in local English publications. She has lived in Spain for nearly 20 years, the last 14 years in Murcia. Biggy can be contacted on lbtmarshall@yahoo.com DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of the columnist and not the opinions of Sol Times Newspaper Group. The newspaper takes no responsibility for the content or the opinions of columnist.

By Colin Bird

colinbadbird@hotmail.com

Caveat Emptor...........................

Generally speaking, I am careful with my clothes and accessories. It is unusual for me to throw something a w a y because it is worn out.

The usual reasons for me parting with something is either that I have put it down somewhere and forgotten where, or in the case of clothing, it has shrunk in the wardrobe.

I don’t understand this phenomenon. I put my summer clothes away at the commencement of winter, and they remain untouched until the warm weather encourages me to get them out again. Yet when I do, I find that they have inexplicably shrunk, and no longer fit. How can this happen?

However, I do go through sunglasses quite quickly. After a lifetime that only lasted 2 years I dropped my first Spanish pair, and cracked the lens. My second pair succumbed to a broken arm after only 1 year of very careful handling.

Thus I had the option of either squinting at the world through a broken lens or walking around like a female Jack Duckworth, my glasses held together with sticky tape. Neither option was really satisfactory, so I saved my pennies and purchased a pair for 3.50€ in the Chinese shop.

I reasoned that at only 3.50€ it wouldn’t break the bank if they only lasted a year. They lasted

4 days, and then a crack appeared in the frame, and the lens fell out.

Muttering ‘faulty goods’ I went into a different Chinese shop and bought another pair for 3.50€. 4 days later a crack appeared in the frame, and the lens fell out.

Bored by my bleatings about having wasted a perfectly good 7€ on shoddy workmanship, Pete took me into a proper opticians to buy a ‘decent’ pair of sunglasses.

Cautiously I enquired the price. ‘110€’ the pretty girl assistant replied.

I staggered weakly, but abruptly pulled myself together when I remembered that the shop was full of fragile goods, and breakages would have to be paid for.

Seeing my distress the girl offered a cheaper option, and whilst still in shock I found myself to be the owner of a robust pair for just under 50€, a present from my ever-loving, with instructions to ‘take care of them’.

Mathematics is not my strong point, but according to my calculations if these glasses were to have the same rate of deterioration as the previous pairs, they should last 56 days. I fully expect them to last longer, or else!

The moral of this cautionary tale is: Caveat emptor - You get what you pay for!

By Jos Biggs josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk

25

www.hotelcostanarejos.com

26

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Eleanor Roosevelt

Very Hard!

SUDOKU PUZZLE

SUDOKU PUZZLE

Sudoku is a placement puzzle. Enter the numbers 1 to 9 in each row and column of a grid, made up of 3 x 3 subgrids. The catch is that each row, column and grid must contain only one instance of each number or letter.

coffee break

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

STANDARD CROSSWORD

Across

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

1 Some of those party pestering sorts! (5) 4 Put on grand soiree, losing concerning disruption (9) 8 Did our credit damage one inside? (7,3) 10 One time round a fancy clerical part (5) 13 Fight quarters resulting in grazes (7) 15 Follow the course (5) 18 See 21 Down 20 Figure independent one inside (4) 22 I, with hesitation, follow returning parts for antimony (7) 23 Undecided on including gym (4) 25 The two make a mess of copyright withdrawal (4) 26 Face impudence (5) 30 Continually annoying bird? (7) 33 Great-grandparent’s first appearance in “Real Deal” (5) 36 Nose saint’s ill-feelings (10) 37 In a decade when northeast lost pointless things (9) 38 Fly to new high! (5)

16 Take away in bird (5) 17 Join the French out of stroke (4) 19 Lead a timeless beginning (4) 21/18 Man’s in on time to get married, replaced by daughter - hush-hush! (2,3,4) 23 Morally, part of a hole in the face (4) 24 More recent name taken for vessel (4) 27 Come out slowly, or half-ounce egg starter will follow! (4) 28 “Fashion centre in setback” is a dissertation (6) 29 Cruel but right within a lake (6) 31 Potter’s danger of being in one new figurehead?

(2-3) 32 Nearly manage pen, lacking practice (5) 34 One shifting after a long time (4) 35 Good one in a foreign bird (4) 36 Ready for some games? (3)

Down

HARD SUDOKU

...

Whoops d be sor te l l i w s i Th week by next

STANDARD SUDOKU

...

Whoops ed l be sor t l i w s i h T week by next

CRYPTIC crossword

1 Cigarettes (slang) (6) 2 Pertaining to a clan or family (6) 3 Hawaiian island (4) 4 Japanese cheer (6) 5 Nighttime footwear (8) 6 European country (10) 7 Relating to Sicily (8) 8 Nagging (8) 14 From first to last (10) 16 Lives together (8) 17 Not on an island (8) 18 Person who is habitually sullen (8) 22 Religious doctrines (6) 23 Crazy (6) 24 Contraptions (6) 27 Fifth book of the New Testament (4)

CROSSWORD

Down

9 Fortified wine (7) 10 Boorish (7) 11 Collective farm (7) 12 Commit (7) 13 Card game (9) 15 Fifty-eight in Roman numerals (5) 16 Photographic equipment (7) 19 Not the sixth (7) 20 Form of Japanese poetry (5) 21 Never stopping (9) 25 Hotel employee (7) 26 Having passed (7) 28 Found in mouths (7) 29 Easing of tensions between nations (7)

SOLUTIONS

Across

1 Hear DJ Folds (5) 2 Universal first raise put in for each cleaner (5) 3 Blue little devil within containing little excess (6) 4 Most senior Celts do without key change (6) 5 Insect fan finally put on a tank top (3) 6 Instant decapitation is uncertain (4) 7 Be up for wickedness! (4) 9 Part of member’s posh second-class sodium (4) 11 In part of Saatchi collection?

(4) 12 Bridge player ran off with Garner! (4) 14 Clearly defined policeman takes important person back (5)

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

AECC TORREVIEJA Calle La Calera, 2 Tel: 965 716679 (English-speaking Wednesday mornings)

Saturday Market and Judges Chambers) Thursday; EMERALD ISLE, Playa Flamenca, Friday. All at 1.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. If you have any items to donate for auction contact Carol and Ron 965 319 929 Mobile 688 238 879. In support of AECC. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

AECC FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2011

5th June Maria’s 5km Charity Walk and fun day. Meeting at Playa Flamenca Promenade in front of Surfer’s Bar, adjacent to the Post Office. Meet at 10.00 a.m. for 10.30 a.m. start. Registration 5€, details from spanishpinkladies@hotmail.co.uk or phone 672 875251, 660 233972 or 634 198351. All proceeds to AECC.

AECC are looking for people able to organise concerts or other fundraising events in order to continue its life-saving subsidised cancer screening. AECC offers this service to Men and Women to detect cancer in its early stages and fund-raising is an essential part of this process. It is also vitally important to remember your own cancer screening, so please call AECC on 965 716 679 if you can help in any way or to arrange appointments.

2nd June Cancer Screening Registration at La Siesta Bowls Club, La Siesta, Torrevieja. Starts at 12.30. Prostate Cancer screening for men, mammogram and smear test for women, to detect cancer at an early stage. NIE number and donation (€60 for women, €45 for men) of half the actual cost required. Phone Jackie on 966 722358 for further details, Terry on 965 716 386 for the location, or just turn up on the day.

AECC also require high-quality clothes and bric-a-brac for sale in the shop and at our regular auctions. Please bring these along to the Torrevieja shop at Calle La Calera 2, just off Calle Apolo-Avenida Cortes Valencianas. For full directions see our website, or phone 965 716 679 for assistance.

Auctions are held at: ROCAJUNA, Punta Prima, Monday; MONTY’S BAR, Algorfa, Wednesday; BUDDIE’S BAR, Playa Flamenca (near

Visit the AECC English-Language Website for further information about all aspects of AECC in the Torrevieja area: www.aecctorrevieja.org

help vega baja

HELP Association Vega Baja Charity no 2985

Enhanced Membership Benefits

and eligibility please contact the San

Free enhanced care programme for

Miguel office at Calle Lope de Vega 46, tel:

members of the Association, in partnership with CARE 4 YOU

966 723 733

- Nursing Care in the home immediately following discharge from hospital

It should be noted that the intention of the

- End of Life Care

the services available from the Spanish

For details of the HELPCARE Programme

Health Services and not replace them.

HELPCARE Programme is to supplement

Contact us through our website or secretary Paula Welch Tel: 634 159 138 for joining information.

Simple rules easily remembered should become an instinctive habit for your home and your personal security and safety no matter where you are. One of the first rules should be to carry only with you what you think you will require for the current outing and if possible in a money belt or similar item.

1. Do not take excess money.

2. Do not take credit cards unless you need to.

3. Do not take any other cards ( supermarket etc.) if not needed.

4. Do not take jewellery to the beach where it can be easily lost.

5.Do not take your mobile phone unless you need to.

Checking these simple rules before leaving and putting what you do not need out of sight when you leave will greatly increase your safety and security.

If you don’t need it !! Don’t take it !

JJ Puppy Rescue

JJ’s Puppy Rescue Association has been a Spanish Registered Charity since March 2007 with a Management Committee, Association Members, Volunteer Helpers and Foster Carers.

Over the past four years the Association has rescued over 300 abandoned puppies and cared for them until new homes were found in the local area and in other parts of Europe. This could not have been achieved without the support and generosity of public donations and the help of local people who care for many of the rescued puppies in foster homes until they can be found new homes with a caring owner.

JJ’s Puppy Rescue Association has over 40 puppies and dogs in need of a loving home. The cost of the necessary veterinary care to bring our rescued puppies back to good health, their vaccinations, neutering and kennel accommodation all requires a great deal of fund raising.

For this we are dependant upon public support and

27

Registered Charity Nº 8.714/1ª

generosity.

We have a Charity Shop in Puerto de Mazarron which is located near the Arbol Supermarket. The Charity Shop is staffed entirely by volunteers and we really need all the public help we can get. Any unwanted furniture, electrical goods, clothes, household items, bric-a-brac, books, DVD’s and videos that can be sold in our charity shop or table top sales to raise funds will be gratefully received. We can arrange for donated items to be collected by one of our Association Members. We also need volunteer helpers who can give some of their free time to work in our Charity Shop so if you would like to help come in and have a chat with the staff.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR COLLECTION OF DONATED ITEMS GIVE ONE OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS A CALL TONY 618 034 921 - JOHN 617 004 959 – RICHARD 699 243 370 or call at our Charity Shop in Puerto de Mazarron WeDoItAll4ThePuppies.

FREE competition DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS FABULOUS COMPETITION - EVERY WEEK IN MAY WIN A FANTASTIC MEAL FOR TWO (EXCLUDING STEAKS) WITH A BOTTLE OF WINE AT MANHATTAN, CABO ROIG

JUST FIND WHERE WE’VE HIDDEN A BOTTLE OF WINE IN THIS ISSUE AND SEND THE ANSWER TO BLANCASALES@ SOLTIMES.COM OR DROP YOUR ANSWER INTO MANHATTAN’S DIRECTLY!

