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Sikh woman says bullying about her facial hair left her suicidal

23-year-old Harnaam Kaur from Slough, Berkshire, who says she was driven to self-harm by bullies who teased her mercilessly about her excessive facial hair has now embraced her condition, and now sports a full beard.

She suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome which causes thick hair growth.

Now the primary school teaching assistant is so confident and content with her appearance she has even been baptised as a Sikh – a religion where it is forbidden to cut body hair.

Thick hair began to sprout on her face, chest and arms when she was just 11-years-old and she endured a childhood of cruel taunts and even online

death threats.

The bullying became so bad Kaur even considered taking her own life when schoolmates began calling her “beardo”, “shemale” and “sheman”.

She said: “I can laugh about it now but back then it affected me so badly that I began to self harm because it felt better than all the abuse I was getting.

“I’d talk to people with a hand over my face and I wore baggy, tomboy clothes to cover up the hair on my chest and arms.

“I didn’t want to go outside my house because I couldn’t take the stares from strangers so I’d lock myself in my room.

“It got so bad that I just didn’t want to live any more.”

Kaur was 16 when she made became baptised – a decision which proved controversial with her own family.

“My mum and dad didn’t want me to do it – they didn’t think I’d be able to have a normal life if I had a beard,” she explained. “They worried I wouldn’t be able to get married and that I’d never get a job.

“But I wanted to make my own decisions and live for myself – not anyone else.”

Baptised Sikhs follow the so-called “5 Ks,” or five physical symbols that date back to the creation of the faith by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.

She said: “I get shop assistants calling me ‘sir’ and strange looks from people – they see my beard first and realise I’ve actually got breasts too. It must be confusing for a lot of people.

“The funniest reactions I get are from the children

at my school. Some ask me what my beard is and I joke it’s a Halloween costume. Some even ask me where I buy it and I just say ‘Asda’.

“I can laugh about it now – sometimes I say I’m a man and I put on a deep voice to scare other people because it’s quite funny to see their reaction.”

Though she is often mistaken for a man, Harnaam says she feels more feminine than ever – choosing pretty tops over baggy, high-necked jumpers.

She said: “I’m able to go out and shop in the women’s section without feeling I shouldn’t be there.

“I wear skirts, dresses and jewellery and I like to get my nails done like every other girl.”

In an attempt to help other women find selfconfidence, Kaur has shared her story on YouTube and continues to upload videos despite receiving death threats.

She said: “I’ve had people telling me they’re going to burn me and throw a brick at me – all sorts of things like that.

“But I’ve also had a lot of positive messages from women in the same situation as me.

“I’ve also had loads of nice comments from men all over the world. One even asked me to marry him.

“All that matters to me at the moment is that I love myself. I love my beard and all my other little quirks – my tattoos, my scars, stretch marks and blemishes.

“I want other women to find the strength that I have.

“If I had any message it would be to live the way you want – it’s your journey and it’s your life.”

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Beaten by a whisker

Canada beat Britain’s women 6-4 to reach the Sochi 2014 curling final, leaving GB in a bronze medal play-off against Switzerland.

The Britons had endured a tough start to the contest, with a “pick up” - a stone whose path is altered by debris or a fault in the ice - in the opening end. The stone touched a bristle from one of the brushes used to sweep the ice in front of the stone as it travels across the ice, and this partially deflected the stone from its true path.

This setback may have unsettled the team, and early errors helped the dominant Canadians take a 3-0 lead after two ends.

Despite a valiant effort to recover in the

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following ends, British hopes were continually knocked back by the unruffled precision of the Canadian rink.

Skip Jennifer Jones closed out victory in a tense finish, delivering an inch-perfect final stone to secure victory in the face of a superb last-ditch effort from GB skip Eve Muirhead to keep the tie alive.

‘I came into this tournament saying I wanted no regrets and we gave everything we could in that game,’ she said. ‘I’m proud of the girls. Our backs were against the wall but we gave it back to them and it was a high quality game. We’ve trained hard for this.’

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British tourist X-rayed in search for stolen diamond

Police in Australia have X-rayed Matthew Osborne, a 29-year-old British tourist. He is suspected of swallowing a rare pink diamond worth more than £100,000.

The stone was snatched from a jewellery store in the northern city of Cairns by a man who then made good his escape on a bicycle.

Police arrested Osborne as he attempted to a board a flight to New Zealand from an airport in Melbourne.

Senior Sergeant Greg Giles told Australian Broadcasting Corporation that police suspected Osborne had swallowed it but that X-rays were inconclusive, and they have yet to recover the diamond.

Osborne will be extradited from Melbourne

to Cairns charged with theft.

The diamond’s owner, Keith Bird, owner of the Diamond Gallery in Cairns, said police told him the man had admitted stealing the diamond and swallowed it as he prepared to board the flight to New Zealand.

However, he doubts the diamond is inside him. ‘Why would he sit at the Melbourne airport and swallow it? What if he had to go to the loo on a flight to New Zealand?’

Mr Bird has run the jewellery shop for 36 years, and the gem had been on display in the store for nine years.

Despite the 200,000 Australian dollar (£108,000) price tag, the diamond is only 0.31 carat with a diameter of 4.3 millimetres; its value is in its colour.

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ADAPT UP AND RUNNING INTO 2014

ort Asociacio’n De Angloparlantes, known locally as ADAPT, are now looking forward to new challenges in 2014. Founder Jane Cronin, explains that the main objective of ADAPT, is the integration and well-being of the English speaking community, living along the coast and inland, and to promote mutual understanding between English speakers, Spanish speakers, Spanish people and people of other nationalities.

Originally members came from the San Pedro del Pinatar area, but now, it’s membership is drawn from Torrevieja in the north, to Los Alca’zares in the south, and all points inland. Members can join a plethora of groups within

the society. Access for all, a choir, computer group, excursions, an environment group, games evenings, painting classes, rambling, school monitors, a theatre group, and a metal detecting brotherhood! ADAPT meet on the first Saturday of the month, at the Hogar Pensionistas Building, San Pedro, at 11.00. hrs..

For more information, contact the club, via their website: www. adaptsanpedro.eu Jane adds that everyone will be made most welcome.

Picture shows a most important side of the club, the monthly lunch, and I understand there is also an evening dinning club. Bang goes the diet yet again!

AN ORNITHOLOGICAL GRAND OPENING

Wednesday February 19th., was the chance for a dove of a different kind, to take to the sky’s over the Mar Menor.

Mayor of Pilar, Jose’ Samper, along with Director of Environment Alfredo Gonzales, Ivan Romero, Councillor for the environment in Pilar, and a goodly crowd of the populace of Pilar de la Horadada and San Pedro, many clutching their binoculars, twitchers perhaps, assembled at the waters edge, to witness the grand opening of the “La Monte Natural Municipal Lagoons”, just north of the town. These 10 hectares, are fast becoming a stop over for migratory birds. Being strategically placed between the Natural Park of The Salinas de San

Pedro del Pinatar, and La Mata, they are attracting many species of birdlife, with the endangered White Headed Duck, setting up home among the flora and fauna. The nearby Waste Water Treatment Plant, continues to make use of the lagoons, to store water, which is later made use of by local agriculture, and to irrigate the local parks and gardens. The project was first discussed a number of years ago, the “Green light” being finally given in October 2013, when the area was declared a Municipal Nature Park, by degree of the council.

Now, I’m sure I saw Bill Oddie a moment ago..........

NOT JUST ANY OLD CARNIVAL

With many schools in Pilar de la Horadada, holding carnivals throughout the year, where only the pupils parade along the highways and byways, it has been decided that parents and family members can now join their children in a special carnival.

On the second of March, parents and all the family, will join their children in a carnival parade, with the little one’s no doubt showing the grown up’s how to party. From 11.00 hrs., to 14.00 hrs., the carnival parade will make it’s way around the narrow streets of Pilar, led

by Pilar Musical Union Band, finally ending up at the Church Square.

Along the way will be a chance for all to show their singing skills, via a mobile karaoke! There will be prizes for the best costume, and, wait for it: All that dress for the occasion, can partake in free hot chocolate and scrumptious cakes. How good is that?

THE DOVE HAS FLOWN

Well, it didn’t take long!

My photograph shows what is left of Pilar de la Horadada’s blot on the landscape. A previous edition of my jottings, showed Mayor Jose’ Samper, chatting with the demolition foreman, just as work began on the framework of The Dove. Hope of taking the R.S.J. skeletal frame down, section by section by removal of the original nuts and bolts, was soon

dismissed, when a close inspection revealed that over the yeas, the corrosive effect of salt and rain had seized all connections, and that no amount of WD40 would help. The cutters torch was ignited, and within a few days, the ground was a tangle of girders. It is hoped that the scrap value of the steel, may go some way to reimburse the coffers of the municipal chest.

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

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News

Ada Colau: Spain’s anti-eviction crusader

Hundreds of families in Spain are evicted every day, after falling behind on mortgage payments - and under Spain’s draconian laws they must continue paying off the loan even after the home has been repossessed.

Their main source of support is a determined woman from Barcelona - Ada Colau.

Back in 2009, when Colau organised the first meetings for mortgage defaulters, she was amazed to see hundreds of people turning up. But what surprised her even more was the way they behaved.

“We expected to see lots of angry people in the hall”, she says “but most were depressed and ashamed. They were embarrassed about discussing their problems. Our government kept telling these people that they were the ones responsible for this situation, that they were to blame. And that message was repeated every day on television.”

One of those who has sought support from Colau’s Platform for People Affected by Mortgages is Ermina Pacheco. As we walk to her flat past high rises and convenience stores, she tells me she began working at the age of 10 when her mother got her a job in a restaurant. Once inside I admire her collection of ceramic dolls and she shows me her wedding pictures. Ermina has been married three times and thought she’d finally found her soul mate. But two years ago the couple’s mortgage payments more than doubled from 800 to nearly 2000 euros a month.

After the sudden price hike her husband became increasingly worried and couldn’t sleep at night. He became so depressed that he overdosed on painkillers and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. “He stayed for a month but that didn’t help,” says Ermina. “He tried to commit suicide several times after that.”

She blames the banks and the government for destroying his peace of mind and eventually the marriage. “They pushed us to buy, saying why waste 100 euros in rent when you can have your own property?

Now I feel that we were tricked.”

Ermina thinks her husband is still alive though she has no idea where he is today.

But many heavily indebted Spaniards have killed themselves. It was a wave of evictionrelated suicides which prompted Ada to set up the Platform five years ago.

When the housing bubble burst, migrant workers in the construction industry and low-income families were the hardest hit. Today people from many different backgrounds have been sucked into the mortgage crisis.

With unemployment at 26% - the highest rate in Europe except for Greece - people live in fear of losing their jobs. On top of that, many lose their homes.

“It is a real social emergency,” says Gerardo Pisarello a Barcelona based law professor and mortgage expert. “Spain has one of the worst housing policies in Europe.”

Unlike Germany, he says, there is no rent

control to govern the private market and only 2% of housing is social housing - state subsidised homes for low-income families.

This compares with about 20 or 30% in the Netherlands, Scandinavia, France and the UK. Spain also has some of the toughest mortgage laws. People must continue to pay off their mortgages, complete with interest and penalty charges, even after they have been evicted and their home whose value is appraised by the bank itself - has been repossessed. Since mortgage defaulters are disqualified from filing for bankruptcy, many are saddled with debts they can never escape.

Colau’s platform has collected one and half million signatures calling for changes in these laws which make it virtually impossible for debtors to wipe the slate clean and start again.

Last March, the European Court of Justice ruled that Spain’s legislation was in breach of EU consumer protection laws because it did not allow judges to halt evictions, even if mortgage contracts contained unfair terms. These abusive terms, referred to by the court ruling, include high penalties for late interest payments and eviction for missing just one or two payments on a 30year mortgage.

Apart from lobbying the government, the Platform runs a network of local assemblies where people can come for help. There are 65 in Catalonia alone and 150 across the country.

Across Spain, though, some 350,000 families have been forced out of their homes since the property market crashed in 2008.

Word about the Platform spread, together with Ada Colau’s popularity, when she appeared before a parliamentary committee on the mortgage. She reacted to a remark by a representative of the AEB, the Spanish Banking Association, by calling him a criminal.

“He boasted that Spain has got the best mortgage system in the whole world,” she recalls. “I couldn’t believe it when it has caused so much suffering. It was an instinctive reaction but calling him a criminal was the least I could do!”

Juan Jose Toribio, an adviser to the Spanish Banking Association, says Colau’s attack on his colleague was unjustified.

He says the banks stopped evicting the most vulnerable families in 2012. That change in policy came after a 53-year woman died jumping from her fourth-floor apartment in northern Spain, hours before she was due to be forced out of her home.

This new policy only suspends evictions for two years but the Platform says thousands of vulnerable families are still being made homeless. According to the Bank of Spain, evictions accelerated in the first half of last year when more than 35,000 Spanish homes were seized by banks for non-payment.

Toribio denies that the banks are to blame for the evictions crisis.

BRONSON COMES HOME

Bronson, one of the most popular horses at The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre (EHCRC) in Rojales is back home after a life saving operation.

Bronson was suddenly taken very ill three weeks ago and rushed to the Centro Policlinico Veterinario Raspeig (Alicante Horse Hospital) by Rod Weeding co founder of the EHCRC in a desperate bid to save his life.

Sue Weeding, Rod’s wife explains the drama that unfolded that morning.

“Rod and I were up most of the night with Bronson in his paddock.

We thought he had severe colic, all of the symptoms were there. It is vitally important that a horse with suspected colic is kept on its feet and walked around continuously. It became obvious to us both that Bronson was not improving and we called in Dorothea our fantastic vet who, as always was with us within minutes.

Bronson was becoming uncontrollable with pain spasms but with disregard for her own safety, Dorothea administered the appropriate treatment to calm him down and allow our team to get him into the horsebox.

Salvador the vet and his team at the Alicante Horse Hospital were waiting when Rod arrived with Bronson and an emergency operation was performed immediately.

The cause of Bronson’s discomfort soon became apparent. A large enterolite almost 15 centimetres long was extracted from his small colon.

An enterolite is caused when a horse eats something like a piece of plastic or a foreign body which then gets stuck in the intestine.. Bronson must have digested this long before he was rescued back in October 2010. It can take many years for this foreign body to become coated by the digestive system in a hard calcium like substance which builds up over time.

This particular enterolite had moved to the end of Bronson’s colon causing a complete blockage.

Rod and I and all the team and volunteers at the EHCRC are indebted to Salvador and his skilled team of surgeons at the Alicante Horse Hospital for saving Bronson’s life and, because we are a fully registered Spanish charity they discounted the final bill as a gesture of their support for what we do. Special thanks also to Kate Jensen, a truly dear friend and supporter for her generous offer of 3000 euros towards the cost of Bronson’s operation and

post operation treatment.

Bronson has now had his stitches removed by Dorothea this week and will remain in his stable to recuperate further before being let out into his paddock with his companions Harry Trotter, Sophia and Katy-Rose.”

Bronson was named after Charles Bronson of Street Fighter movie fame because of his fight for survival and will to live after being found at the side of the main road in Almoradi. He is a pure Spanish horse around 15 years old and was discovered lying alongside the road with massive head wounds caused by being attacked with a large metal object losing a large amount of blood. He had escaped his assailant and lost his balance, collapsing terrified while trying to drink some water from the ground.

