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The truffle capital of the world
truffle product line. She belongs to the generation that stayed. “Just about every sector of the local economy is focused on the truffle in one way or another,” she says. In December, a truffle trade fair was held in Sarrión that attracted 22,000 people. Atruter, the association that represents the area’s truffle growers, now has 500 members, a huge number for such a small community. “We like to say that we’re the world truffle capital, although there isn’t the same business culture as in the Perigord, in France,” says Julio Perales Vicente, Atruer’s president. “We need to take the next step by setting up companies to process truffles and to start finding markets in Spain.” Overexploitation and drought have largely done away with wild truffles, but it is now possible to artificially nurture mycorrhizae, or fungus roots, that will later produce truffles. At present, around 6,500 hectares are under truffle cultivation, and more land is due to be put to use. The most expensive part of the process is installing irrigation systems, says Ángel Doñate, admitting that he and his fellow growers are still working on a trial-and-error basis, and that the truffle is an unpredictable crop. “You can have a difficult year, and suddenly all your planning is worth nothing, and you have to find solutions to new problems,” he adds. Rafael, his brother, sums up the challenge: “With truffles, two and two is never four. That’s why they’re so valuable.” Source: elpais
Caregiver arrested for swindling her ward out of €500,000 inheritance Though young, the main contenders in the regional race are far from political novices
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The Civil Guard has arrested a caregiver who allegedly swindled her ward out of €500,000 over the course of four years, leaving her in complete destitution. The main suspect’s two children have also been arrested and charged with prolonged fraud after they were found to have profited from the stolen money. The alleged fraud took place between 2010 and 2014 in Illescas (Toledo), where the caregiver worked for the victim, 53, and the latter’s mother, now deceased. According to the investigation, the victim had come into a large sum of money from an inheritance, and was keeping it in several bank accounts. After the caregiver had gained her trust, she recommended bringing all the money into a single account and putting it in both their names, so she could easily “manage” her ward’s day-today needs, including the payment of bills. Records show that on the same day the victim agreed to this request, the suspect opened new bank accounts in her own name and that of her children. The caregiver’s former partner has also been accused of covering up the fraud. Over the course of four years, the victim’s money slowly made its way into the other accounts. The caregiver’s lifestyle began
to change ostensibly, and family members began regularly buying jewelry, dining out at restaurants, shopping at malls and traveling. Neighbors also noticed that the caregiver purchased nine cars for her children and another for her ex. Neither her children nor her partner held any job that might have accounted for such income. Meanwhile, the victim began looking worse and ended up in complete poverty, requiring assistance from the social services and the Red Cross. “Her neighbors began noticing that she was thinner, because they didn’t even leave enough money for food,” said sources at Civil Guard headquarters in Toledo. “They are the ones who encouraged her to file the complaint.” On December 31, the victim told officers that a person she trusted had taken all her money out of her accounts. The caregiver quit her job on the day the bank balance hit zero. A police search of the caregiver’s apartment yielded a collection of home appliances, exotic birds, televisions, sound systems, replica firearms and jewelry with a total retail value of over €50,000. sorce: elpais
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A remote corner of eastern Spain has become the largest global producer of the delicacy Gúdar Javalambre is a small district of around 8,600 inhabitants who live in 24 villages spread out across the harsh landscape of the Maestrazgo mountains that lie between Valencia and Teruel in eastern Spain. The area, whose population has fallen steadily over the last half-century, is one of the least-populated in Europe – but that is not what marks it out. What does it make it remarkable, however, is the fact that Gúdar Javalambre is now the center of a global truffle industry that over the last decade has breathed new life into the district, creating jobs and reviving the local economy. Spain’s black truffle harvest in 2013 and 2014 – the mushroom is collected between December and March – totaled 40 tons, of which 36 came from Gúdar Javalambre. Over the same period, France produced between 40 and 50 tons. “The truffle has created sustainability in areas that were dying. Until the truffle came along, times were tough,” says María Jesús Agustín, the 47-year-old owner of Manjares de la Tierra, which she set up a decade ago with two other women to market truffles. She says that were it not for the mushrooms, she would have left long ago. The truffle has helped to keep people from moving away, and it’s become a motor of the economy” Juan María Estrada, founder of Inotruf “The rural world is being lost,” says her partner, Merche Marco. “If there’s work, then it’s more likely that people will stay.” The company, like many others
the quality and output. A reasonablesized truffle costs around €20 (four in the area, has been given a boost by grams is enough to make a meal). the internet, and as well as in its small store in Sarrión, the largest village in the district, with 1,000 inhabitants, it now The Doñate brothers are one of the region’s truffle success stories. The four sells its wares worldwide via the web. have been involved in the business for Like most of its neighboring the last four decades, learning their skills communities, there’s little going on in by hunting the prized mushroom with Sarrión on a chilly February morning. their father, and using specially trained There are few shops, and most of dogs, without which it is not possible the houses seem empty or used only to find mature specimens. Until the late at weekends or for vacations. The 1980s, truffles were collected in this population density here is among the way, and as now, were mainly exported. lowest in the European Union: 3.4 people Historically, the mushroom has never per square kilometer, similar to that of been part of Spanish cuisine, perhaps northern Scandinavia – the EU average because truffles were banned by the is 116 kilometers per square kilometer. Inquisition. The land is hard and yields little. A few In 1987, a recently graduated ruined farms dot the landscape. agronomy student named Francisco But there are signs of improvement Edo Navarrete, who had written a out in the countryside. Entire fields thesis on truffle cultivation, organized have been planted with holm oaks, the a course to teach local farmers about species of tree that provides the best growing the mushroom. His initiative support for truffles. “There is more changed everything: his first intake truffle cultivation here than any single set up their own truffle farms, and the place else on earth,” says Juan María business potential soon became clear, Estrada, who moved to the area from even though holm oaks can take up to a his native Catalonia to set up Inotruf decade to yield their fruits. with a partner. “There aren’t many “People who were considering leaving farming options here, the land is poor,” decided to stay because they started to says Estrada. “The truffle has helped to find work,” says Ángel Doñate. His older keep people from moving away, and it’s brother, Manuel, aged 61, says he was become a motor of the economy.” set to leave the community, but instead Given the lack of Spanish companies decided to try his hand at the practice able to process truffles, around 90 he had learned as a child. Something percent of output here is exported to as ancient and as deep rooted as the France, meaning that many truffles symbiotic relationship between a tree sold as French actually originate in and a mushroom, between men and Teruel. The variety grown here is the dogs, coupled with the idea of living melanosporum, also known as the off the land, has sparked an economic Perigord truffle. The price is set locally at boom. a market held every Saturday evening. whose menu is pretty much dedicated This week the price was between €450 to the truffle. He also owns a company and €600 a kilo – it varies depending on that used to be used for public works projects, but now prepares fields for truffle cultivation. His daughter Sandra runs the hotel and manages Trusens, a
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Dolphin trainer accused of abuse found dead
A dolphin trainer accused of mistreating animals in Mallorca has been found dead in an apparent suicide, with colleagues saying that he was hounded to his death. The body of José Luis Barbero was discovered on the night of Saturday, March 7th, in his car in a car park at Palma de Mallorca airport.The trainer, who worked at Marineland on the Balearic island of Mallorca, had recently been accused of mistreating dolphins when a video was released on YouTube reportedly showing Spanish trainers hitting and kicking the animals.
“José Luis was the victim of a ferocious campaign against his honour, which began with the distribution of manipulated audiovisual materials, followed by numerous orchestrated attacks on social networks, judging him without giving him the option to defend his innocence,” Garbiñe Plazas, spokesperson for Marineland, told The Local in a statement. “José Luis was a great professional with an exemplary career devoted to animals, he was awarded some of the most prestigious prizes worldwide and pioneered the development of social welfare programmes. “Those who were lucky enough to meet José Luis have no doubt about his love for animals, to whom he dedicated his life with passion,” Plazas added Barbero received death threats
after the video was released and recently made a statement accusing dolphin charity SOS Delfines (SOS Dolphins) of editing the grainy footage to make it seem like the trainers were hitting and kicking the dolphins when they were not. Georgia Aquarium Chairman and CEO Mike Leven, in a statement to the US network Fox 5 news, said: “Sadly, (Barbero) and his family received death threats, and groups and individuals rushed to judge him. He was not given the right or the privilege to be considered innocent until proven guilty... His death is untimely, unnecessary and unjust.” The statement continued: “Initial reports suggest that he allegedly ended his own life. He was a husband, a father and a grandfather who dedicated nearly four decades to caring for animals. We at
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Ex-Osasuna president remanded in custody
Another former member of the Osasuna board, Jesus Maria Peralta, has also been remanded in custody without any conditions for bail, the official Twitter account for the Navarran High Court of Justice confirmed.
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Former Osasuna president Miguel Archanco has been remanded in custody with bail set at €500,000 ($548,000) on Saturday after being arrested on accusations of match-fixing and misappropriation of funds.
Barbero was due to start work as vicepresident at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, USA, this month but the job was put on hold pending an investigation into the allegations of abuse. Civil guard police, confimed that the dolphin trainer had been missing since Tuesday, and that his body was discovered on Saturday. They said there were no signs of violence.
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Georgia Aquarium were proud to have had him serve periodically as a consultant to our organization over the past eight years. His service with us was exemplary. “After allegations were levied against him, we took the situation very seriously. Georgia Aquarium began a search for truth in hopes of disproving these unsubstantiated claims. “We were not given the chance to thoughtfully and thoroughly review the allegations against him before activists, consultants and some in our own community tortured him with enough hatred to cause him to allegedly take his own life. “I hope the death of Jose Luis Barbero teaches those who were quick to condemn him a lesson about being hasty to charge and indict.” Source: thelocal
Both men were arrested along with another ex-director of the Spanish second division club, Angel Vizcay, on Thursday after both Osasuna and the Spanish Football League presented findings that missing money from the club’s accounts could have been used to fix matches towards the end of last season. Last month the current Osasuna board announced that just over 2.4 million euros from the club’s accounts couldn’t be accounted for. Archanco was in charge of the Navarran club from 2012 to 2014, but resigned after Osasuna were relegated last May after a 14-year stay in the top flight. Spanish sports daily Marca reported last month that Spanish league officials were investigating four matches involving Osasuna towards the end of last season for alleged match-fixing.
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President Of Andalucia Predicts Victory In Regional Election by Martin Shortland
If there’s been one topic on the lips of most Spaniards for the last few weeks – other than football – then it’s been politics. And for the coming months, the political agenda will dominate, not just here in Andalucia, but nationwide. This is an election year in Spain and the build up to the General Election at the end of the year begins with the all important local and regional elections, the first of which take place on 22nd March here in Andalucia. And being the first region to go to the polls, it’s inevitably being looked upon as a possible barometer for the rest of the country: how the nation votes could well be determined by the outcome of this first regional election. To the uninitiated, it can appear confusing; with different levels of voting taking place across Spain at different times of the year. This first round of elections will decide who will run the local and provincial councils – anything from a village up to a city and anything from a local mayor right up to the President of the Council of Andalucia. Over the next four months, the other 16 autonomous communities will go to the polls, after which the General Election will take place. Andalusia is the most populated and second largest autonomous community in Spain, made up of eight provinces - Almeria, Granada, Cordoba, Jaen, Seville, Cadiz, Huelva and Malaga, with Seville being the capital. The Socialist (PSOE) candidate for reelection as President of the Council of Andalucía, Susana Díaz, announced her plans on Sunday. In a confident mood, she said one of the first measures she
ort
intends to push through after winning the autonomous election, will be the adoption of a plan to, ‘combat the pay gap between men and women in the work place.’ Having visited Almeria earlier in the week, Diaz made this announcement during her campaign speech in Córdoba, timed to coincide with The International Women’s Day celebrations. She said that as the first woman to reach the Presidency of the Andalucian government – she was elected four years ago - she was determined to give support to the thousands of women who for years have fought for equality in this community. The electoral system in Spain is not dissimilar to that of the USA, where the best part of a year is taken up by the varying levels of elections, culminating in the main national election at the end of the year. The present government, headed by Mariano Rajoy, has had a pretty rough ride since coming to power four years ago. His conservative Popular Party came to power in a landslide victory over the long standing socialists, but have encountered hostility from the population over their severe austerity measures, introduced to combat a time of financial recession, not only in Spain, but which affected most European countries. A number of high profile corruption scandals have done nothing to improve their image and the emergence of a new political party – Podemos – has taken a lot of support away from Rajoy and his government. I’ll be taking a closer look at the run in to the local elections in next week’s edition of Sol Times.
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'It's never too late to get work experience abroad'
Born in the Umbría region in Italy, the 28-year-old graduate of International Law shares his own experience about finding a job abroad and seizing good opportunities. How did you decide to set up goeurope. es? I had been travelling in different countries, and I enjoyed many scholarships from European programs. I managed to get into several international projects all over the world. Because of that I’ve been able to learn languages and set up a good contact network. I came up with the business idea when I realized how many people are willing to have an experience abroad but they simply don’t know how to start. I thought about how I could make some steps of the process easier. Why did you choose Spain? I’ve been settled in Valencia for almost three years and I really like the city. It’s true that setting up a company is hard sometimes, lots of paperwork and dealing with various institutions. I don’t think it is any different to Italy though. I certainly think the cost of the website has been lower here. My partners, Marcel and Violeta are locals and have been involved in other ventures before, so that has been helpful with the bureaucracy. It is really important to be in touch with local people to set up a business. What is the main goal of the website? One of Goeurope.es’s purposes is to show the amount of opportunities (scholarships, networking programmes, exchange programmes) that are out there. We keep up to date with every new European training development. We make the lesser-known activities of European institutions public. Opportunity happens, sometimes people just need to know where to look! Do you think your website meets young students concerns? Young people are very keen on international experiences. When I go to university talks, I can see students are really interested in doing their professional training abroad. But there are plenty of options for all ages. For instance, we’ve managed to find job placements in the UK, Ireland and
Wales for professionals from the local television station which has closeddown. These people have a professional background and now they are improving their language abilities and upgrading their profiles. It’s never too late to get work experience abroad.
Couple arrested over smuggled erection pills
Police in Spain said on Friday they arrested an Indian woman and a Pakistani man suspected of peddling hundreds of thousands of illegal erectile dysfunction pills across Europe.
Any advice for future expats? Seize opportunities and don’t think twice, keep in mind that perfect working conditions don’t exist. Be aware of what the different European institutions offer. But forget the cliché of the Spanish person going to London to work as a waiter and then getting a good job. That is not working anymore. What kind of jobs did you have before setting up the website? I have been in lots of different jobs, mostly during my two years in Australia. I went there for two months and continued switching from job to job, from city to city. Then I came to Valencia and I started to work in a Project called IDEA in the town hall of Alzira. Afterwards, I worked in a private human resources corporation in Valencia. Both were focused on studying and working abroad. But I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, even when that means no work schedules and a bigger workload. What is your opinion of Valencia? I simply love it. The sea is next to the city, it’s a very nice place to live and it is not at all expensive. When I came here almost three years ago, I knew I wanted to stay here. It is the third time I’m going to see the Fallas, so I can tell you that the party is growing bigger year by year. There’s a great atmosphere of entrepreneurism too, and every expat I know is very happy with their life here. There are real possibilities to develop your business ideas. www.goeurope.es
The couple are suspected of receiving the drugs by post from India, police in the northeastern Catalonia region said in a statement. Officers arrested the two on February 24th in Premia de Mar, a coastal town north of Barcelona. They are accused of trafficking illegal medicine and belonging to a criminal organization. "They were selling more than 150,000 pills a month," which they received in parcels from India, "a country with a tradition of manufacturing illegal medicines for Europe", the statement added. The racket had been operating since 2012 and last year alone they dispatched 2,900 parcels to customers around Europe, but mostly in Germany. Police investigated after a post office reported finding a punctured parcel containing a large number of erectile dysfunction pills. It was addressed to a mobile phone accessory shop that the couple are suspected of running as a front. Police raided the shop and the couple's home. They intercepted 65 parcels addressed to countries across Europe and seized more than 400,000 pills total. A judge identified the 53-year-old man as the suspected leader of the racket and remanded him in custody, the statement added.
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CONTEST TIME FOR SPANGLES MAR 2015
Spangles is off to Benalmádena in April to compete again in the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers' annual chorus contest. We have won the gold medal twice and hope to win it for a third time, but competition is tough. This will be the last time that our Musical Director, Gail Grainger, will lead us onto the competition stage, so we want to do our best for her.
