ISSUE 651 • 7th -13th September 2018 By Helen Muir THE former mayor of Albox Rogelio Mena, accused of spending more than €2,000 of public money on trips and private meals, must wait until October to learn his fate, when an oral hearing will be held. In 2016, Mena left office to start two and a half years of disqualification after being convicted of denying information to the opposition. In this second case he is being prosecuted for alleged crimes of prevarication and continued misappropriation of public funds. Mena has announced he is going to request the liquidation of his sentence claiming the legal deadline has elapsed. Meanwhile, his predecessor, socialist Jose Garcia
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Mayors in court
AWAITING JUSTICE: Mena (inset) is yet to learn his fate.
Religion teacher redeemed A SPANISH religion teacher has returned to her job which she lost in 2001 after the Catholic Church refused to renew her contract when she married a divorced man. Resurreccion Galera took up her post on Monday at a school in Llanos de la Cañada, in Almeria Province, two years after the Supreme Court ruled that she had a right to be reinstated. In its decision, the court stated
that her dismissal ‘violated human rights.’ Judges ruled that her marriage bore no relation to her work as a religion teacher, despite the fact that she was deviating from the values of the Roman Catholic Church, which controls recruitment of religion teachers in state schools. At the time Mrs Galera lost her job, she had been teaching
Catholic religion for seven years at Ferrer Guardia Elementar y school. She had married a German devorcée, Johannes Romes, in a civil ceremony. The Diocese of Almeria had appealed twice to the Constitutional cour t in its bid to prevent Mrs Galera’s return, but in a statement on Monday it said it respected the decision.
Navarro, has received a 10-year disqualification from employment within the public office for showing favouritism within his duties in the town hall. He faces 10 years of disqualification from employment within the public office.
It has been reported he could also receive 12 years of imprisonment in another procedure where he is accused of malpractice while awarding contracts for €1.1 million, a crime of administrative prevarication. It is claimed he signed 12 work contracts on behalf of the City Council ‘without following any procedure and without justifying the causes.’ Navarro resigned for ‘personal reasons’ in 2013.
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ADRA, Cuevas del Almanzora and Albox are among towns in Almeria Province set to receive €181,647 in Junta de Andalucia funding to go towards the building of their own open air shopping centres.
Job sessions
A SERIES of workshops is set to be held in towns including Arboleas, Cuevas del Almanzora and HuercalOvera which aim to train unemployed people under 25 years old in skills to help them get jobs.
Going global
A COMPANY headquartered in Cantoria which makes building materials has opened a new warehouse in Mexico at a cost of €940,000, with the new plant designed to supply customers there.
Parents stay away from prison push By Jose Artur THE parents of an eight-year-old boy found dead near Nijar earlier this year have said they do not approve of the case being used to justify introducing longer prison sentences. Angel Cruz and Patricia Ramirez, the parents of Gabriel Cruz, said in a statement made last week that her and the eight-yearold’s father wanted the public to respect the family. Her comments come as a picture of Gabriel Cruz was used on a tshirt along with those of other children killed along with the slogan ‘Justice Now.’ It was displayed at a concert of the Spanish pop duo Andy and Lucas. Patricia Ramirez said the use of the photograph of her son six months after his death was unjust. “We are happy for you to come together and ask for justice, but we have made it clear in other communications that our path is differ-
CREDIT: Juan Ignacio Zoido (main), Angel Cruz and Patricia Ramirez (inset)
Shop centre funding
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SHIRT CALL: Gabriel Cruz’s (inset) funeral was held in Almeria City cathedral.
ent,” the statement said. Lucas Gonzalez, of the pop band, posted a video on his Twitter account in which he said the duo ‘just wanted to help.’ “Do not worry ma’am, we will not show it any more,” Gonzalez said. The two singers are among those
who have used the case of Gabriel Cruz and others in order to push for the introduction of revisable permanent prison sentences. The sentences would in theory allow someone convicted of a severe murder, a kidnapping, political assassination and other crimes be imprisoned indefinitely until au-
thorities ruled they could be released. Supporters argue it would bring Spain into line with other countries who have similar ‘life means life’ sentences and that it would give justice to victims of the severest crimes. Opponents claim it would mean people found guilty of crimes would spend the rest of their lives in prison without any chance to rehabilitate or integrate back into society. The other parents of the children featured on the picture have also reacted to the t-shirt. Many offered their support to the duo. The body of Gabriel Cruz was found in March and the former partner of Angel Cruz, Ana Quezada, has since been arrested in connection with his death. She has confessed to killing him but claims it was accidental. The investigation into the eight-yearold’s death is still ongoing.
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ALMERIA is among the leading provinces in terms of contracting green marketers and consuming renewable energy in urban areas, according to an environmentally-friendly electricity company. There are 800 towns and cities out of the 8,116 municipalities throughout Spain which are at the
Going green forefront of renewable energy use, Unielectrica said. A total of 11 of these which have 56,031 residents in total are supplied by the company.
These towns only use the renewable energy that comes from wind, hydroelectric and solar sources. These are Alcolea, Abla, Banahadux, Macael, Cantoria, Purchena,
Partaloa, Zurgena, Vera, Pulpi and Velez Blanco. Garrucha is also supplied by renewable energy by a different company. Felix Lopez, the mayor of Vera, said: “This council is committed to the conservation and protection of our environment.”
Official visit THE President of the Junta de Andalucia has visited a health centre in Garrucha which was recently extended on the back of a €500,000 regional authority grant. Susana Diaz, of the leftleaning Partido Socialista (PSOE), took in new additions to the outpatient clinic which serves around 9,691 people in the town. It covers an area of almost 1,250 square metres and has 11 consultation rooms as of its extension. These include four family medicine rooms, five nursing suites, individualised waiting rooms, an operating theatre for slight injuries and physiotherapy facilities. There are also new rooms for staff there. The health centre also in-
CREDIT: Junta de Andalucia
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CALLING IN: Diaz (centre, right) visited the Garrucha clinic. cludes the offices of medical services which serve Mojacar Playa, Mojacar Pueblo and Turre. The health centre of Vera also shares some of its services. There are a total of five family doctors, two child specialists, five nurses, two support doctors, a midwife and a social worker. There are also two administrative assistants and five caretakers.
The Junta’s health department said the centre’s team had held more than 39,000 consultations for families, 6,223 for children and 30,868 for nursing. They had attended to more than 28,500 emergencies and have undertaken more than 6,000 house calls. Cash for the centre came as part of a €12.8 million Junta investment package.
News
Bear necessities at naming the bear, APSA added. Hilary, from the charity, said: “The money raised will all go to help Spartan, a star ving, abandoned dog who was treated at the vets and is now in the care of one of our wonderful foster carers.” The group said those interested could follow Spartan’s progress on the APSA Facebook page.
BEARING GIFTS: Terry named the bear Fozzie.
