Blanca B275

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COSTA blanca

SolTimes issue 275

25 APR -1 MAY

K ME UP’ IC ‘P Y KL EE W L IA NT SE ES YOUR

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IS IS A GOAT?

est. 7 yrs

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page 42

GREAT NEWS FOR EHRC page 23

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Tony Ellis

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

spainsave card...

Consul for ‘failing in his duties’.

If you live on the Costa Blanca, or are expecting visitors, then now is the time to get yourself a SPAINSAVE card. This is a new discount card scheme, available from www. thinkspain.spainsave.com, which offers thousands of discounts, deals and giveaways, including up to 50% off the top attractions of Benidorm’s Terra Mitica, Terra Natura, Aqua Natura, Aqualandia and Mundomar. Cardholders can expect 20% off Mundo Marino catamaran, sailing and motor boat excursions from Valencia, Denia, Javea, Calpe, Altea and Alicante. Over 1,000 other top attractions, excursions, activities, shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and night clubs are also partaking in the scheme, which will cost the cardholder a mere £15.

It seems too good to miss, so why not go to: www.thinkspain.spainsave.com, and cut the price of summer days out this year?

Sport

new program for Templete del Parque el palmeral...

The Ciclo de Primavera has opened the new program to take place in the popular Templete del Parque El Palmeral. The new program offers family fun and participation.

Acts will include interactive theatre with a combination of actors and puppets, magic and storytelling. The following program will take place on alternate Sundays, from April 14 to June 2: 14. April. Marimba Puppets - The Haunted Castle 28 April. Fran Pintadera - A world of stories 12 May. Theatre R and D - In Search of King Arthur’s Treasure 26 May. Imagine Sports - Magic Show 2 June. Pizzicatto - What a laugh, what a fright!

The shows will start at 12.30, and entrance is free.

Boston: spanish consol

Boston’s Spanish Consul has been sacked for closing the Consulate within one hour of the bombing, at the height of the emergency ‘because it was our normal going home time’.

Despite the fact that 91 Spaniards were taking part in the marathon, as well as the many more who were spectating, or supporting runners, Pablo Sánchez-Terán closed the Consulate for the day. Ignoring the injured, the ambulances, the police and the numerous members of the public who rallied round to help wherever they could, he closed the Consulate and went home. Asked why he replied that it was ‘the normal going home time.’

At the time when he closed the Consulate he did not know whether any Spaniards were injured, or in need of help, and when asked what they should do he replied that they should ‘ring the police or the hospital.’ Spain’s ministry of foreign affairs has fired the

staffing levels for policia local

The new staffing levels for the Policía Local have not been generally agreed, nor found favour with the Unions. Both the Unions represented in various police precincts and Ayuntamiento representatives themselves are not satisfied with the new formulas, especially the rota that affects most of the agent, the 5x2, that is; five days worked and two free, especially as about 70% of staff reside out of town and have to travel in daily.

Yet despite the fact that in recent weeks there seemed to have been progress the negotiations have been suspended and will be re-examined again between union representatives and the Concejal de Recursos Humanos, Agustina Esteve, and technicians of the Administración General.

An agreement was signed by the members of the four unions represented in the workforce, UGT, CCOO, CSIF SEP, who on February 13 signed an agreement to work the annual 1,664 hours required by Government decree in accordance with the ‘7x7 system’, which should have allowed for the Ayuntamiento to call upon 99.5 hours of service per year, should the need arise. At that time all parties agreed on the formula, but then one of the unions pulled out of the agreement, in particular the accounting of hours.The situation within the workforce is of concern, especially on weekends, when, including sick leave, up to 22 officers on the 169 police payroll could be absent. At present cover is given by overtime.

Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca Busy!

In the nearly five months that the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) (Platform of People Affected by Mortgages) has been in operation in Dénia it has been very busy.

So far it has been involved in 34 cases of families trapped in foreclosure processes and achieved the halting of two evictions in Marina Alta; one in Dénia and another in Javea.

According to the Portavoz de la PAH, Juan Antonio Almendros, the group aims to offer all the people in the region information meetings to explain what to do to ‘stop an eviction and defend themselves against financial attack.’

The next will be on Saturday at 19.00 in La Mistelera de La Xara.

Juan Antonio Almendros explained that the next eviction will be served by the court on May 7 and corresponds to one that was temporarily halted in March. The most recent was the one halted in Javea and in which the payment was made and the bank has been ordered to cancel the debt of 44,000 euros to the plaintiff. He said that the intervention of the Ayuntamiento of Javea helped to favourably resolve the case and stop the eviction of the resident. He stressed the need for the Consistory to collaborate. He also urged the development of an inventory of empty homes owned by banks and opening negotiations with them for social renting. Almendros also pointed out that a letter had been submitted to the chief judge to order that all Dénia courts should adhere to the judgment of Luxembourg, and halt all foreclosure proceedings in order to check whether there are any unfair conditions in the agreements.

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

Probably the largest and most spectacular Moors and Christians fiesta in Spain is taking place this week in Alcoi (Âlicante), a town as famous for its festival re-enacting the battle between the Arab occupants of Spain and the native Catholics during the Inquisition as Sevilla is for its Easter parades and Valencia for the Fallas.

On Sunday, the Christian troops – dressed in terrifying Mediaeval soldier outfits with helmets, swords, axes and spiked clubs – paraded through Alcoi in the morning, and the Moorish troops in exotic Arabic costume held their procession in the afternoon and evening.

Invasions by the Berber pirates, battles and storming of the castle and ejecting of the Moors all formed part of the fiesta.

Regional government president for Valencia, Alberto Fabra (PP) attended the pageant.

Most other towns and villages in the provinces of Valencia, Alicante and Castellón – which form the Comunidad Valenciana – hold Moors and Christians fiestas in high summer, although Alcoi and its neighbouring town Ontinyent organise theirs in early spring.

Thousands of visitors locally, nationally and from around the world went to Alcoi to enjoy the weekend’s parades, which will continue into the early part of this week.

Rubalcaba: “Take 500-euro notes out of circulation to stop fraud and forgery”

Banknotesof 500 euros may be scrapped to cut down on forgery rackets, tax evasion and poverty.

Leader of the opposition socialist party, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, says that by taking them out of circulation, the 500-euro notes found to be genuine could be spent on helping those living in poverty in Spain, a figure which could be as high as nearly half the population and already includes over 2.2 million children, according to official records.

Spain has more 500-euro notes than anywhere else in the European Union and about a quarter of those in circulation are within the country.

Rubalcaba says that by taking 500-euro notes out of circulation in Spain, those who had them would be obliged to change them, which would mean explaining where they came from and automatically being subject to any tax on them which they had tried to avoid paying.

The PSOE Secretary-General admitted that ‘it is evident that the State is not exactly flush with cash’, and that this would be a way of clawing back

more so that it could be used for social welfare and to support those who are struggling to survive financially.

He says that although there are lots of people who are in possession of 500-euro notes for genuine reasons, their use is more prolific in corruption and money-laundering cases, and they were the most susceptible to be forged, meaning those who had them in good faith may have been given fake notes without realising and find they were unable to spend them.

The British Organised Crime Squad has already found that 90 per cent of 500-euro notes were in the hands of those involved in illegal activities.

Rubalcaba has also called for Spain’s government to set up a ‘European social emergency’ fund with 3.5 billion euros.

He said if Spain were to approve a similar plan with one billion euros invested in it, they could create or prevent from disappearing 30,000 jobs

photo: http://almilliganimages.com/

Alcoi celebrates famous Moors and Christians festival

3

Cyclists protest over compulsory use of helmets on pushbikes

A two-wheeled protest ‘march’ in Valencia yesterday (Sunday) involved hundreds of cyclists demonstrating against a planned new law which will make it compulsory to wear helmets when riding bikes.

They say helmets are not compulsory in hardly any other European country, and their enforced use will reduce the number of people who use bicycles as their habitual form of transport.

This in turn will diminish the use of Valencia city’s on-street bike-hire scheme, which mirrors those of many other European cities, including Barcelona, and in some smaller towns, such as Gandia – an hour south of Valencia.

Bike shops will in turn lose profit, say protesters.

They claim the government is attempting to make cyclists ‘liable for their own safety’ rather than putting the onus on drivers to be more careful around bikes.

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4

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

barnes bulletin BENIDORM TO GATA, VIA THE LIMON EXPRESS? It would seem I have gained a reputation as an “Anorak” where trains are concerned.

After a question last week from David, asking the possibilities of a rail link to Alicante from Torrevieja, Roger Clark from Cabo Roig, asks if I recall the Limon Express, and if I think we would ever see it rattle along the tracks again. Er., no!

Sport

David Simpson, some 30 years ago, managed to get permission to run 12 or so vintage carriages, pulled by a diesel loco, built in Bilbao, the 40 Kms., or so, between Benidorm and Gata. I do remember that on the return journey, when bottles of Cava were popped, the guard used to switch the carriage lights off as the little train made it’s way through the number of short tunnels, on it’s merry way to Benidorm, much to the delight of many of the younger passengers.

If I recall, David sold the Limon Express to one Rudi Meyer, but without funding, often promised from the powers that be in the Valencia Community, it was soon to cease running.

Some years ago, I managed to photograph a few of the remaining carriages, parked up on a line, in the shadow of the castle in Alicante, but now can be seen, from the motorway, at the Alicante Tramway Depot., looking rather sad, having fallen prey to the graffiti “Artist”.

I’m afraid Roger, you will have to be content to take the narrow gauge to Gato de Gorgos, by means of the scheduled services. I guess you could take your own bag of lemons and a hipflask of Cava, but I expect the lights will stay on.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

With a few more days of April, still to run, a note from the Director, Oficina de Atencio’n al Residente International, Torrevieja, floats through the ether to me, about Christmas 2013!

Perhaps Director Graham Knight, spotted a flurry of snow from his office window, and thought “Gosh golly, it’s only about eight months to Christmas”.

There again, I can see the reasoning for his missive.

The popular “Christmas Carols in the Square” event, will take place on Friday 13th., of December, at it’s usual time of 19.30 Hrs., but this time it’s a little bit special, as it reaches it’s 10 edition.

Graham would like as many choirs, groups, clubs etc., to make a note of this date, in their diaries, so as to avoid the possibility of being committed elsewhere, and come along, in costume if possible, to sing in the square, on this special occasion. Perhaps a note to Graham Knight at the Torrevieja Town Hall, to advise that your team or choir will be taking part, would be an idea.

Last year, as well as local television, covering the event, national television were there. This being a special 10th., edition, perhaps the BBC will bring a crew. Well, you never know!

Right, better try and untangle the Christmas Tree lights now...

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Up, Up and not away

The saga at Corvera continues. The final brick to complete Corvera Airport, was laid some 15 months ago, yet not a sniff of aviation fuel has been detected.

Problems with the issues over the use of airspace, bureaucratic difficulties in the opening of customs gates, along with sorting out the piles of paperwork required when opening a new airport, have caused delays, but it would seem the dilemma that cropped up, almost from the start, was the failure to agree terms with Aena, to close down operations at San Javier, and move everything, lock, stock and flying-machines, down the road to Corvera. The concessionary, it would seem, is unwilling to open

STICK SWINGERS!

A.D.A.P.T. club from San Pedro, tell me they are joining in the festivities of the San Pedro del Pinatar Celebration events, by staging a display in the Grand Marquee, located on the sea front, by the Oceanography Research Centre.

The date for the diary is Sunday 25th., April. There will be trade stands along with entertainment for the younger folk.

A section of the beach is being fenced off, to allow the Metal Detecting Group, within A.D.A.P.T., to demonstrate their skill (Or not!), to detect valuable items from below the surface, in this case, sand.

The team will help anyone interested, be it children, or older folk, to locate specially buried “Treasure”!

The time for this motley crew (See photograph!) to take to the sands, is between 10AM and 2PM.

Corvera, without the closure of San Javier, but the chaps from the Ministry for Development, are refusing to move, without compensation, and as neither the regional government or the concessionary fellows, have 70 million odd euro to pass across, it’s reached an impasse.

Latest news I hear, is that the concessionary is ready to throw in the bath-towel, and walk away, leaving the regional government with an unopened airport, and a loan of 200 million euro, that it can’t pay.

Oh! dear, perhaps Catral International Airport, wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

You have been warned.

Right, Krugerrand or Crusader gold anybody?

Rob Barnes moved to live in Spain, 7 years ago. In the UK, amongst other things, he was the Chair of the Midlands Regions, Independent Television Commission.

His hobbies include Industrial Archaeology, Mine exploration and photography (Sierra Minera) and is on a quest to get a quality cast conditioned real ale here in Spain! Email Rob at garfieldglencroft@ hotmail.com

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

MADRID’S T4 voted world’s third-best air terminal

Madrid’s Barajas T4 has been named thirdbest airport terminal in the world.

A total of 12.1 million passengers travelling to and from 395 international airports took part in a survey involving 39 areas of service right through from check-in desk to boarding gate, including flight connections and VIP lounges.

The top airports and terminals in the world won prizes in the World Travel Awards 2013, presented by Skytrax.

According to the results, the world’s best airport terminal is London Heathrow T5, followed by Singapore’s Changi airport T3 and Barajas T4 in third place.

Barajas T4 has pulled itself up from last year’s fifth place, having since put in place its new Ágora Project to improve efficiency, punctuality of flights and the general travelling experience.

Self-check-in machines, information screens

Pantoja: two-year suspended sentence for role in Malaya money-laundering racket

explaining procedures, ‘express’ customer service points to deal with problems such as missed connecting flights or delayed luggage, staff who can attend to customers at any point in the airport thanks to the new IBHelp tool, group boarding, faster security and document checks due to more efficient systems and extra staff and police, and 90 per cent of flights on time mean service in general has improved at Barajas T4 since the beginning of 2012.

No Spanish airports made it into the top 10, however – for the fourth year running, Singapore’s Changi airport won, followed

by Incheon International Airport (Seoul); Amsterdam Schipol; Hong Kong International Airport; Beijing Capital International Airport; Munich; Zurich; Vancouver International Airport; Tokyo’s Haneda airport and London Heathrow

Legendary flamenco singer Isabel Pantoja has been given a jail sentence of two years for her involvement in the infamous ‘Malaya’ case.

Her former boyfriend and ex-mayor of Marbella (Málaga), Julián Muñoz, has been sent to prison for seven years in connection with the money-laundering and property corruption scandal which broke out in 2007 and was found to involve residential developments on the Costa del Sol and in Los Alcázares (Murcia).

Muñoz’s ex-wife, Maite Zaldívar will serve three years, three months and one day behind bars for money-laundering.

But under Spanish law, a prison sentence of two years or less means that the guilty party does not have to go to jail unless they have committed previous offences, or do so in later life.

Where a custodial term

reaches two years and one day, the offender will have to go to prison. This means Pantoja will not be put behind bars, even though the prosecution service maintained from day one that both she and Zaldívar were ‘perfectly aware of the illegal source’ of the funds and assets they received from Muñoz and ‘what the origins of his illicit investments were’.

Pantoja, who performed live at the October festivals in Gandia (Valencia) just two years ago and when investigations were still under way, arrived at the court for the final hearing accompanied by her solicitors and her brother, Agustín. Hecklers outside the building called her a ‘robber’ and a ‘tea-leaf’, but many long-standing fans from her days as a nationally-acclaimed artist called out messages of support.

Members of the public kicked her and tried to

hit her as she entered and left the building, and at one point her chauffeur had to climb onto the roof of his car to help Pantoja in.

The singer is said to have gone dizzy and collapsed briefly before leaving the court.

She and Zaldívar have been fined three million euros and Muñoz 7.4 million.

All three have been forced to pay back the laundered money plus interest, which in the case of Muñoz is nearly four million euros; for Zaldívar, just under 2.5 million and for Pantoja, an exact total of 1,147,148.96 euros.

She would have to serve her two-year sentence if she did not pay off her fines and the compensation ordered by the court within the set time, but Pantoja had already settled all her financial duties prior to the final hearing.

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6

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

Calling all Artists!

Are you the next Klee, Warhol or Matisse?

older than everyone else quiz ! No. 3

By Alan Gilchrist - Costa Blanca’s Top Hypnotherapist

Are you a budding new artist or even a seasoned talent? Then don’t miss this chance to shine!

We invite you to submit your work to be featured at the exclusive

ARTIST Discovery 2013

Competition which will be showcasing work during the premier 2013 Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Show organized by GM Events.

It’s an exciting opportunity for your art to be viewed by thousands of art lovers – and this year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever before.

All new, emerging or experienced artists are welcome to enter for the chance to display and even sell their artworks at the show.

All works will also be entered into the competition, judged by a panel of experts and the winning artist will be announced as the show’s “ARTIST discovery2013” competition winner, a coveted title that will be covered by the local press.

Sport

Venue: La Finca Golf & Spa Hotel, Algorfa, Costa Blanca.

Date: 29th and 30th May 2013 Entry fee: €5 for each artwork (you may enter up to 3 works)

Three entry categories: • Beginners (less than 3 years’ experience) • Intermediate (3-8 years’ experience) • Expert (8 years or more experience) Styles accepted: acrylic, oil, drawing, pastel, water-colour, mixed media Hurry! Register your interest now!

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to exhibit your work and enter this exclusive competition.

Please email millie@milliemunro.com and we will send you full details Sponsored by Golden Leaves Limited, El Perpetuo Socorro and Millie Munro Services in aid of The Pink Ladies Cancer Charity

Golden Leaves ARTIST Discovery 2013 Competition

Everyone loves remembering trivia about the past so I thought I would devise an ongoing quiz that (almost) everyone can join in.

For the younger ones / those young at heart just say the words to your partners or parents and watch their faces light up. Then just sit back and listen to their stories about what it meant to them!

Count all the ones that you remembernot the ones you were told about by your parents!

1.

Mini Automatic cars 2.

Gillette Safety Razors 3.

Crimplene 4.

Peggy Mount – the battle axe !

5.

MG midget cars 6.

Vesta beef curries and noodles 7.

Potters wheel – interlude on TV 8.

Danger man & Danger mouse 9.

Camel Cigarettes 10.

James Bonds Aston Martin DB5 11.

Space dust bonbons 12.

The Sunday Roast 13.

Duty Free ( TV Programme ) 14.

The first TV or Radio Set 15.

Flower Power 16. Tiny Tim and “Tip Toe through the Tulips.

17.

Lenny the Lion 18. Helping mother bake buns and cakes 19.

The first Chinese meal 20. When they realised there was no Santa Clause 21. Always going to sleep with the light on.

22.

No self service shops.

23. When £3.00 bought a whole weeks shopping 24.

Standard Vanguard car 25.

Tommy Steel 26.

Drainpipe trousers 27.

Mario Lanza 28. The local record shop and LP’s 33

1/3 , 45 and 78 29.

Leather School bags 30.

Super Car TV series 31.

Vauxhall Cresta 32.

Brown and Polson Custard 33.

Butlins Holidays 34.

Hancock’s Half Hour 35.

Brasso 36.

“Go to work on an egg” 37.

Spirograph 38. Wide Flares and Jason King look alikes 39. The music from the Frys Turkish delight advertisement 40.

Double Diamond 41.

Have Gun will Travel 42. Collecting Football Cards with Bubble Gum. 43.

Ford Popular car 44.

The broken biscuits tin 45.

Using shelves as room dividers 46.

Phil Silvers 47.

Making paper aeroplanes 48.

Indoor Fireworks 49.

Action Man 50. White Tide soap powder with Hughie Green 51.

Seeing the first Skoda Car 52.

Captain Pugwash 53.

Whats my Line ( radio programme) 54.

Lets Twist Again Like we did Last 55.

Tupperware parties 56.

Harveys Bristol Cream 57.

Playing Tig or Tag 58.

Ivanhoe with Roger Moore 59.

Ford Capri 60.

You first real holiday or pony ride

If you remembered 0-10 = You’re still young If you remembered 10-25 = You are getting older If you remembered 25-40= Don’t tell your age If you remembered 40 - 60 = You’re older than everyone !

If anyone wants to send in their suggestions, send them to me at info@alangilchrist.com

Alan and Jonathan Gilchrist holds his Fast Track Hypnosis sessions in Cabo Roig, Guardarmar, Benidorm and Fortuna.

Also in Spanish with Jonathan!

Alan is also the Originator of the Stop Smoking in under 30 minutes Fast Track Hypnosis Session For an appointment, Brochure, or free of charge initial consultation, contact Alan Gilchrist on 659 229 408. Jonathan on 691 784 954 Visit his web site alangilchristinspain.com or hypnosiscostablanca.com

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

human-trafficking and forced prostitution: Spain second-worst in Europe

Spain has the second-highest number of human-trafficking and sex-slavery cases in Europe, according to recent research.

EU statistics firm Eurostat says a total of 1,605 women were smuggled into the country and held hostage, being forced to work as prostitutes against their will, in 2010 – the most recent year for which official figures are known. And this does not include the ones who have not yet been found, or who escaped without the police finding out.

In fact, there are more cases of forced prostitution among immigrants in Spain than in Romania, despite the fact that a high number of human-trafficking victims come from the latter country, says Eurostat. Only Italy has a higher number of women forced into sex slavery – 2,381, more than double Romania’s 1,154.

Even in the Netherlands, where prostitution is legally regulated – or perhaps because of this – the victim count is lower, with 993 women trafficked in 2010. A total of 651 cases were detected in Germany in the same year.

Eurostat also reveals that the number of human-trafficking cases in Spain nearly quadrupled in a year – from 443 identified and released in 2009 to 1,605 in 2010.

Lithuania, Malta, Luxembourg and Portugal have the lowest numbers of forced prostitution victims.

These figures have been published recently by the European Commission.

According to the International Work Organisation (OIT), as many as one in five human-trafficking victims are male.

They detected a total of 880,000 people forced into slavery, sexual or otherwise, within the EU in 2010, of whom 68 per cent were women, 12 per cent were underage girls, 17 per cent men and three per cent underage boys.