Rod, Sue and five helpers arrived and struggled to get Bronson up as he was staggering and in great pain and obviously traumatised. Back at the stables and after much examination and care it was discovered that this beautiful horse had appalling injuries to his skull, brain, left eye and inner ear, some of which he has never fully recovered.

But, living up to his name Bronson fought back and with a tremendous will to live recovered from his ordeal. It is this determination and drive which has undoubtedly helped him survive yet another trauma in his short life.

The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre is open every Sunday afternoon between 1pm and 4pm where you can enjoy hot food, tea and snacks in the garden café. Their popular horse tours start at 2pm where you can meet all of the resident equines and hear their stories.

If you would like to help and volunteer at the open days please contact the centre on the number below.

The EHCRC has five charity shops and is a fully registered Spanish charity.

Their shops are located in Ciudad Quesada, Los Montesinos, La Siesta and for massive furniture bargains, Guardama and La Zenia. They will come and collect any items free of charge that you wish to donate including furniture, electrical items, clothes and scrap metal for recycling.

Please cal 636 062 000 for more information.

For directions to the centre in Rojales and to make donations or sponsor a horse go to www.easyhorsecare.net.

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SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

Tourism Awards Go To Hotel Chain And Tour Operator

The annual Costa de Almeria awards for the promotion of tourism in the region took place in the Castle of Roquetas last week. The awards are given to institutions, companies and individuals who make an outstanding contribution towards the support and sponsorship of tourism in the area.

This year the awards went to the Majorca based hotel chain Roc Hotels, the Belgian tour operator Jet Air and the actor Josema Yuste. Last year, Roc Hotels bought and carried out a four million euro refurbishment to the Golf Trinidad Hotel in the Urbanisation. The badly vandalised hotel had been closed for three years before the Roc chain stepped in. The subsequent transformation has proved to be a hit, not only with relieved locals but with the large number of tourists who visited last year.

President of Roc Hotels, Miguel Miralles said the company was encouraged by the first years trading and hoped to make further improvements to the hotel this year to bring it up to four star status.

He also thanked the local council and Cajamar for their help in making the takeover possible.

The Belgian tour operator Jet Air is one of the longest serving companies providing holidays to the area; they started flights to Almeria in 1984.

They received their award for, ‘continuing to increase the number of tourists visiting Roquetas and for showing the way to other operators over the last thirty years.’ Mayor Gabriel Amat said their contribution to the economy of the region, ‘has been vital in the growing success of Roquetas as a major tourist destination for foreign visitors.’

Weekend Breaks Away cordoba Córdoba is ideal for those who like to eat well, explore on foot, dive into old bodegas and relish architectural wonders. The city’s heart needs no introduction, for its fame is widespread: the magnificent Mezquita, a symbol of worldly and sophisticated Islamic culture, lords over the town centre and pulls thousands of tourists into its arched interior every day. The streets of the Judería (Jewish quarter) stretch out from the great mosque like capillaries (albeit those nearest the monument are clogged with tourist bric-a-brac), unexpectedly emerging on peaceful plazas.

The compact town centre has a

more boisterous vibe with some excellent bars and restaurants – some of which have become sights in themselves – while the Islamic ruin of Medinat al-Zahra, west of town, stirs the imagination with its glory and grandeur.

Córdoba is quiet and withdrawn during the winter months but bursts into life from mid-April to mid-June, when the city stages most of its major fiestas. At this time of year the skies are blue, the heat is tolerable and the city’s many trees and courtyards drip with foliage and blooms.

The medieval city is immediately north of the Río Guadalquivir,

with a warren of narrow streets surrounding the Mezquita.

Within the medieval city, the area northwest of the Mezquita was known as the Judería, the Muslim quarter was north and east of the Mezquita, and the Mozarabic (Christian) quarter was further to the northeast. The main square of Córdoba is Plaza de las Tendillas, with the main shopping streets to the plaza’s north and west.

Source:www.lonelyplanet.com/

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animal corner 6 Great Ways to Challenge Your Dog’s Mind Cat hotel Hondon de las Nieves/Frailes

Just like people, dogs get bored with the same old everyday routine. Keeping them mentally challenged and constantly exposing them to new things is just as important as taking them for walks and exercising them.

Bored dogs develop destructive behaviors and take their negative energy out on things like your furniture.

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1. Work on a new trick.

Every time you engage your dog in a training session, you are providing him with a mental challenge. Search around for new tricks to work on.

If you’re ready to move past the basic commands, check out books, scan the Internet, and ask a trainer for ideas for new tricks and training ideas.

2. Play with interactive games or toys with your dog.

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Purchase a doggie board game or a canine puzzle to challenge your pup. Engage your dog in a game of Dog Memory or Dog Dominos. Give your dog one of the many toys that allow you to hide treats and objects inside and engage your dog to figure out how to work them out.

3. Run errands with your dog.

Even a quick run to the mailbox, a stopover at a friend’s house, or a spin through the car wash will place your dog face to face with a variety of stimulants.

4. Give your dog a job to do.

Dogs are bred to complete tasks such as hunting and herding. When they aren’t able to fulfill these types of duties, they can get restless. Engage your dog in a game of Frisbee. Get him involved in a sport like agility or Flyball. Take him for a long walk, hike, or swim. Find jobs that fulfill your dog’s breed. If you have a retriever, for example, nothing will leave it

presentation to SAT from Rojales Pantomime group

S.A.T. Are building some new kennels and are asking people to buy ‘a brick’ for one euro each to help towards this project.

Mike Smith President of The Rojales Pantomime group presented a cheque to S.A.T. for 200 euros towards the building of these new kennels.

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more satisfied than a hearty game of fetch.

5. Introduce your dog to new faces.

Every time your dog meets a new person or fellow canine, they are introduced to new sights, sounds, and butts to sniff. Taking you pup to places like the dog park will provide him with ample opportunity to engage his senses.

6. Give them new toys and rotate out the old ones:

You wouldn’t want to play with the same thing every day would you? Then you shouldn’t expect your dog to continue to love the same toy that he’s had for months. Give him a toy to play with for a few days and when he grows bored of it, replace it with another one.

Source: www.cesarsway.com/

image: www.humanality.blogspot.com

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The Mosquito Screen & Window Co

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The Mosquito Screen & Window Co

Windows

Manufacturers & Installers of Insect Screens, Aluminium & UPVC Windows & Doors

Tel: 966 716 329 or Spanish Mob: 722 763 055

www.mosquitoscreenco.com email: the.mosquito.screen.company@gmail.com Find us at Moncayo Market on Saturdays & we are pleased to announce we are now at Lemon Tree Market on Sundays

Here at the Mosquito Screen & Window Company we are proud to announce we have now introduced to our factory the manufacturing and installation of aluminium windows and doors, we also provide a glass replacement service for cracked/broken on broken down units, also can replace your single glazed frames with double.

Dave the owner, who has been in the window industry for 20 years both here and in the North East of England, will call and carry out a full and free site survey and installation.

Screening

We have been installing screening on the Costa Blanca and the Costa Del Sol for 10 years. We

Property Maintenance

Photograph: Getty Images

Water Filters & Descalers

Environmentally friendly Remove the high mineral content Prolong the life of your water using appliances The newly reclaimed harbourfront has been turned into a botanic garden. The $1bn Gardens by the Bay contains dozens of themed gardens, many designed

by British architects. In

www.bjmaintenance.com Tel: 646 705 021 Call now for a free quotation

Here at the Mosquito Screen Company we provide a full and varied selection of screens, any colour, any shape, from sliding – rolling, opening and fixed. For our best ever winter offers please call Dave for a site survey. Even if you do not want your screens installed now. We can take your order and manufacture and store until ready for installation at your request. Tel Dave on:- 966 716 329 / 722 763 055 Come and have a friendly chat on Moncayo Market Saturday or LemonTree Market Sunday.

Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

Brian Jones & Co

The water filtration system uses three different filters - carbon, crystal & Brita to intensively clean the water, making it taste great and removing traces of pesticides, bacteria & other contaminants.

manufacture locally in Ciudad Quesada so we can turn your screens around within 5 working days with no costs to a middleman.

true Victorian fashion, the 101-hectare park is centred on two conservatories – albeit with the interiors chilled to mimic Mediterranean and cloud forest habitats.

The Flower Dome,

the world’s largest columnless greenhouse, houses an olive grove, a recreation of the South African fynbos, Australian outback and an elevated baobab garden. In the Cloud Forest Dome, lifts transport visitors 140ft up the central hollow of a “cloud mountain” to suspended walkways over treetops.

Even Singapore’s Changi airport houses six indoor and outdoor gardens, which are managed using skills picked up from Chelsea Flower show – plants are whipped out the second their blooms fade in the air conditioning and replaced from a nursery sited along the runway.

Singapore’s glossy, thematic approach to horticulture may seem theatrical and gimmicky, but in many ways it is more faithful to the pioneering spirit of the British Victorian gardeners we often try to emulate than our own obsession for rehashing the past. read more on: thegarden.com

Advertising Feature

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SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

image: www.lushome.com

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9

celebrate the arrival of the seasons Spring and Summer are the times to lighten the weight of fabrics and add cheerful colors inside to celebrate the arrival of the seasons. Extend your living area outside, and connect with your surroundings. Plant flowers in window boxes, and fill bowls on your kitchen countertop with fresh produce from the farmers market. Rearrange a space and make it more comfortable for the hot summer months.

Move the Living Room Outside

Who says your back porch or patio shouldn’t mirror your indoor living room?

During the warm summer months, outdoor spaces should be a continuation of your interiors. Move your living room outside this summer, and arrange seating to encourage guests to sit, socialize and relax. Make outdoor chairs and ottomans comfortable with fluffy pillows and cushions lined in weather-resistant fabric, and place a rug made of durable material under furniture that can be hosed off for cleaning. Accessorize the area like you would any of your indoor rooms -art, mirrors and wall clocks will make an exterior room look complete. Add end tables and a coffee table for convenient places to set food and drinks, and install outdoor lighting, like lamps, sconces and ceiling fans to use after the sun goes down.

To create the ultimate outdoor living room, add fabric panels to an arbor in your backyard to make your own personal cabana. Lounging on low-seated chairs, floor cushions and daybeds will inspire the mood for a party. Stock a pantry made out of an old hutch or cabinet with candles, matches, plastic plates, cups, barware, napkins and a few serving pieces for an impromptu celebration. Install an outdoor fireplace or a freestanding fire pit to help guests stay warm on cool, early summer evenings, and set up a sturdy dining table and chairs for casual family meals or other social gatherings. After dining al fresco at the outdoor dining table on a perfect summer evening with friends, roast marshmallows in the fireplace and enjoy delicious s’mores while playing a competitive game of Monopoly under the stars.

Arrange a Summertime Tablescape

Summer is the perfect season to entertain family and friends, and since the heat of the day is in the afternoon, have guests over for an early brunch or

an evening dinner party. After you send the invitations and plan a tasty menu, have fun arranging the dinner table with whimsical summertime elements. Drape outdoor dining tables or picnic tables in brightly colored tablecloths, or use plain white bed sheets accented by a colorful table runner. Adorn Reforms wicker or metal chairs with little posies of dried Architectural Service & Plans or fresh flowers tied up with pretty ribbons. For Painting a more eclectic look, collect several different Construction & Maintenance Decorating chairs, and paint them varying shades of blue, Interior Design Legally registered family business green and yellow.

Tiling, Flagging, Electrics, Plumbing, Quality workmanship guaranteed Aluminuim, Swimming pools, Mix and match china or everyday dishes to make a unique, playful table setting, and don’t teddybearbuilders@yahoo.com Key-holding & Maintenance worry about matching the napkins. Whether 680 851 376 616 214 713 you’re into paper or cloth napkins, use a variety of different colors, textures and patterns.

Hand-craft napkin rings from a swatch of fabric, tied in place with a strand of raffia. Stick a peacock feather under each strand for extra flair.

Finally, don’t neglect the center of the table!

Decorate with glassware found in the back of your kitchen cabinets -- mix tall Reforms - Architectural Service & Plans wine glasses with short Painting - Decorating - Interior Design water glasses, and add a few short candle votives Tiling - Flagging, Electrics, Plumbing, around the edges. Drop Aluminuim, Swimming pools colorful beads, found at your local craft store, Key-holding & Maintenance in the bottom of each wine and water glass. Fill Teddy Bear Builders is a family Hungarian, Swedish and them halfway with water, run business. The name was Norwiegian clients. and add floating candles adopted by Dean and his wife Over the years, many of Teddy to set the mood.

Soft Furnishings & Re-Upholstery

Fabric Flair

• Over 30 years experience in soft furnishings and re-upholstery • Foam (All densities) superior quality, cut to any shape or size • Curtains and Blinds all made to measure • Loose covers that fit like upholstery made for all types of furniture indoor and out • Gazebo covers made in a waterproof canvas fabric from customers original template • Hundreds of fabrics to choose from

Opening Hours - Mon-Fri 10am to 4.30pm Sat - 10am to 1.30pm

All our work is professionally made at our premises in...

The Interior Centre, 1 Calle Portugal Los Maromas Pol, Ind Almoradi 03160 Contact Kim & Rick on 625 716 063 or email Fabricflair.kb@gmail.com

when their son was born, he is their little teddy bear and so they decided to take a chance and name the firm Teddy Bear Builders.

Dean and his family have lived in Spain for 6 years and Deans’ mother also lives in Spain.

Teddy Bear Builders client base is very varied and the company has carried out building work for English, Spanish, German,

Bear Builders clients become good friends.

have

The company is fully legal and can provide more than enough references, all works are of the highest quality and guaranteed.

Teddy Bear Builders incorporate all forms of building work, including interior design and they never turn down any job no matter how big or small.

Construction & Maintenance Legally registered family business Quality workmanship guaranteed teddybearbuilders@yahoo.com

680 851 376

616 214 713

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SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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

VELVETONES RECRUIT FOR THEIR RISERS !!

The Ladies Harmony chorus commenced their singing course and rehearsal with two new ladies joining!

With plenty of room left on the risers for potential singers or social members - why not join in Weds 26 Feb 10am to 12.30pm, Weds 5 March 10am to 12.30pm and get the chance for PROFESSIONAL COACHES FROM THE UK on Monday 10 March, 10am to 12pm and 2pm till 4pm culminating Weds 12 March, 10am to 1pm and 2pm till 4pm (which will include refreshments and Tapas.)

Don’t worry - it is a relaxed and

informal group setting where the ladies have fun - but some coaching will not go amiss so they can raise more money for their CHARITY events. Visit the website www.velvetones.org, or call Ena Fraser on 965 707 598 cfraser48@ yahoo.co.uk OR June Brady - 965 327 446 bradybunchspain@gmail.com Come on girls - you know it makes sense - Restaurante El Paraiso, Jardin del Mar 3, Torrevieja - behind Carrefour and McDonalds - see you there!!

Photo by Kristoff

Lions and Friends help the President Celebrate

Over 100 people gathered at Restaurante Lo Marabu in Dona Pepa, Quesada last Thursday to help Lions Club President Janette Bennett celebrate a very special birthday.

Also attending were members of the Extinguished Firefighters, Staff from Specsavers a huge contingency from Scotland plus many of Janettes’ friends.

