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SolTimes issue 291

15-21 AUGUST

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Ryanair hits back against safety slurs Ryanair have hit back against reports in the press this weekend - notably by the Financial Times and Daily Telegraph - who quoted Members of the “Ryanair Pilots Group” in their criticism of the airline’s fuel policy.

Ryanair claim that the ‘Ryanair Pilot Group’ is in fact a ‘Non Ryanair Pilot Group’, and has been created as a front for the European Cockpit Association, who the airline claims, represent the trade unions of their competitors.

Ryanair also pointed out that the “Chairman” of the Group, Evert Van Zwol, is in fact a serving KLM pilot and recent President of the Dutch Pilot Union.

Ryanair also claim that the results of the “Ryanair Pilots survey” published were fabricated by the European Cockpit Association (ECA) to cause trouble by raising questions over the airline’s safety record.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

murcia scout group rescued

Officers of the Guardia Civil and members of the Protección Civil were called out to rescue 19 children and four leaders of the Murcia Scout Group on Monday 5 August. The children, who were staying in a summer camp, are aged between 8 and 11 years old, and were accompanied by four adult Scout leaders.

They were on an organised hike in the mountains of Nerpio, south of the province of Albacete, when they were caught out by a severe hail and rain storm. While the group took shelter in a cortijo in Aliagosa, in the municipality of Nerpio, the leaders contacted the Central Operativa de la Guardia Civil, who despatched three vehicles of the Protección Civil and a patrol of the Guardia Civil to the farmhouse.

The children were then taken by vehicle to the campsite, which was in the Covaroca area.

Sport

Cartagena residents killed in kenya crash

The Ayuntamiento de Cartagena has confirmed that three

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residents of Cartagena, a man and two women, were killed in Kenya when the four wheel drive vehicle in which they were travelling was in a head-on collision with a truck.

The victims, members of a group of 5 Spanish people from Cartagena plus their Kenyan guide, had been on a sightseeing trip around the country since July 29.

The accident occurred at Ngokoni, on the road between Nairobi and Mombasa. The group’s vehicle was travelling towards Nairobi when a truck coming in the opposite direction pulled out to overtake another vehicle.

The three who died have been named as: Juan Salvador Asensio, a teacher at the Instituto, who was killed outright; María Dolores Fernández, an employee of the Ayuntamiento de Cartagena, and Pilar Naranjo, a teacher at the Instituto of San Javier, who were taken to the Hospital Sultán Hamud in a critical condition, and died later.

Another two Spanish women, the guide and the driver of the truck were also taken to the hospital with various injuries which were not life threatening.

The three bodies were taken to the morgue at Emali for identification, and for repatriation to be made by the Embassy of Spain in Nairobi.

The relatives of the deceased have petitioned the Ayuntamiento of Cartagena and the Senador Murciano del Partido Popular, Pedro José Pérez, to speed up repatriation procedures.

warehouse fire on industrial estate

Bomberos of the Consorcio Regional de Extinción de Incendios y Salvamento de la Región de Murcia, from the stations of Abanilla, Molina de Segura and Cieza have extinguished a fire in a warehouse on the Calle Baco in the Polígono Industrial de Fortuna, according to information from the Centro de Coordinación de Emergencias.

The warehouse is the property of a company that uses rubber and silica, but fortunately does not store chemicals at the site.

The firefighters had to work inside the building, which has been completely burned out. However, the firefighters managed to prevent the blaze from spreading to neighbouring buildings, and there were no injuries.

At about 9:47 pm, the Teléfono Unico de Emergencias 112 received several calls informing of a column of black smoke coming from the warehouse.

A vehicle of the Primera Intervención de Fortuna, officers of the Policía Local and the Guardia Civil de Fortuna were mobilised.

The Bomberos del Parque de Molina de Segura were called due to the possibility of the fire spreading to neighbouring warehouses.

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Protección Civil de Fortuna, ambulances and a tender with two firefighters from the Consorcio del Parque de Cieza also attended.

motorcycle accident in la manga

A man has died and another has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident at the entry to the Gran Vía de La Manga del Mar Menor, at the intersection of Las Triolas, in the municipality of Cartagena.

The incident took place about 7.26 pm when the motorcycle went off the road for no known reason. No other vehicles were involved.

The driver died at the scene, while the passenger was treated and stabilized by medical personnel of the Unidad Móvil de Emergencia (UME) del Servicio Murciano de Salud (SMS), based in La Manga del Mar Menor before being moved urgently to the Hospital de Santa Lucía in Cartagena, where he was admitted with severe trauma injuries.

Águilas residents win over a million euros

Three neighbours from Águilas have won over a million and a half euros with a La Primitiva winning ticket.

The three, who have been playing for one year using the same combination of numbers, were taking their morning coffee in the local bar where they meet every day, when one of them checked the ticket and discovered their good fortune.

Since then, the lottery headquarters has become a meeting place of many locals, all of whom are anxious to find out who the lucky winners are.

One of the three said she wanted to use the money ‘to regulate her affairs and to help her children.’ She admitted that since the win her phone has not stopped ringing with calls from friends and family, who wish to congratulate her.

The three are from working commercial business families and are well known in the city, but even so do not want to reveal their identity.

The ticket was sold at the Administración número 2 de Águilas, called L’Aguilica, which last year distributed more than three million euros through the Lotería Nacional.

Carmen Sáez, owner of the outlet, said that the ladies were well known to her, and one of her most enjoyable tasks was distributing the winnings.

feria de artesania 26-29 september

The Feria de Artesanía de la Región de Murcia, to be held from 26 to 29 September at the Recinto Ferial de Santa Quiteria will include stands, exhibitions and demonstrations by artisans from Senegal, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Peru, Mexico and Spain.

This year is the Craft Fair’s thirtieth anniversary, and as well as the representatives from overseas, professionals from throughout Spain will be participating.

The public will be treated to demonstrations of traditional cookery, craft skills both ancient and modern, and a huge variety of stands offering a vast range of decorative, practical or culinary goods.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

Santiago rail tragedy Public works minister Ana Pastor ‘will not rest’

until she knows ‘the truth’ about the fatal crash

Braking systems and speed limits on all main railway lines in Spain will be fully investigated and undergo stringent safety checks as a result of the July 24 crash just outside Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, says minister for public works Ana Pastor.

All bends on the lines similar to the one know as the ‘A Grandeira curve’, where the Alvia train derailed and overturned, killing 79 people, will be examined in full.

Pastor says victims of the crash have her ‘promise’ that she ‘will not rest’ until she knows ‘the truth’ about what caused the tragedy, the worst in Spain’s rail history.

A full audit of infrastructure, procedures, wagons, engines and their mechanical parts will be carried out, Pastor assures.

Rail company ADIF has insisted the train and the track were in perfect condition, as has the rail board, RENFE, and

said the accident was entirely caused by the driver’s having been travelling too fast. The driver admitted he had not known whether he was on the high-speed AVE track, where trains travel at 200 kilometres per hour, or the regional one where the limit is 80 kilometres per hour, since there was no signal or any other type of warning where the track changed.

He would have needed to start braking four kilometres before the site of the crash, next to the village of Angrois and four kilometres from the pilgrims’ cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela.

But not knowing which track he was on meant he did not brake in time, and the automatic ETCS speedcontrol system, which stops the train from going beyond the speed limit, was not in place once the track switched from the AVE to the regional

line. Instead, the old ASFA speed-control mechanism was in place, which does not slow the train down until it is travelling at over 200 kilometres per hour and gives three warning signals before it kicks in.

Also, the automatic brake pedal known as the ‘dead man’, which is in place to prevent accidents if the driver dies at the wheel, falls asleep or passes out, was said to be flat to the floor at the time of the crash.

Other drivers who know the track where the crash took place said they had complained in the past about the fact there was no ETCS braking on the A Grandeira curve, which they said was dangerous, and added that a driver has to drop from 200 kilometres per hour to 80 in a very short distance, which is difficult and can be

Lorca’s pigeon population under control

The Concejal de Sanidad, Antonia López, announced the success of the plan to reduce the overpopulation of pigeons in the city.

She said that in the first six months of this year 466 pigeons were caught, while in 2008 there were 3,527 caught and in 2010, 2,161; all numbers much lower than the 5,800 caught in 2006, when the controls were commenced.

The pigeons are caught by the staff of a company specialising in cage traps placed in the public and private buildings where the birds congregate in the greatest numbers.

In the town cages are installed in the Óvalo and the Plazas de España and Calderón and in the outskirts of the town at La Paca, Doña Inés, Villaespesa and Zarcilla de Ramos.

According to Antonia López, the latest results from visual inspections record small numbers of these birds dispersed throughout the Municipality, with the population remaining at acceptable levels. Complaints have declined substantially, as has the risk to public health and heritage degradation.

Some of the captured birds are used for veterinary studies into the diagnosis of diseases associated with birds and their habitat. Some are ringed, released and monitored. The vast majority, however, are slaughtered in accordance with current legislation.

Plans are in hand to carry out a control campaign against rodents like rats and mice, insects such as cockroaches, mosquitoes and fleas and other arthropods such as ticks and mites.

The controls will seek to minimise the economic losses that these animals produce and at the same time reduce health risks. It aims to achieve a degree of infestation below that specified by the World Health Organization (WHO), which stands at 5%.

Particular attention will be paid to watercourses, ponds and landfills. Also cabling and wiring, which can come under attack from rodents with severe consequences.

In a few days fumigation, pest control and disinfection of the 34 schools in the municipality will commence in time for the start of the new school term on September 10. There will also be proactive hygiene and health control of tanks and water networks in schools to prevent the spread of legionellosis.

These controls will be undertaken in all premises which are managed by the Ayuntamiento.

stargazing at lorca castle

Lorca Castle was the venue for a night of stargazing in the ‘Lorca Taller del Tiempo’, a special programme focused on the constellations of the Perseids or the Tears of St. Lawrence.

The view of the stars, which commenced at 11 pm, was supplemented with expert explanations by representatives of the Asociación Astronómica de la Región de Murcia (Astromurcia), a poetry reading by the group Espartaria, and live music performed by the acoustic trio Berry Chucket.

The first Festival de Cultura Judía (Jewish Culture Festival) concluded on Sunday with a performance by EMET, the duo of Raúl Frutos and Claudio Alcaraz, who gave a concert on the terrace of the castle stables.

The Cafetería de la Alcazaba laid on a menu inspired by Sephardic cuisine especially for the occasion.