Last ever G&S performance
To a packed house at Casa Ventura, Torrevieja, The Ex-Gilbert and Sullivan Society played out their last ever per-
formance on Feb.21st. A scratch performance of “The Pirates of Penzance” adapted by John Wallace entertained the audience with its rollicking tunes and lively humour. It was made possible by the visiting ex-members of the old G&S Society, who
came to Spain for a holiday with their old compatriots. Cyril Willoughby took up the baton once more to direct us and play Major General Stanley. John Gardiner reprised his roles as pirate and policeman with his usual aplomb. Norman Shelley was thrown into the role of Frederick only days before the performance took place and we all had only one rehearsal with our accompanist, Antonio Guillen. Many of the audience wanted to know what our next production would be but without enough men to take on the parts it has become impossible to function as a full performing Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Thanks to the generosity of the audience the raffle enabled the old society to make a donation of 300E to the Alzheimers Association.
Isis recruiter held at Barcelona airport
A Moroccan woman was arrested at a Spanish airport Saturday on suspicion of recruiting European and North African women to join the Islamic State group, authorities said. The suspect, named as Samira Yerou, was sent to Spain by Turkish authorities after they caught her trying to illegally enter Syria, Spain's interior ministry said. Spain had issued an international arrest warrant for the woman. Spanish authorities, who believe Yerou was seeking to meet up with Isis, took her into custody after she flew into BarcelonaEl Prat Airport. Yerou "could have played an important role in recruiting and sending of women sympathisers of the terrorist group in Europe and Morocco," the ministry said.
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She was with her three-year-old son when trying to get into Syria. The boy's father
filed a complaint when Yerou and the child disappeared from the Spanish city of Rubi, which is near Barcelona, in December. "The child is in perfect health and has been reunited with his father," the ministry said. Like many European countries, Spain is battling against the radicalization of young people seeking to join up with IS in Syria and Iraq and it has dismantled several recruitment networks in recent months. Spanish authorities believe about 100 Spaniards have joined Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria, a relatively low figure when compared with the number of French, British and German nationals who have sought to fight with the group. Overall, about 550 young women have joined Isis, according to an estimate from London-based think tank the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
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www.soltimes.com If you dream of moving overseas, you probably look by the pool and just do nothing. That’s okay, too—it forward to a low-stress, affordable lifestyle. It’s likely to lowers all that unhealthy stress. be a healthier lifestyle, too. Social life Here are some reasons why.... Fresh air and sunshine can also help you make friends. Warm climate (Health experts say that social networking helps us live Most of us dream of retiring someplace warm. Snow Dr Hans C. Madsen DC and cold are things we gladly leave behind with our old (over 22 years experience 9-to-5 lives. And when the weather is warm and sunny, with lasers) it’s easy to spend more time outside in the fresh air. Member of the Before you know it, you may ease into an active Danish, Spanish & lifestyle with lots of exercise…which health experts European Association agree is key to keeping us looking and feeling young. Some expats actually choose an overseas destination because they can practice a favorite sport there, such as golf, hiking or fishing. Others take up a new activity once they move. If you’re near the sea, for instance, swimming or strolling the beach may become part of your new routine. If you live in a city, you may soon be walking to shops and markets, or just exploring your new home town on foot. When adventure or fresh discoveries lie around every corner, long walks don’t feel like exercise.
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longer, too.) Ever stayed home from a social event because you couldn’t face a cold, wet night out? In your new warm-weather home, you’re more likely to ask, “Where’s the party?” and enjoy the evening stroll there and back.
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With a warm climate comes a long growing season for fruits and vegetables. Expats often praise the quality and freshness of the produce they can buy locally. You can choose to eat junk food if you want. But fresh, exotic produce can tempt you to eat more healthily. If you do, your health—not to mention your taste buds— will thank you. Of course, in warm weather it’s also tempting to lie
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SOLTIMES march 2015
SOL News
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
PP’s Madrid mayor candidate shrugs off first controversy
Barely three days after her candidacy for Madrid mayor was announced, and Esperanza Aguirre has already begun her campaign. The veteran Popular Party politician, who has already served as Madrid regional premier and a government minister in her career, on Monday morning promised to “lower all taxes” should she be successful in upcoming municipal elections, and added that she had no intention of spending time in the Cibeles Palace, the current home of Madrid City Council, on the basis that she did not want to run a “megalomaniac” administration. The council headquarters were relocated to the Cibeles Palace – formerly a post office – under former PP mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, a long-term rival of Aguirre’s. The move from the 300-year-old Plaza de la Villa building to the landmark palace on one of Madrid’s busiest traffic circles cost around €500 million. Aguirre made the comments during an interview on Spanish TV channel Telecinco, where she also sought to clear up controversy that arose over the weekend as to whether she would willingly give up her position as head of the regional branch of the PP were she to become mayor. “My commitment is that if I am mayor, I will not stand at the next regional congress,” she told presenter Ana Rosa, saying her decision would be based on the “guidelines laid down by the [party] statutes.” In comments made on her Twitter account and to media outlets –
including EL PAÍS – over the weekend, Aguirre appeared to be prepared to defy the party leadership, insisting that she would continue to lead the regional PP. But after the intervention of the party and of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy – who is often perceived to be at odds with the fiercely independent Aguirre – the disagreement now appears to be settled. Aguirre also explained that she would soon be holding a meeting with current mayor Ana Botella (PP) to “get up to date with the state of affairs” in the capital’s City Council. Also announced on Friday was the Popular Party’s candidate for the role of Madrid regional premier. Cristina Cifuentes, who is currently the central government’s delegate in Madrid, will run on the PP ticket. Traffic incident Although she stepped down from her role as regional premier in 2012, Esperanza Aguirre has often been in the headlines since. In April 2014 she was involved in a high-profile incident after she was alleged to have driven off while being fined by traffic police on Madrid’s Gran Vía, knocking over a police scooter in the process before being pursued by officers. But the court case against her related to the incident was dropped by a judge in January because of a lack of evidence and conflicting accounts over what happened. http://elpais.com/
SOLTIMES march 2015
www.soltimes.com
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11
12
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES march 2015
SOL health & beauty
Look Good
Feel Great
Tel: 950 121 936 sales@soltimes.com
Hay fever
http://www.mutlumikrop.com/
Hay fever is a common allergic condition that affects up to one in five people at some point in their life. Hay fever usually begins in childhood or during the teenage years, but you can get it at any age. The condition is more common in boys than in girls. In adults, men and women are equally affected.
Hay fever is more likely if there is a family history of allergies, particularly asthma or eczema.
The symptoms of hay fever include: • frequent sneezing • runny or blocked nose • itchy, red or watery eyes (also known as allergic conjunctivitis) • an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears • cough, caused by postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose)
Less commonly, you may experience: • the loss of your sense of smell • facial pain (caused by blocked sinuses) • headaches • earache • tiredness and fatigue
You can have an allergy to:
The symptoms of hay fever are caused when a person has • tree pollen, released during spring an allergic reaction to pollen. Pollen is a fine powder re• grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beleased by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. Pollen ginning of summer contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses (small air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones • weed pollen, released any time from early spring to late and forehead) to become swollen, irritated and inflamed. autumn Many people find that their symptoms improve as they get older. Around half of people report some improvement in symptoms after several years. In around 10%-20% of people symptoms go away completely. benefits consultancy
Kim Clar k
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
For advice or to book a consultation call 950 169 729 or 663 297 568 or visit www.ukbenefitsinspain.com
at the
quesada country club
Cuts from
5€
Modern & Traditional Gents Hairdressing
Call Darren The Barber Tel: 616 592 887 Opening Times: 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.
Many cases of hay fever can be controlled using over-thecounter medication available from your pharmacist. But if your symptoms are more troublesome it’s worth speaking to your GP as you may require prescription medication.
Self-help tips
It is sometimes possible to prevent the symptoms of hay fever by taking some basic precautions, such as: • wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes when you are outdoors • change your clothes and take a shower after being outdoors to remove the pollen on your body Treatment • try to stay indoors when the pollen count is high (over There is currently no cure for hay fever but most people 50). are able to relieve symptoms with treatment, at least to a Pollen count certain extent. Hay fever symptoms are likely to be worse if the pollen In an ideal world, the most effective way to control hay count is high. The pollen count is the number of grains of fever would be to avoid exposure to pollen. However, it's pollen in one cubic metre of air. Air samples are collected very difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the sum- in traps set on buildings two or three storeys high. Taking mer months when you want to spend more time outdoors. samples from this height gives a better indication of the Treatment options for hay fever include antihistamines, pollen in the air. Traps on the ground would only collect which can help prevent an allergic reaction from happen- pollen from nearby trees and plants. ing and corticosteroids (steroids), which help reduce lev- The air is sucked into the trap and the grains of pollen els of inflammation and swelling. are collected on either sticky tape or microscope slides (glass plates). The pollen is then counted. Samples are normally taken every two hours, and usually the results are averaged over a 24-hour period.
in mA ZARRON d e r i u q e staff r
AREA
The pollen forecast is usually given as: • low: fewer than 30 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air • moderate: 30-49 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air • high: 50-149 grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air • very high: 150 or more grains of pollen in every cubic metre of air
SOLTIMES march 2015
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As the case goes to trial, who’s who in the Gürtel investigation
Forty people are set to stand trial for their involvement in the so-called Gürtel case, a kickbacks-for-contracts scheme that has plagued the ruling Popular Party (PP) and that has become the biggest known case of party-related corruption in Spain’s democratic history. The defendants, who include a former party treasurer and an exminister, are formal suspects of 12 offenses allegedly committed between 1999 and 2005. Although Gürtel’s activities extended beyond this date, the sheer scope of the case forced investigating magistrates to break it down into sections. Investigators have spent five years following the leads of a case involving six regional governments and nearly 200 official suspects, making it the largest pre-trial probe in the history of the High Court, Spain’s central criminal tribunal. The damage to public coffers from the corrupt business dealings of the ring, allegedly headed up by Francisco Correa (whose surname loosely translates as belt, or Gürtel in German), has been estimated at €449 million. This is the civil liability that has been set by presiding judge Pablo Ruz against 36 of the defendants, who have been slapped with fines and financial bonds totaling this amount. Luis Bárcenas, who was a PP manager between 1993 and 2008 and national party treasurer between 2008 and 2009, faces the highest
bond of all at €88 million. Bárcenas, who stepped down when the Gürtel scandal broke, has since become a key figure in the case because of parallel accounts he allegedly kept, whose contents suggest illegal party financing and secret cash bonuses to high-ranking party officials. Bárcenas was also found to have stashed a fortune of around €40 million in Swiss bank accounts, the origin of which remains unclear. Meanwhile, alleged Gürtel mastermind Francisco Correa faces a financial bond of €60 million to cover civil liabilities in the case. Correa was also found to have close to €30 million stashed away in Switzerland thanks to the preferential treatment his companies received from many elected officials in key positions at local and regional PP-run governments, particularly in the Madrid and Valencia regions. These officials awarded hundreds of public contracts to Gürtel companies, either without bids or through rigged ones. Gürtel representatives thanked them in cash or with lavish gifts, occasionally going so far as to fund their family trips, as was the case with former health minister Ana Mato. Mato, however, is only being accused of profiting from her husband’s alleged crimes, as it was Jesús Sepúlveda, a former mayor of Pozuelo de Alarcón, who favored Correa’s companies while in office and accepted cash, presents and trips. Correa also mediated in land awards,
helping businesspeople secure the real estate they desired in exchange for a fee. The Gürtel investigation began in the summer of 2008 after a former PP councilor, José Luis Peñas, filed a complaint with the anti-corruption attorney. For a year, Peñas had been recording conversations with Francisco Correa, in which the latter detailed his own corrupt business dealings and his ties to PP leaders. For months, former High Court judge Baltasar Garzón conducted a secret investigation and ultimately ordered three ringleaders arrested in February 2009. He also obtained extensive documentary evidence of parallel accounts kept at Correa’s companies showing the payment of illegal commissions to PP politicians. Six years later, and under a different judge, part one of the case is finally ready for trial. Judge Pablo Ruz will focus on Gürtel’s activities in Madrid, where the regional government of then-premier Esperanza Aguirre gave Correa hundreds of contracts to organize public events. Aguirre’s right-hand man at the time, Alberto López-Viejo, is charged with taking a 10-percent cut on the cost of these events in exchange for awarding them to Correa’s companies. He is being asked for a €14 million bond. Meanwhile the second part of the Gürtel case, extending from 2005 to February 2009, still awaits investigation.
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Theatre in Barcelona
Circle Mirror Transformation (Joc de Miralls), by the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Annie Baker, is a sweet, funny and quietly tragic little play that shines light on the lives of five individuals who take part in a theatre workshop for beginners in a local civic centre. The title refers to one of a series of quirky group exercises that make up the play's mini-scenes. We join these exercises mid-way and leave before they end, so bit-by-bit we are asked to piece together the lives of each of the protagonists. Directed by Juan Carlos Martel Bayod, Joc de Miralls is a fantastic version of the play, staged at Espai Lliure in Barcelona until 22nd March. The play is in Catalan but because it's contemporary language and relies much on silence and gesture, it's easy to understand. The American setting is transferred to a local one and the names slightly altered, this maintains its atmosphere of authenticity while establishing intimacy between the characters and the audience. Each of the five has something to give and something to hide: the over exuberant Teresa (Aina Clotet) conceals her insecurity, and seeks support in doomed relationships with older men. Mopey yet intuitive highschool student Laura (Elena Tarrats) is haunted by the troubled relationship of her parents. Middle-aged carpenter Xus (Eduard Farelo) finds solace in the furniture he makes, and looks to others to bring meaning to his life. Their indefatigable instructress Martina (Isabel Rocatti) determinedly ploughs on through some rather misfired exercises, while her ‘ideal’ marriage to Jaume (Jordi Martínez) falls apart at the seams. This is a play of such 'natural' stilted, self-edited conversations, awkward silences and impulsive gestures. There is both the strange intimacy that springs up between strangers, and the estrangement that can divide those in long-term relationships. Yet moments of joy, unexpected connections, and the sort of discoveries we make about ourselves only through contact with others, also occur as the play evolves, like life does, in little fits and starts. Without epic narratives or climatic moments of revelation, this is a theatre as close to life as life often is to theatre. Source: elpais.com
Welcome GO SATELLITE!
g Getting British TV here in Spain can be a confusing and daunting task and findin about us GO SATELLITE was set up 10 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
a reliable and informative company is vital.
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. 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
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communities. The Go Satellite system uses highest quality Portuguese-manufactured 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 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
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14
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
Hello and welcome to CanDu Computer Bytes. Today I would like to share the very easy method of putting video and / or music onto YouTube. So why, in the name of sanity, would you want to do such a thing? Well, truth be told, I wouldn’t want to, but there is one gentleman who contacted me with the desire to do just that and I do love a challenge! This gentleman is a talented musician and singer who specializes in country music and wanted to get his self-penned work ‘out there’ for his friends and followers and didn’t have a clue how to get started. So here is the skinny on how to do it. 1. Create a YouTube account! This is as easy as creating a Gmail account. Why Gmail? Simply because Google has bought out YouTube. So, if you have a Gmail account, you’re half way there! You want to create a unique identity, something that will be easy to remember and immediately identifiable with your chosen subject. In my case it would be CanDuComputers ( kind of obvious I know!). 2. Next thing to do would be to create a really good video. First thing to clear up is that you aren’t competing with these professional video directors and there 4 and 5 figure budgets! You also don’t need to use ultra expensive software to create your video. You could always use the Windows Movie Maker. As with all Microsoft Freebies, it is basic and limited, but easy to use and will do the job! Avidemux isa step up on the previous video editor and although still quite basic, it does offer options not available in the previous product. I use Serif’s MoviePlus. They also do a cut down but very functional free version to try and get you hooked on their products. 3. Upload your creation! WAIT!
