Soltimes Mar Menor – Issue 479

30th May-5th June

mar menor

PART OF EWN MEDIA GROUP

EST 2005

Jellyfish-free zone for Mar Menor Swimmers can look forward to enjoying splashing around in the Mar Menor this summer without the threat of being stung by the annual invasion of jellyfish.

Up until last week, the authorities had so far failed to make a decision whether or not to install the antijellyfish meshes that have been in place during every summer for the past 20 years. Finally, it was announced that they would indeed by placed at the 60 beaches of the Mar Menor and will thus keep everyone safe for another year.

The equipment installed offshore consists of around 43 kilometres of nets which will be clearly identified and signposted to warn users of small boats, jet skis and surfboards to stay away from the area used by swimmers.

This annual plan costs the local authority some €400,000 and protects bathers until the end of the season on October 12th.

Javier Celdrán, the Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, confirmed that the work to install the nets this year will be carried out a few days later than normal with the help of six boats from the Fishermen’s Guild of San Pedro del Pinatar.

“There are still no adult jellyfish, so there is no problem at the moment for bathers,” the authorities said.

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Rajoy reports on NATO visit

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Upon his arrival at the special NATO meeting in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, stressed that in a democracy such as Spain, no leader can place themselves above the law and adopt decisions that affect national sovereignty outside of Parliament. He also backed NATO’s involvement in the fight against terrorism.

Speaking at a press conference, Mariano Rajoy guaranteed to the Spanish people that “no-one is going to unilaterally liquidate the Spanish Constitution, national unity or national sovereignty”. “That is my obligation as President of the Government, aside from my own feelings”, he asserted.

What he is proposing to Parliament and the people of Spain, he underlined, is that if it is not agreed to hold a referendum on independence in Catalonia, a law will be approved 24 hours later to “liquidate the unity of a State”.

“I would be a bad President of the Government if I were to allow that, and you can rest assured that I am not going to allow that to happen, and I hope that a little common sense can reach those places where it should never have ceased to exist”, declared Mariano Rajoy.

“Fortunately we are a democracy and a civilised country and no leader, however much they may think so, can place themselves above the law and just ignore those decisions that correspond to the people of Spain as a whole”, he added.

Mariano Rajoy stressed the importance of the PSOE [Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party], the Partido Popular (PP) and the largest number of other political forces defending, like most of the Spanish people, unity and national sovereignty, the law and the Constitution in the face of the “pro-independence challenge that some people have proposed in Catalonia”.

As regards the possibility of the government resorting to the suspension of the autonomy of the region as contained in Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, the Prime Minister said that he doesn’t want “to get ahead of events or announce problems that no-one will like”.

As regards the meeting of NATO leaders, Mariano Rajoy recalled that it is traditional to hold this

when a change takes place in the Presidency of the United States. This event served to inaugurate the new General Headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in Brussels and to tackle the issues of terrorism and the contribution of the different countries to the NATO budget and its operations.

Spain currently contributes close to 1% of its Gross Domestic Product to defence work and plays an “important” role in the military missions of NATO, of the European Union and the United Nations and in the International Coalition against the terrorist group DAESH, always “with the approval of Parliament”.

“We are going to continue to support NATO in carrying out its functions and being involved in the fight against terrorism, which has now become, as we are all unfortunately too aware, as we have seen in Manchester just a few days ago, one of the worst problems facing the people of Europe”, maintained Mariano Rajoy.

Working together to defend freedoms and rights, he concluded, “is something very positive for the interests of everyone”.

At the start of the special meeting of NATO, the President of the Government of Spain and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, greeted each other and held a brief yet “very cordial” conversation.

Mariano Rajoy also spoke with the new President of France, Emmanuel Macron; with the British Prime Minister, Theresa May; with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel; with the Prime Minister of Italy, Paolo Gentiloni; with the Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, and with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

The Heads of State and Government of the Member States of NATO attended the unveiling of two monuments to commemorate 9/11 and the Berlin Wall and the ceremony to officially transfer the headquarters of NATO before holding a working dinner. Mariano Rajoy was accompanied on the trip to the Belgian capital by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Alfonso Dastis, and for Defence, María Dolores de Cospedal.

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News

Barcelona gives ID to detainees

Officials in Spain’s second largest city, Barcelona, have announced that local authorities will soon begin issuing identity cards to immigrants living in the city that don’t have authorised documents in order to allow them access to municipal services and help them to prove they are residents in the city when held by federal authorities for internment in the local Centro de Internamiento de Extranjeros (CIE) detention centre.

Speaking at a press conference last week, officials said that as from September individuals who do not have legal immigration status in Spain can nevertheless request a local Barcelona identity card, provided they can prove they have been living in Spain for at least one year and in Barcelona for at least six months. The ability to show they have relatives living in Barcelona or that they belong to an immigrant rights or community group will also be taken into account in local authorities’ decision whether or not to grant an ID card.

Immigration attorneys who represent undocumented immigrants who are detained and interned in a CIE centre pending deportation are required to immediately show proof of their client’s residence in Spain in order to forestall deportation. Barcelona officials say the possession of a local identity card will help the immigrants to remain living in the city until their immigration case is decided and will also enable them to enrol on the local Padron census list and gain easier access to basic public services.

In October, Barcelona officials called for the closure of the local CIE centre in the city’s Zona Franca port area, calling conditions for detainees there “infrahuman”, and subsequently filed legal action against Spain’s national government over conditions at the centre.

Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena have been at the forefront of panEuropean efforts involving cities calling for improved conditions for migrants and greater acceptance of refugees from war-torn areas of the Middle East and Africa.

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Spanish sinking centenary acknowledged

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Spanish officials in South Africa have marked the centenary of the sinking of a steamer vessel that killed 134 Spanish passengers and crew members during World War I. The Spanish boat Carlos de Eizaguirre hit a German mine that had been part of a naval blockade near Cape Town on May 26, 1917. The vessel was travelling on a regular route between Barcelona in Spain and Manila in the Philippines.

Spain was neutral during the war.

Spanish diplomats organised tributes on Friday in Cape Town and thanked the city for helping the 25 survivors who reached its harbour.

The Carlos de Eizaguirre sank in the Atlantic Ocean between Dassen Island and Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed during the apartheid era that ended in 1994.

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30th May-5th June 2017

Appeal launched for critical cyclist A crowdfunding campaign has been launched by the family of the Scottish cyclist who suffered life-changing injuries while riding in Spain to pay for a private air ambulance to bring him home.

John Telfer crashed while cycling in the Alicante province on May 4, hitting another cyclist who had come down after riding over a raised tree root in the road.

Mr Telfer suffered two fractures in his neck and was initially not expected to live. He is now in a critical condition in a hospital in Alzira, paralysed from the neck down and on life support machines.

He was in a coma for two weeks and now has pneumonia. His family say he is receiving excellent care but the language barrier and the distance from home are creating problems.

His son Gregg said: “He wasn’t expected to survive to the end of that day – but he’s still fighting for his life. My dad has now been fighting for his life and is currently critical in ICU in a highly Spanish-speaking hospital.

“The care is fantastic within La Ribera hospital and we owe his life to them but the language barrier is so tough and we need to try and get him home as soon as they release him to us. We are travelling over three hours a day to visit him for just a few minutes at a time.”

With his family understandably

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eager to get him back to Scotland, friends of Mr Telfer and his wife Dawn have set up a crowdfunding page to pay for the estimated €19,000 cost of a private air ambulance with a doctor and nurse on board, plus ongoing medical costs such as a motorised wheelchair.

The goal of the campaign is to raise €60,000, with more than €12,000 raised in just four days.

In an update on the page the Telfer family said they were thankful for the money raised so far.

“We don’t have the words to express our appreciation to you all for the generous donations and kind messages people have shared about John.

We always known he was special but your kind words and generosity have touched our hearts.

People we don’t even know have donated, and we will be eternally grateful to you all. The next step is to get him home safely. “

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News

European Council authorises Brexit negotiations The Council, meeting in an EU27 format, adopted a decision authorising the opening of Brexit negotiations with the UK and formally nominating the Commission as EU negotiator. The Council also adopted negotiating directives for the talks.

Both texts are based on a recommendation presented by the Commission on 3 May 2017 and build on the guidelines adopted by the European Council (Art.50) on 29 April 2017.

Their adoption allows for the start of negotiations with the UK following the notification of its intention to withdraw from the EU (under article 50 of the Treaty of the EU). “Today we have established the EU position on the key issues for the beginning of the talks. The rights of citizens are at the very top of our agenda and we aim for an ambitious solution, where those affected continue to enjoy their rights”.

Negotiating directives and phased approach This first set of negotiating directives is intended to guide the Commission for the first phase of the negotiations. They therefore prioritise issues that have been identified as necessary for an orderly withdrawal of the UK, including citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and the situation of Ireland, as well as other matters in which there is a risk of legal uncertainty as a consequence of Brexit.

The first phase of the talks aims to provide as much clarity and legal certainty as possible and to settle the disentanglement of the UK from the EU. Once the European Council deems sufficient progress has been achieved, the negotiations will proceed to the next phase.

An agreement on a future relationship between the EU and the UK can only be concluded once the UK effectively leaves the EU and becomes a third country. However, discussions on an overall understanding of that future relationship could start during a second phase of the negotiations. The negotiating directives may be amended and supplemented during the negotiations.

Citizens’ rights The first priority for the negotiations is to agree on guarantees to protect the rights of EU and UK citizens, and their family members, that are affected by Brexit. The EU27 insist that such guarantees should be reciprocal and based on equal treatment among EU27 citizens and compared to UK citizens. This should cover, among others, the right to permanent residence after five years of legal residence, including if this period is incomplete on the date of withdrawal but is completed afterwards.

The negotiating directives specify that workers, self-employed

persons, students and other inactive persons should be covered, as well as frontier workers and family members. Guarantees should protect residence rights and free movement, as well as all the rights attached to them (such as health care). All rights should be protected for the lifetime of the persons concerned.

mitments of the Good Friday Agreement. Negotiations should aim to avoid a hard border, while respecting EU law. Issues such as the transit of goods will need to be addressed.

Financial settlement The EU27 agree there must be a single financial settlement and the UK must honour its share of all the obligations undertaken while being a member. The UK should also fully cover the specific costs related to the withdrawal, such as the relocation of EU agencies currently based in the UK. The agreement should include a calculation of the total amount and a schedule of payments, as well as further rules and arrangements to address specific issues.

Goods placed on the market and procedures based on EU law The negotiating directives also cover other issues were arrangements are needed to reduce uncertainty and avoid a legal vacuum. This includes addressing what will happen with procedures based on EU law and with goods already on the market.

For instance, if a product is already placed on the single market before the withdrawal, it should be ensured that it can remain in the market afterwards.

Other matters where there may be a need to reduce uncertainty or avoid a legal vacuum, such as services, will be covered in future negotiating directives.

The situation of Ireland The EU is committed to continue to support peace, stability and reconciliation on the island of Ireland. Nothing in the UK withdrawal agreement should undermine the objectives and com-

Next steps The Commission will agree with the UK the dates for the first negotiating sessions. The first formal meeting between the EU and the UK negotiators is likely to take place in June.

More migrants saved by Spanish navy Spain’s Ministry of Defence reported that a navy frigate rescued 282 migrants from two boats found adrift in waters off the Libyan coast.

A statement from the ministry said the migrants rescued on Wednesday included 18 Eritrean children under 10 years old. They were sailing in a small rubber boat and a larger wooden one.

It went on to say that the migrants were from African and Asian nations. They were transferred to a British vessel also taking part in the European Union’s anti-smuggling mission in Libyan waters.

This latest rescue brought to 3,035 the number of migrants picked up by the frigate in the past three months. It says three alleged people traffickers were detained as a result of the exercise.

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Local News News

Expats condemn carnage in Manchester

British expats in Andalusia have reacted with disgust to the attack on Manchester Arena which killed 22 people and injured over a hundred.

A man armed with an improvised bomb targeted teenagers leaving an Ariana Grande concert arena in central Manchester. It is the worst terrorist attack on UK soil since the 2005 London bombings.

The 23-year-old singer has a strong following among teens and youngsters in the UK. The suspect detonated among fans leaving the concert. The pop star tweeted: “broken. from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don't have words.”

The Prime Minister Theresa May chaired a meeting of COBRA, the top-security crossdepartment committee which is convened at times of national emergency and coordinates the response of central government.

Both May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suspended their general election campaigns in response to the incident. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron postponed a planned trip to Gibraltar.

Expat and visitor reaction has been fierce. Local resident Jon Budd said: “It’s a cowardly attack aimed at defenceless young children. I don't see how anyone with any sort of religious beliefs could justify such an attack.”

He added: “It’s horrific, especially as the attackers must have known their victims would have been innocent kids.” Holidaymaker

Darren Pike echoed the sentiments, saying: “I remember hearing the explosion the last time that great city was attacked by vile scum and know the pain it caused people. This sounds even worse.”

Pike, who was referring to the 1996 bombing by the IRA which injured 200, reflected the sentiments of expats who condemned the attack but championed the Manchester’s spirit, history and defiance.

There’s been widespread praise for Manchester residents who opened their homes to concert-goers unable to get home in the aftermath of the attack with #RoomsForManchester trending on Twitter.

Spaniards have been equally vociferous in their condemnation. Susana Díaz Pacheco, President of the Andalusia administration, tweeted that she was: “Shocked by the terrorist attack on #Manchester. Barbarism against young people and adolescents. All United against intolerance.”

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also tweeted: “I condemn the Manchester attack. My regret to the families of deceased victims and wishes of speedy recovery to the injured.”

Emergency services and first responders have been universally praised for their dedication and response to the tragedy. The Prime Minister said that: “The cowardice of the attacker met the bravery of the emergency services and the people of Manchester.”

Police welcome military support, but...

The deployment of military personnel to assist police in the aftermath of last week’s terrorist attack in Manchester is a significant step change in keeping the public safe.

Steve White, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales said: “As always, the response of emergency workers in the face of adversity has been second to none.

“The welcome support of the military to free up armed officers and offer public reassurance will no doubt be managed in the same professional, resolute way.

“But, as welcome as this is, we cannot avoid the reasons it is needed at all. There is no ignoring the fact that we, the police, simply do not have the resources to manage an event like this on our own.”

As the service continues to try and keep up with emerging crime types and additional demand, both immediate resilience and resilience going forward will be an area requiring robust debate and tough decisions, he said.

Addressing the Home Secretary at the Police Federation’s Annual Conference recently, Mr White made the point that it used to be a case of ‘not if, but when’ but the reality is now ‘not when, but where next’.

Mr White is clear that visible neighbourhood policing is the basis for helping identify and tackle crime, including terrorism.

He said: “Prevention is better than cure. We know the information to stop these mindless attacks exists within communities and great work is being done to forge strong, valuable relationships to capture this. But it cannot be jeopardised by reducing the contact the police has with the public. Neighbourhood policing – bobbies on the beat, if you like - has never been more important.”