Between August 13 and 24, the ‘Lorca Taller del Tiempo’ is holding special night time sessions at the castle, with guides and medieval characters, who will narrate and re-enact old stories and legends of the fifteenth century, when the Jewish quarter of the fortress was in all its glory and environment of the synagogue of Lorca was an unmissable attraction.

hazardous.

In light of this, ADIF now says the accident was the fault of former socialist president of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who had allegedly changed the plans for the new AVE line in the northwestern region of Galicia and put in ASFA braking instead

of ETCS, which would have prevented the crash.

Pastor says she intends to install extra braking measures such as speed-bumps, put up more warning signs on the track and even voice warnings inside the engines. She will analyse the cost of fitting ETCS braking on all railway lines in Spain, and for development of the newer, digital version of the ASFA system.

ADIF has since admitted that on the regional lines through the province of A Coruña and all the way up to Santiago de Compostela, except for on the stretch where the accident happened, ETCS

braking is in place, but due to incompatibilities between the track, the Alvia 730 trains and the system, it does not work from the station at Olmedo, south of the crash site.

Furthermore, Pastor plans to ensure better training is given to drivers, rail traffic rules updated, and a mechanism for identifying passengers and their luggage, as is the case on airlines, put in place so that in the event of an accident relatives can be informed immediately and can ensure victims’ personal belongings do not go astray.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

barnes bulletin COMMERCIAL (PENULTIMATE, HONEST!) TIME

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES Rob Barnes moved to live in Spain, 7 years ago. In the UK, amongst other things, he was the Chair of the Midlands Regions, Independent Television Commission. His hobbies include Industrial Archaeology, Mine exploration and photography (Sierra Minera) and is on a quest to get a quality cast conditioned real ale here in Spain! Email Rob at garfieldglencroft@hotmail.com

TERRIFICO TELEFERICO

Sport Three “What’s on” dropped into the box this week, all in Torre De La Horadada.

Thursday August 15th., it’s up bright and early at 8.15 am, to be in place at the Club Na’utico, just below the promenade, to catch the sea procession with the “Virgen de la Asuncio’n.

By the by, do any Sol Times readers remember the occasional jazz sessions, featuring Keith Monk on keyboard, with Roger “The Hat” on vocals, under the sail, at the Yacht Club? Happy days.

At 8.30pm., there is a solemn procession through the streets of Torre, with the sculpture of The Virgin.

When the procession reaches the beach of

Conde, a “Grand” firework display will take place.

Friday August 16th., will see the inauguration of the Antonio Sa’nchez Lozano plaque in, of course, the Antonio Sa’nchez Lozano Square. This will take place at 9.30pm., and will be followed by a symposium of Antonio’s life.

To bring the day to a close, there will be a dance at 11 pm., to “Trio Eclipse”.

On Saturday the 17th., in the Antonio Sa’nchez Lozano Square, where else! there will be a concert by choir “Coral Horadada” and “Viejas Glorias” serenaders. This starts at 10pm.

Deciding it was time to end my sabbatical, after a week alone, 1400 meters up in the Serrania De Ronda, living in the ruin of a goat herders hut, I made my way back down to Smurf Town (See last week’s edition) to take up the kind offer of a hot bath, at the local tavern. No sign of my friend in a blue hat today.

Following a wallow in the tub, and with a hot breakfast “On board”, it was time to

drag the Aston Martin (I wish) out of the barn, and head back up the motorway, and home.

And there it was again!

Cable cars passing over the motorway! Rude not to, I thought.

Constructed by the Swiss, of course, this Teleferico Cable Car, built in 2003, takes it’s passengers from close by the entrance of Tivoli World Show and Amusement Park, to the top of the Calamorro Mountain, overlooking the resort of Benalmadena.

The ride takes around 15 minutes to reach the summit. Return or single tickets can be purchased, at very reasonable 10 euro return if of a certain vintage.

The keen walker can buy a single ticket, and walk the mountain track, back down to Benalmadena.

Not only is the view from the top wonderful, there’s a chance to see falcons, eagles, owls and vultures, flying freely.

There are regular falconry performances, along with horse shows within a parade ring. No, no, there must be a road up for a horse box!

Ending my trip from the Calamorro, at base station, I shook hands with the attendant at the gate, who passed a comment, as he wiped his hands with an oily rag, that he was sure he could smell goat! *Photo shows the cable car in full flight, and it passing over Tivoli World

BEFORE & AFTER IN CAMPOVERDE! It was way back in May, that the rumble of an excavator within the pool area, was reported to me by “Friends of Campoverde” With on going maintenance, running costs and a possible repair bill to prevent water, seeping into the ground under the village, running into six figures, it was decided, at a hastily convened meeting at Bar Pedro, over coffee and tostada, by the powers that be, to demolish the problematic pool, and replace with an attractive square.

Fast forward to August, and all is nearly ready for the “Grand Opening” by Mayor & Corporation.

Might even be a firework display!

I’m sure it will not be too long, before Compo, Norman Clegg and Foggy, make their way to one of the many benches under the towering palm trees, and begin to sort out the financial problems of Spain.

Can’t do any worse than that lot in Madrid.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

5

Gibraltar tug-of-war continues Spain and Argentina unite to reclaim the Rock and the Falklands from the UK

Spain’s Foreign Affairs Minister is hoping to team up with his Argentine counterpart and launch a double territory dispute against the UK with the help of the United Nations to win back both Gibraltar – which has been British for over 300 years – and the Falkland Islands, known to Argentina as Las Malvinas.

José Manuel García-Margallo is due to fly out to the South American country next month to discuss the legal wrangling between the two nations over the expropriation of Repsol shares in the petroleum plant, YPF, and he claims that he and Argentine foreign minister Héctor Timerman ‘will analyse the possibility’ of the two countries approaching the UN jointly over the Rock and the Falklands.

This is likely to increase tensions already building between Spain and Britain over the colony on the tip of the mainland as the Spanish government continues to push for sovereignty and the UK remains firm in its determination not to yield its overseas territory.

Conservative leader David Cameron says the stance of the British coalition government ‘has not changed’ and is ‘consistent’ with its ‘policies in other overseas territories’.

A spokeswoman for the British ministry of foreign affairs made this announcement in response to reports about the Spanish government’s intention to get the UN involved.

“Self-determination is more important than national integrity. The people of Gibraltar have repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed their wish to remain under British sovereignty,” the spokeswoman stated on Sunday.

disputes over Gibraltar intensify Spanish fishermen pulled up by British authorities over working in Gibraltar’s waters, which Spain says it owns –

Spanish Legal Reclaims

Britain having sovereignty over the land comprising Gibraltar only – and the UK’s decision to drop concrete blocks in the sea near the Rock to form an artificial reef was what began to cause simmering under the surface within the Spanish government.

And Spain’s insistence on lengthy and meticulous inspections of random vehicles crossing the border, creating delays of between three and seven hours for workers commuting back and forth from the Rock to the province of Cádiz, as well as day-trippers, have infuriated the UK. Whilst Spain insists these are in keeping with their duty to prevent cross-border smuggling, especially of contraband cigarettes, and that Gibraltar does not form part of the Schengen agreement, the UK says such actions are ‘unacceptable’ and ‘unjustifiable’ between two EU member States.

In response to this, García-Margallo says not only will the border checks not be reduced, but he now intends to make sure even more are carried out, and to charge a 50-euro fee for people entering and leaving Gibraltar.

He has also threatened to shut the airspace leading to the Rock and to find a way to scrap its ‘tax haven’ status.

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy has threatened legal action and to get the UN involved.

In the meantime, Gib border police say they are undergoing counselling because of the traumas involved with the border checks, dealing with angry drivers entering and leaving the Rock, and even protest demonstrations targeting them personally at their homes – a practice known as an escrache and started in Spain by campaigners seeking better legal protection for homeowners with mortgages.

PART 2

ADVERTISING FEATURE

THOUSANDS OF BRITISH/EU CITIZENS COME FORWARD TO RECLAIM AN ESTIMATED £400 MILLION FROM THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT IN OVERPAID INHERITANCE TAX

The Spanish dream? The Spanish IHT discrimination rules follows hot on the heels of the Capital Gains Tax loop hole, which saw up to 90,000 UK families overcharged CGT by an estimated £283 million. The Spanish Courts and European Courts of Justice all ruled in 2009 that Spain had discriminated against British and other EU citizens and ordered the money to be refunded to those affected.

Hundreds of British families have received their overcharged CGT money back with on average + 5% legal interest. The same legal team is leading the IHT campaign to help UK families recover their overpaid tax.

IHT scale: Spanish IHT system is complex, non residents will pay according to a scale that could reach up to 34% of the inherited property value without any tax deduction. Currently, 99% tax exemption applies to Spanish residents. For example for a property worth €150,000 non residents will pay approximately 9% IHT, whereas Spanish residents will pay 0 % in the majority of cases or a maximum of 0.9%. For a €500,000 property non residents will pay 20% IHT whilst Spanish residents would again pay between 0% - 0.9%.

Following the recent launch of the www.spanishlegalreclaims.com website, British people who believed they have been affected by the Spanish tax trap have come forward to highlight their plights and begin the process of recovering their money.

Mr. Luis Cuervo CEO at Spanish Legal Reclaims commented: “More than 100 UK/EU families have already filed their reclaim with us and more than 200 are in the process to do so. Many Spanish lawyers are cooperating with us on the benefit of their own clients once they understand the legal process requires deep analysis and expertise not only in domestic but also EU regulations and court procedures”.

“We urge anyone else who believes they have been affected by this tax discrimination to come forward. Taking quick action is important as the right to make a reclaim will expire due to a 4 year time limit on making a tax reclaim in Spain.”

“Potential claimants must be aware that this is not an ordinary reclaim. It is not just a matter of going to the Tax Office and asking for your money back and claiming before the Spanish Administration is not enough. The cases must be won in court one by one (as class actions are not possible in Spain for this type of reclaims).

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Warship Departs For Routine Gibraltar Visit

A Royal Navy warship has left Portsmouth for a routine visit to Gibraltar amid increased tensions with Spain over border checks. HMS Westminster is due to dock at the British territory within a week as part of an annual deployment, Cougar 13.

It comes as increased vehicle checks at the border with Spain have led to delays for tourists and residents.

The Ministry of Defence said the visit was “long-planned” as part of “a range of regular and routine deployments”.

Spain’s foreign ministry agreed it was a routine visit, adding that the UK government had asked for permission to stop over at the Rota naval base, which is near the Strait of Gibraltar in south-west Spain.