Before you do that, consider what ways you can get people finding you work. Consider what description that best covers the content of the video – make it interesting. I know, obvious but essential. Next comes a list of TAGS. Think of what you might type when you are looking for a video and pick the word or words that ‘jump out at you’. Once you have done all this and you are happy with the entire ‘package’, you can then upload the video making sure that is available for everyone to see. As a working example I would, for the gentleman, have put his music into the audio track of the program. This is as simple as selecting the music track and dragging it into the audio track section of the program and ‘letting go’ of it. Next I would have taken a picture of him, put it into the video track of the program using the same ‘drag and drop’ method. The next step is to stretch the picture to the full length of the music. This is done by clicking on the right hand edge of the picture and ‘drag and stretch’ to the desired size. Finally, I would have put some kind of title at the beginning of the track to introduce the artist and the song’s title, and contact details at the end of track for anyone who would like to contact him. This will vary from program to program but will usually involve creating an overlay or text section and put it into the correct place, stretching as required. Nothing I have said is beyond the ability of anyone reading this article. Unfortunately, the gentleman didn’t give me his correct phone number and so the task wasn’t able to be completed. Contact me for free advice For further information or advice on concerning your computer or computing, Contact Trevor on 689 892 745 tablet at the address or phone or canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk number to the left.
Watch Out Watch Out
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 www.daviessolicitors.com
Q. A solicitor spoke the other day on television about the new directive 650/2012 explaining that is was essential that people retired in a country different of their country of nationality within the European Union revise their wills. What is all this about? A. This regulation of the EU 650/2012 deals with different things, but the reason English citizens need to look at their will is that this new Regulation of the EU establishes that: When a person dies resident in one country of the European Union but national of another, the law applicable to his inheritance will be the one that he/she has established expressly in his will and not the one established by the International Norms of each country (which may be in conflict). This is good news because an English national living in Spain can establish that he/she wishes English Law to rule his/ her inheritance and this will avoid any possible risk of claims from children against the spouse on the basis of the system of obligatory heirs established in Spanish law, which has always caused worry and concern in the case of children from different marriages etc. If a person passes away after the 17th of August of 2015, unless he has said differently on his will the legislation applicable to his inheritance will be that of his country of last residence. This is very important for English people living in Spain, because under Spanish law you cannot leave everything to your wife as 2/3 of the estate have to be left to children. In other words if you are
resident of Spain, have children and do not establish on your will that you wish English Law (your national law ) to rule your inheritance your Spouse will not be allowed to receive his/her full inheritance as it would contradict the Spanish rules of obligatory heirs which would be applicable automatically because of the new regulation. Consequences: 1. If you have children but have made a will leaving all assets to your spouse, make sure that you have clearly stated on your will that you wish your national law (English law) to rule your inheritance. If you have not, then you need to speak to a solicitor about this new European directive and add this statement to your will. 2.If you are married and you have been concerned with possible claims by your spouses children against your estate this risk can be completely removed by your spouse stating on her/his will that it should be English law that rules the inheritance. Conclusion: The new regulation has given much more strength to the testators /testatrix, letting them choose between English or Spanish Law, which is good, but precaution is a must because under the new regulation if nothing is said and you are a resident in Spain automatically the law applicable will be Spanish law which does not permit that spouses leave everything to each other if there are children. To avoid nasty surprises visit your solicitor and ask if you need to change the wording of your will due to the new Regulation of the EU. 650/2012.
Michael Davies is a Spanish Abogado and has been practicing law in Almería since 1993. He is member of the Law societies of Almería and Madrid and has offices in Mojacar and Almeria High Street.
Enjoy Stephens musings? Pop over to http://findmeahomeinspain.wordpress.com as
I remember getting my first bike aged 4; a red and blue 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 machine with stabilisers. I grew out of it quickly but money Stephen for a valuation: stephen@findmeahome.eu Telephone: 636 266 641 was tight so I had to walk until my 8th birthday. Then I got my next one which was bought second hand for £7. It was really heavy, had no gears and curious brakes that We in turn went mad for the free red and white operated with metal bars instead of cables and I painted it bright blue. bendy straws, badges, stickers and other Humphrey I remember dad teaching me to ride it in our back garden. paraphernalia we could lay our hands on. Being Having a bike meant freedom; my mates and I had a large scale map of Guildford on which we proceeded to draw the boundaries of Unigate helpers of course put us first in line for the our imaginary kingdom on each time we returned from a faraway freebies. In 1970 Ernie was the fastest milkman in the west, Benny Hill wrote adventure. We could be gone from early morning till dusk, parking our bikes in distant woodlands and playing ‘war’ or Hide N’ Seek. I don’t the song in 1955 as a tribute to his time as a milkman on a horse drawn remember us ever taking sandwiches or drinks as we lived on fresh air cart in Eastleigh Hampshire. The lyric ‘he galloped into Market Street’ and exuberance. probably happened as the street does exist. He performed the song on My best friend Paul Cox and I used to earn a decent living helping the Benny Hill Show; it was later released as a single becoming the 1971 the local Unigate milkman with his deliveries. Saturdays and holidays we would jump in the cab or perch on the back of the float at the Christmas number1 and staying there for 4 weeks. Two Ton Ted the beginning of his round and zoom off. The milkman smoked fags whilst bread delivery man was Ernie’s love rival for the widow Sue and they he pootled along giving instructions to his two nimble assistants for had a ‘wild west’ style shoot out with Ernie being killed by a combination what was required at each doorstep. This was in the days of Corona of a well-aimed rock cake and stale pork pie. Ernie the milkman went to (every bubble’s passed its fizzical) and we would each be rewarded by a heaven where ferocious dogs are banned, Two Ton Ted married Sue but litre bottle of whatever we fancied. Cream Soda was my preferred tipple Ernie came back to haunt them on their honeymoon with the ghostly in those days yet now my stomach churns at the thought of all the sugar rattling of his milk bottles. and goodness knows what else that I glugged down. Although I enjoyed delivering the white stuff, I stopped drinking milk The prestige of the milkman reached a nadir in the 70s; Unigate discovered that the Humphreys were stealing people’s milk and came at a young age. The dreaded ¼ pint bottle of free school milk did it for up with the slogan ‘watch out watch out there’s a Humphrey about!’ me as it was always warm and tasted horrid. In 1971 Margaret Thatcher Telly adverts starring Muhammed Ali, Sid James, Barbara Windsor and gained the nickname the ‘milk snatcher’ for stopping free school milk Rod Hull warned us kids about the milk snatchers that wanted our milk. for 7 to 11 year olds and for her kindness I will be forever in her debt!
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SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
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...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
SATELLITE & AIR CONDITIONING Digital Vision is a family run business specialising in Audio-visual Systems, Satellite TV and Air Conditioning installation and repair with over 10 years experience in Spain, serving the community in and around Mojacar. They have recently expanded their services inland.
Contact ROSS or DANI today for advice, free quotation or a site visit and experience the difference that the DIGITAL VISION ethos can bring to you.
Ross and his brother-in-law Dani teamed up after gaining experience working for major companies in this field both in the UK and Spain. Both had a vision for a successful long-term business based in Mojacar, and are committed to their customers, providing the best advice, competitive pricing, professional installation and after sales service. Investment in equipment and a customer friendly web-site, www.digitalvisiones.com are all part of an evolving, expanding business in an ever changing and challenging technical environment. Ross and Dani aim to give the client real choices and a level of service of which they can feel justifiably proud. When you check out the web-site you will find the range of services on offer is probably the best in the region. Offering solutions to both domestic and Commercial sectors, with many businesses enjoying innovative design and performance of audio visual and multi TV networked systems.
• • • •
PROFESSIONALISM DEPENDABILITY HONEST ADVICE TRANSPARENT PRICING
www.digitalvisiones.com T: 645 294 064 or 950 472 081 Ross and Dani are completely customer focused and the steady growth of DIGITAL VISION is largely attributed to customer referrals and recommendation. They will always go ‘the extra mile’ and put in the effort that others fail to do. As well as installing the most up to date audio visual technology DIGITAL VISION are leading the revolution in air-conditioning technology, by installing the ground breaking inverter systems. Basically heat pumps, with a variable speed compressor that is affected by ambient temperature, meaning the start-up times are reduced by 30%,
SPECIALISTS IN ALL EUROPEAN TELEVISION SYSTEMS & THE AREAS LEADING BELGIAN SATELLITE PROVIDER
maximising efficiency with no temperature fluctuations and achieving running cost savings of 30-50%. DIGITAL VISION retail division can supply the very latest technology in TV, audio systems, tablets and other mobile devices at very competitive prices. A growing number of customers are enjoying the benefits of DIGITAL VISION’S ‘de-cluttering service’. Removing and hiding, unsightly wires, cables and plugs by integrating and rationalising home audio and visual systems.
PROPERTY supplement
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SOLTIMES march 2015
17
SOLTIMES PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT THE ONLY PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT ON THE COSTAS!!!! LOOKING TO BUY OR RENT? FIND YOUR DREAM HOME INSIDE!
For Sale: Soprano’s favourite Barcelona view
A spectacular villa in the hills overlooking Barcelona, that once sheltered the President of Catalonia as he attempted to flee Francoist forces, and was a favourite haunt of Montserrat Caballé, has come on the market. The Villa Paula was designed by renowned architect Jerome Granell I Manresa in 1912 and offers original features, including a tower room with 360-degree views, that it is no wonder it was special for Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballe, 81. “She favoured the upper balcony where she would sing to ‘her beloved Barcelona’,” current owner Tony Hayes told The Local. “She was a friend of
the previous owner, a Cuban merchant, and he said it helped her when she was feeling sad. “I like to think of her singing ‘Barcelona’,” he said, referring to the duet she sang with Freddie Mercury that became the official anthem of the 1992 Olympics, held in Barcelona. The Modernista property, which is one of the largest privately owned plots in Barcelona with 41,000 m² across landscaped terraced gardens, has a place in a darker period of history. It was in cellars that have now been restored into a bodega that Lluís Companys i Jover, the leader of the ERC
and president of the Catalan parliament at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, hid out before fleeing into exile in France. When the bodega was cleared during renovations two wooden stools were found, one covered in wax from the candles by which the communist leader would read. “We were told by the previous owner and from some historians that Lluis Companys did indeed hide in Villa Paula before going to Paris to visit his sick son,” said Hayes. “It is believed that he hid in a cistern under Villa Paula when the troops would search house to house; the cistern has since been converted into a bodega.” The former president is buried in nearby Montjuic after being shot by firing squad when the Nazis caught him and returned him to the Franco regime. The house, which now has an infinity pool with views extending across the hills over the city and to the Mediterranean beyond, boasts eight bedrooms, a spa and a gym with original features such as stained glass windows and mosaic tile flooring, preserved and carefully restored. The property is being offered by Lucas Fox. Price on request. Source: keyero
SOLTIMES march 2015
PROPERTY supplement
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Resale • Rental • Prestige
We Have Moved Office !
Now find us on Camposol Sector B next door to Happy Pets Your key to Another World...
Phone:
+34
968 592 679
sales@anotherworldproperties.net
www.anotherworldproperties.net
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PROPERTY SECTION
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BBVA Sees Real Estate Sector Recovery Strengthening in 2015
According to BBVA Research, in 2015, Spain’s economic growth prospects and more favourable financing conditions will lead to a new increase in housing sales throughout the year, which they predict will be “accompanied by a moderate growth in prices and a new increase in construction activity”. The financial institution maintains that 2014 can be considered as the year that the real estate sector in Spain began its recovery. It is estimated that the return to economic growth, the recovery of the labour market – with the creation of some 425,000 jobs – and improved financing conditions, have encouraged the return of consumer confidence and, as a result, the growth in home sales. Idealista.com reported that, as a result of these factors, the price of housing recorded its first quarter-on-quarter increase since the beginning of the
crisis, reaching practical stability and, also for the first time since the onset of the crisis, the number of building licences authorised for the construction of new dwellings closed last year with a positive balance. BBVA are confident that the latest data shows “a trend of recovery that will strengthen during 2015″, and have increased their forecast for the growth of the economy for this year up to 2.7%. The organisation also expects that the number of people actively employed will increase by around half a million, that interest rates will remain relatively stable in a stable environment, and stated that “all of the data points to a new growth in home sales, to which the prices and construction activity will respond with increases”. Source: Keyero
19
Building Permits for New Homes Rise for First Time in Seven Years
The number of permits authorised for the construction of new buildings for residential use in Spain totalled 34,873 units in 2014, representing an increase of 1.7% in comparison with the previous year (34,288 units). According to the latest data from the Ministry of Development, of the total number of permits issued in the year, 23,301 were for apartment blocks (with a year-on-year increase of 2.1%), and 11,550 were for individual family homes, with a year-on-year increase of 1.5%. In addition, El Mundo reported that there were 22 permits requested for other types of buildings not intended
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
for family housing. With these results, building permits in 2014 broke the streak of seven consecutive years in negative figures. This seventh consecutive yearly decline, registered in 2013, marked an all-time low for this indicator of the real estate market, when just 33,869 building licences were authorised. Since the peak figures reached in 2006, in the middle of the real estate boom, when 865,561 building permits were issued, until the end of 2013, the number of licences authorised for the construction of new homes has dropped by 96%.
Your Belgian estate agent for inland, specializing in the area of Arboleas, Albox and surrounding towns and villages. Partaloa, Nice villa with 4 bed, 2 bath, central heating and on a plot of 2.800m² !!
Partaloa, Very nice villa with 3 bed & 2 bath, pool, garage and very close to the village.
Albox, Very big house with 10 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and room for a pool.
Cantoria, Very nice villa with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms & beautiful views from the pool!!
The price is only 119.950€
The price is only 116.000€
The price is only 159.950€
The price is only 169.950€
Now you can easily find us in the centre of Albox at La Plaza Nueva, No. 10 (Opposite the donkey statue). Come and meet the team for free and friendly advice. After yet another successful exhibition, we are still looking for lots of new properties to offer our Belgian clients! We are also looking to expand into the area of Huercal-Overa for the new up and coming Belgian market!
Office: Carlos: Gavin:
950 102 191 www.immo-carlos.com 648 505 938 671 293 942 email: info@immo-carlos.com
20
PROPERTY SECTION
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
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property group
Paseo del Mediterraneo 197 - Mojacar - Almeria
Tel: 950 472 430 / 610 053 563
www.veritashomes.co.uk info@veritashomes.co.uk You can find us on Mojácar Playa
€79,950
3 bed / 2 bath Apartment with nice sea views in Marina de la Torre. Front covered terrace. Fully furnished. Ref. 1559
Mojácar Playa
€115,000
Beautiful sea facing 2 bed / 2 bath Apartment with private parking. Terraces of 25 m² & 6 m². Fully furnished. Ref.1595
Mojácar Playa
€199,950
3 bed / 2 bath detached Villa near beach, amenities & promenade. Air con & fire place. Car port . Partial sea views. Ref.1560
Turre
€229,000
2 bed / 2 bath one level Villa with pool on plot of 400 m² in Agua Nueva. Separate dining room. Roof solarium. Ref.1624
Mojácar playa
€250,000
Amazing sea views. 3 bed / 2 bath Villa with garage, utility room, roof solarium & terraces on plot of 417 m² near beach. Ref.1062
turre
€95,000
Mojácar village €111,000
Mojácar playa
3 bed / 2 bath Townhouse on quiet residential street near amenities. Private plot, court yard & terraces. Ref.1063
Opportunity! 3 bed / 2 bath charming Village House with sea views near square. Roof solarium. To restore. Mortgage. Ref.1616
3 bed / 1 bath Apartment with private parking, store room & large terrace with partial sea views near promenade. Ref.1609
DUE TO INCREASE IN DEMAND WE URGENTLY NEED PROPERTIES IN MOJÁCAR, GARRUCHA, VERA AND TURRE. CALL US NOW ON 950 472 430 Or 610 053 563
FREE VALUATION Vera
€240,000
Opportunity! 3 bed / 2 bath Villa +1 bed / 1 bath Annex. Plot of 5.851 m². Few mins to town. Landscaped gardens & olive grove. Ref.1200
Garrucha
€375,000
Superb location! 4 bed / 2 bath Villa with pool & garage on plot of 450 m² near promenade and supermarket. Sea views. Ref.1549
Mojácar playa
€249,000
3 bed / 2,5 bath charming Villa on plot of 530 m².Solarium. Separate dining room. Residential street. Very private.Ref.1558
Mojácar Playa
Mojácar playa
€112,000
€170,000
3 bed / 2 bath nice semi detached House with private plot of 230 m² on gated community with pool near beach. Sea views. Ref. 1618
Mojácar playa
€199,950
3 bed / 3 bath semi detached Villa with sea views on small community with pool near amenities. Terraces & solarium. Ref.1137
Mojácar playa
€249,950
3 bed / 2 bath newly renovated Villa with pool . Plot of 246 m² within 1 min to beach. Air con. Roof terrace with sea views. Ref.1610
€550,000
3 bed / 2 bath Villa with sea views & sea salt water pool near promenade on amazing plot of 1285 m². Mature garden. Ref.1623
Please visit our office or refer to our website for more “bargains”. Vendors: If you are seriously considering selling your property please visit our office to discuss effective ways of achieving your goal. As per decree 218/2005 the “Documento de Información Abreviada” (D.I.A) for any property sold by Veritas Homes is available at our office.