He praised the efforts of all those involved in the response to the attack, including the public, adding: “While the emergency services, as always, ran towards danger and did what they do best, so too did the people of Manchester, who offered help in countless selfless acts of kindness. This dogged resolve to unite in the face of adversity is what makes this nation great. We cannot lose focus on the challenge ahead – and that is ensuring we have a resilient fully-resourced police service, capable of not just reacting to contain a terrorist outrage but also acting to prevent atrocities in the first place.”

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Work has begun on the Lorca Ring Road which will allow people to go around the city in just a few minutes. Once finished, it’s anticipated that almost 20,000 vehicles will no longer need to enter the area every day. The first stage of the construction started last week by the Felipe VI sports complex.

With an overall budget of €6.6m to be financed by the regional government, the project should be completed after 13 months. The section that began last week will connect the neighbourhoods of Apolonia and San Diego with a 1.5km stretch of dual carriageway each with two lanes in each direction. This first stretch also includes the construction of a new 30 metre bridge straddling the existing railway tracks in the area. It was confirmed that these works won’t affect the daily running of the trains.

The Minister of Works and the mayor, Fulgencio Gil Jódar, said that the beginning of the project was an "historic day" for the future of the city of Lorca.

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News

Spain and China sign tax agreements Spanish military The Spanish Minister for Employment and Social Security, Fátima Báñez, and the Chinese Minister for Human Resources and Social Security, Yin Weimin, have signed an Administrative Social Security Agreement in respect of tax arrangements between the two nations.

The agreement signed by the two countries will avoid double contributions being paid by workers travelling between the two countries, thereby guaranteeing social protection while allowing companies based in either country to reduce their labour costs.

Negotiations began as far back as 2011showing such agreements don’t happen overnight - following two rounds of meetings that took place in Madrid and Beijing, and concluding in the text that was signed by the ministers.

The two countries agreed a limit of six years during which workers protected by the Spanish Social security system currently in China will contribute to the Spanish system with regard to all contributory pensions under the General Regime (except for those due to workplace accidents or occupational illness), as well as unemployment contributions and benefits under the same regime.

Those workers sent to China by their companies will be exempt from contributing to the Chinese basic insurance for old age and unemployment insurance during this period.

Similarly, for a period of six years, Chinese workers currently in Spain will

in readiness

contribute to the Spanish Social Security system for benefits under the General Regime. The pension quotas stemming from common contingencies or workplace accidents and unemployment will be paid to the Chinese system.

The Administrative Agreement provides for the possibility of extending this exemption upon expiry of the six-year deadline if the two countries are in agreement.

Furthermore, Spain is involved in the cooperation initiative between the European Union and the Government of China aimed at promoting equality and social inclusion in the economic development of Chinese society, as well as cooperation and dialogue between the EU and China in the same regard.

Spain is one of the seven EU countries that make up the consortium, which is the management body overseeing the project, alongside Belgium, France, Italy, Poland,

Romania and the Czech Republic.

Since the outset, the Spanish delegation has maintained an active presence on this programme, which will strengthen the ability of the authorities to develop social protection policies. The Ministry of Employment and Social Security is playing a major role in this regard.

The Chinese authorities have expressed significant interest in the Spanish social protection system, especially its financing model and the reforms undertaken in recent years in response to the challenges faced by the Spanish Social Security system. They welcome the information provided on the Spanish system.

The EU-China Social Protection Reform Project is aimed at promoting equality and social inclusion in the economic development of Chinese society, as well as at cooperation and dialogue between the EU and China in this field.

Spanish media have reported that 300 Spanish soldiers have been deployed at the Adazi military base in Latvia, along the border with Russia. The Leopard combat tanks force is the first Spanish unit in the region since the fascist volunteers serving under German command during WWII, where they fought less than 200km from their current station. The unit’s mission is to hold a first Russian advance in the event of an attack, whilst waiting for reinforcements.

Of the 80-tanks unit deployed, there are six Spanish Leopards and 14 Pizarros. Spain is also contributing drones, support weapons, and armoured personnel vehicles. The Spanish unit is joining a 1000strong multinational battle-group under Canadian command, with the participation of Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and Albania. This makes part of NATO’s 4,000 Enhanced Forward Presence force, that is, additional troops requested from the Baltic States and Poland during the July 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw.

The deployment is meant to address concerns of Russian aggression after the occupation of Crimea.

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News

Small business owners in jobs threat

Over 1.4 million jobs are at risk as 363,000 small businesses plan to stop trading in the next five years, according to a survey commissioned by business for sale marketplace Bizdaq.

The research, conducted for Bizdaq by Opinium, found that over 363,000 small businesses plan to cease trading in the next five years, with the average small business employing 4 people.

A further 510,000 small business owners plan to sell their business over the same period.

Of the 1.4 million jobs at risk from business closures, 529,000 of those will be at risk in the next 12 months, as businesses cease trading at

an alarming rate.

Small business owners in the North East were found to be the most likely to leave their business in the next five years, with 29% planning to exit. Those in the West Midlands were revealed to be happiest in their business, with only 14% considering exiting.

The survey found Brexit uncertainty is the leading cause of business closures for young business owners, with 35% of young entrepreneurs (respondents aged 18-34) exiting their business because of Brexit. This figure dropped to 9% in 35-54 year olds, and just 3% for small business

owners aged 55+, showing older generations aren’t as concerned by the vote to leave.

With the General Election now less than a month away, small business owners are clear on who they want in power. 37% said they plan to vote Conservative, with just 19% voting Labour and 11% voting Liberal Democrat.

Labour’s small business support has eroded significantly following the last election, with the party losing 109,000 small business votes as Labour’s support has dropped from 21% to 19%. Indeed these votes seemingly transferred to the Conservatives as their support grew by 2% to 37% following the last election.

Interestingly the North South divide is no longer prevalent either, with Labour losing the support of small business owners in the North West and Yorkshire regions to the Conservatives.

As reflected in the general public, there is a generation gap in voting, with younger small business owners giving only 20% of their vote the Conservatives. This is compared to 35% and 47% from those aged 35-54 and 55+ respectively.

Despite this increase in support for the Conservative party, 65% of small business owners say that they are either doing no better or are doing worse financially than at the previous election.

Sean Mallon, CEO of Bizdaq, said, “For too long, hard-working small business owners and their employees, who underpin the British economy, have been left without the support and advice they deserve from the government.

Given the government’s continued campaign for job creation, it’s amazing so little is being done to preserve the number of existing jobs at risk within Britain’s small businesses. It’s clear that small business owners are undecided on the impact of leaving the EU, however the startling fact that our youngest entrepreneurs are most nervous paints a worrying picture.”

Mr Mallon concluded: “With 1.4m jobs at risk, and a little awareness around the preservation of great businesses and the jobs they create, I would suggest the government should be driving this agenda.”

The Bizdaq Small Business report worked with Opinium to survey 504 small business owners (businesses with 0-49 employees) between the dates of 28th April and 5th May 2017.

The city most likely...Torrevieja If you have a house or business in Torrevieja it is more likely to suffer a robbery than in any other municipality in the province.

According to a report published by the Ministry of the Interior there were 404 reported robberies with violence during the first quarter of 2017, which equates to an average of 4.4 assaults to the day.

The figure has increased by 28% over the same period of the previous year and places the city as the place where there are more incidents of this type, above even Alicante, which has four times the population according to

the figures of the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Alicante had 269 similar incidents.

Of the total number of robberies registered, 327 occurred in homes, which is 32.9% more than in 2016. This is the highest figure compared to other municipalities with a population above 30,000 inhabitants in the Alicante province.

The Guardia Civil union point to the lack of personnel to work on citizen security as one of the causes, added to the number of different sized urbanisations that make up much of Torrevieja with many these houses only inhabited at certain times of the year.

During the period covered by the report, the increase in the number of vehicle thefts increased from 22 to 27. The total number of criminal offenses that occurred in Torrevieja in the first three months of the year was 1,776, compared to 1,678 the previous year.

There has been some good news with thefts dropping 13% between January and March – from 542 to 471 – and thefts with violence or intimidation slowing the smallest of falls, alongside drug trafficking. There were no murders within Torrevieja compared to three during the same period 12 months ago.

As for Orihuela, the second most populated municipality in the Vega Baja – officially 75,000 compared to the 83,000 in Torrevieja – overall crime figures dropped 22%

30th May -5th June 2017

News

Sir Roger Moore has passed away at the age of 89 after a short battle with cancer.

While his passing is sad, his contribution to cinema, and one franchise, in particular, is far from it.

James Bond’s relationship with Spain is an old one. In the franchise’s 55 years, it has filmed in many locations across Spain, often passing off the run

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Bond in Spain

of the mill locations for expats as even more exotic locales for cinema-goers.

In fact most of Bond’s most famous locations are doubling for somewhere else. As far back as From Russia With Love (1962), the filming of underground Istanbul was, in fact, Madrid. English law prohibited the use of the 200 rats trapping Bond, so the scenes were filmed in a garage in the capital which Spanish law permitted.

In You Only Live Twice (1967) Spain again gets a visit, with Torremolinos this time passing for Japan during the famous helicopter battle.

A more formal introduction to Spain was made in For Your Eyes Only (1981), where Bond travels ‘near Madrid’ as part of the plot. Unfortunately, it's fictitious - most of the film was filmed on the Greek island of Corfu.

With some irony, the unofficial 1983 film, Never Say Never Again, featured a great deal of Spain. The returning Sean Connery emerged from the waters of Los Escullos, jumping from the Alcazaba overlooking the bay of Almeria and riding horses in Cabo de Gata and El Ejido.

Timothy Dalton, famously, spent his pre-title sequence in The Living Daylights (1987) on top of a Land Rover racing down the Rock of Gibraltar.

The sequence, which ended in an explosive parachute flight off the Rock, is the longest ‘official’ Bond sequence in Spain to date.

Dalton’s successor, Pierce Brosnan, likewise found himself in Spain in The World Is Not Enough (1999).

Not only does the film begin in Bilbao with Bond jumping out of a window in front of the Guggenheim, but also features the alleys of Las Majadas in Cuenca, Tudela and the Bardenas Reales in Navarra pretending to be Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Brosnan again found himself in Spain, this time in the 2002 Die Another Day gon the beach of La Caleta in Cadiz guising as Caribbean waters and Playa del Castillo as Havana.

Most recently, Daniel Craig visited Spain once again for the shooting of Quantum of Solace (2008) where the Royal Opera House and the Royal Palace in Madrid were used as background shots.

A more tentative link comes Operation Goldeneye of which Bond author Ian Fleming was in charge of during World War 2. The plan was to maintain an intelligence framework in Spain in the event of a German takeover of the territory by maintaining communication with Gibraltar and launching sabotage operations against the Nazis. It was also

the name of his house in Jamaica, and the 1995 film of the same name.

Will the franchise return to Spain? It certainly seems likely. Spain’s diverse

cultural heritage, it’s ravishing beauty, and an almost incredulous mix of architectural tradition make it a haven for filmmakers.

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Feature

Law Enforcers of Spain PART THREE – LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL POLICE

In the final part of this look at the organisations and people that keep Spain safe and sound, we look at the local police in general, and in detail the original force that was founded in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Sometimes known as the Policia Municipal, this is the force that is recruited, funded and controlled by the town halls or town council and is responsible to the elected mayor (Alcalde). They wear blue and white uniforms and really deal with only minor matters such as parking, local traffic control and bylaw issues.

Spain has no real equivalent to the bobby on the beat. Some tourist cities/towns have a city/town funded subordinate force of uniformed security patrolmen sometimes known as Seguridad Ciudano.

It was back in the year 1202 when the first written reference to an armed force under the control of a local council, known as the Alguacil, can be traced. Over 350 years later, in 1561, the first team of police in the city of Madrid was established by the mayor.

In those early days, members of the local police forces comprised of people that were wounded in war and in 1759, under the control of King Carlos III, this formed the basis of the body known as the “Milicia Urbana” (Urban Militia) formed from personnel that were unable to fight and couldn’t serve in a military regiment.

The new body evolved over the years and in 1893, the unit expanded to include a mounted section and, in 1914 a service specially created to regulate cab drivers and the first cars driven around the municipality.

A year after the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1940, the force continued to grow and expand and the Brigade Movement was created. It was a further eight years until the organisation underwent a further reorganisation of staff and operations.

They have no police powers but can support higher level police officers. Crimes are not investigated by the Policia Local and any serious matter is immediately handed over to either the Guardia Civil or Policia Nacional, as it is not their place to deal with a lot of criminal activities, basically as they do not have the resources, nor the time. They really act as a first response.

The Municipal Police are no different from any other force in the country as they are an armed force with all officers carrying hand guns, which they are prepared to use to defend themselves or the public if needed.

Spain also has a number of local ‘private’ security companies, all regulated, who carry night sticks, handcuffs etc, and have the power of arrest. They provide security for shops, buildings, building sites etc and are generally not armed with guns.

Finally, there is also the Protecion Civil, which in comparison terms are a little like a cross between the Special Constabulary and the Police Community Support Officers in the UK. They are volunteers who assist in events like road closures, demonstrations, large local gatherings etc. They have no power of arrest and are not armed with anything.

They signed a framework agreement between the Community and the various municipalities where those brigades under their respective mayors are deployed.

In 1952 the Escuadrón de caballería (Cavalry Squadron) was launched with the mission of monitoring parks and gardens.

They can still be seen patrolling parks like the Retiro and the Centro de Madrid. In 1961 the Municipal Police Academy in Madrid opened where future police officers were trained in law and prepared to be an active part of the body.

Times were beginning to change within the local police service, and in 1972 the first woman joined the force although subjected to a different selection process from that of their male counterparts. The formation of the Quinta Agrupación Mixta de Circulación, which was also commanded by female officers, were used in traffic control in places such as in the Plaza de Cibeles.

Following the death of General Franco in 1975, democracy came to Spain in 1978 and with it an approval of a functioning official constitution. The police became regulated in Article 104 attributing the protection of free exercise of the rights and freedoms of citizens, and ensuring public safety. It is also called on the regularisation of the security forces in a future act, which would come into force in 1986 with the Law of Security Forces.

BESCAM

THE MADRID FORCE

BESCAM (Special Brigades of Security) is the name given to a security project of the regional government of the Autonomous Community of Madrid which aims to fund 2,500 local police divided between the various municipalities of the community that have less than 25,000 inhabitants. In early 2008, these agents were spread over 102 towns in Madrid.

BESCAM were created in 2004 by an initiative of the regional government, led by Esperanza Aguirre, and the president of the Federation of Municipalities of Madrid (FMM), Luis Partida.

The agreement includes funding from the Autonomous Community of Madrid to supply staff and material resources to the fight against crime. Since the government of the Community of Madrid has no power to create its own regional police, as happens in the Basque Country, Navarra and Catalonia, the Community of Madrid signs an agreement with each municipality where an individual brigade is formed. BESCAM are therefore considered part of the local police, although the agents of these bodies have their own uniforms and vehicles and do their own independent training programmes.