HMS Westminster is being accompanied by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships Lyme Bay and Mounts Bay on its stop.

The BBC’s Spain correspondent, Tom Burridge, said that - while both London and Madrid had played down the timing of the visit - the boats would be arriving at a sensitive moment for British-Spanish relations,

amid a diplomatic row over the territory’s status and the waters nearby.

It follows a decision by Gibraltar to drop 70 concrete blocks into the sea off its coast, with the aim of creating an artificial reef and encouraging sea-life to flourish.

The Spanish government has accused Gibraltar of laying the blocks “without the necessary authorisation” in “waters that are not theirs”, contravening environmental laws and damaging Spain’s fishing industry.

As part of the Cougar 13 deployment setting sail from Portsmouth and Plymouth, four Royal Navy warships and six other vessels are heading to the Mediterranean, and then onto the Gulf region, to conduct military exercises.

After docking in Portugal, some of the boats will head on to the British military base in Gibraltar while others will head to Cadiz, in nearby southern Spain.

Thousands of Royal Navy, Royal Marines from Plymouth-based 3 Commando Brigade, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel will take part in the exercise.

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6

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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Spain is one of USA’s main spy targets Spain is one of the USA’s top spying targets, Pakistan, North Korea and Afghanistan, the along with France, Italy, Japan and Germany, says national daily newspaper from the latter country, Der Spiegel.

It cites documents belonging to former CIA analyst and exiled whistleblower, Edward Snowden, which claim the National Security Agency (NSA) defined ‘intelligence priorities’ in terms of the numbers 1 to 5, with 1 being ‘maximum interest’ and 5, ‘little interest’.

Germany is around the middle-upper range, along with France and Japan, and only slightly ahead of Spain and France.

In terms of the USA’s focus of interest, it has Germany on a level 3 for foreign policies, economic stability, and analysis of financial risks; level 4 for arms exportation and international trade, and level 5 for cyberattacks.

The European Union as a whole is on level 3 for international trade, foreign policies and economic stability.

According to the article in the German broadsheet, the USA has been spying on EU and United Nations outposts in Washington and New York.

Its main countries under focus of the spying operation are China, Russia, Iran,

Der Spiegel reporter says.

This week, the government of German chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed that a pact between the NSA and German spy networks was sealed during the previous president, Gerhard Schröder’s reign and during that of the now-current leader of the social-democrat opposition, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The BND, one of three German spy departments, together with the Constitution Protection department of the ministry for the interior and the military spy group, MAD, is under direct control of the minister for the chancery.

President of the BND, Gerhard Schindler, has confirmed to several German media that mobile telephone numbers were passed to the NSA, although he stresses that these were because the holders of the numbers were suspected of terrorism.

Full details of spy operations against Spain were not revealed in the article, but Spain and Italy are thought to be under the same espionage focus levels, not far below Germany.

92 Africans Rescued On 14 Rowing-boats In One Day In The Strait Of Gibraltar

Coastguard workers rescued 92 would-be migrants on 14 different rafts attempting to enter Spain via the ‘back door’ through the Strait of Gibraltar yesterday (Saturday).

According to a report by ThinkSpain, in just one day, emergency services helped 78 men, 12 women, a small baby and a little girl, the latter of whom was admitted to hospital with severe signs of hypothermia.

All the rest are said to be in good health, aside from general fatigue, hunger and thirst.

The most recent craft – the typical wooden rowing boat which immigrants from Africa trying to sail to Spain use, and which are highly dangerous on open waters – was carrying three young men, a few hours after three earlier crafts came into shore in Tarifa (Cádiz) with a total 19 people on board.

These were eight men, nine women, a baby and a little girl.

Emergency services say the last four rafts arrived in quick succession, and that a total of 14 were counted in the Strait of Gibraltar in one day.

They were all taken to the port of Tarifa

and provided with food, drink, blankets and dry clothes and attended to by Red Cross workers.

Tens of thousands of sub-Saharan Africans, frequently from Sénégal, try to sail to Spain to enter the ‘promised land’ of Europe every year, and many do not survive the journey.

Those who do are invariably shipped straight back to their countries of origin.

A few slip through the net and struggle to make a living peddling goods on the streets and beaches, dodging fines from the police.

Town councils in touristy areas on the coast have threatened fines of up to 3,000 euros for people caught selling goods on the beach and the street, most of whom are from African countries.

Hard-hitting campaigns on TV in subSaharan African nations, particularly Sénégal, have called for young people to give up on the idea of saving up to pay mafia-style organisations for a seat on a raft, reminding them that they are the ‘future’ of Africa.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

POST OFFICE RULES NOT OK!

Anyone using Correos postboxes or ‘apartados’ here in Spain should be aware that mail is being returned without warning unless addressed exactly as on documents you initially presented. “This means that if your name is Richard Alan Smith on your passport, for instance, letters from friends who know you as Dick Smith will be returned.” So says local resident Susie Mandrake who is spearheading a campaign to have Correos’ s new rules set aside as she says they are “arbitrary, Draconian, inhumane and totally contrary to the spirit of a public service.”

Under the new rules box-holders pay almost 40 euros for each family member on top of the initial 61 euro fee. “That’s expensive for a family of four or five.” says Susie.

“What’s more, apparently letters addressed simply to Mr, or Mr and Mrs without the Christian names are being returned too. Names have to be exactly as on the lists and staff are not even allowed to use a modicum of common sense.”

Complaints are flooding into local Town Halls who say they can do nothing as it is a state service. Susie, who says she has been successfully using the service for 13 years up to now is determined to fight back. “I have been listed as a box co-holder for the last two years and nobody told me when I renewed in January that I had to pay more. I have lost a considerable sum of money as a result of not receiving a letter. I asked back in March if they had a problem with my box number and they said no even though unbeknownst to me they were sending letters back on an almost daily basis.

Staff do actually try to help but say their hands are tied because boxes are checked to make sure no letters to non-subscribers get through. Surely, Correos cannot accept payment for a service one minute then change the ground rules later – especially without warning. I think they are in breach of contract. Anyway it’s certainly unjust and a stand must be taken. I will go to the Ombudsman, the Consumer Association, European Courts, the King – whatever it takes.”

If you have any horror stories about how the new rules have affected you please help by contacting Susie on susiemandrake@gmail.com. Or you could try writing to Susan Mandrake at Apartado 4, Mojacar Pueblo, 04638 Almeria and, fingers crossed, your letter might just get there!

Report by Susan Mandrake

The

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Colombian citizens may no longer need visas to travel to Spain if EU agrees Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos says his country’s citizens have ‘been given a wonderful birthday present’ – Spain wants to scrap visa requirements for visitors and residents.

One of Spain’s most prolific foreign groups, many Colombian nationals have been living in the country for between eight and 15 years, and their family members and friends have to apply for visas whenever they want to visit them, just as Colombians living in Spain have to constantly renew theirs to be able to carry on living there, even when they have jobs and mortgages.

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy wants to eliminate this hassle and bureaucracy for them, and plans to speak to the European Union.

Santos, speaking from the popular holiday city of Cartagena de las Indias (pictured) on the Caribbean coast, said: “That is really great news.

Three Spanish tourists have been killed and two others injured in a road crash in Kenya whilst coming back from a safari expedition.

A man and a woman from Cartagena (Murcia) and another woman from Puertollano (Ciudad Real) lost their lives immediately when their safari truck crashed head-on with a lorry on the main road between Mombasa and the capital, Nairobi, at around 13.00hrs local time on Friday.

Another two women – the wife of the Cartagena man,

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“We have the full right to be proud of being Colombian and to want to live in any part of the world without a visa.”

Spain’s most famous Colombian citizen is poprock sensation Shakira who, although her mother is half-catalana and her father is Lebanese but born in New York, has nationality in the Latin American country and was born on its Caribbean coast in Barranquilla. Now with a son by Spanish partner, Barça forward Gerard Piqué, the multilingual blonde singer – who is not married to the father of her child – lives with Piqué and baby Milan in Barcelona.

and a second woman from Alicante – were both injured in the accident, but they are not said to be in a lifethreatening condition.

A further six Spanish tourists and a Kenyan tour guide and truck driver escaped unharmed.

The uninjured survivors are a man from Jaén, another man from Cartagena and two sisters from Murcia city.

According to the embassy, the Kenyan driver has been taken into custody.

All three bodies were

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“We are very grateful to the Spanish government, to its president Mariano Rajoy, for such a major step forward. Already, nine countries in the world no longer require visas from Colombians wanting to visit them.

Kenya road crash kills three Spanish holidaymakers and injures two

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transferred to the mortuary in Emali, close to the hospital where the two injured women were treated.

The Spanish ambassador in Kenya says the embassy is working on repatriating the bodies and also the injured parties as soon as possible, but that this depends upon air traffic being reopened at Nairobi airport – the largest in east Africa – which had to be closed on Wednesday due to a massive fire.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

British hospitals seek Spanish nurses

Three major hospitals in the UK are actively seeking Spanish and Portuguese nurses with recruitment days advertised in Madrid and Lisboa.

They are offering 300 permanent jobs with a gross annual salary of between 30,000 and 60,000 euros, depending upon experience, and accommodation

included.

Advertisers from www. skills4nurses.com say the number of jobs offered could increase to up to 4,000 within around 18 months.

Successful applicants must have qualified as nurses, even if they have not yet worked in the field, and fluency in English with sufficient

technical knowledge of the language relating to the profession is a must.

At present, around 7,000 nurses from Spain live and work in the UK, which has a shortage, having been unable to find work in their field in their native country.

A total of 17,000 qualified nurses in Spain are unemployed, and many of whom have never worked since finishing college due to lack of vacancies.

Petrol and diesel prices down by one per cent this month

Petrol and diesel prices fell by one per cent at the start of August, giving motorists a bit of a breathing space at a time when fuel costs tend to rocket.

The average price of petrol per litre currently stands at 1.457 euros, compared to 1.471 euros at the end of July and a long way below the costs seen at this time last year, at around 1.522 euros per litre.

Diesel, which was 1.518 euros at the start of August 2012, is now 1.364 euros a litre, compared to 1.376 euros at the end of July this year. Over the

course of a year, petrol has gone up in price by 1.1 per cent and diesel by 0.2 per cent, being an increase since the start of 2013 of four per cent for petrol and 0.14 per cent for diesel.

At current prices, for a car with a 55-litre tank, the cost of filling up is 80.10 euros in petrol or 75.02 euros in diesel.

Spanish petrol and diesel prices continue to be below the EU average of 1.59 euros and 1.44 euros respectively, and for the Eurozone of 1.63 euros per litre of petrol and 1.43 euros per litre of diesel.