The entertainment commenced at 1930 and Janette was given a huge surprise when only a few minutes into the evening the party was joined by members of the Torrevieja

Pipes and Drums who entertained with many traditional Scottish pipe tunes including Scotland the Brave, Amazing Grace and of course Flower of Scotland, which the Scots present sang along to with gusto.

Although it was not specifically a Lions Fund raising event, Janette could not resist the opportunity to have a raffle in aid of the Lions which raised 305.00 euros.

A great night was enjoyed by all, and over the next three days the Scottish contingency tried their hardest to drink Lo Marabu dry.

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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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! 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! about us 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.

SERVICES WE OFFER We are here to help!!!! We can arrange Installation of TV direct from the satellite with no monthly subscription. We are able to make repairs to

existing satellite systems, potentially saving you from additional costs.

We are suppliers of Sky and humax receivers direct from the UK. You will find we are the cheapest on the Costa Blanca. Ask us about Sky cards and subscriptions as well as Al Jazeera cards for bars enabling viewing of Premier League Football matches. Our latest additional service is VPN routers, pop in to the office or give us a call for more details. We are not only here for your TV and Satelite solutions, but are able to offer help with Internet and Telephone.

WHERE ARE WE? GO SATELLITE is based in

Ciudad Quesada and covers most of the Costa Blanca.

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!

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 requires 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.

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.

COME AND MEET US! We have an 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.

DISH ISSUES? Here at Go Satellite, we use only Top Quality Portugese dishes and Invacom LNB’s.

Sky Packages are also available. 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 call into our office to find out more about GO SATELLITE and its services. Alternatively

check out the website: www.freetvspain.com

Stop Wasting

money

1.4 metre dish with HD mini receiver

3 4 9€ www.freetvspain.com

one off payment Come and visit us in our office based at: Calle Los Arcos No 7, Ciudad Quesada Open: Monday – Friday

Tel: 965 725 670

USUAL PRICE 399€

all major credit & debit cards accepted

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SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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

t a d e o r o G G l e k Loo Fe “SPRING INTO SPRING” LOWER LEG, ANKLE & FOOT PAIN

We walk to moon and back in a life time …… so why do we abuse the most important structure of our bodies that support us and enable us to get from A to B?

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

& Superhair beautycare

New Hair and Beauty Wholesalers Open Trade and Public welcome

Tel: 637 473 190

Avenida Federico Garcia Lorca No 88 Benijofar Opening Hours 10am - 6pm MON TO FRI

Kim Clar k benefits consultancy Do you suffer from mobility problems, breathlessness/pain or falls/stumbles?

Do you need help washing / dressing or supervision?

You could be entitled to extra income by claiming UK sickness / disabililty benefits while living in Spain

& Superhair beautycare Super Hair and Beauty Care is a new family run Hair and Beauty wholesalers that has opened in Benijofar this year.

We take pride in customer service and listening to and helping our customers. We supply all the top brands in hair products and beauty products, we are the solo distributor of Farmavita tints in the area.

We have representatives who can visit your salon and provide a local delivery service with no minimum order required. We are open from 10am till 6pm Mon to Fri and Saturdays 10am till 1pm during the summer period.

For advice or to book a consultation call 950 169 729 or 663 297 568 or visit www.ukbenefitsinspain.com

We have very competitive prices, much lower than anywhere else, and we will price match any product with proof of purchase.

Quality e-Cigarettes

So please pop along and see us at our new shop Super Hair and Beauty care in Benijofar, just opposite the Citroen Garage.

Fast to your door Kits ‘Classic’ 5€ from 13.9 All E-liquids In Stock

Refillable Automatic E-cigarette No Button To Press!!! No Hassle!!! from

15.85€

Trigger points in lower leg muscles also produce most ankle pain. Pain in the front of the ankle almost always comes from the shin muscles. Pain around the Achilles tendon in the back of the ankle is usually from the calf muscle. A “sprained” ankle is often nothing more serious than referred pain from trigger points in the peroneus muscles of the outer side of the lower leg. Many problems of the ankles and feet that get labelled “tendonitis” or a “strained ligament” can be fixed with simple massage of the muscles of the lower leg.

Obviously, serious conditions resulting from physical trauma or congenital deformity do affect the ankles and feet of many people. Nevertheless Myofascial trigger points are always part of the picture even when other conditions exist.

ALWAYS CHECK OUT YOUR FOOT GAIT WITH YOUR THERAPIST TO FIND OUT IF YOUR BIOMECHANICS OF YOUR FEET ARE BEING SUPPORTED BY YOUR ARCHES. The worst thing to do for your foot gate is walk around in flat flip flops this summer that do not support your arches. When your arches are not supported they will fall and being flat footed will cause all sorts of problems. It’s a Knock on effect from your Feet to your Ankles from your Ankles to your Knees to Hips … eventually causing you back pain.

Revolutionary New Product Now In!

Refillable System Kits

You may not even have thought about it, but the eleven muscles of the lower leg are actually foot muscles. Anatomists call them the extrinsic foot muscles, meaning they operate from outside the foot. The muscles in the foot itself are intrinsic foot muscles, meaning they work from inside the foot.

The implication of these facts is the pain in your feet may not be coming from your feet themselves. You can waste a lot of time rubbing and soaking your feet, if the cause of your pain is the trigger points in your calves and shins.

Black Pink Silver

If you see a Massage Therapist they can put you through a simple foot print test and decide what is happening with your foot gait it’s all about Balance and Biomechanics. Simple choice of foot wear and looking towards Orthotics can help these defects.

Orthotics are placed in your shoes to make sure the pressure on your lower leg and knees do not affect the hips ….. so spring into spring and make sure you can walk to the moon and back in your lifetime.

We also specialise in wholesaling to shops Pay on-Line, One Page Checkout www.tgfsales.com • 659 679 990

Ross At studio six

Unisex Stylist

Karma Days Holistic Therapies Call Lorraine 693 268 139

also Rosa ~ Beautician

Non Surgical Face Lifts Call Lisa On 603 317 111 Cambridge Diet Consultant To Help With Weight Loss Minamino Drinks Containing Many Health Benefits E-Cigarettes

Over 29 years experience S.R.H “Senior Stylist” City & Guilds of London

Tel: 966 714 970 Mob: 677 897 788

Avda del Romero Local 6, Urb. Montebello, Algorfa Open Tuesday - Saturday (incl.) from 9am 03176

Near Zoco Market Late night opening AP7 Junc 745

by appointment only

New At Vibra Gym

Coming Soon:

Personal Fitness Instructor & Spray Tanning

cc/ Torregrosa next to Consum & Lidl between San Luis & Quesada on the Crevillente Rd

Jo Call: 687 651 212 Getting Fit Just Got Easier

Cuts from

Modern & Traditional Gents Hairdressing

5€

Call Darren The Barber 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 Parque Acuatico sign. 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.

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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13

The Samaritans

Samaritans in Spain are celebrating the first anniversary of the opening of their Drop In Centre and Charity Shop based in the Punta Marina Shopping Centre near MacDonalds on the N332 this coming Saturday 1st March.

T.A.A.B.S T.A.A.B.S are starting their new season with new musical director Shirley Godfrey. They were presented with a new banner with representatives from Sunshine radio and Captains Table, T.A.A.B.S. (Torrevieja Amateur Association of Balladeer Singers) are an amateur group of singers who last year performed 24 shows for different charities, we can vary our themes to suit the occasion, will can help you to raise money for your charity events all enquires to 677313073.

Andy Wilson Photographer

To mark the occasion, the Samaritans in Spain are having a morning of events to be staged in the atrium outside the shop, starting with a fashion show at 10,30am, entertainment in conjunction with Sunshine FM hosted by Nick Gold and featuring Dayamantes singers, the Ukeoholics and the Velvetones, plus a host of stalls and attractions including a tombola and a raffle.

So come along to the Punta Marina Shopping Centre on Saturday morning, enjoy the entertainment, then pop upstairs for lunch at one of the many wonderful restaurants and finish your weekly shopping next door in Consum. Why go anywhere else.

The Samaritans were founded just over 60 years ago in the United Kingdom, but Samaritans in Spain only opened for business five years ago, during which time they have expanded rapidly. The Samaritans are available any time day or night to offer support to people with emotional and personal problems. No problem is ever considered too small or too big.

All calls are treated with confidentiality and honesty and most importantly people are not judged or told what to do. They do not advise but help people reach their own conclusions by talking, so if you have a problem why not pick up the phone and call Samaritans in Spain any time, day or night on 902 883 535.

However this voluntary work does need funding which is why they have regular fund raising events such as the one this weekend but they also have dinners and an annual golf tournament. So please support the Samaritans In Spain, if you possibly can.

The Samaritans in Spain - you talk, they listen.

14

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

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

Go on! Admit it! How many of you have 100’s if not 1000’s for pictures of your kids, grandkids, nephews, nieces, and other assorted relatives. What proportion of them have been sent to you, or have you been naughty and found one of a dozen ways to download these pictures off Facebook? Don’t give it a second thought, I have only just a few less pictures than you and have also swiped them off Facebook!

Is you computer getting a little ‘Bogged down’ with all these pictures? Do I sound like a dodgy American car salesman? Are you confused? You will be on the next episode of soap. Now I have your attention and have you completely confused with obscure, tacky American spoof TV shows, it

is only fair that we put this hyperbolic rhetoric to bed and concentrate on the subject in hand.

The original questions asked before I went ‘on one’ was do you have a computer with thousands of pictures of loved one’s that could be slowing your machine down? No! This isn’t going to be another discourse on cleaning up you machine, more accurately some sage advice on removing the excess. Now I sound like some kind of dodgy dietician!

Were you aware that as much as 5% of the pictures, music and every other collectable is likely to be a duplicate! That means that a good proportion of your precious disk space is being wasted. “What is the solution, Oh Guru” I hear you call! Simply go to ‘Google’ and type in “file duplicate finder” because that is what you need,

For further information or advice on computing, contact Trevor on 689 892 745 or canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk

Serving suggestion Being down near Gibraltar means that the lights of Morocco and Ceuta can be seen from our balcony on a clear night yet we had never ventured by boat across the water. We booked a weekend return on the catamaran FRS ferry from Tarifa to Tangiers. It’s only costs 60€ return and takes just 35 minutes, even in the winter there is an hourly service.

There is plenty of free parking in Tarifa, and checking in is a doddle especially as they advise just 45 mins before sailing. The cafeteria harbour side is reasonably priced and has decent food and free Wi-Fi. I can honestly say if there was a ferry to Gatwick I would take it from now on rather than endure the ritual humiliation of airport customs and even worse the murderous early morning return times from the UK. Waking up at 0430 on a cold winter’s night to get to a British airport is awful for the return flight from Blighty.

Tangiers is only 30 kilometres from Tarifa; stepping onto the tarmac however, it was immediately obvious we were on a different continent as our senses were assaulted by the sights, sounds and smells of a bustling North African city. The hustling started immediately with people offering to carry baggage, get taxis or find us a hotel. Politely but firmly ‘non merci’ was said a 100 times before we got into the sanctuary of our prebooked taxi. ‘Grande Taxis’ are all 30 year old yellow Mercedes and ‘petit taxis’ are modern blue Dacias. Our big Merc pushed through the throng whilst we sat in the back trying to acclimatise quickly to what really is a different world to us cosseted westerners.

Our hotel was beautiful; a large town house stylishly refurbished by Vincent the French owner. We didn’t stay in long as we were

a program (NOT APP) that finds duplicate files. In preparing this article I have spent nearly 2 days looking for, and testing free file duplicate finders for you. Now before you get upperty about the word free, let’s make it plain, some of the best programs I have ever bought, that is, paid good money for, have originally been free, fully functional versions!

If you have followed my articles over the passed 2 and a bit years you will have amassed a library of free and inexpensive tools to keep your computers in tip top condition, and one of the programs is by a company called “Auslogic” which produce a very nice de-fragmentation program. They now produce a very nice duplicate file finder, which does exactly what it says in the advertising. My favourite though, and has been for years, is something called “Duplicate Cleaner” from “Digital Volcano”.

Go to “http://www. duplicatecleaner.com/” to view

what it is capable of. Of all the test programs available this one has the most accurate ‘Hits’. It does this by using an MD5 calculation on the files to compare the actual contents of the files and produce a long number that is unique to this file.

Next week we will be discussing some of the number theory about the MD5 algorithm and why it is more than good enough to use it to find which files, regardless of name, extension, time and date stamp. So until then, get the program, install it, run it and test it with all your pictures, music files and video files and see how many times it gets it right! Have fun till then and See you at Jacks bar on Friday afternoons and anywhere else you would like me to run a computer clinic (open to suggestions). Have a great week!

Enjoy Stephens musings? Pop over to http://findmeahomeinspain.wordpress.com as the articles are posted on there too...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

keen to get out and explore.

We studied the map and walked to the Medina which is the oldest part of Tangier and involves a steep uphill walk. The trick to avoid being hassled is to walk purposely and not get the map out to look for directions. Unfortunately I did get the map out a few times and out of nowhere appeared chancers offering to be our tour guides or take us to their uncles shop. It’s sad really as sometimes someone will be genuine and point in the right direction but everyone is treated with caution. I never understand why shop owners invite people to look at their wares saying nothing needs to be bought. ‘Just looking’ they offer. One shop owner invited us to the 4th floor roof terrace of his shop so we could survey the panorama; we declined as it would have meant having to walk through his shop and avoid buying any tat!

Tangiers can be very busy, colourful, loud and an assault on the senses and it’s certainly worth a visit. There are gems like the Museum which is in a converted palace. There are great restaurants too which even going top end to avoid a repeat of our Delhi Belly from last time, are inexpensive compared to Spanish prices with main courses costing between10 and15€. The shops tend to

open later so going exploring in the morning means deserted streets and alleys, and less hassle.

The inspiration for the title this week came from the return ferry trip; Seduced by the photo on the pizza menu I gullibly ordered one. The reality was a Tesco Value soggy cardboard tasting type thing instead. I guess the instructions ‘serving suggestion’ should have been written in bold type.

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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15

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.

Michael Davies.

Abogado.

Michael Davies is a Spanish Abogado and has been practicing law in Andalucia since 1993. He is member of the Law societies of Almería and Madrid.

For a short period of time leading up to 2007 he was also Honorary British Consul

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Golf Club Catering WhatsApp Has Company Declares Outage After Facebook Buyout Bankruptcy The catering company Gaby, which runs the bars and restaurants at the Playa Serena Golf Club has gone into voluntary liquidation.

The club opened in the Urbanisation of Roquetas in 1973, but has been in conflict with Gaby for some time over alleged non payment of rent and staff wages. Gabriel Martinez, head of the catering firm who’ve held the contract for ten years blames, ‘the exorbitant rental costs of 18,000 euros per month,’ as being, ‘a huge contributing factor’ to the companies problems.

The dispute between club and caterer has been ongoing since the summer of last year when a new board of directors was elected at the club. Mr. Martinez claims ‘inconsistencies over the renewal of contracts by the new board of directors,’ has led to their current situation.

The club is claiming unpaid rent of 130,000 euros and say that Gaby has been in violation of their contract for more than three years. They also claim the catering company has been using the facilities for unauthorised private functions, provisions for which are not included in their rental agreement.