CREDIT: Guardia Civil
THE Name the Bear competition run in the APSA shop, on Avenida Lepanto in Albox, has been won by Terry who named the bear Fozzie. The group said in a statement Terry was delighted to receive the prize, and, although he likes Fozzie, he has decided to give the bear to his granddaughter instead. A thank you was in order to all the customers who paid to try their luck
MAKING A SPLASH: Officers saw some of the sea turtles at the centre. GUARDIA CIVIL officers in Almeria held a coordination meeting last Monday with Equinac, a non-profit body that is responsible for addressing the stranding of sea turtles and cetaceans in the province. Officers visited the facilities and observed what they said was the elaborate and delicate process of recovery that these sea specimens go through after arriving to the centre. Animals go to the facility
Shelling out after being found injured to get help to recover. The main threats to these species is the vast amount of plastic in the sea, containers, plastic bags, plastic bottles, Equinac staff said. Species that are catalogued by Spanish conser-
CREDIT: APSA
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vation officials as endangered are very vulnerable, the Guardia Civil said in a statement. Officers and rescue workers have also been examining how to deal with incidents such as the recent discovery of decapitated dolphin corpses on Almeria’s beaches. The meetings come as part of wider efforts from the Guardia Civil and environmental authorities to protect animals.
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Fall death A 45-YEAR-OLD man has died after falling from height in a factory in Cantoria. Andalucia’s 112 Emergency Services line has reported the incident to the regional Labour Inspectorate and the Occupational Risk Prevention Centre. Those bodies are now set to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Emergency services sources said they were alerted to the accident at around 7.40pm last Tuesday. It took place at a plant on Cantoria’s A-334 road. Guardia Civil and Local Police officers, as well as medical personnel, were despatched to the site. Paramedics declared him dead at the scene.
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Fiesta fever CREDIT: ADRA COUNCIL
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FERIA TIME: Council officials have unveiled the programme. ADRA’S council has announced the programme for this year’s fair and festivals which began yesterday (Thursday) and runs until next Monday. The feria is being held in honour of Virgin del Mar and Saint Nicolas of Tolentino. Adra Council said it had opted for a more ambitious programme than previous years, including new activities for all ages and special horse related programmes. Feria Del Mediodia began at 1pm yesterday with a dishing out of ‘abanicos’ (Spanish hand fans) and a ‘Zambra’ flash-mob at Plaza Puerta del Mar. Mayor Manuel Cortes will be on hand to greet the residents and visitors to the fair.
A group of residents is due to launch ‘El Castañazo’ (firework rocket) that will kick start a parade of floats, set to be more numerous and striking this year according to the council. Among the many activities planned during the five days of celebration are: various children’s shows at the Cultural Centre, the Day of the Bicycle, the Children’s fair, the Dog contest, foam party, senior football division honouring, the super water festival, and much more. Cultural and gastronomic activities include the traditional 12th ‘Tapas de Feria’ (Tapas Fair) contest, the Alfar-Adra pottery fair, the ‘Feria de Escaparatados’ exhibition, ‘Platero en mi
pintura’ painting exhibition and the 26th annual Photography Rally. There will also be activities such as a biker gathering, a local fishing contest, an evening snack, and the festival dedicated to the elders of the municipality, among other events. The horse world will have a special role at the Adra fair, with a float of riders on the sixth night. Tomorrow (Friday) and on Sunday there will be horse races, like the 18th annual City Race of Adra. The main streets of the city and the fairground will be decorated with thousands of lights to set the fair’s night. There will be LED lighting which aims to light pollution and save energy.
A fab show ALMERIA City is set to host a Beatles Day on September 21. The proposal has been presented by Enrique Sanchez and Abelardo Navarro, with the collaboration of the Department of Culture of the city of Almeria. The event aims to highlight the relationship between Almeria and John Lennon, as well giving fans of the Fab Four a rocking time, Almeria City’s culture spokesperson Carlos Sanchez said. The event will begin at 7pm featuring a lecture at the Museum of the Guitar,
held by Enrique Sanchez, followed by three concerts at the Madchester Room. The shows are based around the songs Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane and around the artistic career of the band between 1966 and 1967. While John Lennon was composing the 60’s classic Strawberry Fields Forever, Paul McCartney was in Sevilla creating Penny Lane. Concerts will be performed by the groups The Zimmerband, The Sevillian Beatles and The Orangegrapefruit.
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CREDIT: Salvamento Maritimo, via Twitter
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RESCUED: The migrants were taken to Almeria. (archive)
Migrant rescue SPANISH coastguards have picked up 180 people from three boats, one of which was sinking when found, and have taken them to Almeria City’s port. One boat, which was carrying 57 people and was starting to sink, was spotted by a Salvamento Maritimo aircraft at around 3.30pm last Thursday. Coastguards said half of the inflatable boat’s passen-
gers were already in the water. There were seven children among those in the water, maritime rescue personnel added. Coastguards took the 57 people on board the Guardamar Caliope vessel. It had picked up another boat with 55 people on board earlier and took all 112 people to Almeria City’s port and they arrived at 7.30pm.
In a separate operation, coastguards received an alert a boat carrying some 68 people, including seven women, had sailed from Nador in Morocco at about 9.15am. A Guardia Civil patrol vessel picked up the migrants, who were then transferred to the Salvamento Maritimo’s Salvamar Spica ship which took them to Almeria City’s port.
NEWS Weather warnings AREAS across Almeria Province including the Almanzora Valley and Segura were issued with yellow alerts for rains, storms and high waves by Spain’s AEMET Met Office on Monday.
Four held GUARDIA CIVIL officers have arrested four Moroccan nationals legally residing in Spain in connection with allegedly trafficking people from their home country into Almeria.
Make waves A CRUISE ship carrying more than 840 passengers and 371 crew members docked in Almeria City last Wednesday and remained moored there from 7am to 6pm and the Braemar is now set to sail onto Cagliari in Italy.
Clothes sale success FACE (Fundraising in Arboleas, Caring for Everyone), said they were absolutely delighted with the results of a recent sale of clothes, which had all been donated to the charity. The event was held at the Los Llanos market on last Saturday. More than €171 was raised. Vice President of FACE Gilly ElliottBinns said she wanted to give her heartfelt thanks to all the FACE supporters and also the management of the Los Llanos Market,for helping to make the event such a success. “This was the start of quite a busy period for FACE. They will shortly have their 2019 Diaries on sale and this year they will also be organising a great Christmas Quiz with a huge Christmas Hamper to be won,” the charity said in a statement. The quiz is set to cost €1 to enter. They will also have a stall at
CREDIT: F.A.C.E
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DELIGHTED: Vice President Gilly Elliott-Binns and committee members Nicki Wakeman, Lynne Dobbie and Pauline Marshall at the sale.
the ‘Make A Wish’ Charity Event to be held at the Cantoria Railway Station on September 22. The traditional FACE Christmas Market this year is provisionally set to take place somewhere in Arboleas on Friday November 30, where the traditional FACE Christ-
mas Raffle will be drawn for a top prize of €200. Those who want to find out more about FACE can telephone 634 306 727 or make initial contact through their Facebook page or Twitter account @ FACECharity or at www.face-charity.com.