LAST WEEK’S WINNER

CONGRATULATIONS TO

mIKE

from ALGORFA

28

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Salmon in a Parcel with Lemon-Roasted Asparagus SERVES 2

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil 2 x 150g skinless salmon fillets 125g fine asparagus trimmed 1 small lemon ½ sliced ½ juiced 2 tbsp roughly chopped dill salt and pepper

Method

starter

INGREDIENTS

Crab & Tarragon Fishcakes

700g (1lb 9oz) potatoes, peeled and cubed 300g (10½oz) fresh white crab meat 100g (3½oz) fresh brown crab meat 1 bunch spring onions, chopped 2tbsp chopped tarragon 2 eggs, beaten 200g (7oz) fresh white breadcrumbs Sunflower oil for frying TO SERVE 300ml (½pt) soured cream 5tbsp chopped sorrel 1 lemon, cut into wedges

METHOD

Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and mash in a large bowl. Mix in the crab, spring onions

main

and tarragon. Season well.

Place the beaten egg and breadcrumbs in two separate bowls. Shape the mixture into 18 small cakes. Dip each one into the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat a 3cm (1¼in) layer of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and fry the cakes in batches for 3 minutes each side.

Mix the soured cream and sorrel and serve as a dip with the crab cakes, along with the lemon wedges.

COOK’S TIP: If you can’t get hold of lemony sorrel leaves go for dill or fennel – their citrusanise flavours work perfectly with seafood.

Dramatic License Presents

by Peter Gordon directed by Colin Bird

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Take two sheets of foil about 25cm square and drizzle each with a little of the oil.

Place one salmon fillet in the centre of each foil square and evenly lay the asparagus

each side of the fish. Top with the lemon slices and the dill. Season, squeeze over the lemon juice, seal up each parcel then lay on a baking sheet.

Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast the asparagus separately if you prefer.)

TO MURDEREDDEATH

The Salon Cultural, Calle Genera lisimo, Daya Nueva - Thurs 16th, Fri 17th & Sat 18th June 2011.

Curtain up 8:00pm Prickwillow Manor is the picture of rural bliss as Mildred Trellis-Batty and her niece Dorothy await the arrival of their house guests.

Final preparations have been made, but the mysterious shortage of sherry and the spontaneous combustion of the dinner prove to be ill omens for what becomes an eventful and murderous weekend.

Lurking in the background is the ageing family retainer, Bunting, always ready to carry out his duties, but only in his own time. It has been observed that more life can be detected in a sick note.

An old family friend and professional lecher Colonel Craddock and his snooty lady wife Margaret are the first to arrive, closely followed by the young socialite Elizabeth Hartley-Trumpington and Pierre Marceau, an art dealer friend. Drinks are dispensed from the depleted supply of sherry, and as the party begins to settle down, an unexpected visitor appears in the form of Miss Joan Maple, a close neighbour and scrounger.

Mildred feels obliged to invite Joan to stay for dinner, on the basis that it would be easier to dislodge a limpet

from the Queen Mary, and so the scene is set.

Things move quickly from this point, and without warning, our hostess Mildred is ruthlessly gunned down ruthlessly in the dining room, by a ruthless killer.

It is a seemingly motiveless and ruthless act.

Enter acting Inspector Digby Pratt.

Intelligent, methodical and efficient are just three words that could never be applied to the a c t i n g

inspector – Sherlock Holmes he is not, and he would be best summed up as, umm, well . . . a prat !

Acco m p a n i ed by his young and alluring side kick, WPC Mavis Thomkins, he systematically and mercilessly questions each of the house guests, and arrives at some startling conclusions.

Startling but wrong - and as he staggers from one wrong conclusion to the next, another heinous and brutal murder is perpetrated at the Manor.

Can the acting Inspector and the long legged WPC solve this crime before yet another slaying occurs? Who of the assembled house guests is our killer, and what could be the possible motive?

To find out get yourselves along to The Salon Cultural, Daya Nueva.

Tickets are 8 euros each and are obtainable from: “Cards & More” – La Marina, “The Card Shop” – Quesada, “The Post Room” – Doña Pepa, “The Post Room” – Benijofar and “The Card Place” – Benimar. Alternatively phone our ticket hot line on: 616 089 943 or by logging on to: www.dramatic-licence.eu

Spanish Choir invited to sing in Ita lY

The Costa Blanca chamber choir “Chorale” will be escaping from the hot days in July to the cool mountains of northern Italy this year.

The mixed choir directed by Christine Eames has been invited to give two concerts in Roncobello and Trabuchello in the Lombardy region, some 70km northwest of Milan. The town of Roncobello is situated in the Italian Alps, over 1000m above sealevel.

“Chorale” will be singing a programme of sacred music and madrigals, which have proved popular among local English and Spanish audiences for the past two years, with concerts in the Iglesia in Pilar de la Horadada and in El Pinar

de Campoverde. The members have raised both awareness of their music and also funds for the church through their “Music in a Quiet Place” series of monthly concerts throughout the year.

The fourteen-piece choir, which includes several soloists, has a repertoire ranging from sixteenth century composers to the present day, including rarely-performed works by Byrd, Victoria, Farrant, Tallis, Bennet, Gibbons, Durante, Rachmaninov and Tavener, as well as better known contemporary pieces. In addition, the soloists have show-cased arias by French, Italian and German composers.

Musical Director Christine Eames told us: “We look forward to singing in Italy and are proud to represent the Horadada region of Spain. I know that Roncobello is a a very cultural place to perform and I am sure that our singers will be well received. Last year we were pleased to invite their town’s Scuola Campanaria to perform here in Pilar de la Horadada.”

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

29

the GOOD news about coffee!

One cup cuts blood pressure, two stave off dementia... and six reduce your skin cancer risk...

dessert

Nectarines with Raspberries & Cinnamon

INGREDIENTS

6 nectarines, halved and stone removed 1 ball stem ginger, finely chopped Pinch of cinnamon 150g (5½oz) soft brown sugar Grated rind and juice of 1 lime 150g (5½oz) fresh raspberries 300g (10½oz) crème fraîche

METHOD In a large bowl mix together the nectarines, ginger, cinnamon, sugar and lime rind and juice, and stir until the nectarines are well coated. Arrange them in a heavybased roasting tin so that they sit in a single layer,

and cover with foil.

Cook in a preheated oven at 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5 for 50 minutes or on the dying embers of the barbecue for 25-30 minutes, shaking the tin every now and again, until the nectarines are softened and beginning to blister, and the sauce is caramelised and sticky.

Arrange the nectarines on a warmed serving plate. Scatter the raspberries into the tin and coat them in the sauce. Mix the crème fraîche with the raspberries and serve with the nectarines.

We are a nation of coffee addicts — last year alone we spent almost £1 billion on it. Our caffeine habit was vindicated last week when Swedish researchers revealed women who drink five or more cups a day could be protecting themselves against an aggressive form of breast cancer.

But with other research suggesting high doses of caffeine can pose risks to health, just how much coffee should you be drinking a day? To help you decide, we reveal the benefits — and risks — of your daily intake.

ONE CUP ~ PROS: Drinking just one cup of a coffee a day could reduce your blood pressure, according to a Greek study of 485 people aged 65 to 100.

The researchers found those who drank between one and two cups daily had the healthiest arteries.

The scientists believe this is due to antioxidants in the coffee increasing the production of nitric oxide, a compound found naturally in the body. Nitric oxide helps relax artery walls, and lowers blood pressure.

And a single cup could boost your brainpower, too: a Bristol University study of 600 people found those who had a cup of regular coffee performed better in mental tests than those who drank decaffeinated coffee or nothing.

This may be because caffeine causes more sugar to travel to the brain, giving it extra energy and creating a temporary ‘lift’, says Dr Sarah Schenker, a dietitian.

CONS: Even one cup during the day could keep you counting sheep late into the night, says Sian Porter, of the British Dietetic Association.

It takes around eight hours to completely remove caffeine from the body, she explains, so don’t drink a cup after 3pm to 4pm if you suffer from sleep troubles.

TWO CUPS ~ PROS: This amount of coffee a day could keep Alzheimer’s at bay, say scientists from the University of Florida.

Although the findings came from animal research, the team say that around 200mg of caffeine, the equivalent of two cups of coffee, could help prevent the buildup of proteins in the brain that have been linked to memory loss associated with the disease.

And drinking the equivalent of two cups of coffee 30 minutes

Monty’s Bar & Restaurant Monday: 5€ Meal Deal 1pm - 8.30pm Tuesday: Bingo Night 9pm - 11pm Wednesday: Auction Day 1pm - 4pm Thursday: Quiz Night 9pm - 11pm Friday: Line Dancing 11.30am - 1pm Every Friday is Fish & Chip night Karaoke Every Saturday 9pm - 12pm Our Famous Sunday lunches are back!!

3 courses 10€, Incl A glass of wine!

1 & 2 courses also available Early Bird Breakfast Every Day 10am - 1pm 3.55€ Happy Hour Every Day 4pm - 7pm

Urb. Montebello, Algorfa Tel: 965 724 870

Manhattan

Tel: 966 111 605

Tel: 966 111 605

Extraordinary Psychic

Quality HomeFood Restaurant Great Food 9 Item English Breakfast 3.70€

Hidden Within La Rotonda Aparthotel Cabo Roig

Homemade food at pocket

friendly prices 3 course HOMEMADE Menu del Dia €7.95 served 12 till 9pm

cartegena

Magnificent Manhattan Sunday Roast

torrevieja

n332 Pyramid roundabout Cabo Roig

Manhattan La Ronda Aparthotel

here every Saturday from 11am

Truly Fabulous

Real Hand Cut Chips Delicious Homemade Pies Mouthwatering Steaks Fabulous Homemade Desserts Finest Teas & Coffee Homemade meals from €4.50

dessertwe are here

“The Raven”

“The best kept secret in Cabo Roig”

Served 9.30 till 5pm (Sunday till 12)

+

before exercise may enhance your performance by providing you with more energy, suggests a study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

‘It stimulates the production of fatty acids in your body which you use for fuel — it’s like opening the cap on your reserve tank,’ says Dr Schenker.

CONS: ‘If you’re pregnant, your upper caffeine intake limit should be 200mg, or two cups of regularstrength coffee,’ says Dr Schenker.

‘It’s thought the caffeine causes the body to release high levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which could increase the risk of miscarriage.’

Not easy to discover but well worth it, could you find us?

1 course €5.95 2 course €6.95 3 course €7.95 Food orders 9.30am - 9pm Mon - Sat Sunday 9.30am - 8pm

30

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

AROUND th e...

N ews & events

THE SPIRITUALIST CHURCH, QUESADA.............................. Big Band Dance Night...........

Meets at Sociedad Compas, 14 Calle de Toledo, Quesada. We hold a Sunday Service at 11.30 a.m., a Tuesday Evening of Mediumship at 7.30 p.m. And every Thursday there is an Open Circle where you can develop your skills commencing at 7.30 p.m. Spiritual healing is available every Sunday and Tuesday after the service. David Darnbrough will take the Divine Service on Sunday, 29th May. There will be an Evening of Mediumship with Sammy Fitzsimmons on Tuesday, 31st May , followed by a Divine Service with Lesley Pickering Sunday, 5th June. Everybody welcome. Contact Wendy on 965323028

BALLROOM / LATIN SEQUENCE DANCING............

with LA BAMBA’s. At - La Rustika [Los Arcos] Restaurant, Avenida Baleares, Torrevieja.