A spokesman for the golf club recently issued a statement reassuring members, visitors and guests that the provision of catering at the club would continue as normal and that everything was being done to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

The WhatsApp instant messaging app has suffered an outage just days after it was snapped up by Facebook for $19bn (£11.4bn).

WhatsApp, which has more than 450 million monthly users, said it was having “server issues” on Saturday night.

The firm tweeted at 8.16pm UK time: “We hope to be back up and recovered shortly.”

Users reacted angrily, saying their chat conversations were only showing a loading asterisk and the alert “Connecting...”

Taylor ITWT16 said on Twitter: “As Soon As Facebook Buys Whatsapp, Whatsapp Starts Malfunctioning.”

Jazzy Marwaha tweeted: “Its been like 4 hours, you would have thought they could sort whatsapp out by now.”

By 10.30pm the service appeared to be working again.

Facebook announced last Thursday that it would pay $4bn (£2.4bn) in cash and $15bn (£9bn) in Facebook shares as part of the deal to buy the realtime messaging service.

The app’s founders and employees will get $3bn (£1.8bn) of the shares as restricted stock that

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will vest over four years after the deal closes.

The purchase marks the largest single acquisition in Facebook’s 10-year history.

WhatsApp will “continue to operate independently and retain its brand” despite the acquisition, Facebook said.

Founded by a Ukrainian immigrant who dropped out of college, Jan Koum, and a Stanford alumnus, Brian Acton, WhatsApp is a Silicon Valley startup fairytale.

The acquisition will also see Mr Koum - a former Yahoo! engineer - join Facebook’s board of directors.

Facebook is known to make bold moves to thwart competitors - it famously bought Instagram for $1bn after a weekend of negotiations.

Legal Matters

Help for Expats in Spain

The usufruct is the right of enjoyment, enabling a holder to derive profit or benefit from a property that either is titled to another person or which is held in common ownership, with the obligation to keep it and care for it as if it was their own.

The value of this life-long usufruct is 70% of the house value when you are under 20 years old and looses 1% of the house value per year from the time you reach 20 years of age, with a minimum value of 10% of the price of the property.

The best way to calculate the value of the usufruct is as follows: Usufruct = 89 - your age. Bearing in mind that the maximum value of the life-long usufruct is 70% and the minimum value is 10%.

Example 1: Value of a life-long usufruct in the case of a beneficial owner (usufructuary) of 32 years of age on a property valued at 150.000 €.

U = 89-32 = 57% 150.000 € x 57% = 85.500 € Example 2: Value of a life-long usufruct in the case of a beneficial owner (usufructuary) of 82 years of age on a property valued at 150.000 €.

U = 89-82 = 7% 150.000 € x 10% (minimum limit of the usufruct value) = 15.000 € Example 3: Value of a life-long usufruct in

WHAT IS THE

LIFE-LONG USUFRUCT (USUFRUCTO VITALICIO) AND WHAT IS IT WORTH?

the case of a beneficial owner (usufructuary) of 18 years of age on a property valued at 150.000 €.

U = 89-18 = 71% 150.000 € x 70% (maximum limit of the usufruct value) = 105.000 € SIMULTANEOUS AND SUCCESSIVE USUFRUCT: If two people hold the usufruct on a property, the value will be calculated on the age of the youngest of them.

Example: A married couple of 70 and 73 years of age who give to their children their property valued at 150.000 €, withholding the life-long usufruct until the last spouse’s death.

U = 89 - 70 (age of the youngest spouse) = 19% 150.000 € x 19% = 28.500 € BARE OWNERSHIP (NUDA PROPIEDAD): The value of the “bare ownership” (ownership of the property without the usufruct) will be the difference between the total value of the property and the value of the usufruct.

FO (full ownership) = BO (bare ownership) + U (usufruct) BO (bare ownership) = FO (full ownership) - U (usufruct)

For all your legal needs Tlf. 646 844 708 E: 4wayconnections@gmail.com www.4wayconnections.webs.com

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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UK Retail Sales Fall By 1.5% In January

UK Retail sales fell by 1.5% in January compared to the previous month, official figures show.

January is traditionally a bad month for retailers but the decline is more than had been forecast, and is the biggest fall since April 2012.

The Office for National Statistics is highlighting supermarket sales as having been particularly weak.

The amount spent in January compared to the previous month also fell by 1.8%.

However, the Office for National Statistics point out the decline follows a bumper Christmas, when retail sales grew by 2.5%.

The January figure is also 4.3% up on the same month last year, and still 0.2% above the average for the final quarter of 2013.

Economists said the underlying picture for the retail

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sector was positive, especially when taking into account the recent severe weather.

ING Bank economist James Knightley said: “With consumer confidence on a strong upward path, employment rising and wage growth starting to show some hints of life, we look for the household sector to contribute strongly to GDP growth this year.”

Meanwhile, Treasury coffers have shown a smaller surplus than usual this month.

Government finances excluding the impact of bank bail-outs showed a surplus of £4.72bn in January.

That is down from more than £6bn a year ago and is around half what was forecast.

Lower income and corporation tax receipts have been blamed.

The national debt now stands at £1.24trn.

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SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

www.aafreeenglishtv.com

Have you been caught out by the ‘Big TV Switch Off’ Let me try to explain the situation as of FRIDAY 7th Feb as best I can.

The new Astra Satellite has now arrived at its position of 28.2-28.5 degrees South and it is replacing the old Satellite that is over 12 years old. The reason for this is twofold it was getting past its its best so to speak as it was starting to run out of capacity, hence the new one would be able to do a lot more things that the old one could not re-capacity enabling the new one to cope with all the new HIGH DEFINITION channels being sent out now on free to air and sky channels. The other job it was set up to try and do was to stop broadcasting BBC ITV CHANNEL 4 and 5 over the rest of Europe including us here on the Costa Blanca. As of 0330am yesterday all BBC channels were lost from the 1 metre dishes in this Area.

Please ring Pete on 606 297 825 if you have any questions or issues re dish sizes or requirements in your area. ITV and channel 4 were supposed to migrate onto the new Satellite today early morning but it did not happen and will probably now take place over this weekend.

Mick the Grip Charity Haircut

I can tell you that on my roof in la-Florida I can get some BBC on a 1.1 with a quality LNB and a HIGH DEFINITION RECEIVER that’s the good news the bad news is it drops out at around 5pm but did return again at 8pm it might be more prudent to go for a 1.4 with HD Receiver in our area.

On Saturday morning at 0700 I again I had some BBC channels.

We can also supply 1.8 or 2.4s plus we do community installations and upgrades. A receiver with a quality tuner can make all the difference to you receiving channels. We have been testing all over the weekend various dishes plus LNB’s and Receivers to see which ones will give us and you optimum signal quality. Going forward although a 1.1 can MAYBE do a job we would strongly recommend installing at least a 1.4 as we know the channels so far are stable on this dish set up.

www.aafreeenglishtv.com

Pete 606 297 825

Local golfer Mick Reeves - known to his friends as Mick the Grip - recently completed a charity hair cut to raise money for Torrevieja Charity Reach Out. With the slogan of “Helping the Homeless and Needy” Reach Out try to help anyone in need, irrespective of race, creed or status, by providing basic food, clothes, blankets, bedlinen, household items and furniture and by giving support in every way they can to someone in need.

Reach Out is an entirely voluntary organisation and 100% of all donations benefit the homeless and poor. They are always in need of all sorts of items for babies and children; clothes, toys, shoes, baby food, baby toiletries, in fact virtually anything for children of all ages.

But above all they are in desperate need of money for the purchase of

a van to enable them to collect larger items and also assist with deliveries, and it was for this specific purpose that Mick the Grip chose to have his hair cut. His initial aim was to raise 500 euros, but such was the support from local bars and golf societies that the figure swiftly rose to the amazing amount of 1975 euros.

Since the picture was taken even more money has been donated to the cause bringing the total to over 2000 euros, and make the van purchase a certainty rather than just a dream.

Anyone else wanting to make a donation can still do so by contacting Mick via email at mickthegrip@ googlemail.com or direct to the Outreach Centre which can be found at Calle Bella Antonia 1, local 5 in Torrevieja. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= OzR1ZoV4NIc&feature=youtu.be

Southern Costa Blanca Jewish Community Remembers Holocaust

Last month in recognition of the Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Southern Costa Blanca Jewish Community held an additional service to their regular Friday night meeting. Swelling the English contingent, were attendees from Cuba, Holland, Belgium, Scotland, Ireland, Germany and Israel.

An article from the Moscow Times was read. This related to the Russian government objecting to the fact that the Estonian government recently buried a former Nazi SS soldier with full military honours. Let’s remember that Estonia is now one of our fellow members of the European community.

Also read was an extract from a book entitled “By Any Means Necessary” written by William Burroughs. The passage described how 30 years after WW2, a CIA photo-interpreter studied aerial photographs taken during the war of the I.G. Farben Buna Synthetic Rubber Plant, a factory near AuschwitzBirkenau. This factory used Jewish slave labour during the war. He was able to make out lines of dots, which in fact were prisoners, leading from the factory to the gas chamber-crematorium.

Finally there was a prayer which had been written by the United Synagogue in 1933. This prayer was to be read out in synagogues to pray for the welfare German Jews during their oppression.

After these emotional readings a Shoah survivor, whose entire family were killed in the concentration camps, fittingly read the prayer in memory of the Holocaust martyrs.

Sabbath services are held once a month, south of Torrevieja. For more information please e-mail alan201150@hotmail.com

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY2014

www.soltimes.com

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Nokia X Android Smartphone Set For Launch

Nokia’s first Android smartphone is expected to be launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday.

by Google.

Nokia has an event planned for the first day of the mobile sector trade show where it is anticipated the Finnish manufacturer will launch the new device.

Tom Wiggins, deputy editor of Stuff magazine, said: “The problem with Nokia’s most recent phones has never been the hardware, it’s the fact that they run Windows Phone, so this could be very good news.

The company has been dropping hints about the new phone, including a teaser on its official blog that suggests the device could be called the X.

“They’ve had excellent cameras and often moved away from the black rectangle school of design that most smartphones come from.

The teaser shows four black arrows against a green background, forming the letter X.

“The surprising thing is that Nokia’s parent company Microsoft is willing to let it happen, although if you look at how many people are using Windows Phone devices, perhaps it’s not such a surprise after all.

The new handset comes after the sale of Nokia’s struggling mobile business to Microsoft in September.

Reports suggest the device will have an interface that looks more like Windows than Android.

It is also expected to feature Microsoft and Nokia services, instead of those made

“With specs like that it’s unlikely to tempt people away from the high-end alternatives offered by Samsung, Apple et al, but perhaps Nokia’s just testing the water.”

Sphynx cat owner Zivile Useckaite, of Dublin, has found a stylish solution to the problem of keeping her furless pets Gina and Prince Charming warm in winter in the form of tiny - but trendy - sweaters, cardigans and hoodies

A gust of wind blows Pope Francis’ mantle as he reads his speech during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

A multicolored dog is seen during the “Blocao” dog carnival in Rio de Janeiro

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ASPE € 179,000.

Ref: E-1716 Fantastic bargain, further reduced from € 375.000.- to € 179,000.-Impressive family home 5 km near to Aspe. Strong and solid construction of 275 m2 on 2.300 m2 fenced and walled plot. 4 plus 2 double bedrooms with built in wardrobes, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), toilet, kitchen, utility room, diner, 2 lounges, open fireplace, large porch, wide views, big garage, fire wood room, BBQ and summer kitchen, fronton court, 9x5 m pool with plunge pool and large terrace, established garden with high palm and pine trees, 3-phase electricity, oil central heating. A comfortable family home for whole year living.

CATRAL/EL MUDAMIENTO € 198,000 Ref; E-2087 Large 4 bed family country villa of 200 m2 living area, 6,000 m2 plot, 4,000 plof which are fully walled.

The beauty of this villa is that it’s lrg southfaced porch overviews the spacious terraced 10x5 m pool area, the bar and BBQ, the high palm trees and gardens, a dream! Two of the 4 bedrooms are in the groundfloor, 2 are on the first floor with exterior and interior access. There is a large kitchen with exit to the back gardens, dining room, large utility room, entrance hall. The driving distance to Catral and to the cozy village of El Mudamiento is 5 minutes, Vega Baja Hospital and Callosa del Seguro 10 minutes, the airport of Alicante 40 minutes, beach of Guardamar 20 minutes. A perfect choice for a country home.

fortuna € 94,500 Ref: E-1892 Country home fully re-furbished on 6.800 m2 fenced plot, 10 mins drive to Fortuna, 45 mins drive to airport Alicante, future new airport Murcia, 20 min. , beaches 45 mins. Neighbours around.

Asphalted access, 3 bedrooms, lounge with open fire place, large country style kitchen, utility room, bathroom, large arched porch with stunning views to mountains, southfaced, roof terrace, dogs garden. A beautiful character home to relax and to enjoy nature. Mains water and electricity, internet.

Orihuela (Alicante) € 149,000.

Ref: E-2137 Dream country home on 5,090 m2 plot with high and shady pine trees, consisting of two wooden luxury and cozy houses of together 120 m2 living area, very private but with neighbours, all services. Main house south faced, big living room with open plan kitchen, two beds, one/walk in wardrobe and direct access to the amazing pool area, aircon. Pool 8 x 4 with summer kitchen and bar with wide views to the lake of Torremendo, outside toilet/changing room. Self contained guest cottage, with bed bath, kitch, aircon. garage for 2 cars, Stunning views to la Pedrera lake, asphalted access, electric gate, 1n area with several terraces and a vegetable garden, walk to bar/restaurant. 25 Mins from the sea.

orihuela (alicante) € 95,000.

Ref: E-2215 Sunny and cozy 125 m2 detached country home, 2 mins drive from the al ameneties village of La Murada, next to Orihuela town, on 2,000 m2 of plot, with apartment annex on first floor. The main house consists of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge, kitchen with center worktop and open fireplace, utility room. The separate access 35 m2 approx. first floor apartment has two bedrooms and a bathroom, for visitors or for a small B&B business offering a lovely 10x5 m pool area with bar , BBQ and shady sitting areas, most beautiful wide views. The plot needs TLC, the house is to move-in immeditaly. Unique opportunity to get your country home near to all ameneties at this incredibly low price .

Mar menor area (murcia € 115,000.

Ref: E-2214 This traditional Spanish country property is located between Sucina and San Javier, 10 mins drive to beaches, 2 km from the new Mar Menor hospital, 10 minutes from the San Javier airport . It benefits of oil central heating, landline phone, internet. It is built on a 890 m2 plot with trees , shrubs and plants, with a 42 m2 garage, workshop and an indoor pool of 8x4 m. The house which would need some TLC offers 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), lounge, dining room, kitchen, utility room, porch. A fantastic opportunity to live real country life, only some minutes away from the beaches and ameneties.