CERTIFICADO DE EFICIENCIA ENERGÉTICA (ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE) As the Department of Energy and Climate Change states “All domestic and commercial buildings in the UK available to buy or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). If you own a home, getting an energy performance survey done could help you identify ways to save money on your energy bills.”

In Spain it is called the “Certificado de eficiencia energética” and has become a law as a transposition of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive 2010/31/EU). Since the 1st of June of 2013 your home, office or shop must have this certificate in order to sell or rent (for longer than 4 months). This certificate is obligatory even in the event of posting an advert.

EPCs gives you information on how energy efficient your building is and will show a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient).

Architectural and Building Technicians (Arquitectos Técnicos) are the most competent technicians for this purpose. I can help you find out which rating your home, office or shop has and give you tips on improving it so you can save money on air conditioning or heating. Call now for a free quote.

Santiago Martínez Jenkins, Technical Architect Local 30 – Sector A Camposol 30875 Mazarrón Office opening hours 10-14h Mon to Fri

Tel: 669 44 23 50

British mum gives birth to 13lb baby in costa blanca hospital ...without an epidural!

Spain’s largest-ever baby to be delivered via natural birth was born this week to a British mum in Dénia (Alicante) hospital.

María Lorena Marín came into the world at around 04.45hrs on Wednesday morning and weighed in at 6.02 kilos (13lb 3oz).

Mum Maxime, 40, did not need an epidural and said the birth of her fourth child and first daughter was relatively pain-free.

She was rushed to hospital by her Colombian husband, Jaime, 40, from their home in Teulada, (Alicante) just before 01.00hrs when she began having contractions, and was found to be six centimetres dilated.

By 03.40hrs she was fully dilated and María Lorena appeared an hour later.

Babies of nine pounds or more (about 4.7 kilos) are normally delivered by Caesarian section, but Maxime, who says her fourth pregnancy was unplanned and unexpected

as she only has one ovary, reveals that her three boys were all born naturally.

The expatriate, who is a hairdresser in Albir (Alicante) had an ovary removed some time ago when a cyst was found and had not thought she would be able to have any more children.

María Lorena has been in the paediatric intensive care unit ever since because, although she is in perfect health, extra-large babies are often ‘lazy’ and do not wake up when they are hungry, doctors explain.

Their blood-sugar levels tend to drop and they have to be woken up to be fed.

But mother and baby are said to be doing very well, even though María Lorena was far from impressed with her new-found fame, since reporters say she cried constantly throughout the press conference on Thursday.

Girls Want To Be Teachers And Boys, Footballers – But Neither Want To Be Politicians

Children aged between four and 16 who were asked in a survey ‘what they wanted to be when they grew up’ have changed their minds about becoming politicians, which was once the favoured profession.

Only 4.4 per cent of kids want to go into politics, and 17.3 per cent say governments and councils are to blame for the recession, which 51.1 per cent believe will go on for many more years.

Most of the children interviewed said the solution to the financial crisis was to reduce politicians’ salaries, expenses and chauffeur-driven cars.

A total of 28.7 per cent said they would leave the country if it meant they could get a job.

The study showed a clear gender division when it came to chosen future careers.

Boys wanted to follow sports-related professions, with the most popular being football-player, followed a long way down the list by policemen, engineers and doctors.

Girls, however, said they wanted to work in social or educational roles, with the most frequently-cited future job being that of a teacher.

This was followed by working with animals – 14.2 per cent of the total, with two-thirds wanting to be a vet – and then doctors and hairdressers.

When asked about the gender split with housework and childcare in their homes, 55.8 per cent said it was mainly their

mothers who carried out these tasks and 3.9 per cent said their dads did most of the domestic and family-related chores.

Overall, four in 10 believed housework and child-rearing should be shared between both men and women, and roughly the same percentage said their own mother and father divided these tasks almost equally between them.

Concerning the issue of being happy in their future jobs, 20.6 per cent said they felt they would be if they were able to follow their chosen profession, whilst 18.9 per cent said the most important ingredient for job satisfaction was having nice colleagues and 13.8 per cent said it all depended upon the attitude a person has towards his or her work.

A separate section of the survey targeted children aged four to 16 with disabilities – physical or mental, from birth or acquired later in life, or caused by either hereditary conditions, illness or accident.

The ADECCO Foundation interviewed 700 disabled children taking a cross-section from a very wide range.

One in five said they wanted to follow in their parents’ professional footsteps, and the most commonly-chosen future career for boys was that of a farmer or gardener, followed by football-player and police officer, whilst most girls said they wanted to be hairdressers, followed by teachers and singers.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT?

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

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

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

Go Satellite is going from strength to strength!

COME AND MEET US!

We have an office in the Business Centre Calle Los Arcos No7 Ciudad Quesada, so you can now come and meet us and we will endeavour to help you with all of your TV queries.

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

DISH ISSUES? Here at Go Satellite, we use only Top Quality Portugese dishes and Invacom LNB’s. Sky Packages are also available. If you do not have room or do not wish to have a dish, give us a call as we have a solution!

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

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

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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Justo Quesada Samper: A real man of the people, a self-made man in what were undoubtedly difficult times, who at the end of the sixties dreamed of building a holiday city from scratch.

In 1972 he began to build Ciudad Quesada starting out with just a modest family firm and no resources other than his own hands and, above all, a tremendous capacity for sacrifice and hard work.

He did not cease in his efforts even when faced with the tremendous problems and financial crises the sector has suffered over the years, a fact which makes the successes achieved even more worthy of praise.

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What today, in the midst of the 21st Century, is nothing new, was then a truly innovative project well ahead of its time.

35 years ago, Mr. Justo Quesada Samper’s visionary approach began to give shape to an ambitious dream: to create from scratch a real city which would play a leading role in launching residential tourism on the Costa Blanca. This was the birth of Ciudad Quesada.

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www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

1.4 metre Dish Thousands of people from all over Europe supported this first great project to be carried out by our company’s founder, and it became a model of a services city in every way, offering amenities which for the time were considered daring and unimaginable, such as a ninehole golf course and a landing strip for light aircraft.

Ciudad Quesada is now a reference in 21st Century Spain, one of the country’s leading real estate developments, with over 20,000 homes built on an area of 10 million m2 and further areas still under development. It also stands out for its impressive range of services open all year round: eight banks, an abundance of food stores, two medical centres, a service station, a Water Park, five supermarkets, a Norwegian state school, a town hall and the La Marquesa golf course.

Different nationalities living together in harmony has strengthened the bond between Ciudad Quesada’s thousands of residents.

In fact, it is the only urbanization which celebrates the fiestas of its own patron saint

held every August, on San Justo day, with a fiesta committee and the participation of the Town Council of Rojales, the municipality which Cuidad Quesada forms part of. banks, an abundance of food stores, two medical centres, a service station, a Water Park, five supermarkets, a Norwegian state school, a town hall and the La Marquesa golf course.

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

950€ for the ‘BENIJÓFAR CRISIS APPEAL’ Following the full-house fundraiser at ‘El Alto La Dolores Restaurant’ in Guardamar, on the 24th July, when ‘Woody & The Peckers’ rocked the night away, to an audience of nearly 200, a presentation was made of the cheque on Friday 2nd August, to Benijófar Social Services, to support their help for the families most distressed by the current economic situation. The 950€ will be used to provide food, clothing, school books etc, and thus ease their hardship. A big thank you to the organisers, the Restaurant, the Band, and all those who attended, and made this donation possible.

ELVIS ‘will be in the building’ when ‘El Alto La Dolores’ hosts another fund-raising night which will be a tribute

to ‘THE KING of Rock’n’Roll’ on 16th August (the 36th anniversary of his death). Tickets are just 10 euros, and include a BBQ meal, and these are available from Restaurante El Alto La Dolores; The Post Room Benijofar; The Card Place Benimar; or by ‘phoning either 965 323 028 or 692 866 536. The last event was sold out a week before, so don’t delay in booking your place!

Photo “Organiser, Marlene Brown, handing a cheque to Marisol Guijarro Ginenez and Pilar Yagues Illesoas from Benijófar Social Services. Also pictured are Restaurant Owner Andreas, his Manager, Cornel, and Norman & Karen Love from the Post Room Benijofar, who provided the publicity and promotion.”

UB40 concert “waste of money”

Dear Editor

I attended the UB40 concert on Thursday 8th August and all I can say is “What a waste of money”.

The main concern of the organisers seemed to be how many over priced drinks could they get the audience to consume! The group played for only 75 minutes which is the shortest concert I have ever attended. They arrived on stage at 10.40, a full 40 minutes late and left their most famous number, Red, Red Wine until after the encore. The whole event was over by 11.55, but many concert goers had left long before that, after being bored stupid by a repetitive and uninspiring set.

A total waste of money and time for the audience but I bet UB40 and the organisers raked in loads of cash!

Liz Page

UB40 concert “awful”

Dear Editor

On Thursday 8th August I attended the UB40 concert at the Eras de Sal along with several thousand other concert goers. To say that this overpriced and over hyped event was a total let down is seriously understating how awful this event was.

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Doors opened at 8pm but access to seating areas was denied for at least 45 minutes to try and encourage the attendees to buy over priced drinks from the seaside bar areas.

Later there was a DJ playing music, then followed a big build up from the supposed compare for this same DJ to start singing a few warm up songs accompanied not by a live band but by backing tracks used by every karaoke singer along the coast.

The concert was billed to start by 10pm, but having lived in Spain some considerable time I was not surprised when the band was eventually introduced at 10.40pm but I was stunned when it was announced before UB40 actually appeared that the event was due to finish at midnight!

Then followed what only could be described as the shortest gig I have ever attended finishing at 11’40pm! The set was lack lustre, repetitive and included a couple of very poor cover versions of Bob Marley and the Stones.

The main set didn’t even include “Red Red Wine.” The audience had to bring the band on for the encore with 10 minutes of clapping to hear the song that tops the bands repertoire. True to the compere’s word the concert did in fact finish at 11.55 which included the short encore.

A very poorly organised, expensive event that must have gained the band and organisers a sizable profit from less than one hour fifteen minutes worth of so called entertainment.

S Howell-Jones

Dear Editor,

Nigel Hopkins Does It Again

I was invited to the workshop concert on Saturday 10th August by a friend to hear the results of a group of singers who had only come together on Monday 5th August.