House blaze A MAN and woman were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation after their house in Almeria City caught fire last Saturday. Emergency Services said they were alerted to the blaze at around 8.45pm. Witnesses told them smoke had begun billowing from the house on Calle Rambla de Los Alfareros. Firefighters, Local and National Police officers and medical personnel were despatched to the house. They found a 30-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man who had both been affected by the smoke from the fire and the couple were taken to Torrecardenas Hospital for treatment. An investigation is now underway into the cause.
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Body found Ed. 651
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EMERGENCY SERVICES were called out to the town of Turre after the body of a 64year-old man was found in a vehicle last Monday afternoon. A witness called the 112 emergency services line at around 7.15pm after finding the man’s remains on Calle Añaflix. Guardia Civil and Local Police officers, as well as medical personnel, were despatched to the vehicle. Emergency services declared the man dead after attempts to revive him failed. A probe has now been opened to determine how the man died.
Ancient coin haul GUARDIA CIVIL officers in Almeria have seized 22 coins dating from the Ancient Roman era after discovering them for sale online. Police have reported a suspect to provincial courts in connection with the haul on suspicion of breaking historical heritage laws. Someone who had seen the coins for sale on the internet contacted police who then launched an investigation. The items, most of which have been dated to the Imperial era of the Roman Empire, were posted on a well-known internet selling site. Police were able to trace the coins and the suspect by investigating the online advert. Police than raided the suspect and sent the coins for further analysis. Experts said 21 of the coins were minted during the time of the Roman Emperors. One of the coins was from the earlier Republican period and all are authentic historical artefacts, they added. The coins have since been handed over to the Cultural Delegation of the Junta de Andalucia in Almeria Province.
CREDIT: Guardia Civil
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STRUCK GOLD: The coins were minted in Roman times. The operation comes as part of a wider initiative on the part of the Guardia Civil to protect items which are significant in Spanish history. Police have seized several artefacts across the province since a strategy to recover historical relics was put into action in 2012.
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Weekender Health & Beauty Page 20-21
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Classic Grease Page 26
Bigger bedrooms Page 18
Future cars Page 31
CREDIT: Volvo
Elderly homes
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Feature
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Pause to Wonder FOR some years now, I gather that one of the most frequently requested hymns in the BBC charts is How Great Thou Art. And little wonder really, as it so brilliantly summarises the awesome nature of the universe. So as we saw the storms around us after the heat of July and early August, that sense of awe was never far away. But I wonder how many of us know the history of this beautiful hymn, written originally in 1885 by Carl Boberg in Sweden, following a particularly impressive thunderstorm, at a time when many Christians there were suffering persecution. It was then translated into German through a migrant Swedish community in Estonia and this version was translated into Russian in 1912. And it was an English paraphrase by a British missionary working in Ukraine of this Russian version in 1949 that first introduced it to the UK, where its popularity soared, used as one of the principal hymns of the Billy Graham
Crusades in the 1950’s. Amazing how this hymn has developed, attributing the awesome forces of nature to a loving and almighty God, in societies where faith is, as in our own society today, largely treated as irrelevant. So let’s look at the words below, and ask ourselves who, but Almighty God could be the author of such amazing power. ‘O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder; thy power throughout the universe displayed. ‘When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur, and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze. ‘And when I think that God, his son not sparing, sent him to die - I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, he bled and died to take away my sin.’ How great indeed, God is!
Duncan Burr is Licensed Lay Reader for the Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida (further details available at www.mojacarchurch.org) and may be contacted at djburr@avired.com
Fishy Business #3 By Jos Biggs I NEEDED prawns - right now! I flew into the Corner Shop. ‘I need prawns for the cat.’ I explained to the unflappable Jean. I bore a packet home and tried one Aaaah, that is what a prawn should taste like! Tommy thought the same, and one by one I hand-fed him best Scandinavian prawns from Catch of the Day. It took several days of prawns on demand for Tommy to readily accept his prawn without firstly minutely examining it for suspicious substances. I don’t think that a 24-hour prawn diet is ideal for a cat, but needs must! Eventually he accepted his prawns without qualm, so I dunked four prawns in a tiny amount of tranquiliser. He turned them over, and said ‘there’s something funny about these prawns.’ He ate two. Two hours later he ate the
other two. He seemed unaffected by his doctored prawns, so I decided to give him the other half of his tranquiliser - effectively an overdose. I prepared two more prawns. ‘These prawns are off.’ He declared decisively. I now had a half-tranquilised cat there was nothing for it! I opened his mouth and smeared the remaining powder on his tongue. He spat and disappeared. He re-appeared an hour later, rather wobbly, and with his eyes not quite opposite their holes. I grabbed him and stuffed him unceremoniously in a mended box, secured it with a strap and headed vetwards, fast. He has had his jabs, but he has stated that he’s never ever going to eat another prawn!
josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk
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Friends, Romans, countrymen CREDIT: Carthaginian and Roman festival, via Facebook
THE city of Cartagena has begun gearing up for its annual fiesta of Romans and Carthaginians which takes place this year from Friday September 21 to Sunday September 30. The event pays homage to the city’s ancient heritage. It is set to see a week’s worth of re-enactments, performances and parades. Cartagena residents typically don the outfits associated with the Ancient Romans and Carthaginians for the duration of the fiesta. Re-enactments begin with a recreation of the founding of the city by the Carthaginian explorer Asdrubal. The notary named the city Qart-Hadasht. There are also stagings of the weddings of later Carthaginians Anibal and Himilce, the Oracle of Fanit and the disembarkation of the Carthaginian navy. The hiring of mercenaries and a recreation of the march of the famous general Hannibal towards Rome are also set to take place. There is then due to be a pitched battle re-enactment be-
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TO ARMS: Cartagena will have a Roman feel from September 21. tween the forces of Hannibal and those of the Roman general Publius Cornelius Scipio. The latter defeated Hannibal during the Sec-
ond Punic War in the Third Century BCE and Rome conquered Carthage’s territories in Spain shortly after.
Following the battle there is due to be the commemoration of the Roman victory. There will be a recreation of the moment the
Carthaginians surrendered and acknowledged the authority of their new Roman masters. A procession through the city is due to take place as part of this. There will also be a chance for fiesta goers to wine and dine with the great Hannibal and Scipio back at their camps. Their troops will also be on hand at the camp where a variety of traditional wares and from the two ancient powers will be on display. Cartagena is more than 3,000 years old and its name comes from the people who founded it, the Carthaginians. It was later conquered the Roman Empire and was renamed Carthago-Nova (New Carthage). It became a significant port in the southern part of what was then the province of Hispania. Carthage was one of the ancient Mediterranean’s great trading powers until they were conquered by Rome. Cartagena was a significant city throughout history and remains an important shipping and naval hub.