Saturday: SOCIAL DANCE 7.30pm – 10pm.

Monday: NEW BEGINNERS CLASS 10.30 – 12.30pm Tuesday: IMPROVERS LESSON 7.30pm–8.30pm plus SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm – 10.30pm Casa Ventura, San Luis, Torrevieja Thurs NEW BEGINNERS CLASS 7.30pm–9.30pm Tel: Andrea & Brian 616 478 157.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS..

Are concerned about your own level of drinking?

Does your personal or professional life bring you into contact with a problem drinker? Members of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS invite you to attend, without obligation, an Open Meeting on Friday 3rd June at Calle San Miguel de Salinas 2, (Corner of Calle Santomera), Torrevieja at 1.00pm. Helpline 625 912 078. www.aa-costablanca.org.

Los MONTESINOS................

Art classes Wednesdays 10.30am - 12.30pm At Bar Rosa, Contact Suzanne Stokes:- tel: 724 283/680 961 025 for details

Freemasonry.....................

Are you aware that Freemasonry is thriving on the Costa Blanca? There are various lodges meeting up and down the coast. If you already are a Mason or simply wish to know more about Freemasonry in Spain please contact Harry Palmer Membership Committee Tel: 966 712 326 or Email: palmers.quesada@yahoo.co.uk

Slimming Club....................

Every Thursday at 10am , Rojales Steak House (Old Tylers Bar) Similar to Slimming World (red / green days) Contact Dee 637 994 967 or the bar for more info

‘Swingtet -Plus ‘ next Big Band Dance Night at the Hotel Spa Costa Narejos, Los Alcazares - if you have missed any of the 4 previous nights, don’t miss the next one on THURSDAY 19TH MAY- dance to your favourite big band soundsfrom Glenn Miller to Count Basie - with the added vocal support of Mr. Ron Rogers with his renditions of numbers made famous by Sinatra, Bobby Darin etc.

Tickets at 6€ are on sale now at the reception in the hotel, and there will be a limited number. For tickets or to reserve tickets call 968 - 583 - 980 For full details call 968 - 432 - 630.

There will be a raffle with proceeds for HELP MURCIA MAR MENOR, CANCER SUPPORT GROUP.

MODERN JIVE (CEROC STYLE) with PASO A PASO CLASSES-PRIVATE TUITIONSOCIAL EVENTS - MOBILE DANCE DISCOS..................... in and around the Torrevieja. If you would like us to take classes or events in your venue call Maxine on 670 711 408 with details.

We are currently at The Castilla Bar, Lemon Tree Road, cv895, Campo de Guardamar Thurs / Sun 7.30pm. www.modern-jive-spain.com

CASTILLA AMIGOS................

A friendship group for single people. Please come and join us at the CASTILLA BAR on the Lemon Tree Road, Near Guardamar. Every Wednesday from 3.00 pm. ANN - 965 070 247 - 666 747 398 or BERNIE - 966 849 057

Why not play around?.....

A round of golf that is!

Sonrisa a charity supporting Paul Cunningham Nurses by funding Hospice Care at Home are holding a Charity Golf Tournament at Alenda Golf Club on Friday 13th May.

We only have a few spaces for teams of 4 and have start times around 9 to 9.30am. 18 holes for just €43 per person. Prizes for the first four teams plus hole prizes!

We are also still looking for sponsorship of the remaining holes at up to 50 Euros per hole. The Business can have extensive advertising on the hole and in the brochure while supporting a good cause.

For more details or to book please contact Clive Dalton on 667 359 808 or email son.risa70@yahoo.com We hope to see you there!

Milly is a 4 month old German Shepherd/ Collie puppy. She is a beautiful dog, who already shows the intelligence of the Collie breed. Milly walks to heel without ever being shown what to do!

She is friendly and sociable, getting on very well with other dogs, and loving attention from people.

To arrange to meet Milly or any other APAH dog, please contact Natasha on 616 210 850.

space for a little one?

whats happening Wednesday

CASTILLA AMIGOS A friendship group for single people. Please come and join us at the CASTILLA BAR, on the Lemon Tree Road, Near Guardamar. Every Wednesday from 3.00 pm - Enquires to ANN 965 070 247 / 666 747 398 or BERNIE 966 702 157

Thursday

BALLROOM / LATIN DANCING / SEQUENCE DANCING at Casa Ventura, San Luis, Torrevieja Tel Andrea & Brian 616 478 157 New Beginners Class 7.30pm - 9.30pm Successful Slimming La Marina 11am at The Hillside Bar, Caelle Bilbao. For more information please ring Sian on 965 496 209 / 658 271 553 Old time Dancing class with SLOTS. Pilar Sol Club, Lo Monte Hotel, N332 Pilar del la Horadada. 7.30pm - 9.30pm No previous dancing experience required. Tel: 609 939 369 MODERN JIVE WITH ceroc Castlla Lemon Tree Road, CV895 Campo De Guradamar. 7.30pm Adams workshop especially for beg/ imp. 9pm FREE social dancing with JIVE JUNCTION DISCO. AVON SALES TABLE AND MUCH MORE including handmade babywear, household goods, books. Every 11.30am til 3pm at The Hillside, Calle Bilboa, Urb La Marina.

For more information contact Elaine 619 888 259

Friday

Coro Pilar based in El Pinar de Campoverde, near Pilar de la Horadada rehearse on Fridays at 7pm Tel 966 763 446 MABS Ticket Sales 11am to 1 pm, tel 639 665 370 Outside the Trevi Bar, Camposol B, 1st and 4th Friday of the month

saturday

BALLROOM / LATIN DANCING / SEQUENCE DANCING with LA BAMBA’s. La Rustika (Los Arcos) Restaurant. Av Beleares, Torrevieja. Tel: Andrea & Brian 616 478 157 Saturday Social Dance 7.30pm - 10pm

Sunday

International Christian Assembly Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja Evangelical non-denominational Sunday services 11:00am MODERN JIVE WITH ceroc Castlla Lemon Tree Road, CV895 Campo De Guradamar. 7.30pm absolute beginners. 9pm FREE social dancing with JIVE JUNCTION DISCO. Sevillanas Club. All about Flamenco and Sevillana meet the last Sunday of every month at Asturias Restaurant - 965 328 044

Monday

BALLROOM / LATIN DANCING / SEQUENCE DANCING with LA BAMBA’s. La Rustika (Los Arcos) Restaurant. Av Beleares, Torrevieja. Tel: Andrea & Brian 616 478 157 New Beginners Class 10.30am - 12.30pm

Tuesday

BALLROOM / LATIN DANCING / SEQUENCE DANCING with LA BAMBA’s. La Rustika (Los Arcos) Restaurant. Av Beleares, Torrevieja. Tel: Andrea & Brian 616 478 157 Improvers Lesson 7.30pm - 8.30pm plus Social Dance 8.30pm - 10.30pm Successful Slimming Quesada 10am at The Sportsman, near Canales Supermarket ART GROUP Cultural Centre, Calle Pino Quesada at 10am Call 966 716 018/966 719 776 Denelle Dance Club Argentine Tango Tuition 8:00 - 9:00, Social Dancing 9:00 - 10:15 every Tuesday at the Club, Quesada. Contact Lyn on 63558441 MODERN JIVE WITH ceroc Castlla Lemon Tree Road, CV895 Campo De Guradamar. 4.30pm Adams workshop especially for imp/int.

NB: Information correct at time of printing BUT please check with the relevant venues that events are taking place

APAH has lots of gorgeous kittens, all looking for a loving home. There are all kinds of different breeds and colours from ginger to fluffy black and tabby to pure white. To arrange to come and meet our beautiful kittens, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

31

...costa bl anc a

BENISSA.........................................

13 May - 03 June. Exhibition by de Juan Castillo Carpio, “Los colores del puerto”. Benissa 2011 Exhibition hall of University Annexe at 8pm Timetable: from Monday to Friday, from 10am - 1pm and from 5pm - 9pm. Organised by: University Annexe.

More info: benissa@touristinfo.net

BENISSA.........................................

28 May - 10 June. Art exhibition organized by: Taller de pintura del AMPA Padre Melchor y Concejalía de Juventud.

Inauguration: 28th, 8.30 pm. Casal Jove. Timetable: from Monday - Friday, from 9.30am- 1.30 pm Tuesdays and thursday from 16.00pm - 7.30 pm.More info: benissa@touristinfo.net

PILAR DE LA HORADADA..............

Until 12th June Certamen Nacional de Pintura en Pilar de la Horadada 2011.

25 Aniversario de la Segregación de Pilar dela Horadada 1986-2011 El tema de la obra será “Rincones de Pilar de la Horadada y su término” info: casa-cultura@pilardelahoradada.org * Plazo para presentación de las obras: del 10 de mayo al 12 de junio. * Lugar de presentación de las obras: Casa de Cultura.

C/ Carretillas, 19. 03190 Pilar de la Horadada. Tlf: 965 351 124. * Más información sobre las bases de esta convocatoria en www.pilardelahoradada.org ROJALES - Cuevas del Rodeo - Exhibition en la Sala Mengolero de las Cuevas del Rodeo.

Until 30 June www. cuevasdelrodeo.spaces.live.com

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.......... Quesada, Rojales Chess Friday (3rd June) – Open Meeting. Calle San Miguel de Salinas Club..........................................

2, (Corner of Calle Santomera), Torrevieja. 1.00pm. If you are worried about your own level of drinking or concerned for the well being of someone close to you, please come along. No obligation. Helpline 625 912 078.www.aa-costablanca.org.

FUENGIROLA .................................

Bloomsday bathe on the beach. Join us for a Bloomsday Bathe on the Beach: SWIM! or DIP! Fuengirola, 08:00 AM Thursday, 16th June followed by informal readings from Ulysses in both English and Spanish and a Continental Breakfast.

This event will consist a non-intellectual, informal, fun get together providing the opportunity to become fully immersed in – sea water. This event is FREE. You want to eat or drink that´s up to you! If you think a friend or fellow Joycean may enjoy receiving this invitation, please feel free to forward it. If you have any suggestions to make our event better, please email:

meeting Tuesdays afternoons at 2.30pm, in the Sportsman Bar, Ave Costa Azul (near Canales supermarket) Ring 659 370 200 for more info or directions

send your birthday & anniversary MESSAGES FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY TO editor@soltimes.com

artroger@gmail.com

The Rojales Neighbourhood Watch group...............................

is holding its quarterly meeting in the Municipal Centre in Ciudad Quesada at 11.00 am on Monday 6th June 2011 when we hope also to have the chief of the Local Police present . All people living in the 03170 postal area will be most welcome to attend. Come along and find out what we do and how we work to help improve security in our neighbourhoods. We look forward to seeing you there.