A total of 75 per cent of traffickers are men, and 84 per cent of them trap their prey in order to exploit them sexually.

Brussels has slammed the fact that in ‘free and democratic’ countries such as the European Union member States, tens

of thousands of humans are deprived of all liberty and are forced into selling their bodies, and yet only six EU nations have implemented the Directive aimed to combat humantrafficking, approved in 2011.

These six countries are the Czech Republic, Latvia, Finland, Hungary, Poland and Sweden, with Lithuania, Slovenia and Belgium having adopted part of the Directive.

Provisions of the Directive include the harshest possible penalties for offenders, total support – before, during and after trial – for victims, maintenance of statistics on such crimes, and special protection for those who fall prey to traffickers to ensure they do not come to any harm from their captors or become targets for similar criminal organisations.

Women Carrying Deformed Or Handicapped Babies Will Not Be Allowed To Have An Abortion

A forthcoming reform to the existing Abortion Law in Spain will prevent women from terminating a pregnancy if they find out the foetus will be deformed or physically or mentally handicapped.

In cases where an abortion is necessary because the mother’s life or physical or mental health is in danger, this will have to be accredited by doctors in writing and approval given.

Justice minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón says this should not be a ‘pretext’ or an ‘automatic justification’, but must be proven to be irrevocably true by at least one medical expert. He says terminating a pregnancy because the baby would be born handicapped ‘goes against the convictions of the United Nations’ and that ‘live is not a discretionary concession, but an unalienable right’ which is ‘not reduced due to disability’, and that ‘life should not attract a lower level of protection’ due to physical or mental handicap or deformity.

The law will also prevent girls under the age of 18 from having abortions without permission from their parents or guardians. Effectively, the only grounds for abortion are where the mother’s life is in real danger or she could suffer permanent and serious health problems if she goes ahead with the pregnancy.

Welcome GO SATELLITE!

GO SATELLITE was set up 8 years ago by husband and wife team Ian and Deborah. Ian has more than 20 years experience, having spent 10 years with SKY In Home Services in the UK, where he worked on the specialist heights team as well as SKY´S Prestigious VIP Team which caters for the “stars”, therefore the quality of his workmanship is extremely high!

After leaving SKY, Ian set up his own business in the UK and ran this very successfully for 5 years before moving to Spain.

WHERE ARE WE? GO SATELLITE is based in Ciudad Quesada and covers most of the Costa Blanca.

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS! Over the past 8 years the company has installed hundreds of satellite TV systems for individuals, companies and communities. The Go Satellite system uses highest quality

Portuguesemanufactured dishes and r e q u i r e s NO monthly payments.

Packages are available to suit everybody´s requirements and budget.

GO SATELLITE offer expertise, reassurance and a proven track record, which can be backed up by many a satisfied customer.

WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT?

Ian said “Being a small company has its advantages. We offer a personal service and get to know all our customers by name. It’s important to us that people fully understand and are happy with the service we are providing.

We realise that the technology involved can be confusing but we are happy to spend time with our customers to ensure that they get the best system for their needs”.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Any concerns or queries are dealt with in a clear and professional manner and clients can call Ian at any point if they have any queries. This ensures that all of their customers have complete peace of mind throughout the lifetime of the service. Added to that is the fact that GO SATELLITE is a fully legal, Spanish registered business that provides individual, company and community installations with a free no obligation site survey.

Go Satellite is going from strength to strength!

COME AND MEET US!

They have now opened a new office in the Business Centre Calle Los Arcos No7 Ciudad Quesada. So you can now come and meet us and we will endeavour to help you with all of

your TV queries.

OTHER SERVICES Go Satellite not only provide television but are also able to provide internet and telephone services. Packages are available to suit all with a switch on/off service available for non residents.

DISH ISSUES? Here at Go Satellite, we use only Top Quality Portugese dishes and Invacom LNB’s. Sky Packages are also available: Full HD Package 20€ per month (which includes Sports & Movies). If you do not have room or do not wish to have a dish, give us a call as we have a solution!

At Go Satellite, we will endeavour, to provide TV for everyone.

So, if you are fed up of missing your favourite programs or you have lost your TV signal and do not want to lose out any more, then call Ian or Deborah on 965 725 670 or 646 645 579 or call into our office to find out more about GO SATELLITE and its services. Alternatively check out the website: www.freetvspain.com

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Getting British TV here in Spain can be a confusing and daunting task and finding a reliable and informative company is vital.

Getting British TV here in Spain can be a confusing and daunting task and finding a reliable and informative company is vital.

Welcome GO SATELLITE!

7

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

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

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Lagarde warns UK growth ‘not good’

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, has expressed renewed concern over the health of the UK economy.

In a report by the BBC, the UK’s growth numbers are “not particularly good”, Ms Lagarde said. But speaking ahead of a highlevel meeting of policymakers in Washington, she refused to be

Judge calls for Duke & Duchess of Palma’s last 10 tax returns

The court handling the fraud charges against the King’s son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarín has ordered him and his wife to produce their last 10 annual tax declarations.

Judge José Castro has asked for the Duke and Duchess of Palma’s tax returns dating back to 2003, which he believes will shed further light on the Nóos Institute case.

The request for these fiscal declarations came from the pressure group Manos Limpias (‘clean hands’), which has also expressed its support for Castro for his attempt to press charges against the Duchess, the Infanta Cristina.

But the prosecution service is against these charges, saying there is no new evidence that could incriminate her.

A decision is expected to be made in the next few days.

In the meantime, the judge says he sees no reason to confiscate Urdangarín’s passport.

Another judge in Barcelona, working for the Duke and Duchess, has ordered a ban on publishing of the couple’s personal emails after Urdangarín’s co-director Diego Torres and seven national newspapers printed text from private messages.

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drawn on whether UK should reassess its austerity policy.

Her comments came as Mark Carney, the next governor of the Bank of England, hinted at his concerns over the UK. In an interview ahead of the meeting between the IMF and the World Bank, he said the US recovery was leaving behind “crisis economies” that included the UK, the eurozone, and Japan.

Mr Carney has been reluctant to comment directly on the UK ahead of taking the helm of its central bank in July. But he appeared to back Chancellor George Osborne’s view that were measures austerity important to promoting growth: “[Central banks] can provide the conditions for growth... but they can’t deliver the longterm growth...That needs to come from true fiscal adjustment and fundamental structural reforms.”

The IMF’s chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, urged the UK to rethink its austerity policy in the face of continuing weakness in the economy. But speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ms Lagarde refused to go as far: “We clearly support the [austerity] policy,” she said. “[But] we’ve also said that, should growth be particularly low, then there should be consideration to adjusting by way of slowing the pace [of austerity]. Looking at numbers... the growth numbers are certainly not particularly good.”

The IMF is due to arrive in the UK in May to conduct a thorough investigation of the UK’s economy as part of its “Article IV” consultations. The consultations are made annually, and allow the IMF to monitor member countries and issue recommendations about economic policy.

Ms Lagarde said she did not wish to pre-empt those consultations by giving a view on UK economic policy now.

So far, the IMF has supported Mr Osborne’s policy of cuts to spending in order to reduce the budget deficit. But in recent months there have been growing questions over whether austerity measures are doing more harm than good, not least due to weak economic numbers.

Since cuts were introduced in 2010, the UK’s economic growth has consistently been below official forecasts, and borrowing has not been significantly reduced.

Earlier this week, the IMF cut its growth forecast for the UK. It now expects the economy to grow by just 0.7% this year, down from its January forecast of 1% growth. However, Mr Osborne has insisted that the only way to ensure long term economic growth in the UK was to first bring down the deficit. (www.bbc.co.uk)

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SOLTIMES MARCH 2013

music with mark

R.E.M. were an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck’s ringing, guitar style and Stipe’s unclear vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, “Radio Free Europe”, in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band’s first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the group released its critically acclaimed debut album, “Murmur”, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio.

Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single “The One I Love”. The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide. By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed by subsequent acts such as Nirvana and Pavement as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, “Out of Time” (1991) and “Automatic for the People” (1992), which are the 2 albums most recognized by people and the ones I will concentrate on. Released in March 1991, “Out of Time” was the band’s first album to top both the US and UK charts. The record eventually sold 4.2 million copies in the US alone, and about 12 million copies worldwide by 1996.The album’s lead single “Losing My Religion” was a worldwide hit that received heavy rotation on radio, as did the music video on MTV. “Losing My Religion” was RE.M.’s highest-charting single in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard charts. “There’ve been very few life-changing events in our career because our career has been so gradual,” Mills said years later. “If you want to talk about life changing, I think ‘Losing My Religion’ is the closest it gets”. The album’s second single, “Shiny Happy People” (one of three songs on the record to feature vocals from Kate Pierson of fellow Athens band The B-52’s, was also a major hit, reaching number 10 in the US and number six in the UK. “Out of Time” garnered R.E.M. seven nominations at the 1992 Grammy Awards, the most nominations of any artist that year.

You can listen to Mark Davies on Costa Calida International Radio, Mon, Wed and Fri evenings 7.00 till 9.00 on 90 and 100 FM or www.costacalidaradio.com

The band won three awards: one for Best Alternative Music Album and two for “Losing My Religion”, Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

R.E.M. did not tour to promote Out of Time; instead the group played a series of one-off shows, including an appearance taped for an episode of MTV Unplugged and released music videos for each song on the video album This Film Is On. Late in 1992, the band released “Automatic for the People”. Though the group had intended to make a harder-rocking album after the softer textures of Out of Time, the somber Automatic for the People “ seemed to move at an even more agonized crawl”, according to Melody Maker.

The album dealt with themes of loss and mourning inspired by “that sense of ... turning thirty”, according to Buck. Several songs featured string arrangements by former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Considered by a number of critics (as well as by Buck and Mills) to be the band’s best album “,Automatic for the People” reached numbers one and two on UK and US charts, respectively, and generated the American Top 40 hit singles “Drive”, “Man on the Moon”, and “Everybody Hurts”. The album would sell about ten million copies worldwide. As with “Out of Time,” there was no tour in support of the album. The decision to forgo a tour, in conjunction with Stipe’s physical appearance, generated rumors that the singer was dying or HIV-positive, which were vehemently denied by the band. R.E.M.’s 1994 release, “Monster”, was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. The album was not as commercially successful as the last two although it did spawn the massive single hit “What’s the Frequency Kenneth?” The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Buck, Mills, and Stipe continued the group as a trio. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. R.E.M. disbanded in September 2011, Stipe announcing the split on its website. I am a big fan of the music of R.E.M and play a lot of their tracks on my shows “Man on the Moon” is in my personal top 20 all time greats.

I would like to thank Ian for requesting the band and hope that I have done them justice in the article.

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

www.soltimes.com

BARBERSHOP TAKES THE COSTA DEL SOL BY STORM! Some 300 barbershop aficionados took Benalmádena, Málaga by storm when they arrived for their fifth annual convention last weekend. This is the second time that the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers (SABS) has based its event on the Costa del Sol. “Our delegates come from all over Europe, and we are keen to establish convention venues with excellent travel connections and accommodation.” said SABS Vice President, Lyn Baines. “This is the second time that we have hosted this international event in Benalmádena; it’s a great venue and we always receive such a warm welcome”.

Delegates were based in the Sunset Beach Club Hotel, with shows and contests taking place in the Moonlight Lounge at the Sunset Beach Club, where SABS also held its second international quartet contest.

Spangles, from Los Alcázares, Murcia, became gold medal champions of Spain and Portugal for the second time, also sweeping the board by winning all three trophies for top scores in music, presentation and singing. “We’re over the moon with our win,” said Gail Grainger, Spangles’ Musical Director “and to get the top scores is testimony to the hard work that the chorus has put in over the past twelve months.”

Madrid ladies’ chorus, The Barbees, won the silver medal and Southern Sound, from Fuengirola, Málaga, took the bronze medal.

In the quartet contest, Fourmidables from Torrevieja, Alicante were crowned Gold Medal Champions for the first time, having won silver in the last two contests. The silver medal went to Hanfris from Barcelona and the bronze medal was won by Cleftomania from the Algarve in Portugal. Hullabaloo from Torrevieja won the Senior Quartet Award and Fénix Quartet from Los Alcázares won the Highest Scoring Ladies’ Quartet Award.

The international quartet contest saw Tone-acity walk away with the gold medal and Simply 4 win the silver medal.

Both quartets are from the UK. The next SABS annual convention is scheduled for Calpe, Alicante from 36 April 2014 at the Gran Hotel Sol y Mar, right by the sea, with the national and international contests being held in the Casa de Cultura in Calpe. If you are interested in attending this event or would like to know more about SABS, you can find information on the SABS website: www.sabs.es or contact by email: lyn@sabs.es or gail@sabs.es Photographer: Michael Phillips

11

NEW AMBULANCE FOR MAZARRON On Saturday 27th April The Honorary British Consul, Antonio Berdonces Vivancos will present a new additional ambulance to the Ayuntamiento of Mazarron. The funds for this ambulance costing 57536 Euros have been raised over the past 6 years from events, donations and in this year an advance of 12390Euros from PALS, who together with Bahia Lions have administered the fund.

In these hard times it is good to see the expat population clubbing together to put something positive back into the local community.

The ambulance will be administered by Cruz Roja and will be based permanently in Mazarron. The presentation at noon will be held in the open market in the approach road and all are welcome.

President of PALS Ken Payne acknowledged the financial help of many organisations and individuals but in particular mentions Costa Calida International Radio and Lions Country in making this possible. PALS themselves have since the year 2000 donated health and life saving equipment to the value of 188414 Euros to local emergency teams including over 10500Euros to local team FAST and were leading agency in raising 6400 Euros worth of emergency medical equipment for the Lorca earthquake.

The new ambulance has been made available in advance of the Summer influx of visitors and holidaymakers. Any questions please call 626 460 465

Samaritans in Spain are seeking

a Marketing Manager and a Fundraising Manager to support members of the Trustee Board Both positions are voluntary and neither requires a full time commitment.

The Marketing Manager role would suit a retired marketing professional.

The role includes developing and maintaining a marketing and public relations programme which raises awareness of Samaritans in Spain and generates additional funding.

The Fund Raising Manager will be required to work in cooperation with the Marketing team, organising and coordinating events to raise funds and awareness of the SiS. The organisation operates from its new Multi-Purpose Centre in CC Punta Marina Torrevieja which houses the telephone call centre with the capacity to handle the recently introduced 24/7 service, a new Drop-in Centre for those who prefer face to face contact, and equally important a new Charity Shop to generate funds so essential to maintaining the current and future service. The successful candidates will ideally be within easy reach of Torrevieja and the centre.

For further information regarding either post please contact Chris on 689 301 724 Samaritans in Spain is operated by Costa Blanca Samaritans, which is a Registered Charity in Spain.

12

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

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

Cracking the QR Code!

Nowadays, you can find QR (quick-response) codes on everything. These odd-looking, black-and-white, pixelated designs were originally used by the automotive industry, but today they are most often found in magazines, newspapers, and ads. Flick through the ads in SOL Times and you’ll see many examples.

QR codes offer an efficient way to create links to websites, but they can also store text, phone numbers, email addresses, or calendar events, or send SMS messages.

Here are some tips on how to use a QR app to access the data you want.

First, you need a QR-code app and a smartphone or tablet equipped with

a camera. iPhone users should check out “RedLaser”. Android fans can try either “RedLaser” or “QR Droid”, and BlackBerry users will like QR Code Scanner Pro. All of these apps are free to download, and each one should handle any standard QR code just fine.

When you launch your app of choice, you’ll see that your phone’s camera is activated, with an on-screen framing guide. Line up the camera on your device with the QR code you want to scan, and hold the device steady until the app can read the code in front of it.

For the best results, aim your device squarely at the code, and not at an angle. Try to minimize any glare from stray light sources, and scan the code in an evenly lit environment. If the code is in direct sunlight, you may need to cover it with your hand for the app to read it properly.

When the app has recognized the QR code, it will beep and display the info the code contains, or launch your Web browser to take you to a designated URL. You can use most QRcode apps for reading bar codes, too, which can be convenient for in-store price checks.

Scanning a product’s bar code with RedLaser will bring up an item description, as well as a list of prices from online merchants that also sell that item.

In addition, the QR Droid app lets you create your own codes. This feature makes it easy for you to create a QR code from your own contact information, for instance; other people can then scan your code and instantly transfer your information to their phones, which would save you a few bucks on business cards.

There are many online QR Code generators, but http://www.qrstuff.com/ has some great features and lets you get as complex as you want, even including pictures within the code. Have fun!

Article by Paul Saunders : Paulhas been working in the IT industry since 1986 – you can contact him on apps@apptienda.eu

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

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Ehrc our latest rescue - cute little donkey called Sancho!

We were contacted by Kate Cammish saying she needed help to re-home a donkey ASAP. As he was presently been kept at a dog training centre in Los Montesinos but could not stay there for much longer.

When we arrived we were greeted by Ruben, the dog trainer at the centre, We then learnt the full story of the little donkey named Sancho Panza. One day Ruben found the donkey wandering around the waste ground and salt lakes of the Los Montesinos alone and in a very bad state. The shepherd informed him that he no longer wanted him and he had more of less abandoned him. So Ruben instantly put the donkey into the back of his car and drove him to his dog training centre, where he started to look after him, as this young donkey was desperate for food and water.

This is when Kate and her friend Sandra Gelbke became emotionally involved with young Sancho the donkey, as they both took their dogs to the training centre.

Sancho Panza is a little sweetheart and in relatively good health, apart from needing to be wormed and in desperately need to have his hoofs trimmed. He loves to be with people all day. He doesn’t seem to realise he is a donkey. So for the moment he prefers spending his days in the yard with us and the other volunteers.

Sandra and Kate are so delighted that Sancho has found a new lovely permanent home here at the rescue centre that they are both going to help raise money for EHCRC to help towards Sancho’s living costs. Not only this but Kate and Sandra have also become volunteers, offering to help us out here at the Rescue Centre.

We always need volunteers - seven days a week, 365 day a year. Every day at EHCRC is a working day, we always need help with mucking out stables, field clearance, even just washing feeding buckets as we have over fifty every day to wash.

So if you are looking for something fun to do? If you can spare us a few hours each week? Come Volunteer at the Rescue Centre. You don’t need to be horsy person or have any horse knowledge. Just have a love of animals and a willingness to try something new. Anything you can do to help us is very much appreciated and it is a great way of keeping fit, getting fit, toning up and making new friends.

If you would like to volunteers, call Sue on 652021980 or email info@easyhorsecare.net advertising feature

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15

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

viewpoint

E v e r Es c a l at i n g E x p e n d i t u r e Strictly speaking Lucy, the Dog That Is Not Ours, shouldn’t cost us anything, because she is not ours. However, it doesn’t work like that. Apart from her luxuriously padded indoors bed with its tasteful acanthus design on the cover she has an array of mats, which have to be placed in strategic places so that she can lie in the sun/out of the sun on the back/front terrace according to whim. All this needed buying, with money - but you can’t have the poor dog sleep on the hard floor, can you now?

Then there is her supper bowl, which needs daily replenishing with Mercadona’s finest bespoke dog food.

Of course, like all good children, when she has eaten up then she has to have a treat – more expense!

So far keeping someone else’s dog has seen a steady but acceptable trickle of cash disappearing from the Biggs back pocket, but she is quite happy about the situation.

Now an ugly black cloud has appeared on the horizon. I had a feeling that she wasn’t quite right, nothing specific, just not quite right. So we put the cage in the car, and the dog in the cage, took plenty

By Jos Biggs

josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk

of towels to mop up the inevitable sick, and visited the vet. He confirmed my worst fears – Leishmanns. She has come up against the down side of her free spirited existence, roaming the campo at all hours of the day and night, and now is a sick little dog....or will be if not treated. We looked at each other and swallowed bravely. This was going to cost, and the trickle of cash being spent on José’s dog was going to become a torrent.

Or leave her to die a particularly nasty death? Not an option, not even for a second. We left the vet’s surgery weighed down with pills and injections, but much lighter in the purse.

I know that it is a waste of time suggesting to José that he might like to contribute towards the cost of keeping his dog free from suffering. He is not a cruel man, but he is a farmer from generations of farmers, and to him animals are for eating or for working. If they are no good for either, then they go. The idea of keeping an animal simply because you like it is incomprehensible to him, just as he sees no point whatsoever in filling the garden with useless but pretty flowers when you could be growing vegetables to feed you through the year.

So it’s down to us. Lucy will be treated, expense or not – because she’s worth it!

There but for the Grace of Dog

We were enjoying morning coffee and a rare pastry at our preferred cafe the other morning – basking in the sunshine and wondering what the workers were doing – when my English rose of a wife, suddenly mused aloud, ‘Why is it we love our animals so much?’

‘Do what?’ I spluttered.

‘Our pets - why do we love them? I mean, dogs do their business on the pavement and we faithfully scoop it up in plastic bags to dispose of it. And

they pee up lamp posts don’t they.’

I nodded in agreement, not knowing where this was heading.

‘And our pussies’, she went on.

‘They scrabble around in the litter tray and bury their do do’s, and dogs and cats sniff each other’s backsides and still we love them don’t we’.

The chocolate éclair I was eating had suddenly lost its appeal and I pushed the plate away.

‘Well for a start’, I said. ‘As far as I am aware, dogs do not sniff cats Khyber’s, or vice versa, but yes I see

what you mean. That’s just what they do; it’s the way of the world. Humans shake hands and do the kissy kissy thing and animals, um, well . . . kiss arse so to speak’.

Then I did my own bit of musing.

‘I mean; Eskimos rub noses. That’s not exactly hygienic is it? What if your missus has got a bunged up nose?

You could walk around with somebody else’s bogey on the end of your hooter and not know it. Like going around all day not being aware that there’s a bit of spinach stuck in your

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teeth. It’s embarrassing.’

I paused for breath.

‘What made you suddenly think of all this anyway?’

‘I was just wondering who made the first decision to make wild animals into pets and I thought it might be something for you to write about’, my wife informed me.