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Property
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Buying property properly THE reasons why Britons top the list of foreign buyers of Spanish property are not hard to understand. As well as a flourishing expat community and a warmer climate, there is also the opportunity to establish a better work-life balance. The credit crunch of 2008 caused Spain’s property prices to crash, with the market only beginning to recover in 2014. Thanks in part to strong economic growth in recent years, a total of 518,000 proper ties were sold in 2017, a 15 per cent increase on the previous year. House prices in the country are forecast to rise by 5 per cent in 2018, and rental prices are growing at doubledigit rates. Major cities like Barcelona, Palma and Madrid are reaching record-high
average rental prices, as more and more homes go up for sale. British buyers usually find the purchasing process to be relatively uncomplicated, as there is no requirement to be a Spanish resident to buy property. Choosing a reliable property agency can help buyers reduce the risks they face during the house-buying process, and planning permission is important. There are no legal restrictions on getting a mortgage from a Spanish bank as a British citizen, but it could be more difficult as credit checks are performed locally. Making the move to one of Spain’s property hotspots does not have to be a complex process, but doing the necessary research will ensure a buyer can settle into the famous Spanish good life much quicker.
SECURITY: Elderly Spanish property owners enjoying the rest of lives in their own homes with money in the bank.
Elderly homes trend ELDERLY Spanish property owners are selling their houses for half the market value, on the condition they can live out their final days in their homes. The concept of bare ownership, perfectly legal, allows the seller to continue living in the property after the purchase goes through and until they pass away. Speaking to a Spanishdaily newspaper, 92-yearold Carmen Segovia, said she “wants to die in her own house.” The pensioner, who’s planning on selling her 100sqm flat for just under €200,000, added that she has all her “family memories there, and “would like to live well” until she dies.
But some people find the practice a bit macabre, as the handover is dependent on somebody’s death. A Spanish Twitter user disturbed to the point that he shared an advertisement he had seen for an apartment in Madrid earlier last month. It read: ‘The current owner, over 70 years old, will continue to live in this property as a usufructuary until the end of his days.’ This prompted fellow users to question the practice, ‘isn’t it disturbing? You could actually wish someone else’s death to have access to their homes? I wouldn’t sleep well,” wrote one. Another added: ‘I also
couldn’t believe it when I first saw it. It’s one of those things you don’t even think about until you search for a home. Then you realise it happens every day and it’s quite sad,” another commentator wrote. But for the pensioners making use of Spain’s ownership laws, which gives them the usufruct rights to use and enjoy a property belonging to someone else, it’s a no brainer. An 88-year-old homeowner told the Spanish newspaper that his daughters were doing well for themselves and wouldn’t need the house, so by selling it “we’re going to have some more money to live more comfortably with.“
Communal living THE number of housing complexes which cater to the needs of smaller families has risen in Spain in recent years. While it used to be more common in Spain to have one big house with many generations living under the same roof, families are now choosing to live in smaller houses, preferably in complexes where they have ever ything they need under one roof. These cohousing communities often have shared facilities such as a pool, garden and tennis court and tend to
be built outside the main cities with access to good transport links. According to a recent study by Casaktua, most families consider a swimming pool the most essential feature when looking for a new house. Jose Maria Ezquiaga, head of the Of ficial Architects’ Association of Madrid (COAM), revealed that the new generation of buyers now prefer to live in a community, and these new complexes give them access to on-site facilities they would not be able to afford otherwise.
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Lifestyle
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How to make a small bedroom feel bigger HOMES are getting smaller, meaning bedrooms in particular have seen their sizes reduced in modernday flats and houses. To avoid a cramped feel, ways must be sought to make the best use possible of the limited space available and give an impression of space. Colour is very important in this case as it can affect the visual impression of size and space. Ceilings, decorating experts say, should always be painted white and smaller rooms should have light coloured walls. Dark paint should be avoided at all cost and if a warmer colour is used it should be limited to just one of the walls.
WHITE walls and linen can avoid visual overload making a room appear cramped.
Although ideally wardrobes should be built-in to avoid losing more space, if this isn’t an option the sides of the wardrobe should be painted in a light tone and mirrored or glass doors used to give more sense of space. Natural light is another important key to making a bedroom feel spacious. Beds should be placed to
face incoming light. When choosing furniture, the colour can make all the difference. White is used to give a sense of space, but other colours can work too if combined with other items in the room. As in any small space, mirrors are useful decorative items which are also practical. Care must be taken not to use too many.
Gardening on a budget GARDENING on a budget doesn’t mean splashing out on expensive gardening accessories. Recycling your cartons and packaging can be a useful way of saving on essential gardening aids whose costs add up if you buy them from specialist gardening stores. One way of planting seeds for example is by using cardboard egg cartons to make a seed raising tray. These can also help the environment as they degrade naturally. Firstly, though, the egg carton pots have to be moistened and kept wet daily. Once ready to plant, cut out each egg cup and plant the whole ‘pot’ in the soil. Don’t throw out the plastic pots which you get from plants either. They can be redecorated and used again for another plant. In fact, any container can be used for replanting as long as it has holes for drainage. So, tin cans, plastic bottles with the tops cut off, plastic tubs, old boots, bags, anything can be used. Labels for seedlings can also be made from old plastic milk jugs by cutting up the different faces of the bottle into rectangular strips then cut the corners off one end to put into the soil. For an instant watering can, use an old plastic drinks container, such as an old milk jug, make a few holes in the lid and fill with water and you are ready to go.
Food & Drink
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Testing times! WITH all the eggs we usually have to hand here, at Olive Tree Farm, baking has always played a huge part in the farmhouse kitchen. I have a number of go to recipes which I have made in various shapes and sizes for many years and as none of us are gluten intolerant, normal wheat flour is what I use. I have noticed however, more and more people seem to suffer from gluten intolerance and despite having tried a few recipes, I haven’t had a huge amount of success and have found the end result, somewhat disappointing, having a very different texture to my normal cakes. This week I decided to try again, however, rather than starting from scratch, I thought I would test out one of the cake packet mixes readily available in the local shops. To be honest, I had never even looked at them. It was only after someone mentioned on my cooking group page that they had baked them, and they were nice, that it got my attention. Me being me, I decided to check it out for myself. My three-year-old grandson asked if he could be my trusty helper, I agreed. After finally managing to open the packet we got to work. I was surprised that it took four eggs, the packet looked quite small. You also had to add 300ml of cream, again it seemed like an odd choice. Logan vigorously mixed the eggs and cream together with a manual hand whisk, with me clinging onto the bowl for dear life! The eggs were now thoroughly beaten to death. Next for the packet mix to be added.
PACKET CAKE: Surprising.