Apparently the group of about 40 people had all attended a weeks intensive singing workshop and then they performed a lovely concert on Saturday evening. The selection of songs was delightful and they were all sung beautifully by this group who had been formed into a choir in just one week! We were informed that many of the singers had never sung in public before but everyone sang expertly. There were some excellent solo performances, especially from three young girls who all must have excellent singing futures ahead of them.

The night was perfectly paced and such good value for money at only 5€ a ticket.

Well done to everybody and especially to Nigel Hopkins who spun his magic again.

Irene Shepherd

www.soltimes.com

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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mabs events MONDAY (every week) FUN QUIZ AT LA ROSA BAR, SAN CAYETANO. 9P.M. For more information contact Julie on 639 619 481.

SATURDAY (every week) BOOKSTALL AT THE ARCHES BAR, LOS ALCAZARES 10.30 - 1P.M. Great selection of books available.

MONDAY 26TH AUGUST: CHARITY GOLF DAY WITH COSTA CALIDA GOLF TOURS AT MAR MENOR GOLF RESORT. Great Prizes and Raffle. If you would like to take part or for more information contact Andy on 968 581 846.

TUESDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER: CHARITY MARKET AT LA ZONA BAR, LOS ALCAZARES 10 - 12. Come along and grab a bargain. Clothes & Bric a Brac on sale.

TUESDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER: LADIES LUNCH CLUB AT DIAMANTES RESTAURANT, EL MOJON. 1.30 FOR 2P.M. 3 Course Lunch with glass wine for 10.50 per head. Come along and meet and make new friends. Raffle in aid of MABS. So far this year over 800 Euros raised. To book your place call Karla on 965 352 947.

FRIDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER: SHARE & CARE GROUP, MABS CANCER CENTRE, SAN JAVIER 11A.M. An opportunity to come along for all those affected by Cancer, or recently bereaved for an informal chat and coffee. For more information call Anne on 693 795 247.

Los Palacios Gardening and Community Group Please contact either: Jean: 646 737 479, Brenda 680 174 499, Cathie 654 084 284. visit www.fastcamposol.com for further info on FAST and details of future events. We are grateful to the following for their continued support

Another interesting and busy month for the Group, which has been very fruitful on two fronts.

Firstly, the extensive entertainments program that we now have underway (please check out the website for details http://www. lospalacios-gardeners.com) Our next event is on Saturday 17th August, at Mariano’s outside bar. Fiesta with us for only 5 euros dancing to Phil Brady and the guitar duo, Mick & Bernie. If you would like tickets, they will be on sale at the Bookstall on Friday, or you can purchase any remaining tickets on the night at the door.

Why not join us at either Tel’s or Cat’s, at the Commercial Centre on 7th September.

There will be food, music and much partying going on with a Mexican theme, all for just 5 euros. Tickets available at either Tel’s or Cat’s.

Secondly, the bucket people are out every Thursday morning collecting at the top of the stairs of the commercial centre, come rain or shine (usually shine) and we would like to thank the community of Los Palacios for their very generous donations. Without you, we would not be able to purchase membrane, pebbles and keep the irrigation systems going, which are needed in order to

maintain the plants in the communal areas.

Sweeping, cleaning and gardening activities have also continued despite the heat, palm trees have been cosseted and fronds and cuttings have been cleared away. Thank you to all the residents who carry an extra plastic bag with them when dog walking in order to pick up the dog poo left behind by other owners, plus any other litter. Also those who do their bit and sweep their street. To coin a phrase, every little helps.

The Friday Bookstall remains a constant and valued aid to the community that we can always rely on. You will also find information of our forthcoming events displayed at the Bookstall and tickets are available. One piece of not so good news for the Group, we received the resignation of our Chairman, Edward Roberts. We wish to thank Edward for his great contribution to the Group, a fantastic motivator and ideas man who will be missed. Fortunately, John Grant has stepped into the breach as Chairman, and Harry Pearson as Vice Chairman.

Now that we, the Group, have gained momentum in the community, our August meeting has focused on how to steer the Group in the best direction for the future and we intend to establish a Steering Committee to set our collective focus to this end. Working with the Town Hall and other local groups was also on the agenda.

As always, we welcome new members or associates, so if you think our aims and objectives would be something you would like to support, please feel free to contact us for a chat. (email: members@lospalaciosgardeners.com) And our aims and objectives are? Well: to continue improving our environment and having some fun along the way.

Joce Grant - Group Secretary 10/08/2013

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e m i T a st e fi in Almeria The Almería Feria lasts ten days 17-26th August and is divided into the daytime Feria del Mediodía, which takes place in the city centre, and the nocturnal Feria de la Noche, with a wide array of pavilions.

The residents of Almería enjoy their fiesta immensely, laughing, eating, drinking and generally having a good time surrounded by family and friends.

Celebrated in honour of the Virgen del Mar, patron saint of the city, the celebrations has been designated Fiesta of International Tourist Interest.

Floral offerings in honour of the Virgin combine with flamenco music and bullfighting during the day. By night, the “Real” fair ground is the perfect place to have fun with a whole range of attractions, stalls and marquees.

To get to the feria, there are special city bus services that stop right at the fair ground in the evening. Usually running into the early hours, they depart from the city centre: ‘Compañía de María’ and ‘Paseo de Almería’ – and will cost no more than 1€!

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

August 15th has a special meaning for the people of Cómpeta.

First the local people pay tribute to the Patron of the village, Our Lady of the Assumption. The date was also always the one the agricultural workers said farewell and left for the grape harvest. However, what was a spontaneous celebration in 1974 has become over the years a typical festival in Cómpeta. All this thanks to Aurelio Fernández Navas, a local man who gave the wine that was drunk in the village on that night.

Today, the celebrations are one of the main tourist attractions in summer and it has earned Internatinal fame.

The activities associated with the Noche de Vino (Night of Wine) include a cultural side where artists, poets and writers participate. There are also flamenco singers

15

Cómpeta dedicates a summer night to praise the delicious local wines that are made locally & in all the Axarquía in the province of Málaga. and dance groups and finally what gave ride to the festival at first: you can try the delicious muscatel wine that is produced in the area!

Each year a mural depicting the festival

is made. The morning festivities take place in the Plaza de la Vendimia.

At night the fun moves on to the Plaza Almijara where a stage in the style of an Andalusian farmstead is installed and

the different artists and folk groups perform.

A magical night, full of expectations!

For more information visit www.competa.es

tourism update: Fewer airline passengers but coastal areas see greater tourist numbers

Airline passengers travelling to and from Spain have gone down in number by 5.6 per cent, according to figures released by the State airport governing body, AENA. According to press reports, a total of 105.9 million people flew to Spain in the first six months of this year, but this is a fall on the same period in 2012 and the country’s largest airports, Barajas in Madrid (Terminal 4 pictured) and El Prat in Barcelona, saw the greatest drop in passenger numbers – 14.7 per cent in Madrid, with a reduction of 12.8 per cent in number of flights – just under 194,000 – and a 1.4-per-cent decrease in Barcelona’s travellers on its 160,000 flights, nearly six per cent fewer than last year.

Gran Canaria airport also saw a 5.6-per-cent fall in passengers and 10.5 per cent fewer flights.

Alicante’s El Altet airport – completely revamped beyond recognition and doubled in size in 2011- led the field for the greatest rise in numbers of travellers and flights, at 7.4 and 7.2 per cent more respectively, representing 5.4 million passengers.

Málaga-Costa del Sol airport saw 0.7 per cent more passengers and Palma de Mallorca 0.2 per cent extra.

Other airports which experienced an increase in numbers of travellers and, in some cases, more flights, are Ibiza (Eivissa), Tenerife South, Menorca (Maó/Mahón), Reus, La Gomera and Son Bonet.

These nine airports are the only ones out of Spain’s total of 47 which saw trade improving in the first six months of 2013, which may be partly due to the fact they are in coastal locations with established tourist resorts.

Whilst during the property boom between 2000 and 2007, the Spanish coast and islands were becoming an expensive option for holidaymakers merely seeking sun, sea and sand, the recession has forced prices down and more budget package deals are available, making these destinations more attractive to northern European visitors.

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

The app that can help track down your lost keys in an instant

read the article in full on www.mailonline.co.uk

We have all suffered that moment of panic when you realise you cannot find your car keys or wallet.

Countless hours have been wasted rummaging through drawers or with hands thrust down the back of sofas. But such frustrating moments could become a thing of the past after scientists say they have developed a smartphone system that instantly tracks down lost items.

They have devised postage stamp-sized electronic tags which can be placed on those valuables that tend to go missing the most. Mini receivers are then placed on furniture, the mantelpiece and other places around the

home.

The system, called FindMyStuff, is activated by tapping the name of the missing item into a smartphone app.

Within seconds its precise location is revealed, as the receiver is sent a signal from the tag over a wireless network.

Computer scientists in Germany who came up with the system say it should cost as little as £43 if developed for commercial sale.

Florian Schaub, a research assistant at Ulm University, said he envisages a ‘digital home’ where we can talk to computers all the time to make life easier.

‘This is the direction we’re going towards,’ said Mr Schaub. ‘If you could get the tech smaller, you could use it on sunglasses and things like that.

‘Phone manufacturers can integrate this technology and you easily make smart furniture by putting antennas inside.’

Mr Schaub acknowledged there is a security risk associated with the product. For instance if your wallet is in your pocket, someone else using FindMyStuff would be able to track you as you pass buildings kitted out with sensors.

To counter this, the system is geared

for strong user authentication which only allows the user to search for the lost items.

Mr Schaub said: ‘We don’t want to build a surveillance network.’

Using sensors and transmitters to locate missing items is not new. Several US companies use Bluetooth transmitters to attach mini tags to objects. Unlike the FindMyStuff system they do not provide a precise location but point the user in the general direction of where the items are hidden.

On average we tend to mislay nine items a week and waste 15 minutes a day searching for them, according to a survey by insurance firm Esure.

LEGAL CORNER WITH MICHAEL DAVIES, ABOGADO/SOLICITOR

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

Q:

I understand that if I sell my property I needtothink about the following expenses: solicitors fee, capital gains tax and plusvalía tax. What is plusvalía tax , and how is it calculated?

A . Up to recently this was a small tax when you sold or inherited , but now it can be a high amount and needs to be considered before the transaction. It is charged on the transfer of ownership of a property by sale, inheritance etc. . This tax is a local tax charged by each municipality on the increase in value of Urban land in its own district land and is distinct from Capital Gains Tax. It is important to realize that the tax is charged on land alone, not on the buildings that may stand on the land.