PROPERTY SECTION
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21
Property Sales Accelerate in Almost Every Region in Spain
Household Debt Falls to 2006 Levelsin January The level of Spanish households’ debt fell in January by 2,943 million euros, compared with the month of December, to 745,414 million euros, according to the latest data from the Bank of Spain, which represents a month-on-month decline of 0.39% and a 4.2% decline, year-on-year. With the January decline, Spanish household debt returned to the levels recorded in September 2006, prior to the start of the economic crisis, which has since led families to gradually reduce the number of loans contracted. The fall in household debt in January is due, mainly, to the fall in the number of
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
We are in no doubt now that the property sector in Spain is well into the road of recovery. Official figures and statistics have more than proved that so far. House prices and purchases are gradually increasing month after month. In fact, the National Statistics Institute (INE) published figures which have revealed that in January 2015, a total of 33,416 properties were sold. This is still one of the lowest quantities in the recent history of property sales in Spain, yet it is still higher than the number sold 12 months previously. With regards to December 2014, the number of properties purchased in the first month of 2015 rose by 28.5%, and by 10% from January 2014. And, this is despite the fact that January is historically not the best month for property purchases in general anyway. Another reason to be positive is due to the fact that the increase in the number of property purchases in January this year is the fifth consecutive monthly rise in property sales in Spain. This is mainly down to the high number of purchases of re-sale properties, which have gone up by 51% from the same period during the previous year. In January, the sale of re-sale or secondhand properties represented 73% of the total of all property sales, whilst only 27% of all purchases involved new-build properties. The scarcity of new-build property sales is partially down to the lack of new
loans for the acquisition of housing, which decreased by 0.7% month-on-month, and by 4.5% compared to the figure recorded a year earlier, to 580,926 million euros. In contrast, El Economista reported that the value of consumer loans rose by 0.8% in January over December, but fell by 3.2% year-on-year, to 164,488 million euros. Despite the drop in housing investment in Spain in recent months, the amount that families spend on their homes still accounts for most of their debt, as it represents 77.9% of their expenditure. Source: keyero
www.espanarural.com
construction in general. In January, only 9,003 new builds were purchased – 37% fewer than in January 2014. The increase in the number of property sales has partly been attributed to the stabilization of the economy, the increase in the number of new jobs, greater creditlending from the banks and low house prices. Just a few months ago, the number of regions in Spain that registered positive yearly growth figures in the number of property purchases was at a minority. However, this tendency has now been reversed and it is in only a few regions where the number of property purchases is less than last year. In terms of volume, the greatest amount of properties are still being sold in Andalucía, with 6114 transactions in January this year. Andalucía is followed by Madrid (5,282), Cataluña (5,219) and the Valencia Region (4,630). However, in relative terms, property purchases increased the most in the regions of the Canaries (+56.7%), La Rioja (+48.3%) and Extremadura (+30%). Only four out of the 17 regions in Spain registered a yearly decline in the number of house purchases in January: Cantabria (-17.3%), Navarra (-17.2%), Galicia (-7.3%) and Castilla-La Mancha (-3.9%). Source: www.cincodias.com
Tel Office 950102505 10-5pm Mon-Fri Sat 10-1pm Mobile: 654359607 e mail: info@espanarural.com web: http://www.espanarural.com
Avenida 28 de Febrero 34, Albox 04800- Almeria.
We are now on the A334 road coming into Albox on the NEW OFFICE NOW left hand side between the Grand Sport Shop and the OPEN in ALBOX Heaven Cafe/Bar. At España Rural we offer affordable property in Almeria to suit everybody’s requirements in the beautiful, unspoiled regions. Here are a few selections of properties currently available, please do come in to see us or contact us for further information. Or you wish to sell your property, contact us on the details above or come into see us. Villa Teresa - ESP 2422
78,000€ A Country House In The Albox Area ●3 Bedroom ●1 Bathroom ●Detached Country Villa ●Splash Pool With A Tiled Area ●Mains Are Connected ●Telephone and Internet can be Re Connected.
Villa Levante - ESP 2428
149,950€ A Villa In The Arboleas Area.
●3 Bedroom
●2 Bathroom
●Detached Re Sale Villa
●Garden Divided In To Sections, ●Walled Fenced And Gated ● 8X4 Swimming Pool
●Beautiful Surroundings.
Villa Baul - ESP 2435
A Villa In The Partaloa Area ●3 Bedroom ●2 Bathroom ●Detached Spacious Villa ●Garden 2,500M2 ●Garage, Fenced and gated. ●Mains Connected ●Telephone and Internet can be Re Connected.
Villa
135,000€
Dos
Pinos
-
ESP
2371 199,950€ A Country House In The Albox Area. ●4 Bedroom ●3 Bathroom ●Stylish Villa Unique Design ●30,000M2 Of Land ●9X5 Pool ●Established Gardens ●Mains Connected Inc Telephone And Internet
22
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
PROPERTY SECTION
House Prices Register First Quarterly Increase Since 2008
BBVA Offers Marbella Luxury Homes From 150,000€
BBVA has expanded its real estate offer in Marbella (Málaga) with 100 luxury homes for sale in the Samara Resort, located in Los Altos de los Monteros, which have terraces of up to 188 square metres with sea views. El Economista reported that, according to the real estate branch of the bank, the recovery of the real estate sector on the Costa del Sol is increasingly evident and, together with Madrid and Barcelona, is rebounding “with force”, with Marbella being “the municipality which is leading the real estate recovery in Spain”. Data released by the Ministry of Development in December showed that, with 2,834 property transactions, Marbella was the Málaga province municipality to register the most transactions in 2014 – according to data for the third quarter – followed by the provincial capital, Málaga city (2,783 transactions), Mijas (1,658), Estepona (1,524), Benalmádena (1,407) and Manilva (1,003). The financial entity pointed out in a statement, that the data confirms the presence of two segments with high levels of purchasing power: Spanish buyers seeking exclusivity and foreign buyers seeking quality, with the latter showing a tendency towards promotions located in the coastal towns. The BBVA’s new extended property portfolio, available from 150,000
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euros, includes dwellings ranging from between 63 and 157 square metres in size, and are typically penthouses and duplexes, with one to three bedrooms, garage and storage room, which have all been built with top quality materials and finished to a high standard. The residential complex is in a natural setting 15 minutes from the beach and 20 minutes from the city centre, and includes exclusive facilities such as a fitness and spa centre, two outdoor swimming pools with views of Marbella’s La Concha mountain, and a jacuzzi area. A spokesman for the bank’s real estate department said: “We are very pleased with the pace of demand for this promotion, which has already reached a reservations level of nearly 50%”, and highlighted that the data is “well above our forecasts and seems to confirm the upward trend of interest related to the acquisition of quality real estate assets”. read more: newskeyero.com
According to a report released last week by the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Public Works, the average price of private housing in Spain rose by 0.5% in the last quarter of 2014, representing its first quarterly increase since the start of 2008, the year the crisis began, bringing the average price per square metre to 1,463.1 euros. Moreover, the Spanish National Statistics Institute also reported last week that the number of new mortgages on homes increased by 1.6% last year, over the previous year, returning to positive rates following seven years of declines. Despite the increase registered in the fourth quarter, house prices at the end of 2014 showed a year-on-year decrease of 0.3% which, although still negative, is more moderate than the 4.2% decline registered in 2013. Thus, the price of housing has accumulated seven consecutive years of declines, with an average cumulative adjustment of 30.4% since their maximum values reached in 2008. Likewise, despite the slight quarterly increase, the average value per square metre still stands at levels similar to those registered at the beginning of 2014. El Economista reported that both new and second hand housing registered price increases at the close of 2014. The price of houses less than two years old rose by 1.2%, to stand at 1,517 euros per square metre, and those older than two years increased by 0.2%, to 1,441 euros per square metre. With regard to social housing (VPO), the value per square metre stood at
1,099.9 euros in the fourth quarter of 2014, with a year-on-year decline of 0.3%, and a quarter-on-quarter increase of 0.2%. Between October and December of last year the general price index recorded an increase of 0.3%, compared to the previous three months, and a year-onyear decline of 0.3%. With this yearon-year decline, the general price index has now accumulated 25 consecutive quarters of negative rates. Five regions registered year-on-year increases in the price of private housing: Cantabria (+3.6%); the Balearic Islands (+2.4%); the Canary Islands (+1%); Valencia (+0.6%) and Madrid (+0.5%). In contrast, the regions which registered the greatest year-on-year declines in housing prices were: Asturias (-5.2%); Navarra (-4.2%); Castilla y León (-3.7%); Castilla-La Mancha (-3.1%) and Galicia (-2.8%). The highest prices per square metre in the towns with over 25,000 inhabitants were recorded in: San Sebastian (3,117 euros per square metre); Getxo (2,696.4 euros); Calvia (2,526 euros); Alcobendas (2,477.2 euros); Pozuelo de Alarcón (2,471.6 euros); Barcelona (2,416.3 euros) and Majadahonda (2,399.7 euros). The lowest prices per square metre recorded in towns of more than 25,000 inhabitants were for: Elda (557.3 euros); Crevillent (597.3 euros); Tomelloso (600.8 euros); Jumilla (605.2 euros); Ontinyent (606.7 euros); Villarrobledo (609.6 euros) and Hellín (618.5 euros).
properties for sale TWO houses - sold as one lot.
Two detached villa shells built up to and including roofs 125m2 built on flat 3000m2 plot. Secluded position, unspoilt countryside views across orange and lemon groves front and rear.
Fully Legal & with Title Deeds ONLY
€65,000 THE PAIR!
• Each villa spec: 3 beds / 2 baths. Size 125m2
• Exceptional uninterrupted views of orange and lemon groves to front & rear • Situated between Almanzora & Arboleas overlooking Almanzora valley • 10 minutes to nearest town with all amenities • Inland country setting, but only 30 minutes to coast. • Ideal for builder to complete internals.
Private sale - Priced to sell
Must be viewed to appreciate this golden opportunity
Tel: 0034 609 199394
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Butane Gas Cylinders Drop to 15.8 Euros
PROPERTY supplement
SOLTIMES march 2015
23
Home Sweet Home
http://www.onthepulse.es/
Property Services BUY SELL RENT MAINTAIN
From this week, the maximum price of a butane gas cylinder will drop by almost two euros, from 17.5 euros per bottle to 15.8 euros, taxes included, according to the new formula that sets the calculation of prices of bottled liquefied petroleum gases (GLP) which was approved on Thursday by the Spanish Government’s Executive Committee on Economic Affairs. This represents a reduction of 9.7% on the final price of the bottle. The new price will stay in force during March and April, but will be revised again in May according to international prices and, with current forecasts, is hoped to drop again for the two months of May and June. The regulated price affects the butane cylinders most commonly used by around 8 million Spanish households, the price of which has remained ‘frozen’ since May of 2013 by order of industry. From 3rd of May, in order to give the consumer price stability, the fluctuations in the price of a butane gas cylinder, every two months, may only increase or decrease by a maximum of 5%. Source: keyero
VERA APARTMENT FOR RENT SHORT-TERM/HOLIDAY RENTAL
TREE SURGEON & GARDENER EST. OVER 25 YEARS Tel: Nick (+34) 634 396 327 (+34) 699 107 072 Email: rockatree@hotmail.co.uk
Spanishhome4u.com www.spanishhomes4u.com
Sale properties urgently required in Cabo Roig / Villamartin We have clients enquiring in this area. Contact Casa Sol Real Estate
andy@spanishhomes4u.com +34 654 431 052 El Valle Golf Resort Andy Leach
RENTALS?
Short and long term lets available, in & around Camposol. More properties also needed.
For more info, contact Tracey Tel: 0034 699107072 Email: camposolvillas4rent@yahoo..co.uk Web: camposolvillas4rent.co.uk
CALL 950 121 936 EMAIL: SALES@SOLTIMES.COM
Telephone: 965 325 601
www.casasolrealestate.com info@ casasolrealestate.com
detatched cortijo reduced
bargain
€125,000
20 mins 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.
649 186 107
or email thunderpaul2003@hotmail.com
2 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM, pENTHOUSE APARTMENT IN VERA PLAYA ALL MOD CONS, BALCONY & ROOF TERRACE OFFERING FANTASTIC VIEWS
cALL 663 977 230 EMAIL: gedfab@yahoo.com Vera Playa Apartment
24
PROPERTY supplement
SOLTIMES march 2015
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Porky China hogs Spain's innards exports
Pig stomach, brain and intestines are just some of the swine parts sold to China, which has become the biggest importer of Spanish pork off-cuts. While the Spanish are a renowned nation of pork lovers thanks to the legendary jamón, and are not averse to enjoying the odd pig’s ear or trotter, there are some piggy parts that even they will not entertain the thought of eating. But thanks to China, Spanish exporters now have a growing market hogging Spain’s pork off cuts and it is literally bringing home the bacon. Exports of Spanish pork off cuts to China rose from €59.2 million in 2013 to €76.3 million in 2014, a 24 percent rise in one year, according to figures from Spain’s office of meat exports. While China is the biggest importer of Spanish pork innards, it is currently the fourth biggest importer of Spanish pork as a whole, behind France, Portugal and Italy, importing €109 million worth of pork in 2014. China’s ascent has coincided with Russia’s fall; Russia banned all imports of EU meat products in August 2014 in response to countries who imposed sanctions on Moscow to punish the country for the ongoing war in Ukraine. José Manuel Alvarez from Spain’s office of meat exports (OECE) said that despite the closure of the Russian market, Spanish exporters have been looking towards Asian markets where pigs are flying...off the shelves: "Since the closure of the Russian market, our exporters have been looking towards alternative Asian markets which has increased their sales prices more than almost all of their EU competitors. "We are hoping to significantly increase exports to China in the coming years because of the opportunity it presents," Alvarez Spain currently ranks fourth among the world’s Repairs to Washers, Dryers, pork exporting nations, exporting eight percent of Electric Cookers, Dishwashers, the world’s total, or 1.4 million tonnes. Fridges and Freezers The country is only beaten by Germany (18 percent) All makes, Torrevieja and surrounding a nation known for its beloved wurst, USA (15 percent) and Denmark, home of legendary Danish areas 20 years experience bacon (10 percent). Call Stewart on fast reliable service office In 2014, Spain exported a million tonnes of pork, 966 785 451 / 654 939 202hours 10 - 4 worth €2.5 billion, a 9 percent growth on the year FREE CALL OUT Small call out on Fridges before, the Spanish Office of Meat Exports (OECE). read more on: thelocal
FOR BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS? 2 WAYS TO ADVERTISE RING 950 121 936 OR EMAIL YOUR ADVERT TO blancasales@soltimes.com
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Call Clive NOW on 966 260 403 / 648 883 202 or visit www.clivegraycomputers.eu
We will move it!!
Pets, boats, caravans, trailers Full and part loads. Full roof-rack for long loads 3 long wheel-based vans/twice per month Travelling to South/North UK Based in Mar Menor, Murcia
Spain-UK-Spain Tel: (0044) 7783 222 251 / (0034) 634 360 846
Email: wewillmoveit@hotmail.co.uk
COAST 2 COAST
REMOVALS Over 25 years experience Regular trips SPAIN-UK-SPAIN
Call NOW for a 617 500 876 competitive quote 0044 7722 77 9062 Pets also carried - Fully Insured
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Harriett Richardson Insurance Broker
Telf: (0034) 669 046 167 / 968 199 121 Email: h.richardsoninsurance@gmail.com
Est. 2006
CURTAIN & BEDDING STORE
large selection - great quality - great prices
SARAH & TONY TURLEY T: 966 848 980 or 642 308 654 C/C Los Dolses, Villamartin
Next to the card shop near the canal.
www.readymadecurtainoutlet.com
DAVID THE PLUMBER Prompt and reliable service, no job too small. Full bathrooms or just makeovers and handyman service. 24 hour call out Boilers: 80 litre fully installed from 160€
Call David on 634 286 590
G.T.AUTOS LOS DOLSES S.L
THE ONE STOP CAR CENTRE
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BEST PRICES PAID CARS FOR CASH
Call Spencer on 637 090 665 MECHANIC WORKSHOP PHONE JAMES on 672 532 758
NICK THE TILER Call Nick for all your tiling & laminate floor requirements.