The local policemen who are part of BESCAM are trained in the Police Academy in Madrid and is identical to that received by local police who are not part of this project. The implementation of the BESCAM service raised some controversy over whether it was an independent police or framed within the existing local police in each municipality.

In order to dispel doubts D. Alfredo Prada, 2nd Vice President of the Community of Madrid and Director of Justice and Home Affairs explained that, “BESCAM are a security project, without assuming more powers, in order for the city and its surrounding municipalities to have and extra 5,500 more police on the street. We have signed agreements with the Ministry of Interior for 3,000 new national police, and have agreed with local mayors some 2,500 new local police. BESCAM is a project that Madrid wants involved in public safety, but it does not mean a new police or a new police model.”

The agreement with BESCAM was for a period of 15 years, until 2018, and will be extended automatically for the same period after that date.

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Features

A cool reception

By Feature writer Sandy Shore

Stopping by to drop her résumé off at real estate offices my friend afterwards looked crestfallen. On one occasion only was she addressed civilly ~ by a man. What is it about receptionists that bring the blood of many people to boiling point?

Although her vacancy enquiry was placed in a sealed envelope and clearly addressed to the proprietor most receptionists opened her missive. As they did so they interrogated her as to the reason for her enquiry. At this point she was told that she was on a wild goose chase.

I wonder how many bosses realise that when they take on a secretary or receptionist they abdicate their responsibilities.

Perhaps it is a British peculiarity. Here in Spain I can’t recall a single incident in which I felt offended when greeted by a Spanish receptionist. Doctors at my UK medical practice were the epitome of civility; in terms of empathy they were angels. However, the practice’s receptionists were notoriously obnoxious.

Receptionists usually retort that they work under pressure and field the slingshots of irritable customers. Is that so? Then try working in a city bar at the weekend. Alternatively, you could apply for a job with the police, fire or medical services. They know a little about working under pressure in stressful situations.

Unprofessionalism being endemic suggests that the problem is not merely that of my personal experience. If at a dinner party you want to raise temperatures mention in passing an experience with a rude receptionist. Each guest will have their own cringe-making stories.

One lady writes; “people who like saving lives become doctors or fire fighters. Those with good math become scientists or engineers. Why then do those who hate people gravitate to the reception or enquiry desk?”

Media often highlights the problem of unpleasant receptionists and as often there’s the predictable response. Receptionists claim theirs is a thankless and demanding job. Yes, it would be if a prospective customer comes in when you’re on Facebook or chatting with colleagues.

The under pressure excuse just doesn’t wash. Why is it that doctors and nurses at the sharpest end of emotional encounters are invariably professional, pleasant and sympathetic. Why is it that some medical receptionists ~ sadly too few, are a credit to their calling?

There is growing concern that loathsome receptionists discourage people from visiting their doctors.

This is a health issue but a business issue too: A poorly trained or unprofessional receptionist can quickly destroy a business that has been carefully built over years.

CanDu Computer Bytes

Hello and welcome to CanDu Computer Bytes. The only professional computer help that comes from over 38 years experience and a University education. You can contact me for an appointment at my workshop or I can come to you, by calling 689 892 745 or

by Email: canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk.

Today’s “quick and dirty” is about how to stop all those annoying “Show Notification” that show up while your surfing the net. You will have to make a few, usually simple, changes to your browser but these changes are different for each browser. So let’s start with my 2 least favourite browsers.

To make the changes to Google’s Chrome you will have to: Click on the menu button, then “settings”, “show advanced settings” and then click the “Content Settings” button under Privacy. Scroll down to the Notifications category and select “Do not allow any site to show notifications”.

Now number 2 on my list, which is Windows 10 Edge which will not allow you to completely stop these notications. Here is how to slow them down though: All you can do is click “No” when you’re asked if

you want to let a website show notifications. Edge will at least remember your preference for the current website, but other websites will still be able to prompt you.

Apple Safari is simple, it records which sites have asked for permission which you can find under “Safari”, then “Preferences”, and then “Notifications”. It is simply an on/off slider.

Done!

Finally, my favourite, Firefox. This too is not complex! In the address bar (where “www….” goes) you type “about:config”.

You get a serious warning but you can ignore that and “Accept the risk”. Type “notifications” into the search box. Doubleclick the “dom.webnotifications.enabled” option that appears. This will change the setting to “false”, which means web notifications will be disabled in Firefox.

Also done. Have a notification free week.

Caveat Emptor

Hosepipes are an alien life form endowed with an inborn perverseness.

They are at best a sneaky, underhand breed, at worst downright malicious.

There is nothing a hose enjoys more than getting itself in a kink, thus strangling the water flow.

I treat my hoses with an extreme and gentle care, not because I love them, but because I have to. I unroll them meticulously, make sure they remain straight at all times, and then roll them up again with equal care – if a hose gets put away kinkly then it will forever remain kinkly!

I longed to banish this unnecessary ritual forever; I wished to become master of my own hosepipe. Proudly and with touching innocence we bought a paragon among hosepipes – a shining example of plastic perfection; the acme of evolved irrigation, a curly hose. It promised to save storage space. It promised a reach of 30 metres.

But most of all it promised never to kink.

Oh what joy it promised!

In a dither of anticipation we bore it home. Pete attached it to the tap. I took hold of the business end and marched off to test its claim of a 30 metre reach.

Or I tried to – as soon as the curls were required to stretch out they began to fight back. The balance of power hovered between the hose and myself – I was determined not to be dragged backwards by a length of plastic, but then it pointed out that if I didn’t give up it would pull the tap out of the wall. This seemed a believable threat, so I called a truce while

By Jos Biggs we still had a viable tap.

Round 2 started with the hose attached to a stronger tap. I pulled like a prize carthorse. The curls straightened, but as I retreated to a nearer spot in the garden, so lessening the tension on the curls they sprang back in a random mess resembling thrown spaghetti.

Theoretically, if I pulled, it should unmess itself, I thought. I pulled. It unmessed – with enough kinks in it to form a complete Rock Band!

Not just kinks – these were super-kinks. I had to meticulously unkink them curl by curl from their point of origin mid-hose right to the very end of the hose, only to discover that the kinks had left a permanent scar, which would never be truly straightened - ever!

Dear reader, beware! Do not succumb to the seductive promises of the curly hose! It is a plastic Jezebel!

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Property with SOLTIMES

Home & Garden Inside Pensioners living together in tax break dilemma New analysis from insurance group Royal London has found that hundreds of thousands of older couples who live together but are not married are set to miss out on tax breaks and state pension rights as numbers have almost trebled over 13 years.

While it is still common for younger couples to choose to live together without getting married, the analysis suggests it’s a growing trend for older people, who are often unmarried because of being widowed or divorced.

More than 300,000 over-65s in England and Wales now live together without tying the knot but they are still considered ‘second class citizens’ as they are not entitled to some pension and inheritance tax benefits, the report said.

The proportion of older cohabiting couples aged between 65 and 69 years old trebled from 1.5% to 4.5% between 2002 and 2015, according to Royal London’s analysis of official figures.

It also rose from 0.7% to 2.3% among those aged 70 and over. That is higher than overall cohabiting rates, which have risen by a third (from 7.5% to 10%) since the turn of the century.

All unmarried couples have few of the rights enjoyed by those who are married or in civil partnerships. Older couples are more exposed to be financially vulnerable because of their age

when it comes to inheritance tax and pensions.

For example, married couples can pass wealth to their surviving spouse free of inheritance and can transfer any unused portion of their inheritance tax threshold to their spouse. However none of these options apply to cohabiting couples, Royal London said.

Married couples are also allowed to pass on a family home

worth £1million free of IHT, but cohabiting couples are excluded from this new concession, which has been recently introduced for residential property.

Meanwhile, older couples who reached pension age before the new state pension was introduced last year also miss out on some pension perks.

Under the previous pension system, widows or widowers have certain rights to inherit their spouse’s state pension, but these do not apply to cohabiting couples.

As an example, an older married woman could see her state pension boosted by around £2,500 per year following the death of her husband, but a cohabiting partner would miss out, Royal London said.

Personal finance specialist at Royal London, Helen Morrissey, said: “With each passing year more and more people are choosing to live together as couples, and it is amongst those over pension age where the growth has been the most dramatic.

But individuals need to be aware that there are many tax breaks and state pension advantages which apply only to married couples.”

She added there should be a review of whether the tax and benefit system needs to be updated “to reflect the world in which we now live, not the world of the 1940s”.

30th May -5th June 2017

Chelsea’s best honoured

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has awarded 73 prestigious RHS Gold Medals at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by M&G Investments, and even included a top prize for the sponsors themselves.

A total of 117 medals were awarded to the gardens and floral exhibitors in the Great Pavilion, which also included 30 Silver-Gilt Medals, 13 Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show sponsors’ The M&G Garden was awarded their 6th Gold Medal and scooped Best Show Garden.

Showcasing ecological sustainability based on the unique environment of Malta, the garden designed by James Basson also received the coveted Best Construction Award making it the second year running for contractors Crocus.

James Basson, The M&G Garden designer says: “I am absolutely thrilled to have won Best in Show for the first time at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It is an incredible feeling and a testimony to the hard work of the whole team, including Crocus and my wife

We care about you and your community Contact our business team now on 950 633 217

Helen, and I am very grateful to M&G for its support.”

Show Garden Judging Panel Chair, James Alexander-Sinclair comments: “The garden is faultless and outstanding in terms of both construction and attention to detail.”

Kate Gould’s City Living garden, representing an urban apartment block and how to innovatively use space in an urban context, won Best Fresh Garden. Meanwhile Best Artisan Garden was awarded to Walker’s Wharf Garden supported by Doncaster Deaf Trust, by designer Graham Bodle.

A total of 61 Gold Medals were awarded to nurseries and growers at the heart of the show in the Great Pavilion, without any Bronze medals in sight. The Diamond Jubilee Award for the best display was presented to Penberth Plants for their ‘A reflection of Penberth – A Cornish Garden’ and New Design Award was given to Raymond Evison Clematis. The South African National Biodiversity Institute – Kirstenbosch stand received the popular President’s Award, while David Austin Roses Ltd, Cayeux Iris and Waterside Nursery were among the Gold Medal winners.

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Property, Home & Garden

Renting becoming cheaper than buying in UK

According to the latest data, renting a property is now cheaper than buying in over half (54%) of British cities Zoopla researched the monthly cost of renting a two-bedroom home, compared to servicing a mortgage, in Britain’s 50 biggest cities. The proportion of locations where it is now cheaper to rent a home has increased by 14% since October 2016, when it was more cost effective to buy in 60% of British cities.

Londoners fare best when it comes to renting, with the average monthly rental cost coming in at 47% (£1,861) less than the average mortgage repayment (£3,001 a month). Commuter hotspot Cambridge takes second place, where the average monthly rent is 30% (£389) less than a mortgage, followed by seaside town Brighton where renting is 27% (£377) cheaper.

In contrast, the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Dundee top the list of locations where monthly mortgage repayments are cheaper than rent. Glasgow comes in first place with the average mortgage repayment currently 31% (£174) cheaper than monthly rent, followed by Dundee, where it costs 29% less (£549) per month to service a mortgage. Meanwhile, Yorkshire also appears to be a good location for those looking to buy a property, with the cities of Bradford, Barnsley, and Leeds all featuring in the top 10.

Nationally, across Britain’s 50 biggest cities, the average monthly rental payment on a two-bedroom home comes in at £690 - £47 less per month than those making mortgage repayments of £737 (assuming a 90% LTV mortgage and an average asking price of £147,233).

Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla comments: “These figures are encouraging for those who are currently renting and perhaps looking to save as much as they possibly can to get on the property ladder. It is important to remember that whilst renters may be better off in the short to medium term in some areas of the country, buying a property is a long-term investment. With most buyers opting for mortgage terms of 25 years, buyers are likely to be better off overall compared to those who choose to rent.”

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Property, Home & Garden

Lack of space shouldn’t stop gardening The benefits from gardening are endless — relaxation, fitness, family fun, delicious food and beautifying your lawn. Millions of people live in town house, apartments or singlefamily homes that often lack the outdoor space needed for a conventional garden.

But the good news is that no matter where you live you can still create a garden that reflects your goals and is uniquely personal to you. Raised bed gardens may be the perfect solution. This type of gardening is gaining popularity not only because it can be adjusted to fit any size requirements but because it is prone to fewer weeds.

Raised bed gardens also offer you the opportunity to customise your garden bed in your own style that will make it look as amazing as the food it produces.

Steps for growing veggies and herbs in a raised garden bed...

Step 1: Prep your space. Raised garden beds can be bought or built to fill whatever space you have available. Select a bed that works well with your space and prepare accordingly.

Step 2: Choose your soil. Once you have your empty bed ready, choose your soil; which should be full of rich organic matter and highquality nutrients that help give your plants the benefits they need with no mixing required.

Once you add the soil be sure to rake it so it is smooth and level.

Step 3: Preparing your bed. Next, you can finalize what you want to plant. Spacing is essential here and you want to remember to place your plants close together for maximum yield. There are a number of delicious and colourful options out there including basil, tomato, kale, peppers and more. Check out your local plant nurseries.

Step 4: Planting. Since plant spacing varies by plant type read the back of the plant tag for proper plant spacing.

Step 5: Feed your plants. Once your veggies and herbs are planted, apply a fertilizer to add essential nutrients to the soil and help your plants grow big and strong. Simply sprinkle and work into the soil then treat your plants to water. Just like humans and animals, plants get hungry so make sure you follow the directions on the label to determine when to reapply.

Step 6: Harvest. When your vegetables are ripe it’s time to harvest. All you need to do is rinse and then you are ready to enjoy your favourite recipe.

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Money

Estate agents look at the general election

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) have looked at all the main UK party’s manifestos to look at the differences in their housing policy.

CONSERVATIVES The Conservative party’s pledge; homes for all.

The Conservatives have committed to building 500,000 new homes by 2022, on top of their existing promise to build one million homes by 2020. Whilst recognising that property has become increasingly unaffordable, they have promised to build enough homes to meet the current demand.

In order to improve protection for tenants, the Conservatives will look at how to increase security for good tenants and encouraging landlords to offer longer tenancies as standard.

They have promised help for councils to build, “but only those councils who will build high-quality, sustainable and integrated communities” and will enter into new Council Housing Deals with ambitious, pro-development, local authorities to help them build more social housing.

New fixed-term social houses will be built, with a view to sell them privately after ten to fifteen years with an automatic Right to Buy for tenants, the proceeds of which will be recycled into further homes.

Greater flexibility will also be given to housing associations to increase their stock.

A new homelessness reduction taskforce will be responsible for halving rough sleeping over the course of the parliament and eliminate it altogether by 2027. Focusing on prevention and affordable housing, they will pilot a Housing First approach to tackle rough sleeping.

