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Property Supplement

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ISSUE 406

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Sean Connery’s wife charged with Spanish property tax fraud

Micheline Roquebrune could face potential £16m fine and two-year jail term if convicted of allegations relating to sale of property in Marbella Sean Connery’s wife has been charged with taking part in an alleged plot to defraud the Spanish treasury of millions of euros in property taxes.

If convicted, Micheline Roquebrune, 86, could face a fine of up to £16m and a jail term of up to two and a half years.

An indictment released by the Marbella state prosecutor shows Roquebrune is accused of taking part in a tax fraud after an investigation uncovered apparent irregularities surrounding the sale in 1998 of Malibu, the couple’s property in Marbella, for €6.4m (£5.6m).

Connery, 85, best known for his James Bond roles, was cleared at the beginning of last

December 2015

year by the long-running investigation, which Spanish officials named Operation Goldfinger.

But prosecutors allege that Roquebrune conspired with lawyers and businessmen to hide profits from the sale. She denies the allegations.

Connery and his wife owned Malibu for several decades before reportedly selling it for €6.4m (£5.6m). The

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property was subsequently demolished and 73 luxury flats built on the site, despite the local authority giving planning permission for only five family homes. The flats allegedly yielded a €53m (£37m) profit.

The prosecution states that Roquebrune was connected to a Spanish company involved in the scheme, called By the Sea, and that together they aided and abetted an operation to defraud the Spanish treasury of nearly £5.5m. It is claimed that she collaborated with lawyers and businessmen to formalise “fictitious legal transactions” that hid the profits related to the sale.

Sean Connery fails to appear in Spanish court A letter will now by sent to Roquebrune in the Bahamas, where she and Connery live, informing her of the court’s decision and ordering her to appoint a defence lawyer.

The trial will take place at a criminal court in Málaga; the date is yet to be set.

Sixteen more defendants are due to be tried next year on related charges, including tax fraud and taking bribes. Among those accused are Julián Muñoz, a former mayor of Marbella, and Juan Antonio Roca, the resort’s former chief planner, who are already in jail for corruption.

Last year the investigating magistrate, Alfredo Mondeja, criticised Connery and Roquebrune for actions that he said had delayed the investigation. He cleared Connery only after the threat of an international arrest warrant forced the actor to submit a 56-page affidavit denying wrongdoing.

Connery’s affidavit came two and a half years after it was requested and three and a half years after he and Roquebrune failed to appear in court in Marbella, where they had been summoned to testify in the case.

Mondeja said at the time: “Although the delays may have harmed the progress of the case, it’s also true that if the suspects had observed the proper rules of conduct, namely a minimum level of cooperation with the judicial authorities, the fate of those suspects would have been clarified more than two years ago.”

Operation Goldfinger was a spin-off from the far larger Operation Malaya investigation into corruption in Marbella. It led to about 50 people being convicted for charges including bribery, property fraud and money laundering. http://www.theguardian.com/

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5,000 join Madrid anti-war protests as France lobbies Spain

Some 5,000 people protested in Madrid on Saturday, wary that joining France in attacks on ISIS strongholds in Syria would once again make the country a target for militants.

Many Spaniards believe the Al-Qaedainspired bomb attacks in the Spanish capital in 2004, which killed 191, came in retaliation for their country's involvement in the Iraq war.

The protests were organized by the collective #NoEnNuestroNombre (#NotInOurName), and were attended by some of the country's leading actors, journalists and politicians.

More than 30,000 people signed the collective's petition condemning both the Paris attacks and retaliatory bombing against Syria.

According to the Publico online newspaper, signatories included leading actors, such as Pilar Bardem, the mother of the Academy Award-winner

Javier Bardem, Alberto San Juan, Juan Diego Botto, and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius on Saturday assured Spaniards that the attacks on ISIS would be followed up by troops on the ground supplied by Arab countries.

3

Biggest contraband tobacco swoop in Spain’s history sees 80 million cigarettes confiscated

SPAIN’S largest-ever contraband cigarette round-up has seen nine people arrested in Jaén, southern Spain and two in Madrid for smuggling 41.5 tonnes of loose tobacco.

This is equivalent to 80 million cigarettes, or four million packets, and had a sale value of €6.6 million.

Most of the illegal goods were sold in the Jaén province area, and were acquired from three tobacco firms – one Polish, one in China and one Spanish.

The tobacco in question was poorquality substance which had not passed the quality control for use as cigarettes

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or rolling tobacco for legal sale, and was destined for herbal products and compost.

It was sold cheaply to the smugglers who packaged it and distributed it at a vastly lower price than in the shops.

This means the 11 accused parties have been charged with offences against public health as well as tax and customs fraud.

The tobacco was mainly sold loose, but on some occasions it was rolled into cigarettes and ‘retailed’ in boxes of 21 for €1 each. thinkspain.com

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Some 5,000 people also protested in London on Saturday against potential British participation in Syria airstrikes, as political momentum mounted to broaden the fight against Islamic State (IS) jihadists.

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EU and Turkey agree 3 billion euro migration deal

A crisis that EU leaders have been unable to solve alone.

The UN expects more than one million refugees to arrive in Europe by the end of the year.

So governments have turned to Turkey, which shares borders with Syria and Iraq.

Ankara is now asking that its long-standing membership application to be sped up.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu pledeged that his government and the EU would “work shoulder to shoulder regarding the refugee crisis.”

Turkey will get some three billion euros to help refugees in return for stemming the flow of migrants to Europe.

Visa-free travel for Turkish citizens to the Schengen zone is also part of the deal if Turkey keeps its promises.

Still reeling from the attacks in Paris, the president of France said

ort

December 2015

tougher border checks are needed.

“There is a need for checks on people who pass through the Turkish territory, and we know that there are foreign fighters who have that intention and who use this route, and secondly there are also terrorists who could infiltrate: we have seen that in attacks in Paris,” said French President François Hollande.”

Officials also agreed that there would be two EU-Turkey summits every year from 2016.

Euronews.com



It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as season starts in Spain

Towns and cities around Spain will be transformed into a winter wonderland this weekend, as they turn on their Christmas lights for the very first time.

Christmas lights



This year, Madrid’s Christmas lights have been designed by famous Spanish designers, Santa Eulalia) in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter. It sells Christmas decorations, who have decorated the city with everything from chandelier-inspired lights to the crib figurines, Christmas trees, sweets and of course the peculiarly Catalan tradition of iconic conical Christmas trees. The lights had their official switching-on on Friday, Christmas crappers (caganers).

November 27th.

November 27th – December 23rd 2015.

Navibus Opening times: Monday to Thursday: 10.30 - 20.30 Visitors can get unmissable views of all the city’s Christmas lights by taking a ride on the Christmas Bus (from December 3rd to January 6th) which leaves every five Friday to Sunday: 10.30 - 21.30 minutes from in front of 30 Calle Serrano near the plaza de Colón.

Sagrada Familia Christmas Fair Price: €2 adults and free for children under seven.

One of the most traditional Christmas markets in Barcelona in the shadow of Gaudí’s towering Sagrada Familia.

Christmas gala Also on Friday, Madrid played host to a Christmas gala in the city’s Plaza Mayor, Nov 28th – Dec 23rd 10am – 9pm which staged a concert including Spanish favourite David Bisbal and Norweigen group Ski resorts open Madcon with their hit “Don’t Worry”. The night will end with the lighting of a giant Many of Spain’s ski resorts open their pistes this weekend, including the most Christmas tree on the square. southerly in Europe, in the Sierra Nevada mountains just outside Granada.

Christmas market Other resorts to open in Spain this weekend include La Molina, Baqueira-Beret and Madrid’s main Christmas market, on the Plaza Mayor, kicks off on November 27th and Formigal in the Pyrenees. is open from 10am - 9.30pm daily.







Nativity scenes

Valencia Christmas market



There will be Christmas cribs set up all around Madrid this year, but one of the city’s most impressive will be installed in the Centro Cibeles and will open to the public on Local craftsmen sell their wares at Valencia’s artisanal Christmas market, held in La Friday. You can check out the opening times here.

Plaza de la Reina near the cathedral. The market opens on Friday 27th November and is open everyday from 10am - 2pm and from 4.30pm - 9pm.

Barcelona Look out for our upcoming What’s on in Spain - December 2015 to find out about lots Christmas markets of other Christmas activities in towns and cities around the country.

Mercardo de Navidad de Santa Lucía, Barcelona’s main Christmas market, takes place in Plaza Nova in front of the spectacular gothic cathedral (Cathedral of Santa Cruz and http://www.thelocal.es/

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Ski slopes open in Sierra Nevada

SKIING season has kicked off already in southern Spain with the slopes of the Sierra Nevada due to open today (Saturday), and money-off deals including free parking to celebrate the start of the winter’s activity.

‘White Saturday’ in Granada means lift passes for just €20, or €18 for young people and €16 for ‘junior’ passes – skiing fans should check for age limits for the lower-priced tickets.

Equipment hire and optional lessons if needed are extra, but as is always the case with Spanish ski resorts compared with the more traditional destinations in Europe, prices for both of these are affordable.

Skiing fans in Spain say the only difference between their home slopes and those further north in Europe is marketing – everyone has heard of resorts in the French Alpes, for example, but nobody outside Spain would realise that you can go skiing a two-hour drive from Valencia or an hour from Madrid, or that the springlike climates of Granada’s beaches are just a short distance by car from the nearest piste.

And the lack of fame Spain’s slopes suffers from has an upside: they are among the cheapest in Europe, meaning anyone who has a spare €40 or so can go for a day out on the ‘white stuff’, or €65 if they include an hour or two’s private lessons where they are beginners,

novices or simply want to hone their techniques.

For those who have their own boots, goggles, helmet, skis and ski poles and does not need lessons just for a day out, the €20 pass is the end of the story – and these can be as little as €15 on the pistes of Teruel, southern Aragón, which is just 90 minutes from Valencia city with the bulk of the journey by motorway.

In Granada, ‘fake snow’ has been spread on slopes where not enough ‘real’ snow has fallen yet, but in most resorts, sufficient snowfall is usually in place before Christmas meaning the season tends to start in mid-December – or a week or so earlier in the event of a cold snap.

The Granada resort includes a cable car which transports skiers from the urbanisation Pradollano to the Borreguiles piste, and the Mirlo Blanco recreation area will also open along with a smaller, restricted area for sledging – wooden sledges can be hired if needed – at the bottom of the El Río piste. thinkspain.com

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spain’s christmas lottery luck

For generations, Christmas in Spain has been inextricably linked to a lottery known as El Gordo (literally, The Fat One) because of its large prizes.

For a few hours on the morning of December 22, millions of people throughout the country tune in to the radio or television to hear students from San Ildefonso school – a former orphanage – sing out the winning numbers. Images of winners uncorking champagne bottles and tearfully embracing one another get aired for days afterwards.

Some people believe that there are numbers at the end of the winning combination that are more likely to come up than others In terms of brand recognition, few companies can compete with the Spanish Christmas lottery, which has been held since the early 19th century.

Besides paying out more than any of the other state lotteries organized throughout the year, the Gordo is picked according to a different mathematical formula.

All the other lotteries are chosen by selecting a number between zero and nine for each of the five digits in the winning ticket, one at a time.

But in the case of the Christmas lottery, the winning five-digit number is picked from 100,000 balls going round in circles inside a giant rotating drum. Yours is in there, as is your neighbor’s, and even that other number you meant to buy from your local bar. They’re all inside, between 00000 and 99999.

There is also a smaller wire basket containing 1,807 tiny wooden balls.

These spheres show the prize money randomly assigned to each number that gets pulled out of the giant drum.

One child pulls out and sings a number, and another child pulls out and sings its corresponding prize money.

It’s easier to understand if we calculate the possibility of winning a specific prize, let’s say, the top one. According to the French 18th-century mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace, who is credited for developing some of the earliest probability theories, the chances of something happening is calculated by dividing the number of favorable cases by the number of possible outcomes.

How many favorable cases are there?

One: El Gordo.

How many possible outcomes are there? 100,000, all the different numbers in the drum.

So the probability of somebody winning the Gordo on the basis of buying one ticket is 1/100000 = 0.00001, which seems reasonable enough, as it’s greater than the chance of winning the weekly lottery known as La Primitiva, but still very slight.

The chances of winning El Gordo are the same as winning the second prize, assuming the two outcomes are mutually exclusive. In other words, if you win El Gordo, you’re not going to win the second prize as well. The same applies to the third, the fourth, and the fifth, along with the rest of the prizes, one for each of the 1,807 balls that are pulled out from the small wire basket.

Besides these big awards, there are consolation prizes for tickets that “look like” the winning number – the ones that come right before and right after, the ones with the same final digit, etc.

Some people will get their investment back. But let’s face it, nobody plays El Gordo to get their money back.

Some people believe that there are numbers at the end of the winning combination that are more likely than others to get picked, saying things such

as “five is the last digit that comes up the most.”

For many people, this is proof that this number has a higher probability of being picked than others, but in fact it’s just proof that until now at least, it is more frequent. Similarly, we shouldn’t think the opposite, that it is unlikely the five will come up because “it’s already been picked several times.”

Games of chance do not “compensate.”

Statistical regression toward the mean is not a causal phenomenon. As there are 10 possible endings to the five-figure winning combination, each digit has a 10-percent probability of occurring.

There is a widely held but mistaken belief, known as the gambler’s fallacy, which states that if something happens more frequently than normal during a given period, it will happen less frequently in the future; or that if something happens less frequently than normal for a while, it will happen more frequently in the future – presumably nature balancing things out. For example, if you are tossing a coin and heads has just come up 10 times in a row, then it’s best to bet on tails.

Wrong. It is probably better to bet on heads because it sounds like the coin is weighted.

Besides these big awards, there are consolation prizes for tickets that “look like” the winning number Others claim that some of the balls tumbling around in the drum weigh more than others due to the numbers etched on them, and are more likely to fall out into the cup. Wrong. They are etched using a laser, and each weighs exactly the same.

Similarly, there is no point standing in line for three hours outside La Manolita, the Madrid lottery seller reputed to have sold more winning tickets than any other. All numbers have the same probability of winning, and if some ticket sellers are associated with luck, that is just the result of good marketing, superstition, or tradition. Obviously, the outlets that sell the most tickets will, over time, have a better chance of producing winners.

Now let’s imagine that you have won El Gordo, worth €4 million. Will you actually receive €4 million? It depends on how much you spent on the ticket.

A whole number costs €200, so if you bought a tenth of a ticket, or a décimo, which most people do, that’s worth a tenth of the €4 million. And if, like many people, you have simply bought a €1 stake in a décimo, then you calculate on the basis of €200 being the equivalent of €4 million, with a €1 stake giving you €20,000.

Which does not sound like a bad investment. But (and there’s always a but), takings of over €2,500 are subject to 20 percent tax for anything over that amount. In other words, if you win El Gordo, €79,500 of the €400,000 will go to the taxman. So a winning décimo will bring you €320,500 after tax.

The Christmas lottery pays out around 70 percent of the value of all tickets sold. The remaining 30 percent goes to the lottery sellers and the state lottery organization, which falls under the remit of the Finance Ministry.

And it is always possible that the winning ticket, the big one, will not be sold, so that the €640 million set aside for that ticket won’t be shared out either, as happened in 1931.

So let’s hope you get lucky and win something, because we’re all getting a share of it anyway.

Elpais.com

TV NEWSLETTER

November 2015

When you read this newsletter we will be into December and the festive season will approach. Spain still does not really get in the “mood” until mid month and I do like that ………. I expect the UK has been “full on” since Halloween. Spain is changing – Leroy Merlin had the decorations out for sale at the start of November – and I expect it will not be long until Spain has the full two month warm up ! Having lived here almost 20 years I remember when Christmas in Spain was very much a religious time and 6th January (3 Kings) was the festivities that had NO commercial mention until after Christmas – how times change !

We at Rainbow Satellites wish all our readers a very happy season and may 2016 bring you all you want ……….

With a special thank you to all our clients.

TV NEWS ……… not really a TV item but I just wanted to mention that the IMF cinema in Torreviega has started showing at least one VOSE (original language) film every night of the week (www.cinesimf.com) ………..

The website only tends to show “todays” screenings but if you go into “COMPRAR ENTRADAS” (buy tickets) you can usually look two weeks ahead and pre buy a ticket – saves queuing and ensures a seat. (Look for VOSE to get the English screening) - Lots of eating places around the cinema …….

Parking for one euro ……… make a night out and see a film on the big screen with the “real cinema feel” an audience gives – it really is the way to see film. I went to see James B in Spectre and really enjoyed it …….. Use it or lose it !

Lots of people have been asking why their FREESAT recording box is doing “odd” things ………. Well it’s because the Satellite Frequency that controls these boxes is now really weak ……… boxes are having problems booting up and then recoding channels not set or not recording or ???? ……… all very odd but due to the weak control frequency. Can you do anything ?……..