I doubted that very much, but then after a bit more thought I reckoned that she might have a point and just to confirm it look . . . there’s over three hundred words already!

And she is right. At some point in time, man decided to domesticate the cat and dog, both of which are essentially wild animals. It’s a bit like the age old questions of who decided to eat the first egg, because back in the mists of time, some brave or perverted– I’m not sure which - cave man type; having observed a curious ovoid object appearing out of a chickens rear end had called to his wife to throw some bacon in the pan, because he had a great idea for that morning’s breakfast.

Likewise cow’s milk. Who in heavens name took the first plunge and started using the stuff on his cornflakes?

Cows udders are not the prettiest things in the world and as far as I can see, it can only have come about by accident or as a result of some elicit and kinky bovine/human liaison. But

ALQUERIA - The road to anarchy During Alqueria’s turbulent transition from small Spanish village to independent sovereign Republic one trapping of statehood was overlooked.

The legal system. When the laws of Spain applied, it wasn’t so much which laws to obey but which could be disobeyed with impunity. When people went too far the Guardia Civil would turn up. Driving around the village in a 4x4, elbows out of windows and mirrored sunshades, it was their attempt to intimidate. The occasional discarded piece of fruit or well aimed root vegetable bouncing off the car’s bodywork demonstrated that the people of Alqueria remained unmoved.

Now they had set up housekeeping on their own some semblance of law and order had to be maintained. Alqueria was however in an unusual and unique position. The Village had its Remitroot crop which meant self-sufficiency, dignity and autonomy. A reversion to the golden days of eighteenth century Andalucía. The dream of every atavistic Anarchist. Alqueria had emerged from an insignificant Spanish backwater to the closest thing to paradise in the northern hemisphere. Its a pity the population didn’t realise it. Relevant political ideologies usually imply that to get from Alqueria’s initial state to its present a total destruction of society is required. Alqueria managed the transformation without this intermediary step.

This is the crux of the problem the people of Alqueria felt cheated.

The occasional bout of wanton destruction always appeals to the good folk of the pueblo. Lawbreaking is almost second nature for the population. Do the law-makers create laws so they can be broken and therefore have to be enforced? Do they leave the Village Republic without statute and therefore retain a law abiding society?

There was to be a public meeting in the plaza in front of the Bar la Casa Devante. The question would be voted upon by the entire village.

This, the politicians will tell you is an exercise in pure democracy. The sceptics will say it is simply an attempt by those in power to abdicate responsibility and cover their hindquarters against failure.

The Bar la Casa Devante was a bad choice of venue.

Horacio Stranglardeganso, landlord of the Bar used the opportunity to introduce a ‘Happy Hour’, eight drinks for the price of seven.

Rodriquez, while putting the case for legislation received a direct hit from a flying Remitroot bottle and was rendered unconscious.

Manuela while putting her case for a lawless and therefore law abiding society was interrupted by five separate proposals, and they certainly weren’t marriage. Manuela’s passionate plea won the day by an overwhelming majority. The village-folk were duly put on their honour and asked to look to their consciences before they acted, spoke or even got out of bed.

That night the bank was robbed

John MacDonald (El Sordo) - www.caratacus.eu

16

let’s not go there.

I can understand how our canine companions evolved into the domesticated pooches we know today and traditionally, man’s best friend.

Dogs were used for hunting game and were therefore useful and even essential additions to the community.

The proximity to their human masters would naturally develop over time and eventually strengthen into the close bond that we see today.

Cats are another matter.

The oldest archaeological finds for domesticated cats, were found on the island of Cyprus believe it or not and date back some 9,000 years. There was even evidence that cats were buried in their own graves beside human ones. Perhaps Neolithic rats were a problem back then, or as Egyptian records indicate several thousand years later; cats were simply venerated as gods.

This last explanation is the more plausible one and I can relate to it entirely, because as an owner of a property that is lorded over by two sleek felines, I can confirm that they do indeed have the airs and graces of four legged deities.

But pigs are the biggest mystery to me. These guys are supposed to be the most intelligent of all the four legged creatures and moreover, they will eat just about anything put in front of them – including you if you happen to be taking a kip in the sty.

So potentially, they are great vermin exterminators and efficient trash collectors.

Why then, if they are so smart, did they not take the opportunity to make themselves indispensable to man all those millennia ago?

If they had, they could be fetching sticks and warming their trotters in front of a blazing fire on a winter’s night, instead of appearing alongside greens and apple sauce on the Sunday lunch plate.

By Colin Bird : badbirdnow@gmail.com

www.soltimes.com

ADHOC – Planning for the future!

Ticket sales for ADHOC’S performances, on the 2nd, 3rd & 4th May, of ‘BEDWITCHERY’ are going well.

This production will take place at the Casa de Cultura Teatro in Benijófar, which is now to be ADHOC’s base for future productions.

Future plans include a production of ‘CALENDAR GIRLS’ in the Autumn, and a pantomime, in Benijófar, in January.

New members are always welcome, and anybody interested in performing, or helping behind the scenes should contact ADHOC on ‘adhoctheatreco@ gmail.com’.

Casting for ‘CALENDAR GIRLS’ will begin in May, so any ‘yummy grandmummys’ or ‘youngmummy’s’ who believe that they could ‘fit-the-part’ should get in touch without delay.

Look-out for further press releases for other charity events...

Lions donate to Alpe

The Torrevieja Costa Lions Club led by Lion President Janette Bennett were welcomed at the Asociacion Comarcal para la Rehabitacion del Deficiente (ALPE) centre in Torrevieja last week. The welcoming party included ALPE President Fina Sala Estebal, Ana Lopez Ramos Head of Education, Conchi Boj Ruiz Head of Social Services and a whole host of excited young boys, girls and young adults who attend the educational facility in Torrevieja.

The Lions visited the centre to donate a state of the art Epson Megaplex MG850 High Definition Projector and screen which will help enhance the existing facilities for the childrens’ education.

The children proudly inaugurated their new projector by showing the Lions a short laptop presentation on ALPE and what ALPE does for the children in the community.

The projector has been long needed at the school and when the Lions were made aware that the cost was outwith the currently stretched ALPE budget, they agreed unanimously to donate the projector and screen.

Ana Lopez Ramos thanked the Lions and said that Lion members will always be made welcome at the centre.

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

17

keep safe & secure this summer Hi Nathan the Locksmith here!

I wanted to let you know now that the holiday season is upon us, we need to be all the more careful about security. Over here in La Florida, Punta Prima and Playa Flamenca there have been a few break ins reported so it’s wise to make sure you have window locks fitted and a second lock on your outer doors.and even an alarm system for total peace of mind..

Remember, when you go to markets do not take all your credit cards and passport – don’t take anything that is problematic to replace , just take a little cash to cover your market trip.

Also keep your house keys safe; use a clip on your belt.

Be aware when withdrawing money from the cash point that no one is watching, do not take large amounts in one go either.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out of work at the moment – times are hard but let’s make it harder for burglars and thieves I don’t want to make you paranoid, just aware so that you can enjoy the summer.

Once some basic security measures are in place you can put them out of mind, knowing you have done all you can to protect both you and your visitors, and your home.

Happy holidays!

Nathan – for more information call 647 151 972

18

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

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

Look Good Feel Great

Can you CATCH depression?

Depression and the emotions associated with it can be contagious, according to a new study.

In a report by Mail Online, researchers have found that the gloomy mindset of students vulnerable to depression can be catching, making their friends more likely to suffer the condition six months later.

The research follows studies showing that people who respond negatively to stressful life events - interpreting them as the result of factors they can’t change and as a reflection of their own shortcomings are more

vulnerable to depression.

This ‘cognitive vulnerability’ is such a strong risk factor for depression that it can be used to predict who is likely to experience depression in the future.

Doctors Gerald Haeffel and Jennifer Hames, of Indiana’s University of Notre Dame, said that this vulnerability seemed to establish itself in early adolescence but remain stable throughout adulthood.

They decided to investigate whether it might be ‘contagious’ during major life transitions such as starting at university.

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They followed 206 room mates who had been paired up randomly, all of whom had just started their first year of university.

The results revealed that students who were assigned to a room mate with high levels of cognitive vulnerability were likely to ‘catch’ their room mate’s style of thinking and develop a vulnerability to depression themselves.

The reverse was also true.

Those assigned to room mates who were not prone to depression experienced decreases in their own levels negative thinking.

The result showed that students who developed an increase in depressive thinking in the first three months of college, had nearly

twice the level of depressive symptoms at six months than those who didn’t show such an increase.

Dr Haeffel said it provided ‘striking evidence’ for the contagion theory.

He added that the findings suggest that altering a person’s environment could be used a part of a treatment for depression because a person’s vulnerability fluctuates over time.

He said: ‘Our study demonstrates that cognitive vulnerability has the potential to wax and wane over time depending on the social context.

‘This means that cognitive vulnerability should be thought of as plastic rather than immutable.’

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Darren the barber The Barbershop at Quesada Country Club

Cuts from

Modern & Traditional Gents Hairdressing

5€

Tel: 616 592 887

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am- 5pm OUT OF HOURS BY REQUEST Drive through Quesada Arches up main street, take left fork at Caja Murcia Bank. Continue to Consum sign and turn right onto Avenida Costa Azul, continue uphill and take right turn onto Calle Toledo.

Country Club / Barber is 200mtrs on right - Look for Childrens Play Area.

Shani’s Lingerie at Zoco and now at Playa Flamenca Market offers quality English-branded underwear and nightwear at competitive prices.

Shani’s Lingerie is the largest retailer of top-quality branded British lingerie in the Costa Blanca. With over 2000 branded bras from Naturana, Ballet and Marks & Spencer and 30 types of knickers ranging from firm to soft control and no-lines, this is your one stop shop for all your underwear needs. We have a selection of padded, strapless, soft, under wired and balcony bra and knicker sets, ranging from 30A to 48HH. Our prices are less than half that of the UK. All Naturana bras are 12 Euros or less and Marks and Spence bras start from 3 Euros.

Many of our regular customers visiiting Spain often take back our lingerie with them as it is such good value We also have an excellent exchange policy - just bring the items back with tags attached and you can exchange at the stall.

We offer a measuring and fitting service on site, which will ensure you have the correctly fitted bra.

Find all our details on Facebook: ShanisLingerie@Facebook. com/happynewyear123. Click “Like” DIRECTIONS: Proceed into Zoco Market, turn left and walk toward Iron Art (garden furniture) at the end, turn right and we are second on the right.

Playa Flamenca Market: From the Celtic Isle we are three quarters of the way down on the left hand side. Opposite a cul de sac with other stalls.

Please visit us and quote Sol Times for a special 10% discount this weekend only

Shani’s Lingerie

The largest retailer of top - quality branded British lingerie in the Costa Blanca. With over 2000 branded bras, underwear and nightwear, including Naturana and Marks & Spencer at bargain prices Specialising in bras up to 48J Find us on facebook www.facebook.com/happynewyear123 email me: shanimalyon@hotmail.co.uk

Telephone: 622 280 043

Where to find us: at Zoco sunday Market and Now at playa flamenca market

As you walk into Zoco, turn immediate left, walk toward the very end, turn right and we are the 2nd stall on the right

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

19

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20

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

Jukebox Promotions Patrons of Help at Home (Costa Blanca)

from the uk ute star

International trib uteOrst bison and Roy

Tony Lee as Gene Pitney and Roy box Legends with 60s support show by Juke

This incredible tour was a sell out over seven venues on the Costa Blanca in 2012.

Now, it returns for a nine show tour in 2013!!

The BEST Gene Pitney and The BEST Roy Orbison tribute on one great show!

Don’t miss this fantastic tour and PLEASE book early as seating will be limited at all venues!!!!

Dates & venues are:

28th April - The New Lounge Bar, Torrevieja 966 922 134 30th April - La Marina Sport Complex, La Marina 966 796 389 1st May - Costa Narejos Hotel, Los Alcazares, 965 400 188 2nd May - Rocajuna, Punta Prima 664 591 795 / 965 997 260 3rd May - Bar Restaurant San Miguel, Cooperativa, Jalon Valley (Xalo) 03792 633 076 588 / 633 694 740 5th May - Rendezvous, Campoamor (inland Campoamor - near Mercadona and La Fuente Comm Centre) (Tickets 10 Euros - includes a great buffet) 608 467 597 6th May - Emerald Isle, La Florida 965 327 138 7th May - The Club House, Camposol Golf 968 978 855 8th May - The Club, Quesada 966 717 028 Tickets for all shows are 8.50€ (unless stated) Tickets available at the venues or on this site Pre show meal available at most venues - please ask when booking See www.jukeboxpromotions.co.uk for more info!

Venue Feature: The Club House, Camposol Golf

This great venue in Camposol is new to our activities this year and is a friendly place that we are excited about developing our tour events in.

Run by Stuart & Colin and his great team, the venue offers great, value for money pre show meals and very reasonable drinks prices.

Come and see the Gene Pitney / Roy Orbison show there on Tuesday 7th May. Tickets are at the venue now so book early for the best seating or call 968 978 855 for booking information. Fund Raising for MABS at this show

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

Visit La Nucía on a Sunday Last Sunday two more Spanish “artesanos” and a juggler joined the group of artists and craftsmen who take part every Sunday morning in the weekly Craft Fair held in the old town centre of La Nucía. Since the beginning of February, more than 40 craft people have taken it in turn to set up shop in the lovely square in front of the church and the Town Hall, so that every week something different is on display.

The nice atmosphere in the fair can be noticed in the photographs that are published every week on the web page of Amata, the organizing craft association (direct link: http://www.amata.es/ LaNucFoto.html). Amata wants to establish a place where the public can meet real craft people. As most participants live and work in the area and come to the fair at least once a month or even more often, special orders can be placed one week and picked up week or more later.

Although there are only a dozen stall on any given Sunday, the fair is interesting enough to include in a Sunday outing, as it can be combined with a visit to the boot sale (Rastro) on the industrial estate of La Nucía, or a guided tour through the old town centre (English spoken). And the coming two Sundays you can even go on a “tapas” tour: 20 local bars offer on 26, 27 and 28 April and 3, 4 and 5 de May a glass of beer or wine with a special “tapa” for only 2EUR. On the 28th April the fair (and the terrace of the bar on the square) will be livened up by Maxi and Dixi, two life size musical puppets and on the 5th of May by juggler Alan from Circo Kono. If that is still not enough to fill your day, you can go for a picnic near the waterfall Font de la Favara, just outside La Nucía on the way to Altea, or you can go further inland to touristic attractions such as Chirles, Polop, the Fuentes del Algar or the Castle of Guadalest.

More information about the fair (in English) on 639 979 678; a list of participants for the coming 4 weeks you can find on http://www. amata.es/LaNucPart.htm

STEPS FOR STROKE

on Easter Monday was another enjoyable and successful fund raising and awareness event when nearly 1,400 euros was raised. Torrevieja Stroke Support thank all sponsors and the promenade walkers, including wheel chairs and mobility scooters, who negotiated the five kilometer route along the sea front in Torrevieja. Easter bonnets were much admired.

Afterwards “steppers” enjoyed much needed coffee and tapas.

Stroke Support now have a Spanish speaking section under Alicia Garrote-Garcia, Occupational Therapist. This group meet once a month on the second Friday of the month at 5.15pm, after the normal meeting of the TSS who meet weekly between 2.45pm and 5pm. All are social meetings but with an important imput of speech therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and art therapy and (new) an ex-stroke UK nurse.

Venue - The Annex, Municipal Buildings, Calle Paganini s/n, Urb. La Siesta, Torrevieja. (behind Age Concern).

The AGM of TSS will be on Friday 17th May. All members will be informed separately.

Further information can be found on www.torreviejastrokesupport.com ; or by e-mailing: strokesupportgroup@hotmail.com or telephone: 966 718 964. Louie Killeen

www.soltimes.com

REVIEW it...

The Gathering by Anne Enright

The Gathering is an extremely dark reflection of the protagonist’s insecurities, especially guilt after the suicide of Liam, her closest brother in age and affections. The experience unsettles Veronica who plunges into the depths of despair and misery. It is a difficult book to read because it shows the disintegration of the human psyche through bereavement and what we are left with is the guilt and remorse. It contains many emotional truths which your average reader will find uncomfortable and distressing.

Enright won the Booker Man prize for this novel and yet many reviewers have been extremely critical of the book. I suspect that it is the worrying veil of darkness that hovers from start to finish. What I find interesting is the diversity of reactions but isn’t that the whole point of reading and reviewing? Wouldn’t it be tedious if we always agreed?

As siblings Veronica and Liam were close during their childhood shared with ten other siblings living in close proximity to each other.

“I am the one who loved him most” she confesses although she grew to dislike him as an adult and because of her affluent lifestyle at the age of 39, she is the one who automatically pays for the funeral, identifies him and brings him home to rest in peace.

Liam’s life was empty, meaningless and full of squalor and what a contrast with Veronica’s grandeur.

He was a “messer” and unreliable although his sister tells us he could be astute but simultaneously “blunderingly stupid.” The demon that finally tempted fate was drink and he turned vicious when he’d been drinking. When sober, he would lose things or simply steal. And then it killed him.

He was constantly restless and unfit for the adult world metaphorically having been left behind as if he had been frozen in time, living permanently in the seventies. In all honesty, Veronica always knew that Liam wouldn’t make it, that fate, for what it was worth, wasn’t written in the stars, it was written in the body or the bones. It simply means that he was always going to die young.

Liam was prone to boredom and decline, vague which seemed to be a Hegarty characteristic. Veronica chronicles the fated family going back to her maternal grandmother, Ada who she romanticises as pure and the things that poets wrote about but then distorts the poetical image, vulgarising her as if she was a whore. She blames Ada and how “each and everyone of her grandchildren went vaguely wrong,” and questions why she brought so much death into the world then she retracts this blame.

She also blames her mother for this chaos and producing a dysfunctional family: 12 children, 7 miscarriages, condemning them as her helpless parents who “bred as naturally as they might shit!” and ultimately for Liam’s suicide. And yet the complexity and ambivalence of her feelings come across: “We pity our mothers, what they had to put up with in bed or in the kitchen, and we hate them or we worship them, but we always cry for them.”

His suicide has such a devastating effect on Veronica in that it brought home many painful truths about her own life, marriage and family, her own illusion of the middle class dream. Life was about choices. She could go home and pick up the pieces of her fractured, miserable life and pretend to be happy knowing that her daughters didn’t need her or want her or even Tom, her husband. They would survive without her.

She visits old haunts during the night, drinking and driving trying to understand her own life and Liam’s death.

Within the novel sexuality is warped and seen as un-natural. When Veronica comments on Ada she also refers to her beau, Nugent who carried a torch for her all of his sad life and she describes a sexual encounter that seems more pornographic than innocent that may or may not have taken place. It is this man who was responsible for damaging Liam thirty years ago, destroying his innocence and filling him with terror. Veronica as an 8 year old, witnessed a scene which she could not comprehend as a child but which horrified her as an adult when she could!

After the funeral, she wants the family to know the truth that Liam was interfered with and this was the catalyst that sent him on a downward spiral on a course of self-destruction. As for the protagonist, she is unable to return to middle class suburbia and hovers around Gatwick airport in a state of limbo: “I have been falling into my own life for months. And I am about to hit it now.”

Her future seems as bleak as Liam’s decision to end his life perhaps for similar reasons? But then, knowing how indecisive Veronica is, she could simply go back home. With Veronica you never quite know the outcome!

Publisher: Vintage Books. ISBN: 978-0-099-50163-3

Carol Naylor - writing exclusively for the Sol Times Naylorcl@hotmail.es & www.carolnaylor.blogspot.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

21

International Dawn Chorus Day International Dawn Chorus Day (Sunday 5th May) boasts a position as one of the most enduring and popular annual environmental events on the calendar.

The simple concept is of early morning gatherings to hear the dawn chorus at nature reserves, parks or other open spaces, often followed by a healthy, hearty breakfast!

An annual celebration of the world’s oldest wake-up call – the dawn chorus – and the beauty of bird song, this day i s now truly an international event, celebrated as far away as France, Italy, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand.

International Dawn Chorus Day encourages people around the world to celebrate and enjoying local wildlife; thousands of individuals make the effort to rise early and appreciate nature’s daily miracle; millions more get to here about the event and learn more about the need to conserve wild birds.

THE BIRDS OF ANDALUCÍA The Sierra Morena region north of Sevilla is where you find the Black Vulture,

lowland woods and forests. one of the country’s rarest birds - there are thought to be just a few hundred pairs here. Yet this may well be the largest colony in Europe, with most to be found in the Paraje Natural Sierra Pelada y Rivera del Aserrador, south of Aroche in Huelva province.

Equally rare is the magnificent Spanish Imperial Eagle; again, most are located in one place, in this case within the Parque Naciónal de Doñana. Other large birds of prey which can be found in mountainous regions include the Golden Eagle (and several other eagles) and the Egyptian and Griffon Vultures. Smaller birds of prey, such as the Kestrel, Buzzard, various Harriers and Red Kite, can be spotted in

A far more common sight is the large White Stork, which can be seen in the western region of Andalucía where they nest from spring to summer on electricity pylons, trees and towers. Water birds are far more plentiful, with many species, particularly in the wetlands area along the Atlantic coast; these include wild ducks and flamingos.

Look out for the colourful Golden Oriole, which can be seen in orchards and woodlands, particularly during the summer months.

The Hoopoe is a similarly striking bird, common in open woodlands and golf courses.

Last but not least, various Woodpeckers and Owls which generally inhabit mountainous woodlands.

22

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

braben’s blog...

Have you ever arrived at your holiday destination and wondered how the travel brochure managed to make such a mangled tin hut look like the ultimate in glamour, comfort and luxury? It may have happened to you, but I’ve come across something that beats even those far-fetched descriptions.

Just listen to this.