The Conservatives briefly mentioned leasehold properties, promising to crack down on unfair practices in leasehold, such as escalating ground rents.

Whilst in support of high-density housing like mansion blocks, mews houses and terraced streets, unfortunately there was no mention of provisions for older homeowners or any specific reference to first-time buyers.

LABOUR The message in the Labour manifesto was clear; secure homes for all.

Labour plans to establish a new Department for Housing to focus on tackling the current housing crisis, and to ensure housing is about homes for the many, not investment opportunities for the few.

They have pledged to invest to build over a million new homes, with 100,000 council and housing association homes built each year, for genuinely affordable rent or sale by the end of the next Parliament.

Labour have promised to end uncertainty for private renters by introducing controls on rent rises, more secure tenancies and new consumer rights for renters. Soaring rent prices were indicted as the reason for more families living in temporary accommodation, the incline in rough sleeping, and for many not having enough money to save for a house deposit. There were

plans to enforce new three-year tenancies as the norm, with an inflation-linked cap on rent rises during this term.

The manifesto pledged to make living conditions a priority. It identified that renters are currently spending £9.6 billion a year on homes which the government classes as ‘non-decent’, with around a quarter of this expenditure paid by housing benefit.

According to the document, a Labour government would introduce new legal minimum standards to ensure properties are ‘fit for human habitation’ and empower tenants to take action against rogue landlords and their substandard rented homes.

They have promised homes built to a higher standard, and more long-term, secured tenancies. Labour has also proposed to scrap the punitive bedroom tax, which they say is a measure that has caused many people to be evicted from their homes and communities.

Government restrictions that stop councils building homes will be brought to an end, and the biggest council building programme for at least 30 years will begin.

With only one in five council homes that has been sold off replaced, Labour will look to suspend the right-tobuy and protect affordable homes for local people.

Councils will only be able to resume sales if they can prove they have a plan to replace homes sold like-forlike.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS The Liberal Democrats; building more and better homes.

The Lib Dems have set a target of increasing the rate of housebuilding to 300,000 a year – almost double the current level. They say that “These new houses must be sustainably planned to ensure that excessive pressure is not placed on existing infrastructure.”

Their manifesto promises to directly build homes to fill the gap left by the market, to reach a house-building target of 300,000 homes a year, through a government commissioning programme to build homes for sale and rent; ensuring that half a million affordable, energy-effi-

cient homes are built by the end of the Parliament.

With the average cost of heating and lighting a home now at over £1,200 per year, the Liberal Democrats say they will reduce energy bills permanently by improving home insulation and encouraging small-scale, community and local authority renewable schemes.

With a view to building more and better homes, the Lib Dems will create at least ten new Garden Cities in England, providing tens of thousands of high-quality new zero carbon homes, with gardens and shared green space, jobs, schools and public transport.

They will look to end the Voluntary Right to Buy pilots that sell off Housing Association homes and the associated high value asset levy and lift the borrowing cap on local authorities and increase the borrowing capacity of Housing Associations so that they can build council and social housing.

They will help people who cannot afford a deposit by introducing a new Rent to Own model, where rent payments give tenants an increasing stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years. The will also look to help young people into the rental market by establishing a new Help to Rent scheme to provide governmentbacked tenancy deposit loans for all first-time renters under 30.

Promoting longer tenancies of three years or more and an outright ban on lettings fees will be introduced to improve renting standards for tenants. There will be a cap on up-front deposits, and an increase in minimum standards in rented homes.

By wanting to place a greater emphasis on community politics and commitments, they have promised to scrap the ‘bedroom tax’, while seeking to achieve the aim of making best use of the housing supply through incentivising local authorities to help homeowners ‘downsize’.

Insurance risk for young travellers

Travel insurance is something that should be on everyone’s holiday packing list, yet it seems that not enough people give it the priority it deserves, as research from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) finds that 25% of holidaymakers travelled abroad uninsured in the last year – with the biggest culprits being the younger age group.

Unfortunately, the trend for travelling uninsured appears to be on the rise, with 22% having travelled without insurance when asked a year ago. The younger age group has seen the biggest increase in such travel, too: 40% of those aged 18-24 admitted to travelling abroad without the necessary insurance, up from 31% a year ago, making them the most likely to indulge in this kind of behaviour.

This age group has now overtaken 25-34 year-olds, with 38% of this cohort now travelling without such cover, up from 31% a year ago, when they matched their younger counterparts. Interestingly, the proportion of uninsured travellers declines as age increases, with 25% of those aged 35-45 having travelled abroad without insurance in the last 12 months (down from 26% a year ago), while just 23% of those aged 45-54 (up from 20%) and 14% of those aged 55% (unchanged

from last year) admitted to doing so – it appears that wisdom really does come with age.

Many travellers dramatically underestimate the need for protection, as of those who travelled abroad without suitable insurance, 36% thought they simply didn’t need it, while 22% said it was a risk they were willing to take. But is it really? Travel insurance may seem like an unnecessary expense, but when you think about how much it could cost to replace lost luggage, reorganise a cancelled trip or pay for medical treatment on foreign soil, you’ll soon see how cost-effective it is.

The ABTA has cited several examples of people who travelled abroad without such insurance only to fall ill or be involved in an accident while they’re on holiday, and the costs their families are now having to try and cover – often through crowdfunding – which can add up to the tens and even hundreds of thousands of pounds. Why run the risk?

“Every year we see cases of people falling into difficulty due to travelling without insurance,” said Mark Tanzer, ABTA chief executive. “Often their families have to raise thousands of pounds for their treatment or repatriation, and that’s why it is so worrying to see an increase in younger people travelling without insurance.

“Rather than having to resort to the kindness of strangers, holidaymakers should make sure that they have the right insurance in place. I would urge all holidaymakers to make sure they take out an insurance policy this summer.”

Susan Crown from the Travel Aware team at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reiterates the point: “We want people to enjoy their holidays, but our research shows young people are risking thousands of pounds in medical bills by travelling without an insurance policy that covers them for everything they want to do abroad.

“The FCO cannot pay medical bills if you are hospitalised abroad, and nor can we fly you home.

Take out an appropriate insurance policy and make sure you know what it covers you for. It may feel like an added expense but it’s very worthwhile if you compare it to what you could end up paying if something goes wrong on holiday”.

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30th May -5th June 2017

Money

UK Economy Slowing Down - Official

Official figures released last week showed Britain’s economy slowed more than previously thought in the first three months of 2017 as rising inflation boosted by last year’s Brexit vote took a toll on household spending.

With just over a week to go before Britons go to the polls in a snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Britain’s economy expanded at its slowest rate in a year in the three months to the end of March.

Gross domestic product grew by just 0.2% compared with an earlier estimate of 0.3%, the ONS said.

Year-on-year growth in early 2017 fell to 2.0% from an initial estimate of 2.1% growth.

“UK GDP growth slowed ... as consumer-facing industries such as retail and accommodation fell and household spending slowed. This was partly

due to rising prices,” the ONS said.

After adjusting for inflation, household spending in the first quarter of 2017 rose by just 0.3%, its smallest amount since the final three months of 2014.

While business investment picked up, growing by 0.6% on the quarter, net trade lopped 1.4 percentage points off the quarterly GDP growth rate.

Overall, Britain’s economy grew 1.8% last year, one of the fastest rates among the world’s seven largest advanced economies, but the economy relied heavily on consumer spending, which this year has come under increased pressure from rising inflation as stores push up prices in response to sterling’s sharp fall after the June 2016 Brexit vote.

The Bank of England (BoE) said earlier this month that it expected first-quarter growth to be revised up to 0.4%, and for the economy to grow 1.9% this year, barely changed from 2016.

While it expects growth in household consumption to slow to 1.75% this year as inflation approaches 3%, it forecast export volumes would rise by 2.75% and business investment would rise by 1.75%.

Few expect the BoE to raise interest rates before 2019 as inflation is forecast to fall next year once the impact of sterling’s weakness fades, while uncertainty during the nearly two years of Brexit talks ahead is predicted to drag on growth.

UK Business Beyond Europe

The UK Business investment community has its eyes firmly fixed beyond Europe according to a new report by BusinessesForSale.com. The report, which examines the online activity of British investors in comparison to those overseas, has made the following discoveries: • UK investors’ interest in UK businesses has dropped by 9.8% • UK investors’ interest in European business has fallen in every European economic country surveyed, peaking at a 37.45% decline in Belgium • UK investors’ interest has grown the most in Australia and Japan with growths of 81.6% and 67.72% respectively.

Meanwhile business investors from beyond the realm echo the same concerns about investing in the UK and Europe with interest in businesses in the region waning by 10.10% overall.

In addition: • Investors in the UK from the USA were the highest in volume and increased by 11.56% • Investors in the UK from Australia were second in terms of volume, and rose by 79.06% • Key European economies showing an interest in the UK were down overall; France by 32.94%, Germany by 30.04% and Ireland by 30.04% • Volumes of visitors from Asian countries remained lower overall but had increased interest in investing in the UK substantially in percentage terms; Japan by 207.14%, Singapore by 55.59%, Hong Kong by 33.39% Rufus Bazley, Marketing Director at BusinessesForSale.com says, “Historically the UK has enjoyed consistently strong interest from investors based both here at home and abroad. This survey suggests there has been an undeniable loss of confidence and interest from UK investors in domestic and global markets following Brexit, no doubt fuelled by the uncertainty the decision has created in the business community.”

“In addition the change of administration in America and the elections here and in France will have an impact not only on high profile indexes like the FTSE, but also the massive market of micro businesses and SMEs which BusinessesForSale.com caters for.”

The figures cited compare the period from 12 March to 14 April for 2016-2017 with that of 2016-17 and so cover the Brexit referendum results, but not the announcement of the UK general election, which is predicted to bring more uncertainty to the market.

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TV NEWSLETTER JUNE 2017 Writing this in mid May our Spanish weather does not yet seem to have reached the stable sunny southern Spain summer that is usually with us now. We seem to have had hot sunny short periods that revert to the chilly spring times ......... we even had a fire alight the other night having not had one for several weeks ....... think there are just 6 logs left on the woodpile ! Sure it will soon be the consistent hot days that will warm up the pool for use.

All the Rainbow animals are well including the latest foster dog Serena who is still looking for her forever home ....... if you do not want the permanent responsibility of owning a dog why not consider fostering. It is very rewarding to see them go to a permanent home even when you get quite attached ....... but then when you are ready another is always waiting to leave the pound and start a journey to a permanent home.

Ask us if you want any further details.

TV NEWS ...

We are getting into the lower satellite summer signal levels that happen every year and many TV viewers with smaller dishes will be experiencing some channel loss or picture break up. With a satellite system in good order and 100% correctly aligned the only answer is a bigger dish (or move north !). We at Rainbow believe the satellite system in southern Spain has a limited life – could be up to 10 years but could be less and for that reason we do not recommend installing/upgrading a dish based system. The huge dishes required require a substantial investment that does have a limited life. If it was a euro 50.00 risk of getting maybe up to 10 years service then the risk is worth it but for the 1.80m dish now needed in the southern areas the investment can approach euro 1000.00 possibly for just a few years use.

The way to watch TV now and in the future is via the internet but that has its own set of problems.

Firstly internet TV is a technology in its infancy and as we all know new technologies will have their teething problems ...... many of you will remember the first days of SKY TV via satellite ...... hardly a day went by without some sort of problem and limited viewing. IPTV (TV viewing via the internet) is in its early days. One of the big problems is not the TV service itself but the ability of the internet to transmit the signals. TV viewing is a whole new “game” for the internet and its providers. Most demands on the internet have only required occasional intermittent connections with short waits not being an issue and even when longer connections were needed generally there was the ability to “patch” things together so that when viewed it looked like a continuous “stream”. Live TV viewing requires continuous uninterrupted consistent internet connection (or there will be buffering and loops) and this demand is new to the internet providers although as with all technologies things are rapidly improving and demand will always solve a problem. However, even if the internet provision was perfect the technology of “pumping” live TV into the system is also new and will require refining , adapting and the engineers coming up with new solutions.

So internet TV is here , and here to stay, but is not, as yet, perfect. There are all sorts of stories around about how bad (and good) internet TV is but if you get it right with a good internet provider and TV service provider you will find viewing as good as if by satellite or conventional TV antenna – but you must get all the ingredients right and not cut corners or use untested, and generally cheaper end , providers.

If you want good viewable internet TV then you must make an investment and use knowledgeable suppliers. Ask us for information.

Article sponsored by RAINBOW SATELLITES the company for all you TV needs in the region of Murcia in southern Spain.

Contact us for free friendly advice email rainbowsats@gmail.com phone (0034) 686358475 or look at our website www.rainbowsats.org

Wearing green and purple for Huntington’s Disease awareness month

Last Thursday afternoon saw residents from El Banet and surrounding areas dressed in green and purple to raise awareness for Huntington’s disease.

It was a glorious day as supporters relaxed with tapas and sangria whilst raising an amazing €351 fir this worthwhile charity.

Huntington's disease, which is often called HD, is a hereditary disorder of the central nervous system. It is a terminal illness, affecting both men and women, causing a very wide range of symptoms, including uncontrollable movements; loss of speech and ability to swallow; incontinence and loss of memory function, as well as depression and changes in personality.

If you would like to get involved with organising a fundraising event in your area, or know someone who is affected by the condition, please contact Marion Smith on 651 043 681.

Ozone Torrevieja Bowling Centre

Tuesday Night Trios, Ten Pin Bowling League, Week 29 (23/05/2017) Week 29 saw Med Bistro & Bar El Raso retain their championship, with a 8-0 win against X-Factor, John Richards top scoring for Med Bistro with a 221 scratch game 652 handicap series closely followed by Tony Ray with a 200 scr game 620 hdc series, second placed Cafeteria Octubre needing to keep pace with the leaders came up against a rampant S***T Happens, yours truly with a 236 scr game in a 713 hdc series followed by Gary Walsh 212, 204 scr games, 664 hdc series and Marion Haynes 657 hdc series, the 8-0 loss meant that Med Bistro have an unassailable lead going into the last week of the season. Third placed Team Finland overcame Crazy Pinz 6-2 and could overhaul Cafeteria for second position with only two points separating the two teams, Jukka Koskinen 201, 202, 203 scr games 654 hdc series and jarmo Peltonen 223 scr game, 624 hdc series for T F, Splash in fourth emerged 8-0 winners in a close encounter with Los Lobos, taking the second game by 3 pins and the third by 5, Diego Munoz with a 620 hdc series and Juanjo Carral 214 scr game, 608 hdc series, Jean-Michel Otto 217 scr game, 648 hdc series for Los Lobos . Las Guapas recorded the shock result on the night by taking all eight points in their match with fifth placed Mixers Sunset Beach, who are now tied for fifth with S***T Happens. Los Bandidos recorded a comfortable 8-0 win over Team GB XP, with a man short stood little chance on the night, Paul Kundiss top scoring for Los with a 628hdc series. Bottom team Juan’s Warriors managed to take two points of Cruiserz who lie tied for 9th with crazy Pinz.