Tel.. 605 305 405
SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
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25
John MacDonald (El Sordo) www.caratacus.eu
viewpoint
An Impossible Task
Election: The result
The polling station opened at 10:30 sharp. This was unfortunate as they were supposed to open at 08:00. The vote was to take place at the Bar La Casa Devante which had been doubled booked with the ‘Over Eighties Dwarf Hurling Championships’. A respectable crowd soon gathered. Most however were there only to watch the pitched battle which was inevitable between the followers of the two main parties. They were not to be disappointed as the supporters of the V.I.L.E. party hurled insults and the occasional brick at their B.ON.K. rivals. The B.O.N.K. contingent were more restrained and replied with a massed mooning of their opponents. Supporters of Loco Paco’s D.A.F.T. party simply wondered what day it was. Things soon got out of hand as projectiles and dwarfs filled the air. Both sides hurled abuse and the more tangible at their political opponents while the non-partisan in the crowd offered advice and encouragement to the combatants. To the casual observer it would be difficult to differentiate between this scene and any other event or festival in Alqueria. The outcome was always the same and some wondered if the same script was used for every occasion. Eventually the votes were cast and the sealed ballot box carried through the rubble, broken glass and general debris which signified the conclusion of another successful day in the Village. The world’s press, well a reporter from the ‘Ferret Thrutcher’s Weekly’, who had taken a wrong bus out of Almería conducted an impromptu exit poll. From the answers he received it seemed that an unknown party having something to do with a particularly nasty bodily function had a working majority. The returning officer ‘Briefcase Federico’ strode self-importantly to the small platform which had been badly constructed for this very purpose. “I the returning officer for ….....” Federico’s words were drowned out by
cries of “get on with it” and “Why isn’t the bloody bar open”. Eventually the formalities were completed and the result was known. This was greeted with an audible gasp from the gathered multitude. Mostly, however this was down to one particularly agile geriatric hurling his dwarf to an allcomers Alquerian distance record. But back to the election. Rodriquez’s V.I.L.E. party polled forty-eight percent, as did Manuela’s B.O.N.K party. Loco Paco’s D.A.F.T. party took two percent of the vote. No one knows what happened to the other two percent but Briefcase Federico had trouble counting above ten without taking his socks off. The situation would have been stalemate if B.O.N.K. and the D.A.F.T. party had not agreed to form a coalition government. Alqueria was to be governed by and extremely promiscuous and anarchistic young lady in coalition with a clinically insane dung beetle breeder. Perhaps a better combination than in some western European governments.
And Pigs Will Fly
The largest university press in the world has warned its authors not to mention pigs or pork in their books to avoid offending Muslims and Jews. Oxford University Press explained that their books must take into consideration other cultures of the world and must avoid mentioning pigs, or quote, ‘Anything else which could be perceived as pork.’ Anything else which could be perceived as pork? Well that’s a catch all phrase isn’t it, just in case – as an author – you’re unsure of the meaning of pork and pigs. Tricky hey? So when writing your next ‘street-cred’ cops and drugs and murder novel, phrases like, ‘Hey dude, the pigs (police) dun got us fo dead,’ would be given the editorial red pen. Likewise, when the paunch bellied, hard as nails, seen it all before, investigating officer says with a sneer to a terrified suspect, ‘Son . . . you’re tellin’ me porky pies.’ That line too would also be – in the words of the university press – inadmissible. For heaven’s sake, how far will all this political correctness, sensitivity rubbish go, before someone says – STOP. Enough is enough. A story in an English newspaper reported that a well known supermarket (Tesco), located in a predominately Muslim area of a Midlands town (Bradford), had allegedly refused to serve four members of Her Majesty’s armed forces. The reason? It might be seen as offensive to the local community having uniformed soldiers mixing with the Muslim community. What? Now I could repeat that statement, because in terms of utter madness, it bears repeating doesn’t it? Much like the
University Press’s absurdity about pigs and pork and sausages, it makes one wonder where this will all end. As a non Muslim, I have no problems with them, or any other religious factions writing freely on any subject. We live in a free word – at least most of us do – and that’s what defines our existence. Is the University Press honestly saying an author can’t write in his next romantic novel, ‘Good morning darling, I’ve made your favourite breakfast - sausage, egg and bacon.’ Which, if they have their way, would read, ‘Good morning darling, I’ve made your favourite breakfast, *******, egg and *****. Are we not, as intelligent human beings, able to weed out what we want to read and what we don’t? Where we shop and with whom? If that choice is taken away from us by the likes of the University Press and cashiers in a supermarket, are we not in danger of becoming paranoid about everything and everyone? We must retain the right to choose, the right to make up our own minds, the right to make our own decisions. Without those, we would rapidly degenerate into an inward looking, fearful, timid and nervous society. We must preserve our freedom of speech and thought, and those people in positions of authority and influence must never try to restrain us. We live in a multi cultural world where understanding others is vitally important, now and in the future. – Paul Martin
I am shocked –Humans have been spoiling the Fairy Woods near Crewkerne in Somerset with fake fairy doors! Wayford Woods, known as The Fairy Woods, is 29 acres of mature mixed woodland, complete with a stream and a lake; it is rural Somerset at its truly magical best, a charitable trust in the care of the aptly named Steven Acreman, who has been given the impossible task of what the newspapers call ‘Fairy Control.’ It was in the beginning of the millennium that the first fairy moved into the woods and installed a little door to its house in the roots of a tree. Mr Acreman told the BBC ‘It fitted perfectly, it had a little turned handle and inside was a bed. We didn’t know who had done it but we left it there.’ Over the next few years more doors appeared, as obviously the original Fairy acquired neighbours, which must have been nice; Fairies don’t go about in crowds, but they do like a bit of company now and again. Shortly afterwards doors began proliferating all over the woods, and this is where things began to go wrong – people started putting fake doors in the roots of trees. People, not Fairies! It is the same old story: Find a nice spot, settle down for a bit of peace and quiet, and before you know it somebody has parked themselves right next to you. Whether it’s a secluded stretch of beach or the original couple of fisherman’s casitas in Benidorm, if it’s got charm everybody wants to have a part of it! Of course the genuine Fairy doors were little works of art, and strategically placed. However, not all
By Jos Biggs
josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk people have the sensitivity of Fairies, so many of the doors were crudely made and insensitively placed. At its peak over 200 doors were screwed or nailed to trees – in one case 10 round one tree - No Fairy would over-inhabit a tree to that extent! And this is exactly the problem that the unfortunate Mr Acreman has to deal with. ‘Constructions now include more and more garish plywood doors with lots of tinsel and glittery stuff, and quality control will have to be brought in to remove the worst offenders.’ He said. I wish him all the very best. If he removes the human constructions he will offend those who (with the best of intentions) put them there; but imagine if he removes a genuine Fairy door – how awful! Who could do such a thing? Yes, of course I believe in Fairies! Don’t you?
bulldozers attack ancient Iraq site
Archaeologists and officials have expressed outrage about the bulldozing of the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud by Islamic State militants in Iraq.
IS began demolishing the site, which was founded in the 13th Century BC, on Thursday, according to Iraqi officials. The head of the UN’s cultural agency condemned the “systematic” destruction in Iraq as a “war crime”. IS, which controls large areas of Iraq and Syria, says shrines and statues are “false idols” that have to be smashed. “They are erasing our history,” said Iraqi archaeologist Lamia al-Gailani. Nimrud lies on the Tigris river, about 30km (18 miles) south-east of Mosul, which IS controls. Many of the artefacts found there have been moved to museums in Baghdad and overseas, but many remain on site. BBC Middle East correspondent Jim Muir says the attempt to destroy Nimrud is already being compared with the Taliban’s demolition of the Bamiyan Buddha rock sculptures in
Afghanistan in 2001.
As well as destroying artefacts, Islamic State also trades in them - and the trade is one of its key sources of revenue. ‘Levelled’ IS “assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles,” the tourism and antiquities ministry said on Thursday. It said the militants continued to “defy the will of the world and the feelings of humanity”, calling for a UN Security Council meeting to discuss how to protect cultural heritage in Iraq. Nimrud covers a large area, and it is not yet clear whether it has been totally destroyed, our correspondent says. But a local tribal source told Reuters news agency: “Islamic State members came to the Nimrud archaeological city and looted the valuables in it and then they proceeded to level the site to the ground. “There used to be statues and walls as well as a castle that Islamic State has destroyed completely.” Bbc.co.uk
26
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SOLTIMES MARCH 2015
The X Factor Live Tour 2015
Michael McIntyre Happy & Glorious Tour Following the successful “Showtime” tour 2013
Now is your chance to see The X Factor live
The Open 2015
Experience The Open at the Home of Golf. Practice day tickets from £10
BOOK YOUR TICKET PLUS MUCH MORE - LOG ON TO WWW.SOLTIMES.COM on this day March 17
45 BC - In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda. 1452 - The Battle of Los Alporchones is fought in the context of the Spanish Reconquista between the Emirate of Granada and the combined forces of the Kingdom of Castile and Murcia resulting in a Christian victory. 1966 – Off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, the DSV Alvin submarine finds a missing American hydrogen bomb. 1992 – A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%. Today is also National Muay Thai Day!!
SolPUZZLES wordsearch
St. Patrick’s Day
Find and circle all of the words that are hidden in the grid. The remaining 34 letters spell a secret message.
soltimes 17th March Quiz
soltimes horse racing Quiz
1. Where was the Derby held during the two World Wars?. 2. Which course celebrated 100 years of racing in July 1987?..................................
1) Born on this day 1954, the English actress who
3. Which European flat race
made her name in Upstairs, Downstairs, who?.......
is run annually on the first
2) Born on this day 1834, the founder of the
Sunday in October?..............
Daimler Automobile company, who is it?................
4. Which gossip columnist
3) Died on this day 1988 Takeo Miki, former Prime
was owner of My Purple
Minister of which country?.....................................
Prose?.................................
4) On this day 1337, the Duchy of where was
5. Which Grand National winner of the 80s was named
created when Edward the Black prince was made
after a lighthouse?...............
the first Duke?........................................................
6. Which horse gave Lester
5) On this day 1845 was patented by Stephen
Piggott his first Royal Ascot
Perry of a certain London rubber company?............
winner?...............................
6) On this day 1899, which classic Neapolitan
7. Which horse was the first
song was first published?.......................................
to win both the Derby and
7) On this day 1921, Dr Marie Stopes in London
the St Leger?........................
opened the first of what sort of clinic?....................
8. Which horse, in 1977,
9. Which is the oldest British flat classic race?................... 10. Which jockey had most Classic wins before Lester Piggott?..............................
Answers
squiggle SUDOKU
standard SUDOKU
wordsearch answer easy SUDOKU
8) Grosvenor Square
3) Japan
7) Birth Control Clinic
2) Gottlieb Daimler
6) Sole Mio
1) Lesley Ann Down
CRYPTIC crossword
9) Golda Meir
4) Cornwall
CROSSWORD
10) Amoco Cadiz
5) Elastic bands
SOLUTIONS
Brain Teasers Answers
the same season?................
6. Malka’s Boy
on the coast of Brittany? ........................................
SAINT PATRICK LIVED IN THE FIFTH CENTURY
10) On this day 1978, which oil tanker ran aground
Mackeson and Hennessy in
7. Champion
Israel?....................................................................
became the first to win the
8. Bachelor’s Hall
9) On this day 1969 who became Prime Minister of
MISSIONARY MUSIC PAR ADE PATRON SAINT POTATOES SE VENTEENTH SHA MROCK SNAKES SODA BRE AD TR ADITION YE ARLY
9. St Leger
continuance of US involvement in Vietnam?...........
FE A ST DAY FESTIVAL GREEN GUINNESS HERITAGE HISTORY HOLIDAY HOLY DAY IREL AND IRISH LEPRECHAUN LIMERICK M ARCH
10. Frank Buckle
took place in which London Square against the
BEER BELFA ST BISHOP CABBAGE CELEBR ATION CELTIC CROSS CHRISTIAN CLOVER CORK CORNED BEEF DANCING DUBLIN E VENTS
1. Newmarket 2. Wolverhampton 3. The Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe 4. Nigel Dempster 5. Corbiere
8) On this day 1968 a huge demonstration
SOLTIMES march 2015
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car of the week Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi - 2012 - 62000kms Fully Equipped - Cruise Control
Antas Peugeot 308 1.6 HDi
Across
Down
2. Personnel (5) 4. Happened simultaneously (9) 6. Laconic (5) 7. Natural qualities (7) 9. Counsel (8) 11. Debate (8) 13. Quandary (7) 14. Type of nut (5) 15. Diminished (9) 16. Slack (5)
1. Notes played in a clipped style (8) 2. Backbone (5) 3. Type of crab, sounds musical (7) 4. Curbed (9) 5. Condemned openly (9) 6. 3-note major or minor chord (5) 8. Beer mug (5) 10. Risible (7) 12. Voracious (8) 14. Out of fashion (5)
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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.
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
standard
ACROSS
easy
squiggle
6 Seeming alright in loin garment at first (7) 7 Bound to be embarassed when around topless policeman (5) 9 Slow-moving birds (4) 10 Sign of Asian country taking Chinese leader into new formation (10) 11 Blew up grenade - exploding with a bit of Lithium inside (8) 13 Enjoying Labour leader, if initially coming before monarch (6) 15 Returning peaks to a particular place (4) 16 Cut Shanghai’s leader with parasites (5) 17 Covers a partially solid structure (4) 18 Someone giving money includes never-ending petition (6) 20 Taoism, say, could be a combination of lion and headless tiger (8) 23 Emergency vehicles for Seaman Club, perhaps (10) 26 Fail seriously to hide troubles (4) 27 Near the beginning, there was darkness (5) 28 Solid figure of Egypt? (7)
Down
1 With new head internally, it’s expensive to take in insect all the time (10) 2 Quoting Chinese leader with it in final printing (6) 3 Starts to ache generally everywhere - definitely getting old! (4) 4 Clue: beer could make a martial arts star! (5,3) 5 Hints turn up for saliva (4) 8 Submerged doctor had possession (7) 12 Machine with less water? (5) 14 Weight of immoral keg when broken (10) 16 First real vehicle surrounded by groups of maids (8) 19 Norma’s production empire (5) 21 Openings of landmark offices - Shanghai even registers some failures (6) 22 Nothing I guided was lubricated (5) 24 Impulse of a sturgeon (4) 25 International sportsmen’s headgear? (4)
28
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SOLTIMES march 2015
9
The Olde
th
Local 7, La Marquesa, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales
Tel: 966 714 772
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint’s religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. ST. PATRICK AND THE FIRST ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth
w e t s h is r I d e k o o Slow-C
century, is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well known legend is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.
Colcannon This traditional Irish side dish adds a dollop
of comfort to any meal, perfect for cold rainy nights INGREDIENTS 1kg floury potatoes, chopped into chunks 2 carrots, chopped into small chunks 100ml double cream 50g butter 2 turnips, chopped into small chunks 1 tbsp olive oil 100g cabbage, shredded
INGREDIENTS 1 tbsp sunflower oil 200g smoked streaky bacon, preferably in one piece, skinned and cut into chunks 900g cheap stewing lamb like middle neck or scrag (ask at your butcher counter), cut into large chunks small bunch thyme 3 onions, thickly sliced 5 carrots, cut into big chunks 6 medium potatoes, cut into big chunks 700ml lamb stock 3 bay leaves 85g pearl barley 1 large leek, washed and cut into chunks small knob of butter
METHOD Heat the slow cooker if necessary, then heat the oil in a frying pan. Sizzle the bacon until crisp, tip into the slow-cooker pot, then brown the chunks of lamb in the pan. Transfer to the slow-cooker pot along with the thyme, onions, carrots, potatoes, stock, bay leaves and enough water to cover the lamb. Cover and cook on Low for 7 hrs. Stir in the pearl barley and leek, and cook on High for 1 hr more until the pearl barley is tender. Stir in the butter, season and serve scooped straight from the dish.
METHOD Boil the potatoes for 20 mins, adding carrots for the last 5 mins. Drain, spoon out the carrots, then mash the potatoes with cream and butter. Fry the carrots, turnips and garlic in oil for 10 mins; add the cabbage for the final 2 mins. Mix with the mash in an ovenproof dish and season. Can be made up to 1 day ahead. To serve, grill for 5-10 mins or, if made ahead, bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 20 mins.