I also added a little grated lemon zest as lemon flavoured cakes are one of our favourites. Another minute or so of whisking and we added it to the cake mould. I was concerned there wasn’t enough mix, but as that was the mould Logan had chosen, that was what we went for. The oven was already heated to temperature and in the cake went. Thirty minutes later we could see the cake had risen beautifully and actually we had made the right choice by using the larger mould. After testing with a wooden skewer to make
sure it was baked through, we removed it from the oven and left it to rest for a few minutes before tipping it out of the mould! I then made a lemon zest and juice icing, mixing it with icing sugar until smooth, and whilst the cake was still warm drizzled it over the top of the cake. The end result was actually really good. Whilst the addition of the lemon added a bit of zing, my main surprise was how light in texture the cake was. So, on that note, for anyone that is gluten intolerant and loves a bit of cake, have a go, you might be pleasantly surprised. The mix I chose was from Mercadona, it was 2.20€ and you can find it near the rice flour. If you would like to join my cooking group search us out on Facebook ‘Cooks In Spain.’
OLIVE TREE FARM was set up about four years ago with the intention of achieving a level of self sufficiency. We have poultry for meat and eggs, goats for milk, rabbits and small pigs for meat and har vest our 70 olive trees each year for oil. We also grow a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Weekender 19
20
Weekender
Health & beauty
7th - 13th September 2018
Exercising while pregnant PREGNANT women should get safe and relevant exercises that they can cope with working towards and beyond their third trimester. First trimester which is the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, providing your doctor has examined you and confirmed that ever ything is fine, you can pretty much continue with the exercises that you have been doing, even running will do you no harm at this stage providing again you have been running prior to pregnancy. Second trimester 13-27 weeks.Yyou are going to feel a little more like a pregnant woman and it may feel more comfortable to move to low impact choices of cardio exercise such as the bicycle, cross trainer or low impact aerobic style classes. The priority for my client here, is that she keeps her strength training up, particularly core, glutes and low-
er back. She is able to use the cross trainer and the rower as long as I watch her technique and it is not uncomfortable for her. We did a class yesterday using light weights with low impact cardio. This class is fairly challenging but she has done this class many times before, the only adaptions I have to make at this stage, is that she does not lift weight above her head and that she no longer does any abdominal crunching or twisting core exercises. Third trimester 28 weeks to birth. We aren’t there yet, but we have it to look forward to. Your body will tell you how much it can cope with at this stage, I would not recommend that you train on your own especially with weights, as it is important that you are able to adapt the moves correctly and comfortably, and that you avoid flat lying exercises. No over stretching, your body is releasing the
hormone relaxin and it is ver y easy to overstretch, however certain lower back exercises such as cat stretches and hip bridges will help to relieve lower back pain.
Studies have shown that the fitness level of the mother can result in shorter labour, fewer medical interventions and less exhaustion during labour.
KEEPING HEALTHY: There are health benefits to a pregnant workout.
Anti-bacterial soaps ANTI-BACTERIAL soaps are no more effective than plain soap at killing bacteria. Whilst many people choose anti-bacterial soap products, expecting to be better protected from germs, a study has found them to be no more effective. The Korean scien-
tists said there was ‘no significant difference’ between the effects of plain soap and its anti-bacterial counterparts under normal ‘real-life’ conditions. They examined the effect of triclosan, the active antiseptic ingredient commonly used and tested 20 strains on how well it killed bac-
teria. They found triclosan had killed significantly more bacteria after nine hours or more, but not during the short time required for hand washing. Then, they compared the ability of antibacterial and non-antibacterial soap to remove bacteria from human hands using 16 healthy adult volunteers and found ‘no significant difference’ between the two.
Health & beauty
7th - 13th September 2018
Weekender 21
Hiding tiredness For bloodshot eyes, either from exhaustion or crying, flesh-toned eyeliner is your new best friend. Go for a shade only slightly darker than your natural skin tone to cover those red rims. Matte shades are more subtle but shimmery ones have some great brightening power. A touch of blue mascara can work wonders on making the whites of your eyes appear whiter and in eliminating the appearance of the red tones.
Detoxing THERE are numerous types of detox available, promoting a variety of health benefits, although most of them contain some standard elements. Whichever detox you choose, the first thing to do is lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to the healing process. Some believe the detox can be taken to the next level by minimising the use of chemical cleaners and chemical based healthcare products like shampoos and deodorants. Natural alternatives can be used instead. Stress can have a
hugely adverse impact on the body, triggering stress hormones into your system and can contribute to excess toxins in the system so it is important during a detox to keep your mind calm and in a stress free environment. Practices such as yoga and meditation are simple and effective at reducing stress by bringing your body and mind into harmony. There are hundreds of
For those dark circles which may be anything from grey to blue to dark purple tr y a peachy or yellowy-toned concealer. Peach looks more natural but yellow is brightening. Your skin may be showing the tell-tale signs of tiredness even if the rest of your face isn’t. Dull, lifeless skin can be perked up with a refresher spray. If it’s kept in the fridge then it’ll help refresh skin and reduce puffiness. Light foundation or BB cream is always a lifesaver in these detox programmes, recipes and regimes depending on your needs. Many programmes follow a seven-day schedule because it takes a few days to properly cleanse the blood. An example of a detox routine may include fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully-planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. Some popular detox regimes are: Simple Fruit and Veggie Detox, Smoothie cleanse, Juice Cleanse, Sugar Detox and Hypoallergenic Detox.
situations but go easy, as trowelling it on never helps. A cream blush is a great fix
for the face as it introduces a soft glow for a fresh-faced look, instead of harsh unnatural colours. For cool undertones use a babypink
shade, and for warm complexions, opt for something a little more peachy.
Make-up can transform a tired face into a fresh face look if applied correctly.
CREDIT: Vladimir Giorgiev / Shutterstock
OUR busy everyday lives can be shattering in the modern world. There may be many reasons why you’re tired such as job stress, insomnia, burning the candle at both ends, or personal issues. In a perfect world we’d take a week off to relax and catch up with sleep but hello... this is not a per fect world, chin up and let’s get on with it, we need a quick makeup fix! Tiredness can be hard to cover but here are some tips:
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Weekender
Leisure
7th - 13th September 2018
Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan on the final episode: ‘I kind of lost my s*** a little bit’ Richard Shanley
Dishing the Dirt OF EUROPA DIGITAL
CATASTROPHE is one of the nation’s best-loved comedy series, but it’s inching ever closer to its final episode. Co-creator Sharon Horgan is all too aware of this fact, and has revealed she ‘broke down a few times’ when reading the show’s last ever scene. Speaking on Second Captains on RTE Radio One, Horgan said she “just couldn’t read” the emotional script at a table read and said “I lost my sh*t a bit. “When we did our read-through - because you’re reading all six scripts and ever yone’s there and most people have been involved with it from the ver y beginning,” she began. “ We g o t t o t h e l a s t scene of the sixth episode a n d r e a l l y, r e a l l y e m b a r -
COMEDY GOLD: Season four of Catastrophe is in post production.
GRAND FINALE: The show’s final episode will soon air.
r a s s i n g l y, I k i n d o f lost my shit a little bit.” Later, the Bafta-winning writer
and actor spoke more about filming the final series. “On set, when Rob did his last
scene, I couldn’t even talk to him,” said Horgan. “I was just like, ‘I’m going to email you! Ever ything I’m feeling now I’ve got no way I can express it.’ I haven’t
done the email yet.” Season four of Catastrophe is currently in post-production, with no air date yet confirmed by Channel 4. But Horgan still has an idea when she hopes her and comedian Rob Del a n e y ’s n e x t b a t c h o f episodes will see the light of day. “We think it’s going to go out early next year,” she said.