Well maybe ……. Firstly we need to visit and ensure the dish alignment is maximised for the required signal …….. this should help to alleviate the problem but may not entirely ……… it will depend on your dish size , make and model along with the LNB and your location ………… but if you are having these problems get us

to look. Then make sure your digibox software is up to date ……….. The website of the box you have will tell you how to do this. We have mainly supplied Manhattans and the latest software is 1.5.3 – just released – the website will tell you how to load it in the digibox or if you want we can do it for a nominal euro5.00 when we are in your area ……… just ask – we can do that dish tweak as well ! (euro 30.00) This problem does NOT apply to SKYPLUS recording boxes ……….

The control frequency for them is now a strong signal. Just on the SKY box subject I have said before but we are still getting clients trying to change the “number” in the box to get it going ……..this is history ! no number change is now required ……… if you have then set it back to 11778,27500,V,2/3 and if the box will not work then you have another problem but it is NOT the number in the Default Frequency box.

However you view your UK TV please always remember that you are not supposed to ! The arguments for watching are another subject but at this time we should not even though we all do ! Some people though think we should and want every channel 24/7 but I have to say we must consider ourselves lucky to view what we do – perhaps BBC HD is not available on a cloudy evening or some other channel goes off line for a few hours ……. All installers try their best to provide the best that’s available but remember that not far west of Lorca NO satellite UK TV is available ……. Just because we are in the EEC there is NO right to watch national TV. Yes its annoying when you miss your favourite programme but that is the way it is down here ……….

Mostly reliable 24/7 TV but not 100%.

Well that’s filled the space for DECEMBER ………… we at Rainbow always welcome any questions you have about TV in Spain (remember to ask about TV availability in a property before you finally buy) – email rainbowsats@gmail.com – phone (0034) 686358475 or have a look at our website www.rainbowsats.org

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December 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens as fans take to the streets in Barcelona

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Stormtroopers took to the streets of Barcelona on Sunday alongside Jedi kights, ewoks, wookies and Darth Vaders during Barcelona's ninth Star Wars parade.

Barcelona was transported to a galaxy far, far away this weekend, as hundreds of Star Wars characters paraded through the city centre in the ninth annual Star Wars Parade.

This year's parade took on an extra sheen of excitement coming mere weeks before the premiere of the latest film in the popular sci-fi saga Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The highly-anticipated Star Wars episode, directed by

J.J Abrams, will be released in Spain on December 18th and will reunite the stars of the original series, including Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, as well as introducing a host of new, young characters.

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The parade - organized by Star Wars Catalunya, a group of fans who enjoy dressing up as characters from the films - ended with a red carpet photo call, allowing members of the public to have their photographs taken with their favourite Star Wars characters. http://www.thelocal.es/

Zara to install iPads in changing rooms as fashion meets technology The Spanish fashion giant is to install iPads in its changing rooms so customers can request clothes to be brought straight to them.

Inditex, the Spanish fashion company that owns Zara, is installing iPads in the changing rooms of the popular fashion store, so customers can receive their last minute requests "as quickly as possible".

The idea - the first such scheme in the world of high-street fashion -

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allows customers to scan their items onto the iPad as soon as they enter the changing room.

They can then request different sizes or ask for an item of clothing to be brought to them that they have chosen at the last minute.

The iPad page will look similar to Zara’s online store, and customers can choose garments in the same way they might if they were buying online, stipulating the size they want.

The item will then be brought to them by a member of staff.

Zara will test the scheme out in one of its biggest stores in Spain, then evaluate the results before deciding if it will roll out the idea across all of its stores worldwide, according to regional newspaper, La Voz de Galicia.

Several Inditex brands have been using the scheme, but so far it has been exclusively used by staff, allowing them to contact each other to request different items, or contact colleagues in different stores.

The changing room tablets are not the only idea that brings new technologies into Inditex’s most popular stores.

The fashion behemoth is planning on installing a self-service till at the Zara store in Marineda, A Coruña in Galicia, where the brand was founded by Amancio Ortega, who recently overtook Bill Gates to become the richest man in the world.

Spain’s fashion brands have been given a high-tech makeover in recent years. Popular high street stores Pull and Bear and Bershka have installed touch screens in their shops, allowing customers to check whether or not an item was out of stock. thelocal.es

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LOOK GOOD FEEL GREAT Tel: 950 121 936 - sales@soltimes.com

What Your Looks Say About Your Health Good looks, good health?

Good health often is reflected in an attractive, youthful appearance. So you might be tempted to blame aging and stress for facial lines, unsightly fingernails, or hair loss when, in fact, these flaws can signal underlying health issues, says integrative medicine specialist Molly M. Roberts, MD, of the Institute for Health & Healing, in San Francisco, and president of the American Holistic Medical Association.

"It'll start by whispering, then it'll start talking, and, if you don't pay attention, it'll start yelling and shouting, and then you've got an illness,” she says.

Here are some physical signs that trouble may be lurking beneath the skin's surface.

Swollen feet Shoes too snug? Many conditions, including sprains, strains, injuries, and infections, can cause feet and ankles to balloon.

Pregnancy, obesity, and certain medications may cause fluid retention in the lower extremities.

So can certain diseases. If you're one of the 5 million Americans with heart failure, you may be retaining fluid because of your heart’s poor pumping action. Swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet is a classic symptom of this condition.

Tired eyes Bags and dark circles under the eyes are typically a telltale sign of one too many late nights (and not enough sleeping in). But if you’re getting plenty of shut-eye and still can’t shake the basset-hound look, you might want to take a look at your diet.

Eye bags and puffiness are caused by fluid buildup in the thin, loose skin that sits below your bottom eyelid.

Lots of things—from allergies to crying jags—can cause fluid to accumulate there, but one of the main culprits is eating too much salt. High-sodium foods promote water retention throughout the body, and the sensitive undereye area is no exception.

Dry skin Everyone experiences dry skin from time to time.

Usually it’s a minor nuisance caused by wintry air or overly hot showers, but in some cases parched, brittle skin is a sign of dehydration or serious health problems.

Hypothyroidism and diabetes can both leach moisture from the skin, for instance, as can nutrient deficiencies associated with a poor diet or eating disorders.

Atherosclerosis, the narrowing of arteries that leads to heart disease, can affect skin as well—especially on the feet, legs, and shins. If the tiny arteries that carry blood to the extremities become blocked, they can deprive the skin of oxygen, producing dry, shiny patches.

Body hair Hair where you don’t want it is embarrassing for sure, but it also can be a sign of more concerning health problems.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of increased hair growth in women of childbearing age, can cause infertility and infrequent, irregular, or absent periods. More than 70% of women with PCOS have

hirsutism, or excess hair growth, typically appearing on the face, chest, stomach, back, hands, or feet.

Wrinkles Although wrinkles are inevitable, they also may be a sign of osteoporosis.

Is your furrowed brow and grooved mouth ratting out your bones? Surprising new research reveals an association between wrinkles and bone health in earlymenopausal women.

The worse the wrinkling, the greater the risk of lower bone density. Most wrinkles are the result of aging, but excessive exposure to cigarette smoke or the sun can speed the process.

Hair loss Eek! What should you make of that glob of hair at the bottom of the shower? Pregnancy, stress, disease, medications, and changes in hormones all can contribute to hair loss.

Among women in particular, dry, thinning hair may be a sign of an underactive or overactive thyroid. A simple blood test can check whether the body is making normal amounts of thyroid hormone.

Facial flush You might look red in the face, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Facial redness with acne-like skin sores are common symptoms of rosacea, a chronic skin condition.

Although the exact cause is not known, people with rosacea appear red and flushed in the face due to blood-vessel enlargement. Over time, bumps and pimples may form and the nose may grow bulbous.

Cracked lips Your lips can say a lot about your health. Severely cracked, dry lips may be a reaction to medication, an occupational hazard (if you’re a brass musician), or a symptom of allergy, infection, or other conditions.

Cracking at the corners of the mouth may be a symptom of Sjögren’s (pronounced SHOW-grens) syndrome, an immune system disorder. Sjögren’s causes dry eyes and dry mouth, as well as joint pain and dry skin. As many as 4 million Americans—mostly women—have

this condition.

A foul mouth Bad teeth and gums aren’t just signs of poor oral hygiene. Your mouth could be saying nasty things about your heart and bones.

In 2010, Scottish researchers reporting in the British Medical Journal found that tooth brushing lowers the risk of heart disease. Compared with twicea-day brushers, people who brushed less frequently had a 70% greater risk of heart disease or death from heart disease. Tooth loss also can signal osteoporosis. Missing teeth may mean jawbone density can no longer support a mouthful of pearly whites.

Large hands and feet You would worry, and rightly so, if a loved one developed a protruding jaw, a prominent forehead, and outof-proportion hands and feet. All are classic signs of acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that occurs in adults when the pituitary gland makes too much growth hormone.

But would you notice the person’s change in appearance? Because it’s such a rare disorder—and because changes in bone and soft tissue occur slowly over time—it doesn’t dawn on people and often goes undetected, says Andrea Utz, MD, PhD, director of the Vanderbilt Pituitary Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Dark skin patches A ring of dark skin at the back of the neck may look like it's crying out for a good scrubbing. But in reality, it may be acanthosis nigricans, a condition in which the skin appears darker and thicker—even velvety—along body creases.

People with insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity or, in rare cases, cancer, can develop these dark patches.

Although not a definitive sign of diabetes, “It makes you think twice and do more workup,” says Heather Jones, a nurse practitioner at Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland, and a member of the Dermatology Nurses Association board of directors.

Butterfly rash A rash is like a red flag. It’s your body’s way of saying that something is not right.

There are all kinds of rashes, of course, but one in particular stands out. It stretches across both cheeks in the shape of a butterfly and has a sunburn-like appearance. This rash is a classic symptom of lupus, an immune-system disorder that affects the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys.

Pitted nails Nails that are pitted, deformed, or discolored (yellowbrown), or nails that thicken or separate from the nail bed, can point to many health problems.

Nail changes are common in people with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and alopecia areata http://www.health.com/

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

Do you need help washing / dressing or supervision?

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

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

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December 2015

home & garden

Contact 950 121 936 or email sales@soltimes.com to Advertise in this section

The colored stucco on this fireplace is an example of an iconic Spanish element.

Spanish Garden Design Tips Eight dos and don'ts for designing outdoors in the Spanish style The Spanish landscape is a study in contrasts. Boldly colored glazed tiles are set against the sun-baked terra cotta of Saltillo pavers, while vivid plantings mingle with weathered iron and stone. These contrasts bring a lively sense of timelessness to the Spanish design style.

Sandy Koepke, a garden designer and interior designer near Los Angeles, CA, has been creating beautiful outdoor rooms and garden spaces for over 15 years. Her bold and eclectic approach suits the Spanish landscape perfectly, and here she shares her professional tips for getting this look.

Do’s: Do choose iconic Spanish elements such as white or colored stucco, Saltillo pavers, colored tile and iron work. These are the common threads that help your landscaping fit in with the Spanish style of architecture.

Do choose bold paint colors for the outdoors. While most people choose quiet colors for the interior, the garden is a place to play with stronger colors. Because there's no ceiling reflecting the color back at you, bright colors can enliven an outdoor space without overwhelming it.

Do embellish concrete patios and pathways to give them personality. Adding a meandering line of river rock or repeating elements like tile within the concrete can make even your pathways an artistic part of the décor.

Do connect every plant to a drip irrigation system.

In a hot landscape, a drip irrigation system is an easy way of making sure each plant and pot is getting just the right amount of water, with no waste.

The timeless beauty of an antique iron grate will bring an enduring charm to a Spanish-style landscape.

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Don'ts: Don't be shy in choosing one-of-a-kind found objects for your landscaping.

Antique stores and salvage shops can be a great source for unusual items, and the timeless beauty of an antique iron grate or a lamp with a patina brings an enduring charm to your Spanish-style landscape.

Don't throw away stone, brick or concrete that's already on your property.

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start by thinking about how you'll use the space. One of the key considerations is examining what's happening inside the house. For example, if you have a small dining room, you may like to open it up by adding sliding glass doors and creating a courtyard garden to improve the look and usefulness of your space. "By expanding your room to include an outdoor view, you can create a whole new living area," explains Koepke.

Koepke's also a big fan of leaving room for serendipity to happen. While an overall plan is critical to making sure you have an attractive and useful space, be flexible enough for the plan and décor to evolve during installation and after. You never know when you or your designer will find the perfect plant, cushion or fountain to highlight your new outdoor space. http://www.landscapingnetwork.com/

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You can construct attractive knee walls, terraces or pathways with salvaged materials. Not only does re-using materials save money, it also provides a unique character and sense of history in your garden.

Don't be afraid to overplant succulents and perennial flowers for a full look right away. Planting groundcovering plants in this way helps hold down weeds, and if you end up planting too many, you can easily remove a few later.

Don't feel that every piece must be authentic to a period or style of architecture. To create a feeling of continuity throughout the landscape, Reforms Koepke suggests repeating Architectural Service & Plans colors or materials. "Have Painting fun and be playful!" says Construction & Maintenance Decorating Koepke. Mixing styles and Legally registered family business Interior Design regions lets you explore Quality workmanship guaranteed Tiling, Flagging, Electrics, Plumbing, Swimming pools, your personality and leads teddybearbuilders@yahoo.com Aluminuim, Key-holding & Maintenance to an artistic, interesting space. In any landscape, 680 851 376 616 214 713 Koepke advises that you

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December 2015

Hello and welcome to CanDu Computer Bytes, Your Only Stop for solutions to Your computer problems. Today’s Topic is “What are ‘Potentially Unwanted Programs’”?

statements at to their real purpose, into installing them! Why, then, would anyone what to try to deceive, coerce or manipulate you into putting these things on your computer?

Simply put, Money! Their purpose is to re-direct you to sites where You can buy whatever They are selling. Every time someone lands on these sites, the PUP creator GET’S PAID! Now here is the annoying part. This is all completely legal! Blocking such an application and labelling it “malware” would open up a company to lawsuits — at least, that appears to be the feeling across the industry. Antivirus companies like Avira have even been sued just for labelling software programs like these as “potentially unwanted programs.” Avira won that particular lawsuit, but they might have lost had they gone farther and labelled that program flat-out malware.

By classifying these programs as just “potentially unwanted programs,” antimalware software creators are attempting to shield themselves from legal action while detecting software most people don’t want on their computers.

What EXACTLY do PUP’s do? Well, Malwarebytes offers a list of behaviors that will cause Malwarebytes to flag a software program as a PUP. 1. Advertising that obstructs content or interferes with web browsing, 2. Pop-up windows, 3.

Pop-under windows, 4. Search engine hijacking, 5. Home page hijacking, 6.

Toolbars with no value for the user, 7.

Redirecting competitors’ websites, 8.

Altering search results, 9. Replacing ads on web pages — these are all actions that will cause a program to be flagged as a PUP. You can, of course, remove any and all of these problems but should need it to be done professionally – I’m here for You! Meet me at Olivers Bar in Albox on Friday´s 1200-1600 for free advice concerning your computer. To arrange an appointment for another time or place use the Email address or phone number below.

I think that it would be fair to tell you what they are not! Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP’s) are NOT Viruses and they are NOT Malware (at least not in the true sense of the word). Malware is a type of malicious software that infects your computer without your permission. Nor are they a cuddly creature that “chews the slippers” and “poo’s on the carpet”.

Almost every Anti-Malware program will find and highlight them when they detect “potentially unwanted programs” you might want to remove. People call PUPs many other names, including “adware” and “crapware.” You almost certainly don’t want these programs on your computer, but they’re categorized differently for legal reasons.

“Potentially unwanted programs” often arrive bundled with other software and often have an “End User Licence Agreement” you probably clicked right through. PUP developers can argue their programs aren’t malware. So! What are they? The quick answer is that “potentially unwanted program” isn’t the best name.

Instead, these programs should really be called “almost certainly unwanted programs.” In fact, if someone does want one of these “potentially unwanted programs” installed, there’s a good chance that person doesn’t fully understand what that program is doing on their computer!

These are programs which don’t really do anything good for you. For example, Toolbars that clutter your browser and your system slowing it down, track your web browsing to figure out which is the ‘best’ website to send you to, show additional advertisements and clutter the system to you are “potentially unwanted programs.”. These programs do absolutely nothing good on your computer (did I mention that?)

The key difference is how a potentially unwanted program arrives. “Malware” is malicious software that arrives WITHOUT your express permission. “PUP’s” are programs that arrive along with a Licence For further information or advice on Agreement that computing,contact Trevor on 689 892 745 or tricks you, usually canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk with misleading

El Refugio - Almeria City Almeria City isn’t just an airport; though most just land and scuttle off to their homes or holiday destinations without wondering about what else is on offer. The City has a beautiful old quarter with excellent restaurants, tapas bars, art galleries and museums. Stunning architecture abounds, topped by the Moorish Alcazaba towering above the city.