In the one remaining game Los Diablos recorded a 6-2 win over Right Move Insurance, in a fairly tight encounter.

Neil Pipkin League Secretary.

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Community News Send us your what’s on information & we can keep your community in the loop, send to Production.soltimes@ewnmediagroup.com

Talks & Workshops

MABS Murcia North East - Sew’n’So’s - Sewing Group Every Mon Fortuna. Taking place every other Monday at Urb. Las Kalendas from 14:00. Email: mabsmurciane@gmail.com

Roman Catholic Church

Saladillo, Mazarron (close to Camposol) Mass in English every Saturday at 4.30 pm Mass in Latin every Sunday at 4.030pm. For further information please contact Father Octavio on 676 219 445 or Father Carlos on 628 824 555.

The Royal British Legion Spain District North • The Royal British Legion provides lifelong support for the Armed Forces community – serving men and women, veterans and their families.

• If you feel we can help you, please ring 676 451 780 (9-5 weekdays) or email assistance.rbl.dns@gmail.com.

• Any general enquiries to 648 860 251 (10-4 weekdays) Make a difference to someone’s life..

Let’s make it happen!!

Visit the webpage below to read about Leo’s story www.gofundme.com/leothelion3

welcome

EVENTS

on the way home for a boat trip. All this and coach travel for €280 p.p.

October 8th Almeria & Mini Hollywood.

Staying 3 nights at the 3* Hotel Nuevo Torreluz on B&B in the centre of Almeria with a day trip out to Mini Hollywood including lunch, there is also a visit to Mojacar. Coach

For your information there will not be a dance during July and August.

Dress up in your best gear and win prizes also a Jive competition with awards for the best.You will be dancing to a superb duo Roadrunner. €8 September 9th. Trip to the ancient Roman town of Tarrragona staying for 4 nights at the 3* Hotel Urbis Centre in the town centre on B&B. Cost includes two excursions, first to visit a Cava producer and second to the Roman amphitheatre and ruins. Stopping

travel included for €165 p.p.

Welcome Christmas Trip to Benidorm – Saturday 23rd December for 4 nights at The Helios Hotel on Full Board with a Special Gala Lunch including wine and water on Christmas Day. Coach travel included. €299 p.p.

For more information or to book your tickets call Steve on 697 960 590.

PASO A PASO

Modern jive class and social dancing time and venues.MONDAYS 12.30pm Absolute beginners / improvers plus practice time at THE CLUB, 1 Calle El Abedul, QUESADA. 03170 -----------------------------------------TUESDAYS 8pm FROM 31st JANUARY Classes for all levels and social dancing till late.

LOS ROSALES RESTAURANT, CV895 Lemon Tree Road, CAMPO de GUARDAMAR.03140.

Its great news to be back at one of our first venues although a different night -----------------------------------------THURSDAY 8pm Classes for all levels plus social dancing till late.

EL PARASIO, Calle Francisco Diez Matinez, Urb Jardin Del Mar 3, TORREVIEJA 03180..nr Carrefore.

-----------------------------------------Regular advanced workshops, private tuition and our Dance Junction Disco is available for all private functions.

No partner Never Danced No problem....

No need to book, just come along and make lots of new friends Clubs members and friends social events already planned for 2017 22nd July. Maxines Annual Shabby n Chic Ball All the above being held at Los Rosales Restaurant €10.50 including

a two course meal and dancing to Dance Junction Disco till late.

To book your party table call or message Maxine 670711408 / Adam 638330342 for more info or follow Paso A Paso on face book. www.modern-jive-spain.com

BADMINT0N AT PILAR DE LA HORADADA Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs. 10-1pm.

For information ring John McGilvray on 966 786 774 or Mobiles 634 658 506/695 871 707 or email carolejohn_3@hotmail.com

Friends after Bereavement. F.A.B for short We are a mixed group of people who meet on a Saturday afternoon between 2 to 4pm. The club is run by Joan. We are a very friendly group with a lot of chat but with plenty of time to listen.

We try to help bereaved people to take their first steps to new friendships, we understand bereavement as each and every one of us has been bereaved. For more information please contact Joan on phone number 634 336 103 where she will give you information on any questions you have, and where we hold our meetings. We look forward to seeing new friends and old friends alike.

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Leisure

Decades ago, when people said, ‘get with the times’, it was implied a new and amazing contraption called a video cassette recorder or computer with a black screen and green text connected to a tape recorder were needed. It took many people considerable effort to get their heads around this newfangled technology but they did and oh, how things have progressed since. This week, your thinking or approach to a particular goal needs upgrading. It’s time to take your thinking from the past and bring it to the present so it can facilitate a more secure future!

It might have been clear recently that you’ve had to ‘know your place’ within a group setting or organization. This might not have been helped by ways you were bringing new ideas to established routines and many Taureans might have felt they weren’t winning popularity prizes for doing so.

If you haven’t seen a shift in others’ attitude toward you or felt your contribution to a cause was being seen in a more welcoming and positive light, then coming events could confirm this.

Where you might have been keen to lift the curtain on certain plans or ideas, you could be tempted to allow them to simmer in secrecy for a bit longer. Knowing what you want to release to others is one thing but as awareness increases surrounding effort that will be required from you to follow through with your plans, you could decide your motivation levels simply aren’t high enough. This week, accept the need for more thought to be given to plans or proposals. If the time isn’t right to reveal them, then this time can be used to ensure they’re watertight.

A good idea deserves to be shared. Gaining input and advice would be helpful and there are support mechanisms on offer that you might not be taking advantage of to turn an idea into something more tangible. Don’t let a sense of pride cause you to refrain from connecting with at least one person whose experience you can draw upon to help you move a certain plan forward. You’re not as alone with a quest as you might believe yourself to be.

Time, we know, is a precious commodity and we’re often aware of when it is being wasted. Yet, we sometimes confuse the need to wait and allow certain ideas or plans to mature before taking action with procrastinating. We also see the ‘maturing process’ as frustrating, especially when we believe we’re ready to strike. This week, don’t be frustrated by apparent delays surrounding the launch of a plan you believe to be ready to embark upon. Its delay will serve a very helpful and necessary purpose.

The winds of change on the domestic front could grow stronger but you’re not in as much of a reactive position as you might believe yourself to be. Don’t believe you have no option other than to accept what’s unfolding and are unable to exert some influence over it. A change in your day-to-day routine looks set to form part of the package, too.

Be willing to accept that change you want to see happen won’t happen overnight. A process needs a bit more time to work its magic but have absolute faith in the improvement it’s bringing.

This week, don’t underestimate the power of your intuition, particularly surrounding a plan of action that ‘feels’ right. Whilst you appear to have someone able to offer input and support, a decision rests more on your shoulders and needs you to dig deeply into your reserves of insight to decide a specific way forward. An agreement might need to be reached about what’s yours and what’s someone else’s but if your actions are based on what you believe to be right and fair, you won’t go wrong.

A chance exists from this week into June to engage in conversations or negotiations that are more helpful and meaningful than what you’ve experienced recently. A new level of honesty is finding its way into exchanges and removing what has been superficial or lacking in depth. You and a certain person can discover, to your delight and relief, you’re ‘on the same page’ in ways you felt you weren’t. All that’s required from you is speaking from the very depths of your heart.

Continued emphasis exists on connecting with likeminded individuals and if you haven’t yet formed new and helpful alliances with others who share an interest in at least one topic close to your heart, then events this week might be pivotal to you doing so. You could be delighted and inspired to discover you’re not as alone as you thought you regarding a cause or project close to your heart. Communication between you and one comrade could flow amazingly.

The sky speaks of an area of your world you’ve been able to look into only, rather than being actively involved with in ways you’ve wished you could be. Coming events could bring a boost to your responsibility but with this will come an increase to your input and contributions and it won’t take long before you start to make a difference to a certain plan or project. You’ve paid certain dues by having to accept limitations surrounding your involvement and contribution until now. Now, the reins are being passed to you.

The coming week could bring much relief, reassurance and pride where knowing you were right about something is concerned. You’ve also earned a position to educate or instruct in some way or are better placed now than you were to ‘show someone the ropes’ and recognition or praise coming your way will do much to boost your confidence and enthusiasm levels. Allow events this week to confirm how sought-after you are for your knowledge or expertise.

You know what you’re talking about and are superbly placed to make this clear to a certain person. As much as you can understand why they have their own way of doing something or insist you stick with what they know to be tried and tested, you could feel more enthused by introducing a new methodology or putting your unique mark on what you see as in need of updating or upgrading. Your powers of persuasion and negotiation are strong this week, so use them wisely and sparingly. You won’t need as much of either as you might think you will.

Book Review Lorna Belling has been found dead in a bath tub in a rented flat in Brighton. Already known to the police because she’s reported her husband for domestic abuse Roy Grace sees the investigation as a good one for Guy Batchelor to be Deputy Senior Investigating Officer for a couple of reasons: one to allow him to learn the ropes and secondly because Roy has to fly to Germany to pick up his son Bruno to bring him back for the funeral of his mother.

Lorna is a hairdresser who works from home, her phone is monitored by her husband and there has been more than one nasty incident with her husband Corin who works for an IT company, but the last attack was particularly nasty. The Domestic Violence caseworker is concerned for Lorna’s safety but so far Lorna has decided to stay put with Corin and the puppies she has bred.

But the flat where Lorna was found dead wasn’t her home, so why is she in a cheap rental flat with dodgy electrics?

Of course the investigation isn’t quite as straightforward as first appearances indicated and the reader is in on the action seeing the red-herrings being liberally scattered across Brighton to ensure that the Police are following entirely the wrong scent. In a bold move by the author we even know why the only link missing is who it could be. It goes to show how in experienced hands a small amount of mystery is all that is needed with this book not lacking at all in tension as the team set

Need you dead by Peter James out to find the killer – or perhaps Lorna committed suicide after all?

It is almost refreshing these days to have modern crime fiction told in a straightforward time-line and here we have the chapters headed up by the days of the week starting from the beginning and working to the end – how clever is that?

As always this latest Roy Grace story is a thoroughly entertaining romp. There are a few clues contained in this story that will no doubt follow for a few books yet in Roy’s personal life as Bruno settles into life as a big brother to baby Noah and so as always, no sooner as you finish this latest offering from the great Peter James, you’ll be eager to have the next instalment from Brighton and Hove.

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Leisure

Murder on the Orient Express One example often given as a sign of getting older is when a film first released when in one’s childhood or teenage years is being remade. The ever growing list of movie makeovers is a new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic tale Murder on the Orient Express.

Starring – as Hercule Poirot - and directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, the film which is due for release in November, also stars a who’s who of A-listers including Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pena and Dame Judi Dench.

Murder on the Orient Express is considered one of the most ingenious stories ever devised. The now well-known story thanks to big and small screen productions revolves around a murder on board the famous train. Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must solve the case, but as he soon discovers and in true Christie tradition there are a number of passengers who could potentially be the murderer.

The cast also includes Johnny Depp, who will play Ratchett, the man who is murdered; Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr., who is playing Dr. Arbuthnot; and Tom Bateman, who will play the Frenchman Bouc. Lucy Boynton and Derek Jacobi also feature in this lavish production.

Pfeiffer will play Mrs. Hubbard, a glamorous and opinionated passenger with a secret, taking on the role made famous by the equally elegant Lauren Bacall in the 1974 original. Ridley will play

Mary Debenham, a working-class woman in love with Arbuthnot.

Dame Wendy Hiller’s cameo role 42 years ago as a member of the Russian royalty Princess Dragomiroff, is in the hands of fellow acting royalty Dame Judi Dench.

There’s no doubting Branagh’s enthusiasm for the project. “Christie’s Murder is mysterious, compelling and unsettling. I’m honoured to have this fantastic group of actors bring these dark materials to life for a new audience.”

Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, Mark Gordon and Branagh himself are producing the movie, which began production in London towards the end of last year.

“It is always thrilling for us to see the stellar casting that Agatha Christie film adaptations attract,” said James Prichard of Agatha Christie Ltd., who is executive producing with Hilary Strong.

Christie’s book was published in 1934, and the most famous adaptation is without a doubt the 1974 film version featuring the big stars of the time, and the first of a trio of big screen adaptations that was succeeded by Death on the Nile and Evil Under the Sun. Could any other film of even the last 10 years match the line up of Albert Finney, Richard Widmark, Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman (who won Best Supporting Actress for her role) Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Michael York, Rachel Roberts, and John Gielgud – among others and alongside those mentioned earlier?

OUR CHOICE

ONE TO WATCH

Hijacked Friday, June 2nd, 2017 on Channel 5 from 10:30pm to 11:30pm

OUR PICK OF THIS WEEK’S MUST-SEE MOVIES & TV

FILM OF THE WEEK

Legend Saturday, June 3rd, 2017 on Channel 4 from 9:00pm to 11:35pm Tom Hardy takes both lead roles in writer-director Brian Helgeland’s biopic of London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray. The swaggering narrative, by turns humorous and brutally violent, kicks off with detective superintendent Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read shadowing Reggie as he goes to wake his tardy chauffeur Frankie Shea. The driver’s lie-in is fortuitous for Reggie: he’s greeted by Frankie’s younger sister Frances, whom he instantly invites on a date. Meanwhile, psychopathically violent Ronnie is in prison, having been declared criminally insane. However, an unfortunate psychiatrist is leant upon to provide the testimony needed to release him. Now the twins are free to pursue their ambition of controlling the capital. But, with fierce rivals and intense police interest, it won’t be easy.

Frank Skinner on Muhammad Ali

Thursday, June 1st, 2017 on BBC 1 London from 9:00pm to 10:00pm Frank Skinner goes on a journey to explore the life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, meeting Ali’s family and friends and visiting key locations in his life. In Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, Frank meets the neighbour who witnessed the teenage boxer’s dedication to his craft. He also meets Ali’s younger brother Rahaman, a key figure in the boxer’s entourage, and Ali’s wife Khalilah, who was alongside Ali during the years when he was banned from boxing for refusing to fight in Vietnam. Frank pays a visit to Ali’s training compound in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, where Ali prepared for the Rumble in the Jungle.

He finds out what it was like behind the scenes by talking to Ali’s old sparring partner Larry Holmes, who later faced him in the ring. Frank also delves into some of the lesser-known aspects of Ali’s life, meeting the bare-knuckle boxer from Oxfordshire who became one of Ali’s dearest friends and the actor who played alongside Ali in a little-known musical on Broadway.

Documentary series exploring real-life terrorist actions. In 1985, a regular stop in Athens for TWA flight 847 turned into a three-day nightmare due to members of the Hezbollah terrorist group. Includes interviews with relatives of those involved.

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ANSWERS NEXT WEEK!