If you would like me to answer any questions you may have on satellite TV or to expand on anything I have written about please call me on 678 332 815 or email richard@europa-digital.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. Don’t forget to listen to my radio show every weekday from 10am on Spectrum 96.1 and 106.8FM, now covering almost 3,000sq kms of Costa Almeria and Calida or listen online at costaalmeria.spectrumfm.net for the latest news and views from the world of satellite television.
PETS
7th - 13th September 2018
Weekender 23
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Paw prints A ROUND up of pet chatter from the Almeria cybersphere. Brought to you by Rex Charles. DIANE, from Huercal-Overa, is seeking a dog trainer for her 14-month-old Australian labradoodle. She is seeking a trainer preferably on a one-to-one basis. RONIG, from Arboleas, is taking care of a stray male Siamese cat aged no more than two years old. He is very affectionate and friendly and asks anyone who thinks he may belong to them to contact him. SUSAN, from Dublin and living in Huercal-Overa, asks if dogs are allowed on beaches. Bob and Sandra, from Mojacar, reply saying there may be dog-friendly beaches others may know of but otherwise there are restrictions. Visit: www.costadealmeriaforum.com/area/all/ani mals-pets-in-costa-de-almer%C3%ADa-230/
24
Weekender
Puzzles
7th - 13th September 2018
Wordsearch Types of Vegetables
Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules? The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms. No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice. No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
TARGET:
CABBAGE
SWEDE
LEEK
PEA
ZUCCHINI
SPINACH
CAULIFLOWER
CARROT
RUTABAGA
POTATO
PARSNIP
PUMPKIN
RADISH
CASSAVA
GINGER
ARUGULA
TURNIP
BEET
CELERY
Quick
Across 7 Containing salt (6) 8 View comprehensively (6) 9 Ready for harvest (4) 10 Example (8) 11 Dream (7) 13 Of no importance (5) 15 Frightening (5) 17 Windlass (7) 20 Pasta in the form of slender tubes (8) 21 Remain (4) 22 Extreme (6) 23 Interfere with (6)
Down 1 Boat harbour (6) 2 Eat (4) 3 Continue to exist (7) 4 Requested information about (5) 5 Soft running shoes (8) 6 Imperfection (6) 12 Menace (8) 14 Assortment (7) 16 Dry red wine (6) 18 Rhododendron (6) 19 Assembly of witches (5) 21 Identical (4)
• Average: 16
• Very good: 31
• Good: 22
• Excellent: 40
SCORING: • 4 letters: 1 point • 5 letters: 2 points • 6 letters: 3 points • 7 letters: 4 points • 8 or more letters: 11 points
vein veiny vine vines viny went wees wive wine wines winy wiry when whee whet envoi envoy sewn senior sent shew sheet sheen sheeny seen sett ovine ivory inns ninth ninths ninny hewn rove rive ropy rods nine nines thew these then thee tees teen teeny prove print prod prods pods dory dorp dopy dips sprint spry
Cryptic
Across 1 Row made by fiddle (6) 4 Opts for the soft pieces (6) 9 Whirlwind rent-a-party (7) 10 Sailor, dry, disheartened and late (5) 11 Bird hiding in farmhouse loaf (5) 12 The lion made a stone tool (7) 13 Characters can’t mention policy (11) 18 Upset by putting it in quartz (7) 20 Tremble when she swallows a little potassium (5) 22 African antelope from Cleveland (5) 23 The weather worried Tim and Alec (7) 24 Transparencies of playground structures (6) 25 To laze around with a fanatic (6)
Down 1 Limit an allowance (6) 2 Spades, for example, for California roads (5) 3 Lee put a buckle on shoulder ornament (7) 5 Plenty to join in game (5) 6 Mantra I made up for someone from another planet (7) 7 Dreadfully chesty grass cutter (6) 8 Company events said to be happening at the same time (11) 14 I’m a Giro criminal, manipulating paper (7) 15 Dud is confused if miser (7) 16 Russian leader swears at lively clubbers (6) 17 Choose some wise lecturers (6) 19 Confuse the theologian with the French (5) 21 Exercise that makes a small number suffer (5)
Puzzles
7th - 13th September 2018
IRREGULAR SUDOKU
SOLTIMES STAR QUIZ : ALL THAT JAZZ International Jazz Day is a yearly event on April 30, organised by UNESCO to celebrate the ‘virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people’ 1. By what nickname was the American ragtime and early jazz pianist, conductor and composer Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe better known? 2. Shattered Dreams, I Don't Want to be a Hero, Turn Back the Clock (all 1987) and Heart of Gold (1988) were all UK Top 20 hits for which British band? 3. The 1972 biographical drama film Lady Sings the Blues, starred who as American jazz singer Billie Holliday? 4. Which English clarinettist/vocalist was backed by the Paramount Jazz Band? 5. Which famous jazz club opened on October 30, 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district? In 1965 it moved to a
larger venue nearby at 47 Frith Street. 6. Which French pianist and composer is famous for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of Johann Sebastian Bach's works, such as the Goldberg Variations? 7. Which jazz combo established in 1952 that played music influenced by classical, cool jazz, blues and bebop consisted, for the majority of its career, of John Lewis (piano and musical director), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Percy Heath (double bass) and Connie Kay (drums)? 8. Which jazz singer, born Clementine Dinah Bullock in Uxbridge, Middlesex, in 1927, was married to jazz composer John Dankworth? 9. Which Russian-born American entertainer played Jakie Rabinowitz (Jack Robin) in the 1927 musical film The Jazz Singer, the first featurelength motion picture with synchronised sound? 10. With which instrument would you principally associate the jazz musicians Chet Baker, Kenny Ball, Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie?
Kakuro
Answers 1. JELLY ROLL MORTON, 2. JOHNNY HATES JAZZ, 3. DIANA ROSS, 4. ACKER BILK, 5. RONNIE SCOTT’S, 6. JACQUES LOUSSIER, 7. THE MODERN JAZZ QUARTET (MJQ), 8. CLEO LAINE, 9. AL JOLSON (ASA YOELSON),10. TRUMPET
SUDOKU
Weekender 25
Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
CrosswordSolutions from last week Quick
Cryptic
Sudoku
Irregular Sudoku
26
Weekender
by Sandy Shore IT seems to me that most achievements in life come with awards of one kind or another. As I write I celebrate five years of marriage to my wife, who is a true blessing in disguise. I recall a car sticker upon which was captioned, ‘if I knew grandchildren were so much fun I would have had them first.’ From this I deduct that if wife No 3 had been wife No 1 there wouldn’t be have been a No 1 and No 2. So, tonight we shall wine and dine and our table talk will not include the occasional upsets. When we’re conscripted or volunteer to serve Her Maj’, we get chest candy whether we fight or not. Even the blanket stackers are going to jingle jangle as they parade. If they fight for the wrong or losing side it isn’t the medals that hang. During this evening’s celebratory dinner we can be sure of the sweet refrains of ‘Happy Birthday’ being played for a diner and their birthday companions.