CASA LA PEDRERA........................ ROJALES - CUEVAS DE RODEO....

Music Arts & Crafts festival Grand designs house 04 & 05 June 11am - 6pm Entry 1€ kids free.Dance shows from ‘Flamenca paraTodos’ and Footwork Dancers,

Horse parade, art & photography exhibitions & demonstrations

by Susanne Sayers, Suzanne Stokes, Ken Wallace, Martin Robinson, Eileen Wallace &Rico (Lunatic Art) Music & drama from UK band Zephora, choirs, brass band, TKO radio, Actors Studio, Dramatic Licence. Crafts: lace making, patchwork, embroidery, cross stitch, pergamano, handmade jewellery. Exhibitions from Santa Pola Dolls House Museum & Torrevieja model boat club and model aeroplanes.

Tel: 660 816 620 for more information

PAGO...............................................

Art Studio - ‘Bob Ross’ style oil landscape class.

Saturday, June 18 10:00am-5:30pm Contact Anne Kerr - annekerr44@hotmail.co.uk, phone 965 977 045 www.artstudio-paintingclasses.co.uk

New exhibitons AND childrens workshops, etc For more information: http://cuevasdelrodeo.spaces.live.com

Los MONTESINOS Bar Rosa - Wednesdays. Art classes with Suzanne Stokes at Bar Rosa from 10.30am to 12.30pm - 8€ More info at www.suestokes.co.uk and phone number 965 724 283 / 680 961 025

VILLANUEVA DELA CONCEPCION Nueva Arte - an AIA exhibition. The latest Andalusian International Artists Group exhibition will be taking place in the Sala de Exposiciónes in the Ayuntamiento Casa del La Cultura. The seven participating artists from three countries are Enrique Linaza and Juan Cruz, Spain; Roger Cummiskey, Dolores Cummiskey and Philip Magee; Ireland; Nalini Shanthi Cook and Richard Wood, UK. The exhibition runs from the 6 May to the 22 May on Fridays from 5-8 PM; Saturdays from 11-2 and 5-8 pm and Sundays from 11-02. All are invited to an opening preview reception on Friday 06 May 2011 from 7.00-8.30 pm. Further information is available from the AIA web site www.aia-artgroup.com

www.costablancadiving.es

Sol Times Costa Blanca sales: Quesada and Surrounding Areas GREG: 618 530 767 La Marina and Surrounding Areas JIM: 693 806 409 Classified Advertising CHRISTINE: 966 718 979

POSTAL ADDRESS: Costa blanca office EXCHANGE HOUSE, CALLE LOS ARCOS 7, 03170, CIUDAD QUESADA

Tel: 902 750 190 ext 330 Email: blancasales@soltimes.com

www.soltimes.com

Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent of political parties, private investment and government. Our policy is to provide readers with a news and information service that is fair, accurate and balanced. Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent publications. Published weekly and produced exclusively in Murcia & Blanca. Sol Times News Group cannot be held responsible for claims made by advertisers, nor can it be held responsible for errors in advertisements caused by poor quality text, photographs or layout instructions. Furthermore, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss or damage resulting caused by any error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement. Deposito Legal Sol Times Calida AL 851-2010. Sol Times Blanca AL 852-2010

www.sunshineradio.fm

32

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

SOL CLASSIFIEDS airconditioning

ALL SEASONS I Fully fitted by R C City & Guilds O Trained Installation team N Fully Legal & Insured S.L. company Prices from as little as 349€ supplied and fitted Free no obligation survey and quotation www.allseasons-spain.com email:info@allseasons-spain.com AUTHORISED INSTALLER FOR SIMULSAT TV Call John on 608279075

airport transfers LEGAL AIRPORT T RANSFERS Taxis / Minibuses /Coaches www. costablanca transfers.com 0034 966 196 609 0034 610 611 619

business for sale BAR TRASPASO, Quesada area, only 18,000€. Reduced from 36,000€ for quick sale.

Email bar161@ hotmail.co.uk. For information pack.

Tel: 688 800 960 10 cold drink/ snack vending m a c h i n e s with sites €39,900, excellent cash income, no overhead, work from home, work only one day per week, €31,000 net yearly. 25 Pringle vending machines with sites €14,900, €250 per week guaranteed.

Tel: 965 326 442 / 659 696 455.

AWNINGS DIRECT

Retractable Awnings Toldo Plano (Glorieta) Balcony Blinds Vertical Blinds Window Blinds New Covers Swimming Pool Covers Repairs

150 Colours To Choose From

Tel: Mick

676 583 246 boats B O A T ING LICENSES ARE NOW A LEGAL REQUIREMENT IN SPAIN Serenity Sailing RYA Training Centre, Competent Crew to Yachtmaster, VHF & ICC. Ownboat tuition on sail and power. If you have a yacht or powerboat get qualified and certified. Contact Richard +34 638 056 224 Email: enquiries@ serenitysailing. com or visit: www. serenitysailing. com

building ALL BUILDING WORKS UNDERTAKEN. FREE HELP, ADVICE & QUOTES. ALL AREAS COVERED LEGAL & REGISTERED. CALL ADRIAN 696 744 982

A Simple B u s i n e s s oppo rtu n it y.

No joining fee. car hire Part/Full time with potential high Cheap income depending Holiday on commitment.

Work from and Cars enjoy these unique from 8€ per day Global products all inclusive and ability to help 622 684 486 other people’s well being! Naturopathic Health Aid Band.

Nano technology.

Members receive: Web site, Unlimited Video Email, Unlimted Video Conferencing Tel: 696640747 UK: 07540932133

call sol times classified on 966 265 023

health & beauty

counselling services

Liz Steward counselling services

supporting you in a safe and confidential environment in Quesada. All areas of counselling can be provided, including work with depression, anger and addictions with cognitive behavioural therapy. Online services now available. liziesteward @hotmail.com www.lizie.counsellor.es Tel: 633 161 555

Professional counselling, Life coaching, coping with depression, divorce, stress, Addictions, Bereavement, Family therapy – Call Conchita: 968 553 005 / Mob: 696 895 147

UNBLOCK - A - ROD SL Drainage Services

Toilets - Sinks - Baths - Showers - Drains Cleaned & Repaired

24

CCTV JETTING

hour

EMERGENCY SERVICE PEST CONTROL

Tel: 966 720 109 / Mob: 618 356 270 info@unblockarod.com electrician

ELECTRICS & PLUMBING IN THE COSTA BLANCA no job too small & free estimates! specialists in all electrical & plumbing works

new icp’s fitted - swimming pool heaters & air-con electric gates & burglar alarms hot water boilers,gas heaters & solar new bath/shower suites - spanish legal

call clive: 617 268 346 or frank: 639 988 487

Slimming world starter pack disc, all you need to start losing weight. Just 10€ inc postage Email: nd321@live. co.uk Tel: 0034 626812579

hEATING

financial services

FAT BOB

THE LOCKSMITH

selfcert secured capital FUNERAL PLANS & surrounding lending, raising mortgages, & SERVICES areas. cash advances Santalucia Funeral No call out fee whilst you sell, Plan Plus.

Tel: 622 381 979 personal loans, For all your release funeral plans and Tel: 658 632 056 equity www.hacerman.webs.com 6 5 2 9 8 6 0 8 8 arrangements.

9 0 2 5 8 5 5 6 9 For further Electrician a s e s o r @ information advisers4.es available for all tel: Jessica on works. Small or fishing 968 159 682 large. Call Dave Mob: 636 543 324 693 251 562. Email. Deep sea fishing All areas covered: call Tony on: 646 davendonc@aol. 754 124 visit: www. wwwfuneralplanplus. com net calidafishing.com

CALL ME

686 858 968 Ken Adams sac locksmith 24HR locksmith

locked out of your house or car? floor safe & window locks fitted. house, office, etc. tel/fax: 965 329 186 mob: 651 349 789

www.locksmithscostablanca.com lock fitting security advice 24 hrs, 7 days keep this card handy

La Marina Furniture LOCKSMITH (in the village)

LOCKED OUT!!! CALL24hr

SIMPLY THE BEST

Tel:

2nd hand furniture shop on the Costa Blanca!

We buy sell furniture @ UNBEATABLE PRICES forget the rest we are the BEST! Call Alan: 966 443 370 or on his mobile: 635 985 491

Furniture first

est 2006

sl

ROJALES SPECIALIST OF PRE - OWNED FURNITURE AND ASSESSORIES AT SENSIBLE PRICES LOYALTY DISCOUNTS - FREE LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE WE BUY, SELL & PART EXCHANGE QUALITY FURNITURE Open Mon - Fri 10 - 18.00, Sat 10 - 14.00 C/Pablo Neruda 2, Local 5, Rojales PLEASE CALL JAMIE ON: 966 713 075 OR 680 545 923 www.inandaroundtorrevieja.com

guest house hakuna matata country &

b,

b rooms

647 151 972

Put this number in your phone.

LOCKS CHANGED ALL LOCKS TO WORK OF 1 KEY EXTRA SECURITY WINDOWS & DOORS FREE SECURITY SURVEY MOTURA & DIERRE LOCKS CHANGED FULLY LEGAL IN SPAIN

for sale

DS p.p.p.night, Nintendo 300 games on 1 swimming pool, Cartridge, all recent bar, etc cartagena top games. For area wwww. games list email h a k u n a m a t a t a - me on jonpon69@ hotmail.com or murcia.com. tel phone Jon on 634 361 844. Torrevieja 968 16 37 35 25€

Stainless Steel inset sink,780 x 430 with Roco mixer tap ,right hand r a i n e r, e x , c o n d .

C a m p o s o l area.20€ Tel: 676 028 725.

2 x Kuli Cool Boxes , 400 x 350 x 800 long.

Exc cond. with ice blocks . Cost 80€ each will take 40€. each Camposol area.Tel: 676 028 725 1 x Orange gas bottle 10€.

Decorative stone garden table with 4 matching stools 100€. Puerto de Mazarron Tel: 968 154 036

winter pool cover 6x3 metres - 150€ pool includes filters, housing, lights & wave pump - 250€ 2 single beds storage beds t0 include new bedding - 100€ each tel: 966 719 845

Fully Legal in Spain

Security Windows & Doors supplied & fitted

funeral plans

in Torrevieja

Quesada, 295€ Tel: 680 921 206.

Pine Cot-Bed Excellent condition w w w. n e a t e r h e a t e r. e s - sides come off to make bed suitable up to 5/6yrs. jewellery Including Mattress/ Quilts, pillows and Silver wanted Private buyer pays cash for all silver items all bedding 50€ BARGAIN! Large or small, I will by it, I also buy gold Tel: 680 939 265 Tel: 603 633 138 Travel Cot - hardly used, mobility excellent condition Mobility Equipment Sales & Hire. 25€ - BARGAIN! Tel: Freedom Mobility 968 153 620 Tel: 680 939 265 www.freedommobility spain.com 2x Motorcycle locksmiths helmets - size Med & Large complete with full face visor 30€ for the two!