You know the way you use maps and other things produced by reputable people to help find your way around or to inspire you to plan exciting exotic trips? Well, don’t, or at least be careful what you believe and maybe check things carefully. There is an island in the South Pacific called Sandy Island which you can plainly see on Google Earth, in fact you can even hover over it and see a couple of photographs, allegedly of the island , though on closer inspection they do leave a lot of questions unanswered-snow on a Pacific island? A group of Scientists from a University in Australia were so intrigued by what they were lead to believe were some interesting features the island possessed that they undertook a 25 day voyage to get there. Guess whatyes, we’re spot on and we’re not even Scientists. It doesn’t exist. Not only is Google Earth left red faced, or should that be sandy faced, but also The Times Atlas of the World joins it in the “Oops we lost an island” club. Both spectacularly and undeniably seriously, geographically challenged.

I’m sure Google and The Times Atlas will want to sweep the episode of the misplaced island under the table-if they can find the table-but how did it happen? How did two well respected organisations lose an island, or at least show one that doesn’t exist? I have a suggestion. A pigeon’s skeleton has been found in a chimney in Surrey, but attached to its leg bone was a canister with a secret code in it. Speculation is that it stems from the Second World Graham is married War when pigeons were used to carry coded messages to Helen and has however, the codes were so good that contemporary a daughter, Alice. spies can’t break them. Could it be that the war effort He lives part of the year near Albox, included creating fictitious islands in far flung places but works in Qatar, to confuse the other side? This gives me an idea. Why teaching. If you wish don’t they hold the next “I’m A Celebrity” on Sandy to contact Graham regarding this Island? Just think of the huge numbers of annoying and article email: quite useless celebrities, politicians, Ants and Decs we helenandg@yahoo. co.uk could misplace!

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

Memories on wheels II

I started a new job in 2003 with a bashed up Peugeot 205 thanks to a crook crashing into me; luckily it was live-in position so I had no need to commute.

The insurance company wrote it off as being uneconomical to repair and sent me a cheque for 450 quid. Lady Luck appeared via a work colleague who moonlighted as a car dealer. He sold me a red Rover 216 GTI for £600. It was a joy to drive, fast and very reliable. I loved the car so much I drove it here to Spain in 2006.

In 2007 a Trojan horse or rather a Lada Riva 4x4 was given to me. It seemed a more practical car for driving the hills in so I made the fateful decision to sell the Rover ploughing the proceeds into renovating the Lada.1000€ and six months later the Lada was ready. I was impatient to go up hill and down dale in it and went off exploring, an hour later the big end went in the evil money pit car. The Lada was dead!

To add insult to injury the chap who’d bought my lovely Rover, returned to the UK and had sold it on to the local teenage boy racer. I enviously saw my old car zoom past me on a regular basis and then one day whilst walking the dogs I discovered the beautiful red car crashed and deaded against a huge boulder in the rambla. The stupid boy had drunkenly tried to go off roading in it!

Before moving from the UK I had bought a 4 year old lhd Fiat Punto JTD to use as a posh client car for Spain. Perfect for driving round town, it was absolutely useless for driving along Spanish tracks. Now the Lada

project was dead in the water the only option was the Fiat. It was so low on the road that the smallest bump would tickle the oil sump, in three years 2000€ was spent keeping mechanics in overalls or whatever it is they spend their wages on. Then just 2 weeks after fitting yet another new sump and 2 new tyres, the steering failed in Arboleas leaving me dangling upside down from the upended car. Regular readers still mention this to me as we were quite the tourist attraction in Los Carrascos.

Needing a car quick I found a Kia Rio estate and boy did that owner see me coming, for the next 8 weeks everything that could go wrong did. I ended up hiring a car as the bloomin thing was constantly off the road. Over the next 2 years nearly 4000€ was spent repairing a car that had cost 1500€. I should have bought a yacht!

So in 2012 we bought a very boring but reliable Ford Focus estate and what a bargain that has been. The Kia grumpily sat in the drive gathering dust until a visit to Rome when the wife and I fell in love with the new Fiat 500! We daydreamed about buying one until late last year a billboard proclaimed no deposit, interest free credit and 1000€ for trading in any old banger. Bye-bye Kia! Now for the first time in my life I have a brand new car under warranty! We treat it like royalty, parking it only where we deem it safe from harm. Yet twice already it’s been bashed into, the last time by a teenager on his moped breaking the Fiats rear bumper much like I did 30 years ago. What goes around….

Enjoy Stephens musings? Pop over to http://findmeahomeinspain.wordpress.com as the articles are posted on there...and they’re a bit longer too! Findmeahome are always looking for quality homes for their sales and rental portfolios, please contact Stephen for a valuation: stephen@findmeahome.es Telephone: 636 266 641

LEGAL CORNER WITH MICHAEL DAVIES, ABOGADO/SOLICITOR

If you wish us to print an article about a particular topic, please e-mail info@daviessolicitors.com

Q. Please explain the situations in which a resident qualifies for non-payment of capital gains tax?

A. The first thing is to be able to prove to the notary the day of the sale

that you are in fact a Spanish tax resident. It is very important to realize that having what everyone calls the “residencia” issued by the police does not in fact prove you are a tax resident of Spain, and that if this is the only document you take to the notary to prove tax residency, the notary will consider you a non resident and you will be subject to a 3% retention.

To prove you are a tax resident your solicitor needs to request a certificate from the tax authorities, which can then be taken to the notary. If you suffer the nasty surprise of them saying that in fact you are a non resident, you will need to get this amended by proving to them that you are in fact a resident before they will issue you with the correct certificate for the notary. The best way to secure tax residency status is making a resident income tax declaration in Spain in June of every year. If you are going to sell shortly, request this certificate in advance to avoid last minute surprises.

1. The possible total or partial exemption from capital gains tax due to reinvestment (roll-over): If you are a resident and sell one property to purchase another of the same or higher price you can claim 100% exemption from capital gains tax. To benefit you have to have been a resident for at least 3 year before the sale takes place, and you must purchase the next property within 2 years of the sale. If you are moving to a smaller property, you can claim exemption of a percentage of the capital gains tax.

2. Claim of total exemption if you are over 65 years old: If you are over 65 and sell your main home (where you must have lived for at least 3 years as a resident), you can claim 100% exemption from capital gains tax even if you do not reinvest. If the property is owned by a couple and one member is over 65 and the other is not, you are allowed to claim the exemption in respect to half the price.

I f you do not qualify for any of the above exemptions the rate of tax applied to your profit is 21% for profit up to 6000 euros, 24% for profit between 6001 euros and 24000 euros and 27% of profit above 24001 euros.

Michael Davies is a Spanish Abogado and has been practicing law in Almería since 1993. He is member of the Law societies of Almería and Madrid and has offices in Mojacar and Almeria High Street.

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23

sponsored hair-cut!

A very big thank you to Bliss Hairdressers at La Finca Golf Comercial Centre for giving me a free haircut and helping me raise funds for the MS research centre which amounts to £1000 pounds.

I had been growing my hair for 18 months and it all came off on Wednesday 17th April …and a HUGE thank you to everyone for their generous donations David Bruton, La Finca Golf

In the beginning Molly gave Faith hope, now Faith is giving Molly hope The EHCRC foundation is delighted to announce the imminent launch of their first eBook about Faith the pony. The idea of the book actually started two years ago, Sue had always felt that Faith’s story would make a good book. Two or three attempts were made to create this by people writing for Sue; however it never really felt right, so it was never taken any further. Finally Sue decided to have a go herself, as she realised that really only she and Rod were the only ones who could write it, as they are part of the story.

Initially the story was written as a children’s book about Faith and her animal friends at the rescue centre, not really including Molly in America.

Molly the pony, who lives in Louisiana was rescued

by Kaye Harris seven years ago when hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, because of a horrendous leg injury as a result of this she went on to have a front leg amputation and became a national figure of survival and inspiration. She visits children in hospitals who have cancer and are waiting to have operations, some of which are amputations, and soldiers that have lost limbs in the war. When they met Molly with her artificial leg, they think if this little pony can do it, so can I, and for children she shows them it’s ok to be different. It was Molly that inspired us to save Faith, who went on to become the first pony in Spain to also have a prosthetic leg.

A deep bond was formed across the Atlantic between Rod and Sue, and Kaye and Glen Harris, which led to Rod and Sue going over to New Orleans to meet these wonderful people and of course Molly the pony.

In America there is already a children’s book published about Molly the Pony’s story, it became a big seller. People bought the book assuming, as we also did, that Kaye and Molly got a percentage of the proceeds from it. Sadly it is not the case, she gets nothing. The author of this book has the copyright and gets all the money. Kaye and Glen trusted her and never signed an agreement with her before the book was published, or took legal advice. Like ourselves, they work seven days a week, and at the time were trying not only to recover themselves from being made homeless due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but also having to care for the many animals they had rescued, as they chose to stay in New Orleans, risking their own lives, with a group of other animal lovers to save all the abandoned animals that they could.

Having being told the whole story Rod and Sue became determined to somehow help these wonderful people, who are still struggling financially to keep Molly’s foundation going, and to keep Molly herself. This is when the idea of the book finally made sense, it was re-written, adding Molly’s story

through Faith’s eyes, as if in her diary.

All of this was made possible by the team at ‘Soul Of The Net’ Web Design, who came up with the idea of an e-book, and created the beautiful design.

This week Sue has been busy in the recording studio laying

down the audio tape for the e-book and she would like to thank Richard Haywood and Trevor Lugmayer at Viva TV for recording the audio at their studio in Campoamor.

Initially the book will be available for the iPad, iPod and Kindle and we hope to have it in print within the next few

months.

All proceeds from the sale of the e-book will be shared between the two charities – Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre Foundation (in Spain) & Kids and Ponies - Molly’s Foundation, Inc. (in America).

We will keep you posted as to release date.

24

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Let Us

Look After

Your Home

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1. T une up your air conditioner...

Get a professional tune-up on your air conditioning unit(s) at least once a year. The last thing you want is for your A/C to go out when high temps hit. A professional can check for damage or leaks and make sure your equipment is running as efficiently as possible.

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Make sure clean filters are installed in your heating or cooling systems. Washable home furnace/HVAC system filers can be cleaned and reused. They only require replacement every few years, saving you money in the long run. Don’t skimp on the quality, though, and follow the directions for proper cleaning and drying.

4. R ethink your appliance use...

Skip the oven, which can create heat in your home and make it more difficult to cool down.

Instead, start using the BBQ more often.

Running appliances, like your dishwasher and washer/dryer, at night will save energy and money. The humidity created from the dishwasher can compete with the cooling effects of A/C, and energy prices may be slightly lower on off-peak hours, such as bedtime.

5. Create shade...

Replace heavy curtains with a lighter material.

Consider window

tinting or plantings that can create more shade in areas that get the most sun.

6. Clean windows...

Keep the cool air in and the hot air out!

Clean windows inside and out and check for any damage to glass.

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HOME & GARDEN...

CAMPO LIFE WITH JENNI.......

Rabbits are in decline in Spain!! Really? Yes it is true! I would be the first one to admit that they are not my most favourite animal, but in investigating native predators in Spain and the decline thereof, I now realise they are a very important part of the food chain.

I have a love hate relationship with them, as over the years they have destroyed many of my plants and although the dogs love the chase and eat rabbits on a regular basis in the campo , they seem to ignore the many wild rabbits that live within the boundary of the property. Fortunately my garden is well established, but if I decide to plant any flowers in the borders etc, the rabbits seem to sniff out the lovely, fresh, green shoots and the next morning the

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There is a lot more to these rabbits than meets the eye and I was unaware that the European rabbit or common rabbit originated in the Iberian Peninsula where they were once abundant throughout most of Spain and Portugal. Two sub-species exist. Oryctolagus cuniculus algirus is confined mainly to the south and west of the Peninsula and Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus to the north and east. Recent research has shown all European rabbits carry common genetic markers and descend from one of two maternal lines. These lines originated between 6.5 million and 12,000 years ago when glaciers isolated two herds; one on the Iberian Peninsula and the other in Mediterranean France The word Iberian Peninsula literally means “ land of the hyraxes” which is what the Phoenicians called the local rabbits. In fact all the ‘fluffy bunnies” including dwarf lops and angoras originated from the European rabbit and is the only species of rabbit to be domesticated.

Now although rabbits are on the decline in Spain and Portugal, as few as 5% of the number 50 years ago, they were introduced into many other parts of the world with devastating consequences.

It is estimated that there are now 15 million rabbits in Great Britain and in Australia, from a mere 24 rabbits that were introduced in 1859, within 70 years, their numbers exploded to a staggering estimated 10 billion. The term ‘breed like rabbits’ is widely known and this is because Rabbits gestate for only 30 days, and usually have litters of between 4 and 12 babies (kits).

Once the babies are born, the doe can mate and get pregnant again as

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soon as the following day. If they maintain a pace like that and all the kits survive, the large-litter breeds are looking at about 100 babies per season. This can happen if there is a lack of natural predators - which is not the case in Spain..

Rabbits are an essential keystone element of the Mediterranean ecosystem in Spain and Portugal – sometimes called the “rabbit ecosystem” – . At least 39 predator species prey on rabbits, including the critically endangered Iberian Lynx, that I covered last week, and Iberian Imperial Eagle, the decline of which has been partly due to the drop in rabbit numbers and even Wild Boar! In addition, Rabbits are also “landscape modellers” with important impacts on plant communities, and their burrows provide habitat for many invertebrates.

The decline is due to deceases such as the infamous myxomatosis and rabbit calicivirus, as well as over hunting and habitat loss and has been classified by the Portuguese National Authorities (ICNB) as Near Threatened , whilst Spanish authorities recently reclassified the rabbit as Vulnerable.

In 2008, the European Rabbit was reclassified by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as “Near Threatened” in its native range.

It is said that the decline in wild rabbits is one of the biggest challenges facing nature conservation in Spain and Portugal.

Unfortunately, rabbit decline has been uneven, with some areas still containing rabbits at relatively high density which comes into conflict with agriculture and other rabbit populations going extinct, or low numbers, in many other areas, Since investigating this article, I view the Rabbit in a completely different light and was completely unaware of the decrease , especially due to the fact that here, in La Pedrera, they are certainly bountiful and is probably one of the reasons why it is still popular amongst hunters.

It seems that rabbits had a part to play in dogs becoming ‘mans best friend’ too. Wolves were once hunted by man, but once big game became scarce they realised that they would increase their chances to hunt smaller prey (ie rabbits) with dogs, which still persists today with the podenco and the galgo, both of which I have written about in previous articles.

Next week, more focus on some of the other predators that are facing extinction in Spain and I was hoping that with our annual art competition, some of these animals would be highlighted as I have included an animal and wildlife category. With the theme ‘All things Spanish’ and apart from the obvious landscapes and lifestyles, I was hoping to challenge some of the local artists to focus on the native wildlife and animals found in Spain. It will be wonderful if we have some entrants with, for argument sake, the Imperial Eagle or even an Iberian Lynx ! So if you or you know of anyone who would like to enter, please get in touch. There are fantastic prizes to be won. The closing dates for entries is Sat 11 May and all paintings will be exhibited within the Grand Design House from the 13 - 20 May. Not much time left,,, so get cracking!! As always for more info check the website at www. thingstodoinspain.info which has a link to our face book page which is updated regularly. Jenni

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property guide....

RENTALS REMAIN STABLE

Following on were Madrid (-1.1%), La Rioja (0.7%), Valencia (-0.5%), Aragon (-0.3%), Andalucía (-0.2%), the Canary Islands (-0.1%), Castilla-La According to the latest data from the National Mancha (0.1%) and Extremadura (0.0%).

Statistics Institute, the average price of renting a home in Spain remained steady in March, Meanwhile, El Mundo reported that rental compared with the same month in the previous VERA APARTMENT FOR RENT year.

SHORT-TERM/HOLIDAY RENTAL 2 BEDROOM, The Institute’s figures show that, month-on2 BATHROOM, month the cost of renting a property remained pENTHOUSE APARTMENT unchanged, although so far this year prices have IN VERA PLAYA ALL MOD CONS, fallen by 0.1% on average.

BALCONY & ROOF TERRACE OFFERING Year-on-year, 10 regions lowered their average FANTASTIC VIEWS rentals rates in March, with prices decreasing cALL 663 977 230 EMAIL: gedfab@yahoo.com most in Navarra (-2.1%) and Murcia (-1.8%).

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27

prices rose in Galicia (+1.3%), Catalonia (+0.9%), Cantabria (+0.8%), the Basque Country (+0.8%), Castilla y León (+0.8%), Asturias (+0.5%), and the Balearic Islands (0.4%).

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

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Local News

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...HOME & GARDEN

“Get on yer Bike” Monthly cycling tips / advice and routes

Cyclogical CYCLE ROUTE

Well the Itenerary for the 2013 La Vuelta de Espana was announced at a press conference in Vigo last week and as predicted this year’s route will not be passing through the Costa Blanca area which is a great pity. The 3319 km, 21 stage race will start at Pontevedra, Galicia on August 24th and will finish in Madrid on September 15th after taking the peleton through 6 flat stages, 13 mountain stages a time trial and a team time trial with 11 summit finishes so make sure you have these dates in your diary’s now and book your seat in front of the telly.

Cycle Route 26: Quesada to Callosa de Segura Leave Quesada and head for Benijofar, turn left at the traffic lights (cobbled area) cycle downhill for about 300metres then turn right just before the edge of the town, cycle down past the houses until you come to orange / lemon groves where you’ll find a track through them which takes you to the river. At the river turn left and cycle over the bridge and down the ramp then go left and cycle alongside the river until you come to the outdoor Community pool leave the track here and cycle down through the houses until you come to a main road . You are now at the main road through Formentera. ( be careful as there are many one-way streets ) Turn left and cycle out of Formentera on this road until you come to a camino road on your right ( Approx 1km ), take this camino and cycle it, up and over the bridge across the CV91 Guardamar road and just stay on this camino until you come to the next junction (road to Daya Nueva ) where you go straight over following it through some lovely cultivated land with beautiful views until you come to the next road where you turn left. Follow this road all the way until you come to Dolores ( 4 kms ). Go straight on at the first roundabout and turn left at the second roundabout and right at the third one then first left along a lovely little Spanish road that takes you passed some houses and out into beautiful countryside. Dolores is a lovely place to stop for some refreshments by the way as there are numerous bars and restaurants to choose from.

Keep on cycling staying on this road until you come to a

junction, turn right here and follow this road which will take you into Catral. Turn left at the end of this road and follow the road through Catral heading for Crevillente . At the edge of town you will come to a large roundabout follow it all the way round to the left and take the bridge over the AP7 where you come to another roundabout where you take the exit for Casicas. This is another lovely quiet camino, follow it until you come to traffic lights (approx 4kms ) where you turn left and immediate right, follow this camino all the way into Callosa, you will end up cycling alongside the rail line for the last couple of kms , be careful crossing the line as you enter the Town. Once you have had something to eat and drink and a look around the town you can return the same way or you can head through the town, following the signs for Redovan / Orihuela and at the edge of the town there is a blue cycle track that will take you to Rafal, after Rafal follow the road to Benejuzar where you can pick up the river track or you can stay on the road passing through Algorfa and Benijofar before heading back to Quesada.

Well done!

Total Cycling Time : 4 Hours Total Distance : Approx 58 Kms. Summary: Beautiful scenic route, dead flat terrain, real Spanish countryside passing through some lovely little hamlets

...don’t forget to get in touch if you’ve ‘done’ one of these fabilous cycle routes - we’ll love to hear from you!

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indian restaurant & take away

A Place Where You Will Get Fresh, Authentic & Flavourful Indian Food OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK NOON TO 3PM 5PM TO MIDNIGHT

EL RASO – EUROTERRA C.C. Just off The Lemon Tree Road, Campo del Guardamar Lunch menu

Lunch menu

€5.95

12 Noon - 3pm Drinks small beer, glass of wine or any soft drink Any chicken curry dish served with rice or naan bread

Evening menu

5pm - 7.30pm

7.30pm - 12 midnight

€9.95

€10.95

Drink Starter Main Course Rice or Naan Dessert

Drink Starter Main Course Rice or Naan Dessert

12 Noon - 3pm

TAKE AWAY:

Early bird

€12.95

Drink starter main course rice or naAn dessert Bottle of house wine per couple

FREE Home Delivery in El Raso

ONE BOTTLE OF HOUSE WINE FREE!!!

With every take away order over 18€

this advert is intentionally printed upside down

TEL: 966 189 389

Mediterranean Bistro & Bar Serving Spanish Tapas, Greek Mezze & Italian Cuisine including Fresh Homemade Pizzas

Forthcoming events Sunday 28th April 3-6pm Nick Gold SOUL CLASSICS Thursday 16th May Back by demand Richie Alexander, Soul classics Table reservations for dining only

Every Sunday is BBQ & Paella Day from 1pm Mixed Meat & Shell Fish Paella €5 per plate BBQ Sirloin Steak, Lamb Chop, Chicken, Sausage, Potato & Salad 10€ per head Our new summer menu is now available with more mouth watering Meditteranean cuisine Also weekly specials & home made desserts

Tel: 602 442 862

El Raso - just off the Lemon Tree Road Find us on facebook The Med Bar&Bistro

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

31

organised a picnic lunchwithsangria, livemusic,dancers, International bar funquiz,rafflesetc… restaurant & bakery ticketsonsalenow Bakery, Cream Cakes, Pies, Fresh Bread, Sausage Rolls, for6,50€.Allmonies Pastries madewillgotoSAT open 9am-late Breakfasts Animal Rescue. lunch time menu 3 courses & glass of wine €9.50pp Hurrynowforyour evening menu 3 courses & ½ bottle of wine €12.50pp inc wine , or select tickets, as limited Plaza Tolosa No22 - San Luis opposite side to Mercadona roundabout Tel: 966 189 868 fromtheirextensive supplyisavailable! menu.Youcanalso enjoyadrinkortea/ BAR NEW coffeeandcakeson theirsunnyterrace.