Feature
7th - 13th September 2018
Celebration of the driving licence
ON THE ROAD: Sandy looks back fondly on his days behind the wheel. We no longer celebrate a 21st birthday with the transfer of the household key. Many youngsters are latchkey kids and have had the key since they blew out eight candles. Mum gets here Mother’s Day upon which evening she is hopefully
doted upon by dad’s offspring; allegedly. The sire to the household gets his Father’s Day opportunity too but can’t find the gift as it is among other pairs of socks. I did receive some kind of discharge from my school; I was a callow 15-year old bint at the
time. As far as I recall there wasn’t a gala of any kind, not even a ‘good luck, son.’ That paper parting shot has been in my drawer for as long as the sand has poured through my hour glass. There is for me only one prize that is in the shape of the pre-
dictable cup. Although not as grand as the one on the podium following a Formula 1 Champagne-fuelled extravaganza it sits as proudly in the cabinet. This cup was presented to me by the editorial board of a newspaper group in recognition of my penmanship. My Merchant Navy documents are treasured but only because to browse through them is to recover a lost world. Strangely missing and in truth never remembered is the day I passed my driving test. Yet, surely it should take pride of place next to my birth certificate. Both were the key to travelling experiences, life’s ups and downs, marked courtships, disasters and adventures. Never forgotten, the car in which I sped to the hospital with my haemorrhaging wife when my son couldn’t wait to get started on his life. Let us today then celebrate the great British Driving Licence.
Behind THE MUSIC V L James vljcomms@gmail.com Facebook: @vljamesinfo
Grease
LAST week we featured the 1977 film and soundtrack album, Saturday Night Fever. Well, 1978 would go on to be arguably even bigger for the star of both, John Travolta with the release of box office smash Grease and the accompanying album. The album would produce two of the biggest selling No 1 singles in UK chart history. You’re the One That I Want and Summer Nights stayed at No 1 for nine and seven weeks respectively. Other hit singles from the album included Hopelessly Devoted to You, Greased Lightening and the title track Grease. Grease (is the word) was performed by Frankie Valli (of The Four Seasons) and written by Barry Gibb (thus completing an amazing two years for the Bee Gee, given his involvement with
ELECTRIFYING: A cult classic. Saturday Night Fever as well). The Rock ‘n’ Roll numbers were performed by Sha-Na-Na. Actress Stockard Channing, who played leader of the Pink Ladies Rizzo, sang on two tracks and this would be the sum total of her recording career. If you’re only going to record two tracks in your life you may as well record them for an album that goes on to sell over 28 million copies!
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CHARITIES/CHURCHES
667 947 573. Janet Smith 671 451 838. For more information go to their website at www.mojacarchur ch.org ZURGENA branch of the Royal British Legion hold Branch Meetings on the 1st Thursday of the month. Coffee morning 3rd Wednesday of the month. Quiz night with a hot and cold buffet last Friday of the month. We also arrange outings to places of interest and have regular lunches together. (253989)
DRAINAGE
GIRASOL COMMUNITY CENTRE. Mosaic Classes, Art Classes, Karate, Yoga, Thai Chi, Pilates, Health Screening every 6 weeks. For Hire 5.00€ per hour. Tel 639 089 170 COSTA Almeria and Costa Calida. Mojacar Eucharist Sunday 11am, at San Pascual. Aljambra Chapel, Albox, Eucharist, second and last Thursday of each month, 11am. Evensong, second Sunday of each month 6pm. Llanos Del Peral, Cucador, Eucharist or morning worship, Sunday 11am. Church Wardens: Pam Carter
BUILDERS
HEALTH & BEAUTY GIRASOL HEALTH FOOD SHOP, Calle Malaga, Albox. For all your dietary needs, health foods, organic foods, supplements, super food powders, organic eggs and veggie box scheme. Est 2006. Tel 639 089 170
HOME MAINTENANCE MARKS Home Maintenance services. Painting General Maintenance. Kitchen Unit Renovation. References available. 634 908 475 (259695)
INSURANCE ALBOX/MOJACAR INSURANCE, Award winning Agent for ALL your insurance needs. ALBOX OFFICE: 950 121 943. Mojacar office: 634 323 399 MOTOR INSURANCE. For the most competitive quotes in English call Linea Directa on 902 123 309, you could save as much as 30% and you can transfer your existing no claims bonus. Call Linea Directa on 902 123 309 for motor insurance with a human voice in English from Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm and save money now! (200726)
INTERNET GET YOUR business noticed online! Make sure that expats in Spain can find your product, service, restaurant, bar or shop. Contact Spain’s newest and brightest online directory TODAY. Call 951 386 161 or email mark.w@euroweekl ynews.com for more details.
LOCKSMITH PHILL THE PICK, LOCKSMITH-24hr. Locked Out? Locks fitted/upgraded, house safes. Arboleas and surrounding. Special Weekend Rate. Tel 697 243 181 (277074)
MOTORING WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726)
PETS THE FIVE BONE HOTEL, TURRE. Little dogs 6.25 euros, medium dogs 7.00 euros, big dogs (over 20kg) 7.75 euros, cats from 5.50-7.00 euros a day. 630 234 556 / the5bonehotelturre@ gmail.com New opening hours MonSat 9.30-12.30 and 18.00-19.00 Sundays 9.30-10.30 (256834)
REMOVALS/STORAGE FULLY Insured UK/Spain Removals & Storage, UK Trading Standards Approved www.indalotransport. com 634 33 64 68 or Freephone UK 0800 999 33 68 (276002)
www.ukspainuk.com We’ve 18+ years’ experience. New Clean Vehicles running 2/3 times monthly. ONLINE QUOTES. Insured with RSA. ANY size move. Worried who to use? We’ll look after you. Call BMC European free on Spain 900 984 960 or UK 0800 612 4677 (WhatsApp +34 622 588 222) (279154)
SITUATIONS VACANT ARE YOU selfmotivated and hard working? We are looking for administration/telesal es candidates. Experience not essential as full training is given. Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruitment@eurowe eklynews.com.