The Paseo de Almeria is a broad tree lined boulevard; running from the port to Plaza Purchena; it’s filled with chain stores and boutiques. It’s the commercial hub of the city with some curious black news stand kiosks dotted along the way.

Another world however lies hidden the surface and the kiosks have trap doors leading 3metres and deeper below ground. At Plaza Purchena for the grand sum of 2€ the intrepid can learn more.

The entrance to El Refugio is a modern glass building with a suspended glass floor so the foundations of ancient Moorish walls can be seen. Here the story unfolds firstly via a short film,

interviews with now elderly locals tell the story of how when the Civil War erupted in 1936, the city council along with help from the Republican Government set about designing and constructing an air raid shelter large enough to hold 40,000 people.

During the war German, Italian and Nationalists conducted 52 bombing raids, the most devastating of which killed 40, injured 150 and destroyed 200 buildings.

The original staircase leads down beneath the glass building to a passageway some 1.3 metres wide with a bench running along one side. Supposedly there were 101 of these exits but only 67 have been discovered.

The passageway is one of many feeder passages into the main tunnel that extends the whole length of the Paseo de Almeria; the main tunnel is 2m wide with benches each side and extends about a kilometre towards the port. Originally they were dirt floors with smoking prohibited. A generator provided light and there was a system

Amazon Delivery Drone Can Travel 15 Miles Amazon's new delivery drone is a cross between a plane and a helicopter, and can avoid obstacles to drop off packages.

Amazon has unveiled a new hybrid delivery drone that can travel up to 15 miles at high speed.

In a new video released by the online retail giant, one of its drones is seen landing on a designated spot in someone's back garden.

A flap underneath the drone opens up, and a package is deposited on the lawn.

Amazon says the drone can fly around obstacles thanks to built-in safety features - an attempt to appease regulators who are generally resistant to the idea of drone delivery.

The prototype is an octocopter, meaning it has eight propellers allowing it to take off and land vertically like a helicopter.

It also has wings and a pusher motor so once it reaches the recommended altitude of 400ft it can travel like a plane.

This gives it the 15-mile range which Amazon hopes could revolutionise delivery.

In a promotional video, Jeremy Clarkson outlines how the ambition is for packages to be delivered within 30 minutes.

Customers will receive a message when the drone is hovering overhead, so they can prepare for the arrival of the package.

Draft regulations drawn up by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) say that flying beyond the line of sight is not permitted.

However Amazon says semi-autonomous flight in designated air corridors is the only way its system could work.- Sky News

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

for pumping clean air in.

Directly beneath the city market is a much deeper section that served as the food store; in case of a prolonged bombardment supplies could easily be moved below. Along with street entrances there were also entrances in private homes and churches. A black flag was put outside for easy recognition.

The designer of the tunnels; architect William Rubio had one such entrance at his home for the public plus he built an extra gallery so his family had some private space. Other wealthy families also did this.

When Malaga fell to the Nationalists/ fascists in 1937, 50,000 refugees fled on foot towards Almeria. This gave the German Luftwaffe or Condor Legion a chance to practice their strafing techniques.

The unarmed civilians were killed and injured in their hundreds. In response El Refugio had another section built containing an operating

theatre; it can still be seen today.

After the Civil War ended in 1939, the tunnels remained open in case Spain was drawn into WWII. Then in 1945 the entrances were sealed and some entrances were covered by the aforementioned kiosks. In 2001the tunnels were rediscovered by accident during the construction of an underground car park. The city started renovations aiming to open in time for the Mediterranean games in 2005. Instead they opened the next year in 2006, being now the City’s third most popular tourist attraction.

Booking is advisable as due to space constraints only a maximum of 25 people are allowed on each of the 4 daily tours. Almeria – not just an airport!

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December 2015

December & Christmas In Spain

The month of December in Spain is a deeply religious time, full of days of remembrance and celebrations that continue through to January. Here is a guide to the most important religious days to mark on your Calendar and their meanings to the Spanish community.

December 8th - Immaculate Conception

Observed world-wide by Christians and in particular Catholics, the Feast of Immaculate Conception celebrates the belief that Mary was born without sin and chosen to be the mother of Jesus. Spain marks this occasion with a National Holiday and religious services throughout the day.

December 22nd - Lotería de Navidad

The unofficial start to the Spanish Christmas, the Christmas Lottery better known as El Gordo or the big one, marks a celebration of economic good fortune.

While not religious, most Spaniards will associate the draw with the beginning of festivities.

December 24th Christmas Eve & 25th Christmas Day

Many Spaniards will have their main Christmas meal on the 24th before going to midnight mass, ‘La Misa Del Gallo’ -The mass of the Rooster which takes its title from the belief that a rooster crowed the night that Jesus was born.

After the service, Spaniards will walk through the streets carrying torches and playing music, celebrating a night that is too good and not meant for sleeping ‘Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no Es noche de dormir’ While some children will open presents brought to them by Papa Noel on Christmas Day, it is traditionally a day of quiet reflection and recovery from the festivities of the night before. Papa Noel or Father Christmas is a relatively modern addition to the Spanish Christmas.

December 28th- ‘Día de los santos inocentes’ Day of the Innocent Saints

A day of mischief much like April Fool’s Day, December 28th is a day where people attempt to trick someone, labeling them ‘innocent’ if they succeed. The most common prank for is for children to stick a paper cut out on a person’s back. While the day is playful the origin is darker and is a day to remember the babies that were killed by King Herod’s orders in his attempt to slay the baby Jesus.

31st December- New Years Eve, ‘Nochevieja’ The Old Night

While not religious in nature, Spaniards take this celebration seriously, with the consumption of 12 grapes at midnight. The grapes signify the months of the coming year and bring luck when eaten with the strokes of the clock.

6th January- The Epiphany

The twelfth night after Christmas, the Epiphany is the traditional Spanish Christmas celebration. Locally known as ‘Fiesta de Los tres Reyes Mages’, the festival of the three Magic Kings. On the 26th December children will write to the Kings and ask for their gifts. On the Eve of the Epiphany, shoes are left under the tree or on balconies, filled with grains for the Camels and glasses of Cognac for the Kings to be replaced with treats and presents for the children, and sometimes even a sugar lump of coal for a child that has been naughty. Most larger towns or cities will celebrate the Epiphany Eve with a parades featuring the three kings, often with real camels. It is also tradition to purchase the Roscón de Reyes, the round cake, on the 5th, to eat on the 6th for breakfast.

The Three Kings in the Spanish Epiphany are: Gaspar, who has brown hair and a brown beard, wears a green cloak and a gold crown with green jewels on it. He is the King of Sheba. Gaspar represents the Frankincense brought to Jesus.

Melchior, who has long white hair and a white beard and wears a gold cloak. He is the King of Arabia.

Melchior represents the Gold brought to Jesus.

Balthazar, who has black skin and a black beard and wears a purple cloak. He is the King of Tarse and Egypt. Balthazar represents the gift of Myrrh that was brought to Jesus.

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17

SOLTIMES PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT

Your Local PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT ON THE COSTAS!!!!

LOOKING TO BUY OR RENT? FIND YOUR DREAM HOME INSIDE! 23.8 million € is to complete the AVE to Murcia and 425,000 € to cover the maintenance of Corvera Airport.

Councillor Bernabé highlighted in the regional assembly that his department will offer next year ‘a decisive impulse for the large strategic projects in the region’.

Infrastructures, Francisco Bernabé, informed yesterday the Budgetary, Treasury and Economy Commission in the Regional Assembly, that his department will have for the next year 165.3 million €, 28.3 million more than this year, which supposes an increase of 20.5%.

According to the councillor, 82% will go to investments in the region, highlighting the AVE, Corvera airport and the execution of projects such as the Murcia Logistics and Activities Zone and the development of the Mar Menor Integrated Territory Initiative.

Of the 23.8 million for the AVE; this The Concierge for Development and Infrastructures set the budget for next would be split into two sections. One part will go for 13.8 million to the year at 23.8 million € for the tunnelling for the AVE to Murcia and 425,000 track in Santiago el Mayor, and the other ten million for la Senda de los € to maintain the deserted Corvera Garres.

International Airport previous to the The sum of 425,000 € is little for the new adjudication and later opening.

The councillor for Development and maintenance of the disused airport,

but the councillor reminded the chamber that the Regional Government had won the lawsuit from Aeromur for the possession of the airport, and while they is no new public tender for the infrastructure, which will be published in the first quarter of 2016 and then adjudicated, ‘we will need money to maintain the installations, care for them, watch over them as part of security costs. The technicians of the Concierge had elaborated a budget of 500,000 € for the airport to be returned to perfect condition which can be placed as part of the adjudication next year’. -typicalllyspanish.com

18

Home Buyers Still Demanding Big Discounts

Those interested in buying a home in Spain are still requesting discounts of 20% on average off of the initial sale price, according to data from idealista.com, who indicated that in the month of October the average discount requested reached 20.8%, which is slightly lower than the same month of the previous year.

This data is calculated from 22,000 bids made on homes advertised on their property portal in the month, through a tool developed by the company itself, which contains more than 2.1 million bids submitted by potential home buyers to sellers since January 2010.

By region, the greatest discounts requested by home

detatched cortijo reduced

December 2015

buyers was in La Rioja, where they demanded, on average, a 26% discount on the sellers’ asking price, followed by Castilla y León (23.4%), Galicia (23%), the Canary Islands (22.5%) and Catalonia (22.3%).

In contrast, Madrid is the region where the average discount requested by buyers was lowest, at 16.6%, followed by Navarra (18.1%), Asturias (19.1%) and the Basque Country (19.2%).

El Economista reported that, in the l a r g e r cities, the

bargain

discounts requested by home buyers were at a similar level, with offers in Valencia being 19.4% less than the asking price; Madrid, 19.2% less; Barcelona and Sevilla, 18.8% less, and Zaragoza, 17.4% less.

In the other Spanish capitals, the biggest discounts were requested in Zamora (31%), followed by Logroño (28.3%) and Cuenca (28.3%), while the more modest reductions were sought after by home buyers in Cáceres (11.4%) and Cádiz (11.6%). kyero.com

€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

VERA APARTMENT FOR RENT SHORT-TERM/HOLIDAY RENTAL

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

Focusing on smaller area to give our clients a better service.

NEW BUSINESS? 2 WAYS TO ADVERTISE RING 950 121 936 OR EMAIL YOUR ADVERT TO blancasales@soltimes.com

Voss Homes would like to thank our property sellers, buyers & friends for their loyalty and support.

LOOKING FORWARD TO A BUSY 2016

VH264 - CORTIJO ROSA - €149,000

To be shown on Channel 4´s A Place in the Sun in December.

A large, full of character 5 bed, 2 bath family home or potential B&B with workshop / studio, walking distance to a village with amenities & main road access.

Large 900m2 garden with room for a pool.

5 mins drive to Huercal-Overa.

For more information and to arrange a viewing contact us asap.

Please call 0034 950 616 827 / 0034 678 002 006 / 0034 667 891 741 or email: info@vosshomesspain.com

www.vosshomesspain.com

Office: 155a Carrerera Estacion, Huecal-Overa. 1km off the A7 motorway at exit 553. 100metres from Lidl.

www.soltimes.com

COMPLETE HOLIDAY HOLIDAY CARE CARE COMPLETE MOJACAR PLAYA

RENTALS - SALES -MANAGEMENT - MAINTENANCE

We urgently need more properties for sale & rental for waiting clients

19

CAMPING LOS GALLARDOS

MOBILE HOMES for sale or rent

Properties of the week

Ref: LBL/GC - fantastic 2 bed/2 bath, duplex

Ref: ZD/MD – Studio apartment, fantastic sea &

, sea views, 250m to beach, popular complex near

mountain views, only 2 mins walk to Mojacar Pueblo,

centre of Mojacar Playa, pool & gardens, terraces, a/c.

main square, recently refurbished, terrace, parking.

MOJACAR - REDUCED - €159.950

MOJACAR - €43,000

RENTAL Ref LP/CP - FOR RENT – 2 bed/1 bath, furnished ground floor apartment, garage space, pool, terrace, a/c, pets allowed, 450m to beach.

MOJACAR – NEW 400€/MONTH

Ref. LTT/MN - Lovely 3 bed/2 bath apartment in centre

of Turre, near shops/services, rooftop pool w/mountain views, a/c, 10mins to Mojacar, Vera & Garrucha TURRE – €79,950

Paseo del Mediterraneo 19, Mojacar Playa, Almeria (near the Hotel Best Indalo) Tel: 950 478 612 / 610 808 631 

info@almeriaholidays.com

Fully equipped mobile home on secure site with a/c, and TV with UK channels. Only £22.500. Site has bowling green, bar / restaurant, top entertainment, supermarket, laundry & swimming pool.

Why not book for one of our Special weekend breaks to" try before you buy!" from 95€ inc Saturday entertainment & Sunday carvery

VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY phone Shirley 679970399

www.almeriaholidays.com

www.immo-carlos.com email: info@immo-carlos.com Address: La Plaza Nueva, No 10, Albox (Opposite the Donkey Statue)

Office: 950 102 191 • Carlos: 648 505 938 • Gavin: 671 293 942

SOLD

LIMARIA

SOLD

149,000€ CERRO GORDO 189,000€ ALBANCHEZ

UNDER OFFER UNDER OFFER

ALBOX

SOLD

189,000€ ALBOX

115,000€ LIMARIA

UNDER OFFER

129,950€ ARBOLEAS

UNDER OFFER

180,000€

UNDER OFFER

169,000€ PARTALOA

198,000€

We are looking for more properties due to an increase in both British and Belgium clients.

We have lots of customers looking! So please contact us if you want to sell.

20

SOL Y MAR

Avenida 28 de Febrero Nº 44, Albox ew N Listing

FANTASTIC VALUE FOR MONEY El MARGEN NEAR ORIA SM033 - 60000€

Traditional semi detached cortijo , recently refurbished features 3 bed , 2 bath , 400m2 of land to the front , side courtyard and logburner Lovely village setting with stunning views

ew N Listing

IDYLLIC SETTING TABERNO sm002 - 139,950€

Traditional restored detatched cortijo in an idyllic setting with fantastic views.

Features 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms and part AC

Email: info@solymarspain.com www.solymarspain.com BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED NEAR ALMANZORA sol726 - 89995€

Lovely attached country cortijo , features 3 bed , 1 bath and is only a short drive to the market town of Arboleas

Restored mid terrace cortijo .Features 1000m2 of land, private courtyard , 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

ew N Listing

Stunning inside detached cortijo with many unique and quirky features Features 3 bed, 2 bath, part AC and woodburner , walking distance to village amenities

Beautiful detached 3 bed , 2 bath villa located in a tranquil setting only 3 minutes from the local village

Tel: 950 064 584 609 199 394

COUNTRY CORTIJO ARBOLEAS sol091 - 62,000€

UNIQUE AND QUIRKY NEAR TIJOLA sm032 - 99,950€

STUNNING SETTING ALMANZORA sol150 - 119,000€

December 2015

SEPERATE APARTMENT ARROYA ALBANCHEZ sm007 - 116,000€

Traditional attached 3 bed 2 bath cortijo in idyllic setting . Features separate apartment , solar heating and swimming pool

ew N Listing

Traditional Spanish House near albox sm024 - 119,950€

Traditional semi-detached Spanish house with lots of character. Features internal courtyard, idyllic setting and 5 bedrooms plus 3 cave rooms, 2 bath & short drive to Albox

ew N Listing

SUPERB FAMILY HOME sm016 - 159,950€

Detached modern villa featuring 3 bed , 2 bath, games room , central heating throughout and swimming pool

ew N Listing

Near CANTORIA SM030 - 120,000€

2

3 Bed,2 bath detached family home .950M plot. 10 Mins walk to Cantoria

ew N Listing

FORMER MILLHOUSE ARBOLEAS sm015 - 165,000€

Former Millhouse converted to 2 houses in tranquil setting. Features 6 beds, 3 baths, swimming pool and many original features

21

www.soltimes.com

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK ew N Listing

RAMBLA DE ORIA SM031 -NEAR ALBOX ABSOLUTELY STUNNING VIEWS 4 BED 3 BATH SWIMMING POOL SEPERATE GARAGE AND GUEST ANNEXE 8000M2 OF LAND EDGE OF MOUNTAIN SETTING 169,000€

WE URGENTLY REQUIRE LEGAL PROPERTIES FROM COAST TO COUNTRY WE ARE LOOKING FOR ALL TYPES OF PROPERTIES FOR RENTAL OPPORTUNITIES. CLIENTS WAITING CALL US 950 064 584 REDUCED PRICE SERON COUNTRY HOME S0l516 - 165000€

SOL Y MAR

RENTAL SECTION

RENTAL OF THE WEEK

2 BED MANY ORIGINAL FEATURES FURNISHED WALKING DISTANCE TO LOCAL BAR CLOSE TO ALBOX

Stunning 4 bedroom , 2 bath country home .Features swimming pool, Jacuzzi, underfloor heating and security system

ew N Listing

RSM010- Nr ALbox

DETACHED TOWNHOUSE CANTORIA TOWN CENTRE sm009 - 186,500€

350€ PCM

IMMACULATE ATTIC CONVERSION CLOSE TO aLBOX RSM002 - 200€ pcm

COUNTRY CORTIJO CLOSE TO aLBOX RSM004 - 325€ pcm

Separate one bed fully self contained attic of Spanish cortijo. Fully furnished with many traditional features.