San Luis • Monday Evening - Crib Night In the evening a • Tuesday Evening - Darts 3 course menu is • Wednesday Evening - Live Music with the Fabulous Michelle • Thursday Afternoon - Neil’s�Cards available with1/2 • Thursday Evening - Ken’s�Crazy�Quiz bottle of wine - Fish�‘n’�Chip Night • Fryday Evening Saturday Evening Live Music with the Fabulous Michelle included,orchoose • Sunday Lunch Traditional�Roast & good old “singalong” after 4pm • steaks or fish from theirgrillmenuora All�Sports�Shown�Daily • Outside�Catering • Offers�on�Drinks All�Day�Special�Breakfasts • home�Cooked�Menu la carte. find us on thenewhoggiesbarrestaurant Tel:�966�785�476 Don’t forget 6th c/Beasain�Commercial, Phase�3�San�Luis�Torrevieja May, we have

advertising feature

La Bohème

La Bohéme BarRestaurantissituated in Plaza Tolosa 22, themainComercial Center in San Luis, Torrevieja across from Mercadona supermarket.

Your hosts Chris andGuidawillmake sure to welcome you to their lovely restaurantandenjoy arelaxedambience.

You can try and enjoy a diverse

range of delicious mealspreparedby thechefinahomely atmosphere.

Youcansavourtheir homemade pies, pastries and cakes bakedeverydayand freshSpanishbread, oryoucantakeaway if you wish.

Breakfasts are servedallmorning from 9,00am. A 3 course meal is offeredforlunchtime

HOGGIES

Fantastic Manhattan spring 3.70€ Quality HomeFood Restaurant SPECIALS “The best kept secret in Cabo Roig” BOARD €4.50 Hidden Within La Rotonda Aparthotel Cabo Roig 5 2 f o e c i Truly Fabulous C ho , g in it c x e S s y RSE Always fresh, alwa MAIN COU lue!

Homemade ys incredible va a lw a 20 9 Item English Breakfast

Served 9.30 till 5pm (Sunday till 12)

Changed twice weekly

C hoice of DESSERTS

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

Ct ra A

Ca

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de

Po n

en

t

dessert lic

an

te

-C

ar ta

ge

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Zenia Boulevard

food at pocket friendly prices

SUNDAY at MANHATTAN NEW For the first time EVER!

W A wide selection of Menu Favourites are now available on Sundays NE Including – Fillet of Salmon, Steak Pie, Lasagne, Chicken Pie, Ham off the Bone & many more…

Tel: 966 111 605 Perfect for a relaxing lunch after shopping at Zenia Boulevard 5 mins away

Available till 9pm

And of course, we will still be serving our magnificent Sunday Roast

1 course €5.95

(1€ extra for Beef)

2 course €6.95

www.Manhattancaboroig.com

Serving from 9.30am to 9.30pm Mon - Sat throughout September Sunday 9.30am to 7.30pm

3 course €7.95

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

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

to Advertise your bar or restaurant Call our costa blanca sales office on

966 719 647

North Staffordshire Oat Cakes are in Spain Visit Bill & Rita at Los Alcazares Market - Monday La Marina Market - Thursday Moncayo Market - Saturday El Zocco Market - Sunday

Tel: 676 527 348 Email billsinspain@hotmail.com

SPoRTSMAn BAR

stars in bars DATE ARTIST

VENUE

AREA INFO

25th Just Bono Mulligans Bar La Manga Golf 25th London Pride Sensol Golf Mazzaron 26th Shirelle Hillside La Marina 26th Woody Marquesa Golf Club Quesada 26th PDQ Monte Alto Hondon 26th Just Bono Mr Smiths Quesada U2 Tribute 26th Dee Emerald Isle La Florida 26th Woody Marquesa Golf Club Quesada 27th Cherry K The Arches Los Alcazares 27th Andy Jones Treetops Campoverde 27th Blues Bros. Exp. Los Belgas Gran Alicant 27th PDQ Bar Carlos Torrevieja 27th Shirelle Tracy’s Bar & Grill La Torretas 28th Andy Balsamo The Snug Torre de la Horredada 28th Debbie Slater Cagneys La Marina 6pm Start 28th Lynden B Mulligans Bar La Manga Golf 29th Soul Power Celtic Drop Playa Flamenca Monday 30th Just Bono Lansdowne Bar Playa Flamenca 10pm Start

gig guide

QUESADA

KITCHEN OPEN 1OAM-2PM MON-SAT 6PM-9PM (8.3OPM FRIDAYS) FULL ENGLISH 2.50€ 2 MEALS FOR 5€ LUNCHTIME SPECIAL MENU SATURDAY NIGHTS FREE Quiz 9pm Friday Sat 27th April 9pm John Paul Comedy Impressionist

www.starsinbars.org

tel: 966 183 514

CARVERY The inn at the green every Sunday Urbanizacion Laguna Green Entre Naranjos

Wednesday

from 1pm

Pork Lomo or Fish 3 courses + wine or water

only €4-95

Saturday LIVE ENT

€ 6-95

M

per person

de salinas

cv-95

commercial centre

Booking advisable as space is limited



orihuela



inn at the green

san javier

ap-7 los montesinos

Menu del Dia

1st May

includes a glass of wine, small beer or water

san miguel

Wednesday

677 617 434 672 033 676

 www.theinnatthegreen.co.uk

alicante

AIN TERT

EN From 9PM Kabaroke with Every Sunday Matt Christian 9pm

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

email your favourite recipes to editor@soltimes.com

Spinach & Pecan STARTER Filo Mini-Tarts

...FOOD & ENTERTAINING Marinated Grilled Lemon Chicken

MAIN

INGREDIENTS METHOD

INGREDIENTS Filo pastry (about 5 to 6 sheets) 2 tbsp red currants 200 fresh spinach 80g blue cheese 2 eggs + 2 egg yolks 4 tbsp cream Olive oil 4 tbsp pecans

METHOD Preheat your oven at 350 F (180 C).

Grease a muffin pan (for 6). In each mould, place 2 to 3 layers of filo pastry cut to match the size of the mould and each time, brush the filo pastry with olive oil.

Wash the spinach and cut it coarsely.

Crumble the cheese.

Mix together the spinach, cheese, pecans and red currants. Divide between each mould.

Beat together the eggs, egg yolks and the cream.

Season with pepper and salt. Pour over the vegetables.

Place in the oven for about 25 mins.

Check regularly as the filo pastry cooks quickly and you do not want it to burn!

dessert

Balsamic Str awberry Shortcake

6 bone-in chicken breasts, skin on 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 1tbsp lemon zest ½ tsp lemon pepper seasoning 1 tsp garlic, minced ¼ cup fresh lemon juice 3 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place in large zip-lock bag and set aside.

Whisk together the rosemary, lemon zest, lemon pepper, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil until well combined.

Pour over the chicken, seal the bag and massage the chicken until the marinade is evenly distributed.

Allow the chicken to marinate for at least one hour.

Lightly brush the grill grates with vegetable oil.

Grill the chicken over a medium flame until the juices run clear when poked.

Remove from the flame and allow to rest for 10 minutes under a sheet of tin foil.

Serve with green salad

INGREDIENTS

Slice the fresh strawberries lengthwise and place in a small mixing bowl.

Toss with 1 tablespoon of sugar and balsamic vinegar with the strawberries until evenly coated.

Set aside and allow to rest for at least 2 minutes.

Add the heavy whipping cream to a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream on high for 1 minute with a mixer that is fitted with a whisk attachment.

Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to whip until soft peaks form.

Slice the biscuits in half lengthwise and place the bottoms on a plate.

Evenly spoon the strawberry mixture on top of each biscuit.

Spoon a dollop of whipped cream onto of the strawberries and then place the biscuit top on the side.

Finish with a final dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 4 – 6 people depending on the size of the portion.

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp sugar 4–6 buttermilk biscuits 1 cup heavy whipping cream

our y d n e s o t t e don’t forg to: s e p i c e r e t i favour om .c s e m i t l o s editor@ HERE! m e h t t n i r p & we’ll

33

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

STANDARD CROSSWORD

Start (8) Pharynx (6) Showman (10) Biblical garden (4)

Down 1 A fragrant oil used in perfumes and insect repellent (10) 2 Indecent (8) 3 Disembowel (10) 4 Add (4) 5 A Freudian stage (4) 6 An unwholesome

atmosphere (6) 7 Ship steering mechanism (4) 14 Proof of innocence (5) 15 Responsibility (10) 16 Counted (10) 19 Imposes (8) 21 Flora and fauna (6) 24 Fictional captain (4) 25 As well (4) 26 Acquire deservedly (4)

CRYPTIC crossword

CROSSWORD

1 Mess up or change leaders (8) 2 Cherishing garnitures, perhaps (10) 3 Ask for one new life (in France) without Tory leader (6) 4 In good party, within a kilometre’s realm (7) 5 Items adapted in fish over home (8)

Very Hard!

SUDOKU PUZZLE SOLUTIONS

Down

SUDOKU PUZZLE

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

8 Company (4) 9 A day for lovers (10) 10 Creeks (6) 11 Being the exact same one (8) 12 At one time (4) 13 Expounds (10) 17 Scheme (4) 18 Lengthwise (5) 19 Prefix indicating “Equal” (4) 20 Strolling (10) 22 Small insect (4)

23 27 28 29

HARD SUDOKU

Across

8 Went faster than a new tour (new at first) (6) 9 Apart from one so dead, bad end will follow (8) 10 See 22 Down 11 Being English, books it years later (6) 12 I’m me - without a foreign resistant (6) 13 Unholiest hospital missing new boundaries (8) 15 Aims a spike south (7) 17 One church lad with energy is cooler (3,4) 20 Bugged immoral half-German journalist (8) 22 Hear animals without Republican country (6) 23 Less fearful rock is heard (6) 25 Coated “Dido’s an egghead” in a frenzy (8) 26 A creature takes Reagan back - that’s not typical! (8) 27 Draw without scoring new one left (twice) (3-3)

6 Final hold out? (4) 7 Reportedly pound the French insect (6) 14 Rib decline might be astounding!

(10) 16 A murder’s shattered tympana (8) 18 Microorganisms pretend to be in a Brie spread (8) 19 I’d have English friend, in a perfect world (7) 21 Almost flow (after a short time) with a protozoon (6) 22/10 Innovative drug - no clue perhaps (6-8) 24 Fall or rise in key power (4)

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

coffee break

Across

STANDARD SUDOKU

34

t a e r G The www.soltimes.com

35

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

breakfast

We can thank the Victorians for inventing the tradition of the full English breakfast, it was in the 1800’s when the Victorians first began to perfect the art of eating breakfast and the history /tradition of the English breakfast was born.

british

The deeply satisfying Victorian ritual of sitting down to a traditional full English breakfast and pouring over the days newspapers went on to become one of the Victorians finest and most enduring traditions, one that we have practised continuously for hundreds of years and one that we continue to practice to this day.

They were accustomed to sitting down to the first meal of the day and dining upon a wide selection of different breakfast dishes whilst drinking tea or coffee taken with sugar, historically ingredients sourced from around the British empire.

Magnificent breakfasts consisting of smoked and honey cured back bacon, pink ham, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, little crisp rolls of bacon, dishes of scrambled and fried eggs, fried bread, sausages from four counties of England, black pudding, hot toast in white napkins, fresh rolls, sweet butter, marmalades of all cuts and colours, jams, jellies and pyramids of fruit.

History informs us that, for the wealthy at least, the traditional English breakfast contained a few more dishes than just those described above and in the house of a wealthy aristocrat you would typically find dishes of baked halibut steaks, fried whiting, stewed figs, pheasant legs, collared tongue, kidneys on toast, sausages with fried bread, pig’s cheek and Melton pork pie.

The working and middle class versions of the full English breakfast before the industrial revolution and English food in general was historically characterised by the simplicity of its approach and its reliance on high quality locally sourced produce.

Typically the ingredients used at breakfast were always fresh from the local farmers market, including bacon cured locally and freshly prepared sausage and black pudding mixed with herbs specific to the region.

Complete this well known phase

“go to work on an ...”

Calle Los Arcos No 17 (next to the gold centre/howards gym)

Cuidad Quesada English Breakfasts............................. €2.70 Steak Burgers from .............................. €2.50 Jacket Potatoes from ........................... €2.50 Sandwiches, Baguettes from ............... €2.25 Selection of Baps & Wraps from .......... €2.25

Manhattan

Quality HomeFood Restaurant

€3.70

FABU LOUS 9 ITEM ENGLISH BREAKFAST

Served 9.30 – 5PM (Sunday till 12 noon) Hidden within La Rotunda Aparthotel, Cabo Roig

Tel: 966 111 605

Find us behind Real Flavor / Bar Sofia

• • • •

Euro terra c.c. El Raso

Tel: 638 765 585

Tel: 622 827 237

Martin & Carole

BETTER BUYS

email your answer to blancasales@soltimes Breakfasts Snacks Meals Cakes Drinks closing date 8th may

Freshly Baked Bread in Store Drinks & Snacks Beers & Liquors Open 8am - 8pm Milk

Mañanas Open

CAFE BAR

10am til late

Algorfa tel 966 78 13 07 Wi-Fi Home-made Cakes

• FOOD BETT ER PR • DRINKS FOR ALL ICES • TOILETRIES NECE YOUR SSITI • CARDS ES • HOUSEHOLD CONFECTIONERy • CONFECTIONery • PET FOOD & ACCESSORIES

OPEN: MONDAY - FRIDAY 9am - 6pm (NO SIESTA) SATURDAY 9am - 2pm

John West West Corned Corned beef beef 3.25€ 3.25€ only only •• John Cola // Irn-Bru Irn-Bru // Vimto Vimto Cans Cans 0.65€ 0.65€ •• Cola Juicee 2Lts 2Lts 1.65€ 1.65€ •• Juicee

You have tried the rest

We are the best 665 302 601



Win a 10€ voucher to be used at one of these restaurants...

MARKET

m i n NEW EL RASO i NOW OPEN!

C/ Virgin del Carmen, 6B, Los Montesinos (Alicante)

Up the side street fromGama Supermarket

36

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

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

V IEW T HE ONLINE ISS U E AT w w w. SOLT I M ES . C O M WHAT’S HAPPENING IN SAN FULGENCIO....................................

Concejalía de las Urbanizaciones The Office for the Urbanisations, led by Councillor Jeff Wiszniewski (PIPN – Partido Independiente por las Nacionalidades) and his team are pleased to send you our latest information update, giving you information on events and activities happening throughout San Fulgencio and the Urbanisations.

We hope you find it informative and encourage you to visit us in the Office on Calle Madrid, Urb Marina, or ring us on 966 443 002 if you have any further enquiries.

Yoga and Pilates lessons Pilates and Yoga classes in the Social Centre are now both on a Thursday ... The times are now 11.15 - 12.30 for Yoga and 12.30 to 1.30 for Pilates. Yoga costs 5€ a lesson or a month for 16€ Pilates costs 4€ a lesson or a month for 12€ If you attend both classes there is a monthly charge of 25€ Craft Classes Craft classes in the Social Centre on Urb Marina every Wednesday from 10:30am until 1pm from May the 15th 2013.

Over the weeks you will be able to experience Card Making; Scrapbooking; Flower pots; Art Journals; Jewellery making and Napkin decoupage. The price is 6.50€ a class and this includes most materials, coffee and biscuits. Please put your name down at the Office for the Urbanisations in Calle Madrid, ring us on 966 443 002 or email us at concejaliadeurbanizaciones@ ayto-sanfulgencio.es Fiesta for Health and Wellbeing on Saturday the 18th of May. On Saturday the 18th of May there is a fiesta to promote health and wellbeing in the Social Centre of Urbanisation Marina from 9am to 4pm with all proceeds going to AECC Torrevieja.

At 9am there will be the 5km Health and Wellbeing Walk / Run around Urbanisation Marina. There is a 5€ entrance fee and sponsorship forms are also available.

From 9.30 there will be classes of Yoga, Hui Chon Cong, Pilates, Body Sculpt, Circuit, Zumba, Children’s’ dance, Pole Exercise and an Osteopath Talk.

There will be a Mother and Toddler group between 11.30 and 1.30, Reiki and also general, foot and abdominal massage.

Anyone wishing to attend any of the activities can make a donation to the AECC. We are looking for anyone who wishes to have a stall on the day. It just has to be connected to health and wellbeing and so can vary from hairdressers to health supplements, crystal healing to exercise machines. The cost of a stall is 10€ which goes to AECC Torrevieja. Any further donations from stall holders are appreciated but not compulsory.

Golf Match On June the 29th Spain will be playing the United Kingdom at a charity golf match at Alicante Golf for AECC Torrevieja.

The cost is 50€ including a buggy, 10€ of which will be given to AECC Torrevieja. Sponsors and prizes would be appreciated.

Samaritans and other Charities The Councillor for the Urbanisations, Jeff Wiszniewski and his team are delighted to announce that the Samaritans in Spain will be working closely with the Office for the Urbanisations in San Fulgencio for the benefit of all English speakers in the municipality.

On Thursday the 18th of April, members of the Samaritans in Spain will be in the Office for the Urbanisations between 10 am and 1pm to help any English speaker who needs to talk about the stresses and strains of their life.

Samaritan Volunteers listen in confidence to anyone in any type of emotional distress, without judging or telling people what to do.

Samaritans do not offer advice, but by encouraging our callers to talk about their feelings, we are able to help them explore all the options available to them.

Samaritans in Spain is operated by Costa Blanca Samaritans which is itself registered with the Generalitat Valenciana as a 100% not-for-profit organisation under CV-01-042952-A and with NIF G54341466.

If you would prefer to make an appointment to speak to the Samaritans in Spain in private, please either ring the Office for the Urbanisations on 966 443 002 or email us at concejaliadeurbanizaciones@ayto-sanfulgencio.es and we can arrange a time and a place for you to meet. Please also remember that Help Vega Baja and Age Concern come into the office every second Friday in the week.

Rock Arena On the 13th July will be the second Rock Arena on Urbanisation Marina. The groups playing are: OBÚS, HAMLET, VITA IMANA, LEO JIMENEZ ALHANDAL, ANKHARA, ZERO3IETE, JOSE RUBIO’S NOVA ERA, DÖRIA, ANKOR For more information please go to the website www.rockarena.es Zumba Classes are available in the Social Centre of Urb Marina ...

Zumba :- Mondays 8pm - 9pm, Thursdays 8pm - 9pm Zumba Gold is a little gentler than the normal Zumba. Zumba Gold: Wednesdays 5pm - 6pm, Saturdays 10:30 – 11:30 Free Tennis and Table Tennis. There are free tennis and table tennis classes available on Saturdays and Sundays. To register your interest please come into the Office for the Urbanisations or email us on concejaliadeurbanizaciones@ayto-sanfulgencio.es

space for a little one?

Babs is a lovely 5 year old Tortoiseshell female. She has lived in the APAH Cattery for most of her life after having been found abandoned. She is an affectionate older cat, who really needs a loving home where she can be part of a home again.

babs

Born in June 2008, Stanley is a large dog who is great with people, but doesn’t like the company of other dogs. He needs to be adopted into a home where he is the only dog. If he is given the chance to live in a home on his own his new owner will be rewarded with a very loyal dog.

stanley

To arrange to meet Babs, Stanley or any other APAH dog or cat, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

3 CHANCES TO WIN!!!

Every week 2 lucky couples can win a fabulous, 3 course meal, from our Winter Specials Board menu, with a bottle of wine … and … 1 couple can win a delicious, 9 item English breakfast, including tea or coffee (between 9.30am – 5pm)

FREE competition

AT MANHATTAN, CABO ROIG

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

“You’ve got to be in it, to win it”

Help Vega Baja Come in every 1st and 3rd Friday and Age Concern every 2nd and 4th Friday.

AECC Early Detection We are collaborating with AECC Torrevieja to make appointment for people wanting mammograms, smears and prostate tests. Early detection is so important in fighting this terrible disease. To make an appointment, please call AECC Torrevieja on 602 418 959 Volunteers for Padel Club We are looking for a volunteer third member of the Committee necessary to set up the proposed padel club.

Netball We now have the go ahead for an urbanisation Netball Club. We need volunteers to become President, Treasurer and Secretary of the Committee needed to set up the club. If you are interested in volunteering or in playing, please contact us in the Office for the Urbanisations.

Planning the August Fiesta The well known August Fiesta will take place on the first weekend of August this year. We are currently looking for new acts to take part.

Golf Lessons The next golf class will take place at Alicante Golf on Monday the 6th of May at a cost of 10€. Please register your attendance in the Office of the Urbanisations.

Chocolate Museum The Office for the Urbanisations is organising a trip on April the 19th from 9.30 am to 4pm. We will be having a guided tour of both the Valor Chocolate Museum (www.valor.es/ en/museo-del-chocolate/) and also the La Barbera Museum (www.villajoyosa.com/sites/fincalabarbera/index.php) which is a 17th Century house where you can see how they lived two hundred years ago, with clothing, kitchen utensils and many other everyday objects.

We shall also be stopping at a restaurant for lunch (price not included). The price for the trip is 6€.

If you are interested, please email us on concejaliadeurbanizaciones@ayto-sanfulgencio.es or come into the office on Calle Madrid to book your place.

To register for any of the above activities or for more information, please contact us at the Office of the Urbanisations, Calle Madrid 5, Urb Marina, ring us on 966443002, email us on concejaliadeurbanizaciones@ayto-sanfulgencio. es or inbox us on the Concejalía de Urbanizaciones Facebook Page.

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

C O M M U NI T Y NEWS Ceroc Style Modern Jive

Thursdays 7pm Los Rosales Restaurant, Guardamar. Never Danced-No Partner-No Problem.

EVERY FRIDAY 10.30am at Bar Sofia, El Raso. Learn to line dance absolute beginners class with Adam. No dancing skills required but a sence of humour a must !!

SALSA FUN FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS. Every Tuesday 11am. Bar Sofia, El Raso.Learn the basics to get you on the dance floor. No partner or dance skills required.

We at Paso A Paso Dance believe dance should be for everyone, even if you have never danced before...the hardest part of our classes is coming through the door for the very first time, the rest is easy. Tel 670711408 for more info.