Wordsearch

K

Quick

Across

Down

1. Profound (4)

1. Undeceive (8)

3. Ready (8)

2. Authorise (7)

8. Tastes (4)

4. Duty list (6)

9. Star (8)

5. Excelling (3-7)

11. Confusion (12)

6. Rule (5)

13. Wanders (6)

7. Ditch (4)

14. Grab (6)

10. Skip school (4,6)

17. Incarceration (12)

12. Movable possessions (8)

20. Mitigated (8)

15. Treachery (7)

21. Eyot (4)

16. Climb (6)

22. Pause (8)

18. Hebrew leader (5)

23. Burden (4)

19. Reckless (4)

L

H

“BOGGLE”

G

G

A

A

W

D

R

X

L

J

O

O

C

Puzzles

Find as many 5 letter words as you can from the grid.

You can go in any direction, but use each letter only once.

(There are 18 in total!” 2 points for each 5 letter word Maximum of 36 points this game)

Cryptic

Across 1. Select tool (4) 3. The bird is heather after the chief actor (8) 8. The only sound spirit (4) 9. Worthless stuff from tricky cardplayers? (8) 11. The reason for the command is a matter of formal procedure (5,2,5) 13. Charge for hire could have been learnt (6) 14. Allow mischievous child to be included - he’s a sticker! (6) 17. Does nobody take the chair in the chamber? (8-4) 20. Tore tape up to make short musical drama (8) 21. The sort of performance one would expect from a recluse (4) 22. Freedom from restraint on the map, perhaps (8) 23. Abandoned socialism, perhaps (4)

Down 1. Travel document shows father’s a good fellow! (8) 2. Warning; confused education deal is out (7) 4. Economy in the garden? (6) 5. Coupling made again? (10) 6. She figures in their energetic display (5) 7. The artist should leave yawning at first (4) 10. The taint meant an accomplishment (10) 12. Completely get rid of the latest philatelic issue? (5,3) 15. Suggest work in writing other than poetry (7) 16. Dismissed from the prospect of becoming the better half (6) 18. Pilfering article 12 in. long (5) 19. Fathead, the wise bird is a bird! (4)

Puzzles

Know your faces?

Picture Quiz Number 01

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Number 02

Number 03

Number 04

SODUKU

SOLTIMES Sports QUIZ 1. The Millennium Stadium is found in which country?

2. How many hurdles are there in a 110m hurdles race?

3. How many players may one ice hockey team have on the ice at one time?

4. Which term in golf means scoring three under par?

5. Who won Great Britain’s first medal in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games?

Number 05

6. Which three individual sports are combined to make an Olympic triathlon?

7. In which month of the year is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony?

8. Which nationality is the Formula One racing driver Sebastian Vettel?

9. Who won the 2016 Wimbledon Men’s singles title?

10. The highest ever football transfer fee, as of the end of the transfer window in 2016, £89.3m. For which player was this sum paid?

11. In which sport could you encounter the terms ‘yuko’, ‘koka’, ‘ippon’ and ‘waza-ari’?

Cryptic Solutions Across: 1 Midnight oil; 9 Observe; 10 Watch; 11 Extra; 12 Curtain; 13 Ogress; 15 Tissue; 18 In force; 20 Clara; 22 Hoard; 23 Castled; 24 Intemperate.

Down: 2 Inset; 3 Normans; 4 Greece; 5 Tower; 6 In tears; 7 Come to light; 8 Change hands; 14 Refrain; 16 Incisor; 17 Tea-cup; 19 Ridge; 21 Allot.

Quick Solutions Across: 1 Promiscuous; 9 Plunged; 10 Prior; 11 Opera; 12 Termite; 13 Treaty; 15 Effete; 18 Neglect; 20 Dodge; 22 Trait; 23 Islamic; 24 Belligerent.

Down: 2 Rouse; 3 Migrant; 4 Sedate; 5 Upper; 6 Utilise; 7 Opportunity; 8 Irreverence; 14 Engrave; 16 Fiddler; 17 String; 19 Extol; 21 Demon.

1. JUDI DENCH

6. TERENCE STAMP

2. CHRISTIAN BALE

7. SARAH LANCASHIRE

3. EMMA WATSON

8. ALAN RICKMAN

4. ALEC GUINNESS

9. JOANNA LUMLEY

5. KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS

10. GEORGE COLE

Number 07

Number 08

HARD SODUKU

Crossword Solutions

Picture Quiz Solutions

Number 06

Boggle Solution

aulos (2 pts) elops (2 pts) galop (2 pts) galops (3 pts) galosh (3 pts) gaups (2 pts) gavel (2 pts) league (3 pts) loave (2 pts) loups (2 pts) mauve (2 pts) ohmage (3 pts)

Number 09

Number 10

SQUIGGLE

12. Which sport featured in the 2016 Olympics for the first time since 1904?

13. The ‘perfect’ 501 game can be completed with how many darts?

14. Who won the World Snooker Championship in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013?

15. Which 1993 American comedy film is loosely based on the Jamaican bobsleigh team’s debut entry into the 1998 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada?

ouphs (2 pts) poleax (3 pts) poule (2 pts) psoae (2 pts) pulao (2 pts) pulaos (3 pts) quops (2 pts) shoal (2 pts) shola (2 pts) soave (2 pts) spule (2 pts) ulema (2 pts) uveal (2 pts) vague (2 pts) value (2 pts)

Soduku Solution

Hard Soduku

Squiggly solution

History Quiz 1. George VI 2. Trafalgar 3. Sir Winston Churchill 4. Tenerife 5. 1973

6. Anne of Cleves 7. Belgium 8. Philadelphia 9. Mahatma Gandhi 10. Salem

11. Nelson Mandela 12. 1996 13. Gallipoli 14. Ronald Reagan 15. Brighton

Solutions 478

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Food and Drink

Kitchen make-over for children’s hospice

After a quarter of a century of producing more than 300,000 meals for the families of children with life-limiting conditions, the kitchen at Francis House has undergone a major makeover.

In desperate need of refurbishment, the cramped cupboards and small serving hatch have been replaced by modern sleek units.

A large island complete with sinks also adds space for food preparation.

To celebrate the occasion, chef and Channel 4 Sunday Brunch host Simon Rimmer officially opened the new kitchen.

Among those in attendance were volunteers and staff including Francis House chef Dean Jenkins, who has worked at the hospice since it first opened in 1991.

“It looks amazing, the size of the kitchen that Dean’s got to work in now is going to make life much easier and give him and the volunteers the opportunity to cook more varied things. It will be brilliant for everyone. I’ve always been a big supporter of Francis House, the work they do here is unbelievable. I’m honoured to be the person to open the kitchen.” said Simon. Dean from Withington, heads up a dedicated team of volunteers who travel to the Didsbury-based hospice from across the region to help with daily food preparation, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as washing up.

He said: “The kitchen was ready for an upgrade; it was quite big but didn’t use the space well. At the beginning we had domestic ovens now we have catering ovens; we’ve come a long way since the early days.”

Kitchens are often described as the heart of the home, and this is certainly the case at Francis House.

Dean said: “For the children and families that come here, having a mealtime routine in lives that are often chaotic is extremely important. It takes the pressure off the parents, when they come here they don’t have to cook and worry about organising a meal. It really is a great place to work.”

The daily menu caters for all needs and is often adapted if parents have a preferred dish. Family favourites are vegetable hot pot and lasagne.

Restaurant owner Simon knows the joy people get for having a meal cooked for them.

He said: “There’s something nice about having a plate of food put in front of you. I’d be quite happy to sit down and someone bring me beans on toast because I haven’t had to do it, but then equally I think there’s something really lovely about cooking food and just saying ‘dig in’.”

Chicken Breasts in Sage and Lime sauce Chicken breasts are a great option for an easy, quick and healthy midweek supper and this creamy sauce has a fabulous citrusy kick. Serve with a green salad and boiled new potatoes.

Serves 4 Preparation time – 10 minutes Cooking time – 25 minutes INGREDIENTS 50g salted butter, at room temperature 2 limes 4 skinless chicken breasts 10g fresh sage, finely chopped 4 tbsp hot chicken stock 100g reduced-fat mascarpone cheese Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/fan 190ºC/gas mark 6.

2. Put the butter into a small bowl with the grated zest of one of the limes and mix until combined. Set aside.

3. Using a sharp knife, score each chicken breast with three or four deep diagonal cuts. Transfer the chicken to a flameproof roasting tray and dot with the lime butter. Squeeze the juice from both limes and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle over the sage and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

4. Transfer the cooked chicken on to warm serving plates and cover to keep warm while you make the sauce.

5. Place the roasting tray in which you cooked the chicken over a medium heat and pour in a tablespoon of the chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the tray to remove any brown bits and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and stir in the mascarpone cheese. Add the remaining stock to loosen the sauce, stir all together and check the seasoning. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts to serve.

30th May -5th June 2017

29

Food and Drink

It’s chilli and getting hotter

The ‘world’s hottest chilli’ has been unveiled at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Dragon’s Breath chilli as it is known comes in at 2.4 million Scovilles (SCU), that’s 200,000 SCU hotter than the current record holder.

The chilli is the culmination of a joint project involving Tom Smith Plants, NPK Technology and Newark-based chilli grower, ChilliBobs. The Dragon’s Breath is being revealed to the world on the Tom Smith Plants stand at the Show and the Guinness World Records have been approached to have it officially verified as the world’s hottest chilli.

As the creator, owner and commercial grower of the Dragon’s Breath chilli, father and son Bob and Neal Price, harvested it from seed.

Bob said: “We make it a rule to taste

Set your watches to Wine O’clock

every new type of chilli that we grow.

As soon as we tried Dragon’s Breath we knew it was hot!”

At 2.4m Scovilles, the chilli grown for the Chelsea Flower Show is over 500 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. The spicy heat of chilli peppers is measured using the Scoville scale, which was developed in 1912 by an American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville.

Hopefully Chilli fans will also be able to taste it at the ChilliBobs East Midlands’ Chilli Festival, being held between 7-9th July at the ChilliBobs farm in Rolleston, near Newark, Nottinghamshire. The three-day event is a mix of live music acts, Artisan produce, gift and street food stalls, refreshments and beer tents provided by local breweries plus free kids’ activities.

Your Mr Softee could be on the rise Lovers of ice cream are in for a shock this summer, as the price of their much-loved cornets is due to increase due to a shortage of a most vital ingredient - vanilla.

Eighty percent of the world’s vanilla beans are grown in Madagascar, where a cyclone in March devastated the crop just as the busy season for ice cream for about to begin.

The result is a sharp increase in vanilla prices, coming to a dessert near you and causing headaches for ice cream shops as their busy season nears.

It’s not just beans. The outlook is equally bleak for vanilla extract. A single gallon has risen from about $40 to $220 in three years.

Ice cream prices in the US are expected to rise as much as 20% in coming weeks, with soft-serve ice cream severely affected because almost all soft-serve treats use extract.

Vanilla beans and extract are used in other baking products, not just ice cream. Within the industry, the search is on for alternative flavourings, but experts say that cannot help but change the flavour.

What are consumers to do? There is a solution.

They can pray for good weather in the Ivory Coast. While South American nations contribute to the world’s crop of cocoa beans, the largest producer is the African nation, which is located on the western side of the continent and distanced from Madagascar, an island to the east.

If you’re a wine lover, it’s more than likely that you’ll have used the expression ‘wine o’ clock’ on more than one occasion. After all, it’s the perfect phrase to describe the perfect moment to pour yourself a glass of your favourite vino blanco, tinto or collapso.

But it’s actually a real thing. So much so, the Oxford English Dictionary officially recognised the phrase in 2015 as ‘an appropriate time of day for starting to drink wine.’

However, the dictionary doesn’t specify a time, meaning that wine o’clock has been left open to interpretation, having a different significance for different people, depending on occasion, celebration and mood.

So wine experts were consulted to help us uncover the precise time of wine o’clock.

Contributing editor at Decanter magazine, Jane Anson, says wine o’clock varies depending on the circumstance, primarily focusing on drinking with food.

“A lazy Sunday brunch wine o’clock could be 11am with a mimosa, while a summer beach holiday could call for wine o’clock at lunchtime with a cold glass of rosé,’ she told us.

“For me, the rules for a normal working day back at home is whoever is cooking that night gets to open whatever wine goes best with the food.”

And this concept of drinking wine with dinner is something that has developed

throughout history. Food historian Dr Annie Gray explained that throughout time, the most popular time to drink wine has changed depending on the set eating times.

“It was only wine o’clock if you could afford it, and then it depended on the era. The Tudors ate their main meal at 10am, the Stuarts at 2pm and the Victorians at 8pm. Historically, therefore, wine o clock is whenever you want it to be!’

But what if tasting wine is your full-time job...

For Joe Fattorini, presenter of ITV programme The Wine Show, wine o’clock has no correlation with mealtimes, and is in fact between the hours of 11 in the morning and one in the afternoon.

This is because it’s the perfect time to properly taste wine, when your mouth is drier and not obscured by the lingering taste of food.

“For wine tasters, 11am to one pm is the optimum time to actually drink wine because your mouth is drier. The saliva that builds up in your mouth throughout the day can dramatically change the taste of wine. It doesn’t make it taste worse, just different.”

However, he says for non-professional wine tasters, five to six o’clock in the evening is a great time to drink wine “because you’re hungry before dinner, thus building up your appetite for a glass.”

Cheers!

Go www.soltimes.com for all the latest news updates!

30

30th May -5th June 2017

Health and Beauty

Heart attack risks from painkillers

People who use commonly prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat pain and inflammation could be raising their risk of having a heart attack, as early as in the first week of use and especially within the first month of taking high doses of such medication, suggests a recently published study in The British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Previous studies suggested that both traditional and COX 2 selective NSAIDs could increase the risk of acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), but the timing of the risk, the effect of dose, treatment duration, and the comparative risks between NSAIDs were poorly understood.

An international team of researchers led by Michèle Bally of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM), then an epidemiology doctoral student at McGill University in Canada, set out to characterise the risks of heart attack associ-

ated with use of oral NSAIDs under real life practice circumstances.

For their study, the researchers carried out a systematic review and a meta-analysis of relevant studies from various healthcare databases including those from Canada, Finland and the United Kingdom.

Collectively, they analysed results on 446,763 people of whom 61,460 had a heart attack.

The NSAIDs of interest to the researchers were celecoxib, the three main traditional NSAIDs (diclofenac, ibuprofen, and naproxen), and rofecoxib. To provide guidance, the researchers presented their results as probabilities of having a heart attack.

They looked at various scenarios corresponding to how people might routinely use these drugs.

The study found that taking any dose of NSAIDs for one week,

Call for more in-work stroke support Employers must learn how to adequately support staff members who have suffered strokes in response to changing workforce demographics. That is the advice of HR and diversity consultancy, the Clear Company, during National Stroke Survival Month.

Research from Kings College London has found that number of strokes in UK is predicted to rise by 44% in the next 20 years as a result of the ageing population. Survival rates are subsequently expected to increase by a third thanks to medical advancements.