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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ox A lb

La Concepcion

We are here

AT THE



Tel: 681 095 096 622 288 750

REST. Balabona & Petrol Station

Directions: we are only 5 mins from Arboleas, Zurgena, 10 mins from Albox, Huercal Overa and 20 mins from Mojacar & Vera. From A7 jct 543, direction to La Concepcion for 3.5km on the right.

buybuyauctionsubasta@gmail.com www.buybuyauctionsubasta.com

PINK HOUSE

DELICIOUS FISH & CHIPS FOR ONLY 3,75€ NoW BEING SERVED AT THE €CAFe In the Pink House On Mon-Wed-Sat. from 12-4pm

TOGETHER with:

Daily Baked Baguettes:

Veggi Curry & Rice 2€ Mixed Veg & Couscous 2€ House Specials Koshari 2€ Falafel 1.50€

Tuna Egg Mayo Cheese etc All at 1.50€

Our usual freshly prepared vegetarian meals:

filled with all your favourite fillings,

Home Baked Cakes - STILL at 1€

Flan, Carrot, Lemon Drizzle, Apple & Walnut, Cheesecake, Pear & Almond, Chocolate, Coffee And Hot & Cold Drinks for 1€ OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

www.soltimes.com

book review

The Great Big Spanish Adventure by Janette Davies.

“She could feel the heat of his body. She felt his breath on the back of her head.

“Your head smells like peaches.”He pushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and kissed her neck.”

What a rollercoaster of a ride through the Paraiso Apartamentos in southern Spain and what a medley of misfits ambling along in a vice-laden den of money laundering and drug-busting.

Is this Spain? Carole dominates this tale and sails through on cloud nine after a few bumpy rides with Lyle and Samantha, his squeeze. But that’s water under the bridge. It’s good to see a strong female role-model coming out on top, so well done Janette Davies.

Even the old crocks, in spite of being professional medical people deserve a second chance and it’s exhilarating to welcome Sarah-Jane and Mark as newly- weds second time around.

So what if their grown up children disapprove? They’ll come round in the end and of course they do. Don’t we expats love Spain? Nothing could keep us away!

Plenty of vino, cava and coffee not to mention Flamenco. Sounds Spanish?

What about undercover agents, pimps, whores and The Pussy Club? Yes it’s all in there. More satirical of society than to be taken seriously and in good taste too. Unfortunately they’re not all-loved up and there are imminent divorces on the horizon.

Sarah-Jane assumes that this idyllic setting will be nice and quiet and how unimaginable to conceive that anything earth shattering could happen in Paraiso! Ironical. Isn’t life strange? Of Mice and Men and Steinbeck would agree. There are plenty of rumbles, not quite so earth-shattering perhaps but still significant.

Carole’s boyfriend, Lyle is a bit rough and certainly mis-matched with Carole.

Where on earth did she find him? Benji’s Bar and Restaurant is the place to be if you are a dodgy type laundering money or peddling drugs even. Unfortunately, Carole works there until she finds her boyfriend in a compromising position on the kitchen floor with the new waitress, Sam. Caught in the act. However, a thoroughly composed Carole gives almost a theatrical performance demonstrating how despicable and gross they are. Doing it on the floor, in a kitchen? That’s it, she decides. The end.

She goes back to her Paraiso apartment, collects his dirty washing and presents it to Sam issuing an unexpected and brave ultimatum and thus ending a bad relationship.

“If I was wearing the god awful knickers you are, I’d also want to get ‘em off the

first opportunity I got. Don’t think Health and Safety would be too impressed with you two rolling round the kitchen floor though.”

Sarah-Jane’s advice for getting over a two-timing cheater of a boyfriend?

“You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs.”

It’s not long before the police come sniffing round the joint uttering foul play.

Carole’s first brothel visit presents her with a bit of a dilemma. What should she wear? Tart or smart? That’s a new one for the books surely? Her first visit is profitable: a bottle of French brandy, 50e and a cheeky thong with emeralds and rubies. Wow! What did she have to do I hear you say? Read it!

Or what about Roberto’s bar, acting as an informant and smooching with homosexual Alonso who was as gay as a spring morning. Sounds ominous?

What were Peter Mason and Barney planning?

A very sick Katya marries Andreu who is in a homosexual relationship with the approval of Luis, his partner. What a topsy-turvy Spanish community! Or Russian for that matter.

The illusive man of the moment is Guillermo, initially described as a scary-looking Spaniard, a pimp, then intriguing when he is visited by the Ladies of the Night, attractive, even sex on legs, Death Vader and finally, a cross between Pierce Brosnan and Rafa Nadal. Count me in. Who is going to be the lucky lady? Obviously someone who deserves such a hunk and it might be you lucky person.

Publisher: Word Play. ISBN 13: 9781493541201.

REVIEW it by Carol Naylor. www.carolnaylor.blogspot.com / www.carolesleynaylor.wordpress.com naylorcl@hotmail.es

25

pause for thought

In my childhood, I do recall that my brother and I used to have the occasional disagreement. On one such occasion our exasperated Mother sent us to our rooms with instructions to learn a Bible verse from the letter St Paul wrote to the Church in Ephesus. “Be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another just as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” I’m not sure how much good it did me at the time, but I’ve never forgotten it and have subsequently always tried to remember its teaching whenever my patience becomes strained.

How hard it can be to be kind to others, especially when annoyed or irritated by their words or actions!

How easily we respond with unkind thoughts, words or actions when others hurt us, yet how much more effective can a little kindness be in healing such hurt. But Paul’s advice goes further as he tells us to be tender-hearted, or compassionate, understanding another’s point of view and able to empathise with them. How much happier and more fulfilling would all our relationships be if only we were really tenderhearted as well as kind.

But it is perhaps the final phrase of that verse, so reminiscent of a similar phrase in The Lord’s Prayer,

that can be the most challenging, as it reminds me that I need to forgive others in the same way and to the same extent as God has forgiven me.

For He forgives ungrudgingly, even though I’m often unaware of the offence I’ve caused. However great my failure or however often I offend, I can be assured that God won’t hold it against me, but remains always ready to forgive, with every penalty I may deserve having been paid in full by Christ himself. And that is how God expects me to treat others.

Extremely hard, possibly resulting on occasions in personal hurt, but how much more harmonious would our relationships be if we could all live to this advice to be really kind, compassionate and completely forgiving.

Details of a number of English Language Churches are given in Sol Noticeboard for any wishing to Worship, whilst additionally, further information about the Anglican Church in this area may be seen on the web site www.mojacarchurch. org Duncan Burr is Licensed Lay Reader for the Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida and may be contacted at djburr@avired.com

Private Sale

houses and land can be separated with own escrituras or sold as one lot Two detached villa shells built up to and including roofs125m2 built on flat 3000m2 plot. Secluded position, unspoilt countryside views across orange and lemon groves front and rear.

Fully Legal & with Full Title Deeds

• E ach villa spec: 3 beds / 2 baths. Size 125m2 •S pace for pools (12mx6m) • E xceptional uninterrupted views of orange and lemon groves to front & rear •S ituated between Almanzora & Arboleas overlooking Almanzora valley • 1 0 minutes to nearest town with all amenities • I nland country setting, but only 30 minutes to coast • I deal for builder to complete internals

Priced to Sell Must be viewed to appreciate this golden opportunity

Tel: 609 199 394 647 379 878 950 064 801

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

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

STANDARD CROSSWORD

ACROSS

ACROSS

qualities (6)

implement (6)

1. Extremely cold

14 Conundrum (6)

5 Carapace (5)

(5)

18 Malleable (7)

6 Lured (7)

20 Irritated (5)

7 Intended (5)

22 Spear (5)

13 Curt (7)

23 Acute (7)

15 Ludicrous (7)

24 Stringed

16 Interminable

instrument (5)

(7)

25 Overheads (5)

17 Sheep known

4. Out of fashion (5) 8. Communication channel (7) 9. Crowd scene actor (5)

1 Be supplied with wings, over and above (7) 5 English poet writes about head of Scottish queen (7) 9 Uncommon fly on rare plant (5,4) 10 Stories least translated (5) 11 Strap, though short, has hanger’s heart (5) 12 Giant fish, note, approaches Italian city (not capital) (9) 13 Dead time after amusement in December (7) 15 Unbeliever attending robbery (7) 17 Man admitting setback for islanders (7) 19 Artist’s entrance (7) 21 Repudiating a pig that’s eating out (9) 23 I ntroduction to book by mere poet (5) 25 Muse about weed on top of Olympus (5) 26 Gray’s line about young animals (9) 27 They try canopies (7) 28 Oriental festival on the first of November (7)

for its high

10 Part of a

Down

quality fleece (6)

church (5)

1 Chivalrous (7)

18 Greek letter (5)

11 Unlawful (7)

2 Guides (5)

19 Paragon (5)

12 Natural

3 Distinguish (7)

21 Male monarchs

abilities or

4 Writing

(5)

Down

1 Scolded, undergo

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

26

assessment (7) Authority, for example (sic) (3-2) The stagecoach industry (9) Dexterity is an insult, so we hear (7) Drink produced as grain ferments (7) Out of context rather more than is necessary (5) Game lord holds Nabokov novel with no leading character (9) 8 Others acquired skill to turn over a new leaf (7) 14 Sailors with thin skins are cinematic celebrities (4 5) 16 Intoxicated with dances and drinks (9) 17 Part of the USA obscured by mist and dew? (7) 18 Furies, in ancient Greece or Ireland? Certainly! (7) 19 Thankless person from Tangier (7) 20 Treads for one of the family (7) 22 Complete western part of golf course (5) 24 Making a comeback in White Horse Inn, a musical heroine (5) 2 3 4 5 6 7

SUDOKU PUZZLE s

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.

squiggle SUDOKU

standard SUDOKU

easy SUDOKU

CRYPTIC crossword

CROSSWORD

squiggle

standard

SOLUTIONS

easy

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

www.soltimes.com

SolPUZZLES

Q&A

........................................................................

3. W hich is the largest country in the world with only one time zone? ....................................................................

4. W hich football team are known as the Rosso-nera or Rosso-Neri? ....................................................................

5. H ow many pips are there on the Greenwich Time Signal? ....................................................................

6. N ame all of the seven dwarves in Disney`s Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs? ....................................................................

7. The

1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You is based on which Shakespeare play? ....................................................................

8. T he world`s smallest independant country since 1929 has a birth rate of zero. What is it called? ....................................................................

9. Where in the body would you find an astrocyte? ....................................................................

10. What nationality is the singer Feist?

Age Relatives Awards 60 30 40 65 60 75 74 46 125 48 5 96 40 9 165

2. W hat is the maximum number of horses allowed to run in the Grand National?

At the local sports club, some veteran members were photographed together for the annual awards ceremony. In the photograph, each member has a different coloured T-shirt on. Obviously, the number of awards each has won over the years counts towards their status within the club, however, it is also significant to let other members know how many relatives of theirs are eligible for membership. From the information given below, can you determine the positions of the five members in the photograph, their T-shirt colour, their age (40, 48, 60, 65, 74), the number of awards they have won (40, 75, 96, 125, 165) and the number of eligible relatives (5, 9, 30, 46, 60)?

Clues…

The person who is wearing red, has 25 relatives more than Jeff and is not next to the person wearing blue.

Jim is wearing orange and has 40 awards more than John.

John has 51 awards more than his age and Jeff has 5 relatives.

Jake has 75 awards and is 65 years old. The person on the far right has 37 fewer relatives than John, and is 40 years old.

Jack, who is the first, is 60 years old, and has 20 awards less than his age.

The person who is next to the person who has 46 relatives but not next to the person who is 60 years old, is wearing yellow, and has 96 awards.

The person in the centre has 46 relatives, is wearing blue and has 125 awards.

The person who is wearing green, has 30 more relatives than the person to the left of him.

Name T-shirt Jack red Jake green John blue Jeff yellow Jim orange

.......................................................................

Logic Puzzle

Logic Puzzle SOLUTIon

....................................................................

11. W hat was the original name of the Royal Air Force? ....................................................................

12. T he 1812 Overture was written to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon in which city? ....................................................................

13. W ho wrote the Sinead O`Connor hit Nothing Compares 2 U? ....................................................................

14. Who was the last Governor of Hong Kong? ....................................................................

15. W hich Prime Minister made Jeffrey Archer a life peer? ...................................................................................

16. What is the world`s northernmost capital city? ......................................................................

17. In which city was Terry Waite kidnapped? ......................................................................

18. Which tree appears on the flag of Lebannon? ......................................................................

19. I n the three Bourne films starring Matt Damon what is Bourne`s first name? ......................................................................

20. Between them, the six wives of HenryVIII were of three different nationalities. English, Spanish and what other? ......................................................................

Q&A ANWERS:

ABUSE ADDICTION ARRESTED BAIL BEER BINGE BLACKOUT BRAIN CAR CRASH CIRRHOSIS COMATOSE CORONARY DEAD DEATH DEBT DIE DRUNK DUI ENABLER FATAL HEADACHE HEART HIDE HOMELESS HOSPITAL HUNGOVER IMPAIR ISOLATION

# 1 2 3 4 5

1. W hich letter of the alphabet appears only once in the names of all English and Scottish league football teams and not at all in the names of the elements in the Periodic Table?

27

~ quotes ~

“My Father had a profound influence on me, he was a lunatic” - Spike Milligan

“My father told me all about the birds and the bees, the liar - I went steady with a woodpecker till I was twenty-one” Bob Hope “...And my parents finally realise that I’m kidnapped and they snap into action immediately: they rent out my room” Woody Allen “When I was born ... the doctor came out to the waiting room and said to my father ... I’m very sorry. We did everything we could ... but he pulled through ” - Rodney Dangerfield “Human beings are the only creatures on earth that allow their children to come back home” -Bill Cosby “Everyone should have kids. They are the greatest joy in the world. But they are also terrorists. You’ll realize this as soon as they are born, and they start using sleep deprivation to break you” - Ray Romano “We spend the first twelve months of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up” - Phyllis Diller

alcohol

Find and circle all of the alcohol that are hidden in the grid.

JAIL KILL LIQUOR LOSE JOB MADD

POISON PUKE RED EYES REHAB SHAKES

SICK SLUR SNEAKY SUICIDE SUPPORT

URINE VODKA VOMIT WHISKEY WINE

1. J (appears in St Johnstone) 2. 40 3. China (It actually spans 5 zones) 4. AC Milan 5. 6 (5 short and 1 long) 6. Happy, Grumpy, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey and Bashful 7. The Taming Of The Shrew 8. The Vatican City 9. The brain 10. Canadian

11. Royal Flying Corps 12.Moscow 13.Prince 14. Chris Pattern 15. John Major 16. Reykjavik 17. Beirut 18. The Cedar 19. Jason 20. German (Ann of Cleves)

28

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

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

How to make classic pancakes

P ancake D ay 4th M arch 2014

Basic pancakes with sugar & lemon

ELVIRA’S

Opening Times: Tue - Sat

6.30 pm till late

Sunday

RESTAURANTE

12.30pm - 3pm 6.30pm - 9pm

- EVENING MENU tuesday to saturday - SUNDAY ROAST WE CATER FOR: - thursday - SPECIAL EVENTS 6th march 9pm - PARTIES lla luna - WEDDINGS be - ANNIVERSARIES bookings only

968 974 042 or 661 141 493

Comercial Centre 3, Avenida Abanto Urb.San Luis, Torrevieja (Alicante) e-mail: barelvira@telitec.com

Ingredients For the pancake mixture 110g/4oz plain flour, sifted pinch of salt 2 eggs 200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water 50g/2oz butter To serve caster sugar lemon juice lemon wedges

method Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge

of the bowl as you do so.

Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream.

Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can

be poured into the hot pan in one go.

As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.

Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.