Tel: 680 939 265

Locked out?!

www.electriancostablanca.co.uk

PLUMBING, AIR-CON

photography

for sale

drainage

ELECTRICITY,

By PERSON: exchange house, calle los arcos 7,

03170, cuidad quesada Private sale ads are free under 300€ Costa blanca areas christine 966 718 979 (3 ads per week) email them to: Costa calida area loraine 693 775 337 paulette 902 750 190 blancasales@soltimes.com

Pool tables, s n ook e r table tables, tennis tables, darts.

Tel:666 933 726 w w w. s p a i n p o o l . com



Pr o f i ta b l e m a g a z i n e business for in the sale Alicante area.

Over 70 full colour pages produced monthly for the last six years.Tel: 690 222 273

awnings

to place your advertisment....

area but can deliver. 60€ each cart!!!!!!!

L e a t h e r Settee Curved Corner Unit in Cream Leather, seats 5 people, excellent condition,

A l u m i n i u m Gates, Double and Electric Sliding.

Guaranteed No Rust.Call Tracy on 966 726 891 for details.

Bed Settee double 50 € Child’s bicycle suitable for child up to 8 yrs. 15 € , 2 single beds, mattresses unused 50 €each, Bird Cage 3 €, Badminton Set, 4 bats, shuttles and net 12 € 400 videos and video player with remote, 100 € , Metal fire door 25 €, DVD Player with remote15 €, Upright fan 7€, Tel evenings 654 666 686

2 single beds complete, unused mattresses and headboards 50€ each Tel: 654 666 686 (evenings) One badminton set, four bats, one net and shuttles 12€ Tel: 654 666 686 Telephone evenings Old jewelery for sale. Coral and pearl necklaces; turquoise necklace and bracelet; jade, amethyst and marcasite brooches. Photos available. tel 966 784 454 Leaded light window for sale. 38 x 24 inches, Knight on horseback, photo available.

50€, Tel 966 784 454 Metal railing 250 x 80 cm. and 2 gates 1m square, black, can deliver, photo available. tel.

966 784 454 gas boiler 5 lpm 65€ 634 325 508

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Rojales – Spacious 2 bed apartment Fully furnished, air con, grills, and free Municipal pool, Bargain price of 59,950 €,Please call 619 566 479/666 105 012 for viewings.www. propertybuye rspain.com Quesada 2 bed 2 baths semidetached Villa, with communal pool, only 10 minutes walk To Quesada golf and local amenities.

Nice property with fantastic views.

Only 114,950€ Please call 666 105 012/619 566 479 to view www. propertybuyer spain.com Dona Pepa, Quesada 2 bed 3 baths fully furnished Town HouseOver looking communal pool, on Gated complex, bargain buy.

Only 94,950€ Please call 666 105 012/619 566 479 to view www. propertybuyer spain.com Quesada Golf 3 bed 2 baths detached villa with Air/con Wood burner, private and communal pool, Priced to sell at 154,950€ Please call to view 619 566 479/666 105 012 www. propertybuyer spain.com Quesada 4 bed 2 baths detached villa with communal pool, overlooking the 4th hole on La Marquesa Golf Course. Absolute bargain only 16 9,9 5 0 € Please phone 619 566 479/666 105 012 to view anytime www. propertybuyer spain.com

piano tuning Piano Tuning & Repairing

by expert.

Piano man

Tel: 665 786 226 pianoman@pianoman. es

sheds low cost q u a l i t y wooden sheds, quote ref sol 1 when ordering for half price delivery. www. spanishsheds.com tel 968 972 311

WANTED

removals

property

33

GOLD WANTED

English jeweller wishes to buy broken or unwanted Gold jewellery and coins

IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT

To book an appointment Call Peter

664 890 990

Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths

LowCostaMoves UK and Spain

we shift most things

Quality Spanish Property

FOR SALE

Apartment (Top floor / Penthouse) Almoradi, Costa Blanca

4 Bed, 2 Bath, Large Terrace, Lounge, Sep Kitchen, Utility Room, Communal Solarium, Lift, Furnished inc. White Goods, UK TV , 90m² Interior Living Space plus, 15m² Terrace / Balcony with Awnings Spacious apartment overlooks a newly reformed Plaza, views of the church & mountains, unusually large terrace. 2 min walk away from the town’s attractive central square, all other amenities are also within easy walking distance,12 mins drive from the resort of Guardamar del Segura. Close to La Finca Golf course

Price (Private Sale) € 85,000 Tel: (0034) 676 534 978

Living ABROAD AND NEED AN ENGLISH BASE? Then look no further than

WOODCAR PARK

Do you have a home abroad or in the UK & would like to have a secure, luxury holiday home in England. We are open 11 months of the year & can supply most makes of Luxury Caravans & Lodges.

Woodcarr Park is in the small Lincolnshire village of Belton.

We are just 20mins from Humberside & Doncaster airports.

Barry or Jean Williams

Tel: 0044 1427 873 487 Mobile: 0044 7939 114 123 or Email: barry.williams08@btconnect.com

Mobile Park Homes

on camping Pueblo in San Javier from €15,000 also bungalows for rent.

Tel: Carol 968 192 425 Mob:626 055 622.

Email:haydn47@hotmail.com. www.mobilehomesmarmenorspain.com

recruitment

Experienced mechanic required, orihuela costa

tony@casasolrealestate.com

Mob: 616820232 Office: 966 188 649 tony-foster@live.co.uk

EEZEE REMOVALS

REGULAR TRIPS TO UK WITH LARGE VAN

white sky card bbc1,2,3,4,itv1,2,3

,ch4 & 5. 120€ can deliver. Tel: 667 235 205 or 667 478 771

Legal & Registered Over 30 years experience

Plumbing & Heating Solutions

All Plumbing work undertaken

Benidorm to Almeria plus 45km radius

CHECK OUT OUR OFFERS ON free hot water all year round

solar hot water panels tel: 966 799 740 or 666 907 456 www.dmfplumbing.com

van hire

Space available For more details

The Treasure Chest: 966 718 100 / 966 765 374

wanted

Jacuzzi Hot tub wanted.

Working or not

Tel: 674 553 472

BY AWARD WINNING MANCHESTER STEVE

simply removals Spain ‹ UK › Spain

FLAMENCA BEACH C.C.

Tel: 634 141 331 672 875 418

• Full & Part Loads • Local / Storage • No job too small

UK: 00 44 790 519 8895 MEL LANDON melvyynleo@yahoo.com

Scrap Gold

Cash paid for all gold jewellery or exchange for new

TATTOOS

Email eezee@hotmail.co.uk www.eezeeremovals.com

Tel: 603 192 957/966 848 607

Wanted

tattooist

tel: 679 569 799

tiling

Professional Tiler from €15m2 Kitchen & Bathroom fitting Service

satellite tv

plumbing

DMF

Local moves & deliveries Playa Flamenca

tel: 637 090 665

R a i n b o w Satellites for all your TV needs with clients all over SALE & RENTAL the Murcia Region.

PROPERTIES Matt or URGENTLY REQUIRED Contact Alan 686 358 475 in Cabo Roig/Villamartin, Orihuela or rainbowsats@ terra.es Costa & Costa Calida digi We have clients enquiring in this area SKY box Pace with

Contact CASASOL REAL ESTATE tel: 965 325 601 Email:

Anthony Foster

Global 4 Removals offer free quotation, free packing, tailormade service, excellent storage facilities, worldwide & local door to door Tel 965 994 832 or 618 342 447 3.5 VANTASTIC tonne removals or any man & van service Tel: 693 251 562. E MAIL: davendonc@aol. com

All work fully guaranteed

Robert Healy 966 923 190 / 603 785 488 personals “Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the ads in this section offensive”

D O U B L E DUTCH Patty Dutch Girl 36 years.

BEECHDALE REMOVALS 5. 6 feet tall, slim, Spain - UK and Return XXXL breasted, Personal, Friendly Door 2 Door Service long blond hair, Cars, Motorbikes & Caravans SPECIALIST in Storage Greek. phone Full or Part Arranged 669 638 845 & Loads Monique Dutch Girl 38 years.

5.9 LOCAL Pets Welcome, Papers Arranged EUROPE feet tall, slim body, 965 326 920 666 847 648 long red/Braun email: beechdale@hotmail.co.uk hair, SPECIALIST Brian Torrevieja in teasing. We are open minded SPAIN - UK - SPAIN Removals and have lots of Friendly Reliable Service experience, we Fully Legal perform all kind Special deals from off fantasies there UK - Spain isn’t much we have Office: 968 564 298 not have heard Mobile: 696 621 884 about, so what are marmenorremovals@hotmail.com you waiting for!

 

NEAR HOSPITAL DE TORREVIEJA phone 609 418 948 Torrevieja Carla from Venezuela, super sexy/ little curvy, long black hair, big breast, black eyes, with lots of south American temperaments. for all your fantasies.

Oral without, give/ receive.

HAPPY HOUR 13.0014.00 discount 20 € 609 418 948. ask Monique for inf. and pictures Hi Kimberly here I’m slim, busty, tanned, toned lady

in my 40’s for the mature gentlemen, ladies, couples to visit me or you Tel: 630 942 138 Elegant Slim Sexy Lady available, home / house visits.

M a z a r r o n Torrevieja Tel: 693 357 526 Attractive couple (m 43/f 30), excessive & insatiable offers exclusive erotic services for women, men & couples. Also house & hotel visits possible. Tel: 629 483 618

34

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

swimming pools

personals “Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the ads in this section offensive”

SWINGERS SUN & FUN CLUB Come along to relax, meet other broadminded people. Massage available. Tel: 660 409 206 Spanish lady Playa Flamenca near new Carrefour before La Florida.

35 years, attractive, classy lady, private house, parking.

Offers all erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie, prices from 40€.

Full discretion. Tel: Ana 680 735 412 The Swingers Club on the Costa Blanca. www. puer to - d - amore. info Tel: 966 725 373 / 650 706 725

with massage bed, Very discreet Call 677 676 554 San Policarpo No87 Apt 1-17 Cerca calle Orihuela

established 40 years in the UK

Britannia

15%

Solar Pool covers - Rollers Heatpumps - fencing

discount on solar pool covers & rollers

400 micron pool covers Pretty Woman, with all pool heat pumps Sensual & tender, spoils you without pressure of time www.poolsafetyfencing.es www.britanniapoolcovers.com discreet in her villa (daily). Also mature watermaid europe swimming caravans/ gents welcome. pool maintenance, heat pumps, Call 676 565 128 saltwater & filter system. instualtions motorhomes tel 636 spares and repairs.

Females and www.watermaideurope.com 698 501 couples 18 – 65 for information call

FREE

966 765 378 - 649 784 193

required for adult photos & videos.

Good rates 697 697 842 or www. medphoto.eu

advertise in sol times call 966 265 023

New in Catral qualified nice masseuse oriental techniques, deep auto electrician relaxation, good promotions 638 Sexy books 789 562 close to ENGINE MANAGEMENT DIAGNOSTICS for the adult Quesada reader.