The rates of tax are set by each municipality and can vary widely between neighbouring municipalities.The tax is based on the increase in the official, that is to say the “Catastral”, value of the land which a property occupies. This is the same value that is used to set your local property tax or “IBI” and can be found on the bill for your “IBI” issued by your local ayuntamiento each year and is shown as the “valor del suelo”.The actual price at which a property changes hands, or the value attributed to it if is the subject of a gift or inheritance is irrelevant.

Calculation: The Plusvalia is calculated as a function of the catastral value of the land and the number of years of ownership (up to a maximum of 20 years). The higher the catastral value and the number of years of ownership, the higher the tax.

Plusvalia tax = Catastral value of the land x Yearly percentage of value’s increase x Number of years of ownership x Tax rate The yearly percentage of value’s increase and the tax rate are fixed by the Town Halls.They are established locally. Up to now, when a Town Hall had updated the catastral values, usually with really high increases of the values compared to the existing ones, article 107.3 of the Law had established that on the following five years after the revision of the values, the Town Halls had to apply a deduction of 40 to 60 % to the catastral value. If a Town Hall made not contemplation of this rule teh law established an automatic deduction of 60%. However new Law passed in 2012 has changed that situation allowing the Town Halls to eliminate those deductions, which is why a loto of people are suddenly paying much

higher rates and find themselves with an unfairly high plusvalíaa tax when they sell. On a sale of a property it is the responsibility of the seller to pay the tax, but if the seller fails to pay this responsibility may be passed to the buyer, who would then have to recuperate the money form this seller. If the property is being inherited or is the subject of some other type of gift it is the beneficiary or recipient of the property who is liable to pay the tax.

Certain transactions are exempt from the Plusvalia Tax, the main ones which are likely to affect the general public are the transfer of property between spouses who are divorcing, or to children to comply with Court judgments, and “aportaciones” or transfers to companies in which spouses are the only shareholders which may be used for tax planning.

The amount of the tax that will be charged on a transaction will depend firstly on the Catastral value of the land which the property occupies, and secondly on the length of time since it last changed hands. If you are selling an individual house which stands on a large plot which you have owned for a considerable length of time the amount of the Plusvalia Tax could be many thousands of Euros. On the other hand, as the tax is charged on the value of land alone, the amount of Plusvalia Tax charged on a flat in a block which you have not owned for very long the tax may be quite modest.

For those of you who are considering rearranging your financial affairs to take advantage of tax planning schemes, the amount of Plusvalia tax that may be due is one of a number of elements, which include the Notary and other fees that may be payable, which you need to consider when balancing the costs and benefits of these schemes. Depending on the amount of Plusvalia, it may be cheaper to make a gift of the property rather than enter into more complex arrangements with higher Notary and other fees.

The time for paying the Plusvalia Tax is within 30 days of a sale or gift between living people, or 6 months of the date of death on an inheritance.

Your town hall can advise you of the amount of Plusvalia that may be payable on a transaction involving your property, or in many cases it is possible to obtain the calculation “on line”, but as I always write in concluding these articles, if in doubt take professional advice.

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

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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Spain’s Housing ‘Stock’ at 25.3 Million

The housing stock in Spain stood at 25.382 million units at the end of 2012, representing an increase of just 0.5% compared to the previous year, its lowest annual growth in the last decade, according to recent data from the Ministry of Development.

71.3% of the housing stock corresponds to primary residences, totalling 18.11 million units and an increase of only 0.11% over 2011.

The stock of second-homes registered a greater increase, of 1.7%, and closed 2012 with a total of 7.27 million units, representing 28.7% of the total.

Since the beginning of the crisis in 2008 until the end of 2012, Spain added 1.35 million units to its housing stock, only half compared with the 2.55 million homes that were added in the five preceding years, which coincided with the boom in the sector.

During these years, Spain’s housing stock total grew at annual rates of up to 2.5%, which contrasts with the increases of between 0.5% and 1.3% experienced since the outbreak of crisis.

In the whole of the last decade (20022012), the housing stock has increased by a total of 4.35 million units, rising from the 21.03 million homes registered at the end of 2001, to 25.38 million at the end of 2012.

Four regions account for more than half of the country’s total housing stock (56.5%). They are: Andalusia; Catalonia; Valencia and Madrid.

Andalusia has 4.4 million unsold

homes, while Catalonia has a total of 3.88 million, Valencia has 3.15 million, and Madrid, 2.9 million.

The regions with lower totals of housing stock are La Rioja, with 200,183 homes at the close of 2012, Navarra (312,305 homes) and Cantabria, (360,627 homes).

According to the Ministry of Development data, 30,384 home constructions were completed in Spain in the first five months of 2013, which represents a decrease of 38% compared to the same period in 2012 (49,021), and maintains the negative trend of recent years. In 2012, the decrease was 28.4% (with 120.206 units), accumulating five consecutive years of falls. Since the peak recorded in 2007, with 641,419 homes completed, the market has dropped by 81%.

Of the total homes completed in the first five months of 2013, 99.2% (30,116) were for private developers and 0.8% (268) for public administration.

El Mundo reported that, compared to 2012, housing construction by private developers fell by 37.4%, and public administration fell by 69.5%. In the private sector, 17,623 units were for corporations, with a decrease of 39.2%, 9,858 for individuals and communities of owners (-28.6%), and 1,811 were for cooperatives (-48.3%).

In addition, there were 824 completion certificates for other private promoter projects, while the liquidation value of the material execution of the works fell by 33.7% to 3,699.1 million euros.

For the latest property news go to: www.kyero.com

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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After exposing the dreadful cruelty inflicted on poor Bubba, the big cat found fastened into a small cat carrier and left in the blazing sun, here we go again. These beautiful little 5 week old kittens, who should still be safe and well and being looked after by their mother, were found in a cardboard box, between two parked cars on a busy Car Park in San Pedro del Pinatar.

What on earth goes through the mind of people who think this is acceptable behaviour? These tiny little bundles of life would not have lived for very long in these conditions. Kittens so young succumb to dehydration very quickly, and they would have been dead within hours. Either that or a car, manoeuvring around the busy car park could easily have driven over them, killing them, possibly without the driver even having known what he or she had done.

Domino Pet Hotel

These acts of cruel abanondment are unforgivable and show an inhumane lack of care and compassion. Fortunately for Bubba, who was rescued in time, a new home was offered and accepted by APAH. Fortunately for these little kittens, they too were jinty rescued in time and are now living in a foster home, as they were too young to be accepted into the APAH Cattery.

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Anyone wanting to meet the little family with a view to offering one (or more) of them a loving home can contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

There are two boys and two girls and strangely enough, the two cream coloured kittens (Peppy and Penny) are the best of friends and the little black boy and tabby girl (Jinty and Jet) are also very close. It would be absolutely wonderful if someone could offer two of them a loving home together.

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A calf which lost both of its rear hooves in freezing weather is back on its feet - thanks to two new legs.

Hero the calf was taken in by the Selah Ranch All Animal Rescue, after losing its rear hooves to frostbite

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Kitty Martin, owner and founder of the rescue centre, managed to persuade a prosthetics company to make Hero some new ones, reports NBC29.

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of Limb Care Orthotics and Prosthetics, flew from his base in New Jersey to fit them.

Along with his frozen hooves, Hero also endured widespread infections, open wounds, constant bandage changes and exposed bones.

Ms Martin said: “I’ve had people think I’m nuts totally flipped my lid over this, but he had it so rough in the beginning. He needed a fair shot in life.”

And she said that seeing him take his first steps with his new legs was like: “Christmas, anniversary, best days in your life, having kids, all rolled up in to one.”

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

retired top politicians decline to receive a government pension A total of 54 MPs have waived their pension entitlement or chosen to stop receiving it.

According to Member of Parliament for the leading PP party, Rafael Merino, any president, vice-president, minister or Secretary of State has the right to a government pension when they retire.

But he says that 35 former Secretaries of State, 15 exministers, one ex-president and three retired vice-presidents have declined to take theirs.

Only three are now claiming a pension.

This is said to be due to the fact that austerity measures brought in a year ago meant that a government pension was no longer compatible with any other income of any description, meaning those in receipt of it would have to give up any other form of earnings.

Until then, other earnings did not affect government pension entitlement unless they were from a job which also resulted in a pension pay-out upon retirement.

As at July 2012, monthly earnings from a government pension were around 6,311 euros for a Secretary of State, 5,212 euros for a former government president, 4,900 euros for a retired vice-president, and 4,600 euros for an ex-minister.

19

legal action begins for brits in Cyprus mortgage trap

Hundreds of Britons with holiday homes in Cyprus are to start legal action to have their debts wiped out.

As many as 20,000 investors are caught up in a major dispute with a number of different developers and banks over flats bought between 2005 and 2008. Many did not realise their mortgages would be taken out in Swiss francs.

These were subject to wild fluctuations, often sending repayments rocketing from the equivalent of £300 to £800, making it impossible to meet their debts.

Their problems were exacerbated during the global credit crunch when property prices plunged in Cyprus, hitting developers and banks, who then turned the screw on borrowers.

A group of people who bought largely in Paphos have at last secured a date for a legal challenge. On October 17, law firm Judicare will argue in a Cypriot court that the deals are void.

It will assert that the power of attorney needed by each British buyer to instruct a lawyer to act on their behalf in Cyprus was not administered properly by the banks and solicitors involved.

Judicare will also say they were not properly told about the nature of the Swiss franc mortgage.

Bailiffs served warning letters on Alpha Bank Cyprus Ltd in April

on behalf of a law firm representing nearly 400 British nationals who purchased property on the island with loans from the Bank denominated in Swiss Francs.

Accord to a report by Cyprus Property News, the buyers were given no option other than to take out loans denominated in Swiss Francs instead of Sterling without being notified or warned of the inherent risks associated with exchange rate fluctuations.

In their letter to the Alpha Bank their lawyers assert that this failure constitutes a breach of the Bank’s duty of care to its clients who were not in a position to understand the financial implications of taking out loans in a currency other than the currency of their income; and as a consequence, the Alpha’s clients ended up owing substantially more than if the bank had issued loans in Sterling.

The letter also highlighted the fact that in the majority of cases signatures on Power of Attorney documents were not certified in accordance with the law as the Certifying Officer was absent when they were signed. As a consequence, these PoAs were illegally executed and are therefore invalid in law.

‘Mile-high’ baby born as plane lands in Barcelona

A 39-year-old woman who went into labour on a major commercial airline forced the pilot to make an emergency stop-off in Barcelona.