SOLTIMES march 2015
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Black velvet baby cakes INGREDIENTS 100g softened butter, plus extra for greasing 175g light brown soft sugar 1 egg 100g self-raising flour 50g ground almonds ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 5 tbsp cocoa, plus a little extra for decorating 150ml Guinness For the cream 200ml double cream 25g icing sugar splash Champagne (optional
METHOD Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 6 dariole moulds with baking parchment. Put the butter, sugar, egg, flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate, cocoa and Guinness in a mixing bowl. Beat together until lump-free. Divide between the tins then bake for 20-25 mins until risen and a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool for 15 mins, then remove from tins and cool completely – the same way up they baked, don’t turn upside-down. Whip cream with the icing sugar and splash of Champagne, if using, until thick. Spoon a dollop onto the top of each cake and dust with a touch of cocoa. Serve with glasses of Champagne or Black Velvets for pudding.
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Mothers’ Day Sunday 15th March Same Good Value Roast
ELVIRA’S
RESTAURANTE
Opening Times: Tue - Sat
6.30 pm till late
Closed on Sundays
Entertainment
Alison Wynne Ryder the quirky medium from england Has her own TV show in england called the quirky medium She is on the 11th march 8pm-10pm Price 5€ each Edward b Williams all round entertainer /cabAroke Show 5€ each Both shows bookings only
Booking essential
tel 661 141 493 for more info
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Tel 965 999 973
29
A Pint Of Guinness The Brewing Process
happen to our main supply. minutes to concentrate creating that famous We don’t believe anything should be the sugars and extract 4 Key Ingredients: s u r g e , wasted, so the spent grains from the bitterness from the • Barley settle and brewing process become animal feed, the hops. After boiling, We use malted barley, which provides hops become fertilizer and surplus yeast the wort is left to settle wonder fully the foundation for the flavour of the beer, makes yeast extract or health products. before being emptied (or creamy head. ‘struck off’) and passed and roasted barley. Our traditional craft W i t h through a cooler. of roasting barley gives GUINNESS® its Milling GUINNESS® wonderful dark ruby red colour (it looks Fermenting Malted Barley is fed into the GUINNESS® Foreign Extra black, but hold your glass up to the light, brew house mills which crush the grain, Arthur’s yeast in action; Stout — the depth and you’ll see there’s a ruby in every releasing the inner starch and flour, and now the liquid is cooled, our of character in flavour glass, as the old saying has it) and its leaving the outer barley husk material special yeast is added and is allowed is matched with the amount unique roasted character. as intact as possible. Once the grain has to ferment for a number of days. The of entrained carbon dioxide. When poured • Hops been milled it is referred to as yeast converts brewing sugars to alcohol from a bottle it releases an eruption of ‘grist’ and is passed into a and carbon dioxide gas, creating that foam, creating the classic, slightly brown, We use the finest female grist case where it collects wondrous flavour. This gas is collected full and creamy head. hop (we discriminate Guinness Fact 1 ready for the next stage. and purified for re-use. in favour of the fairer Arthur Guinness started brewing After packaging, every batch is tasted The phrase ‘grist for sex), and use around Maturation ales from 1759 in Leixlip, then at the St. by the brewer before leaving the mill’ has its origins double the amount During the maturation the brewery, to ensure that it James’s Gate Brewery, Dublin. On 31 here. of hops in our brew Guinness Fact 3 process everything is meets our exacting standards December he signed a 9,000 year lease than most beers, Mashing Guinness® is Despite its allowed to settle, slow - one of the world’s greatest for a more intense at £45 per annum for the unused brewery; The grist is mixed down and mellow. Some reputation as a “meal in jobs! It’s the tradition, craft flavour and aroma. with hot water — rest is needed so all ten years later on 19 May 1769 Guinness a glass”, Guinness® only and passion, passed down Hops are also a known as ‘liquor’ the ingredients and exported his ale for the first time, when through generations for contains 198 kcal per natural preservative, — and then passes elements achieve the 250 years, that makes it imperial pint, fewer than six and a half barrels were giving GUINNESS® through a ‘Steel’s balance and consistency GUINNESS®. skimmed milk or orange the long life essential for shipped to England. Masher’ — a horizontal of flavour that is global export. juice! Finally our creation is offically cylinder with a series of demanded by the brewers GUINNESS® and it’s ready for the rotating paddles mounted inside. for that perfect GUINNESS® • Water rest of the journey. Whether in keg, Like Arthur Guinness before us, we prize The ‘mash’ is then mixed for a time to taste. bottle or can it’s on the move again, Packaging our water for its purity and softness. In extract the brewing sugars. bound for pubs and Filtering fact, it’s so important to us, we call it The beer is now almost ready bars around the ‘liquor’. At the St James’s Gate Brewery The mash drops down into for packaging, but whatever world (or the local Guinness in Dublin the water comes from springs a Kieve (an old Dublin term the variant, GUINNESS® Guinness Fact 2 just around the Fact 4 in the Wicklow Mountains (which are also for a Mash Tun). The Kieve is always crowned with a Guinness® is sometimes corner). Although Guinness® known as St James’s Wells). acts like a giant sieve to distinctive head. believed to have originated the may appear to be black, Enjoying collect the extracted • Yeast With GUINNESS® stout style of beer. However, the first it is officially a very dark sugars and water, whilst There’s one Draught, nitrogen is To capture the full freshness of the use of the word ‘stout’ in relation to leaving the grain behind. shade of ruby. added in the packaging final step before ingredients, we use our famous strain beer was in a letter in the Egerton This collected liquid is process , this is what you can delight of GUINNESS® yeast, descended down Manuscript dated 1677, almost 50 called sweet wort. gives the pint the in the distinctive from Arthur’s time. It works like no other years before Arthur Guinness Boiling magical beauty. When the GUINNESS® flavour — to ensure our beer is fully fermented and was born. beer is served, the nitrogen the pour. It’s a small detail, but get it right charged with flavour. It’s so valuable to us Now the hops and our bubbles will be released, and all that preceding craftsmanship will that a small reserve amount is kept under roasted barley is added. bringing the beer alive and pay off! lock and key in case something should The liquid wort is boiled for 90
30
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SOLTIMES march 2015
‘ham’-azing things you really need to know’ Hog the limelight, ham it up or boar your companions senseless the next time you are being swined and dined, with The Local´s hamazing facts about jamon. As any visitor to Spain will know, company that farms them. jamon is so admired that it is MARATHON MEAT SLICING: The practically the de-facto national dish. longest meat slicing marathon, Whether you are served a few thin according to Guinness World Records, slices as a tapa alongside a lunch- was an arm-aching 72 hours, and was time caña or choose to dig deep for completed by ‘ham artist’ Noé Bonillo a racion of the Gran Reserva Jamon Ramos, from Spain. The record was Iberico de Bellota, there is no avoiding broken in Paris between February 3rd the porcine product. to 6th 2015. Ramos is a professional So it's a not a bad idea to have some ham slicer and works with jamón mighty swine facts to trotter out. ibérico. WORLD RECORD FOR MOST HAM Spanish people eat an average of SLICED IN AN HOUR: This record 5kg (11 pounds) of ham a year, twice of course belongs to a Spaniard. that of Italians, making them the most Diego Hernandez Palacios cut 2,160 ham-loving nation on earth. That’s slices of ham in one hour, which is not surprising when you consider the equivalent of 10kg of jamon. He that Spain is the world’s biggest ham achieved the feat in Madrid on April producer, exporting over €2.5 billion12th 2011, beating his own previous worth of pork in 2014. record - he is one big ham lover. He PIGS PEEL ACORNS: Pure bred black trained for the record attempt for three months by going to the gym and Iberian pigs peel each and every single one of the acorns they eat. On cutting ham. average each little porker destined MOST EXPENSIVE HAM: Manchado to be turned in the top range Jamón de Jabugo is the most expensive ham Ibérico de Bellota, roams freely across in the world, selling for €4,100 ($4,500) per leg. There are only 51 adult pigs the dehesas rooting for acorns for remaining of the species, making their between three-four months until it pure iberican ham incredibly rare. reaches its premium weight, gobbling So rare, in fact, they are christened up around 10 kilos of acorns a day. “white gold” by Dehesa Maladúa, the
More on: thelocal
Choosing Serrano ham How to buy your ham
Choosing serrano ham is the easy bit. You can buy it by the slice, by the kilo or buy the whole leg - it’s up to your personal taste and the depth of your pocket! There is no difference in quality between a slice of serrano or a whole ham - as long as you buy it from a reputable supplier who knows how to keep it properly and ensures that the carved hams don’t dry out. Serrano ham facts There are many producers and qualities of Serrano hams but the main differences in quality can be catagorised down to four basic things: The type of pig it comes from. The way that pig is fed. How the ham is cured. Which of its legs you buy. The differences in quality. The four main catagories of ham are as follows, highest first: Jamón Iberico de Bellota (also known as Jamón Iberico de Montanera). Freerange, acorn-fed Iberian pigs. Jamón Iberico de Recebo. Acorn, pasture and compound-fed Iberian pigs. Jamón Iberico (also known as Jamón de Pata Negra). Compound-fed Iberian pigs. Jamón Serrano (also known as Jamón Reserva, Jamón Curado and Jamón Extra). Compound-fed white pigs. You can learn more about what gives these hams their different flavour characteristics by looking at the feeding and breeding page. The cut of the ham The back legs are the heaviest, the better quality and the most expensive. These are called the ‘jamon’ and weigh between 6 to 8 kilos. The front leg is smaller and has more fat. These are called the ‘paleta’ and weigh between 4 to 6 kilos. Strictly speaking, you shouldn’t call a paleta a ham but, when it’s on your plate or filling your mouth with flavour, who cares? Up until now the highest-quality 'Iberico' and 'bellota' hams have not been available in the USA but now, at last, these superb hams are available to special order.
TRADE STANDS NOW AVAILABLE FOR THIS WEEKEND
Contact Anne on 650077882 or teamharmony@icloud.com or pm me.
This promises to be a fantastic weekend which will include daytime demonstrations with professional Spiritual Mediums, entertainment with Martin Ross Lawford and Suzy G and her dancers plus trade stands including private readings, jewellery, cards, gifts and much more. Entrance just €5 on each day only. Opening times 12 till 5. Pay at the door. Evening shows with one of the worlds greatest Spiritual Mediums the amazing COLIN FRY. These shows are strictly
ticket only and tickets will be available from FEBRUARY 25TH from www. colinfry.co.uk at a very special price of only €20pp each night. Hotel accommodation is available at LACUMBRE hotel at an event special from €25pppn when booking a double room and includes a superb buffet breakfast. So why not join us for the weekend. Colin along with his partner Mikey are Patrons of the animal charity ACTIN and all proceeds from this weekend will be going to this outstanding charity. www.teamharmony.com
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31
COMMUNITY NEWS Home Owners and Casa Tom Community Pilar Christian Residents in Camposol Choir: Casa Tom Community Community Church
are invited to join “Camposolers Political” in FaceBook. Burying ones head in the sand is tantamount to putting ones hands up and surrendering your fate to “some” self serving politicians that, when in Office with a fat pay cheque, could not give a rat’s behind that your investment, and in a lot of cases life savings, continues to go down the drain as the condition of the failing infrastructure deteriorates further with each day.To join just copy and paste…. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ camposolers.poltical in your Browser or email reg_rogers@hotmail.com
THE
50+ SOLOS
is open
and gentlemen
who find
to ladies
themselves on their own
and wish to
get back into the social scene. We meet
normally twice a month at
different Restaurants
for
lunch meal
normally and a chat. There
are no
subs or fees, just the cost of the meal There might be a fun quiz or a raffle. We lunch again on 7 March at Jaens on the main Road in Guardemar. 1.001.30 This is a typical Spanish restaurant. To
enquire
or
book a
place please
contact Ruth 966789630
COME SEQUENCE DANCING In
the
air
Restaurant,
conditioned Mil
Palmeras
Olympia Monday
evenings at 8pm in a very congenial atmosphere.
Programme and music
change weekly. New dances introduced at 7-30pm. For further details contact Sina and Terry. Tel. 96 676 9420
art club
Art Club, all mediums, no charge, in the Playa Flamenca area. Anyone interested, please contact Lyn tel: 966 189 118
COSTA COBRAS RUGBY FC
new rugby club based at Daya Vieja sports ground. Training juniors Monday 18.30 and Tuesday 18.00, seniors Monday 20.30 and Wednesday 21.00 For more details contact Garry 692 767 242 or Robert on 697 286 416
Strictly Dance
Strictly Dance classes every Tuesday 8-10pm at the Club, Quesada and every Friday 3-5pm at the New Asturias, Punta Prima. Beginner and Intermediate tuition, new courses every 3 weeks. Singles welcome. Private tuition by appointment. For more info contact Lyn on 966188430 or 635584431 or email lynatdenelledance@hotmail.com
CASTILLO AMIGOS We are a friendship group for single people. Now meeting every Wednesday from 3pm at RAYZ Bar on El Raso urbanisation (off the Lemon Tree Road, Guardamar) ANN 965 070 247 – 666 747 398
Choir meets every Monday at 2.00pm for 2.30pm. It is a mixed choir and all levels are welcome. No auditions, no solos. Make new friends and have a good time. Location: CASA TOM, Avenida JACA 31, San Luis, Torrevieja. Phone or email Terry for further details. Phone: 647-189-135. Email: casatomsanluis@gmail.com.
Calle Canalejas 3. Pilar de la Horadada. Sunday Service at 11am, and Thursday at 5pm for Prayer and Praise and Worship Home groups meet during the week. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information contact PilarChristian.CommunityChurch@ Torrevieja Costa gmail.com 968575417 or 966848806. Carol Service on the 14th December at Lions Club Please come and join our club members 11am. Please join us. on one of our “ Business meeting nights” La Bamba’s - Ballroom and see what we are doing this year to raise money for charities, in our local / Latin / Sequence area and further afield. We are growing Dancing in numbers every month so if you feel Los Rosales Restaurant, Guardamar like helping us then we can be found on CV895 [near Lemon Tree Sunday the second Thursday in every month at Market] the Cabo Cervera Hotel in La Mata near Monday - SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm Torrevieja, Meetings now start at 19.30 10.30pm [SEQUENCE CLASS 7.30pm - 8.30pm] hours. If you like what you see and hear, then Friday - SOCIAL DANCE 7.30pm you will be invited to join us at our next 10.30pm social night event later in the month, Wednesday - New Beginners Class where ever and what ever it may be 2pm -3pm Intermediate Class 3pm - 4pm you can be sure of a good night. Intermediate Plus Class 4pm - 5pm Contact philip.buckman@btinternet. For more information contact Andrea com or via our web site on membership@ and Brian 616 478 157 torreviejacostalions.org
Quesada Pool League The start of the 2014/15 Quesada Pool League is nearly here - games are played most Wednesday evenings between October and May with a couple of leagues plus optional knockout competitions for singles, doubles and teams. We are looking for any bars or clubs in the greater Quesada area that have an English Pool table and would like to enter a team, to get in contact as soon as possible – please email quesada-pool@outlook.com
PASO A PASO MODERN JIVE CLUB
donations to charity
The Officers and Brethren of the Philip Scott Lodge No 10671 of the RAOB(GLE) (The Buffs) meets every Friday evening from 7 to 9 pm at the Restaurant Catorce in Benijofar. We are pleased to announce that the following Charities, both near and far, have received donations from our latest Charity Fund spending spree. Benijofar Food Parcels 250 euros, AFA Torrevieja 250 euros, Cancer Research (UK) 250 euros) and last, but not least, DEBRA (UK) (also known as Butterflies) 250 euros. We also support many worthwhile causes throughout the year. Please contact Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further info. Colin Bird, Secretary, Avenida Robleda 159, San Luis, 03184, Torrevieja.