According to the Stroke Association, there are currently more than 100,000 strokes in the UK each year; that is around one stroke every five minutes. What’s more, stroke is a leading cause of disability in the UK, with almost two thirds of stroke survivors leaving hospital disabled.

Kate Headley, Director at The Clear Company, comments; “According to charity, Different Strokes, every single day around 108 people of working age or younger have a stroke. Thankfully, survival rates have increased significantly in recent years. However, returning to work during or

after recovery can be challenging.

“Under the Equality Act 2010 it is unlawful for an employer to treat a disabled employee or applicant less favourably because of their disability. However, when an existing employee becomes disabled some employers may struggle to help them with the transition.

“Success lies in opening up lines of communication. No two individuals are the same and no one knows better than the employee what support they need. The best course of action is simply to ask.

“Reasonable adjustments may include a phased return to work, rest time to cope with an increase in fatigue or allowing time for medical treatment. The Government’s Access to Work fund can help with financial costs associated with reasonable adjustments.

“As the number of stroke survivors in the workplace increases, HR departments and business leaders will increasingly have to manage requests of this nature. By getting solid systems and processes in place now, businesses can be ahead of the curve when it comes to responding to changing working demographics.”

one month, or more than a month was associated with an increased risk of heart attack. Naproxen was associated with the same risk of heart attack as that documented for other NSAIDs. With celecoxib, the risk was lower than for rofecoxib (Vioxx) and was comparable to that of traditional NSAIDs. Overall the increase in risk of a heart attack is about 20 to 50% if using NSAIDs compared with not using these medications.

To put this in perspective, as a result of this increase, the risk of heart attack due to NSAIDs is on average about 1% annually. The type of analysis the researchers used allowed them to conclude with greater than 90% probability that all NSAIDs studied are associated with a heightened risk of heart attack.

Further analysis suggested that the risk of heart attack associated with NSAID use was greatest with higher doses and during the first month of use. With longer treatment duration, risk did not seem to continue to increase but the researchers caution that they did not study repeat heart attacks such that it remains prudent to use NSAIDs for as short time as possible.

This is an observational study based on drug prescribing or dispensing and not all potentially influential factors could be taken into account.

Although this means that conclusions cannot be made about cause and effect, the authors say that their study was the largest investigation of its type and that its real-world origin helped to ensure that findings were broadly generalisable.

The researchers also emphasise the advantages of sharing ‘deidentifed’ patient data as this helps making healthcare decisions that may improve patient care.

They conclude: “Given that the onset of risk of acute myocardial infarction occurred in the first week and appeared greatest in the first month of treatment with higher doses, prescribers should consider weighing the risks and benefits of NSAIDs before instituting treatment, particularly for higher doses.”

Raising an eyebrow

If you want full, bushy brows, but don’t have hundreds of extra euro to spend on microblading, listen up: You can now buy glue-on eyebrow wigs to make the ‘highbrow’ look a reality.

Glue-on brows aren’t exactly new — they’ve been used to fake full arches by cancer and alopecia patients for quite some time, but they were pretty much unheard of in the mainstream until this week, when celeb makeup artist Hung Vanngo posted a video to Instagram showing the brow boosters IRL. The short video shows a woman with patchy, thin brows undergo a total transformation with the help of glue-on brow “extensions.” Unsurprisingly, the video quickly went viral: Within hours, it’s been watched nearly 67,000 times, and has garnered more than 275 comments.

Though the phrase “eyebrow wig” sounds undeniably weird, it’s fairly surprising we haven’t seen them sooner, especially considering the popularity of similar products such as glue-on false eyelashes and hair extensions. If you can get behind the idea of gluing a strip of human hair onto your arches, the product is actually pretty genius — it gives the look of full, defined brows, without the pain and frustration of having to draw them on every morning (plus, they won’t slide off in the summer heat).

Of course, stick-on eyebrow extensions are slightly more complicated than false lashes, in that you have to find a size, shape, and colour that compliments your face.

Fortunately, brands such as Tiffani Chanel and Cardani have some great, naturallooking options in a variety of sizes and shapes, most of which can be re-applied for up to four months.

30th May -5th June 2017

31

Health and Beauty

What our skin says about us As people get older, skin can often undergo lots of changes and can be a good indicator for not only our skin's health but our general health overall.

From spots to dryness to greasy skin, the largest organ in the human body can reveal, stress, hormone changes, sleep deprivation, poor skincare practices and much more besides.

1. GREASY SKIN Some people naturally produce more oil in their skin than others. This is genetic and unfortunately there's nothing that can be done to change this. However, oily skin benefits from oil-free, non-comedogenic products, which means they won't block pores.

2. SPOTS Spots on the face are usually an indication of acne. Acne is caused by the overproduction of oil (sebum), which can combine with dead skin cells to clog up follicles.

This, in turn, results in a build-up of oil and produces blackheads or whiteheads. Acne outbreaks can be caused by a range of things including hormone changes, stress, irritants, and oil from cosmetics.

If you suffer from spots, look out for products containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, which can help stop the blocked pores that lead to spots. All these kind of products are available from the chemist. If this doesn't work after a couple of months, talk to your GP who can prescribe treatments or may refer you to a dermatologist.

Myth buster - One of the main myths surrounding acne is that it can be caused or worsened by a bad diet and/ or poor hygiene but, contrary to common belief, there

isn't actually any evidence to support this. The Acne Academy, state on their website: "There is no evidence that diet plays a role in acne. Eat a healthy, balanced diet because it is good for your heart and your health in general. However, it will not help your acne. Chocolate and greasy foods are often blamed for causing acne, but there is little evidence for this. Most of the biological reactions that trigger acne occur beneath the skin, not on the surface. This means that how clean your skin is will have little to no effect on your acne. However, it is a good idea to keep your skin clean, using a gentle cleanser on your face twice a day, and washing other areas of your skin once a day. More frequent washing will make no difference to your acne and could make your symptoms worse by aggravating your skin."

However, as mentioned above, it is always important to maintain adequate personal hygiene and a healthy diet to support your overall health. And, of course, listen to your own skin as everyone will react differently.

3. SPOTS ON THE CHIN Spots on the chin can be due to hair removal practice, particularly in men where you can get a shaving related folliculitis called folliculitis barbae. This is often due to hair growth pattern on the lower face and the thick hair shaft being curved and turned inwards. This pierces the skin at different angles causing folliculitis or inflammation around the hair follicles.

4. SPOTS ON THE FOREHEAD AND CHEEKS Spots on the forehead and cheeks can be caused by using greasy skincare products, or even greasy hair products, which spill over on to the forehead and cheeks.

Non-comedogenic lotion or even gel-based moisturisers are good for oily acne prone skin.

5. DARK CIRCLES UNDER EYES Dark circles under the eyes often signify sleep deprivation but can be caused by other issues such as hyperpigmentation, particularly in people with darker skin types. The skin around the eyes is susceptible to appearing dark as the skin is so thin in this area. This means that it is easier to see the blood vessels under the skin. When dark circles are due to blood vessels around the eye being prominent, which they often are, then this gives a blue/dark appearance due to a phenomenon called the Tyndall effect. In some cases, pigmentation around the eyes is a familial trait and runs through several generations in families.

6. DRY PATCHES OF SKIN Found in isolation, dry patches of skin often suggest that a moisturiser is needed. You don't need to spend a lot of money to get a good moisturiser, but rather you need one that works for you, and that you are comfortable with regularly applying.

Dry skin is also common in a number of skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. It can also indicate an allergy. If you are concerned about any of these skin complaints, speak to your GP. 7. SKIN TINGLING AND NUMBNESS If you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, it is possible to experience symptoms of these mental health conditions on your skin. It is common for anxiety to cause feelings of numbness and tingling. This can occur

almost anywhere on the body but is most commonly felt on the face, hands, arms, feet and legs. This is caused by the blood rushing to the most important parts of the body that can aide fight or flight. This, therefore, leaves the less important areas feeling weak, numb or tingly. can also be caused by hyperventilation and increased oxygen intake (both of which happen when our breathing changes due to anxiety and panic) which is particularly felt in the extremities and the face.

Similar sensations, however, can also indicate more serious health conditions so it's wise to visit a GP if you experience this.

8. CHANGING MOLES As we age, many blemishes and bumps can appear on our skin and, while most are often harmless, it is always good to keep an eye out for any changes that may occur - especially when it comes to moles. If you have any concerns about your health, always seek advice from a medical professional.

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30th May -5th June 2017

Travel

Are you an MBT?

If you have visited 21 countries or more, been on a wine tasting tour, choose your Hotels based on the strength of the Wi-Fi and get your travel inspiration from social media “influencers” – you could well be an MBT (Modern British Traveller), according to new research.

Researchers took a detailed look into the travel habits of Britons and revealed almost half (48%) now shun the term “holiday-maker”, preferring the more discerning phrase “traveller”.

And the research, by Trainline has revealed a list of definitive signs you are LESS “holiday-maker” and MORE MBT, with preferring sight-seeing to partying (57%), visiting places based on the food and the culture (35%) – and enjoying a City break just as much as a beach holiday (52%) all emerging in the list.

The research reveals the role technology now plays in terms of travel, with one in ten Brits saying they wouldn’t choose a mode of transport that didn’t cater to their technology needs – and 44% feeling more in control of their travel plans when they have their tech with them on holiday.

According to the data, almost 20% prefer to use their smartphone to plan trips and journeys – with only 14% now using a traditional travel agent to research and manage their trip away.

The average adult now spends 2 hours 50 minutes taking photos on holiday, snapping on average 34 pictures over the trip which they will upload to social media and a further 24% will only choose Hotels based on whether they have free Wi-Fi and other technology available.

A spokesperson from Trainline, Europe’s number one independent train ticket retailer and train travel app, commented: “The survey has uncovered some really fascinating insights into who the MBTs are and what they are looking for when it comes to their trips away. One of the things that jumped out at us was how important ease of booking and arriving in the centre of a city are a priority for a large proportion of MBTs. This is why we’ve teamed up with the epitome of a modern British traveller, Eleanor Tomlinson to champion the rail revolution powered by technology like mobile tickets and the Trainline app.”

Believing the journey to be just as important as the holiday itself (36%), learning some of the language before you go (26%), having more than three different foreign plug adaptors in your home (26%) and carrying all of your travel documents on your smartphone (18%) were also sure fired signs you are securely in the MBT category.

Owning a kindle and having swum with sharks also made the list – as did having done a bungee jump and generally being happy to step outside your comfort zone on trips abroad.

According to the research, the average Briton now takes THREE trips every year in the UK and abroad – and travels a staggering 15,474 miles in total each year by train, plane and car.

The survey also revealed that for modern Brits, the traditional fortnight holiday has been replaced with 10 days (average length of main holiday) – with 52% now enjoying more frequent City breaks over longer beach holidays.

Almost half now prefer to eat at local restaurants opposed to “tourist traps”, and 30% try to find ways to avoid queues wherever possible.

Tips for stress-free travelling Whether it’s business travel, family road tripping or a romantic getaway exploring new places is exciting. You may be counting down the days until you leave, but if there’s one thing you dread, it’s packing. Deciding what earns a spot in your suitcase is hard enough, let alone figuring out how you can fit it all in.

Do you look with envy at clever travellers who seem to navigate airports with ease while only lugging a small carry-on? It’s because years of travel experience has taught them some packing tricks that make the process simple. Now you can use these same

strategies to pack with ease no matter how near or far you plan to travel.

SELECT DOUBLE-DUTY CLOTHING ITEMS. Check the weather for your destination so you pack only items appropriate for the forecast. You won’t need that big sunhat if rain is coming. Want to take it one step further? Choose items that multitask. For example, a large scarf can be a stylish accessory and also be used as a blanket on the plane or at the beach.

PACK TOILETRIES STRATEGICALLY. If possible, only bring samples and travel sizes of items to save space. Then leave them behind at the end of the trip to open up luggage space to bring home mementos. To avoid luggage spills and explosions place toiletries in plastic bags or add plastic wrap to the tops before screwing on the cap.

FOLD TO PREVENT WRINKLING. To prevent wrinkles on delicate items, try wrapping them around soft, bulky items. For example, wrap a silk blouse or cotton trousers around a sweater. Avoid folding clothing any more than necessary. In fact, many people use a rolling method for packing clothes to save space and prevent wrinkles.

UTILIZE ODD-SHAPED ITEMS. Shoes take up a ton of luggage space, so strive to select no more than three pairs. and wear the heaviest or bulkiest pair while travelling. Place shoes along the sides or bottom to strengthen the bag and then stash items inside to maximize space (like socks, underwear and deodorant).

ELIMINATE MAKE-UP MAYHEM. Only take make-up essentials on a holiday and pack multi-use items such as a lipstick that can also be used as a blush. To prevent shadows and pressed powders from cracking, place a pressed cotton pad between the powder and the lid.

GRAB A FEW PLASTIC BAGS. One of the most versatile things you can bring on a trip is also one many people forget: resealable plastic bags. Whether you need a bag for bringing toys down to the pool, a place to put dirty clothes throughout your trip, or something to place that soggy swimsuit in before you check out of the hotel, plastic bags are your secret weapon.

30th May -5th June 2017

It’s snapping cats and dogs Photographing your favourite pets and sharing them on social media can be a tricky business, not least because many of them refuse to sit still for any length of time. Follow our top tips though and you will get some great results.

1. CAPTURE YOUR PET’S PERSONALITY Pets all have their own distinct personality, just like humans and ideally you want to capture this in your photos of them. Whether you own a yappy Jack Russell that can’t stand still, or a lazy house cat that spends most of its time curled up in a doze, try to photograph your pet in a situation that best sums up their personality.

2. NATURAL LIGHT WORKS BEST There’s no ideal place to photograph a family pet, but somewhere with a bit of space and good light is ideal. Speaking of light, do pay attention to where the natural light in your location is coming from and try to shoot at an optimal time of day.

As with regular portrait photography the softer, more directional sunlight of early morning and late evening makes for much more interesting images. Bounced flash, or flash that has been heavily diffused through the use of photographic soft boxes or umbrellas is generally OK, but avoid using direct flash straight from your camera as this is likely to startle and/or unnerve your pet.

3. PUT A PERSON IN THE PICTURE This is a great way to give scale and extra meaning to a photo. For example, if you have a child who is particularly attached to a family pet then get them to show that pet a little love and capture the moment on camera. Zoom in tight, so that you fill most of the frame with them both, otherwise they might get lost in the background. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a child either – adults and pets make great photos too.

4. SHOOT AT PET LEVEL Pets are generally a lot smaller than humans so it pays to get down to their level. Try and

33

Animal Corner

shoot from a low angle or even ground level, rather than just standing up and holding the camera in front of you as you might when photographing a person.

5. USE INTERESTING ANGLES Because pets are generally much smaller than humans it’s a lot easier to play around with interesting angles rather than just shooting side-on or head-on.