Strictly Dance ‘Strictly Dance’ Ballroom & Latin Tuition every Monday at ‘The Palms’ Punta Prima (next to the Go Kart Track N332) 8:00 8:45pm Beginnery & Intermediate Tuition, 8:45 - 10:15 Social Dance Time. Every Tuesday at The Wok Royal, Benijofar (Old La Ruidera) 8:00 - 8:45pm Beginner & Intermediate Tuition, 8:45 - 10:15 Social Dance Time. NEW - Starting 6 April Don your dancing shoes for our ‘Anything Goes’ dance night and dance the night away at The Wok Royal, Benijofar 8:00 - 10:30pm Enquiries: Lyn 966188430 or 635584431.

New courses every 3 weeks, singles welcome.

“La Mata Jazz”

Monday afternoons - jazz jams in Torrevieja.

At The new Pegasus Torrevieja, Calle Dinamarca 7, Tel. 617 042 295. Very good musicians will be there: - Bajo / Bass: Jesús Gea Marcos (E); - Drums: Bryan James (UK) Piano: Ramon Climent (E); and some special guest.Chris from La Mata Jazz www.jazz.la-mata.com http://www.facebook.com/lamata.jazz

LINE DANCING

Every Friday 10.30am Bar Sofia, El Raso. Fun Learn to Line Dance for Absolute Beginners with Adam (all the basic dances to get you line dancing) No previous dance skills required, but a sence of humour a must.TEL 670711408

charity extravaganza “DANCE, DANCE, DANCE”

TUESDAY 30th APRIL 2013 LOS ROSALES, LEMON TREE ROAD 7pm for 8pm Ticket 15€ includes: 3 course served meal with drink and coffee “Thru the decades” with Dance Xtreme “Paso a Paso” a Cerocstyle Modern Jive with Maxine and Adam and learn to “Line Dance” and “Salsa” with Adam Music by: Fakers Quo plus others. Hosted by Pattie Tickets/menu available from the HELP offices in San Miguel tel: 966 723 733 & Torrevieja tel: 965 704 282 La Marina tel: 966 443 002 (ask for HELP desk) Los Rosales tel: 965 727 207 The Studio in Quesada tel: 966 716 727 Proceeds to HELP Vega Baja

STRICTLY SOCIAL CLUB

Why not come and join us for an afternoon of entertainment, fun, quizzes and games. We also have speakers, and arrange meals out and coach outings. We meet on the top floor at The New Asturias Restaurant, Punta Prima between 2.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each Month. Open to all age-groups. For more info call Margaret on 966730569 or Brian on 678807159. Looking forward to meeting you

37

E M A IL E D I T OR @ SOLT I M ES . C O M

Happy 21st Birthday Mitch

Have a great time - Love You Loads Love Mum, Ez, Lani, Nanny, Popsey, Lola, Candy, Chico, Tye, Yugi, Scruff, Scooby & the Three Blind Mice THE SPIRITUALIST CHURCH, QUESADA Dear Editor Many people have stopped me to enquire what has happened to the cats I feed underneath Johnson’s Supermarket in Ciudad Quesada, hence this letter to let them know the sad story.

Over three years ago a tortoiseshell cat was abandoned and found refuge through a hole in the wall under Johnson’s supermarket. I fed and watered her before trapping her to take to the vet for a check up, spaying and then returning her to her refuge. Some months later another tortoiseshell cat was dumped there, which I trapped and took to the vet for a check up and spaying, I called her Popeye and the other one Beauty.

About seven months ago a kitten was dumped there and all lived quite happily together – no harm to anyone. Then about the last week in March some exceedingly cruel, despicable person poisoned them leaving them to die a slow agonizing death under Johnson’s where I was unable to do anything to ease their suffering.

Why are some people so cruel? Why are they unable to live and let live and enjoy the wonderment and beauty of nature?

Yours sincerely, Joe (The Cat Man)

50+ SOLOs get togethers for May 2013: Our lunches are still popular as we

visit different locations. There are no subs or fees - the only requirements are that you are on your own and over 50 years of age. Our first lunch for May is on Saturday 4 May 1.00 - 1.30 hrs at BRISAS DEL MAR Torrevieja-main seafront road near the sculptures of the 5 musicians. There is a carpark nearby and plenty of roadside parking. Very nice restaurant with a good choice of menu. The next lunch for May will be on Saturday 18 May 1.00-1.30 hrs at PACOs Restaurant cltra CV920 Km 2 (Rojales/Alicante)- a new highly recommended venue.

For information and to book telephone 966789063 50+ SOLOS support Help for Homeless Veterans - not connected with a much bigger charity with a similar name

PASO A PASO DANCE Current Classes

CerocStyle Modern Jive Thursdays 7pm Los Rosales Restaurant, Lemon Tree Road, Guardamar. All levels plus social.

NEW LA MARINA CLASS Tuesdays 5.30pm for 4 weeks trial at La Marina Sports Centre. Absolute beginners class only.

Tuesday 11am Learn to Salsa with Adam.

Fridays 10.30am Learn to Line Dance with Adam Tuesday and Friday classes held at Bar Sofia, El Raso Saturday 1st June clubs “Shabby n Chic” Annual Summer Ball, Los Rosales Restaurant. 3 course meal with wine €12.50 Entertainment with Maxine Trudie and Dance Junction Disco Tickets now available on all club days.

Info call 670 711 408 Email pasoapasodance@gmail.com

SEND your birthdays, events and announcements TO: EDITOR@SOLTIMES.COM & WE’LL PRINT THEM FREE OF CHARGE!

Meets at The Dojo, Avenida de las Naciones, Quesada.

We hold a Sunday Service at 11.30 a.m., a Tuesday Evening of Mediumship at 7.30 p.m. And every Thursday there is an Open Circle where you can develop your skills commencing at 7.30 p.m. Spiritual healing is available every Sunday and Tuesday after the service. Peter and Deanna, will take the Divine Service with Mediumship on Sunday, 28th April. On Tuesday 30th April there will be an Evening of Mediumship with the Fledglings . The Divine Service with Mediumship on Sunday, 5th May will also be taken by Sammy Fitzsimmons Please support your church. Everybody welcome. Contact Wendy on 965323028. www.spiritualistchurchquesada.com

new International Choir

A new International Choir has been formed in San Fulgencio, for ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls; people of all nationalities. If you want to participate, the group will be rehearsing every Thursday from 6 to 8pm in the San Fulgencio Music Centre. For more information, please contact the Office for the Urbanisations on 966 443 002

‘Strictly Dance’ Classes

‘Strictly Dance’ Classes every Monday at The Palms Punta Prima (old asturias next to the go kart track) and a brand new venue the Wok Royal Benijofar (old La Ruidera) every Tuesday. Classes 8:00 - 10:15pm Also join us at our ‘anything goes’ social night every Saturday at the Sophia Wellness Centre, Cabo Roig 7:30 - 10:30pm. Singles are always welcome and we have new courses starting every 3 weeks. For more information contact Lyn on 966 188 430 or 635 584 431

38

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

SOLTIMES www.soltimes.com see us online everyday

BY TELEPHONE Between 10am & 5pm

Monday to Friday

966 719 647

BY E-MAIL

Send your advert or Classified lineage to

blancasales@soltimes.com

IN PERSON

Quesada Business Centre, calle Los Arcos No 7, ciudad Quesada Mon to Fri 10am - 5pm

PAYMENT

VISA ,Paypal, bank transfer & Cheques made payable to MATHEWS mEDIA s.l

DEADLINES All adverts Friday at 5pm prior to publication

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

SOL CLASSIFIEDS appliaNCE repairs

Furniture

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE REPAIRS Repairs to Washers, Dryers, Electric Cookers, Dishwashers, Fridges and Freezers

All makes, Torrevieja and surrounding areas 20 years experience fast reliable service Call Stewart on office

966 785 451 / 654 939 202 hours 10 - 4

Furniture first

for sale est 2006

sl

open to offers. Tel 965725573 Cuidad Quesada.

ROJALES SPECIALIST OF PRE - OWNED FURNITURE & AccESSORIES AT SENSIBLE PRICES WHITE

house clearance specialist FREE LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE WE BUY, SELL & PART EXCHANGE QUALITY FURNITURE Open Mon - Fri 10 - 18.00, Sat 10 - 14.00 C/Pablo Neruda 2, Local 5, Rojales

PLEASE CALL JAMIE ON: 966 713 075 OR 680 545 923 www.southcostablancaonline.com

FANCY Double Headboard with mirror 50 euros ONO Quesada area Tel: 654 666 686 Evenings Only

D O U B L E MATTRESS & cover very clean 30 euros Quesada hearing aids beds for sale area Tel: 654 666 A L U M I N IU M 686 Evenings Only GATES Double & Single Electric Sliding. one Guaranteed no Mattress with rust. Call Tracy on cover never been 966 726 891 used. 25 euros area Thule Karrite Quesada Car Roof Top Box, Tel: 654 666 686 White, in good Evenings Only order.

60 Euro single O.N.O. . Location TWO Cuidad Quesada, beds mattresses Tel 965725573 / and covers Centro Commercial, Flamenca Beach, 659013882 plus matching La Planta, Playa Flamenca Pool tables, h e a d b o a r d s snooker tables, 50 euros each table tennis tables, Quesada area darts. Tel: 666 Tel: 654 666 686 glass boats 933 726 www. curtains Evenings Only B O A T I N G spainpool.com LICENSES ARE Omron MX3 Plus DVD’s and CD’s house clearances glass NOW A LEGAL Blood Pressure low price. Quesada R E Q UIR E M E N T curtains Monitor 25 Euros area Tel: 654 666 Create more IN SPAIN Serenity o.n.o. . Location 686 Evenings Only living space, Cuidad Quesada, Sailing RYA Training no unsightly Tel 965725573 / FISHING TACKLE Centre, Competent FOR SALE - Carp frames, 659013882 Crew to Yachtmaster, reasonable Rods, Match rods, C om p u te r VHF & ICC. Ownprices.

Poles.

Monitor 15” flat Carbon boat tuition on For a free estimate cars & motorcycles screen with built Boat and Beach sail and power. If Tel: 646 111 825 in speakers model Rods, Fly Rods, also wanted you have a yacht L5EX-TA complete Quivers.

(Top transport in 1 hour heating or powerboat get with power cord, quality used and qualifiedandcertified.

VGA cable and nearly new).

NEATER audio cable only Contact Richard BEACH 25 Euros. Location BOAT HEATER +34 638 056 224 garden services Cuidad Quesada, AND FLY REELS Email: enquiries@ See our main Tel 965725573 / - Loads of terminal serenitysailing.

659013882 advert on the tackle and weights. com or visit: www.

C a r l Tel: 965 725 947 Complete Garden Maintenance news pages serenitysailing.com Fo g g a r t y (Quesada Area). & Property Services Shark replica crash electricians We cover Mazarron & helmet, size small, BOOK SALE – 4 surrounding areas Electrician , available for all 1998 approx, as boxes = 100 + best works. Small or large. Call Dave 693 251 new, collectors or sellers 25 euros 562. davendonc@aol.com enthusiast’s item Large Garden Table (130 x 100) jewellery Seats 6 20 euros, Wall Mirror (80 x English jeweller wishes to buy broken 65) Cane Surround or unwanted Gold jewellery, silver and 10 euros, Cane Basket Chair 5 coins specialists in all electrical & plumbing works euros Quesada new icp’s fitted - swimming pool heaters & IMMEDIATE CASH Tel: 966 716 599

FREE CALL OUT

Small call out on Fridges

Sweet Dreams See our Advertisement on page 19 for more information Tel: 965 321 701

quick cash house clearance

tel: 669 723 709

A1 Group

Telephone 628 505 733

ELECTRICS & PLUMBING IN THE COSTA BLANCA

GOLD WANTED

no job too small & free estimates! air-con, electric gates & burglar alarms hot water boilers,gas heaters & solar new bath/shower suites - spanish legal

call clive: 617 268 346 or frank: 639 988 487 www.electriciancostablanca.co.uk

PAYMENT Call Peter

664 890 990

Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths

18 CARRY ON FILMS ON DVD 25 euros – Quesada Tel: 654 666 686 Evenings Only

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

39

www.soltimes.com property for sale / rent

leak detection

for SALE Reduced Reduced detatched cortijo Reduced

pool & water leak detection & repair specialists

don’t let your pool & water bills drain you!! www.leak-tech.net tel: 627 752 965 • 622 400 365 • 966 194 179 info@leak-tech.net

CALL SOLTIMES

CLASSIFIED

966 719 647

insurance

asssa medical i ns u r ances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, Tel: 968 153 396, mazarron@asssa. es

musician Lenny Mitchell, guitarist singer, international, professional, solo act. lenny Mitchell & his musical time machine invite you on a trip back to the 60’s & 70’s.

Available to play in any venue. tel: 658 321 891 or email lennymitchell@live.co.uk

PETS

pet taxi TRAVELLING IN AIR CONDITIONED VEHICLE DELIVERED TO DOOR PETS STAY IN PET FRIENDLY HOTELS. ACCOMPANIED TRAVEL AVAILABLE

(0034) 667 235 205 (sp) (0044) 7850 575862

locksmith

only€39,950 Apartment For Sale

cortij0 grande golf course

1 bed, 1 bath apartment, fully fitted kitchen, white goods, parking, lovely views.

Ideal golfing holiday apartment.

Close to Mojacar / Turre.

T: 664 291 793 or email: jescott29@hotmail.co.uk

RENTAL PROPERTIES URGENTLY REQUIRED

in Cabo Roig/Villamartin, Orihuela Costa Playa Flamenca

We have clients enquiring in this area

Contact CASASOL REAL ESTATE

tel: 965 325 601 tony@casasolrealestate.com

20mins from mojacar This is a unique spanish cortijo with 4 beds, 2 baths, Open plan living areas, kitchen & diningroom as well as a workshop, courtyard front & back & room for a pool.

Mountain views.

Build 256 m², Terrace 100m², Plot 1200m²

immaculate 2 bed, 1 bath ground apartmant situated in the very nice area of Lomas de Campoamar golf resort. very spacious accomadation of 86m2, furnished, walking distance to La Fuente Commercial centre, 24 hour security, includes use of communal pools, tennis courts etc, 395€ + bills, no offers

ring now on 648 111 779 for immediate viewing

FOR SALE Apartment (Top floor / Penthouse) Almoradi,Costa Blanca

€150,000

Tel: 649 186 107

thunderpaul2003@hotmail.ccom for rent, 3 bed, 3 bath spacious semi-detatched house with garage situated in the popular area of La Zenia, walking distance to shops, beaches and the new La Zenia Boulevard, Furnished, Long term, 550€ monthly plus electric & water, perfect family home Tel: 966 733 079 or 619 098 543

4 Bed, 2 Bath, Large Terrace, Lounge, Sep Kitchen, Utility Room, Communal Solarium, Lift, Furnished inc. White Goods, UK TV , 90m² Interior Living Space plus, 15m² Terrace / Balcony with Awnings.

Overlooks a newly reformed Plaza, church & mountains, unusually large terrace. 2 min walk away from the town’s attractive central square, all other amenities are also within easy walking distance,12 mins drive from the resort of Guardamar del Segura. Close to La Finca Golf course Private Sale €75,000

Tel: (0034) 676 534 978 pets

24 HR EMERGENCY LOCKSMITH security grills & gates / electric roller shutters & all cars opened / Window / Shutter Door locks Opened, Changed & Fitted

Telephone: 653 145 300 Email:locksrus@hotmail.co.uk Special Deals for Urbanisations

CALL

SOLTIMES CLASSIFIED

902 750 190 ext 330

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

SEXY

ITALIAN

LADY availanble home/house visits.

Torrevieja, La Manga, Torre Pacheco & Mazarron. Escort available home & house visits Tel: 693 357 526

plastering ENGLISH PLASTERER internal finishing, external rendering, 15 years experience, good rates.

FULLY LEGAL IN SPAIN.

Call Chris 671 444 246 / 965 078 866 email: c_pettit@hotmail.co.uk

If it’s under 300€ you can advertise your items

free of charge

SOLTIMES SELL IT FAST in the

personals

ELEGANT

From a pocket watch to a piano....

SELL IT FREE

EMAIL YOUR ITEMS FOR SALE TO BLANCASALES@SOLTIMES.COM PRIVATE ADVERTISERS ONLY • NO PETS

Pets In Spain www.petsinspain.com info@petsinspain.info

Boycee is now around 11 weeks old and was found in a bin, he is a lovely, happy pup and will be medium/large when fully grown

Call: 645 469 253

Maisie Maisie is a black Lab cross about 2 years old.

She is very affectionate and is fine with other dogs and is not interested in cats. please contact K9 for more info www.k9club.es The K9 Club Tel: 600 84 54 20

FINCA LA CASTELLANA ANIMAL WELFARE CENTRE

Freddie was found sat in the road in the rain, luckily he was rescued but it would be great to find him his forever home.

He is a fox terrier cross, approximately a year and a half old, castrated with all his vaccinations up to date.

Eleanor 610188349

Precious is approx 3 years old and is extremely loving and friendly.

She was found abandoned in a wooden box with her pups in the campo and now the pups have left her she needs a home

Call: 645 469 253

Simba is a handsome part Siamese neutered male with lovely blue eyes. To meet Simba please contact Joe on 966719272 or speak with Rose in the shop

40

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

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

trade Businesses can advertise in the classified section

Classified box from 9€. lineage only 45 cents per word - Deadline 5pm Friday Contact Christine 902 750 190 ext 330 or 966 719 647

removals

UK - SPAIN - UK From a parcel to a small house move

Professional,Friendly & Caring Fully insured, scheduled monthly door to door service

uk@fmtransport.co.uk www.fmtransport.co.uk +44 (0) 1582 499 836 +44 (0) 7977 754 389

VANTASTIC 3.5 tonne removals or any handyman & van service inc furniture collection & assembly tel: 693 251 562 e mail: davendonc@aol. com

LWB Sprinter van going from south to North of the UK & back every 2 weeks, based near Murcia Airport. Tel: 610 846 260/ 0044 7519 186 355. or email: van. man@hotmail.co.uk

simply removals Spain ‹ UK › Spain • Full & Part Loads • Local-No jobs too small • Pets Welcome • Experienced owner/driver (Playa Flamenca)

Tel: 603 192 957/966 848 607

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

UK-SPAIN-UK fortnightly service fortnightly ESP: 914 143 164 UK: 01773 service 513 013

recruitment

SOLTIMES

are looking for A

Bright, enthusiastic person with an outgoing personality to join our sales team in Mazarron/ Camposol area and leap into spring with us.

Full or part time position available. spring w e n a o Experience not int future essential as full training with will be given as long as es sol tim you’re organised and can work to deadlines

Send your CV to rosemary@soltimes

We are a well established company operating both in the UK and in Spain for over 20 years.

Due to company expansion we are recruiting individuals to join our existing direct sales team.

We are looking for experienced, motivated individuals with use of their own car. In return we offer and attractive package including paid holidays, expenses and commissions.

www.britonsremovals.com britonsremovals@ic24.net

please contact Chelsie on 608 817 689 or email chelsie@avalonsl.es

Just Removals Friendly Low Cost

Full or part loads spain-uk-spain

Local Van & Pets Welcome Moves Trailer Motorbikes - Caravans Call Brian 965 326 920 - 666 847 648 email: beechdale@hotmail.co.uk

Linen Mills

Express UK Spain Uk 620 582 063 weekly service

wigs

Salon Margarethas 24 years in Torrevieja hair / wig specialist for medical illness and hair loss problems. We offer different hair replacements, top fillers, hair prostheses, toupees & wigs. Natural & artificial hair & much more. Also fashion /festival accessories. TV/TS are welcome to our service. Call Margaretha on 966 921 846 for an appointment.

satellite tv

Rainbow Satellites for all your TV needs with clients all over the Murcia Region. Contact Matt or Alan 686 358 475 or rainbowsats@terra.es

Sky Digibox Pace with sky card BBC 1, 2, 3, 4 ITV1, 2, 3, ch4 & 5 60€ can deliver.

Tel: 667 235 205

swimming pool safety NEATER HEATER See our main advert on the news pages

car parts

Vehicles wanted

Car parts

WANTED

Need quality new parts for any car

ALL VEHICLES

Cars, Motorhomes, 4x4’s, Boats,

for sensible prices on all parts Vans, Trailers, Quads, Classics

Clutches, Brakes, alternators, service kits Starter Motors, headlights

Free quote go online or phone www.carpartsinspain.com

or telephone 692 930 326

want to know whats in the news?

FOR CASH Telephone:

699 805 995 C AR S 4 CASH

WE BUY

Cars, Vans, Bikes Damaged or Scrap Reliable Cars Bought For Cash

jet skis urgentely wanted any condition

bangers4cash@yahoo.co.uk

603 100 692

CASH CASH www.soltimes.com SameCASH day collection Vehicles registration

“RE-PLATE” MATE

We pay instant cash same day for cars, vans, bikes, quads, caravans, trailers, absolutley anything!

From 1€ to 10,000€

Call Phil: 607 848 332

GB

Ed’s mobile

E

Don’t take a chance!

Don’t break the Law! Let us take the hassle away from you and re-register your vehicle on to Spanish plates 490€ plus Road Tax plus CO2 emission if applicable WE PROMISE TO BEAT ANY GENUINE QUOTATION For a full service contact:

Alan 662 249 159

www.replatematecostablanca.com

vehicle imports & matriculation.fast and competitive rates. call 687 845 730

CAR REPAIR SERVICE

CAR AIR CONDITIONING REGASING SERVICE SERVICING, REPAIRS ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS GARAGE SERVICES

610 078 940

Van hire

ONE WAY



UK to Spain or Spain to UK

*LOCAL *NATIONAL *EUROPEAN

* COLLECTION & DELIVERY *STORAGE

TEL: 667 235 205

For re-registration of cars, motorbikes and motor homes contact Graham Shelton Who after re-registering over 1000 vehicles will put you on the right side of the road.