Over A s h l e y , N e w , fault Finding & Repairs 40 books for your English mixed race Engine Diagnostics selection. A choice South American, Air-conditioning from word or PDF. very sexy!! 29yrs, Re-gas & repairs All FREE at www. Tall, Slim with long Starter Motor & adultreading.es legs, Excellent NATASHA diverse super sexy, private apartment, complete massage

gearbox repairs

Mobile Auto Electrician

rates near Hospital De Torrevieja Call me direct 634 336 712

water filters

950 459 007 - 647 587 855 or visit us at caldera spas, antas new, in stock, caravan motor movers. no more struggling. fitting service available. call 950 459 007 647 587 855 caravan & motorhome insurance. most competitive prices. call now for details 687 845 730

MOTORHOME MONCAYO 435

Alternator Repairs

Telephone Al on FULLY MOBILE - NO CALL OUT CHARGE

638 323 499

25,200€ ONO

body repairs

RAPID REPAIRS BODYWORK & PAINT SPECIALISTS

• FULLY LEGAL INSURANCE APPROVED • LOCAL PICK UP & DELIVERY SERVICE • COURTESY CAR AVAILABLE • ALL WORK GUARANTEED Ken Brooks 645 162 808 email:rapidrepairs2668@yahoo.co.uk Behind the Zoco Sunday market

wigs Salon Margarethas, 23 years in Torrevieja Hair/wig specialist for medical illness and hair loss problems.

We offer different hair replacements, top fillers, hair prostheses, toupees & wigs. Natural & artificial hair & much more. Also fashion/festival accessories.

TV/TS are welcome to our service. Call Margaretha on 966 921 846 or call in salon in Torrevieja

CALL SOL TIMES CLASSIFIED 966 265 023

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SOLTIMES MAY 2011

‘Cast Off’......with Robbie France

Another busy weekend. Another horde of people frequenting the beaches on the Costas…and another opportunity for everyone to get involved in the most blissful sport man ever invented. Sailing.

How many of you have been down the ‘playa’ and peered out to see and wished beyond wishing you ‘were out there’ sailing across azure blue seas, wind billowing the sails and yearning for a chance to actually use ‘our backyard’ and do it! Well. Fear not.

That’s what we’re here for. We’re gonna go sailing.

That addictive splash of the sea lapping the bow (pointy end) of your craft, while you sit at the stern (flat end) holding the tiller(steering thingy) and maneuvering her on to a course which, at first, noisily flaps the canvas (sail)… followed by a stifled creek of the mast (the stick in the middle of the boat) you rest a hand on the boom( the bit of wood attached to the mast, which can knock a bloke out if it get’s across a bit lively!) and then you realize…you’re under sail.

And for you lovers of the more exotic craft, (We’re talking motor boats now),we’ll be giving you all the tips you’ll need to navigate our beautiful coast safely with a series of nautical translations for steam and

sail.

We’ll be visiting the Audi MedCup in Cartagena.

We’ll be talking through simple tips to get you on your way.

That’s right, ladies & gentleman.We’re going sailing.

Cast off…and sail with us.Tight sails to all and I’ll see you next week!

Fernando Alonso to stay with Ferrari until 2016....

Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso, has renewed his contract with Ferrari until the end of the 2016 season, according to a statement released today by the Italian team.

“I am delighted to have reached this agreement,” said Alonso in the press release. “I’ve felt at home with Ferrari right from the word go and the team now feels like a second family to me.”

“I have a huge amout on confidence in the men and women who work at Maranello (Ferrari headquarters) and in the people running the team: it was therefore natural for me to take the decision to extend our relationship for the long term, with what will be the last team in my Formula One career”, he added.

Alonso, who currently lies fifth in the Formula One world ranking with 41 points, joined the Italian team for the 2010 season, signing a an initial three-season deal after a

somewhat controversial season with McLaren in 2007 and a brief return in 2008 to Renault, the team with which he won two world titles in 2005 and 2006.

“We are very satisfied to have been able to extend the contract with a driver who has always shown his desire to be a winner, even in the most difficult circumstances”, confirmed Ferrari president, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.

“Fernando has all the qualities, both technical and human, to become part of Ferrari’s history, which we hope will soon be enriched with new successes”, he added.

In his first season with Ferrari (2010), Alonso, who has not managed a single victory so far this season, ended up second overall, just four points behind Germany’s Sebastian Vettel.

35

UK Positive retail sales just a blip Strong UK retail sales figures, US GDP figures from the first

driven by warmer weather and the royal wedding (apparently), gave Sterling a lift in early trading yesterday. But it was not enough to sustain the trend once America woke up and the Pound duly gave back any gains to finish the day broadly flat. Once the dust had settled the consensus was that April’s data is likely to be just a blip in an otherwise disappointing trend. Also yesterday the Bank of England’s chief economist, Charles Bean said the bank had accepted higher than target inflation in an aim to rebalance the economy towards exports and business investment and he suggested that to achieve their two percent target would have required a markedly higher bank rate and with it a higher level for Sterling. What he was implying is that if the Bank had raised rates, the squeeze on consumers would have been worse than is now, and shows just how tight the path the bank is currently walking actually is.

No Sterling data is due today and the next important figure is UK GDP figure early next week.

A large amount of data on the US economy was released yesterday. Better than expected weekly jobs data and a very disappointing Philly Fed reading caused Dollar gyrations for most of the afternoon. The market seems to be trying to work out what the end of Quantative Easing 2 means for the Dollar at the same time as trying to guess from the data whether there may be further on the horizon – and the result is high volatility across the Dollar pairs. Next week sees

quarter so we may finally get see the market clarity of what direction it expects the Fed to pursue.

Eurozone leaders seem to be playing a high stakes game of poker with the market over the potential (or not) restructuring of Greek debt. On one side, the market is betting that some sort of restructuring, either soft via extending bond maturities or hard via hair cuts will have to take place. On the other we have EU and ECB officials suggesting any restructuring would block Greece from accessing funds because its collateral (government debt) would not longer be accepted at the central bank. Given the lifeline that central bank funding has given Greece, this is no empty threat. But the uncertainty this is creating keeps investors away from periphery Eurozone debt and Euro sentiment remains on the bank foot going into the weekend.

The contents of this report are for information purposes only. It is not intended as a recommendation to trade or a solicitation for funds. Currencies Direct cannot be held responsible for any loss or damages arising from any action taken following consideration of this information.

Information provided by Currencies Direct, leading providers of foreign exchange.

Call to find out how we can help you get the best rates and save your transfer fees. Contact the Mojácar office on 950 478 914 or 0871 218 5001 (UK) or email almeria@currenciesdirect.com

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36

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

Now that IS fast!

Scientists transfer 700 DVDs of data down a single fibre-optic cable in ONE SECOND

A new speed record has been set for transferring data down a fibre-optic cable using a single laser.

Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany succeeded in sending 26 terabits of data - the equivalent of 700 DVDs - down an optical fibre in one second.

They used a ‘fast Fourier transform’ to separate more than 300 colours of light in a laser beam, each encoded with its own string of information, said the journal Nature Phonetics.

Attempts to perfect higher data transfer rates in light-based telecommunications technologies have led to significant developments in recent years.

Early optical fibre technologies encoded

data as ‘wiggles’ within a single colour of light but in recent years a number of other methods have been used to increase speeds.

‘Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing’, for example, uses a number of lasers to encode strings of data on different colours of light then sends them through the fibre together.

At the receiving end, another set of laser oscillators is used to reverse the process.

Using this method the rate at which date can be transferred is limited only by the number of lasers used, said Wolfgang Freude, a co-author of the institute’s study.

‘Already a 100 terabits per second experiment has been demonstrated,’ Mr Freude told BBC News. ‘The problem was... they had something like 370 lasers, which is an incredibly expensive

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‘They fill racks and consume several kilowatts of power.’

But Professor Freude and his colleagues have now worked out how to replicate similar speeds using a single laser with extremely short pulses. A number of discrete colours of light, known as a ‘frequency comb’ exist within these pulses.

Once sent into an optical fibre, the colours can add or subtract, mixing together and creating about 325 colours, each of which can be encoded with its own data stream.

Professor Freude’s team demonstrated how a smaller number of these colours could be used to transmit more than 10 terabits per second last year.

At high speeds traditional methods used to separate the different colours at the receiving end do not work. In their latest experiment, the team successfully received and unpicked data streams after sending them down 50km of optical fibre.

The Fourier transform extracts the colours from an input beam on the basis of when the

different elements of the beam arrive.

Professor Freude’s team does this optically rather than mathematically, which would not be possible at such high transfer rates - by splitting the incoming beam into different paths that arrive at different times and recombining them on a detector.

Thus, stringing together the data in the various colours becomes a simpler problem of organising data that arrives at different times.

Professor Freude said that his new design outperforms earlier models simply by creating a greater separation in the time delays.

It would be possible to place the technology on a silicon chip, he added, which meant it would be ripe for commercial exploitation.

Though the idea is a complex one, Professor Freude is convinced that it will be in demand as ever-higher data rates become desirable.

‘Think of all the tremendous progress in silicon photonics,’ he said. ‘Nobody could have imagined ten years ago that nowadays it would be so common to integrate relatively complicated optical circuits on to a silicon chip.’

LADIES REVEAL “SECRETS” IN AID OF PAWS! Jackie Miles Kirby representing Bay Radio helped create another exciting evening held at the Kimrick in aid of PAWS last Saturday. The show called “Burlesque” played to a packed house and was rapturously applauded.

Jackie brought over from England her talented and long time friend Terri Maloney to “instruct” some of the girls in the finer movements of seduction, coquettish play, fun teasing, in short, a sexy “con” which we have gradually got to know as “Burlesque”.

Terri is a talented, artist, dancer, teacher and fun loving girl. She came over to give the ladies a few tips that were quite frankly allusions to what they should “suggest” and the ladies did the rest.

Terri lives in Westgate but has a major ART studio in Margate right next door to the famed Turner Contemporary Art show which will give you an excuse to visit her and see some of her work. If that doesn’t keep Terri busy enough she also helps out at the Wild Wood charity that is keeping some of the world’s almost extinct animals—safe.

Bay Radio has some other events coming up, we will keep you posted well ahead of time. With the raving success of Burlesque that show will be returning soon. Remember to listen to Jackie on Friday´s at 2 PM for special interviews with unique characters from our area: www.terriart.biz

Ric Polansky is one of Mojacar’s most colourful residents and the owner of Polansky & Assoc (www.mojacar-sales.com). His column is sponsored by Bay Radio Costa Almería: Turre 91.5 FM and Mojacar 95.5 FM Online: www.bayradio.fm. You can read more of Ric’s writing on and on www.ric-polansky.com and www.torosbravos.es, his life long passion!

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37

MINI 'Mini' leads small car boom

It’s the car that fans of the original Mini have been waiting for – and it could be the biggest-selling new MINI yet. With stringent emissions regulations and spiralling petrol prices, the demand for compact cars is going through the roof!

And the new baby MINI is set to head a new breed of penny-pinching small cars that prove you don’t have to sacrifice style and driving fun for low running costs. Based on the Rocketman concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, the ‘mini’ MINI will expand the burgeoning brand even further.

It will create a new entry point and mark the beginning of a new era, too, with a range of threecylinder engines on offer, lightweight materials throughout and an all-electric version in the pipeline.