Coincidentally, one of the passengers was a midwife who helped deliver the baby.

Sources from Royal Air Maroc say the craft, which was heading for the Italian city of Bologna from Casablanca, Morocco on Sunday, landed at El Prat airport as it was the nearest available when the mum-to-be announced she could feel contractions. She alerted the air hostesses shortly after take-off and, just minutes before the plane landed in the north-eastern Spanish city, they and the midwife had delivered a healthy baby boy. Mother and baby are recovering in Sant Joan de Déu hospital in Barcelona, and are said to be doing fine.

The plane took off from Barcelona 50 minutes after landing to complete its journey to Bologna.

Street in Castilla y León to be named after John Major

Former British Conservative prime minister Sir John Major (pictured) is set to have a street named after him in the town of Candeleda (Ávila province).

The ex-leader visited the town, in the landlocked north-western region of Castilla y León on holiday for the first time when he was head of the Conservative party, taking over from Margaret Thatcher in late 1990, and has been back there on numerous occasions.

Spokesman for Candeleda’s PP council, Rodrigo Muñoz, said his party wanted to ‘promote’ the town to foreign tourists and felt that the perfect way of doing so was to name a main street after one of its most regular celebrity visitors.

Muñoz added that it was also a way of thanking Sir John Major for choosing Candeleda for his holidays.

“He clearly likes it here and we’re delighted to welcome him – I’ve enjoyed a beer with

him in the town hall square the last few times he was here.

“He seems a pleasant and very grounded man and, although he doesn’t speak Spanish, he knows how to say a few words.”

The ex-PM, who is said to be ‘touched and honoured’ to find out Candeleda is going to have an Avenida de John Major, normally stays with friends who live in the town when he visits there.

Candeleda has around 5,200 inhabitants and is situated in the verdant, mountainous Tiétar Valley, standing 428 metres above sealevel.

It is extremely popular for ‘rural tourism’, attracting nature-lovers, walkers, riders, climbers, and visitors with an interest in birds, plants and flowers, and other wildlife who seek a much cooler climate and less hustle and bustle than Spain’s popular coastal areas.

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20

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

Rejuvenating Your Hom ...In Celebration Of The Hot Summer Months Summer is naturally the season for bright colours; it is most certainly the season of long days followed by hot nights

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Honour the spirit of summer living in the decor of your home by taking advantage of the array of summer decorating styles available in home improvement stores.

Sunflowers are often associated with sunshine and summertime, and are therefore excellent accessories for summer decorating. Their characteristic bright yellow color will enliven any room in the house. Due to their popularity in the past few years, artificial sunflowers are usually available in silk, so you can have them beautifying your home for years if that is what you desire.

Placing baskets of sunflowers throughout the home will make a beautiful sight in the summer. You can also repurpose the baskets according the season or occasion by changing the liners or adding ribbons to the outside.

Baskets are not just decorative; they can also be functional and very versatile. Some people use them to

store hand towels and wash cloths in the bathroom, but baskets can be used in just about any room in the house. You can use them to hold kitchen utensils, sort bills, and organize anything else you need to declutter in a visually appealing way.

Use your creativity to paint new and fresh summer designs on some old wooden table or chairs. Maybe a watermelon or some apples would brighten up an otherwise boring piece of furniture or try painting on some sunflowers for an inexpensive alternative to buying all new pieces!

If you would like to make your summer theme a little different and unique in your home, try a Moroccan

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theme - ideal here in Spain where we are so close to the place itself!

Mosaics, candle holders and wall sconces together with a few fluffy pillows made of colourful fabrics would add the feel of Morocco without costing too much. In addition, glowing candles and artificial lighting together with incense burning in the background would enrich the mood during the evenings.

Turn your attention to your outdoor living area as well as the inside of your home.

No longer are a few plastic chairs considered to be sufficient. You’ll find a variety of attractive weatherproof outdoor furniture that will turn your patio, deck, or yard into another room of your home during the summer months.

Summertime is a time of ideas and a great time to do home projects.

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22

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

HOME & GARDEN...

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Headlines splashed across the media such as “Spain braces for ‘coldest summer in 200 years’”, has definitely not materialised. Apparently it forecast, at the end of May, that “this summer will be the worst on record in Western Europe since 1816 – known by meteorological experts as “the year without summer”. The odds according to this report were seriously stacked against it being a normal hot summer. According to them, it was a “ 70 percent chance of this summer being cold and wet across Spain, France, Portugal, Germany and Austria”. They continue and say “Cold maritime fronts and weak solar activity during the winter

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months have not only given us a chillier Spanish spring than normal, they’re also going to make the summer months unusually dreary and rainy. June and July are only likely to have short periods of summer heat which will in turn bring heavy storms in August.” eh???

Last time it happened, overcast skies and cold temperatures led to severe crop failures and food shortages in France, England, Ireland and the US, during the summer months of that year.

Certainly not the case, now! - To date, the highest, accurate, temperature ever recorded was 47.8 oC in Murcia on July 29, 1976.

AND THEN you read these headlines, that are in direct contrast to the headlines of the French Papers.

“Killer heatwave hits Spain” - The Daily Mail reported in July. “Tourists warned to expect dangerously high temperatures of 43C as scorching winds sweep in from Africa” What did make me smile was the comment...

• “It will be twice as hot as Britain in some areas over next few days” well that wouldn’t be hard would it??

The hot temperatures were due to the “Scorching winds from Saharan Africa with temperatures of 43C are forecast to sweep across the country and are expected to last for a week”.. Although hot, these excessive temperatures did not materialise. Funnily enough I had recently commented to my husband, that to date, we had not experienced the warm winds, as in past years (yet!) I find they are the worst as you cannot cool down. Normally here on the coast, we get gentle, cool sea breezes off the

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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...HOME & GARDEN sea about lunch time, as we do here at Casa La Pedrera, with the lovely cooling breeze off the lake.

Whatever the headlines and whether wrong or right, the fact is Spain is very hot in any event, and you need to heed the advice given for living in this hot weather. Such as: 1. Staying out of the midday sun, wearing loose clothing, a hat, using plenty of sunscreen and UV-protective sunglasses.

2. Avoid spicy food, alcohol and caffeine because they all raise body heat and can cause dehydration.

3. Drink at least two litres of water a day, as well as sports drinks to replace lost glucose and electrolytes.

I will say that I am guilty of not drinking enough water and ended up recently, with a very painful infection which is not a lot of fun!

Ladies, you get what I mean. I am now trying to drink a glass of water every 2 hours. The Spanish top tips for heat survival, are more extreme which include “putting bed sheets in a carrier bag in the freezer for two hours before going to bed and soaking towels in water and putting then in the fridge”.

Their other advice of “People with pools or near the beach should cool down in water” is much easier to adhere to and our visitors have made good use of our pools, especially our diving boards and slides. It is also a great advantage to cool down in the pools after just completing a hot, dusty activity, especially the

quadbiking or even the horse riding. Personally, I prefer swimming in the evening and there is nothing more satisfying than after a long day of just floating in the water, letting those aches and pains drift away. Alternatively if you have energy left, what not come to one of our Pool Parites that take place every Friday night throughout August ?

There are lots of fun and games for children of all ages and a bbq is available in the evening There is a bonus to these hot day, is they result in the most beautiful sunsets, and our Flamenco with Horse Shows definitely take full advantage of the backdrop of the lake and setting sun.

The silhouette of the dancer pictured here, was a photo taken by a member of the audience, so it you would like to do the same, you have one more opportunity as the last show of the summer takes place this Wednesday the 21 August at 7pm.

It is a fantastic family show which incorpates two of the great Spanish Traditions Flamenco with Spanish Horses and tickets are an affordable 10 euros for adults & 5 for kids. There is also some amazing stunt riding and some yummy paella available on the night so for any more information on the activities we offer here at Casa La Pedrera, or the outdoor events, please see our website at www.thingstodoinspain.info which has a link to our facebook page. You can also call me on 660816620, so until next time, remember to slap on the sunscreen....... Jenni

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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Thank you.

Phone / Fax Office: 966 180 004 Mobile Eva: 669 621 173 www.spain-fincas.info info@spain-fincas.info ASPE € 197,500

Abanilla (Murcia) € 75,000

Ref.: E-1716

Ref.: E-1974

Fantastic bargain, reduced by €100.000- to €197,500. Impressive family home 5km near to Aspe. Strong and solid construction of 275m2 on 2.300 m2 fenced and walled plot. 4 plus 2 double bedrooms with built in wardrobes, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), toilet, kitchen, utility room, diner, 2 lounges, open fireplace, large porch, wide views, big garage, fire wood room, BBQ and summer kitchen, fronton court, 9 x 5 m pool with plunge pool and large terrace, established garden with high palm and pine trees, 3-phase electricity, oil central heating. A comfortable family home for whole year living. www.spain-fincas.info

La Zarza: Cozy mountain retreat 10 mins drive to Pinoso. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dressing room, open plan kitchen/diner, lovely lounge with rustic open fireplace, workshed, large terrace off mains bedroom, wide views to mountains, garden with high trees, off-road parking, space for pool. Neighbours around. Beautifully fitted and furnished. A lovely low maintenance country retreat with character. www.spain-fincas.info

CATRAL (ALICANTE) €199.850 Ref.:E-2164

A dream home in campo of Catral town with all amenities only 15 minutes drive to beaches. This perfect villa of 150m2 living area is set on a plot of 2,500m2, fully walled with an electric gate. Nicely landscaped and has new 10x6m pool with large terraced area around. An impressive villa has a large light living area with high ceilings with above windows and a beautiful open fireplace. The 3 double bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), the spacious fitted country kitchen has a big utility room. The round roof terrace overlooking the Vega Baja would allow to built another room on it. This villa has everything for a wonderful family life! Price: € 199.450 - www.spain-fincas.info

= CABO ROIG (ALICANTE) €108.000

BURRIANA (Castellón) €60,000

orihuela (Alicante) €149,000

Luxury, furnished, 2 bed apartment at Calas de Campoamor in the coastal resort of Cabo Roig. Situated on ground floor with private garden with direct access to the beautiful gardens, lawns, picnic tables and sun-shades. Safe matted children’s play area, padel courts and barbecue provision just behind the beach promenade. Offering privacy, there is a sitting room with dining area. French windows to large sun terrace overlooking private garden.