3 bed semi attached cortijo with small courtyard and roof terrace Comes fully furnished, in a secluded tranquil setting and only 20 mins from Albox

Detached 6 bed , 2 bath , 3 storey house on the edge of town. Easy walk to Cantoria , fully insulated roof , enclosed patio and roof terrace

STUNNING COUNTRY HOME sol307 - 299,999€

This amazing villa overlooks the village of Urracal Features 4 bedrooms with dressing room , swimming pool and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains

STUNNING SETTING MAR620 - 350€ pcm

IMMACULATE VILLA Near aLBOX MAR907 - 450€ pcm

IDYLLIC SETTING BAJO SALIENTE NEAR ALBOX RSM011 - 450€ pcm

Traditional cortijo , beautifully restored .Features 3 bed , 2 bath , logburner, stunning views and only a short drive to Oria

Modern detached villa features 3 beds , 2 baths , swimming pool and tranquil setting with stunning views

Detached home on 1200m2 plot , features 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms , large garage, terrace area and stunning views .

22

December 2015

Tel: 607 705 085 or 687 938 466

O Olive

Email: info@olivehouse-es.com

www.olivehouse-es.com

Monday - Friday 10am - 3.30pm

Sales office now open in Bedar

OLV1039

SORBAS

In the middle of the pretty little village of Las Perales is a one level cortijo which has been totally restored.

The property is walled and gated with outside space and the possibility of buying an adjacent piece of land at a very reasonable price - this would make a fabulous garden. Great price for a quick sale.

NOW ONLY 59,950 Euros

OLV1002

one of Mojacars longest established Estate Agents

Bedar, 04288 (next to Miramar Restaurant)

Lubrin

Located in a small hamlet outside Lubrin is this great village property for renovation. It could easily have 3/4 bedroom and has a corner plot. The village is quiet and the house has many original features – NEW TO THE MARKET

ONLY 27,950 Euros

Paseo Del Mediterraneo 201 Edif Guardias Viejas, Local 2a

...it’s all in the detail

OLV1043

BEDAR

Located in the picturesque village of Bedar these new 2 bedroom apartments have been finished to a good standard and represent fantastic value for money.

There are four for sale in total starting at 44,000 Euros.

2 of the remaining properties include a fitted kitchen and furniture.

LAST 4 FOR SALE From 44,000Euros

OLV774 GOLF-VALLE DE ESTE, VERA

This three bed, 2 bath apartment comes fully furnished with private terrace, communal pools and secure parking. Recently reduced, a great buy!

ONLY 69,950 Euros

property group

Tel: 950 478 555

DUE TO A VERY BUSY YEAR...

WE NEED YOUR PROPERTY

RENTALS: MARI LAURE 615 224 016 SALES: CAROL 625 451 433 Email: info@k7mojacar.com www.k7mojacar.com

Opening hours.

Monday to Friday 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.

Saturday 10.00 am to 1.30 pm

DUE TO INCREASE IN SALES WE URGENTLY NEED PROPERTIES IN MOJÁCAR, GARRUCHA, VERA AND TURRE. FREE VALUATION. NO FEES FOR ADVERTISING. Paseo del Mediterraneo 197 - Mojacar - Almeria Tel: 950 472 430 / 610 053 563 www.veritashomes.co.uk • info@veritashomes.co.uk

23

www.soltimes.com

Almeria Property Agency

Sales & lettings inmobiliaria tlf: +34 850 993 099 Mob: +34 606 281 865 info@almeriapropertyagency.com

www.almeriapropertyagency.com Office located in Arboleas Village, Almeria.

APA1507

Area: Arboleas

This 3 bedroom 2 bathroom property is situated in a small hamlet within walking distance of a small Spanish bar which provides regular entertainment .The property consists of a large lounge diner which leads into a very large round guest bedroom with views of the garden.

The kitchen has all usual white goods with integrated appliances. The master bedroom has en-suite facilities.

There is a further double guest room and a family bathroom. Outside there is a garage, a large patio area with gazebo and plenty of plants and shrubs and lovely mountain views. The front door has a covered patio area.

Price: 147,500€

APA1550

Area: Arboleas

This modern 2 story villa is built in the traditional Spanish style.

Located a short drive from Arboleas village and all of its amenities.

Enter into a bright and airy hall way leading to the lounge and dining room. The kitchen includes all white goods and fittings, the lounge has double French doors leading onto the patio and leading back into the hallway you will find a family bathroom and a guest bedroom to your left hand side. A marble staircase with wrought iron stair rail leads to the 2nd floor landing area, The master bedroom suite has an en-suite bathroom and French doors onto its own wrap around roof terrace with panoramic mountain views. The approach to the property is through double gates onto a drive way with off road parking for up to two cars

Price: 119,950€

APA1508

Area: Arboleas

A detached 3 double bedroom villa with private 8 by 4m swimming pool, only 10 minutes drive to Arboleas and all the amenities, located in the hamlet of Los Huevanillas. The property has a build size of 114.25 m2 on a 635 m2 plot of land with established gardens. All double bedrooms have air conditioning, mosquito blinds throughout, two bathrooms, one lounge/ dining room with fireplace, a kitchen including all white goods. There is a porch and various patio areas, enough parking for 4 cars. The private pool area has magnificent mountain views. This pristine property is maintained to a very high standard and certainly needs to be viewed to appreciate its qualities.

APA1551

This delightful village house is fully reformed. Located in the pretty market town of Arboleas. There are 2 sitting rooms and 4 bedrooms. The ground floor bedroom has access to a delightful private courtyard .Upstairs the other bedrooms are served by a family bathroom. There is also a further terrace accessed from the bedrooms. This is a must see Town House

Price: 139,950€

APA1514

Area: Albox

The Property has a lovely large kitchen diner with double patio doors leading out to a spacious patio area. The hallway, with its lovely traditonal Spanish wall tiles leads to double doors into a separate lounge with log burner.

A room currently used as an office could easily be used as a 4th bedroom. The lounge and kitchen diner both have air conditioning and there is oil fired central heating.

A small utility area and basement are accessed from a lovely marble staircase. The other 3 bedrooms lead off the hallway all being double rooms. The 2 modern bathrooms both have large walk-in showers.

Price: 125,000€

Price: 94,995€

APA1525

Area: Albox

A lovely 3 bedroom villa for sale set in a large plot with a patio, swimming pool and gardens. The property comprises of a spacious light and airy living room with feature fireplace, a modern fully fitted kitchen with a dining area, three good size bedrooms, one being the en-suite master bedroom with double doors onto the rear patio and finally a good size family bathroom for the guests.

There is also a conservatory. There is an 8x4 swimming pool surrounded by a large patio also a storage shed. To the front there is a lovely landscaped garden and a car port with log store

Have You Considered Moving To The Lovely Almeria Province Where You Will Get A Lot More Property For Your Money And Warmer Temperatures?

Come And See For Yourselves

No 3 Plaza Constitucion, Open Monday- Friday 10am to 5pm Saturdays 10am to 2pm

Area: Arboleas

Price: 135,000€

24

December 2015

FOR BUSINESS Spain’s Abengoa Files for Creditor Protection MADRID—Spanish renewable energy and engineering firm Abengoa SA said on Wednesday that it is filing for preliminary creditor protection, an initial step that could lead to the largest bankruptcy case in the country’s history.

The potential demise of Abengoa is an extreme example of a Spanish company whose debt-fueled expansion during the country’s boom years has handicapped its ambitions for growth today. The company is one of the world’s top builders of power lines transporting energy across Latin America and a top engineering and construction business, making massive renewable-energy power plants in places

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from Kansas to the U.K. The latest round of Abengoa’s negotiations with creditors began after Spanish investment firm Gonvarri Corporación Financiera canceled a plan to inject around €350 million ($372.85 million) into the Seville, Spain-based company, Abengoa said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

“The company will continue negotiations with creditors with the goal of reaching an agreement to ensure its financial viability,” Abengoa said in the filing. A spokeswoman declined to comment further.

Abengoa shares closed down 54% on Wednesday in Madrid, after falling by as much as 70%.

The news also hit the shares of Spanish banks, which are among Abengoa’s lenders. Banco Santander SA closed down 2%. The lender has declined to comment on its exposure to Abengoa. Banco Popular Español SA closed down 2.5% and Banco de Sabadell SA fell 1.9%.

Abengoa, whose market value has plunged to as low as €300 million on Wednesday, reported gross financial debt of €8.9 billion in the third quarter.

That figure swells to €16.9 billion when including €2.1 billion the company has in what are known as confirming lines—funds it owes to its suppliers—and €5.9 billion of debt the company has in subsidiaries it said could potentially be sold, according to José M. Arroyas, an analyst at Exane BNP Paribas in Madrid.

“Investing now in Abengoa can only be recommended for those with high risk tolerance,” Renta 4 Banco analysts in Madrid wrote in a research note. Abengoa now has up to four months to continue talks with creditors.

Under Spanish law, the creditors won’t be able to force bankruptcy proceedings meanwhile.

“We hope that some sort of solution can be found to keep the company going,” said Elvira Rodríguez, the chairman of Spain’s stock market regulator.

The decision by investment firm Gonvarri to back out of its plan to inject funds into Abengoa is the latest blow to the company, which has been desperately trying to raise funds for several months amid snowballing concerns among investors and analysts about its solvency. http://www.wsj.com/

NICK THE TILER

Spanish Growth Slows in Third Quarter as Imports Jump

The Spanish economy slowed in the third quarter, indicating the recovery may have peaked ahead of next month’s general election.

Import growth accelerated to 4 percent from 1.6 percent in the previous quarter as gross domestic product expanded by 0.8 percent, the Madrid-based National Statistics Institute said Thursday. Exports rose 2.8 percent in the three months to September, while household consumption increased by 1 percent.

Spain’s economy is among the fastest growing in the euro region this year as employment rises and lower energy prices coupled with tax breaks and easier financing conditions boost spending power. In its monthly economic bulletin published Nov. 24, the Bank of Spain said expenditure by families on consumer goods maintained a “high level of dynamism” going into the fourth quarter.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who faces a ballot on Dec. 20, has forecast the economy will expand 3.3 percent this year and 3 percent in 2016. The

60-year-old conservative is campaigning on a platform of growth and stability, presenting himself as the guardian of the recovery.

The pace of quarterly expansion matched the statistics office’s initial estimate released Oct. 30.

That’s down from 1 percent in the second quarter, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of growth. From a year ago, GDP increased 3.4 percent, while the pace of job creation accelerated to 3.1 percent.

Despite the slowdown in the third quarter, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said growth remains strong and the economy will “clearly” expand by more than 3 percent this year.

Earlier this week, Budget Minister Cristobal Montoro said the pace of tax collection through October pointed to sustained expansion this quarter, which includes the crucial Christmas period.

The European Commission expects growth of 2.8 percent in 2015 and 2.6 percent next year. ht t p://w w w.bloombe rg. com/

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NEW BUSINESS? 2 WAYS TO ADVERTISE RING 950 121 936 OR EMAIL YOUR ADVERT TO blancasales@soltimes.com

John MacDonald (El Sordo) www.caratacus.eu

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The Alquerian System

If the reader has been paying attention it will be remembered that Alqueria is an independent Republic within the borders of Spain and in a valley below the Sierra Alhamilla of Almería province. The reasons for Alqueria becoming an independent democratic country are on record and may be reiterated in a later report. The establishment of Alqueria will be discussed here.

The Alquerian Parliament is based roughly on the Westminster model but unlike Westminster it has been updated to suit the needs of the twenty-first century. Alqueria has only one constitutional house however as decisions are made by referendum.

Having the people vote on every issue alleviates the necessity for members of parliament to think for themselves, a very shrewd move. The lower and only chamber is called the ‘Berko’ and the constitution, which is written on the back of a cigarette packet, is called the ‘Berkscharta’. There are ten MPs elected with universal suffrage. The largest party is Manuela’s B O.N.K. (Bonafide Organisation for National Karma) with Rodriquez’s V.I.L.E. party (Vested Interests of Libellous Entrepreneurs) in opposition. The smallest party is the Democratic Alliance of Fellow Twits or D.A.F.T. and is led by the dynamic but clinically insane Loco Paco.

Manuela is the Republic’s Prime Minister. She uses her position to better the people of Alqueria and also her own self interests which mainly involve

viewpoint

the male portion of the electorate. Rodriquez, on the other hand is totally unscrupulous and would syphon off the entire gross national product of Alqueria if a close eye isn’t kept on him.

Some people are born leaders and look as if they were made for government, R o d r i q u e z h o w e v e r wouldn’t look out of place in a silage pit. Loco Paco, who unfortunately holds the balance of power is ‘away playing with the fairies’ most of the time. His grasp on reality is similar to an estate agent’s grasp of the truth which has led to some interesting decisions being made.

The latest debate concerned whether or not Carmen, the barmaid at the Bar La Casa Devante had natural or fake breasts. The result was a stalemate with Loco Paco failing to score. It was however decided not to put the matter out to referendum, one of the wiser decisions of the Alquerian Parliament.

In short Alquerian MPs are a mix of sexual deviants, shameless self promoters, the corrupt and the insane.

These qualifications of course mean that the politicians of Alqueria could rightfully take their place in any government of any nation on the face of the globe.

Strictly Week 9 from the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool

With a controversial week after the dance off last week between Peter and Jamelia, Peter remaining after the general consensus of opinion that Jamelia was better in the dance off. In my opinion Jamelia had been in the dance off 5 times and should have gone earlier in the competition so I agreed with the result.

The remaining dancers have all been in the top 2 so you could say it is still all to play for. For me there are still 2 weaker dancers who I would expect to find eliminated soon, in what must be one of the strongest competitions in quite a number of years.

Opening this weeks show were Kellie Bright and Kevin with a Salsa. This is always a difficult dance to pull off and despite Kellie having a good try I found her tight in the upper body and not soft enough in her legs. The choreography was also lacking in armography for me so I was left wanting in this dance despite the high energy.

I gave Kellie and 8 and the judges 34. Next to dance were Katie Derham and Anton with an Argentine Tango.

This is the first time Anton has performed this dance in all the years he has danced in the show mainly because he has never survived this long before - Bless! There was some fairly intricate choreography here and Katie has such great legs and feet but she didn’t manage the sharpness of the gancho flicks. That said some good lifts and a nice performance for which I gave her 8 and the judges 32. Helen George and Aljaz were next to perform a Viennese Waltz. This was a nice smooth traditional performance with clean changes and great coverage across the floor. The only criticism which none of the judges picked up was that she was dropping her head backwards in hold which marred an otherwise perfect performance. I gave her 9 and the judges top place on 39.

Jay McGuinness and Aliona followed with a Tango.

Jay is such a strong male lead a rarity in a competition such as this and displayed some superb control and staccatto action in and out of hold. Another one who needs to be careful as his neck tends to poke forward

Breed Like Rabbits

This world is full of mysteries, and the mystery that currently occupies my mind concerns fluff, and its uncanny ability to multiply.

Our house is not large, nor is there a super-abundance of furniture; Unlike the Victorians I do not cover every available space on the walls with portraits of unsmiling ancestors nor of red-coated gentlemen with arms aloft riding impossible horses galloping over the top of equally unbelievable hounds. Neither do we possess any ‘occasional’ tables – all our tables have a purpose, and are full-time use tables, there is no ‘occasional’ about it.

Our floor, too, is a continuous surface of tiles, uninterrupted by any sort of covering, neither best Axminster nor the more modestly priced offerings purchased from the perambulating Asians.

Sweeping is not a mentally stimulating job, but it has to be done. Thus I have become an expert on different types and textures of detritus. Grit, of which there are many types, can be swept up easily and restricts itself to places where feet have trodden – either small paw-shaped feet, or larger human-shaped imprints. That is fair enough; a foreign object has made contact with the floor, and left behind proof of its passing.