SPIRITUALIST CENTRE, BENIJOFAR (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 p.m. And every Thursday there is an Open Circle where you can develop your skills commencing at 6.30 p.m. Spiritual healing is available every Sunday and Tuesday after the service. On Sunday 15th March, David Darnbrough will take the Divine Service with Mediumship. Contact Wendy on 965323028. www. spiritualistcentre-benijofar.com New email is phoenixchurch23@gmail.com or info@spiritualistcentre-benijofar.com Identificacion Fiscal G54713789
LASS & SOCIAL WITH DANCE JUNCTION DISCO MONDAYS 7.30pm Maymar Restaurant. Catral THURSDAYS 7pm Los Rosales Restaurant, cv895, Guardamar CLASS ONLY Absolute beginners always welcome to all sessions. No partner-Never dancedNo problem More info Maxine 670711408 TORRY ARMY FUN QUIZ/ Adam 638 330 342 Find us on facebook or www.modern- NIGHT The Torry Army have arranged a Fun Quizjive-spain.com night with a tasty hot and cold buffet at BENIDORM FUN COMPETITION Dates to be confirmed for the Benidorm the Casa Ventura in San Luis, Torrevieja 2015 competition are weekend on Saturday 21 January starting at 8.30 BADMINT0N AT PILAR commencing Friday 16th October so keep pm. The cost is 7.50€ per person. Tickets DE LA HORADADA that weekend free for now ..i will keep you on sale at the Torry Army office in San Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs. 10-1pm. For more informed as and when more details Luis Mon-Fri between 10.00 and 12.00 am or ring or Arthur/Tina on 966 789 information ring John McGilvray on 966 are known.... 212. Everyone welcome to attend. 786 774 or Mobiles 634 658 506/695 LOUNGE SUITE, ALGORFA SPA HOTEL (directions follow signs for Suite Lounge 871 707 or email carolejohn_3@hotmail. from the Algorga golf roundabout) WALKING FOOTBALL com Adam did well at his first ever Spanglish The Playa Flamenca Walking Football mojive class and its hoped he may be team started, September 2014 and invited to do another class in the future has grown in strength ever since. If COFFEE MATES before the salsa class with fabulous latin you have an interest in this game, and If you would like to have a coffee and teacher Kiko Cases. Thanks to all our would like to come and join us, we meet friendly chat please join us at La Laguna dancers and friends that supported him... Monday afternoon at 3-30 for a warm face book video on our dance page for all up, and whoever turns up and wants to Hotel, Lo Marabu, play can play, the only stipulations are to view. Friday mornings from 11am. Everyone welcome to enjoy a FREE entry :- over 55 and can walk if you would ANN 965 070 247 – 666 747 398 evening every Sunday there from 8.45pm.. like to come and watch and laugh come but the bar is pricey so sip your drinks. and look, you will soon want to join in. DIDDY CLUB CAN YOU HELP? Just turn up at the Playa Flamenca Do you have a few hours to spare each Sorry to those that attended the diet club Sports center and enroll/watch. subs at Monos but lack of interest we have week? Volunteers are needed by Age decided to stop these sessions..thanks to are only 5 euro a game, to pay for the facilities. The members are soon to be Concern especially for our LIFELINE Chris for allowing us to use his venue. playing an away event, in Benidorm, so Team. Visiting people in their own homes Caren and Sally are still doing hair and nails some fun and social activities there, our to assess their needs and reporting back on the Thursday mornings so if you need team secretary is Maggie. top n tailing do go along at 11am for the to the Lifeline Team Leader. Volunteers pamper morning. are required in all areas to give a little help 2ND APRIL OLD SCHOOL / ST TRINIANS where required as there are many people FANCY DRESS PARTY who live alone, are lonely and need some with RICHIE ALEXANDER AT LOS ROSALES. form of social contact. If you can help in Please let me know if you want to reserve this respect, please call a table. Payable one week before please Age Concern on 96 678 6887 €12.50 or €5 without food.
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SOLTIMES march 2015
SOL CLASSIFIEDS
SOLTIMES 950 121 936 www.soltimes.com see us online everyday
TELEPHONE 950 121 936
Monday to Friday Between 10am & 5pm
or EMAIL us Send your advert or lineage to
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...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES Call Kate on: 950 121 936 or 902 750 190 Ext 330 or email: sales@soltimes.com
for sale
insurance
pets
Advertise all your unwanted items for sale in this section
asssa medical
pet taxi
Any single item up to 300€ is free of charge email: blancasales@ soltimes.com
pool tables
snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts. Tel: 666 933 726 www.spainpool.com BROTHER PUNCHCARD KNITTING machine in good working order. Lots of free extras inc. ribber, punchcards, large sack of yarn bargain at 85€, Tel: Torrevieja 865 779 402 Caddy Matic 3 Wheel Electric Golf Trolley for Sale in very good condition. Included with the Trolley is a new 18 hole Battery, still in the Box with the purchase receipt. For a quick sale 265€ Call 693056227 for more details WhatsApp Viber Teka ES/60 gas hob. good con. 60cm x 51cm . Cut out size 575mm x 480mm 20 euros Call 693056227 for more details WhatsApp Viber Kitchen sink. White with chrome taps & strainer waste. 495 x 820 good con. 25 euros tel 965724183 or 616883103. Desktop computer for sale = 17in LCD flat screen, tower, keyboard, HP printer, 2 speakers, mouse can be seen working good value at 140euro quesada area 966716646 Tap Shoes Black size 5, Tap Shoes Black size 5 ½ excellent condition 25€ per pair, Black & Decker Drill, 10€, Extending Garden Loppers, 10€, Tel: 966 716 599
business opportunity “Internet Millionaire Reveals Secrets Of Making £1,000 A Week & More Without Any Previous Experience” If you would like to start earning extra money now! Then the internet is definitely the place to do this. You can earn money whilst relaxing by the pool or even earn whilst you’re sleeping. This is the reality for people that are making money online. Read why you should be cashing in on today’s booming economy and discover for yourself how you can turn your passion into a large monthly wage, every
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electricians
Electrician available for all works Small or large.
Call Dave 693 251 562
davendonc@aol.com
insurances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, 968 153 396
mazarron@asssa.es
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
jewellery
GOLD WANTED 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
personals
BELLA Bella is a lovely friendly little girl who is very affectionate and placid towards people. she loves people and wants to be with you at all times, She is fine with other dogs. Bella is a small dog about the size of a spaniel, She has been Spayed. D.O.B OCTOBER 2012 APPROX.
“Readers of a contact K9 or sensitive disposition PHONE:Please 600 84 54 20 for more info may find some www.k9club.es of the ads in this section offensive” Spanish lady Playa Flamenca near new Carrefour before La Florida. 37 years, attractive, classy lady, private house, parking. Offers all erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie, prices from 40€. Full discretion. Tel: Ana 865 646 437 ELEGANT slim, sexy, naughty italian lady available home/house visits. Torrevieja, La Manga, Torre Pacheco & Mazarron, Quesada plus all other areas. Escort available home & house visits. Tel: 693 357 526 Torrevieja, The desire to please and the plaesure to desiring, stunning, tall dutch woman. massge at my beautiful discreet villa in Los balcones tel: 609 418 948, you wont be disappointed, explore your wildest fantasies Mon - Frid 10am - 2pm
Paris is a beautiful Chihuahua cross, she is around 18 months old and was found quite underweight and covered in ticks. She has such a fun, loving nature and is good with other dogs. Call: 645 469 253.
Call: 645 469 253 info@petsinspain.info
www.petsinpain.com
want to know whats in the news?
go online: www. SOLTIMES.com
SOLTIMES march 2015
www.soltimes.com
Call Kate on: 950 121 936 or 902 750 190 Ext 330 or email: sales@soltimes.com
www.soltimes.com property for sale / rent
VERA APARTMENT FOR RENT
SHORT-TERM/HOLIDAY RENTAL
removals Local, National & international REMOVALS & STORAGE Quality Second hand furniture showroom
detatched cortijo reduced
bargain
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. €125,000 649 186 107 oremail thunderpaul2003@hotmail.com
Only 15€ per week!
263 Paseo del Mediterraneo Mojacar Playa, Next to Sal Marina Hotel Mon-Fri: 10am-3pm sat 10am-2pm Tel: 950 615 364 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
beechdale◄►Removals
Personal friendly door 2 door service - very competitve rates spain - uk & return
* * * Storage
Full or part loads
* Europe *
Local Moves
* * Arranged * * Caravans & Motorbikes * * tel brian torrevieja: 965 326 920 or 666 847 648 email: beechdale@hotmail.co.uk
From a parcel to a small house move Professional,Friendly & Caring Fully insured, scheduled monthly door to door service
+44 (0) 1582 499 836 +44 (0) 7977 754 389 Van hire
sat/tv services Rainbow Satellites for all your TV needs with clients all over the Murcia Region. Contact Matt or Alan on 686 358 475 or
rainbowsats@gmail.com spas
ONE WAY
self drive removal service
UK to Spain or Spain to UK
*Local *National *European
* Collection & delivery *Storage *Long & short term available * Wanted UK & Spanish cars & vans bought etc
TEL: 667 235 205
Pick up/drop off locations Throughout UK, France and Spain
To advertise your business here in
SOLTIMES
Tel: Kate 950 121 936
James & Son
Removals / Storage euro spas UK, France & Spain Spas at factory prices.
Used & Ex display models. Spares & repairs. Part exchange Telephone 650 722 905
personalshoppingfromtheUK (Argos,Screwfix,Wickesetc) Pet Transportation & Competitive Rates
0034 627 968 434 0044 7874 638 330 Email: jsinternational@mail.com
Call Kate TODAY on
950 121 936 wigs
Salon Mar ga r e t has 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.
We have a sales position to work in and around the quesada area
newspaper group Do you enjoy a fast paced working environment?
are looking for Bright, enthusiastic sales people
Send your CV to blancasales@soltimes.com or call Paulette on 950 121 936
*
Papers arranged
UK - SPAIN - UK
SOLTIMES
Pets Welcome
uk@fmtransport.co.uk www.fmtransport.co.uk
lineage from only 45c per word Call Kate TODAY on 950 121 936
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
2 BEDROOM, 2 BATHROOM, pENTHOUSE APARTMENT IN VERA PLAYA ALL MOD CONS, BALCONY & ROOF TERRACE OFFERING FANTASTIC VIEWS cALL 663 977 230 EMAIL: gedfab@yahoo.com Vera Playa Apartment
situations vacant
removals
De Lima’s
33
If you have an outgoing personality with bags of enthusiasm & enjoy the pressure of weekly deadlines then we would love to hear from you. Experience is not essential as full trainning will be given
motoring section
Looking for a car
Do you have This size advert is only 15€ vehicle, boat or motor bike for sale
Quality LHD & RHD cars bought & sold all paper work undertaken
To advertise your vehicle in the motoring section & reach over 32,000 readers
Telephone 600 726 221 or
call Kate on 950 121 936
965 687 976
www.fwreurocars.com
Vehicles registration
wanted
“RE-PLATE” MATE
CASH CASH CASH
GB
We pay instant cash same day for cars, vans, bikes, quads, caravans, trailers, absolutley anything!
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Don’t take a chance! Don’t break the Law! Let us take the hassle away from you and re-register your vehicle on to Spanish plates 490€ plus Road Tax plus CO2 emission if applicable WE PROMISE TO BEAT ANY GENUINE QUOTATION For a full service contact:
Alan 662 249 159
www.replatematecostablanca.com
For re-registration of cars, motorbikes and motor homes contact Graham Shelton Who after re-registering over 1000 vehicles will put you on the right side of the road.
605 319 889 or 966 753 375 www.spanish-number-plates.com info@spanish-number-plates.com
Same day collection
From 1€ to 10,000€
Call Phil: 607 848 332
wanted cars for cash
Best prices paid Spanish English Anythingconsidered
tel: Tim on 662 211 993 wanted uk
cars & vans bought for
cash
Telephone
667 235 205
34
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES march 2015
animal corner
To advertise here call : 950 121 936
dilemma of pets in bed
It's a hotly-debated topic in bedrooms everywhere. Studies show pets contribute (a lot) to poor sleep quality but then again....they're just so snuggly. So let's take a look at the bedroom and your pet boundaries. This fantastic piece over at The Atlantic rang a lot of bells. The author cites plenty of stats about just how badly we're actually sleeping when we let our pets "co-sleep." Facts like 63% of people who share their bed with their pet report poor sleep quality according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. And, as everyone knows, poor sleep leads to a litany of problems in your waking hours. Affecting stuff like judgement, mood and potential for injury. Long term effects can even be obesity and heart disease. Eek. So if we're sleeping so badly (and we know why) then why don't we put an end to the nightly dog dance? Simple: we love them. Not so simple is weighing bad sleep quality against the positive effects that most "co-sleeping" pet owners report — thanks to the feelgood chemical oxytocin, cuddling can reduce stress and anxiety. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/
APAH
Space for a little one? V e r y friendly and af fectionate, Keira was rescued by APAH when the homeless man that she was living with moved away from the area and left her on the streets on her own. She is in APAH's kennels, but really deserves a loving home because she is a wonderful dog. To arrange to meet her please call 630 422 563 or 616 210850.
Keira
APAH has lots of beautiful cats and kittens living in its Cattery, many of them have never had a loving home, or have been abandoned by owners who didn’t care enough to keep them safe. To visit the Cattery, please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850
Rogan
Lovely little Emily was rescued with her brother George when they were p u p p i e s . George was lucky to find a home, but APAH are still looking after Emily and hoping for a home for her. To meet her and the other APAH dogs, please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.
Emily
S w e e t natured and af f e c t i o nat e, Lucylou is one of the many cats and kittens being cared for in APAH's Cattery. Most of them have never known what it's like to have a loving home. To arrange to visit them, please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.
Lucylou
www.apahrescue.org
6 week old babies whose Mum is a Papillon mix, they will be small when fully grown, Mum can be seen with her 4 boys and 2 girls who will soon be starting there puppy vaccinations in readiness for adoption. Could you give one of them their forever sofa?
Please contact either by Email lasthopedogrescue@outlook.com or mobile 634 06 540
Cats take over Japanese island A Japanese island which is home to just 22 people is being overrun by cats. The felines were originally brought to the island of Aoshima, off Ehime prefecture, to deal with mice that were damaging fishing boats. But with no predators, their breeding got out of control - and so far the authorities have done little about it. There are now around 120 cats on the island, and only 10 of them have been neutered. The cats have survived by foraging on local crops and food left in rubbish. The island village, which has no shops or hotels, has come to be known as Cat Island and it is drawing crowds from the mainland on twice-daily ferries. At its peak, the island had a population of 900, but this gradually dropped over the past 70 years as young people moved away. Now, with the sudden surge in its popularity, some of the island's inhabitants are worried that their quiet lives are going to be disrupted. One said: "I just hope that (tourism) doesn't become a burden on the people who live here and if so then I don't think it's a problem." Read more: http://web.orange.co.uk/
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
Mountain View
Cat hotel Hondon de las Nieves/Frailes
Centrally-heated houses with large individual runs Love and care will be lavished during your cat’s stay My 29 years of experience in animal and veterinary care will give you piece of mind
Pick up & delivery service offered for coastal areas
Telephone: 966 195 816
Answerphone - we will call back: Mobile 654 155 473
www.mountainviewcathotel.webs.com
SOLTIMES march 2015
www.soltimes.com
Paris For One by Jojo Moyes
book review
I love the idea of Quick Reads, currently 58 titles by well-known authors and more than suitable for beach reading, retailing at £1 is a bargain. If you enjoy a romantic comedy, then you’ll like this one. This one’s for the girls. “She pictured herself and Pete, tangled up in a French hotel bed, gazing out of the window at the Eiffel Tower, holding hands over croissants and coffee in some street café.” Nell Simmons is 26, a sensible and quiet person unless she is with her girlfriends letting her hair down or having a romantic encounter in Paris and then anything can happen! Who knows? She was the type of person who would willingly water your plants if you went on holiday or look after your children if you fancied a night out. She wasn’t the type to run off with anyone’s husband! Completely trustworthy. On the other hand, her mother liked telling people that her daughter wasn’t adventurous or pretty. She added that she wasn’t the type to travel and she wasn’t a spring chicken. Old before her time? A bit unkind. It’s not surprising that Nell probably preferred the ladette culture of drinking, hanging out with the
35
boys and the inevitable hangovers to nurse with Magda, Trish and Sue and their annual weekend in Brighton. Boyfriend Pete, if he could be called that was the unreliable, easy-going guy who had more of a colourful past than Nell. He thrived on adventure and danger and had travelled around the world. In Laos and Kenya he had two narrow escapes but he had survived. Nell wanted to spend a romantic weekend away and Paris was the obvious choice. It was November time, just perfect. Unfortunately, she chose the wrong weekend, the same weekend planned by the girls to visit Brighton. They had visited Brighton every year for six years and so far, no-one had missed it. Until now. Nell broke the news to Magda that Pete was taking her to Paris (even though it was Nell who had paid). Her friends didn’t think much of Pete. In their eyes he was a loser and a pratt. The story begins with an anxious Nell who has been waiting at the station for 30 minutes, feeling worse for wear, worrying that he will not turn up. And of course he doesn’t. A fifth text and a response to say that he is caught up at work and he tells her to go and enjoy
herself. The intention is for him to catch her up later. So, reluctantly she boards the Eurostar, still hopeful that he will turn up and it won’t be a disaster. But there are further complications when Nell reaches the Hotel Bonne Ville to find the room has been double booked and she ends up sparring with a rude American woman who insists on having the last room herself. It soon turns into The World’s Worst Romantic Weekend. Could it get any worse? Fabien is a budding writer earning a living as a waiter, still in a state of despondency after a failed relationship with Sandrine. He had been editing his manuscript for the past 6 months and felt unhappy that his characters were flat and their voices fake. A clumsy accident resulted in the loss of his manuscript and further despondency. A chance meeting or two between Nell and the Frenchman and a 22 minute whistle-stop tour of Paris on a moped taking in the sights of Notre Dame, the Champs-Elysees and the Eiffel Tower provided a necessary distraction for a dejected Nell and the start of a fleeting, romantic encounter. “That was the most bloody
terrifying and absolutely best thing I have ever done in my entire life.” Yet she loved it. The music, the drink, the Parisian atmosphere. It all goes to her head. There are one or two surprises left before Nell returns home looking decidedly more relaxed, happy and confident. In fact, a different person. Full of mischief and joy. “We had one perfect night in Paris. It would be a shame to spoil it.” So what did Nell get up to? What happened to Pete and more importantly, what happened between Nell and Fabien? Find out for yourself…… Publisher: Penguin Random House UK. ISBN: 978-1-4-5-91893-0 REVIEW it by Carol Naylor.