6. SELECT A LOW APERTURE Just like when taking portraits of people, selecting a low aperture (anywhere from f/1.4 - f/4) can work wonders as this creates a shallow depth of field effect that results in a pin-sharp pet and a blurred background. In turn, this ensures that your pet will proudly stand out from the background. The best setting to use on DSLRs and compact system cameras is Aperture-priority mode, however if your camera doesn’t offer this then look for a ‘Portrait’ mode in the Scene mode options of your camera instead – this will generally force the camera to use as low an aperture as possible.

7. FOCUSING Dogs and cats have distinct personalities. Set your focus point on the pet’s eyes or head, just as you would when photographing a person.

8. USE A PROP Using a prop can often enhance an image immeasurably. From dogs in sunglasses to cats in hats pretty much anything goes – just so long as it doesn’t cause the animal any distress obviously. Look around to see what you have to work with and then use your imagination.

9. BE PATIENT While dogs can be trained to stand on their hind legs or roll onto their back, directing other pets is unrealistic. Set enough time aside and don’t expect to get the perfect shot quickly. When photographing pets it helps immensely if you treat the session as extended playtime. Encourage your pet to do things, but don’t get impatient if they fail to co-operate.

The best shots nearly always come to those that wait.

Pets in Spain

Rex is around 4 months old and was rescued from the streets last week. He is a spaniel cross and will be small/medium size when fully grown. Rex is good with other dogs, cats and children and is a happy, healthy little boy

Call: 645 469 253 • www.petsinspain.com info@petsinspain.com

APAH

Born in May 2016, Treacle is a gentle little girl, with a very sweet and affectionate nature. If you want a little cuddly cat, Treacle is the one for you!

To arrange to meet her and all the other APAH cats

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34

30th May -5th June 2017

Motoring

Car ‘Black Box’ placebo effect exposed Parents of young drivers have been found lying about installing a ‘black box’ telematics device in their child’s vehicle.

According to telematics insurer Insure The Box, parents are lying about installing a telematics device in their child’s car, hoping they’ll be safer drivers if they think they’re being watched.

Telematics devices have been found to improve driver safety, with some studies finding a 58% drop in speeding and fines when black boxes are installed.

However, the insurer said although the placebo effect of a device may improve driving, it doesn’t replace feedback (such as driver scores) or the embedded safety features (like contacting emergency services after an accident) that an actual device comes with.

Telematics boxes register and record G-forces on a regular basis, and in the event of an accident, can determine whether to contact the driver or emergency services. According to Insure the Box, emergency services were contacted 16 times every month last year by telematics providers. Young drivers also won’t be offered cheaper insurance for good driving if the ‘black box’ is a fantasy cooked up by mum and dad.

Simon Rewell, road safety manager at Insure The Box, said: “Telematics boxes are proven to effectively increase driver safety. However, it’s important parents realise that the extended benefits of this technology, such as reduced speeding and lower accident rates, are realised with the installation of an actual black box.

“It’s concerning to see some parents, no matter how good their intentions, think they can give their children the safety benefits that come with installing a black box just with a white lie.” british company established in spain 15 years fully legal s.l. company

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Driven by humans... parked by robots There is no doubt that airport parking can be a significant source of grief on holidays and business trips. As well as being expensive, upon your return you’re guaranteed to forget which zone you parked in, and there’s always a chance that a careless holidaymaker or an overzealous valet parking employee will have dinged your door while you’ve been away. It’s the stuff of nightmares.

Fortunately, the team at Stanley Robotics has come up with a solution that could consign all of that to history. Their robot affectionately named Stan – automatically collects cars from designated drop-off areas and transports them to the nearest car park until owners are ready to reclaim their vehicles.

The process begins when customers make a booking via the company’s app or website, before parking in a “well lit and spacious” garage close to their terminal.

Then once they’ve confirmed their arrival on the accompanying touchscreen, they’re free to leave for their flight, taking their keys with them.

At this point, Stan will step in to collect deposited vehicles, automatically adjusting to each car’s dimensions as it slides underneath and gently lifts the car off the ground. Then, when it has reached the airport’s car park, it uses “the latest sensor technology” to precisely manoeuvre vehicles into rows of five.

The system is being touted as a money-

saver for airports, with Stanley Robotics claiming that it can increase the number of cars in a given area by as much as 50 per cent. They also point out that operating costs would plummet without the need for regular cleaning and maintenance.

The fully electric system is advertised as a zero-emissions solution, and while they neglect to mention where the electricity may be generated, each robot is said to be capable of processing between 20,000 and 30,000 vehicles per year, managing up to 400 parking spaces at any one time.

The system’s final party trick is that each booking contains a record of customers’ flight details, meaning that cars can be returned to the easy-access drop-off point in anticipation of their owners’ return.

Stanley Robotics’ valet solution is already in operation at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, and having recently secured millions of pounds in investment, there’s every chance it could become a more common feature at airports across the globe in the very near future.

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30th May -5th June 2017

Motoring Section

European Union rules on truck emissions

Following last week’s vote by EU member states on the procedure for determining CO2 emissions from new trucks, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) welcomes this as an important step to introduce more transparency to the market – ultimately leading to reduced fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

Truck manufacturers however have concerns as to whether the proposed lead time between the entry into force of the regulation and the start of the first step of the CO2 declaration, now tied to the date of vehicle registration rather than production, is sufficient to perform the necessary certification activities.

This new regulation – approved by member states in

Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo Leading luxury dealer group H.R. Owen has welcomed a spectacular and podium-ready Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo racer to its world-famous Lamborghini London dealership.

The South Kensington showroom – the number one Lamborghini dealer in the world in 2016 – recently put the race version of the Huracán coupé on display ready for a licensed racer to snap up.

The car was made exclusively for the 2016 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series season, but was never able to fulfil its explosive track potential.

Owner commitments meant the Huracán only completed half a year’s worth of Super Trofeo races, making it an exciting prospect with just shy of 4,000km on the clock.

On the track, it offers unrivalled performance thanks to being lighter, more rigid and more powerful than the standard car.

Power is provided by a 620hp version of Lamborghini’s V10, while the power-to-weight ratio is an impressive 2.05 kilograms per horsepower thanks to its new and improved 1,270kg dry weight.

Developed by Lamborghini in collaboration with race car constructors Dallara, the rear-wheel-drive monster is an attractive buy for drivers looking to progress to GT3 racing.

The Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo has cut a stunning figure in the Lamborghini London showroom since its arrival, with its racing livery, enormous rear wing and striking grey paintwork stopping the South Kensington public in their tracks.

H.R. Owen’s Huracán LP 620-2 Super Trofeo is available to view at Lamborghini London now, priced at £200,000 excluding VAT.

the European Commission’s regulatory committee (TCMV) – will require CO2 emissions from new trucks to be calculated according to harmonised and certified procedures. This opens the possibility for reporting and monitoring of these CO2 emissions. To this end, the European Commission has developed a computer calculation tool called VECTO to model CO2 emissions from a wide variety of complete truck and trailer configurations using various heavy-duty vehicle cycles.

Using VECTO data, the EU legislation on the calculation of CO2 from trucks will require a declaration of CO2 values for each vehicle produced for the EU market – providing a credible, standardised way of comparing fuel efficiency across all brands. “This will be a major game changer, as it will help transport operators choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle more easily, thereby significantly reducing CO2. It will also lead to increased transparency and competition among manufacturers to develop the most fuel-efficient vehicles, driving the market uptake of the cleanest vehicles,” stated ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert.

“The market is diverse and complex, and trucks are usually tailor-made to customers’ specific orders or are custom-built for a specific mission,” Jonnaert added. VECTO can reflect that complexity, as it takes the variables into account that affect CO2 emissions, such as various usage patterns, vehicle configurations or different payloads. “In order to set the direction for future CO2 reduction policy, we need to have a clear understanding of the baseline – VECTO is a necessary tool to close this knowledge gap.”

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A former player, Tony is now the world’s most prolific author of football books with 150 published since 1975. He has also been a PE teacher and a policeman, and is now a quizorganiser, fund–raiser, for various charities, and sports correspondent for Spectrum Radio.

Sports shorts SOLTIMES

Sport

The Champions League On Saturday, 3rd June, at Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium, Juventus will play Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

This will be the 63rd such final involving the two top club sides in European football, although prior to season 1992-93 the competition was known as the European Cup. Real Madrid have won the coveted trophy a record ten times, registered successive victories in each of the first five finals: 1956 to 1960. Since then, they have lifted the huge Cup in 1966, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2014 and 2016. They have also finished runner’s-up on three occasions, 1962, 1964 and 1981, and in Cardiff in few days time, they will be aiming to become the first team to retain the Cup since it’s name change 24 years ago. In contrast, Real’s opponents this time round, Juventus, have won the trophy just twice, in 1985 and 1996, while they have been runner’sup six times, with their last second-place finish coming in 2015 when they were defeated 3-1 by Barcelona. Both finalists won their domestic League championships this season and both finished the campaign with solid performances. Each club will have 17,500 fans supporting them inside Cardiff ’s national stadium which has a capacity of 74,500. Felix Brych from Germany will be the match referee and the kick-off is 20.45 hrs (CET). • Facts: There may well be 22 full internationals on the field when they game kicks off… and eight more will be sitting on the bench.

• Real could have at least ten players in their line-up who gained winner’s medals last season, among them hot-shot Cristiano Ronaldo… the former Spurs’ duo of Gareth Bale and Luca Modric… long-serving centre-back Sergio Ramos… the Brazilian left-back Marcelo… German midfielder Tony Kroos… and the French striker Karim Benzema who always puts in a great shift.

• Juventus, for sure, will field 39 year-old Gianluigi Buffon in goal… and without doubt they’ll start off at least with ex-Barcelona star Dani Alves at right-back… Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Banucci in defence…

Claudio Marchisio, Alex Sandro and Sami Khedira (once of Real Madrid) in midfield… and in-form Paulo Dybala and the Argentinian workhorse Gonzalo Higuain up front.

• The winners of the final will receive £15.5m; the runner’s-up £11m.

It will be a great game, no doubt, and may the best team win…

• On Saturday in Cardiff it’s the Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid. The latter are set to become the first team to retain the trophy since its introduction in 1992.

• The Oaks (Friday) and the Derby (Saturday) take place at Epsom and my each-way choices respectively are Natavia and Yucatan See my Derby Preview elsewhere.

• On Thursday, England’s cricketers, after a ODI series triumph over South Africa which included a dramatic 2-run victory in the second encounter at Southampton last Saturday, play Bangladesh in their first 2017 Champions Trophy game at The Oval. England’s second match is against New Zealand next Tuesday.

• The French Open Grand Slam tennis tournament is underway at Roland Garros – and there were early exits for women’s world number Angelique Kerber and GB’s Dan Evans.

• Some 37,000 fans saw Sebastian Vettel win last Sunday’s F1 Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo.

An unhappy Lewis Hamilton finished seventh.

By Tony Mathews

• Last Saturday, Arsenal won the FA Cup for a record 13th time, beating 10-man Chelsea 2-1; Celtic, unbeaten in all domestic matches in 2016-17, registered an historic treble by defeating Aberdeen 2-1 in the Scottish Cup final and Barcelona overcame Alaves 3-1 in the Copa del Rey final. All this after Manchester United had earlier won in Europa League final with a 2-0 win over Ajax.

• Blackpool have gained promotion to FL1 and Hamilton will play in the SPL again next season.

• In Indianapolis 500, Spain’s Fernando Alonso led for 27 laps but then his Honda engine ‘blew up’.

• In Rugby Union, Exeter beat Wasps 23-20 in the Premiership final, Northampton overcame Stade Francais 23-22 in the Champions Cup final and Scarlets won the Pro12 trophy with a 46-22 victory over Munster.

• England beat the Barbarians 28-14 in the annual challenge match at Twickenham.

• In boxing, GB’s Kell Brook has lost his IBF Welterweight world title after being stopped in round by Errol Spence jnr.

• George Groves has, at last, become the WBA supermiddleweight title after beating Feder Chudinov.

• In athletics, Mo Farah won the 5,000m at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon and Holly Bradshaw (pole vault) and Greg Rutherford (long jump) were victors at the Great City Games in Manchester which saw Tirunesh Dibaba win the women’s marathon for a fourth time.

• Tom Dumoulin won the 100th Giro d’Italia cycle race.

• And over the last 10 days, managers David Moyes (Sunderland), Gary Monk (Leeds), Marco Silva (Hull) and Walter Mazzeratti (Watford) moved out. Silva, however, quickly moved in at Vicarage Road.

DID YOU KNOW? Chelsea received £153.2m for winning the Premiership title; runner’s-up Spurs received £148.5m while demoted Sunderland got just £99.9m. Manchester United got £2.4m when they won the first PL title in 1993. How times have changed!

2017 Derby Preview The 238th Epsom Derby takes place on Saturday (3rd June) and will be televised on ITV for the first time since 1988. The race, worth £1.5m, cover one mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards (2,423 metres) and once again is sponsored by Investec.

Of the 20+ runners, here are six I believe will do well on the Epsom Downs.

• CLIFFS OF MOHAR, an early favourite at 9-2 and one of nine entries by Aiden O’Brien, the Master of Ballydoyle, was an impressive Leopardstown maiden winner last season. Sired by the 2001 Epsom and Irish Derby winner Galileo, he started this campaign with victory in the Dee Stakes at Chester and has a lot to offer.

• CRACKSMAN, priced at 5-1, is perhaps the best of trainer John Gosden’s four horses and will be ridden by Frankie Dettori. A Frankel progeny who won his only race as a juvenile, the Derby trial, he will enjoy racing round Tattenham Corner!

• EMINENT is a 9-1 shot, trained by Martyn Meade at Sefton Lodge and ridden by Jim Crowley. Another son of the great Frankel, he was an easy winner of the Craven Stakes at Newmarket and finished sixth in the 2000 Guineas. Hopefully he’ll

improve on that performance.

• BEST SOLUTION is worth an each-way gamble at 12-1.

Trained by Saeed bin Suroor who has five runners from his Godolphin stable, ‘BS’ was a convincing winner of a Group 3 race and the Lingfield Derby trial. He’ll go well on Saturday, for sure!

• YUCATAN, Aiden O’Brien’s 16-1 outsider, has already been placed in several top races including the Racing Post Trophy and Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial. This Galileo offspring looks another decent each-way bet.

• CHURCHILL, listed at 5-1, and another horse from the formidable O’Brien yard, has won his last six races. A multiple Group winning juvenile, he started this term with an impressive victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and is my tip to win Saturday’s race.

• The best of the rest are CAPRI, from the O’Brien stable, French entry WALDGEIST and ATTY PERSEE, winner of the Esher Cup. NB: I’m not a professional tipster, so please don’t blame me if the nags I named don’t perform as expected and you lose your money. Just sit and watch (or listen) to the race and enjoy it.

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Opel Astra 1.6 16v, 2012 51,000km €11,950

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