Dog hair used to be the focus of my displeasure, but at least it is easily seen, and stays put, awaiting its removal by brush with resignation. However cat fluff is another matter altogether! It is almost invisible and wafts up gently in the breeze created by my brush,

a little. Loved the performance but hated the piece of music. I gave him 9 and the judges 38. Peter Andre and Janette then performed an American Smooth.

The Foxtrot part was a bit lumpy but Peter always delivers on performance and musicality. His frame and shoulders are still needing attention and I’m not sure that he has much time left in this competition.

Nevertheless I awarded him 7 and the judges 31. A Rumba from Anita Rani and Gleb was next. Music marring an otherwise good performance as it was too fast. As a result Anita didn’t get sufficient pressure into the floor through her legs and feet so lost out on hip action. She managed to display the sensuality in this contemporary style Rumba which Len didn’t like but I gave her 8 and the judges only 31. Closing this part of the show were Georgia May Foot and Giovanni with a Paso Doble. Again marred by music being a bit too fast there was some super choreography here with intensity for the dance with nicely performance flamenco arms.

I gave her 9 with the judges 33. I have to say that I do get really frustrated with some of the music being played and would love to see more traditional styles at the correct speeds - call me old school I don’t care! I find that quite a number of performances fail to deliver how they should because of the music.

This week the celebrities also had to take part in a ‘Quickstep-A-Thon’ All 7 couples on the floor at the same time just like a dance competition. This way the judges can compare the couples much easier and with points being awarded from 7 for the best to 1 for the worst being added to their standing scores this was a very important part of the show. It is extremely difficult as a TV viewer to judge this correctly as you can’t see all 7 couples at the same time and I certainly saw the result quite differently in places. The result was as follows: 7th Peter with 1 Point, 6th with 2 points Kellie, 5th with 3 points Jay (I thought he should have been first or second), 4th with 4 points Anita, 3rd with 5 points Katie (I had her 5th or 6th) 2nd Georgia with 6 points and winning Helen with 7 points. Once adding these points to their first dance you ended up with Peter at the bottom and Helen on the top.

The public had Kellie and Peter in the bottom 2 with Peter leaving after the judges unanimous vote from the dance off. Next week is already

25

By Jos Biggs

josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk only to land on the exact tile which I have just finished brushing!

We have one dog and two cats, so it is not unreasonable to expect twice as much cat fluff as dog hair, yet the dog hair/cat fluff ratio seems to be at least 1 to 4. The dog moults twice a year; The cats never show signs of moulting, yet still manage to deposit more than their fair share of fur on the floor.

And how is it here is always a generous helping of fluff in the bedrooms although the cats are not allowed into the bedrooms?

Then there are the Dust Bunnies, little rolls of fur that appear spontaneously throughout the day.

Especially if it is windy, when they will appear from underneath every piece of furniture, roll haphazardly around the floor and multiply until the house resembles a Dust Bunny Warren.

Breed like rabbits? Rabbits have nothing on the breeding ability of Dust Bunnies!’

the quarter final with a Disney Theme and as the going starts to get really tough who will have the stamina and fitness to pull out all the stops and be victorious in lifting this years glitter ball trophy?

Have you got your winner? I really still can’t call this one so I can’t wait to see next weeks show.

Why not come and join us at one of our classes to catch up on the ‘strictly’ gossip but in the meantime - Keep Dancing!

By Lyn Aspden of ‘Strictly Dance’ Class Info 635 584 431

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December 2015

To advertise in this space Contact our sales advisors on 950 121 936 or email: sales@soltimes.com sol picture quiz!

IDENTIFY THEse FAMOUS Car manufacturers

3

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wordsearch

invented by John Pemberton in 1886......

FFind and circle all of the words that are hidden in the grid.

The remaining 26 letters spell a popular Thanksgiving Day evenT.

2. What kind of meat would be jugged?..

3. If a recipe suggested baking at 150’C or 300’F, what number should you use if you had a gas oven?...............................

4. In India or Pakistan what is a tandoor?................................................

5. Cheese was the original family name of which English comedy actor?.............

6. What would a Scotsman do with a spurtle?.................................................

7. Which marinated fish is named after a famous German leader?.........................

8. If I served your dish with extra ANNUAL

GRAVY

REUNION

AUTUMN

HARVEST

CELEBRATION

HOLIDAY

SQUASH

CORN

LONG WEEKEND

CRANBERRY

MASHED POTATOES

tongues?................................................

FAMILY

MEAL

THURSDAY

Answers

FEAST

NOVEMBER

TRADITION

FESTIVAL

PARADE

8. Extra chilli.

3. Gas mark 2.

7. Bismark herring.

2. Hare.

6. Stir his porridge.

1. Coca Cola.

CRYPTIC crossword

9. Chicken.

4. Oven.

CROSSWORD

10. Linguine.

5. John Cleese.

SOLUTIONS

10. Which pasta translated means little

STUFFING SWEET POTATO

TRAVEL

FOOD

PILGRIMS

FOOTBALL

PLYMOUTH

FRIENDS

PUMPKIN PIE

WAMPANOAG

GATHERING

RELATIVES

YAMS

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TURKEY

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Habenero, what would I have added?.....

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1. London hosts/hosted the 2012 Olympic Games. In which previous years have London hosted the games?...................

2. In the 1994 Winter Olympics, how many athletes represented Israel?......................................

3. How old was Linford Christie when he won gold for the 100m in Barcelona (a record age)?..... ................................................

4. Which Olympic sport is played with stones and brooms?..................................

5. Which racket sport made its Olympic debut in 1992?

6. What colours make up the Olympic rings?.........................

7. Considering that India has a population exeeding one billion people, how many gold medals did India win at the Beijing games of 2008?............

8. How many national Olympic committees exist (Plus or minus five)?.............................

9. The first disabled athlete to compete in the Olympic Games was American George Eyser in 1904, he had one artificial leg. In which event did he compete?.................................

10. Which track athlete won the gold medal in both the 200 and 400 metres........ld shoes at the 1996 Olympics?........................

1. 1948 and 1908 2. One 3. 32 years old 4. Curling 5. Badminton 6. Blue, Black,

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1

1. Lancia 2. Bugatti 3. Smart 4. Jaguar

on this day 3rd December

915 – Pope John X crowned Berengar I of Italy as Holy Roman Emperor.

1927 – Putting Pants on Philip, the first Laurel and Hardy film, is released.

1959 – The current flag of Singapore is adopted, six months after Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire.

1976 – An assassination attempt is made on Bob Marley. He is shot twice, and plays a concert two days later.

1994 – The PlayStation was released in Japan.

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1 Chatted (8) 5 Complain (6) 9 Eats plants and animals (8) 10 City in Turkey (6) 12 Heart chamber (9) 13 Willow (5) 14 Sword (4) 16 Barbarians (7) 19 Garage (7) 21 Dinghy (4) 24 Proof of innocence (5) 25 Not here (9) 27 In the same place (6) 28 Cathedral (8) 29 Nullify (6) 30 Within (8)

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3 Lets out energy admitted after concerning officials (8) 9 On returning love, set never-ending loop (5) 10 Money available for communist in Channel Islands at end of August (6) 11 Somehow, a golf brunette won’t go away from your mind (13) 14 Let off former partner - you and me can enter church (6) 15 The French birng back the German’s senior (5) 17 Minimum fifty seat change (5) 19 Plants diagrams? (5) 21 Draw a link? (3) 22 Join cat and hat, perhaps (6) 23 New ‘Tee’ car make (6) 26 English father without plant (3) 29 Journalist joins universal church after final hair cut (6) 31 Loud noise in equipment on horseback? (6) 32 Reported letter to be in debt (3) 33 Groups of workers take it easy, we hear (5) 36 Piercing a prompt timekeeper? (5) 38 One who gives party - no king (5) 40 Loudness of rodent surrounding hesitancy (6) 41 Weight, mass within girl - headless insects make statements (13) 44 Half clog always smart (6) 45 Way back after three-quarters retreats (5) 46 Ray Veedy’s funny, without fail (5,3)

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December 2015

FOOD & ENTERTAINING...

Lets Get Pickled!

With cold meats and leftover curries a guarantee for your post christmas menus, we have a selection of pickles, jams and chutneys to add that extra bit of flavour. Recipes from BBC Good Food.

Pickled Pears

Sweet Chilli Jam

A stylish and gorgeous treat, spooned out of the jar with a little of the syrup.

This has a kick , but won’t blow your head of f, and goes well with any selection of cold cuts of meat

Pare the zest from the lemon or orange and

ginger and garlic into a food processor,

Tip the peppers, chillies (with seeds),

put in a pan with the cloves, peppercorns,

then whizz until very finely chopped.

allspice berries, root ginger, lemon or

Scrape into a heavy-bottomed pan with

orange juice, vinegar, cinnamon sticks and

the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, then

sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar

Ingredient s (Makes a Litre) 1 lemon or orange 10 cloves 2 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed 1 tsp allspice berries, lightly crushed 5 cm piece fresh root ginger, sliced 1 litre/1¾ pints cider or white wine vinegar 2 cinnamon sticks 1kg bag caster sugar 2kg small pears

has dissolved.

Peel, core and halve the pears, then add to the pan and simmer for 15 mins, until the pears are tender. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon and put in a colander to drain. Meanwhile, increase the heat under the syrup and boil rapidly for 15 mins, until the syrup has reduced by about a third and slightly thickened.

Pack the fruit into warmed jars and pour over the hot syrup to cover. Seal, label and store in a cool dry place for a month before using.

Ruby’s

bring everything to the boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface, then Ingredient s turn the heat down to a simmer and cook (Makes 4 Small Jars) 8 red peppers, deseeded and for about 50 mins, stirring occasionally.

Once the jam is becoming sticky, roughly chopped 10 red chillies, roughly chopped continue cooking for 10-15 mins more, finger-sized piece fresh root stirring frequently so that it doesn’t ginger, peeled and roughly catch and burn. It should now look like thick, bubbling lava. Cool slightly, chopped transfer to sterilised jars, then leave to 8 garlic cloves, peeled 400g can cherry tomatoes cool completely. Keeps for 3 months in 750g golden caster sugar a cool, dark cupboard – refrigerate once 250ml red wine vinegar opened.

Mary Berry’s Christmas Chutney A per fect match for cheese and cold meats, and delicious in turkey sandwiches

URBANISATION EL RASO, CAMPO DE GUARDAMAR, JUST OFF THE CV895 LEMON TREE ROAD, 03140

TEL 622 434 912

Opening times 10am till Late Tuesday - Sunday INGREDIENTS (Makes 2.5kg) 900g tomatoes 3 red peppers, 1 large

Menu Del Dia 12.30pm - 4pm Tuesday - Friday 4 Course 7.95€ Full Main Menu 6pm - 9pm

aubergine and 1 green pepper (total weight of about 900g/2lb) 700g onions, peeled and fairly

Sunday Lunch Available 2pm - 7pm 3 Course 9.95€ / 2 Course 7.95€

finely chopped, by hand or in a

Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm

4 fat cloves garlic, crushed

Wednesday is quiz night with Nick Marshall with our great 5€ meal deals for quiz players PLUS Karaoke with guest singers Last person standing, winner takes all

GREAT FUN NIGHT OUT

food processor 350g granulated sugar 300ml/½pint white wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed, 1 tbsp paprika 2 tsp cayenne pepper

Peel the tomatoes - prick them with a sharp knife, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for a few seconds then drain and cover with cold water. The skins will now come away easily.

Chop the tomatoes and aubergine and seed and chop the peppers. Put in a large heavy-based pan with the onions and garlic and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and gently simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Tip the sugar, vinegar, salt, coriander, paprika and cayenne into the pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.

Continue to boil for 30 minutes or so, until the mixture achieves a chunky chutney consistency and the surplus watery liquid has evaporated. Take care towards the end of the cooking time to continue stirring so that the chutney doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.

Ladle the chutney into sterilised or dishwasher-clean jars (Kilner jars are ideal) and top with paper jam covers.

Seal the jars while still hot. Leave to mature for at least a month in a cool dark place.

29

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FOOD & ENTERTAINING...

Spiced Sweet & Sour Pickled Beetroot Forget crinkle-cut versions, this light pickle is sweet and rich per fect with cold meats, salads and punchy cheeses

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Trim the leaves and most of stalks off the beetroot, leaving a stump of stalk on each. Wrap the beetroots individually in pieces of foil and place on a baking tray.

Roast for 1 hr 15 ins or until the point Ingredient s of a sharp knife can be easily inserted then leave to cool.

(Makes 1 Large Jar) Unwrap, peel and trim the stalks away 1kg small-medium sized raw from the beetroot. Leave the small ones whole and cut larger ones in half beetroot and pack them into a large sterilised kilner jar.

200g caster sugar Tip the sugar, white wine vinegar, 300ml white wine vinegar 200ml cold water the spices and bay leaves into a sauce pan and bring to the 2 star anise boil. Turn down to a simmer and bubble 3 cloves gently, stirring, for 2 mins until all the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat 2 allspice berries and add the balsamic if using.

Carefully pour the hot vinegar, spices 2 bay leaves and bay over the beetroot (you might 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar not need it all) and leave to cool uncovered. Once cool pour the olive oil (optional) over, seal the jar and keep in the fridge 1 tbsp olive oil for up to a month.

Dark Muscovado & Whisky Marmalade A real grown-up marmalade – rich, dark and just a hint of booz y flavour.

Place the whole oranges and lemon juice in a large preserving pan and cover with 2 litres/ 4 pints water. If this is not enough to cover the fruit, put it in a smaller pan. If necessary, weight the oranges with a heat-proof plate to keep them under the water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently for about 2 hours, or until the peel can be pierced easily with a fork.

Warm half of the white and dark sugar in a Ingredient s very low oven. Pour off the cooking water from the oranges into a jug and tip the oranges into (Makes 4.5kg) a bowl. Return the cooking liquid to the pan.

Leave the oranges to cool until they are easy 1.3kg Seville oranges to handle, then cut them in half. Scoop out all the pips and pith and add these to reserved orange liquid in the pan. Bring to the boil for 6 2 lemons, juice only minutes then strain this liquid through a sieve 2¼kg granulated or preserving into a bowl, pressing the pulp through with a wooden spoon; the result is high in pectin, which helps to ensure the marmalade has a sugar good set.

Pour half this liquid into a preserving pan. Cut 450g dark muscovado sugar the peel into chunky shreds, using a sharp knife. Add half the peel to the liquid in the 150ml whisky preserving pan with the warm white and dark muscovado sugars. Stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to the ip TReplace whisky with Grand boil and bubble rapidly for 15-25 minutes until Marnier, Drambuie or Cointreau. setting point is reached. Stir in half the whisky.

Instead of muscovado sugar, Take the pan off the heat and skim any scum from the surface. (To dissolve any excess use 2.6kg/6lb granulated or scum, drop a small knob of butter on the preserving sugar and add 2 surface, and gently stir.) Leave the marmalade to stand in the pan for 20 minutes to cool a tbsp black treacle little and to allow the peel to settle, then pot (adding 1 tbsp per batch).

This will darken the marmalade in sterilised jars, seal and label. Repeat for the remaining batch.

Fragrant Mango & Apple Chutney The per fect gif t or an essential Boxing Day condiment . You won’t want your turkey lef tovers to ever run out while this is in the fridge

Ingredient s (Makes 4 x 500ml Jars) 3 1⁄4 large ripe mangoes, about 1kg/21⁄4lb 2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 onions, halved and thinly sliced thumb-sized piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into thin shreds 10 green cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick ½ tsp cumin seed ½ tsp coriander seed, lightly crushed ¼ tsp black onion seeds (Nigella or Kalonji are good) ½ tsp ground turmeric 2 Bramley apples, about 500g/1lb 2oz, peeled, cored and chopped 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 375ml white wine vinegar 400g golden caster sugar 1 tsp salt

Cut each mango in half down the sides of the flat stone that runs through the centre of the fruit, so that you end up with 2 fleshy halves. Now take each mango half and cut into the flesh, making quite chunky diagonal pieces – take care not to cut through the skin.

Turn each half inside out, then slice away the chunks of mango that stand proud from the skin. Cut the flesh from around the stones, trim off the skin and chop the flesh.

Heat the oil in a large, deep sauté pan, add the onion and fry for a few mins until starting to soften. Stir in the ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 mins until the onion is golden. Stir in all of the spices, except the turmeric, and fry until toasted.

Stir in the turmeric, add the apple and pour in 500ml water, then cover the pan and cook for 10 mins. Stir in the mango and chilli, then cover and cook for 20 mins more until the apple is pulpy and the mango is tender.

Pour in the vinegar, stir in the sugar and salt, then leave to simmer uncovered for 30 mins, stirring frequently (especially towards the end of the cooking time so that it doesn’t stick) until the mixture is pulpy rather than watery. Spoon into sterilised jars.