605 319 889 or 966 753 375 www.spanish-number-plates.com info@spanish-number-plates.com

Pick up/drop off locations Throughout UK, France and Spain

wanted cars for cash Best prices paid Spanish English Anything considered telephone Tim on 662 211 993

All vehicle repairs, servicing, small bodywork repairs, ITV and paperwork needs.

Ken Sherwood, British Mechanic - Tel: 679 646 859 (Costa Calida area only).

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

cars for sale

wanted

JT METAL RECYCLING NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL IN THE REGIONS OF Almeria & MURCIA Turn your old or unwanted CAR into CASH. We will dispose of in our Authorised Depollution End of Life Treatment facility.

We also take fridges, washing machines, microwav es, all electrical appli ances

Certificates Issued

WANTED CARS, VANS, LORRIES, TRACTORS, TRAILERS, PLANT MACHINERY

House & g arden cle ar ances , sk ips supplied

Spanish or English

Also buyers of COPPER, BRASS, ALUMINIUM, LEAD, STAINLESS STEEL

TEL: 645 094 339 / 950 064 763

want to know

whats in the news?

www.soltimes.com

WANTED JCB’s, Mini-Diggers (All Makes), Tractors, Trailers & all other types of plant machinery.

Any age, any condition.

Cash buyer All 4x4 vehicles buyer of all caravans, any condition, value from 200€ to 20,000€

Urgently Required

ALL Mitsubishi Shogun Monteo Pajero Landrover & all other makes

collect from anywhere

Tel: 645 094 339 or 950 064 763

Mercedes E500 Auto/Tip 2003 - 4 door saloon 5.0 Auto/Tiptronic AvantGarde model Full service history 82,000 kms, 2 owners A/C (Climate), Alloys PAS, ABS, Cruise Heated/Electric seats Keyless entry/start Twin sunroofs, Xenon Vented charcoal leather Metallic silver

Nissan Terrano Aug ‘03 - Luxury 4x4 3.0 Turbo Diesel 79,000 kms, 1 owner Full Nissan Service History, A/C, Alloys, PAS, ABS, Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors Rear luggage cover CD player, Side steps Remote locking Rear head restraints Metallic silver over black Showroom Condition

Looking for a car we have a good selection of LHD & RHD vehicles available for sale or exchange.

Renault Clio 2003 - 5 door hatch 1.5 DCi Diesel “Billabong” model 112,000 kms, 3 owners Full service history A/C, Electric windows PAS, ABS Roof rails 6 CD Changer Alloys Drivers airbag Pearl silver

Telephone

€9,750 www.fwreurocars.com

600 726 221 965 687 976

Ford Focus Dec ‘04 - 5 door hatch 1.6 TDCi 61,000 kms, 2 owners Full service history A/C (Climate) PAS, ABS, Cruise Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors CD, Rear sun blinds Remote locking High spec model!

Light metallic blue

€7,750

www.fwreurocars.com

600 726 221 965 687 976

600 726 221 965 687 976

www.fwreurocars.com

BMW 318 Cabriolet 2003 – Cabriolet 1.8i 106,000 kms, 3 owners Full service history A/C (Full climate), ABS E. windows/mirrors Multi Airbags Multispoke alloys Xenon lights with wash Black power hood Heated/Memory seats Metallic blue/grey Full grey leather

Ford Mondeo Estate 2005 - Estate 2.0 Ghia 105,000 kms, 2 owners Full service history A/C (Climate), Sony CD 5 spoke alloys Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors Rear luggage cover Roof rails, PAS, ABS High spec model Metallic silver

€3,500 www.fwreurocars.com

600 726 221 965 687 976

Seat Ibiza 2009 - 5 door hatch 1.4 Style 77,000 kms, 1 owner Full service history A/C, Alloys, PAS, ABS Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors CD Player Remote locking Rear head restraints Awaiting valet Metallic black

41

SOLTIMES

Now offer our Classified advertisers 4 LOCAL EDITIONS

costa blanca costa calida Almeria Roquetas De mar

...Let the Soltimes team help you...

Also available online at

www.soltimes.com for more info

€6,750

www.fwreurocars.com

600 726 221 965 687 976

€7,950

www.fwreurocars.com

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€5,750

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€7,450 www.fwreurocars.com

600 726 221 965 687 976

Telephone

966 719 647

42

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

SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

D D

animals D

D D

Angry bird besieges family in their home

A Shropshire family say a furious cock pheasant is besieging them in their sleepy village home.

Sally-Ann Hudson, 44, says the angry bird lies in wait for her and attacks every time she goes outside.

The medical secretary has taken to pulling on thick gloves and wielding a badminton racket to fend off the bird.

The pheasant, which she has nicknamed Phil, even headbutts the living room windows and pecks at the windscreen of her Ford Ka. Ms Hudson, of Wentnor, said: “We began to realise he was unlike other pheasants. He’d stare at us through the windows. I go from one room to another and he runs round following my movements. He even tries to get inside - it’s like Hitchcock’s film The Birds.”

Paul North, of the World Pheasant Association, said: “He obviously sees her as a rival male pheasants are very territorial.”

Lonely goat mistaken for screaming man Police officers in Tennessee rushed out after a 911 call alerted them to a ‘man screaming for help’ - only to find a lonely goat.

A woman alerted police after arriving home in Putnam County and hearing what she thought were screams for help.

Police arrived to find a goat, which had been tied to a post, bleating at the top of its lungs, reports News Channel 5.

Carlos Mendez, who owns the goat, called Charcoal, said: “He’s used to being with the other goats and we separated him. I guess he didn’t want to be alone...”

Putnam County Chief Deputy Jacky Farley said that even the officers responding to the call thought the goat sounded like a human.

Hondon de las Nieves/Frailes And he said officers would Centrally-heated houses with large individual runs Love and care will be lavished during your cat’s stay react in the same way if it happened again: “We have My 29 years of experience in animal and veterinary care will give you piece of mind to take all calls seriously,” he explained.

Pick up & delivery service offered for coastal areas

Mountain View

Cat hotel Telephone: 966 195 816

Answerphone - we will call back: Mobile 654 155 473

www.mountainviewcathotel.webs.com

Domino Pet Hotel Domino Petshipping worldwide

The local pet hotel where your beloved pet goes when you are on holiday or just away...

Domino Pet Hotel offers cattery with warm and cosy beds, daily grooming guaranteed! Large comfortable dog kennels, large exercise park, doggie wellness weekend Fri - Mon 25€ incl.

Wellness bath, Short / long term stay. Professional trained team

• Professional Pet Shipping Worldwide - UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand…

• We take care of all documentation • Travel Crates in all sizes from small up to extra large (best Price guaranteed) • IPATA Member

Tel: 654 168 366

info@dominopetshipping.com

www.dominopetshipping.com

Tiny fox cub recovers from unlucky break

A cute red fox cub with a broken leg has become one of the more unusual patients at a Surrey wildlife aid centre. The five-weekold cub was found injured and alone outside a shop in the middle of Leatherhead’s busy town centre.

Weighing just 700g, the abandoned cub was clearly struggling before a kind passer-by spotted him and contacted the nearby Wildlife Aid Foundation.

It was at the wildlife centre where the luminous green bandage was applied while the fox waited for an orthopaedic surgeon to operate on his leg.

Founder of Wildlife Aid, Simon Cowell, said: “It is likely the cub’s mother may have dropped him while carrying him around in her mouth.

sport

ITV ORIHUELA RFC

FANTASTIC END TO SEASON IN MURCIA FEDERATION CUP

On Saturday ITV Orihuela RFC played in the first Murcia Federation Cup for the top four teams in the league at Murcia’s University. Teams had to play two games of forty minutes. The first match was between Orihuela RFC, fourth in the league, against champions UCAM who were also unbeaten all season. The other semi-final was Murcia XV v Cartagena RC. Orihuela team came with only 17 players, and with an improvised front row, but the game was very even with Orihuela striking the first blow with a penalty converted by up and coming kicker Jose. Before the first half ended Orihuela set up a very good attack taking the ball to the corner and with fast hands going along the line Sergio scoring a try in the other corner with an assist by Alvaro.

But straight from the kick off UCAM struck back with a try and conversion of their own, bringing the half time score 8-7 to Orihuela.

At the start of the second half the two subs were used with Orihuela’s pack starting to dominate up front, with a lineout on the UCAM five metre line, winning more ball and with a superb maul to set up Pedro for his first try for ITV Orihuela RFC and Jose getting the conversion to extend Orihuela’s lead.

With time running out UCAM came back with a try and conversion of there own, but it just was not to be and Orihuela inflicting UCAM’s first defeat of the season. Not bad by a team only taking 17 players with them.

In the other semi-final Cartagena beat Murcia XV and in the game between the losing semi finalists UCAM beat their local rivals Murcia XV to take third and fourth place respectfully.

Now to the final with Rafa been injured went into the game with only 1 reserve, so what was already a tough day was made tougher for Orihuela RFC. A piece of déjà vu for Orihuela as this game started off the same as in the first game, with Jose getting a penalty. With Cartagena on the attack, but some excellent work by Chema stealing the ball supported Samoanoto to score a runaway try converted by Jose to make it 10-0. With a small squad going to Murcia tiredness began to tell and Cartagena’s pressure told, and got a converted try of their own. With Orihuela’s captain, Victor, getting a rib injure leaving Orihuela to protect their lead under wave and wave off attacks and fresh legs from Cartagena. With seconds to go Orihuela RFC conceded a penalty to tie the game and send it into extra time and sudden death, first try wins.

With Orihuela defending stoutly and they did all second half the defence eventually was broken giving Cartagena the Murcia Federation Cup and ITV Orihulea RFC in second place.

All of the players can hold their heads up high and be proud of what they achieved, with an excellent days rugby and finishing the season on a high and been the only team this season to beat this years champions.

On Thursday I am down at the Steakhouse between 10.00 and 13.00 with all the rugby clothes.

On Saturday will be in Murcia for the start of the 7’s circuit with the ladies teams playing in the morning and men’s in the afternoon at Murcia University.

This coming weekend we are televising live the semi-finals of the Amlin and Hieneken Cup at the rugby bar in Rojales, The Steakhouse, used to be Tylers Bar. Starting on Friday Perpignan v Stada at 19.30. On Saturday, Leinster v Biarritz at 15.00 followed by Clermont v Munster. Finally on Sunday Sarries v Toulon at 15.00. Looking forward to seeing another good turn out down there this weekend.

I am not down at the Moncayo Market until Saturday 11 May, with all the rugby branded clothing, so see you down there then.

Training is at the Miguel Hernandez University ground at 20.15 on Tuesday and Thursday for the seniors and juveniles. The juniors start at 18.15.

So if you are interested, dig out those rugby boots and come along and see for yourself what it is like.

New players are always welcome no matter what age or skill level you are.

If you would like more information about what is going on in the club, you can contact the club by phoning myself, Garry on 692 767 242, and for the juniors contact Oscar on 600 871 606 (Spanish)

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

43

sport

TORREVIEJA SWIMMING CLUB...

Monday night fun darts league Orihuela Costa.............

Excellent results this weekend for Torrevieja swimmers The 6th Regional Time Control for the Alevin and Benjamin aged swimmers in Club Natacion Torrevieja took place on Saturday 20th April, in the Municipal Pool, San Vincente, Alicante. One hundred and forty three swimmers from 8 clubs across the region were challenged in the longest distance races of the season.

The older girls (12yrs) and boys (13yrs) started the days events with the 200m Medley, Zoe Connolly and Alexandra Amat started well and gained 2nd (2:55:09)and 9th place (3:18:03). Zoe’s time earnt her a regional qualifying time in this event.

Elian Rio Del Castillo (13yrs) came 6th with a good swim and time of 2:54:67. All three will now swim the 800m and 1500m Freestyle events this forthcoming Saturday.

For the 10 & 11 year old

girls and 11 & 12 year old boys the challenge was 400 m Freestyle, the first time any of the group had been given an opportunity to race over this distance. After 16 lengths of the 25 m pool the swimmers were rewarded with some outstanding swims and excellent times. Samira Lucumi earnt 2nd place with a time of 6:09:13 and Victoria Pigneur 4th (6:38:66).

Younger boys, Serge Bous and Artem Nikolaev swam 200m Freestyle and came in quickly next to each other with 4th (2:57:12)and 5th (2:58:61)positions, Vitalio Veres following in 9th place (3:10:88).

Following from from this group the 11 year old girls and boys swam 400m Freestyle. Paula Garcia flew through the 16 lengths to win 1st place with a time of 5:49:52 and easily earning a regional qualifying time for competitions later in the season. Eva Kovalenko

followed with a good swim and 6th place (6:02:25)and the boys Jonathan Izquierdo and Jacob Ruiz earnt 3th (6:08:18)and

Villamartin 17th April 2013 Well, what can one say but at long last it does appear that Spring finally has arrived and the winds we have had of late of finally dissipated or for the nonwordsmiths, have buggered off. Other evidence of Spring has finally arrived was with the Parakeets were seen carrying twigs and other nest making materials to their chosen tree.

A later than normal tee off time for us certainly appealed to many and even sparked some good scores for 3 members much to the delight of the handicap secretary who was seen rubbing his hands with delight.

It is fair to say that the Silver Division players seem to prefer the later tee off time judging by their scores

where it needed 36 points for Peter Mason to claim the 4th spot. The same score for Roger Neilson took 3rd place and the runner up in the Silver Division and due a cut was Shelia Dean on 38 points. That is a good score on any day, but not enough for today because our Austrian member, Olga Haubner came in with a cracking 43 points and will now see her handicap cut by 3.5 points.

The Gold Division didn’t seem to fare as well and there were a glut of players on 32 points with Paula Hagart, Doug Baldry and Mick Kennedy claiming 4th, 3rd and runner-up spots respectively. The winner of the Gold Division, and yet another cut coming, was by our Hungarian member, Alex “The Bruiser” Alfody with 39

points.

The visitor’s prizes were taken by a husband and wife team with Sonja Langmayr on 33 points and her husband Anton winning the BV prize with 37 points. All four NTP’s were claimed with Steve Higgins on Hole 6, Kit Dowse hole 9, Olga Haubner Hole 13 and Les Wilton Hole 17.

Our next game which happens to be Captain’s Day, Wednesday 24th April 2013, see’s us at the Campoamor golf course where there will be a plethora of prizes and drinks and nibbles on Hole 10 provided by a duo of undecipherable ‘wenches’ so unless you speak pure Brummy or pure Cockney, practise your sign language.

If you fancy a game just look at our website www. tmgs.org or call the Match

Results - Week 26 - 15/04/13

Concierto´s 6 - 3 Pablo´s Horacio´s A 0 - 0 Belushi´s JJ Belushi´s 6 - 3 Liberty´s Oche-Holic´s P - P Horacio´s B

Andy Wilson Photographer

7th place (6:50:04).

Three of the teams 12 year old boys Bastian Martinez, Timofei Pykin and Georgy Murkskiy gained 6th (5:46:37)

12th (6:10:81)and 13th place (6:11:63).

For more inf o r m a t i o n regarding Torrevieja Swimming Club please contact Rosa

Secretary on 966719604.

We also run small matches on Friday’s and if you fancy a fun knock around, contact Steve Higgins on 968 978 188.

- 665454126 or President Felipe on 609418776 or by email on info@clubnatacion torrevieja.com

THE MEMBERS GOLF SOCIETY

High scores 120+ 140 N ick Hunt ( Concierto´s ) 133 Liam Johnston ( JJ Belushi´s ) 132 B rian “Bry” Whyte ( Pablo´s ) 131 Bill Fyfe ( Concierto´s ) 129 L iam Johnston ( JJ Belushi´s) 125 Sue Frew ( Concierto´s ) 123 Alan “Kevin” Thorpe ( Pablo´s ) League Table 168 OCHE-HOLICS 140 CONCIERTO´S 118 PABLO´S 107 LIBERTY´S 100 BELUSHI´S 75 HORACIO´S A 65 JJ BELUSHI´S 64 HORACIO´S B No results recieved from Horacio A Captain for there game against Belushi´s...

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

MOTORING

There are few vehicles that will transport three generations of the same family. But MPVs (multi-purpose vehicle) solve this difficulty.

Traditionally, though there’s one drawback and that is that they’re environmentally unfriendly gas guzzlers, which is why Toyota scrapped its popular Previa.

But its revisited the MPV with the introduction of the compact yet versatile Verso.

With its three rows of

seats the Toyota Verso Icon was the perfect solution for the Saunders family when my wife Caroline wanted to treat her parents to a day out but didn’t want them to drive. We drove to her parents with Harriett (2) and Heidi (three weeks) both in their car seats in the rear. Nothing unusual there. When we collected Caroline’s parents, Harriett and Heidi were swiftly shoved in the boot. Not quite how it sounds because the third row of seats fitted snugly

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into the boot floor. They were simply pulled up for use. Initially it seemed that space was tight in the rear but then I discovered that the second row slid forward in the same way as the front. Access to the third row was simple because each seat in the second row folded forward with the pull of an easy-to-use lever.

There were only six of us and the Verso, could fit seven, which meant that the middle seat in the second row was redundant. Great then that it could be folded down flush to give a little extra room. We were all pleasantly surprised

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with how user-friendly and versatile the seating arrangements were in the Verso. The designers have clearly thought long and hard over the best use of space and they have done a good job.

Passengers in the second row benefited from folding tables, which came in very handy when we all decided to eat our picnic in the car because it was far too cold to brave the bitter cold outside.

We parked up by the sea and enjoyed the view. Harriett sat on daddy’s lap and tried her hand at steering, operating the sat nav and the stereo. No matter what car she travels in she always swiftly finds the switch for the hazard lights, which inevitably start flashing. It wasn’t long

before her little fingers found their way to the button for the retractable wing mirrors, too. This proved to be huge fun for the little rascal who earned herself a good tickle.

The driver of such a vehicle is always keen to know what his passengers are doing and so a helpful folding panoramic mirror can be found above the rear view mirror; a very useful tool indeed – I could even see my daughters in the third row – Harriett drawing on the window, bless her – an artist in the making.

Cubbyholes abound for all the family clobber.

When the third row of seats is in operation boot space is drastically reduced and so it is helpful to find a sizeable hidden space

in the boot floor, large enough for a reasonable size bag, as you can see from the videos at testdrives.biz.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine can be a little lethargic and I had trouble selecting second gear – the six-speed box not as smooth as I would prefer. However, the brakes were sharp and precise stopping us immediately when a bumbling Sunday afternoon motorist chose to go all the way round a roundabout without indicating. The cruise control could be trusted to keep the set speed no matter how steep the incline.

Despite its capabilities inside, the Verso felt a relatively small car to drive, proving fairly easy to park,

Advanced motorist Tim Saunders is the former Business and Motoring Editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo. His regular test reports appear in numerous newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the UK, Ireland & Gibraltar - and now here in Spain! For more information contact Tim on: timasaunders@tiscali.co.uk

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

45

sport

FC TORREVIEJA - TORRY WIN AGAIN TO MOVE 6 POINTS CLEAR OF THE DROP ZONE.........................

Last Sunday Torry entertained promotion play-off the keeper when well placed. The whistle blew for the

EUROGOLF SOCIETY......................

At the weekend 43 members played at Vista Bella. Some of us found this course a bit of a challenge due to the lightning quick greens and large bunkers dotted around. Some even got confused and started to play one hole the wrong way round.

Thanks to Mike Probert of Costa Blanca Golf for organising our game and along with Mick the Grip for sponsorship.

The results were as follows: 1st Colin Hobden - 30 2nd Beverley Fairhurst - 28 3rd Bob Buckeridge - 27 4th Rudi Muller - 27 Best Guest: David Gray Today’s competition 18 April is the Monthly Stableford/Birthday Cup played at our home course

of La Marquesa. 69 members took part in this competition on what started out a little misty but ended up a glorious day.

Lovely conditions for playing golf which were mirrored by the scores attained.

The results were as follows: Gold Division 1st David Gregson - 40 points; 2nd Roger Richings 38 points; 3rd Keith Wright - 37 points Silver Division: 1st John Holland - 37 points; 2nd Brian Fenwick - 36 points; 3rd Debbie Weedon - 36 points Bronze Division: 1st Beverley Fairhurst - 41 points; 2nd Chris Stanley - 36 points; 3rd Phyllis

St. JAMES’S GATE GOLF SOCIETY

Venables - 33 points Nearest the Pins 5th Graham Cheetham - Le Tournesol 11th Tony Stanley - Monolo 12th Chris Stanley – Manolo 15th Roger Richings - Sierra Golf 17th Dave King - Lo Maribu Thanks to our sponsors.

Best Front Nine: David Blanchette 21 Best Back Nine: Connie Parker 20 OVERALL WINNER OF APRIL MONTHLY STABLEFORD/ BIRTHDAY CUP – BEVELEY FAIRHURST

Alenda Golf – 16th April 2013: We were making a return to the splendid Alenda Golf course at Monforte del Cid and “Rocket” decided to have the golfers the dreaded competition Medal, but being the strong crew, it was taken on the chin as the scores show. As well as this competition there was a knockout game being played and doubles.

It was “Mr Steady” Alan Moody again who took first place again in the Gold Category with a very creditable nett 77 and other followed with a 77 from Larry Lambe and 78’s, but these could not get near Silver Category winner and new golf bag owner Geoff Wild (we think Alenda is becoming his favourite course) scoring a lowly 70 which will get him a Madame Guillotine action.

The doubles Knockout was played between Alan Moody/Tom Baldwin vs. Peter Root/Malcolm Woods where Alan Moody and Tom Baldwin came out victors.