To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.

t t h a e n g n r i ee n e h T bar

Urbanizacion Laguna Green Entre Naranjos Tel: 677 477 554 Open 11am till late daily

under new management

Weekly Events: FRIDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 9PM CHLOE LEIGH Monday 2pm Dominoes saturday 8th march 9pm Tuesday 9pm paul michael quiz night with ken thursday 9pm - pop quiz with lynden b saturday 9pm - live entertainment all live sports shown on large flatscreen tvs

san miguel de salinas

cv-95

commercial centre



orihuela

the copperpot



inn at the green

san javier

ap-7 los montesinos

alicante



Sunday Karaoke 9pm

R E S TA U R A N T Urbanizacion Laguna Green Entre Naranjos open tues - sat from 7pm closed mon

Sunday Carvery Midweek Winter Special from 1pm

7.95 € pp

includes glass of house wine or water Starters & Desserts Optional Extra Choice of 2 set menus All Items on the menu are individually priced.

Tue/Wed/Thurs from 7pm

3 courses for 9.95€ or 2 courses for 7.95€ 7pm till late menu changes weekly

Restaurant available for private functions

LAURA TEL: 663 853 951 STEPHEN TEL: 663 853 950

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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Vegetarian dumplings can balance out a meat heavy Chinese meal.

These are fragrant, savoury and delicious.

Peking-style vegetable dumplings Ingredients

4 tbsp vegetable oil 50g/1¾oz morning glory, finely sliced (available in some Asian markets; substitute spinach if unavailable) 50g/1¾oz pak choi, finely sliced 50g/1¾oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced 1 small red onion, finely sliced 25g/1oz bamboo shoots, finely sliced 50g/1¾oz bean sprouts small handful fresh coriander, finely chopped 1 red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 circular wonton wrappers (for vegan versions, look for egg-free wrappers) 1 tsp cornflour, mixed to a paste with 1 tsp water vegetable oil, to shallow fry ready-made hot and sour sauce, to serve

method

Heat half a tablespoon of the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the morning glory, pak choi, shiitake mushrooms, red onion, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened slightly.

Remove from the heat and add the coriander and chilli.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and allow to cool.

Lay the wonton wrappers on a clean surface. Place one tablespoon of the fried vegetables in the centre of each wrapper. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of each wrapper with the cornflour paste. Fold the sides together to create a semi-circular wonton shape.

Place the wontons in a steamer over boiling water, and steam for six minutes.

Remove and allow to cool.

Heat the rest of the oil in a shallow pan until hot. Place the steamed wontons one by one into the hot oil and cook on one side until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper before serving.

Serve with hot and sour sauce.

HARRY’S BAR

QUIZ NIGHT MONDAYS 9PM WITH PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT JAMMIN’S BACK BY DEMAND WEDNESDAYS FROM 4 - 7PM SUNDAY LUNCH 12.30 - 5PM FROM €7.95 Mothers’ Day Sunday 30th March Same Good Value Roast Booking essential

Avda Costa Azul, Ciudad Quesada (at the top of the hill)

Tel 965 999 973

Menu del Dia 12 noon - 3pm

3 courses plus glass of wine or small beer or soft drink - 8.95€ pp

Menu de la Noche 6pm - 8pm

4 courses including any starter, any curry, rice or naan, coffee or ice cream, plus bottle of wine per couple - 13.95€ pp Avenida de las Naciones No. 57 Next to La Taberna

Cuidad Quesada Centre

Tel: 686 701 894

29

30

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

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

APAH Space for a little one?

Kingsley

and his brother Tyler were found w a n d e r i n g as starving, frightened puppies. Since being in the APAH kennels they have put on weight and grown in confidence and are ready for the first loving home and family. To meet them please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

stars in bars DATE ARTIST

Heidi is one of

many of the black cats living in the APAH Cattery.

For some reason, beautiful black cats are always overlooked. Can you offer Heidi or any of the other 80+ cats and kittens in the APAH Cattery a loving home?

Please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

VENUE

Automatic 3.0L Diesel 102,000kms

€21,950

mercedes clk 200 auto cabrio 73,000kms

€19,950

mercedes E320 Automatic CDI Diesel 167,000kms

€14,950

peugeot 3008 Automatic 1.6 HDI Diesel 115,000kms

€14,950

INFO

€2 Entry

2pm Start

4pm Start

BE SEEN 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR, with an entry in the

SOLTIMES business directory www.soltimes.com From just €15 for 3 months

Tel: Christine on 902 750 190 blancasales@soltimes.com

new fords available bmw x5 silver

AREA

27th Release Los Rosales Restaurant Guardamar 28th Woody Bar Charo Rojales 28th Andy Jones Emerald Isle La Florida 28th Joanna The New Tavern San Miguel 28th Done N Dusted El Mundos Benimar 1st PDQ Bar Carlos Torrevieja 1st Cherry K Lo Marabu Dona Pepa 1st Dee Bar Sioux Gran Alicant 1st Lenny Mitchell Treetops Campoverde 1st Andy Jones PALS Social Club La Siesta 1st JJ Soulman Belushi’s Bar Via Park V 2nd Joanna Inn at the Green Entre Naranjas 3rd The Cadillacs The Club Quesada

All automatic • 2006 BMW X5 3.0 DIESEL AUTO 102,000 KMS.......................................... €21,950 • 2007 OPEL ZAFIRA 1.9 CDTI DIESEL AUTO 94,000KMS ............................................ €10,950 • 2010 renault gran modus 1.6 PETROL AUTO 28,000 KMS................................ €10,950 • 2012 OPEL AGILA 1.2 PETROL AUTO 3,500 KMS.............................................. €10,950 • 2009 FORD FOCUS 2.0 TDCI DIESEL AUTO 119,000 KMS ........................................... €9,950 • 2004 MINI COOPER 1.6 PETROL AUTO 92,000 KMS.............................................. €8,950 • 2009 smart for two coupe 28,000 KMS.............................................. €6,950 • 2003 vw polo 1.4 auto petrol 160,000 kms............................................ €3,950 • toyota hilux surf 3ltr diesel auto 1994 74,000 miles................................. €2,950 • nissan primera 2 ltr petrol auto (rhd) spanish reg 1998 91,000 miles............ €2,250

Calle Mallorca, San Javier Call us: 968 146 158 or 618 628 511

www.specialistvehicles.com mini cooper Automatic 1.6 petrol 2005 75,000kms

€8,950

renault twingo Automatic 1.1 petrol 2009 44,000kms

€7,450

VW passat

Automatic 1.9TDi diesel 2004 102,000kms

€6,950

opel corsa Automatic 1.2 petrol 2005 104,000kms

€4,950

~ RHD / LHD Taken in Part Exchange / purchased for cash ~ Full procurement service

Visit our website Over 40 cars in group stock

www.specialistvehicles.com

Call us: 968 146 158 or 618 628 511

●Re-registration service available ●no obligation test drives ●we bring the vehicle to you

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

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31

COMMUNITY NEWS Neighbourhood SPIRITUALIST CENTRE benijofar Rojales The next meeting of the Rojales (formerly Spiritualist Church, Quesada) Meets at NEW ADDRESS: with immediate effect at Hamilton´s Bake House, 62 Calle Vicente, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar 03178. 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. Sammy Fitzsimmons, will take the Divine Service with Mediumship on Sunday, 2nd March. On Tuesday 4th March, there will be an Evening of Mediumship with Sue Chard, UK Medium – entry 3€. Sue Chard will also take the Divine Service with Mediumship on Sunday, 9th March.

There will also be a Fundraiser on Thursday, 6th March at 7.30 p.m – entry 3€. Everybody welcome.

Contact Wendy on 965323028. www. spiritualistchurchquesada.com New email is phoenixchurch23@gmail.com Identificacion Fiscal G54713789

quesada club

A committee has been formed, to attempt to form a New members club at the quesada club !!!!! Would you like to form a new members club?

After the 2 months lunches starting in february 2014 Clubs new name would be “friends forever” with a motto of “we care” To meet again at the club every 2nd and 3rd thursdays with the 4th out to lunch at 2pm all year As this is your club we would like your ideas? Where you would like to eat or go on an outing.

A speaker in the club on the 2nd or 3rd thursday, ideas again please.?

The aim of this mixed club is to continue with the friendships already formed and to fund raise for the torrevieja area.

We aim to do this by running Spot the ball, Bingo and quiz together etc, we welcome your ideas Subs on the door same as before with raffle.

Raffle at the meal also outings to be picked by the whole club by majority vote.

Still collect monies for memberships “Help vega baja” each week by sandy hollywood. Contact johnandsandy44@ gmail.Com or tel: 626 905 853

50+ SOLOS

50+ SOLOS is open to Ladies and GENTLEMEN over the age of 50 years and on their own either through divorce or the loss of their partner.

There are no subs or fees, just the cost of a meal and perhaps a little drink and a chat with like-minded people. We try to choose a different venue for each meal, normally the first and third Saturday of each month?

At this moment we have only a couple of vacancies for ladies but several for gentlemen as some of ‘the regulars’ are away for various reasons so places must be held for them. Everyone is very friendly and we are quite a talkative lot at times.

We hope to have a 10 pin bowling match in April against another group - nothing serious!! in May/June several want to go to Aguilas again for the day.. including a boat trip.

YOU WILL NOT BE BORED. Come along and try us, no obligation.

For general information or to make an enquiry about booking contact RUTH on 966 789 063 or ANNE 966 786 281

Neighbourhood Watch Group will be held on Monday 3rd March 2014 at 11am in the Municipal Centre in Ciudad Quesada. The meeting is open to all residents living in the 03170 postal area and we look forward to welcoming you. Please tell your neighbours and come and join us.

For further information about Neighbourhood Watch in Rojales please see our website www.rojalesnw.info or contact: David East (LeadCoordinator) david.east82@gmail.com or Helen Tudor (Secretary) helentudor22@gmail. com.

COFFEE MATES

If you would like to have a coffee and chat, exchange news etc. please join us at La Laguna Hotel, Lo Marabu, Friday mornings from 11.00 Ann - 965 070 247 - 666 747 398

‘RAFA Costa Blanca Branch - Agm

On Tuesday 18th February the Costa Blanca Branch held a most successful Annual General Meeting at the El Paraiso restaurant in Torrevieja. The Branch Chairman, Terry Joy praised all the membership for their support over the past year especially in their efforts to raise significant funds for the RAFA Charitable aims, much of which involves helping past and present members of the Royal Air Force. He continued by asking all present to continue with their essential support of the Branch and where possible try to encourage other individuals known to them of the Branch’s activities, especially on the social side where much activity takes place. After the normal agenda items were covered, the Election of the Committee for the next year took place. Thankfully the existing Committee volunteered to continue for another year, with the welcome addition of a new ViceChairman, David Barnes.

In recognition of the special work carried out on behalf of the Branch during the year, two trophies were awarded, the first of which the ‘President’s Trophy’ which was awarded to Philip and Brenda Haward for their extremely dedicated and hard work involved with the Welfare needs of individual ex members of the Royal Air Force. The second trophy, the ‘Wings Trophy’ awarded to the person or persons who were judged as the most successful in raising funds for RAFA was presented to Anthony and Penny Bryan, from Los Naranjos A short general meeting after the AGM set out the aims and activities for the next year which include a very special event for Saturday 22nd March when the branch will be holding a special dinner at the La Laguna hotel to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Branch.’

LAKE CHARITY CHALLENGE WALK

in aid of ELCHE CHILDREN´S HOME now in its 6th year !!

SUNDAY MARCH 2nd at 11am DISTANCES 6km & 12km ALL ARE WELCOME, including dogs on lead, to take part in the Challenge Walk. The 6km & 12km route starts and finishes at the Grand Design House and winds around the beautiful, unspoilt La Pedrera Reserve with its stunning views overlooking the blue lake and the mountains beyond.

Casa La Pedrera, is conveniently situated just off the CV95 San MiguelOrihuela Road, Urb Vista Bella and minutes away from Junction 751 off the AP7 motorway. You can get sponsored or simply turn up and pay 5 euros on the day!

So get a group of friends together or even ´Fido´on the lead, and get going for a great cause!

For sponsorship forms and more details you can call Jenni on 660816620 or visit www. thingstodoinspain.info for further details. If it rains heavily on March 2 it will be postponed to the following Sunday, March 9th at the same time!

La Bamba’s - Ballroom / Latin / Sequence Dancing

Los Rosales Restaurant, Guardamar CV895 [near Lemon Tree Sunday Market] Monday - SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm 10.30pm [SEQUENCE CLASS 7.30pm - 8.30pm] Friday - SOCIAL DANCE 7.30pm 10.30pm Wednesday - New Beginners Class 2pm -3pm Intermediate Class 3pm - 4pm Intermediate Plus Class 4pm - 5pm For more information contact Andrea and Brian 616 478 157

Ex-Servicemen’s Association

Mazarrón District (Founded 1 May 2006) EVENTS 2014 Wednesday 19th March Saladillo Restaurant Menu-del-dia Near Camposol “A” (Opposite the little church) Tuesday 15th April Visit to Military Museum in Cartagena + Menu-del-dia Wednesday 7th May Amapola, Playa Sol Hotel Bolnuevo AGM + Dinner and Dance (Music by Itchy Fingers) Membership enquiries, Ian 629818611 or esamd_espana@yahoo.co.uk

Country Music comes to Camposol For the past year , our dances have taken place on the 1st Friday of each month , in the (Golf ) Club House Camposol, however this date (ie 1st Friday) is not available to us on a regular basis during 2014, so , as from March 7th we will be holding our nights in the largest venue in Costa Calida (If there is one larger, we haven’t seen it)—Mariannos in Camposol----A large room with a huge dance floor—this is where the Welcome Group hold their dances Not only are we moving to the best venue, we shall also endeavour to provide the best in country Music e n t e r t a i n m e n t— starting on March 7th , with The B eagle s---Mar tin and Stuart, who will “go country “ on that night If that’s not enough , we are also celebrating our 1st birthday, so if you enjoy country music , and like to dance , come along, and help us celebrate --you’ll be made welcome Although the venue is changing, the formula is not –We shall still start at 7.45pm –From then , until 9 pm , when the live music commences, requests will be

played , Ann will teach a line dance, and Tom/Helen a partner dance Entry is only €4 per person Remember, as Lions country Music club, has decided not to continue , this is now the only Country Music “club” in Costa Calida If you need further information etc contact email thw35@yahoo.co.uk Tel/ text 610 632 152

SOL CLASSIFIEDS

SOLTIMES www.soltimes.com

see us online everyday

BY TELEPHONE Between 10am & 5pm Monday to Friday

966 719 647

glass curtains

glass curtains create more living space, no unsightly frames, reasonable prices, for a free estimate tel: 646 111 825

handy man

BOB A JOB? GOT AN ODD JOB YOU NEED DOING I AM 16 AND STRONG CALL TOM 687 363 540 hearing aids

From

550€

electricians Electrician , available for all works. Small or large. Call Dave 693 251 562. davendonc@aol.com

Furniture

Furniture first

www.digitalhearingspain.com

est 2006

sl

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

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

house clearances

quick cash house /bar clearance

cars & A1 ground & motorcycles gaRDEN SERVICES also wanted Diggers, Skips, Garden transport Re-form & Maintenance in 1 hour Telephone 628 505 733 tel: 669 723 709 garden services

for sale advertise all your unwanted items for sale in this section

any single item up to 300€ free of charge email: blancasales@soltimes.com

pool tables,

snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts.