Balsamic Pickled Shallots Per fect par tners for a creamy blue cheese Tip the shallots into a large bowl, pour over a kettleful of boiling water, leave to stand for a minute, then drain. When cool enough to handle, sit down, turn the radio on and get peeling.

Set the peeled shallots aside and place

Ingredient s (Makes 4 x 500ml Jars) all the other ingredients except the 1½ kg small shallots or pearl balsamic vinegar into a large saucepan. onions 1l white wine vinegar Bring to the boil, lower the heat, then 150ml olive oil simmer for 3 mins. Drop the shallots 600ml water 140g golden caster sugar into the pan and simmer for 8-10 mins 1 tbsp salt until just tender. Use a slotted spoon 1 tsp black peppercorn, to scoop the shallots and basil out cracked 2 handfuls basil leaves into sterilised jars (see Know-how, 100ml balsamic vinegar below), then boil the liquid vigorously p Ti To sterilise jars, run them through the dishwasher, or wash well in hot soapy water, rinse, then dry in a low oven. If you’re pickling and recycling old jam jars, it’s important to cover the pickle with a wax disc first so the metal lid doesn’t react with the vinegar

for 5 mins. Turn the heat off, stir in the balsamic vinegar, then pour over the shallots to cover. Seal the jars and leave for at least 3 days. Will keep for up to 3 months.

30

December 2015

Russia-Turkey crisis: Food and foreign policy mix again

What connects Turkish tomatoes and missiles?

A lot, apparently. At least according to Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's former chief sanitary inspector and now prime ministerial aide, who said on Wednesday that "each Turkish tomato" bought in Russia contributes to the country's economy and thus to purchasing missiles that could potentially be fired at Russian warplanes.

The comment came at a moment of high tension, following the downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber on the Turkey-Syria border.

...So an aide to PM Dmitry Medvedev (centre front), pictured here with home-grown produce, has called for a boycott of Turkish tomatoes

Now, the Russian agriculture minister has upped the ante, announcing that around 15% of Turkish produce does not meet Russian safety standards. Controls are being tightened, with possibly serious consequences for Turkish exporters.

The country has exported food and agricultural produce worth over €1bn (£702m) to Russia already

this year, and Russia says 20% of its vegetable imports come from Turkey.

Moscow could fulfil its fruit and vegetable needs by buying from other countries, such as Iran, Israel, Morocco, Azerbaijan, China, South Africa and Argentina, the minister said. How serious the immediate effect of a Turkish food ban on prices and supplies would be, however, remains unclear.

But the connection between food and foreign policy in Russia is nothing new. Be it bans on Georgian wine, Polish apples, Lithuanian milk, or EU cheese, Russia's food import policies and "safety" concerns often seem to align with its wider foreign policy goals.

In March 2006, Russia banned wine imports from Georgia, citing health risks. The industry relied on Russian drinkers, and was hit hard.

At the time, analysts said Russia was irritated at Georgia's increasingly pro-Western stance and ambitions to join Nato.

The Georgian president accused Russia of economic blackmail.

The ban was finally lifted in 2013, with Russia quickly resuming its place as the top importer of Georgian wine.

Kadri Liik, a Russia expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, called it "an old and familiar playbook", either triggered by a specific incident or used as a general tool to "punish" countries, especially those in the post-Soviet space, for upsetting Russia.

As a result, the Russian consumer watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, and government officials have often felt compelled to explain that sudden revelations of

Insect threat to orange juice 'more deadly than hurricanes’ Your daily glass of OJ could soon experience a price hike, thanks to an insect spreading a tree-killing disease.

Orange groves in Florida, the world's second largest producer of orange juice, are being plagued by the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny winged insect which causes Huanglongbing - better known as citrus greening.

According to a recent report from the Florida Department, experts estimate the harvest for the fruit could drop to just 27 million boxes in 2026. This would be an 82 per cent decrease from 149 million boxes in 2005, the year citrus greening was first found in southern Florida.

In early October, the estimate they would be able to produce 80 million boxes this year, a number which has now decreased to just 74 million. Experts have warned that this figure could continue to plummet to 27 million boxes if a cure is not found for the disease.

The University of Florida estimate citrus greening has been responsible for the loss of 7500 jobs between 2006 and 2014, as well as a loss of $7.8 billion across the entire industry.

Speaking to Bloomberg, Les Dunson, a 53 year old farmer in Florida, said the insects are more deadly than hurricanes and his output has fallen from 1 million a decade ago to 600,000 today. He added that increasing his annual pesticide use had done nothing to stop the insects from wreaking havoc in his groves.

In New York in January prices for orange juice rose by 6.7 per cent to $1.5905 a pound, the highest seen since December 2014. In August, a report found orange juice prices had risen by 14 per cent since June.

Jara Zicha a market analyst at Mintec, said:

"Production wise, the volume of orange juice produced in US has been on downward trend since 2003/04, with volumes falling annually by an average of 6 per cent.

"The fall in orange juice production has resulted in a growing supply deficit in the US as consumption exceeds US production. Although the fall in consumption has relieved some of the pressure on the market, the gap between production and consumption continues to increase. The shortfall has grown from 18,000 tonnes in 2011/12 to 229,000 tonnes in 2014/15.

"Unsurprisingly, the deficit has been covered by imports, mainly from Brazil, which have increased by 38 per cent since 2004/05. The problem now, though, is that production has been falling in Brazil as well, with the amount of oranges sent to processing this year down 16 per cent year-on-year due to adverse weather and citrus greening. More importantly, orange juice stocks in Brazil have fallen to 40,000 tonnes, from over 300,000 tonnes last year.

"Add in lower orange production in Europe this year due to the hot weather and it’s likely that orange juice prices will continue on an upward trend. So, enjoy your glass of orange juice before the price rises."

Popular brands of orange juice sold in the UK such as Tropicana and Coca-Cola, which produces Minute Maid, contain oranges grown in Florida and could be affected by spread of citrus greening.

Earlier this year, Chinese orange businesses revealed that one of its plantations had been struck by citrus greening. A spokesman for Asian Citrus, a large orange plantation owner, said: "The disease destroys the production, appearance and economic value of citrus trees.- telegraph.co.uk

poor practices and subsequent bans are not political.

When confectionery imports from Ukraine were suspended in 2013, including by a firm owned by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, State Duma deputy Vadim Solovyov defended the move.

"We prohibit the import only of those goods that don't meet the standards and agreements that we have," he said, quoted by Russia Today.

Russia retaliated against Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis by banning most food imports from EU states, Australia, Canada, Norway and the US in August last year.

It extended the ban to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania and Montenegro this August, and has threatened to add Ukraine to the list.

The destruction of banned produce, like cheese, bacon and fruit, sparked the anger of anti-poverty campaigners.

Last year, the closure of several McDonald's outlets in Moscow for alleged "sanitary violations" left many Russians flummoxed, including a fast-food chain owner who said the US burger giant was viewed as exemplary by local restaurateurs.

By raising the spectre of restrictions on Turkish food, Russia is once again using food safety to show its anger at another state.

But at the same time, Ms Liik says, "it shows Russia is trying to keep the row on a bilateral level" in order to avoid a further escalation of tensions.

In this case, a fight involving tomatoes is preferred to one involving missiles.-BBC News

Why carbs might not be as unhealthy as you thought

It’s pouring rain and it’s been a nightmare journey home. What are you praying is waiting for you on the kitchen table? A salad? No? How about a creamy bowl of pasta? Or, sod it, just some hot, buttered toast? When it comes to comfort food, carbs are king – and for a good reason. Starchy foods fill your stomach, boost energy and give your brain a serotonin kick. But carbs have fallen out of favour since the advent of the Atkins and Paleo diets. Those who eschew grains say they can cause a host of health problems, from rosacea to rheumatism.

So should we say goodbye to bread and pasta? Not necessarily, says nutritional therapist Libby Limon. “Some people can eat grains with no problem at all,” she says. “It depends on your individual ability to digest grains, and on your immune system and blood sugar regulation.”

Grains may have a bad rep, but they also do a lot of good. Whole grains are high in fibre and have been linked to preventing ailments from heart disease to bowel cancer. They are also rich in B vitamins, iron and potassium.

All grains are not equal. Modern grains can be genetically modified and hybridised, and your average sliced pan is often bulked out with fillers, preservatives and sugar. The result is a sugar spike and little nutritional benefit, while some suggest that the abundance of gluten in hybridised wheat is at the root of many intolerances.

However, ancient grains such as spelt, kamut, teff and amaranth are finding their way to supermarket shelves. They contain little or no gluten, and are rich in fibre and vitamins. Others, such as buckwheat, quinoa and millet, are actually seeds, high in protein and fibre.

Baker Karen Collins is passionate about bread, and says ancient grains have allowed her to indulge while also tackling a lifelong IBS problem. She founded The Happy Bread Company after years of recipe development, selling fermented breads made with naturally gluten-free, high-fibre grains such as teff. She explains that fibre is essential for a healthy gut.

“Very simply, our bacteria keeps us alive,” she says. “With energy, bacteria is able to break down food, enabling the release of vitamins and minerals. Bacteria’s energy source of choice is fibre. So to keep your organs healthy you need to feed your bacteria an adequate amount of fibre on a daily basis.”

But don’t carbs make you fat? Well, in fact, whole grains can actually help maintain weight by regulating blood sugar and keeping you feeling fuller for longer. And of course, as with everything, moderation is key.

“Carbohydrates shouldn’t make up more than 60 per cent of your daily food intake,” says Limon. “Vegetables are also carbohydrate foods, so you want to be getting a lot of your energy from them to benefit from their nutrient density. For the average person who isn’t doing intense training, I recommend one to two portions of wholegrains a day.”

“I am always trying to get people to eat their bread and enjoy it,” says Collins. “Just make sure it’s proper bread – none of that stuff made on a factory line.”-independent.co.uk

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Tel: 950 121 936

50+ SOLOS

Is open to ladies and gentlemen over 50 years of age who are on their own and wish to get ‘back into the social scene.’

We meet normally twice a month at different restaurants for lunch and a chat at 1.00-1.30 hrs.. There are no subs or fees, just the cost of the meal. There may be a fun quiz or a raffle. For information and to book please contact Ruth on 966789063

Casa Tom Community Choir:

Casa Tom Community 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.

CASTILLA AMIGOS

We are a friendship group for single people. We meet every Wednesday from 3pm at RAYZ Bar on El Raso urbanisation (off the Lemon Tree Road, Guardamar) ANN – 966 717 390 - 666 747 398

COFFEE MATES

If you would like to have a coffee and a friendly chat, please join us at the La Laguna Hotel, Lo Marabu every Friday morning from 11am ANN - 966 717 390 - 666 747 398

Strictly Dance Ballroom and Latin

with the Professionals. ** New Classes Added**.

Every Tuesday at Alfonsos, Playa Flamenca 3-4pm Argentine Tango Tuition commencing 10 November. Tuesday The Club, Quesada 8-10pm Ballroom & Latin Tuition All grades. Wednesday at Alfonsos, Playa Flamenca 1:45-2:45 Jive Tuition commencing 11 November.

Wednesday, The Emerald Isle, La Florida, 3-5pm Ballroom & Latin Tuition All Grades1 Hour Classes Continual, 2 Hour Classes New Courses Every 3 Weeks. Singles Welcome. Come and join in the fun with professional training and keep up with the ‘Strictly’ gossip as a when it happens. Hope to welcome you soon. For more details contact Lyn on 966188430 or 635584431 or email lynatdenelledance@hotmail.com Info: 966 188 430, 635 584 431 or lynatdenelledance@hotmail.com

Torry Army Social Events

Christmas Dance to the popular group “Timeless” with Buffet This will be held at the Casa Ventura, San Luis on Wednesday 16 December 2015 starting at 9.00 pm (changed from Saturday 12 December) and will include a hot & cold buffet. The cost is 12€ for members and 14€ for non members. It will be a great evening.

Put on your “dancing shoes”.

Christmas Lunch This will be held at the Marina Bar, Toretta 2, Torrevieja on Friday 11 December 2015 starting at 1.00 pm. A superb 3 course pre-christmas lunch with friends. The cost is 15€ per head.

ALL ARE WELCOME If you would are interested on attending any of these events put your name/s down at the Torry Army office in San Luis or ring the office on 966784111 or Pat Stewart on 966786352.

- community news -

ANGLICAN CHAPLAINCY OF ST PETER & ST PAUL TORREVIEJA ADVENT & CHRISTMAS SERVICES

In addition to the normal Services the following special Services are planned over the Advent and Christmas period: LA SIESTA Mon 7 Dec 15 Interdenominational Carol Service 6:30 pm Thu 24 Dec 15 Midnight Mass – Holy Communion 11:30 pm LOS BALCONES Thu 3 Dec 15 Carol Service 7:00 pm Fri 25 Dec 15 Christmas Day – Holy Communion 10:30 am LAGO JARDIN Sat 19 Dec 15 Carol Service with Holy Communion 6:00 pm LA MARINA (SAN FULGENCIO) Sun 13 Dec 15 Service of Nine Lessons & Carols 6:00 pm Fri 25 Dec 15 Christmas Day – Holy Communion 10:15 am CAMPOVERDE Sun 20 Dec 15 Community Carol Service at the ‘Rusty Nail’ 6:00 pm (Re plac e s service in Campoverde Church) Thu 24 Dec 15 Midnight Mass – Holy Communion 11:30 pm Sun 27 Dec 15 Service of Nine Lessons and Carols 6:00 pm LA MANGA Thu 24 Dec 15 Christmas Eve – Holy Communion 6:00 pm CRISTO RESUCITADO (LA ZENIA) Thu 24 Dec 14 Christmas Eve – Holy Communion 11:00 am HONDÓN DE LAS NIEVES Mon 8 Dec 14 Carols with Holy Communion 11:30 am For more information on the workings of the Chaplaincy - and other planned activities and events – please view their web-site: http://c-of-etorrevieja.com/

Campoverde Theatre Group Pantomime

Back by popular demand the Campoverde Theatre Group is again presenting a New Year Pantomime after an absence of two years!

Our February production will be The Owl and the Pussy Cat and will be performed at the Casa de Cultura in San Miguel Friday 5th, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th February 2016.

Come along and meet our colourful cast of characters including the Owl and the Pussycat with their well known love story, our Dame, Gin and her gormless son Ian, the Captain and crew of the Green Pea plus some of the other passengers who set sail for a year and a day!

This panto has something for everybody, fun and laughter, a cracking story, the obligatory baddies, plus great music.

Reserve your tickets at Bargain Books in San Miguel or contact the Ticket Line: ctgticketline@gmail.com,Telephone Graham on 629 258 697 or drop into the Blue Lagoon Community Centre (Monday and Wednesday 2-4 pm). This production will sell out fast so book soon to avoid disappointment.

31

sales@soltimes.com

FRIENDS FOREVER- WE CARE SPIRITUALIST BENIJOFAR

Friends Forever-We Care is a non profit making mixed club that meets the 2nd and 3rd Thursday afternoons 2-4pm at “The Club” Quesada.

We play Bingo, have a speaker and go to different restaurants for Menu del Dia on the 4th Thursday of the month.

If you would like to make new friends and have a fun afternoon come along and join us. You can phone JOHN on 626 905 853 for more information.

Pilar Christian Community Church

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@gmail.com. 966 849 448 - 966 848 806

BADMINT0N AT PILAR DE LA HORADADA

Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs. 10-1pm.

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

TABLE TENNIS AT PILAR DE LA HORADADA

Sports Centre every Monday at 10am Five tables equipment supplied, coaching given if necessary, all standards welcome.

Contact George on 965 326097 or Gordon on 966 848304 or e-mail drewgeorge49@yahoo.com.

La Bamba’s - Ballroom / Latin / Sequence Dancing

Los Rosales Restaurant, Guardamar CV895 [near Lemon Tree Sunday Market] Monday - SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm 10.30pm [SEQUENCE CLASS 7.30pm - 8.30pm] Friday - SOCIAL DANCE 7.30pm 10.30pm Wednesday - New Beginners Class [new beginners welcome every Wednesday] 2pm -3pm Intermediate Class 3pm - 4pm Intermediate Plus Class 4pm - 5pm Andrea Murphy [0034] 616 478 157

THE ROYAL ASSOCIATION,

NAVAL

Torrevieja Branch, meet at 1700 on the first Wednesday of each month at the Restaurante El Paraiso, Urb. Jardin del Mar 3, (behind Carrefour), Torrevieja. Contact Paul Edwards, Chairman, 618 644 934 or Margaret Forshaw, Secretary 966 921 996.

CENTRE,

Meets 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. The Divine Service with Mediumship, on Sunday, 29th November, will be taken by Len Cox. Ruth and Marion will take the Evening of Mediumship on Tuesday, 1st December.

Kim will take the Divine Service, with Mediumship, on Sunday, 6th December.