Gold Category Nett Silver Category Nett 1st: Alan Moody 77 C/B 1st: Geoff Wild 70 2nd: Larry Lambe 77 2nd: Ron “Rocket” Nicholoson 73 3rd: Ivie Davies 78 3rd: Ron Chambers

78 4th A Williams 78 4th Ken Hopkins

81 5th Merv Williams 78 5th John Trailor

86 Nearest The Pins: John Hardman – Anne Trailor – Peter Root – Ron Chambers Longest Drive: Peter Root - Best Guest: Ray O’Sullivan It was back to Izzy’s Bar where “Rocket” Ron presented the prizes and for our favourite munchies, a joy not to be missed if youre playi9ng with St. James’s. Next game is at Vistabella Golf 14th May First Tee 09:00, please be at the course by 08:30. For more information or if you wish to play with the arguably the friendliest Golf Society contact Ron Nicholson on 678849142 or email sanmigron@gmail.com Photos: Category Silver Winners: John Trailor, Ken Hopkins, Geoff Wild, “Rocket” Ron, Ron Chambers

chasers La Nucia. La Nucia were going into the game 5th in the table. On the road this season they had won 6, drawn 8 and lost only. In their starting line-up was ex-Torry marksman Petu, a player I personally rated highly.

Torry were without the suspended Villanueva and injured Abel. The Torry manager again selected Javi Tur in goal in preference to Manolo and brought back Jorge into the midfield anchor role after his one match suspension.

Torrys starting line-up: Tur, Vicente, Juanfran (Burguillos, m. 27), Rafa, Dani Meseguer, Jorge, Cuco Ros, Gasch, Luis Carlos, Manu Amores (Sergio m. 80), Koeman (Guillem, m. 85).

The match was again played at the Nelson Mandela stadium in front of a crowd of around the 400 mark. There was again a south easterly wind blowing from one end of the pitch to the other which favoured Torry in the first half. In the first 10 minutes both sides battled to gain control of the vital central midfield area. Torry started to gradually seize the initiative and presented the greatest attacking threat with Manu Amores having a decent effort go just wide of the upright. After 15 minutes Koeman disputed a ball played forward out on the wide right and out-muscled the defender And surged forward and played Gasch in with a slide-rule pass and Gasch struck the ball first time into the roof of the net for a great finish and a GOALLLLL to Torry 1-0. Torry continued to play some decent stuff and it was pleasing to see them keep better possession of the ball and string some good passing moves together. After 27 minutes Torry were forced to make an early change with JuanFran limping off to be replaced by Burguillos who took up a position in central defence alongside Rafa. On 30 minutes Jorge struck a fierce half-volley across goal after a long throw into the La Nucia box wasn’t cleared and the La Nucia keeper make a very good diving save to tip the ball round the post. The opposition started to get more into the game and had an effort cleared off the line by Rafa for the expense of a corner. After 38 minutes after a flowing break by Torry, Vicente put in a good delivery from the right and one of the opposition defenders headed the ball against his own post With the ball rebounding back into play and then being cleared. A minute later Manu Amores put Koeman through but he struck his effort straight at

break to end a half in which Torry had played well.

The opposition started the second half with the wind behind them in determined mood. After 48 minutes Petu for La Nucia latched onto a low cross into the box and his shot on the turn was only just wide. A minute later La Nucia were awarded a penalty when Cuco Ros was adjudged to have bundled over his man in the box when contesting a loose high ball.

Petu took the spot kick and sent Tur the wrong way and struck the ball into the bottom corner of the net for a GOALLLLL to La Nucia 1-1. La Nucia started to have greater territorial advantage but Torry looked dangerous on the break. After 60 minutes Luis Carlos played Koeman in and he went wide of the keeper and stroked the ball towards the net but the ball was cleared off the line by a retreating La Nucia defender. He should have scored. After 65 minutes a Burguillos header from a Torry corner flashed just wide of the right upright. After 70 minutes Koeman had a half chance when he got on the end of a ball from Manu Amores but his flick went straight at the keeper who gathered the ball comfortably. On 72 minutes a brilliantly struck free-kick by a La Nucia mid-fielder from 30 yards struck the underside of the crossbar with Tur beaten and came back into play and was cleared. On 80 minutes Cuco Ros went on a surging run forward and played the ball to Luis Carlos who in turn threaded the ball through to Koeman who from close in rolled the ball into the net for a GOALLLLL to Torry 2-1 and send the Torry faithful into raptures. In injury time Torry had a three on two situation which Gasch didn’t exploit to give Torry a greater margin of victory. The ref blew up for fulltime to send the fans home happy after watching an exciting game of football which could have produced more goals which Torry deservedly won. It was a real team effort by Torry.

Torry are now in 13th place in the table 6 points clear of the relegation zone. This weekend Torry travel to 9th placed Borriol and will be looking to build on their victories in the last 2 games to put the threat of relegation to bed and finish the season in the top half of the table A highly delighted Darrylldinho following his adopted team in Spain win again to ease the threat of relegation. To read about FC Torrevieja access the Torry Army website www.fctorrevieja.net

Stunning comeback earns Saints derby victory C.D Dolores 2-3 C.F Sporting de San Fulgencio Despite seeing a man sent off early on, San Fulgencio fully deserved the 3 points against their local rivals for a first win in 6 games. Three second half goals sealed the win for the Saints in an enthralling game of football. The opening minutes were even, but the game turned in Dolores’ favour when Joaquin Rodriguez shared some verbal pleasantries with one of the onlookers! In spite of having an extra man, the hosts didn’t really look dangerous as the Saints dominated the game.

That was until the 15 minute mark. Manuel Llopis was beaten and Alex Hall seemed to have cleared it, only to see his effort ricochet off the legs of Dolores’ number 20 into the back of the net.

San Ful continued to control proceedings, Carlos Sampere had a couple of headed opportunities and Braulio Garcia saw some decent strikes well kept out by the Dolores defence.

Against the run of play, the home side doubled their lead. The Saints’ defence was caught napping and the opposing striker rounded Llopis and knocked the ball home.

Gary Williams and Claudio Arturi knew they had to do something to get their side back into the game.

Two halftime substitutions did the trick! On came Marco Aurelio and Gary himself to replace Carl Kirby and Carlos Sampere respectively.

With the first attack of the second period, the

Saints got back into the contest. Victor Garcia, who was solid throughout, sent Marco off down the wing and the Brazilian’s cross found Gary at the far post to nod in.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first, San Ful superior than their opponents in every area of the pitch. After Victor and Jose Bonmati had decent heading chances, the Saints were denied a clear penalty when Enrique Serrano was felled in the box.

Sergio then saw a brilliant strike tipped wide by the keeper, before the referee did point to the spot for handball! Up stepped sub Marco to level the game.

In the last 10 minutes Dolores were also reduced to ten men, when one of their substitutes received his marching orders for two bookable offences.

From the resulting free-kick, the Saints took the lead for the first time. Fernando Mora’s floated setpiece evaded everyone, but Marco was there at the back post to knock into an open goal! Cue ecstatic celebrations from the visitors.

Dolores rallied towards the end and brought the best out of Manuel Llopis, who did brilliantly to react to keep out a goalbound header. The Saints held on for a vital win which will no doubt relieve everyone connected to the club.

Our next game is away against Redovan. Time and date yet to be confirmed. Thanks to Telecom 900 and the rest of our sponsors.

Match report by Jordan Lucas

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

sport

CD ORIHUELA COSTA FC...................

CD Orihuela Costa FC v CD Montesinos - 21st April 2013.

forgot to say how much less.

Having delayed the start to allow for an increase in wind speed the first hurdle for the dinghies in the fleet was to negotiate their way through some 75 Optimist dinghies parked across the slipway awaiting the start of their own race. Good to see so many youngsters enjoying the sport (photo) The SAMM race eventually got underway with a fleet of 9 boats with 21 competitors taking to the water to sail round Isla Perdiguera Deltania Uno was soon in trouble struggling to make the start line – some attention to trimming required. The Shoestring Gamba experienced problems with the centre board and began drifting. The crew of Vernon O’Byrne, Ingo Wilson and Carl Vogt eventually beached on the island to effect repairs and have a lunch. They did resume the race but failed to complete the course.

Meanwhile the race was being keenly contested and although different tactics were being employed four crossed the line within an 80 second period.

After just over 2 hours the Weta helmed by Brian Murray and crewed by Linda Coats crossed the line first followed by Peter Cadwell sailing the Laser 2000 single handed.

Once the handicaps were applied, Balaton Connie took first place with Rob Cheshire on the helm and crew members Marianne Elias and Carol Sibson (another first for Carol) (Photo)

Team. Christian, Yohni, Iker, Becker, Sergio, Rubio, Wallace, Andres, M&A, Edu and Vaz. Another early start saw Monte kick-off in front of a crowd of nearly 200 on a windy and over watered pitch.

Despite the conditions both teams played some good football and it was Orihuela who opened the scoring after 15 minutes with a shot that Christian could only palm to the feet of an oncoming forward. Monte then came out and had two near misses from Wallace and one from Edu. After 30 minutes Orihuela had a second player booked for fouling Vaz, who as usual was coming in for some punishment. Once again Monte went in at half time 1 nil down, but what’s new.

Monte set the pace in the second half and nearly paid the price when the opposition were given two chances on the break , which thankfully they wasted. We now had Orihuela pinned back in their half and missed a couple of chances as well as having one kicked off the line. Dimitri came on for Yonhi in a bid to put pressure on the opposition defence as well as offering some protection to Vaz. Colourful language emanated from the stand when Vaz was once again cut down while trying to weave through the midfield and a third player went into the book. On 75 minutes Diego came on for Rubio who was having a good game and showed his displeasure at being substituted. Pressing ever forward Monte were caught out with only a couple minutes to go and only a great save by Christian kept the score at 1-0.

Overall it was a good game and although Monte should have come away with a point they had several players booked, all but one was for dissent. This persistent dissent costs us players as the points add up and just maybe, had Fernando been on the pitch instead of suspended their goal may have not occurred.

Next Sunday 28th April, we are at home to our rivals from up the road Racing San Miguel, kick-off 5.00 p.m.

Howard Yeats

match. On a cold Saturday morning the small group of supporters from Daya had little to warm them up as their team’s performance was uninspiring. Still a win is a win and they continue to chase down the leaders, Cox, who hold a one point advantage going in to this weekend’s games.

Daya Dave (Team Sponsor: Segurlab)

DON’T FORGET TO GET YOUR SPORT REPORTS TO ME BY 3PM ON MONDAY - EDITOR@SOLTIMES.COM

sailing association mar menor.................

April 21st and the second race day of the season – we wanted a little less wind but

ALMORADI 0 v. DAYA NUEVA 2......

INFANTILS G10s

DISMAL DAYA MARCH ON From the opening whistle Daya tore into the home side but after 10 minutes of constant pressure the game was somehow still goalless.

The longer the half went on the more Almoradi grew in confidence but they lacked any real threat up front. On 30 minutes Daya came closest to scoring when three good chances saw the ball pinging about in the home side’s penalty area but it just wouldn’t go in the net ! On the stroke of half time Francisco spared the visitors’ blushes scoring with a good free kick from distance. So 1 - 0 at the break but it should have been many many more. The second half started with constant pressure from the visitors but there was more control now about their play. On 43 minutes Youseff replaced Marcos in the Daya forward line and on 45 minutes scored Daya’s second. This goal allowed the visitors a more relaxed approach to the remainder of the game and surely more goals would follow ? On 60 minutes Almoradi had their best chance of the game but they failed to score. Daya hit back with two good chances of their own but just couldn’t score. For all their efforts the visitors had to settle for a 2 - 0 win. Although they scored just the two goals Daya never looked to be in any danger of losing this Hello

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LO CRISPIN GOLF SOCIETY..............

Altorreal Golf Course - 17.04.13: As well as our regular Stableford competition, this week we played for The Albie Lush Trophy. This trophy originated in Montebello where Albie Lush was the first President and liked to play golf, he was one of the first residents there and one of the first customers in Monty’s Bar. The cup was first played for in 2005 in his memory but as it had not been played in recent years it was decided that Lo Crispin would like to take over the mantle and continue using the cup. The competition was hotly contested by Lo Crispin members and even more so by Montebello members. Hotly describes not only the good scores but also the weather which changed from mist to brilliant sunshine.

Altorreal was a pleasure to play with greens that had been newly cut and ran true and if your touch was there the ball ran straight in the hole, so some people said. The only down side was that the last group were harangued by a single golfer and his wife who thought they owned the world, but this mattered little in the end.

The winner of THE ALBIE LUSH TROPHY was Mick Budd, who had the best overall score of the day, well done Mick, handicap reduction on the way. Gold Division: 1st Mick Budd, 38pts, 2nd Ray Brown 36pts and 3rd Peter Morris 34pts; Silver Division: 1st Gordon Cobb 32pts, 2nd Gail Coultate 31pts (c/b) and 3rd Dicky Claeys 31pts; Bronze Division: 1st David Dodd 36pts, 2nd Danny McErlean 32pts and 3rd Dave Keating 30pts; NTPs: Hole 2 nearest in 2 Mick Budd, hole 9 nearest in 3 Padraig O’Brien, hole 14 nearest in 2 Brian Smith and

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hole 17 nearest in 1 hole 17 J. Henderson. The 2s club was shared by Barny Barningham and Scott Blair with 17€ each Andrew Cox won the free game draw.

Many thanks to The Tavern who put on a buffet for us enjoyed by members and guests alike. Our next 18 hole game is at Alicante Golf Club where we are playing a Texas Scramble and Mick the Grip is sponsoring 6 holes. The sign up sheets are on the website for El Plantio on the 15th May and also the Spring Cup at Bonalba on the 29 May. Our website address is http://sites.google.com/site/locrispingolf/ for those interested.

Gail Coultate reporter.

Lo Crispin Golf Society http://sites.google.com/site/locrispingolf/

Ten Pin Bowling League..............

Cornish Pride Los Dolses: Matches played April 16th

In the penultimate week of the league, we still had 2 teams in with a chance of winning the league title; Hall y Day and Team Finland.

Hall y Day started the night 12 points behind the Finns, so they needed to win their game against Cornish Pride, and hope the Finns dropped some points in their match against Bar Mosquito.

But the night did not go the way H y D were hoping, Cornish Pride took all 8 points off them, helped by one of their ‘new’ bowlers Mary Whitelock, who bowled her 4 highest scores of the season, including a 191 hcp game.

Team Finland lost their first game to Bar Mosquito, but were determined to clinch the championship on the night. They fought back to win the last 2 games, and win the match 6-2, despite Brian Tomlin bowling for the mossies, having his 4 best scores of the season, including a 225 hcp game.

So with one week still to go, this years league champions are Team Finland.

Carp-r-us made it 3 wins in a row as they beat Los Lobos 6-2. Mixers had a convincing 8-0 win over Bandoleros. Los Bandidos, who are one of 3 teams still in with a chance of the 3rd place medal, beat Crazy Pinz 6-2.

Terry Capon bowling for Split Happens, bowled a 632 hcp series and helped his team to a 4-4 draw with Lucky Strike.

Caballo Negro are still in 3rd place, and maintained their 4 point lead, when they beat last weeks cup winners Splash 6-2.

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SOLTIMES APRIL 2013

sport

MAZARRON F.C. 1 C.F. LORCA DEPORTIVA 2

There was little to choose between these mid-table teams but despite applying pressure in the latter stages of the game, Mazarron were unable to snatch an equaliser and suffered a 1-2 home defeat to close rivals Lorca.

There was a nasty collision of heads involving Diego and a Lorca forward in the first few minutes which resulted in the visiting player being substituted and Diego nursing a large lump on his forehead. Lorca took the lead in the 10th minute when a through ball found Minarro who, although looking to be in an offside position, ran on to hit a rising shot past Jose Iker.

Mazarron replied with a free kick from Santi which was headed onto the bar by Poyato.

In the 16th minute, Mazarron keeper Iker had to dive full length to turn a fierce shot around the post. Mazarron equalised after 27 minutes when Ruben found Santi on the right and his low cross was turned in at the near post by Perico.

Mazarron almost took the lead before half time but a clever backheel by Jose Ruben lacked power and a Lorca defender was able to clear the ball off the line.

The first period of the second half was uneventful until Lorca regained the lead in the 59th minute with a superb goal. A cross from the right was met by Ruiz who hit an unstoppable volley past Iker into the roof of the net.

Mazarron struggled to trouble the Lorca defence until the closing stages of the game.

Good work by substitute Toni and Cecilio saw Toni’s cross shot go wide of the far post. Lorca were reduced to 10 men in the 89th minute when one of their midfield players was dismissed for a second yellow card and Mazarron managed to apply some real pressure in the eight minutes of added stoppage time.

Following a goalmouth scramble the ball fell to Barrachina whose fierce shot was saved at point blank range by the Lorca keeper. Then a free kick from Toni was heading for the top corner until the visiting keeper managed to get his fingers to the ball and tip it over the bar.

Team: Jose Iker, Clemente, Diego, Chicho, Barrachina, Santi, Poyato (Toni), Baeza, Perico (Matt Clarke), Jose Ruben, Cecilio.

Man of the Match: Diego

47

SUCINA GOLF SOCIETY.........................

Before the game, Los Amigos member Trevor Taylor presented a cheque for 2500€ to Mazarron FC President, Jose Rodriguez.

The money was raised at the recent Los Amigos de Mazarron FC Gala Evening and Dinner held at the Hotel la Cumbre, Puerto de Mazarron

Tuesday, 16th April 2013 at Mar Menor (IRM) An Individual Stableford format for our game today, counting towards the 2013 ´Player of the Year´ trophy. 29 players turned out for a fantastic day´s golf! Weather was warm and sunny, with a gentle breeze presenting itself later in the morning which cooled things down nicely. We were also delighted to welcome additional guests who joined us today.

A variety of scores were presented, and many a player found the bunkers! The author of this article being one, and found them to be very deep and full of sand! Maybe I have also found some new swear words! As another female member also agreed, trying to get out when sand also wet - was undoubtable a ¨swearable´ event!

Presentation of the prizes were held afterwards on the terrace at Mar Menor. Our Division winners were:Division One: 1st John Storey - 35, 2nd Roger Major - 34, 3rd Colin Comber - 31 Division Two: 1st Brian Kay - 35 (on c/back), 2nd Colin Griffiths - 35 (on c/back)& 3rd Christine Comber - 30 Division Three: 1st Bill Nagle - 29, 2nd Doreen Crowhurst - 27 and 3rd Frank Louwet - 26 Guest Division: 1st Place Dean Le Ray 32 points Nearest the pins went to: Hole 2 - Phil Watson ( and with a bad back!), Hole 8 - Dean Le Ray, Hole 14 - Colin Griffiths and Hole 17 - Dean Le Ray . Thanks go to the Great Golf Co who supplied our NTP prizes.

Our next meeting is at La Torre, on Tuesday 21st May at 10.00am.

Start list is on the Noticeboard in Franc & Louise Bar, Sucina or contact any Committee Member. All details can be found on our website:- www.sucinagolfsociety.com

CLAPTON’S GOLF SOCIETY................... SMGS play MAR MENOR.....................

ALTORREAL GOLF - 19th APRIL 2013 This month’s competition was played back at Altorreal after a long period with no visits. By the time all the members arrived the sun had disappeared and it looked as if we were in for a good downpour. In the event, after a couple of holes, the sun reappeared and we had a nice sunny days golf. The fairways and the greens are now improving back to their old standard but the tee boxes looked as if they had been really over-played. As it was we still managed some good scores with Willie Buchanan the eventual winner being nine inches from a hole in one, as you can see from the scores below.

Everybody having finished we made our way back to the Clubhouse for the presentation and a meal laid on by Chris and his staff. Many thanks for their hospitality.

Overall Winner - Willie Buchanan 39 points Gold Winner - Terry Sharley 33 points on c/b Gold Runner Up Tony Stead 33 points on c/b Silver Winner - John (new clubs) Stones 35 Silver Runner Up - Terry Smith 32 points Best Front Nine - Chris Gridley 19 points Best Back Nine - Dave Mace 19 points Nearest the Pin: 5th Neil Metcalf; 8th Willie Buchanan; 10th ----; 17th Terry Sharley Best Guest: Lee Pennial 32 points Most Potential: Mark Brooks Twos Competition Willie Buchanan (2): Terry Sharley (l): Craig Lambert (1) Next meeting at Alenda 17th May

A past captain and long-serving president of the San Miguel Golf Society was forefront in the minds of those members who have fond memories of Colin Arkley as the honour to hold his memorial trophy for the next 12 months was fiercely contested in a Stableford competition at Mar Menor.

One of the shortest courses in the group of six that make up the “Murcia Golf Experience”, Mar Menor’s maximum length is only just over 6,000 metres but it does belie its straightforward appearance.

Designers, Dave Thomas (front 9) and Jack Nicklaus (back 9) are both past masters at strategically placing bunkers and water hazards…..and on this course they’ve really excelled.

To get through unscathed around its very own “Amen Corner” circle – Norman Padmore! at 13, 14 & 15, which encircle the lake, is quite a challenge.

It was a great day in great company with great weather…..

I’ve looked skyward before this annual competition for many all playing in memory of a great guy. a year and promised my old pal, Colin, that “this is going to Please visit www.smgs.org to keep abreast of society be my year!” and I’ve still not managed it. A good sign that I matters and the forthcoming Wednesday meetings, or give might be getting nearer was this year I did mark the winning Barry a ring on 966 731 033. Visitors are always welcome card. but at this time of the year everyone is urged to book early or The visitor’s prize was awarded to John Moderate who risk being disappointed. carded 35 points and the NTP’s were picked up by Norman Padmore, Ben Price, Ivan Hanik and Bill Preston.

Silver category’s top four were Jacqui Rust (32 C/B), Ray Ewins (32 C/B), Ellen Drakesmith (34 C/B) and first was Bill Preston (34 C/B).

Graham Cockayne (35 C/B) was 4th in the Gold section with Glen ‘haircut’ Rapley (35 C/B) in 3rd and big Steve Fleet came 2nd with 36. But 3 points clear with a very commendable 39 was Ivan Hanik who took the handsome trophy to fill a vacant slot on his sideboard.

The course did quite a bit of biting back as was Costa blanca office demonstrated when the QUESADA BUSINESS CENTRE, “Abacus award” was picked Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent of political parties, private investment and government.

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