Our images show how the pint-sized production car is likely to look – and all those who have been waiting patiently for a true successor to the Sixties model will be pleased to see this car’s tiny footprint on the road. The ‘mini’ MINI is only 40cm longer and 50cm wider than the original, and engineers are intent on making the production car no bigger than the concept.

It will make the most of every inch available to it, though, with a space-saving 3+1 seating layout similar to the Toyota iQ’s. While there will be seats for four, the chair behind the driver will only be suitable for short trips. However, the instrument cluster moves backwards and forwards with the steering wheel to boost room when necessary.

Carried over from the concept will be the dualfunction boot, which features a conventional compartment accessed via a hatch with a drawerlike storage area underneath. The centrally mounted ‘Coke can’ exhaust is also slated for production.

Predictably, however, the concept’s Union Jack glass roof will make way for a more conventional metal top. Plus, the concept’s three-dimensional ‘handlebar’ rear lights will be replaced by simpler clusters fitted flush into the bodywork.

The distinctive door hinge spikes will be smoothed

out, too, but the exposed carbon fibre sections on the front flanks and grille will be retained. Speaking in a recent interview, BMW sales and marketing director Ian Robertson commented: “MINI will never produce a car under the ‘i’ brand – this is exclusively for BMWs – but the technology we are developing for the ‘i’ family of cars will certainly be made available for the rest of the BMW Group.”

This suggests the structure of BMW’s electric i3 city car, with its carbon fibre passenger cell mated to an aluminium chassis, could be adapted for the production car. That would strip out weight, and give it benefits including trademark ‘go-kart’ handling and improved efficiency. The i3’s allelectric powertrain would slot neatly into the MINI, too, although power would be sent to the front

wheels, rather than the rears.

Electricity won’t be the only power source available – petrol and diesel versions of BMW’s forthcoming family of three-cylinder turbocharged engines will be offered from launch. Although there are no specifics on power outputs or performance, BMW claims the most efficient petrol unit will be capable of returning 94mpg.

The next MINIs to go on sale will be the Coupé and Roadster in 2012. Expect the ‘mini’ MINI to arrive in 2014 – the same time that the next-generation hatch is due.

BMW’s new sports G.T.AUTOS car concept LOS DOLSES s.l revealed CARS WANTED FOR CASH German firm unveils 328 Hommage concept at Villa d’Este Concours

BMW has unveiled an all-new concept car at the Villa d’Este Concours in Italy.

Called the 328 Hommage, the two-seater sports car is designed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the BMW 328 racecar.

“With the BMW 328 Hommage, we wish to pay homage to the passion and inventiveness of the fathers of the BMW 328”, explains Karl Bäumer, CEO of BMW Group Classic. “They created an icon, which is considered a milestone in the history of the automobile.”

The roadster features trademark BMW styling cues and gets retro-inspired design touches like the asymmetric windscreen and bonnet mounted leather straps.

The lightweight 328 original weighed just 780kgs and BMW has concentrated on keeping weight down in the Hommage. The body is made from carbonreinforced plastic – the same material used in the i3 electric car – and the stripped out cabin is simple and driver-focused.

Underneath the bonnet, is a 3.0-litre straight-six engine but BMW hasn’t revealed any official statistics or performance figures.

The 328 Hommage is unlikely to make production, but expect to see BMW’s future models – including the i8 hybrid supercar – getting a look inspired by the newcomer.

Call Tim on 66 22 11 993

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38

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

sport

maggots end......................................................... EUROGOLF SOCIETY PRESS REPORT....................

RODS and REELS

This weeks competition was the 3rd in the Summer League. The venue being the Eden canal at Guadamar. After last weeks weights from Argos, it was a bit of a change for this week, with nobody even breaking into double figures. The river did not have much pace, and with an upstream wind, kept the float virtually stationary. Big fish are not really showing whether they are still breeding or just getting over this period, only time will tell!!!!.

Top rods on the day 1st Jim ( The Chairman ) Rouse fishing the pole using maggot and corn with 9.020 kilo´s.

2nd Lenny ( Excultural Attachee )fishing the pole using bread and maggot with 7.60 kilo´s.

3rd Terry ( Swing E´m ) Screen fishing the pole using maggot with 6.74 kilo´s.

Results after 3 matches.

1st Lenny Bolton with 10 points 2nd Dave Hutchinson with 11 points 3rd Terry Screen with 13 points.

ABBEY ANGLING RESULTS supplied

by TERRY SCREEN This week saw the 6th round of the Spring Series at Argos on 17th May 2011, considering

we are now in the middle of May the weather continues to be quite cool with this blustery wind all the time.

Along with the excess rain that we have been having the water levels on Argos is higher now than in the nine years I have lived in Spain, the water has also coloured up which should enduce the fish to feed but weights are still poor.

On the 18th May 2007 which is 4 years ago this week I caught 80.070kg of fish on Argos, which I believe is still the best match weight caught there, a few of the fisherman in those days would regularly produce 30kg, and one or two managing 45 to 50 kg which is over a 100lb of fish and now we are lucky to break 30kgs in a match.

This week’s results are 1st Pete (The Peg) Hampshire with 16.560kg on the feeder using corn.

2nd Lenny (Ex Cultural Attache) Bolton with 16.420kg on feeder using corn.

3rd Alan (The Emperor) Roscoe with 16.280kg on feeder using corn.

All details available from Terry Screen the Match Secretary on 965 328 368

ANGLERS TOGETHER Anglers Together was formed to

introduce and encourage anglers of all abilities to meet up and get together to fish, either sea or freshwater. Firm friendships have been formed during the time the group has been active and information on fishing venues and licenses required are available at the meetings or by regular emailed newsletters.

Meetings are held in two locations on the second Friday and Saturday of each month. Anyone with an interest in fishing (sea or freshwater) is welcome to come along to a meeting to see what we’re about.

The next meeting at Mary’s Bar, Campoverde (near Pilar de la Horadada) will be held on Friday 10th of June at 12 o’clock.

On Saturday 11th of June at 12 o’clock the meeting will be held at The New Royal Bar and Restaurant at El Alamillo, opposite the sea-front between Isla Plana and the Port.

NOTE The subs are now due at these meetings €5 for renewal and €10 for new members.

Refreshments and lunch are available at each location.

Come along to a meeting nearest to you.

For further details ring Alan Roscoe 968 570 876 or email: anglerstogether@gonuts4free.com TIGHT LINES DAVE HOARE

THURSDAY 19TH MAY 2011 Unfortunately, due to temporary greens at La Marquesa and a rainy start to the day, we only had 27 players starting the competition today which was an individual stableford instead of the scheduled Golden Ball competition.

The weather cleared up and the sun came out and conditions (apart from the course!) were excellent.

Results as follows: (3 highest scores – no divisions today) 1st. Ken Brett 50 pts 2nd. Jean Jackson 45pts.

3rd. Mike Young 43pts Nearest the Pin on 11th sponsored

by Manolos Venables

Restaurant:

Alan

Well done Ken, and good luck when you play in the next round of the Cortes Inglés at Altoreal on 4th June. A reminder to all our very generous members that our Charity Auction will be held after the Texas Scramble and lunch on Thursday 9th June, any items you think would raise a few Euros for the Captain’s Charity, the Butterfly Children, please bring in and give to Sue Gillett or any other member of the Committee.

Sucina Golf Society............................................ Quesada Golf Society at Aguilon G.C. ..........................

Sucina Golf Society – Match Report – 17 May 2011 – La Torre Our latest game took place at Polaris World’s La Torre course, and was the Society’s first “Sponsored Game” of the year.

So our grateful thanks go to our Sponsors – St James Place, Murcia Villas and The Will 2 Live for their most generous support.

Hopefully all our Sponsors found it an enjoyable and worthwhile day, and we look forward to continuing to develop our mutually rewarding relationships in the coming months and years.

Another good turnout of 36 Members and Guests ensured there would be strong competition in each division, and so it proved to be.

Also, this Individual Stableford game counted towards the “Player of the Year” trophy, and as the leader board is quite close, it added an additional incentive to post a good score.

The course was in very good condition and the six Par 3’s particularly provided a stern test, with several of them involving shots directly over water. As a result, not many players completed the game

with the same ball they started with! Some tricky pin placements and a swirling breeze simply added to the excitement – but as heavy rain and thunderstorms had been forecast everyone was relieved that the waterproofs stayed in the bag throughout.

There was a good deal of friendly banter from the Men when they saw how big an advantage the Ladies got on many tees – although the Ladies were quick to point out that the “Slope” meant they were playing off less than their normal handicaps. Overall both men and ladies agreed that La Torre is an interesting and enjoyable course which offers the opportunity to post a good score – as long as you are hitting the ball straight!

Overall top points scorer on the day, and winner of Division 2, was Brian Kay with a very impressive 37 points. Brian (who now leads the Player of the Year table) is the Society’s Handicap Secretary so it will be interesting to see how far he cuts himself after this result! One of our new members – Damian Gavin – was runner-up in Division 2 with a solid 33 points,

closely followed by Ron McKinley on 32 in third. Division 1 was won

by Dave Docker on 32 points, with John Palmer beating John Storey for 2nd place on countback after both scored 31 points. Division 3 saw Jonquil Boyes win with 27 points, followed by Bill Nagle on 25 and Roy Kemp on 20.

Perhaps a little surprisingly, it was good to see that the 6 Nearest the Pin prizes were won by 6 different players – as follows: Hole 3: Ray Banks , Hole 5: Chris Boyes , Hole 9: Damian Gavin , Hole 11: Jim Douglas , Hole 15: Jonquil Boyes and Hole 17: Julie Boyce.

Congratulations to all the day’s prize winners.

The Society’s next game will be at Roda Golf on 21st June when we will play a Team Texas Scramble.

Information about the Society – including details of forthcoming fixtures and social events – can be found on our Website: www. sucinagolfsociety.com

CLAPTONS GOLF SOCIETY .........................

PERALEJA 20TH MAY 2011 32 Members and guests set out from the clubhouse on route to the golf club. Forecast was 80percent rain but still everybody turned up.

As we set off the wind was blowing but the sun was still shining as it did for the whole day.

We found the course to be in excellent condition, some of the pin positions were probably the hardest we have played to in a long while, which meant everybody had to play well to obtain a really good score.

There were odd fairways which had some bare patches on, but this

didn’t affect the play and everybody

had a really good days golf for the princely sum of 35 euros, green fee and buggy. Our thanks to Peraleja golf club for their hospitality.

Winners as follows: Nearest the Pin - 2nd John Dodds, 9th Pearse McMurray, 12th Terry Smith, 16th Bernie Farrell Best Guest: Dean Parlour 26 points, Most Potential Golfer: Bob Hague 17 points Overall Winner: Steve Hatt 39 points

Gold Section: 1st: Willie Buchanan 31 points 2nd: Andy Trefry 30 points Silver Section: 1st: John Burns 33 points 2nd: John Harvey 32 points Front Nine: Brian Abbott 18 points Back Nine: Tony Wilson 18 points Singles and Doubles Matches: Pearse McMurray beat Chris Gridley 1up; John Stones beat Dave Mace 2 & 1; Ian Faulkner and Phil Pettican beat Willie Buchanan and Mike Wyatt on the 19th sudden death.