On Tuesday, 8th December, we will be having our Christmas Carol Service with the Phoenix Brass Band and a guest singer. After this we will be closed for Christmas until Tuesday, 12th January, when Annette and Len Cox will be taking a flower service.

Contact Wendy on 965323028. www. spiritualistcentre-benijofar.com New email is phoenixchurch23@gmail.com or info@spiritualistcentre-benijofar.com Identificacion Fiscal G54713789.

CRESCENDO CHOIR CONCERTS

“Christmas is coming and Crescendo International Choir invite you to two concerts to bring joy and happiness into the season. On Sun 6 Decr at 4pm we will be singing at El Paraiso bar near Carrefour.

Entrance costs 3 euros. This is your chance to join in with songs and carols you know so well. On Sat 12 Dec we will be singing again at Benijofar church. This concert starts at 8.15pm and will feature a wide selection of Christmas songs. We look forward to seeing you. www.crescendo-choir.com”

I n t e r n at i o n a l Christian Assembly evangelical church,

Calle Urbano Arregui 23, Torrevieja 03185. Meets every Sunday, 11am, includes Sunday School for children.

Prayer meetings, craft and computer clubs, Bible study groups. Also house groups at La Siesta: Tuesdays, 3pm.

Call 674552754 for details. La Zenia: Wednesdays, 3pm,. call 620318964.

Torrevieja: Thursdays 5.30pm. Call 608283661, and in church building, Tuesdays, 6pm call 617591399 and Thursdays, 5.30pm call 608283661. For other church matters call pastor, Rafael Restrepo, on 966799273 or mobile 660127276.

COSTA COBRAS RFC

new rugby club based on the beach.

Training juniors Monday and Wednesday 20.00-21.30, seniors 20.00-21.30 For more details contact Garry 692 767 242 or Robert on 697 286 416

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, Orihuela

Costa Branch, covers the area from Punta Prima to San Javier and inland. The branch meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Olympia Restaurant in Mil Palmeras at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. You do not have to be ex military to attend or to join.

Everyone is welcome.

More information can be found at the branch website - http://branches. britishle gion.org.uk / branches/orihuela-costa

El Raso c.c.El Campico 657 355 566 622 434 912

SolTimes

Have A Drop Off Point Here For Payments Private Or Trade Advertisers, Birthdays Or Other Announcements

32

SOL CLASSIFIEDS

SOLTIMES 950 121 936 www.soltimes.com see us online everyday Advertise all your unwanted items for sale Any single item up to 300€ is

free of charge deadline thursday 5pm

Monday to Friday Between 10am & 5pm

or EMAIL us Send your advert or lineage to

sales@soltimes.com situations vacant

SOLTIMES newspaper group Require Sales Executives to work in our Costa Calida and Costa Blanca Areas

You will have proven sales ability, can work to sales deadlines. You will be dealing with current advertising businesses but have the confidence to build new business. You must have a computer to work from a distance, own car and driving licence.

High commission package and bonus, contract and mobile phone and expenses.

This is an exciting opportunity. If you have what we are looking for.

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The finest solar installations on the costa blanca

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artificial grass

top quality artificial grass installed by qualified professionals

December 2015

Call Jane on: 950 121 936 or 902 750 190 Ext 330 For sale

pool tables snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts.

Tel: 666 933 726 www.spainpool.com

71 x new Glass Blocks 19x19x8 deep some coloured, 100€ the lot, 4x kids mountain style bikes age range 4 years to 7 years, 60€ the lot, Microwave oven, digital with grill 20€ Tel: 606 075 644 Can deliver if reasonable distance.

Snooker Table 6 x 3 Riley Complete with balls and cues. Tel: 699 172 982 Buyer collects 300€ Los Altos area Halogen Oven New and unused 30€ Tel: 965 073 193 Orihuela Costa Area Hague Linking Machine, circular linker for knitwear. In pristine condition 110€ Tel: 865 779 402 – Torrevieja Area 4 Core Satellite Cable, unused, 4 cables one outer, ideal Quad LNB, 50m (200mm cable) for 49€ Tel: 690 772 178 San Fulgencio 71x new Glass Blocks 19x19x8 deep some coloured 100€ the lot, will deliver reasonable distance Torrevieja.Tel: 606 075 644 4x kids mountain style bikes age range 4 years to 7 years, 60€ the lot. can deliver reasonable distance Torrevieja Tel: 606 075 644 Microwave Oven, digital with grill, 20€ Tel: 606 075 644 Voile Curtains - white/very fine silver stripe. Size approx W170/ D240. 10€ Quesada Tel: 966 713 707

english tv

aa free english tv

call neil on 693 496 510 mands24@googlemail.com www.artificialgrass.pro

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,

everything you need we have it

JUST ELECTRICS Domestic ● Commercial ● Industrial

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Fully Qualified 20+ Years Experience All areas covered Costa Blanca & surrounding areas 24 hour callout. graemejack45@yahoo.co.uk

661 530 372 / 966 184 674 Electrician available for all works Small or large. Call Dave 693 251 562 davendonc@aol.com

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

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 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

want to know whats in the news?

go online:

www. SOLTIMES.com Pets

no dish required but a good stable 3mb internet

ring pete 606 297 825 www.aafreeenglishtv.com

insurance

asssa medical

insurances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan

every single month.

968 153 396

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electrician

Tommy, Timmy and Tinkerbell were found abandoned in a box behind the bins at a local supermarket when they were 3 weeks old and had to be bottle fed. They are now around 6 weeks old and adorable, friendly kittens. Tommy and Timmy are Red point Siamese and Tinkerbell the girl is a Chocolate point Siamese. Call 645 469 253.

For More Information Please call 645 469 253 info@petsinspain.info www.petsinspain.com

33

www.soltimes.com

Call Jane 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

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

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

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 euro spas Spas at factory prices.

Used & Ex display models.

Spares & repairs.

Part exchange Telephone 650 722 905

motoring section wanted

vehicle registration

CASH CASH “RE-PLATE” Mobile Auto Electrician CASH ENGINE MANAGEMENT MATE Same day collection We pay instant cash same day for cars, vans, bikes, quads, caravans, trailers, absolutley anything!

From 1€ to 10,000€

Call Phil: 607 848 332

wanted cars for cash

Best prices paid Spanish English Anythingconsidered

tel: Tim on 662 211 993

GB

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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

Full Circle Removals

Tel: 965 071 956 / 659 420 862 UK Mobile: 0044 750 337 1438 www.fullcircleremovals.com email: fullcircleremovals@hotmail.co.uk

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

luxury motoring

ALL CARS

ENGLISH AND SPANISH BOUGHT AND SOLD FOR CASH PLEASE CALL JOHN ON

608 411 437

While this entry by Italian manufacturer Maserati has been criticized for being too quiet, as far as engine and exhaust notes are concerned, in terms of styling it’s definitely a sexy car. That’s because the Maserati Gran Turismo is the poster child of luxury sports cars. See one on the street and you’re likely to stay locked on for a few seconds as you take in the view.

As you’d expect from any high-end Italian company, the Gran Turismo has a fantastic design which hides a powerful engine – in this instance a V8 putting out around 450hp. It also comes as a convertible because some people are into the whole topless scene.

DIAGNOSTICS fault Finding & Repairs Engine Diagnostics Air-conditioning Re-gas & repairs

Telephone Al - Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm FULLY MOBILE

638 323 499

ecu remapping

Veloc Tuning ECU Remapping Services

Email:info@replatematecostablanca.com

MORE POWER MORE MPG MORE RESPONSE

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.

IMI Certified Professional Tuner

removals

Spain - UK Full or Part Loads Pet Transport

mobile auto electrics

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

Tel: 950 104 488 or 600 827 517

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This size advert from only 10€

Do you have vehicle, boat or motor bike for sale?

To advertise your vehicle in the motoring section & reach over 32,000 readers

Phone Jane 950 121 936

Sticking with the topic of unconventional doors and records for fastest production cars we find ourselves looking at the McLaren F1. This car was the result of the desire to produce the ultimate street car which contained significant technology and designs found in McLaren’s Formula 1 cars. On the outside, this car has the design and lines you’d expect from a high-end manufacturer – especially one with an F1 heritage. Inside, the driver sits in the middle with a passenger on each side. Adding that extra little bit of sex appeal, surrounding the rear-mounted engine is gold foil which acts as a heat shield to protect the car from the temperatures coming from the 6.1L BMW V12 engine.

34

December 2015

animal corner

To advertise here call : 950 121 936

All Animal Charities want to find homes for their rescued animals quickly, no-one wants them to spend their whole lives with them. Lovely brothers Billy and Bobby were rescued as small puppies, but now they are 4 years old and are still waiting for their chance at a loving home. They are large dogs, but both have lovely, friendly natures and get on well with everyone.

To meet them, please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

APAH has lots of lovely cats and kittens being cared for in it's Cattery.

Many of the cats arrived as kittens and have never known a loving home. If you are looking to adopt a cat or kitten, please arrange to visit the Cattery, there is bound to be one there that will steal your heart.

Please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

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

FROM 15â‚Ź A DAY Welcome to our Casa Rurales which sleep 2-6 people.

Experience the rustic charms of Villares, a traditional Spanish mountain village. Both houses are fully equipped for a self catering holiday. Only 2 hours drive from Orihuela costa.

Villares is an ideal base from which to explore the area and discover a part of unspoilt Spain. For walking, photography, painting or just a relaxing break. It is very close to the river and places of interest. In many ways you may feel that you have gone back in time in this tranquil area set in the heart of Sierra del Segura.

With your booking a donation will go to APA Santa Clara dog rescue.

For more information Tel: 600 326 156 Email: margwormington@yahoo.co.uk www.casacamille.wordpress.com

Telephone: 966 195 816

Answerphone - we will call back: Mobile 654 155 473

www.mountainviewcathotel.webs.com

Do you want a loyal and loving companion?

This is QUEEN. She is a healthy, medium sized, 2 year old girl who is very friendly and loving. She gets on well with all the dogs and at present is kennelled with a male dog.

Queen loves children and walks well on a lead. She would be an ideal family pet. For more information tel: Santa Clara 697 495 315.

Merry Christmas from NEGRO. He was thrown over the wall of the shelter when he was a tiny pup and been there ever since, simply because he is black. He is a 3 year old, Belgian Shepherd cross, castrated, healthy, very loving and friendly.

He mixes with all the dogs and would love a family of his own. As you can see he is happy to pose in his Christmas hat! For more information contact Santa Clara Tel; 697 495 315

www.soltimes.com

Book Review

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

www.carolnaylor.blogspot.com - www.carolesleynaylor.wordpress.com - naylorcl@hotmail.es

“He drove me to the madhouse. He said this is where I belong, in rooms next to people howling like animals.”

“The Farm” follows a similar pattern to many of the Scandi murder/mysteries: picturesque villages and isolated farms with bleak landscapes, taciturn patriarchs such as Hakan who dominates Elise his wife, Mia his adopted daughter and the entire community. He thrives on this power. We have an amateur sleuth plagued by her own nightmares seeking answers to the disappearance of a vulnerable child. Are we talking about murder or abduction? Smith presents us with stories within stories, multi-layered. Fascinating.

You might remember Smith from “Child 44” (2006) one of a trilogy, the first ever thriller to be longlisted for the Man Booker Prize? Ridley Scott snatched up the film rights and the film has just been released (Autumn 2015). This one is a murder mystery set in Stalin’s USSR. “London Spy” BBC2 drama is currently on tv, Smith’s first drama for television.

More than 4 years ago Smith received a call from his father with the unexpected and shocking revelation that his mother had been committed to an asylum. It was alleged that Smith’s father had become involved in criminal activity leading to a sinister conspiracy. She discharged herself and flew from Sweden to London in an attempt to convince Smith and his brother that she was not insane.

Smith had the unenviable task of deciding whether she was insane. This autobiographical streak separates the novel from Smith’s trilogy, more typically Scandi in essence, but this one gives it a disturbing and chilling feel and a very real appeal to readers who devour thrillers like myself. How does the past affect people’s behaviour and perceptions in the present? There seems to be a fine dividing line between the truth and how we, as individuals, might perceive the truth. In a nutshell, people and events are very often not what they appear to be.

Daniel, a freelance garden designer, the son of Tilde and Chris is 29, living in London with his partner Mark, a 40 year old corporate lawyer, a fact he has chosen to conceal from his parents. He didn’t want his parents to think they had failed: “The memory of a perfect childhood would die, and we’d mourn it as surely as we would the passing of a person we loved.” He saw the concealment as wellintentioned cowardice rather than shame. Daniel was under the impression that his parents had a perfect marriage, they were an unbreakable team and were financially comfortable in their retirement. He felt shame, sadness and disbelief at his untrustworthy insights, the raw truth of how poor they actually were.

Hakan Greggson was their Swedish neighbour, a powerful farmer who controlled his wife and daughter Mia, enjoying his power within the local community. The unsolved mystery is what becomes of Mia who abruptly disappears off the face of the earth. Tilde is convinced she has been murdered and collects flimsy bits of evidence which lends itself more to an understanding of Tilde’s own psychotic behaviour rooted in what happened to her during the summer of 1963. It’s mindblowing.

“Everything that man has told you is a lie. I’m not mad. I don’t need a doctor.

I need the police.”

When Tilde arrives in London she is shabbily dressed, her clothes showed signs of “distress,” her shoes were scuffed, trousers crumpled unlike her normal appearance of being well-dressed and she seemed to have aged considerably. Once she felt relatively safe from her enemies she opened her satchel and took out her

Special Offers Visit:

35

documents, photos and a black, leatherbound filofax in which she had written copious notes in order to figure out what was going on around her.

When she returned to Sweden 50 years later she felt very much like an outsider in her own country- a Utlanning-a word Tilde felt to be very cruel. The landscape mirrored her sense of loneliness and isolation where “the wilderness rules supreme.”

“This is the landscape that inspired the mythology of trolls, giant lumbering man-eating creatures with mushroom warts on their crooked noses and bellies like boulders.”

Monsters could easily hide in the forests, their yellow eyes stalking you, like the dreaded elk!

Tilde had run away from her parents aged 16 travelling through Germany, Switzerland, Holland before finally resting in the UK where she met and married Chris.

“I wanted to grow old on the farm with your father. I wanted to build the home I’ve dreamed about since I was a child. Somewhere special.”

She hoped to become self-sufficient, fish for salmon in the nearby river, grow vegetables and convert the outbuildings into rustic guest accommodation. Chris was more pessimistic about the success of this. She recounted swimming alone and naked in the Elk River, feeling vulnerable when she became aware of the presence of a giant elk. The locals didn’t believe her story and mocked her. The incident reminded her of the story of a forest princess riding naked on the back of one of them.

She interpreted the sighting as a blessing-they had made the right decision to move to Sweden: “We belonged here.” Hakan, a 50 year old seemed to display the vigour of a young man but the cunning of an older one. Defined by his ownership, Tilde referred to him as a “primitive xenophobe.” He was desperate to expand his empire and buy Tilde’s farm, offering three times the amount paid. Tilde became paranoid that he wanted them to fail and was constantly spying on them.

“In the summer of 1963 an event changed my life, broke my life and made me a stranger in my own family.”

The real truth of the summer of 1963 is shocking………………

Tilde told her son she was terrified when they committed her. She was surrounded by genuine madness and didn’t know if she’d ever leave the asylum. Was there a conspiracy? A paedophile ring? Was this the deeper scandal, connected to the murder of Mia? Who was Freja? Who killed her? What can Daniel do? “I’m not saying you’re wrong. It’s also impossible for me to say you’re right.” He does the only thing possible, he goes to Sweden to discover the truth for himself, uncovering plenty of skeletons, culminating in an intense and dramatic denouement. Yes, he discovers the truth.

Nothing is what it seems. It’s certainly an exciting and gripping novel that will leave you hooked from beginning to end, no doubt about that.

Publisher: Simon and Schuster. ISBN: 978-84739-675-4

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36

motoring

December 2015

review

in the news

2015 Suzuki SX4 S-Cross 1.6 DDiS TCSS Allgrip SZ5

The DGT Provides 10,000 Drug Test Kits to Local Police

Suzuki has added an automatic diesel powertrain to its S-Cross crossover lineup. Does it offer a compelling choice over the manual versions?

Suzuki has added an automatic diesel powertrain to its S-Cross crossover line-up. Does it offer a compelling choice over the manual versions?

What is it?: The first diesel automatic version to join the S-Cross range.

Suzuki did the maths and found that diesel automatic models accounted for 16% of total sales among UK crossovers in 2014 and 2015, and it wanted a piece of the pie.

It has now released an S-Cross equipped with a Fiat-sourced six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox - dubbed TCSS (Twin Clutch System by Suzuki) - which is available only with the 1.6-litre diesel engine in range-topping SZ5 models. It'll cost you an additional £1350 over the manual transmission.