666 933 726

www. spainpool.com

e l ectr i c hedge trimmer 16inch CUT, Nearly New €35 Quesada 966 716 599 E x te n d i n g Garden Shears €12 Quesada 966 716 599 E x te n d i n g Loppers €12 Quesada 966 716 599

awnings

TELEPHONE: 966 719 647

Black & Decker Jig Saw and new blades €20 Quesada 966 716 599 MI R R O R DIN G H Y i n c l u d i n g refurbished motor, cover and trailer Open to offers, all proceeds to the Samaritans in spain tel - Kim 645855621 O LY M P U S Camera (model OM10) with side panning tripod and flash unit.70 € ono. All proceeds to Samaritans in spain. Tel - Kim 6458556211pr Thomman the Box 350 watt full range P A speaker, and stand.

New! 80€ Torrevieja.

966789612 P e n ta x ESPIO 145M Super Camera, 35mm.

SMG Pentax Zoom Lens – 38mm to 145mm. Auto

Focus, Flash, Red eye Reduction, Manual and two films. 40 Euros.

Tel 966712200 (Benijofar).

Thomas leather/ Kevlar gloves 25€.

Frank Thomas Calf length boots size 45 30€.

AGV ladies full face helmet ACU approved 30€.

Caberg full/open face helmet 40€ Frank Thomas trousers, Goretex with Kevlar inserts 100€. Tuzo jacket brand new with removable lining for summer use 100€.

Would prefer to sell all as one lot with a discount as I’ve reluctantly sold my bikes. Call for more details 606 075 644 anytime.

Samsung S830 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera.

8.1 Mega Pixels, 2.7 Large LCD, MPEG4 Movie function, Auto focus or program.

Lens Samsung SHD Lens, Zoom 7.4 to 22.2 mm.

1gb SD Memory Card.

Camera Case, cables Software CD, User Manual and battery charger.

40 Euros. Tel 9 6 6712 20 0.

(Benijofar).

2 CLEAN HP officejet S IN G L E 6110 all in one mattresses with printer, scanner & covers €35 each Tel: copier. In perfect Quesada working condition. 698 468 283 Best offer over 30€ 634335724.

1 CLEAN D O U B L E mattress with cover €50 Quesada Tel: 698 468 283

QSC RMX1450 2 X 400w @ 4 OHM POWER AMPLIFIER. 250 1 FOLDING EUROS BED as new €50 Would suite band/ Quesada Tel: larger act or Bar. 698 468 283 Call Ray on 966 DVD’s 50 cents 712 987 each Quesada Motor Cycle Tel: 698 468 283 Frank ONE FOLDING Wear, walking stick brand plastering not used new €10 Tel: E N G LI S H Quesada P L A S T E R E R 698 468 283

internal finishing, e x t e r n a l rendering, 15 years experience, good rates.

FULLY LEGAL IN SPAIN. Call Chris 671 444 246 / 965 078 866 email: c_ pettit@hotmail. co.uk

jewellery

HALFORDS ROOF BOX (large) 50E ono buyer collects.

Tel: 968 131 913

3 x Insulated aluminium roof panels 40 inches wide, 145 inches long suitable for conser vator y or car port. 35€ each. Aluminium

window 92 inches wide, 72 inches long. 40€ Tel: 966 785 459 ge n u i n e R ay - B a n

locksmith

Locksmith locked out!!

Call Me Telf: 647 151 972 (24hrs) Put This Number In Your Phone – 24 Hrs Call Out! Commerical, Residential, Cars Locks Changed - Dierre Locks Changed - All Locks To Work Off I Key – Motura Gardesa Locks Changed – Window Locks - Cars Opened To Retrieve Keys – Alarms Fitted

musician Lenny Mitchell: Guitaristsinger, professional, international, solo act. Music can range from 60s, 70s pop, rock ‘n’ roll, big ballads, country, blues, classic rock, to 50s standards. Tel: 658321891 or email: lennymitchell@live.co.uk or facebook”

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

property for sale / rent

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

insurance

GOLD WANTED asssa medical English jeweller wishes to buy broken or unwanted Gold jewellery, silver and coins

IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT Call Peter

664 890 990

Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths

sunglasses 1pr genuine RayBan night driving glasses ex.cond.

30€ per pair. Tel: 699727138

insurances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, 968 153 396

mazarron@asssa.es

SOLTIMES want to know whats in the news?

go online

www. soltimes.com

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

www.soltimes.com

www.soltimes.com

Tel: 966 719 647 or 902 750 190 ext 330

property for sale / rent FOR SALE Apartment

(Top floor / Penthouse) Almoradi,Costa Blanca

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

(0034) 676 534 978 detatched cortijo reduced

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

Large 22 cubic metre van with tail lift available for all removals & deliveries call Dave on 693 251 562 email davendonc@ aol.com

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

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

Go Satellite

wanted

Humax HDR-1000s only 350€ Sky+ HD Receiver 295€

pets in spain

satellite tv

TV Installations and repairs

20mins from mojacar, 4 beds, 2 baths, Open plan living areas, kitchen & diningroom as well as a workshop, courtyard front & back & room for a pool. Mountain views. €135,000 ono 649 186 107 oremail thunderpaul2003@hotmail.com

33

All latest models fully guaranteed

all major credit & debit cards accepted

Tel: 965 725 670

Or call in to our office on Calle Los Arcos No. 7 Ciudad Quesada www.freetvspain.com

These 6 puppies were found in a box beside a bin, they are around 5 weeks old and will be quite small when fully grown.

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

De Lima’s removals Local, National & international REMOVALS & STORAGE Quality Second hand furniture showroom

263 Paseo del Mediterraneo Mojacar Playa, Next to Sal Marina Hotel Mon-Sat: 10am-2pm Call Marc on 647 006 183 or Brian on 674 280 268 or e-mail enquiries@delimas.biz

www.delimas.biz

fortnightly SERVICE TO & FROM UK FULL OR PART LOADS

simply removals

Van hire

ONE WAY

Spain ‹ UK › Spain



UK to Spain or Spain to UK

*LOCAL *NATIONAL *EUROPEAN

* COLLECTION & DELIVERY *STORAGE

TEL: 667 235 205

Pick up/drop off locations Throughout UK, France and 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

want to know whats in the news?

go online: www. SOLTIMES.com

34

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

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

trade Businesses can advertise in the classified section

Classified box from 9€. lineage only 45 cents per word - Deadline 5pm Friday Contact Christine 966 719 647

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.

motoring section

SOLTIMES

CLASSIFIED

Contact Christine

966 719 647

recruitment

jump into March with

SOLTIMES are looking for

Bright, enthusiastic sales people with an outgoing personality to join our field sales team in Campasol also Costa Blanca area Based at our office in Quesada Experience not essential as full training will be given as long as you’re organised, enjoy meeting people & can work to deadlines

Send your CV to cmm@soltimes.com

or call Paulette on 950 121 936

Marketing Assistants required due to company expansion.

Costa Blanca North & Murcia Regions Full Time position available for promotional work.

Basic salary plus excellent bonus package .

Please email your CV to marketing@avalonsl.es

or call

Rebecca 966 799 070

Situations Vacant Hairdresser for busy salon in Mazarron Area Beauty experience an advantage Call Jane on 611 611 858

Do you have a caravan, vehicle, wanted cars for cash boat or motor Best prices paid bike for sale Spanish English Anything considered

wanted

WANTED

ALL VEHICLES

Cars, Motorhomes, 4x4’s, Boats, Vans, Trailers, Quads, Classics

FOR CASH

Telephone: 699 805 995

info@carsrus.es

wanted uk cars & vans bought for cash Tel: 667 235 205

tel: Tim on 662 211 993 Vehicles registration

CASH CASH “RE-PLATE” MATE CASH Same day collection

GB

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

car repair service

Ed’s mobile

CAR REPAIR SERVICE

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

610 078 940 personals

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

THIS SPACE, FOR PRIVATE ADVERTISERS,

IS ONLY 15€

INCLUDING A PHOTO

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

PHONE CHRISTINE ON 966 719 647

& REACH OVER 40,000 READERS

this space for only 15€

WE PROMISE TO BEAT ANY GENUINE QUOTATION For a full service contact:

Alan 662 249 159

www.replatematecostablanca.com

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

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.

This size advert is only 10€

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

cars for sale cont...

BMW 1998 Z3 1900cc convertible. 8mths MOT. All lights converted to Spanish spec so ready for ITV if desired. 2500 or nearest offer.....may swap for motorcycle 600cc and above.

Tel: 966 731 953 after 6.30pm Mob: 634 115 764 anytime.

ld thanks to the so 2500€

soltimes

ono

This size advert is only 10€

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

www.soltimes.com

card, selected the item I required, and Added it to my Cart. So far so good, but that was as far as I could get – amazon wanted my password.

I had no idea what my password was, so I pretended to be a new customer. This got it all of a lather, as it was sure that it recognised my email address, and kept sending me emails asking if I wanted to Activate a New Account, threatening to wipe out all my Purchasing History if I did so.

Go on, wipe it! I urged, but it was fixated on my password. In an effort to circumnavigate the password problem, I clicked Change My Password. This resulted in another email, asking if I wanted to change my password. Read my clicks, amazon! I want to change my password!

I filled in a new password, confirmed it, and clicked Continue, patiently unjumbling the scrambled letters as requested. This

By Jos Biggs

josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk

brought about a flurry of email activity from amazon.

Congratulations on creating a new account followed hard on the heels of Did I Want to Change my Password? I thought I’d just done that!

I settled in for the long haul, and changed the password that I had just changed. It responded with an email asking if I wanted a new account – Yup, that was the general idea! I unscrambled some more letters, and, as requested, changed my password again.

By now I have to my reckoning 3 accounts and 3 passwords, but hey, so what! Functioning on automatic pilot I repeated the account/password/ unscramble the letters game 3 times more, yet amazon still did not consider me acceptable as a customer.

So I now had 6 separate accounts, with 6 separate passwords, and feel discriminated against. If you don’t want my custom, amazon, be woman enough to man up to it, and tell me!

I’m fed up now – I’m going to sulk! So there!

Skating On Expensive Ice In 1936 Berlin hosted the summer Olympics and with Hitler wishing to showcase the Third Reich and the great achievements of National Socialism, and to outdo the Los Angeles games of 1932, a new 100,000 seater stadium was built along with six gymnasiums and many smaller arenas. A state of the art closed circuit television and radio system that reached 41 countries was installed, and a production company was commissioned to film the games at great cost.

It was to be a statement about racial supremacy and Hitler demanded medals from Germany’s athletes.

In 2014, Sochi is the host city for the Winter Olympics and at an estimated cost of £30billion, it is the most expensive and lavish winter games of all time.

All protests and marches against the current regime have been banned except from one small area well away from the games and prying foreign journalistic eyes, and last week a pop group who decided to sing a protest song in the wrong location, were attacked by police with horse whips and carted off to jail.

The aim of these games is to showcase the new Russia to the world and Mr Putin has demanded medals.

Away from the politics, some of the action has been a joy to watch, even for us British, who have no tradition of winter sporting

success. As I write, the ladies curling team has just won the bronze medal and the men are due to play for the gold later today – although let’s be honest, we are really talking about Scottish teams here, playing a Scottish sport under the team GB banner.

But as an Englishman, I still reserve the right to cheer them on.

For those unfamiliar with the sport; a team of four people take it in turns to slide a shiny Ayers Rock with a handle down some ice in an effort to score a bullseye and in the process shunt the other team’s rock out of the way, which seems extremely rude to me. But there you go.

With a bronze in the snowboarding; a fabulous gold medal in the women’s skeleton and with real prospects in the speed skating, it would seem that we are set to win several medals this time around and have our best Winter Olympics to date. Only a Brit could get ecstatic over a haul of four or five medals.

Apart from the curling – the tactics of which I am still struggling to comprehend – my wife has been glued to the skating events, and although the moves are truly a thing of beauty, it’s more a girlie thing as far as I am concerned, and I only watch the occasional routine. But it’s my lovely wife’s reaction and comments about the competitors that entertain me the most.

There is as much oooing and ahhhing about the female skaters costumes as the actual performances.

But come on; the intricate ensemble’s on Strictly Come Dancing I can understand – they are fabulous creations that have obviously been painstakingly handmade and cost hundreds of pounds – but the tiny getups worn by skaters are no more than a collection of coloured badbirdnow@gmail.com scarves and ribbons. One

By Colin Bird :

girl glided onto the ice yesterday and my beloved almost spilled her Guinness.

“Isn’t that just beautiful” she exclaimed.

But to me it looked like a couple of square feet of net curtain to which had been attached some sparkly stuff, the contents of a tube of Smarties and a few budgie feathers.

Then in the absence of any British interest in much of the skating these days, there is the way that my wife will attach herself to one particular competitor.

“Who do you want to win?”

I asked the other day.

“That one in the blue dress” she told me.

“Oh the Canadian girl.

Why’s that?”

“All the others are foreign.” came the reply.

We have Universal logic; then there is women’s logic and finally my wife’s particular brand of logic.

Or later on, when my wife declared that a certain girl would take a tumble before she had ice-danced a single step. The reason given? That the poor unfortunate lady was wearing plain skating pants and not budgie feathers. The hell of it is, the unfortunate girl did fall as predicted which has convinced me that in future, I will always ask what to wear when we have an evening out.

I can’t get over how young the skaters are these days. Each games seem to produce a more youthful crop of adolescents with 15 being the current lower age limit. One skater was not given much of a chance by the commentators because she was much older than the others and nearing the end of her career.

The poor old dear was 28.

Cue: deep meaningful sigh.

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

Amazon Impossible

What is the matter with amazon? Why can I not order stuff from them? Are my electronic euros not good enough for them? Or are they simply awkward for the sake of it?

I needed something that could only be purchased electronically, so I bravely girded my metaphorical loins and confronted amazon with my request.

Amazon instantly responded, promising to ship the item from the USA sooner than immediately.

No, I said, I want it sent from Spain. Sorry, it doesn’t exist in Spain, the site informed me.

Never mind, I’ll go to amazon.uk I thought, and Lo and behold, there it was.

I fetched the trusty credit

35

viewpoint people

alqueria

The early morning sun gently warms the stones and cobbles of Alqueria, caressing the village into a new day.

The divided people of this small pueblo still slept, unconsciously plotting their mayhem for the coming day. If one studies a map of Alqueria, one will see it is heart-shaped with the broadest expanse to the north. Here is where the people play and worship. Walking west along the Calle Generalissimo, we arrive at a confluence of streets. To our left is the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, where the devout of the village attend to their spiritual well-being.

To our right is the plaza and the Bar La Casa Devante where the hedonistic attend to their physical well-being. A small fountain in the plaza’s centre gurgles with crystal clear water, fresh from the Sierra Alhamilla.

The castle of Alqueria is accessed from the plaza by means of six easily scaled steps. It is of Moorish construction with a remarkably well preserved tower.

Leaving the square and heading west once more we pass the small museum which houses the famous Corsé de Napoleon and other treasures from the village’s past. We now enter the Calle Mirador with the houses of the Hill People to the left. These are ancient dwellings arranged around the cobbled street. There is a small school opposite and then we go on past Poyato’s smallholding. This takes us to the southern extremity of Alqueria.