Thanks to Chris and his staff at Claptons for their hospitality as usual. Next outing El Plantio on 17 June 2011.

Mike Wyatt

18thMAY 2011.

This was our away day and I must say Aguilon G.C. looked after us well; as soon as we arrived coffee and a bocadillo was waiting for us and after the game a good hot buffet was laid on. The course it’s self is very challenging and most players suffered at sometime during their round, the only downside was we had a downpour of heavy rain for 4 holes and it dampened the spirits of a few players. The format of the day was a stableford bogey + 2 comp, the nearest the pins was sponsored by MICK THE GRIP who put up the prizes, many thanks to Mick ,who not only fits grips but can repair clubs ,fit new shaffs etc, he is always looking for new societies to sponsor or have him come along for a chat at one of your golf days, contact Mike on 638859475.

Thanks must go to our own Paul Flanaghan who guided our driver of the coach to the course without any diversions, well done Paul.(our own spanish amigo) Results on the day, In 1st place with 93 Points was Brian Smith, Bob Berry, Pam Martin and Barry Trodd, in 2nd place with 88 Points were Tony White, Ted Tovey, Ted Hooker

and John King, in 3rd place with 74 Points were Rod Day, David Bourne, Jonh Simmons and David James.

Nearest the Pins hole 4,Bob Berry, hole 8,Paul Flanaghan, hole 10, Les Catt, hole12, Roy Kavanagh and hole 17,John Simmons. nearest the pin in 2 on par 4, hole 3, Brian Smith.

Individual scores onthe day was best member Brian Smith with 29 points and best guest Bob Berry with 34 points.

Reminders for Members. Tuesday 24th May , at the Q.C.C. 1030hrs Members Meeting, 1st June game at Font De Lopp, Texas Scramble t/o 1000hrs. 8th June,Quiz Night at 2000hrs at the Q.C.C. 15th June game at Altorreal, s/s, t/o 1048hrs.

All info on games and directions to golf courses can be found on our website.

Once again we could do with some more members if interested contact our Members Secretary Les Pancott on 966716723. Lastly if you have not put your names down for the Quiz Night get in touch with Roy Kavanagh ASAP on 966 716 977.

Reporter Brian (The Smiler).

Quesada Bowling Club........ with Cathy Skinner

SPANISH NATIONALS This week has seen many of our members taking part in the Nationals.

The men started their challenge with the singles and pairs, and although we did get some through to the quarter finals, unfortunately we are not going to see any of them in the finals. A similar result in the pairs.

Better news of our ladies, well done to Gail Watson, Diane Lawton, Tina Brinton and Deidre Leeming who

have been successful so far and will be playing next week at Quesada in the semi finals of the ladies rinks. Currently Gail Watson and Tina Brinton and Diane Lawton and Deidre Leeming have progressed to the second round of the ladies pairs.

Our men start their triples and rinks on Saturday whilst the ladies start their singles on Sundasy. Good luck to everybody.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MAY 2011

GREAT WEEKEND FOR ITV

ITV Orihuela RFC played the next round of the Alicante 7’s circuit in Alicante at AKRA at the weekend, and what a great weekend for the juniors.

The weekend started off in great style with the U20’s beating Elche 26-0 playing some great 7’s rugby with Alvaro, Raffa, Joaquin and Danny scoring the tries. The second game was a hard fought tight one against La Vila, but they

ORIHUELA RFC AT ALICANTE 7’S

came unstuck in the second half eventually going down 15-7, with Danny the try scorer again. Next up was AKRA, with a see saw game with Akra coming out on top 2417. Finally they came up against Alicante University in another close game, but this time coming out on top 17-12 with Alvaro, Rogelio and Danny scoring the tries again. This keeps ITV Orihuela RFC U20’s overall

39

sport

..........................................................

in second place in the league.

Next up were the U18’s, and what a great weekend they had not only winning all of their games, but not concede any points at all throughout the whole day. The first match was against Elche who they took to the cleaners with a 40-0 win, with Mathias scoring three tries and the others coming from Ivan and Tirso, with Tirso getting the conversions. Up next

was Akra, which was a closer game, winning 26-0 with Mathias, Ivan and Victor scoring the tries.

In the final they came up against Alicante University winning 19-0 and again Mathias was on the score sheet again with Ivan and Julio.

This puts ITV Orihuela RFC clear at the top overall in the league with one week to go. They played with some excellent support play and showed the other ITV Orihuela RFC teams how it should be done.

Finally it was the U16’s who also reached the finals thrashing Torrevieja in their first game 40-10 with both Javi and Gabi getting two tries each and Juan three together with Santi with one of his own. Next up was Elche, which was a lot closer and nearly threw it away, but held out to win 20-10, with Juan, Javi, Jose and David all getting in on the try scoring act. In the final they came up against La Vila who took control of the match and ran out winners 22-0. This put them clear overall in second place in the league.

With two teams in the finals and the U18’s winning the last two finals in Alicante and at La Vila it was a very good weekend for the club, another final at Elche for the U18’s seeing them winning the league and taking the cup.

This coming weekend is the final

one and will be at Elche.

Also this weekend ITV Orihuela RFC will have their usual stand again at the “This is Spain exhibition” at La Zenia Hotel supporting as always The Butterfly Children, stand number 7, so look forward to seeing you all there.

And finally we have the London Irish shirt signed by all of the players with all of the money raised being donated to the Butterfly Children will be on show at the exhibition.

If you want to know any more details of what rugby is about in the area, and for your rugby gear club shirts etc, I am still at the Moncayo Market on Tuesdays for now or call me on the number below.

The club trains on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s at the Miguel Hernandez University, the seniors 20.00 to 22.00, while the juniors from 18.15 to 20.00.

So if you are interested, dig out those rugby boots and come along and see for yourself what it is like.

New players are always welcome no matter of what age you are or your skill level.

Mazarrón FC............................. Orihuela Costa F.C...............................................

Mazarrón FC 4, Deportivo Minera 3, 22.05.11 This was the most entertaining game played at Mazarrón all season, as the home side played host to second placed and already promoted Deportivo Minera. The visitors game with the best goal scoring record in the league, and they had only conceded three goals once this term and never four.

Last week’s hat trick hero Poyatos, Mr Versatile, this week played alongside Juan at the heart of the defence and the team welcomed back Ruben. Although he spent far too much time off side, whenever he did beat the trap the Minera defence has little idea how to play him, and he scored a hat trick himself.

The game started in spectacular fashion as a Minera attack was broken up and the ball was played out to Robert on the right. He slotted it into the path of Ruben, who made 20ms of ground before easily beating the not very mobile Fernando in the visitors’ goal. A few mins later, Abdel nearly made another chance for Ruben, but this time Fernando was quicker. A Minera free kick then came back off the wall before Abdel had a good header from a corner saved near the post. After 22mins, Juan Antonio lofted a ball over the top for Ruben but he was pulled down by a desperate Pepe and Juan Andreu easily converted a gentle penalty with Fernando hardly moving. With Mazarrón cruising and well in control, Juan conceded a free kick for hands 5ms outside the penalty are on the right. Isaac floated the ball over to Cecillo whose header was well placed just inside the near post.

Then, in the three mins before half time, the game was turned on its head. As Minera attacked, Abdel made a poor clearance only as far as Seco. He turned it wide to Isaac who returned the ball to Seco to

shoot in from fully 28ms. In the last move of the half, a flowing attack from Minera eventually found Nico who slotted in from a tight angle.

As Mazarrón went in 2-3 down, they didn’t really know how the situation had slipped so badly.

The home side could have folded then, but to their credit they came out with all guns blazing. After 2mins, good work by Chico and Robert gave an opening to Alfonso.

He made the bye line, pulled the ball back and Ruben was on hand again to head in at the near post.

The half time substitutions couldn’t have been more different. For Mazarrón, the agile and skillful Diego had replaced Abel and for Minera, the huge but cumbersome Josico had come into the game.

After the equalizer the game ebbed and flowed and both teams had chances. Peru saved a powerful shot from Nico low to his right and a superb Mazarrón move saw the ball go through Juan Antonio, Chico and Ruben before Robert shot wide, when a square ball to the waiting Ruben would have been a better option. With just three mins left, Mazarrón scored a well deserved winner. Rivas took a poor free kick just outside his own penalty area that Chico met with a powerful header on halfway.

Ruben beat the off side trap and outpaced Pepe again before firing in off the far post.

Mazarrón visit Cotillas this week in the penultimate game of the season, at last free of any mathematical relegation worries.

Mazarrón: Peru, Alberto, Poyatos, Juan, Borja, Juan Antonio, Chico, Alfonso, Abdel (Diego), Robert, Ruben.

MMoM: Jose Ruben Roger, mccmurcia.com

Orihuela Costa F.C. Cadete: 2

Sponsored by : Morgans Bar & Amber Pools.

This week was a massive game for Costa due to the unsavoury build up all week before this a game even started. Costa the smaller and younger team started of a little nervous & could’nt get the ball out of their half for the opening 20 mins.

San Miguel missed a few chances but the Costa boys defended well, with Jamie Cockroft & Glen Lawton outstanding in the heart of the defence. Costa could of taken the lead when a break down the left

by Aidan Sullivan saw his effort go just wide. On 25 mins San Miguel were awarded a free kick which saw Joaquin Pedraza convert the effort to take a 1 - 0 lead to the delight of the hostile home crowd.

But to Costa’s credit they bounced back on 26 mins with Aidan Sullivan netting his first goal for his new club.

Now Costa had the believe to go on and attack and with Jake Burnip,Adam W a l k e r & Callum G i l d e a a dominating midfield it was Costa ‘s passing on a very difficult surface which upset the home team & they found it hard to live with.

San Miguel always l o o k e d dangerous with their

San Miguel C: 1

long ball tactics & with older players & using players from other teams to help their cause but it was Costa who didnt want half time to come & were unlucky to be level at half time 1 - 1.

Costa gave 11 - side debuts to many players who all responded well including Paul Lapham, Jordan Marshall, Coner James, Alex Anger, Patrick Sullivan & Scott Brunton and in the second half on 39 mins saw Glen Lawton latch on to a cross and head the ball into the net and send the away supporters wild. Costa then took control of large periods of the game due to great effort and performances from Luke Deegan, Charlie Frost, Cesar Augusto, & Kristjan & Gummi Gudmundsson all playing the ball simple on the deck.Patrick Bass run the home defence ragged & Costa should of gone on to score more

to their tally but they were estatic on the final whistle to win 2 - 1 against a well organised federation team.

A big thank you to Ariel the San Miguel manager for refereeing the game & to all his players for giving us their time allowing us to gain valuble experience & for their hospitality.

If you would like to play for friendly club with F.A. Qualified coaches & at a sensible price with fantastic facilities then come along on Tuesdays & Thursdays 18.30 20.00 . or contact club secretary George :679 77 44 88 or www. orihuelacostafc.com for more info.

Big thank you to the Sol Times newspaper who have backed us all season and look forward to their support next season.

40 SOLTIMES MAY 2011

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

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