Alongside those healthy automatic small sales, the Japanese manufacturer is hoping its new powertrain option will be an attractive mile-cruncher for company car buyers who favour the ease of an automatic transmission.

What's it like?: The new gearbox is pretty smooth, managing low-speed

changes around town without much fuss or jerkiness, and the engine is hushed at lower speeds. When you push on and take the car up to higher speeds, though, the shifts become more lethargic.

Sport mode encourages the ‘box to hold onto the gears even longer, which brings out more diesel drone from the engine, but at least there’s enough shove for overtaking on country lanes.

There’s also the option of paddle shifting in order to add a bit more engagement to the drive and allow you to cut short any intruding engine noise. On the whole, though, if left to its own devices the transmission does a pretty good job.

The light steering is good when navigating around town and remains accurate at higher speeds, while body control is generally impressive. The all-wheel drive system keeps it especially sure-footed, too. It may be overkill for most users, but Suzuki's Allgrip system will appeal more to buyers who live in regions that suffer severe winter weather, or those who require a crossover for off-roading.

There’s a fair bit of road roar and wind noise that gets in the cabin at higher speeds, and the ride is not particularly compliant over rougher UK roads. But most will be happy with this trade-off considering the SX4's better handling and cheaper price over some of its main rivals.

Inside, the S-Cross is generously equipped and functional, if struggling in terms of perceived quality. The double-sliding panoramic sunroof brightens up the cabin nicely, but it does impede on rear headroom, so tall passengers may struggle to stay comfortable in the rear seats.

It’s spacious up front, though, with a decent amount of adjustment to get comfy, and it also boasts a decent sized boot to boost its credentials as a family-focused crossover. But it’s still more fun than functional; SUV rivals such as the Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Qashqai offer more practicality.

Other luxuries included in the SZ5 bundle are a reversing camera, leather interior, satnav, cruise control, automatic lights and wipers and keyless entry and start. http://www.autocar.co.uk/

The DGT has invested in the provision of 10,000 drug testing kits which it will give to local police forces around the country in order for them to better monitor local roads for drivers under the influence of drugs.

The kits will be shared with 100 municipalities across 15 provinces where 450 officers have also been trained in their use. The overall goal is to reduce the consumption of drugs and narcotics at the wheel and thus improve road safety on urban roads.

Under the agreement with local authorities, the police will be required to carry out at least 20,000 drugs tests in 2016.

The latest statistics for urban and local roads, collated from data in 2014, show that 61% of all injury incidents and 26% of all deaths on the roads occurred in the areas policed by the local authorities. In addition, 4,740 people were hospitalised.

These figures show that incidents with victims in urban areas still account for a significant percentage of road incidents in Spain, and so the DGT is widening its overall enforcement campaign to take in these roads and thus reduce the number of incidents. http://n332.es/

Breakdowns on the Increase

According to the Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE), breakdowns and recoveries have increased by 8.4% in the last two months, with more than 104,000 vehicles assisted during September and October.

The RACE believe that the upward trend is indicative of a worrying lack of maintenance of vehicles, stressing the importance of properly maintained vehicles at all times, but especially during the winter months.

The increase in mechanical problems, poorly maintained vehicles and poor road conditions all spell a recipe for disaster on the roads, more so in older vehicles.

During September and October the RACE attended 23,640 flat batteries, an increase of 2%, 10,276 tyre related incidents, an increase of 13.2%, and 4,889 engine problems, an increase of 2.5%.

In order to reduce potential problems a regular check of the battery, tyres, liquid levels and windscreen and lights is recommended. http://n332.es/

www.soltimes.com

Ballon d’Or shortlist

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar make up the three-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or - the award given to the world footballer of the year.

It is the eighth consecutive year that Real Madrid’s Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Messi have been on the shortlist.

Mark Sampson is in contention for Fifa’s women’s football world coach of the year after guiding England to third place at the World Cup. The winners will be announced at a gala in Zurich on 11 January.

Ronaldo has been named the world’s best footballer for the past two years, ending Messi’s four-year hold on an award regarded as the game’s most prestigious individual accolade.

The three contenders were chosen from a 23-man list that also included Wales and Real Madrid attacker World coach of the year for men’s football: Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, Jorge Sampaoli Women’s world player of the year: Carli

Lloyd, Aya Miyama, Celia Sasic World coach of the year for women’s football: Jill Ellis, Mark Sampson, Norio Sasaki Puskas award: Alessandro Florenzi, Wendell Lira, Lionel Messi A first for Neymar It is the first time 23-year-old Brazilian Neymar, who along with Messi has helped Barcelona to the top of La Liga, has made the final three.

All three candidates are among the 50 players to make the team of the year shortlist, while 28-year-old Messi is also nominated for the Puskas Award for the year’s best goal.

Messi has scored 48 goals so far in 2015, despite being injured for two months.

Portugal captain Ronaldo, 30, has also scored 48 times for club and country, but Real are six points adrift of Barca in La Liga.

Bbc.com

Formula 1 end-of-season gossip

Jolyon Palme wrote on Twitter: "Good drive and bonne chance @RGrosjean. Thanks for bringing the car home in one piece and handing me the keys!"

British driver Jolyon Palmer thanked Lotus' Romain Grosjean for bringing the car home without any dramas at Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Palmer will make his F1 race debut for the team in 2016, replacing Haas-bound Grosjean.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo is optimistic 2016 will be a better year after finishing the season in a disappointing eighth place. (The Age) McLaren's 2015 season has been painful to say the least, but drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso have just about kept smiling. Button posted a message to his fellow world champion team-mate on Instagram, writing: "Been through a lot with this guy in 2015, bring on '16 where hopefully we'll be fighting near the front."

Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso combined for just 27 points in 2015 as McLaren finished second-last in the constructors' championship Sebastian Vettel is confident Ferrari are "doing the right things" and can take the fight to Mercedes next year. (Fox Sports Asia) Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is expecting Mercedes to continue to dominate in 2016 as he doubts any other team can bridge the "enormous gap" to the dominant outfit.

(ESPN) Horner expects to confirm details of Red Bull's 2016 engine supply "within a week" following months of speculation.(Sky Sports) Horner has also said Russian driver Daniil Kvyat does not have to worry about his future at Red Bull, saying: "He has a contract and next year he will be with Red Bull Racing."(Grandprix.

THE INCREDIBLE COST OF RUNNING A FORMULA ONE TEAM

This is the annual average amount of money anyone – whether it is a person, a company or a consortium - has to spend on running a Formula One motor racing team:

Salaries: £42m Team £26m Drivers £13m Directors £3m Research & Development: £41m Wind-tunnel testing £16m Other testing £15m Track testing £10m

Production: £39m Customer engine supply £20m Manufacturing £13m Key car components £6m Operations £28m Logistics £13m Entertainment £10m Freight £5m

I.T. £5m Factory & utilities £2m Professional services £2m Fuel £1m TOTAL: £155m Tony Matthews (tony_ matthews@live.co.uk)

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Quesada Golf Society

Last Wednesday members of the society played at the course on their doorstep, La Marquesa. With a late first tee-time members had plenty of time to prepare themselves for the game. The course was in reasonable condition with the greens being firm and generally quick.

When play commenced the sun was out although as the day progressed the wind got stronger with the final hole, the monster par 5 playing more like a par 7 with the wind blowing into your face. 25 players, in 2 divisions, contested an individual Stableford competition. The winner of the Gold Division with 33 points was Roy “Hopalong Cassidy” Kavanagh, who despite suffering a bout of sciatica triumphed in adversity.

In second place on 29 points was “Diddy” Dave Winchcombe and in third place on C/B with 28 points was the colourful Jon Daly-like Ron Perkins. The winner of the Silver division was “smokin” Tony Patterson with 26 points. Tony has struggled of late but played very well on the day and would have had a score in the 30´s had he not run out of steam towards the end.

In second place with 25 points was ex-firefighter and Yorkshireman Graham Butterworth who pipped third placed Sheila McSweeney on C/B. The Best Guest, there was only one, was Dave Gordon who returned the second best score of the day with a very creditable 30 points.

The winners of the “Nearest the Pins” were Terry “Tel” Rogers, Dave Gordon, Graham Burtterworth, Big John Featherstone and Tony Patterson. It was also the final round of the Annual Eclectic competition but we will have to wait for the final results as JD has to check the cards and work out

37

the final scores. Last but not least it was also the final of the annual Singles knock-out competition which was contested between 2 super-heavyweights, Manc John and Scouse Roy. They both went into the game with injuries but Roy appeared to overcome his and was the “golfer of the day” winning the final 4 and 2 and also returned the best stableford score of the day.

Roy, Terry Rogers and Brian Smith got 2´s and shared the 2´s pot but won´t be leaving the country. Might get as far as AP7 but thats about it. After the game the players returned to the Quesada Country Club for a drink or two and a hot & cold buffet kindly laid on.

The next game is on Wednesday 9 December at the course with the island green on the 18th, Lo Romero.

Before this game there is a members meeting at the Quesada Country Club on Tuesday 1 December starting at 10.30am and the annual Society Christmas dinner and presentations evening on Thursday 3 December at the Quesada Country Club.

Anyone in the Quesada area looking to join a very friendly golf society and play golf once a fortnight at a wide variety of courses at very reasonable cost, should contact the Membership Secretary Les Pancott on 966716723. Memberships run from January to December.

38

T.M.G.S. @ Villamartin

Due to limited tee times, again we had to cap our number of entrants to just 40 players for this, the 2nd round of our Eclectic Competition.

Teeing off at 9am with dark clouds and low temperatures it look as if we would be in for a difficult round, little did we know what would be waiting for us as we reached the 1st tee, we had began from tee 10, the clouds had broken, probably due to the strong winds that seemed to appear from nowhere and this made scoring on our 2nd nine much more difficult.

Vernon Brown is well known for his consistent scoring, but turning up today in his canary yellow outfit did not produce the birdies that he might of thought of making, instead he could be heard chirping about the number of 3 putts that he was making and alas was unable to score enough points to win a podium place, visit our website to see him strutting his stuff.

Last week’s runner up Sverre Sonesen, he scored 40 points at Las Ramblas, was again in good form and managed the best score of the day of 38 points off his new handicap to take 1st place in our Gold category, yet another cut this week Sverre. Norbert Spaniol took 2nd place ahead of Dave Lethaby on lower handicap with 33 points.

The Silver and Bronze categories found the going a little more difficult with only 3 points separating the top 3 in the Silver and 2 points separating the top 3 in the Bronze category. Colin

BRADLEY BREAKERS

December 2015

Marsden 30 points in 3rd place on higher handicap from Gunn Handeland in 2nd place and winner of the Bronze Category was Pearl Sabine with 31 points. Lars Jernberg won Silver with 33 points, Alan Rickers made 32 points for 2nd place and John Hettrick took 3rd with 30 points.

John also took the “2’s” pot of a very nice €34 being the only member to make a “2”.

The N.T.P. competition was today sponsored by Robbie Rea and it just so happened that today was also his birthday. Robbie is a very loyal supporter of the Society and plays on a weekly basis, not bad at the age of 80 and as with all other members that reach that milestone, Robbie received his honorary life membership card from our membership Secretary Shelia Dean.

Photo; Gold category winners and inset Robbie Rea. Note for your diary, if you would like to play La Manga south course for just €50, or join our Christmas special at Villamartin, visit our website www. tmgs.org or our Facebook page Facebook/ TMGSGOLF or tweet us @TMGSGOLF to reserve your place, you can also call our secretary on 661 524 101

965 723 270 607 848 332

25’95 €

SPORTSMAN GS @ EL VALLE

20 Players ascended upon the picturesque Golf Course of El Valle.

Rather than length, the course relies on numerous subtle strategic elements to challenge golfers. The course also puts a premium on accuracy, not power, and favours the intelligent player who can manage his or her game. Added to that we had horrendous winds to contend with and with that came the biting temperatures, all in all a big challenge lay ahead.

We knew it was going to be one of those days when we were told the Clubhouse was not open… too early !!!!!! hello its 09:00, really !!!! Then we had to collect the buggies from the driving range ourselves which was a fair distance away, not good service from El Valle !!!! Did we have a good day ? Only the players can answer that one, what we can say is that the course was in excellent condition.

The greens together with the days pin positions created many problems for the putter. In a few instances 5 putts was not unusual (makes Tony “3 Putts” feel good). The days conditions were reflected in the scoring, some of the seasoned players stating that it had to be the worst weather conditions (wind) that they had played in.

After the outing we returned to the Clubhouse (Galleon Bar, Quesada). It was a great warming feast served up by Tracey a big thank Tracey. Once we had re-fuelled it was onto the presentation and the prize-winners are as follows.

Nearest the Pins (Sponsored by the

La Zenia Golf Society

A good turn out at Mar Menor on Thursday for the November Presidents Trophy. A few members jostling about at this stage of the competition to break away from the leaders. Nigel Cawthra showing good form recently, returning from his trip to Florida won the day on count back with 35pts from Bob Watson.

Mar Menor again was in good condition and again we were lucky with the weather, very warm for this time of the year. We played full handicap stableford, two n/t/p’s, and usual two’s pot.

Other results were pins, No 2 Bob Watson, No 17 Nick Brooks, the two’s pot was by Jeff Luke, Patrick Connelly won the raffle. Thanks to James and his staff at Gogartys for their great hospitality, and Gogartys for sponsorship of the raffle.

Diary Dates Tuesday 1 Decemberat Saurines first

Galleon Bar)

Hole 6 : Jerry “I don’t feel well” Conybeare Hole 9 : Tony “3 putts” Wilson Hole 12 : John King Hole 15 : Ian (Oh Noooooo) Faulkner Winner :

Paul Whatley 31 points

Runner-up : Tony “Steady” Stead 27 points (C/Back Lowest H/cap) Well done all, we look forward to seeing you at the next outing (Hacienda Riquelme, Wednesday 9th December).

Remember you can register for events, follow your scores and keep up to date with what is happening, by visiting the following web pages. New members always welcome, email sportsmangolf@ hotmail.com www.societygolfing.co.uk Login sportsman Password : sportsman

:

Join us on Face Book “Sportsman Golf Society”

tee 10-06 Thursday 3 December at La Torre first tee 10-06 Benidorm trip 2016 is now confirmed for April 2016, please see the web site on the notice board section for details Please note there will be a steak night at Gogartys on Wednesday 9 December 7-30 start Cost €10-00 per person, all are invited. There are limited spaces it will be first come first served .

We have golf booked on the 24th,26th, 31st of December. Please let me know if you want to play on these dates the deadline date is the 17th December. otherwise we will cancel them All tee times are 1 and 1/2 hours before tee time at Gogartys.

Guest’s are invited to all our games, clubs can be hired. All information on the notice board outside Gogartys. Contact numbers Eric 667 196 178, Maurice 690 268 711

SOL TIMES

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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

39

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•VW California edition 2.0TDi Auto, 2015, Delivery kms. €POA •BMW X5 M-Sport, 40D x-drive, 2014, New shape, 48,000km..€67,950 •BMW 428 coupe Luxury Auto, 2014, 4,700km...................€39,950 •toyota fj cruiser 4.0l petrol, auto, 2009, 87,000km.....€poA •Audi Q7 S-line, 3.0 TDI, diesel, 2007, 170,000km..............€19,950 •Renault Captur 1.5DCi, Diesel, Auto, 2013, 44,000km, €POA •PEUGEOT 3008 1.6HDi, 2013 ,28,000KM................................. €14,950 •renault scenic 1.5dci, 2012, blue, 19,000KM............... €13,950 •hyundai i30 1.4 Crdi 2013, 5-doors, silver........................... €12,950 •Toyota yaris 1.3 V VTi, 2012, 40,000KM.................................... €12,950 •Audi A3 2.0TDi DSG Automatic, Sportback, Automatic, Silver, Alloy Wheels, 2006, 149,000km .................................................€10,950 •VW Beetle Cabrio 1.6, 2006, 101,000km.................................. €9,950 •Peugeout 207 sw 1.6 HDI estate, 110,000kms....................... €9,950 •Kia Sportage 2009, 2.0i Concept, 54,000km............................. €POA •lexus rx300 auto, 2002, silver, 154,000km.............................€6,950 •ford fusion 1.4 newport, 2007, blue, 85,000km...................€poa •Tata Gran Safari 2.2TDi, 2007, 62,000km.................................. €5,950 •Citroen jumpy 2.0, hdi, diesel, 2005, 183,000kms................ €5,950 •ford focus 1.8tdci, 2003, 240,000kms................................... €3,450 •Renault Megane Scenic 1.9DTi, Diesel, 2000,Auto, 198,000km €3,450 •chrysler stratus 2.0 auto, 1999, 104,000km.....................€2,950 •Citroen xsara 2.0 TDi, Diesel, 2003, 139,000KM................€2,950 •Trailer, 1000kg with Sides........................................................ €795

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40

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