SOLAR ENERGY /POWER SOLAR WIND POWER SOLUTIONS. Over 20 years installation experience. Established 17 years in Spain. Call Phil for competitive prices on 636 261 240 or email info@sunergyalmeria.c om (276001)
SWIMMING POOL GENECO Pool construction. Tel 950 478 086 for no obligation quote (93401)
TILING FLOOR AND WALL TILING SPECIALIST Not a jack of all trades, just a master of one! Call Steve Holman on 697 678 708 (255340)
TRANSPORT FULLY Insured UK/Spain Removals & Storage, UK Trading Standards Approved www.indalotransport. com 634 336 468 or Freephone UK 0800 999 33 68 (279773)
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30
Sport
7th - 13th September 2018
Aguilon Golf members report THE following is a communiqué from the Aguilon Golf Club: With summer holidays in full flow, there are many competitions being run by the golf club to cater for Spanish members and holidaymakers with food and entertainment going on in to the early hours. Wednesday August 15 - Individual Stableford The course is in immaculate condition and a credit to the green staff, however only a small field to enjoy the campo de golf. 1st Derrick Stephenson 37pts 2nd Rich Hull 35pts on a card play off 3rd Sue Hull 35pts on a card play off Two’s: none today an unusual event. Wednesday August 22 - Individual Stableford A runaway winner this week which delighted the handicap sec as he could use his scissors to good effect. 1st Derek Manning 41pts
Derrick Stephenson won on August 15.
Derek Manning took first place on August 22.
2nd Dave Wilson 36pts 3rd Lynne Whibley 35pts on a card play off Two’s: Dave Wilson x2 12th & 17th, Kevin Manser 12th, Graham Spalding 14th Wednesday August 29 - Individual Stableford Our numbers are getting back up to normal as the holiday season draws to a close and some very good scoring on another humid day. 1st Norman Ridgway 40pts 2nd Les Raufer 39pts 3rd Dave Sharp 37pts Twos: Kevin Manser x2 3rd & 14th, Karyn Esposito, Dave Gray, Jim Laing 14th, Roy Bishop, Dave Simpson 17th. Normal Ridgway took the title on August 29.
THE following is a report on the La Marina’s Golf Society’s 2018 Summer Cup: The fourth round of the Summer Cup saw 23 players meet at the always improving Alenda Golf Course, with half a dozen members still in contention for the trophy. The format is the best two scores from four rounds and coming up from the pack was the relatively ‘new kid on the block’ Frank Cullen whose massive return of 41 points gave him a final total of 80 points, winning by a county mile. He obviously also took the silver award, and a nearest to the pin. Leading the race for the gold award was Bill Stobo with 35 points and again a nearest to the pin (NTP). Other NTPs went to Gerry McCabe and John Thompson. The two’s pot went to John ‘The Singer’ Milton. A presentation was held at the La Marina sports centre where we were treated to an excellent meal and wine by Helena and her staff. A belated mention for our captain Elspeth who achieved a hole in one at Font Del Llop, unfortunately not on a society day which would have resulted in a large drinks bill. Our next meeting is at Las Colinas on September 13 when we shall be playing for the La Marina Master’s Trophy. Cost is €60 with a first tee of €10. List is on the board as usual or contact Alan Craig on a100ac@yahoo.co.uk.
CREDIT: Mojacar Council
Summer Cup
KEEPING ACTIVE: The town put on a variety of activities last month.
Staying in shape MOJACAR Council put on multiple leisure activities last month, especially during their local festivities. More than 600 people participated in activities put on by the local authority’s sports department, according to the council. Activities were made for all ages, which gave
the participants a chance to compete in their physical class. Sports included the traditional 36th senior football tournament. CD Mojacar faced Cuevas CF and the town’s 34th ‘Carrera Popular’ brought 300 runners of all ages. There were also plenty of participants in the 25th Petanque Championship
which took place on the Mojacar beach. The fourth Miguel Egea Memorial football game between ’Pedruscos and Chinorros’ kept the same players from the start of the team 40 years ago, with the occasional exception of invited players, the council said. Sports authorities have been incorporating new
types of sport. The Marina de la Torre golf course held their third Golf Villa Tournament this year, with an increase in participation. The up and coming paddle sport also featured the Summer Tournament which included female and male groups. It was a success for participants and the public.
Motoring
CREDIT: Volvo
7th - 13th September 2018
HANDS FREE: Volvo said the car had many uses.
Car of the future By Rod Geary SWEDISH car maker Volvo has unveiled a new concept car which it said would change the way we commute. The Volvo 360c concept, which was announced earlier this week, comes as part of a wider project from the company to create autonomous, electric, connected and safe cars. It aims to turn minutes spent on daily commutes into time that could be used to catch up on office work and to get ahead in professional life. The car could also be used as a living room, sleeping quarters or enter tainment space, the company said in a statement. Mar ten Levenstam, head of corporate strategy at Volvo, said the possibilities that new technology held to change
commutes was ‘mind boggling.’ “The 360c explores what becomes possible when we remove the human driver, using new freedoms in design and recapturing time. “It’s a glimpse at how autonomous drive technology will change the world as we know it,” Levenstam said. Volvo said fully autonomous self driving cars offered a range of health, safety and lifestyle benefits, particularly for people living in cities. Environment benefits also came from the car being powered by an electric engine. The car could have a knock on ef fect on the proper ty market in cities by taking pressure of f existing housing stocks and reducing home prices as a result, Volvo added. Levenstam said using
the 360c as a mobile office would mean people could live further away from cities. Those using the vehicle would be able to use their time in a more “pleasant and efficient way,” he added. “People becoming less reliant on the proximity to cities is just one example of the impact of removing the burden of unproductive travel time,” Levenstam said. The 360c could rival other forms of transport including planes, buses and trains due to it being able to of fer greater
comfor t, convenience and privacy, Volvo said. The car could come to be seen as a first class private cabin which would take passengers from place to place without the fuss of an airport or the tight squeeze of planes. Levenstam said the company saw the 360c as a ‘conversation starter’ for the industry. “We believe fully autonomous driving has the potential to fundamentally change our society in many ways. It will have a profound impact on how people travel,” he said.
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Vehicle sales jump THE number of vehicles registered in Spain stood at 101,700 at the end of August, an increase of almost 50 per cent on last year’s figure according to industry data. Figures from car makers, dealers and sellers associations showed the figure fell short of the 115,000 forecast by the industry. They come as car sales stood at 973,542 so far this year, 14.6 per cent more had been sold by this point in 2017. The Anfac, Faconauto and Ganvam associations said part of the reason for the sales increase was new emissions rules which came into force on September 1. The new WLTP emissions standard meant cars that did not meet requirements had to be sold before the rules came into force. Sellers and dealerships slashed prices by up to 40 per cent as a result in some cases, according to the Faconauto dealer’s association. Sales to households rose by 27 per cent, with 57,457 sold to private individuals in August. The body added firms such as rental companies had taken advantage of the situation to bolster their stocks. Sales to hire car firms rose by 81.5 per cent, with a total of 6,505, according to industry figures. The industry has revised up its forecasts for the total amount of sales in 2018 from 1.35 to 1.4 million. Faconauto said buyers would have the chance to snap up cars with no mileage on the back of sales to dealers last month. French car maker Renault sold the most vehicles during August at 9,516. They were followed by Kia with 9,448, Fiat with 7,403, Volkswagen with 6,706 and Seat with 6,478. The last day of August saw sales in the thousands after the government announced the effect of road taxes from the WLTP standards would be delayed until 2020. This meant consumers could buy models that would not comply with standards after September 1 but they will not be taxed at new rates for two years.