The olive mill, Alqueria’s only industry is passed

on the right. Opposite it is the bar La Golondrina Verde, playground of Los Recién Llegados, the Newcomers. We now join the Avenida el Raro and pass the fire station on the right. We head east to the abodes of the favoured Newcomers. These are palatial properties, high-walled and swimmingpooled. Walking on we pass the cemetery to the right and then the banks of the Río Verde, reflecting the sun’s rays from its calm surface. Joining the Calle el Raro from the right is the Calle Huella Vieja, the northern route out of the village. This completes a circumnavigation of Alqueria and we once again stand bathed in the early morning sun at the village’s northern extreme.

The only other street worthy of note is the Calle Horno, the rest being simple thoroughfares. The Calle Horno runs laterally entering the Calle del Siniestro to the west and the Calle Límite to the east. To be in the Calle Horno during the early hours is a sublime experience. The wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread permeates every corner of the street tempting the fasted palate. Also in the Calle is the Ayuntamiento and on the other side of the street the doctor’s surgery.

To walk the empty streets of Alqueria during these early hours with the whitewashed houses reflecting the morning sun can lift one’s soul. It is only later when the population awake and begin their interminable squabbling that a cloud appears to darken the town.

As Jean-Paul Sartre wrote ‘l’enfer, c’est les autres’.

advance moves

Leading Removal Company reports on strengthening housing market One of Spain’s top removal companies has reported that they experienced a resurgence in the Spanish housing market during 2013 and it looks like 2014 will be an even busier year. Mat Ford-Dunn, the Managing Director of ‘Advance Moves International Removals’ pointed to the fact that many property values in Spain have now fallen to a much more realistic level and this has definitely resulted in increased house sales. This has been noticed in all regions of Spain as Advance Moves operate their relocation services throughout the mainland.

Advance Moves has its main warehouse in Murcia, Spain, with an additional warehouse in Kent in the UK and has had to purchase 5 new vans and trucks to cope with the increased demand over the past year.

The UK housing market is also in a state of recovery and increased house sales have resulted in more people selling up and looking to buy in Spain. There are many factors that

tempt expats to Spain, not least the recent periods of turbulent weather, which many parts of the UK have suffered.

On the flip side, for economic reasons many British Expats are now able to sell properties in Spain and Advance Moves are often the first choice when it comes to repatriating them back to the UK. Mat was also keen to point out that the increase in demand for their removal services was also down to the level of service and expertise that Advance moves offer to their clients and the fact that many clients had already seen the brightly liveried vehicles on the roads undertaking their removal services.

Advance moves is also a member of the British Association of Removers and one of only a few companies that export wrap furniture to provide extra protection for international removals.

‘Our clients know that they are getting a more competitively priced, premium removal service, when compared to the rest of the market. The increased volume of removals enables Advance Moves to offer their clients a more regular and flexible timetable for their individual removal requirements’ Mat sees the trend continuing throughout 2014 with the housing market in the UK and Spain continuing to make steady process.

Advance Moves are gearing up for another busy year.

36

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

SOLTIMES FEBRUARY 2014

sport

MAZARRON FC 2 CD JUVENIA 1

Tuesday Night Trios Ten Pin Bowling League

Week Twenty played 18th February 2014

After a week which saw the semi finalists claim their spots in the Cornish Pride knockout cup, it was back to league points tonight. After their win over The Mixers last week, Splash took on Split Happens and, were beaten in the first game, with Marion Haynes of SH bowling a 212 scratch game. This wasn’t enough though, and with JuanJo Carral bowling a 581 scratch series, Splash took the next two games and, the overall pinfall.

Mazarron returned to winning ways with a hard-earned 21 home victory against CD Juvenia. Despite being without the suspended Moha and Randry and the injured Alfonso, Mazarron just about deserved their victory although CD Juvenia missed a second half penalty.

The home team took the lead in the third minute when Cecilio won a strong tackle in midfield and his pass found Tolo racing clear of the visiting defence before slipping the ball under the body of the advancing keeper.

Mazarron’s new goalkeeper Marcos had to be alert shortly afterwards when he raced out of his penalty area to head clear and, after 15 minutes, he came to the rescue again when he foiled another Juvenia breakaway with his feet.

Jose Ruben then raced down the left wing but his excellent cross was volleyed well wide by Tolo and, after 36 minutes, Tolo shot straight at the keeper with Ruben waiting at the far post for a cross.

The second half began with a fierce goalmouth scramble which saw Juvenia eventually clear the ball and then Tico’s free kick just eluded the onrushing Jose Ruben and the ball was cleared for a corner. However, Mazarron increased their lead after 59 minutes when a cross from the left was headed down by Cecilio into the path of Tolo who controlled the ball and hit a fierce left foot shot into the roof of the net.

Team Finland continued their march up and away at the top of the league, with a 6 – 2 thrashing of The Mixers.

Olli Leppanen with a 668 and Markku Maatta bowling a 678 handicap series, swept the nights team honors with a total of 675 and 1851 game and series. Hall y Day tried their best to keep in touch at the top but, Los Lobos had other ideas and, took the first two games. It took a monumental effort by HD but, they managed to take the third game and the overall pinfall to scrap a 4 – 4 draw and so, stay in touch at the top. Los Bandidos cruised past Lucky Strike, even though Graham Lewis of LS bowled his highest scratch and handicap series of the season. The two teams at the bottom of the league clashed on lanes 15 and 16 and, after 3 close games, it was Juan’s Warriors who came out 6 – 2 winners.

Caballo Negro turned up with only two players but, still took two points off Corinsh Pride, who had Shane Winfield’s’ 601 steady h/c series to thank for them running out 6 – 2 winners. Crazy Pinz also only had two players but, they were completely blown away by Bar Mosquitos, who had Dave Haynes bowling a 239 scratch game and a 614 h/c series, to thank for an 8 – 0 scoreline. With eight weeks remaining, there will be a lot of swapping around in this league and, there is still all to play for.

Juvenia should have equalised after 67 minutes when a cross from the left was punched clear by Marcos but the referee awarded a penalty for apparent pushing by a Mazarron defender. However, the spot kick was blazed over the bar much to the delight of the Mazarron supporters.

CD Juvenia did pull a goal back after 80 minutes when Marcos was caught off his line by Maximino’s clever lob from 20 yards to set up a frantic last 10 minutes but Mazarron hung on for an important victory.

Team: Marcos, Alcaraz, Juan Andreo, Dani, Ishmael, Chema (Fran), Enrique, Tico, Jose Ruben, Cecilio (Juanillio), Tolo Man of the Match: Tolo

Sucina Golf Society Tuesday, 18th February 2014

Our first of two visits this year to the excellent Las Colinas course. A rather dull start to the day, and rain forecast but luckily this held off for a good day´s golf . Course in excellent condition. Format for this months´ game was again an Individual Stableford, counting towards our “ Player of the Year” 2014.

Many congratulations to all our Winners on the day.

Our Division winners were:Division 1 - 1st place John Storey 32pts , 2nd place Roger Major 31pts , 3rd place Colin Comber 30pts.

Division 2 - 1st place Colin Archer 32pts, 2nd place Brian Kay 31pts, 3rd place Ron McKinley 30pts.

Division 3 - 1st place Wayne Harris 36pts, 2nd place Doreen Crowhurst 32pts and 3rd place Trevor Cooling 28pts.

Nearest the pins went to: Hole 5 - David Cooper (guest), Hole 7 - Andy Harvey, Hole 10, 14 & 17 - John Storey.

Our next meeting is at La Serena on Tuesday 18th March ( format Team / Fun Game). 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

LO CRISPIN GOLF SOCIETY

El Plantio - 19.02.14

The game at El Plantio was our first major of the year and with a party of 38 members and guests were playing for ‘The Claret Jug’ so the stakes were high.

We had heard varying reports about the state of the course and although they are doing some work to it, it was reasonably good. Some found the palm trees unforgiving and the water difficult to get over but by the end of the day there were plenty of smiles. Those smiling the most were: In first place and winner of the Claret Jug, Sue Smith with 34 points, congratulations 2nd Danny McErlean with 30 pts 3rd Norman Potter with 29 pts on countback 4th Bob Berry with 29 pts NTPs Scott Blair hole 7, John Dunnion hole 9, Sue Smith hole 12 (in 3 shots) and Brian Lin 2 shots).

There were two 2s, Brian Smith and John Dunnion who received €16.50 each.

The free game draw was won by Danny McErlean.

The prize presentation took place in the evening at the Lo Crispin Tavern where we enjoyed a meal and were suitable entertained by Woody, who certainly got most people up dancing and singing. Thanks to the Tavern staff who always look after us very well and also to Brian Coultate who organised the evening festivities. On another subject a big thanks go to those who contributed to Mick the Grips sponsored haircut in aid of Reach Out childrens charity, we collected €98.

EUROGOLF SOCIETY

samm The Autumn Series threw up a few challenges, races cancelled due to weather, lack of support boat, other events being held at the venue, pushing the race back another week. But, in the end the races that were held, were enjoyed by those competing.

The trophies were keenly contested with two boats battling for first place. Don Clark in his Hartley and a Balaton Boat helmed by Bob Miles. Had there been another race the result could have been reversed, but in the end the Balaton won the series with Don in third place, pipped by a Shoestring. A photograph of the winning Balaton helms and crews, (left to right, Terry Chapman, Carole Sibson, Bob Miles and Robert Hudson) All boats are now receiving some attention in readiness for the Spring Series which is due to start on 16th March 2014.

The Sailing season culminated in a Christmas Supper at Lorenzos in Pilar where members were entertained by The Reef Band, some members of which are also SAMM members. The entertainment was superb and certainly added to a very successful evening.

The Commodore thanked members for their support and was pleased to announce that HAH would benefit from over 200€ SAMM sails all year round, new members are always welcome, a choice of groups to join from radio controlled to cruisers with dinghies, day boats and a catamaran as well as the latest acquisition, a motor boat, for those who prefer motors to sails. Check the website for more information regarding all the activities www. sailingmarmenor.com.

20TH FEBRUARY 2014 The fantastic weather continues to remind us why we choose to live in Spain, and what better way to make the most of it could there be than to get out on the golf course. 60 players made the most of the conditions to play in today’s monthly stableford. The winner overall was Sandy Holland who scored a magnificent 41 points.

Also deserving a mention, was my playing partner today , Joy Gray, who had a great score and managed to get onto the 18th in 5 and down in 7 for the first time ever. The delight in her face was a pleasure to behold!

Scores etc: Overall Winner Sandy Holland

41

Gold: 1st Bob Buckeridge 36, 2nd David Gregson 35, 3rd Vince Tocher 30, 4th Robim Richards 27.

Silver: 1st Tony Stanley 37, 2nd Bruce Gordon 35, 3rd Ken Brett 34, 4th Frnz Berndt 34 Bronze: 1st Sandy Holland 41, 2nd Tom Corbett 36, 3rd Liz Menzies 36, 4th Joy Gray 35.

Nearest The Pins: 5th Franz Berndt, 11th Bob Buckeridge, 12th David Lewis, 15th Cindi Green, 17th Tom Corbett Best Front 9: Alan Venables 19. Best Back 9, Dave King 23.

Football Marilyn Eckershall, Malcolm Foskett, Alan Venables, Jim Weston.

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TV NEWSLETTER

Hello

march 2014 March and month 3 !!! All is well at the Rainbow Home …….. Mums are fine and coming out of hibernation although mum Jones living in Worcester was of a little concern in the floods ………. How lucky we are here seemingly not to have the severe ends of any weather – although the autumn Gotta Fria has not been seen for a few years …………. !!!! And we are so lucky to see the February almond blossom ………. Short lived but a wonder of nature ………

TV NEWS …………. Well of course the news is that the new satellite has come on stream and has at least halved the strengths of our signals for our mainstream UK FREESAT TV channels …………… at least we have some useable signal and can watch UK TV ……….. South west of Spain have no appreciable signals at all …………… poor old Marbella ! Before assessing the FREESAT situation just a word about SKY channels ……….

Many of these (notably films) have swapped to the new satellite on the “pan European beam” and signals are stronger – one signal that is stronger is the frequency 11778 which means NO more rebooting of SKY boxes ………. After a power down these SKY boxes should all come back on their own ………… there is NO need to alter the “default” frequency any more ………… no 12207 or whatever number you used to use ………. Just give the box a few minutes to boot up all on its own !

FREESAT satellite TV reception – with the weak signals we now have – is , in the main , about dish size………….. But other factors do come into play ………. Without the best LNB (the bit on the dish that receives the signal) , perfect dish alignment to the satellite , good quality cable (especially for longer runs) and the quality of the tuner in the digibox you use all come into play for decent UK FREESAT TV reception.

The changes have weakened the BBC / ITV / ch4 signals significantly and , with the provisos above , the following is the outcome for the dishes that we at Rainbow supply (but may not apply to other inferior dishes) 1.00M offset ……… now not big enough for mainstream UK TV – although much of the SKY output could be received on them.

1.35M offset …………. With everything in the whole system the “best” available these dishes CAN just pull in the signals for a decent picture part of the day (signals do vary in strength throughout the day). But they are right on the edge of reception. We at Rainbow pride ourselves in supplying good watchable UKTV and we feel these dishes are just not up to supply the TV reception we like to supply – choice of BBC/ITV region for example is generally not an option as the dish will only pull in the stronger regions.

1.45 Prime Focus ………….

These dishes will pull in all the signals and are our recommended “smaller” option.

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1.80 prime Focus ……… these are the real answer to decent watchable TV in most conditions ………. But of course come at a cost. They can not be wall mounted but must be on a substantial concrete pad. They are just not practical in many locations.

There are bigger dishes on the market 2.40 and 3.20 but these are cost prohibitive and difficult to transport ………… we at Rainbow have made the decision the 1.80 is our maximum supply size.

NB REMEMBER Dishes can be shared with any number of properties - the constraining factor is cable runs and lengths……… May be now is the time to share with your neighbour.

We at RAINBOW SATELLITES are specialists in community systems often used in apartment blocks, but can equally be used for multiple adjacent dwellings.

If you have lost your TV signals then contact us for a site visit , a look at what you have and our best advise.

The alternative is INTERNET TV (IPTV) ………….. And this can work well with a good range of channels and does NOT require a dish ……….. BUT does require a good A1 internet connection that will allow continuous 2MB downloads ………….. Ask for our data sheet.

Article sponsored by RAINBOW SATELLITES --- the company for all your TV needs in the Murcia region of Spain. Contact Alan or Matt for free friendly advise – email rainbowsats@gmail. com or phone (0034) 686 358 475.

Our website www. rainbowsats.org does have some good basic information although it does need an update following the changes above ……… we will get there ! facebook / Rainbow Satellites.

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COSTA CALIDA/MAR MENOR PAULETTE : 902 750 190 (EXT: 332) email: calidasales@soltimes.com Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent of political parties, private investment and government. Our policy is to provide readers with a news and information service that is fair, accurate and balanced. Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent publications. Published weekly and produced exclusively in Murcia & Blanca. Sol Times News Group cannot be held responsible for claims made by advertisers, nor can it be held responsible for errors in advertisements caused by poor quality text, photographs or layout instructions. Furthermore, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss or damage resulting caused by any error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement. Deposito Legal Sol Times Calida AL 851-2010. Sol Times Blanca AL 852-2010

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