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Oil may last a few years or a few hundred Oil is a child of the fossil fuel age and prices will trend upwards. Solar is a child of the electronics age and prices will trend downwards. years. The sun will last a few billion years. All of the oil coal and gas known to humans has the same energy as 20 days 3kw power Swimming of sunshine reaching earth! 1 x Victron Multiplus 5Kw inverter/Charger 1 x Victron BlueSolar MPPT 150/70 Solar charge controller 4 x 12V/250Ah Deep cycle batteries (48V/250Ah) 12 x 250W Eurener panels (25 Year guarantee @ 80%) 1 x Inox aluminium Mounting frame for 12 panels. Cables, connectors, fuses and breakers. This system is normally 11,495€ installed.
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36
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES march 2015
SOL FEATURE
l a r u t a N Top 10 g n i n a e l C Tips
Shiny Silver Cutlery To clean solid silver cutlery (not plated silver) line a plastic bowl with aluminium foil, shiny side up. Put a mug full of soda crystals in the bowl and add sufficient hot water to immerse the cutlery. Put your rubber gloves on, drop in the cutlery and see the cutlery turn a beautiful bright shade in a couple of minutes. Rinse under a warm tap until no soda remains on them. Buff to a high shine with a dust cloth.
Remove Red Wine Red wine spill on carpet? Douse with soda water then dab with layers of paper towel. Continue until no colour shows on the paper towel.
Shower Solution Limescale deposits around the bath taps and shower head are often something we live with, but are easily cleaned. If your shower head is not removable do not despair. Simply take a plastic bowl, fill it with cheap hot white vinegar (heat it in a saucepan) and immerse the shower head in the bowl. To keep the bowl in place, tape to the shower head using masking tape, this will not spoil the chrome. Leave it for one hour - no longer. Remove the tape and the bowl. The limescale will be loose; some will be in the vinegar. Take an old tooth brush and scrub the shower head. Do not forget to run the shower to remove any excess vinegar. Wipe the outside of the shower head with a wet cloth and buff up using a dry cloth.
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All baths are easily scratched no matter what they are made of. The shine can be ruined if you use an abrasive cleaner and a rough cloth. By using a cream cleaner, specially designed for use in a bath together with a sponge, which is very soft and gentle, your bath will clean up beautifully and maintain its lovely shine and is scratch free.
Freshen Up
When cleaning the toilet bowl, use a paper towel. It’s much more hygienic to throw some scouring powder down the bowl, rub with paper towel until clean, throw the paper towel Top Taps away, flush the loo The same principle applies to all taps. Wrap and hey presto...a paper towel all around areas the base of the clean toilet. taps where the limescale usually gathers. Then add hot vinegar onto the paper towel Laundry Fresh sheets until they are saturated. Follow the Boys in the house? same method used in the previous top for Line their laundry removing limescale from the shower head. baskets with a couple Leave for about an hour, then rinse thoroughly and buff to a shine. This does not work with of sheets of paper taps or showers that are plated - you will ruin towel sprinkled with the plating. tea tree oil to keep nasty smells at bay.
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W i n n i n g Windows When you clean your windows, use 25% vinegar mixed with 75% warm water. Put on your rubber gloves and immerse an old cotton towel in the water. Heavily rub on the windows and then scrunch up a piece of newspaper and use to buff up the windows. If there are any streaks left use a dry cloth to finish off.
SOLTIMES march 2015
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Effective Cleaning A good tip ...if you are cleaning the inside of the windows wipe horizontally. When you clean the outside wipe the window vertically. This is extremely handy for checking any streaks which may have been left. Vertical streaks will be on the outside and horizontal streaks will be on the inside!
Fragrant Fridge
If the little drain at the back of the fridge gets bunged up, take a piece of paper towel, dampen it and roll very tightly to fit into and clean the outlet.
Happy Cleaning!
37
SOL FEATURE
Operation Organize: How to Keep Your Home Sparkling
It’s hard to believe that spring is only a few days away. I hope you’re as excited as I am for sunny skies, spring fashion, and fresh, seasonal produce.
And then there’s spring cleaning… I know I might be the only one who
actually gets excited at the thought of scrubbing and dusting. But even if you’re not as obsessed with organization as I am, spring cleaning doesn’t have to be scary. One of the biggest tips I’ve learned as a lifelong neat freak is that if you keep up
with routine chores on a regular basis, things will never get out of hand. So to make things easy, I decided to put together a simple cleaning chart designed to keep you accountable on a daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal basis.
If you can spend just a few minutes each day tidying up, you will never have to clean like crazy just before guests come over or when you’ve finally reached your limit. http://laurenconrad.com/
A few more tips…
If it’s been a while since you’ve done a deep cleaning, it might be worth paying a professional to come in once just to get you started. After that, you can take over and just maintain the level of cleanliness you started with. If you have pets, babies, or dust allergies, you will want to clean a little more frequently than what is listed in the chart. If it feels like you’re doing laundry too often, splurge on another set of sheets, towels, or socks. If it helps motivate you to actually check things off, frame this list and then use a dry erase marker to check things off on the glass.
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38
SOLTIMES march 2015
SOL SPORT & MOTORING
LA MARINA GOLF SOCIETY
A beautiful morning greeted members and guests on arrival at Alicante golf course. However, for one member it wasn’t such a good start as it took him two hours to locate the course. In defence it was his first trip and, as we all know, the signage isn’t the best. The usual coffee and tostada was provided in a local café as the restaurant was unavailable. The location was quite a sun trap and breakfast was enjoyed while the draw took place.
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES The game was a Stableford competition and, with the exception of one or two players, the scores were below par. The course wasn’t up to its usual standard but it was felt that, once the growing season started in earnest, the works that had been carried out over the last month or so would come to fruition. Results - Nearest the Pin - Hole 3 Tim Ruse, Hole 6 Barry Thorogood, Hole 12 Barry Martin, Hole 17 Steve Warner. Silver Division 35 points Pete Wootton, Gold Division 29 points Tim Ruse. After the uneventful trip home, everyone enjoyed a buffet supplied
by Paolo and Helen at La Marina S p o r t s Centre. The draw was held for the Annual Matchplay Championship amid much heckling. Good natured of course! Our next game is at Alenda on March 19th with a first tee time of 11.20a.m.
Busters Golf Society
For our March game we journeyed from Quesada along the A-7 to Alenda , it was nice to have a shorter drive even though it still takes us around forty minutes to get there , however we are never disappointed with our trip to Alenda where Jose and the staff always make you welcome and this is a nice touch , the weather seems to be brightening up with many of our players wearing shorts , although some of us weren’t convinced and continued to wear trousers , maybe we have acclimatised over the years . The course was in very good condition , the greens were fairly consistent with each other and overall Alenda is still proving a strong test of golf . We returned to the Mini Golf Bar a stones throw from the Quesada arches ( a left at the arches on the way in from the CV 90 gets you there ) for our presentation . As usual we were greeted by Juli who along with the chef had prepared some help your self plates
BRADLEY BREAKERS
of sausage , chips with bread and butter , which was as customary followed by a couple of well served and well kept beers or drinks of your choicce . On to our prizes our N T Ps went to Alan Gifford on the third and the sixteenth , Bill Fantom won the fifth hole and the thirteen was taken by John Rush , each N T P received a sleeve of golf balls that had kindly been donated by Martin Collins , this month we gave prizes out for the better front and back nines these were won by Helen Kinsella on the front nine with twenty points and Phil Harris on the back nine scoring sixteen points , we had two players tying for second place in our competition with thirty four points , both had an equal back nine with twenty points but Larry K won on count back with a better back six , our winner on the day with a very good score of thirty six points was Neil Metcalf I have to say well done Neil , all our winners either had golf balls ( as in the N T P competition ) or received cash , finally the soccer card was won by Stephen Boyle who selected Leeds and our score card draw for none winners on the day was Brian Jones who received the remainder of cash that was left over from our prize fund of the day . April sees us playing at another of our favourite courses , the Seve designed Alicant Campo de Golf , which should have now recovered from its recent hollow tining in early March , this will be the third time that we will be playing for our Busters Annual trophy . Barry Grinsell Busters Golf Society
965 723 270 607 848 332
SOL TIMES
COSTA BLANCA
KATE- : 902 750 190 (EXT: 330) email: blancasales@soltimes.com
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
SOLTIMES march 2015
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39
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40 SOLTIMES march 2015
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GREAT DAY AT COSTA COBRAS RFC FUN DAY
On Saturday Costa Cobras RFC had their first fun day at Daya Vieja sports ground to let people know where and who we are, and also to attract new players of all ages. The weather stayed very kind for us and thanks to all the club members that put a lot of hard work and time into making it a success. A big thank you to all of the people that turned up on the day to support this new rugby club in Daya Vieja and that took part in the training sessions. Also a huge thank you to all the people that donated prizes to the raffle/ tombola to help raise some money for the club, the Post Box Doña Pepa Mobile phone, wasps shirt and wine, Benijófar butchers meat pack, Route 66 breakfast for 2, Adam & Eve items of clothing, Rojales steakhouse wine, Dukes barber voucher for free haircut, Jew’Ella’ry necklace, Nicola nail art equipment, MichaelaTarot card reading, Kim hand made cards & wine, Jamie furniture Rojales bottles of wine, Jilly’s slimming wine, Taberna De Algirfa meal vouchers, Quesada fish & chips voucher, Stan & Ollie’s voucher, Mrs Bling jewellery sets, Mia’s everything 50¢ store puzzles, games & candy floss, The Courier/TKO mugs, Venture Fleet discount voucher for car service and Lucky Pearl eyebrow threading voucher.
We are looking forward to seeing some new members this week training to help to take the club to the next level. All ages, gender and nationalities are welcome, from beginner to experience players, the more the merrier, as we are based on the true traditional ethics of the sport. So come along and join the newest rugby team on the Costa Blanca, also team bonding after training in the nearest bar for a drink and chat, just how rugby should be. The juniors are training on Monday and Wednesday from 18.00-19.30, while the seniors will be training from 20.00-21.30. So get those boots out and come on down to Daya Vieja sports ground and join in the rugby revolution of 2015, with the Rugby World Cup to look forward to as well, get into this great sport. For more information about the club contact myself, Dutch, on 692 767 242 or Robert on 697 286 416. I will also be at the Marjal campsite in Catral on Saturday from 11.00-16.00. Also I am back down at Zoco market on Sunday again from 09.00-13.30, so come on down and find more out about the club and rugby in the area. So for all of your rugby branded clothing and gear including Canterbury casuals and Cotton Traders shirts contact me on the number above.
Tel 902 750 190
The las Salinas winter petanca league
The league played there last matches on Friday 27th february. The winners of the 1st division are Amigos Belgas 1 closely followed by Buccaneers. The 2 nd division was won by Los Bandidos. 2nd place was up for grabs, with 3 teams in contention, Lakeside hellcats grabbed 2nd place. In division 3 Amigos Belgas 2 and Balgul 1 came 1st and 2nd. In division 4 Amigos Belgas 3 finally won the division with Pumas running them a close 2nd. In division 5 Guardamar finished top the league with Dominos McCoys being runners up. In division 6
Rocjauna lions finished top followed by Blagul 2. On March the 1st the league held a mixed doubles competition were 48 mixed couples took part. 1st place went to Jean Francois and Michelle Santiago from Amigos belgas 1. All proceeds from the competition will be going to Caritas at the presentation dinner on the 10th April. We have now got a month off playing petanca, but do not worry the summer league starts in April. Thanks to our sponsors Casas manuel Dominos Bar EDP electric Rapid repairs
Winter Regional Junior and Infantil Swimming Championships 2015
TMGS at Campoamor
With a midday tee time we missed the “fog” of the early morning and enjoyed a bright and for once a windless afternoon. The format of the day was the penultimate round of the “Medal Trophy” competition for our Gold Category Players, and a normal Stableford for the Silver and visitors Categories. The course is in good condition and with the greens being recently treated (made them play a little slower) one might have expected the scores to be high, in fact of the 30 plus competitors only 2 managed to break par although 2 members did manage to share the “2’s” pot. Kjell Aasebo and Hermis Woerdemann made 2’s on the 4th and 15th respectively sharing the €60 being rolled over from last week. The Nearest the pins went to: Hole 4 Gold, Kjell Aasebo, Hole 10: any player J. Rorison, Hole 15: Hermis Woerdemann, Hole 17: Ove In the visitors category, Ove took second place with 30 points while Gun Handeland (Mrs.) secured 1st place for the 2nd week running, Silver category winners were: 4th Alex Goslan 31 pts., 3rd Jim Hagan 32 pts.
2nd John Hillier 34 pts. And 1st was Colin Marsden with 35 points Gold category results: 4th place. Gunnel Thunstrom net 74, Norbert Spaniol net 74, and Joe Dean 74 all being decided by lowest handicap. The winner with a very respectable net 69 was Kjell Aasebo. Photo: Gold category winners Next week we make our monthly visit to La Finca so if you fancy a game visit our website www.tmgs.org or call the match secretary on 966719604 Our associated club de golf El Paraiso are playing La Marquesa on Sunday the 22nd March so if you fancy playing this delightful course book online at www.clubdegolfelparaiso.com or call 661524101
This weekend the best swimmers from the “Communidad of Valencia” came together for the Winter 2015 Regional Championships. A two day event this year hosted by the Municipal Olympic pool, Castellon. Three hundred and ninety eight swimmers from 45 clubs competed over a total of 32 different races, each swimmer having to qualify to swim in a maximum of 4 individual events. This Junior and Infantil Championship was sponsored by Disseny Sport. “Club Natacion Torrevieja” presented three of their swimmers in the Infantil (15- 13yrs)category, Paula Garcia, Elian Del Rio Castillo and Zoe Connolly. The teams weekend saw a mix of successes and disappointments with a nervous start for Paula and Elian in their 400m freestyle races and for Zoe in her 200m Backstroke, although Zoe gained 10th place in her backstroke with a new personal best time. In the following 100m Freestyle it was Paula
who improved her time with Elian and Zoe close to previous bests. Back to the hotel for an overnight rest the team were back in action Sunday morning. First to swim was Zoe in a disappointing 100m Backstroke, placing her 12th, however it was Paula who has an excellent swim in her 50m Freestyle and a new personal best and 9th place. The last races for the team saw new personal best for all three swimmers, Paula and Elian in the 200m Freestyle and Zoe in the 400m medley. Zoe’s swim placed her 6th in the 400m medley. The girls were finally placed 16th out of the 29 clubs with girls racing in the Infantil Category, a good position given only having two swimmers. Well done to all! For more information regarding Torrevieja Swimming Club please contact Rosa 665 454 126, President Felipe on 609 418 776 or Vicki 669 637 015 or by email on info@clubnataciontorrevieja. com