Separate kitchen fully fitted with white goods and wall units, utility room, bathroom with bath and shower, patio, underground car parking space plus individual storage room. This apartment is ideally suitable both for residential use or for holiday rental - wheel chair friendly. Incredible offer: € 108.000 www.spain-fincas.info

This 100 m2 approx. casita offers campo and beach at 10 min. Located in the campo of Burriana (Castellón), consisting of lounge and diner with open fireplace, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, bathroom, former water deposit as pool, BBQ, own well water, electricity near or solar panels. Orange production type “clemunules” of abt. 18,000 kg on 4,000 m2 of land, variation of fruit trees like cherries, caquis, peaches, vegetable garden, olive trees. 10 min. drive to the beach of Burriana with bars, restaurants, pharmacies, etc., 15 mins to Villarreal hospital. It would require some modernizing! Unbelieveable price www.spain-fincas.info

Hurchillo: Dream country home, 5,090m2 plot with high, shady pine trees. 2 wooden luxury, cozy houses of together 120m2 living area, very private but with neighbours, all services. South facing, big living room, open plan kitchen, 2 beds, walk in wardrobe, direct access to amazing pool area, aircon. Pool 8x4, summer kitchen and bar. Outside toilet. Completely self contained guest cottage, 1 bed, bathroom, kitchen, aircon, garage for 2 cars. Stunning views to la Pedrera lake, asphalted access, electric gate, impressive drive in area, terraces, vegetable garden, walk to bar/restaurant. 25 Mins from Mediterranean and Mar Menor, 8 mins drive Orihuela town. A relaxing retreat for friends of nature, near to ameneties .www.spain-fincas.info

Ref.: E-1948

Ref.: E-2181

orihuela (Alicante) €129,000

Abanilla (Murcia) € 174,950

Ref.: E-2102

Two rustic style cottages in one on a plot of 650m2 5 minutes drive from Orihuela town. Living area 180m2 : Three bedroom cottage with two bathrooms, kitchen, lounge / diner with open fireplace, aircon, SAT TV. Two bedroom cottage with 1 bathroom, kitchen, lounge / diner, aircon. Private pool area, BBQ, parking. Bargain price of € 129.000 www.spain-fincas.info

Ref.: E-2137

FORTUNA €110,000 Ref.: E-2162

Ref.: E-2175

Luxury, spotless country villa of 150 m2 living area, 5 years young, on a walled and fenced plot of 1.700 m2 : 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, (1 en-suite), lounge with open fire place, large kitchen/diner, spacious utility room, beautiful summer kitchen, outside toilet/changing room, lovely 10x5 m pool area with gazebo, stunning views to mountains, neighbours around. Central aircon hot and cold, solar panel for water, telephone, internet, satellite TV and alarm. 5 min. drive to the historic town of Abanilla with Saturday street market, 50 minutes to airports, 20 min. to Murcia town. A wonderful place for an enjoyable country life. www.spain-fincas.info

EVA VERONIKA

New villa on 2.600 m2 plot, living area 120 m2. Built with first quality materials.

Impressive large lounge/diner, 2 double bedrooms, one single bedroom, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), kitchen, utility room.The southfaced terrace offers beautiful wide views. The large and bride lounge is just impressive. Built-in wardrobes, central aircon pre-installed. Near an established urbanization with ameneties, motorway A-7 10 minutes drive, Murcia 15 minutes, Fortuna Spa 10 minutesbeaches and airports Alicante and San Javier 45 minutes . Mains water, needs solar panels (€ 10.000 approx.). A beautiful home at an excellent price www.spain-fincas.info

Your Country Property Advisor Pinar de l Perdiz, 94A

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SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

25

. . . . e d i u g rty e p o pr operty for sale or rent? advertise it here!

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Reduced to 49,950€ ULEILA DEL CAMPO Fabulous opportunity to purchase a cortijo / ruin for complete restoration and put your own stamp on it. Set within rolling countryside within 4 hectares of land. Price open to offers

Europe cuts 5500 Bank branches in 2012

Banks cut 5,500 branches across the EU last year, 2.5% of the total, leaving the region with 20,000 fewer outlets than it had when the financial industry was plunged into crisis in 2008.

Last year’s cuts come after 7,200 branches were axed in 2011, according to data analysed by Reuters from ECB statistics.

Banks across Europe have been closing branches in a bid to trim operating costs and improve their battered earnings. Consumer take-up of online and telephone banking services has accelerated the trend.

The data show EU banks cut 8% of branches in aggregate in the 4 years to the end of 2012, leaving 218,687 branches, or one for every 2,300 people.

Last year’s sharpest cuts were largely contained to the embattled periphery.

Crisis-stricken Greece saw one of the biggest contractions in 2012, shedding 5.7% of its outlets, as mergers of local banks led to 219 branch closures.

The trend is expected to continue into 2013 as Piraeus shuts some of the 312 branches it snapped up from stricken Cypriot lenders in March.

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Ireland’s branch network contracted by 3.3% and is expected to shrink again in 2013, while Italy’s network was 3.1% smaller by the end of the year.

David

The ECB gathers data on lenders’ branch networks across the EU, and the data Reuters reviewed included the 27 EU member states at the end of 2012. Croatia has since become the 28th member. ECB data can differ from statistics from national banking groups, depending on criteria for inclusion.

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In Britain, the ECB data showed the number of branches remained little changed at 11,870.

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Spain, where massive loan losses have put banks under fierce pressure to cut costs, lost 4.9%, or 1,963, of its branches in 2012.

Branch numbers were on the rise in some eastern European countries including Poland (up 4%), the Czech Republic (up 2.3%) and Lithuania (up 1.8%).

ers!!!

665 517 643

Steve

610 905 173 valleyconstruction2008@gmail.com

Fully Legal & Experienced Builders All Building Work Undertaken No Job Too Big or Small!!

Phone or email for a no obligation quote

...CALL 902 750 190 EMAIL: SALES@SOLTIMES.COM

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

SOLTIMES August 2013

STANDARD CROSSWORD

coffee break

Down 1 The first 4 books of the New Testament (7) 2 Doubters of religion (9) 3 Arouse passions (7) 4 Sheets of unbound paper (9) 5 Move sideways (5) 6 Lasting through all

time (7) 7 A resin used in incense (5) 8 Prawns (7) 14 Phrases (9) 16 Good for you (9) 17 Mediterranean sailing ship (7) 18 Old Scottish for “Salmon” (7) 20 Leaner (7) 21 Long pins for holding meat (7) 23 A synthetic fabric (5) 24 Wireless audio (5)

Down 1 Seems father comes back with some fruit (7) 2 Big Church animal, he’d intially rather aluminium (9) 3 Number one to me in reverse feeling (7) 4 Generates odd youngsters (9)

Very Hard!

SUDOKU PUZZLE CRYPTIC crossword

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS SUDOKU PUZZLE

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

1 Extremely cold (7) 5 Slave traders (7) 9 Composure (9) 10 Chieftain (5) 11 Trap (7) 12 Self-importance (7) 13 Weak in willpower (9) 15 Gapes (5) 17 Electrical safety devices (5) 19 Uses (9) 22 Lethargy (7) 25 Effeminate (7) 26 A large stringed

instrument (5) 27 Rot (9) 28 Orange-red dye (7) 29 Polls (7)

1 Very old ant, strangely nice inside (7) 5 Jar takes into new caretaker (7) 9 Our temple moves crude oil (9) 10 Bad liars make tracks (5) 11 Country rock band comes back in artificial intelligence, half calm (7) 12 Game, lead into a tricky situation (7) 13 Most powerful street Ron, get about second (9) 15 Quiet in English glow (5) 17 Georgia, the French strong winds (5) 19 Picking the chosen in sin at midnight (9) 22 Unfurls United Nation bread products (7) 25 Come up to the outer boundary (7) 26 Instrument in tailor gang (5) 27 Corgis ‘ere reproduce food (9) 28 Eternal don’t stop so often? (7) 29 Lengthens former partner inclines (7)

5 Leaps and bounds (5) 6 Edgy system? (7) 7 Reckon no good knight changes (5) 8 Book the substitute (7) 14 Pete Cole’s new magnifier (9) 16 I’m it, at charged particle, fake (9) 17 Reportedly attach Seb’s sugar (7) 18 License producing no sound (7) 20 Charlie, strange rector, right (7) 21 Gus, around English, south-southeast estimates (7) 23 Stiff radius I dig up (5) 24 Epic tales of South African gas (5)

HARD SUDOKU

Across

Across

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

STANDARD SUDOKU

26

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

27

28

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

GREEN BAIZE Snooker & Pool Hall | Quesada

Hot & Cold Food - Great Beer - Breakfasts - Great Prices • Full Size Snooker Tables • Match-play Darts Boards • Pool Tables • Sky Sports Screens • Special Food Menu’s • Great Family Venue

ONE MEAL €3 OR TWO MEALS €5 CHOOSE FROM: Liver and Bacon Mash, Veg and Gravy Sausage Egg and Chips Ham, Egg and Chips Pork Steak, Mash, Veg and Gravy Sausage, Mash, Veg and Onion Gravy Homemade Chicken Curry and Rice Sweet and Sour Chicken and Rice Pasta Bake and Garlic Bread Roast Beef served in Giant Yorkshire Pudding, Mash, Veg and Gravy (supplement of 1.50 euros) Cheese & Ham Omelette, Chips & Salad Garnish Toad-in-the-Holel, Mash, Veg and Onion Gravy Southern-Fried Chicken, Chips and Coleslaw

Tel: 966 716 315

Fully Air Conditioned for your comfort - Great Atmosphere - Everyone Welcome

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

29

food & entertaining...food & entertaining...

when fast foods collide

Food mash-ups seem to be all the rage these days, with the rise of the cronut and more recently the Ramen Burger causing a buzz in the culinary world.

But one fusion creation has been satisfying the appetites of San Francisco’s fast food fans for the last two years.

The sushirrito - sushi wrapped in a huge burrito - has been gaining notoriety in the city since Peter Yen and chef Ty Mahler unveiled their creation long before the latest craze for culinary clashes.

Their business, Sushirrito, currently runs three shops in

the city selling its unique brand of Asian and Latin fast food.

According to Business Insider, the company has been operating in the city for the last two years.

The company sells a variety of sushirritos, such as the Sumo Crunch, featuring surimi crab and shaved cabbage, and the Geisha’s Kiss, which is made from yellowfin tuna.

According to its website, the business was founded by Mr Yen, who was frustrated with the lack of choice in restaurants selling sushi in downtown San Francisco.

In 2010 he joined forces with Ty Mahler, the former executive chef of Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion in the city, to create Sushirrito.

Earlier this month MailOnline reported how the latest food craze to hit the streets of New York City was the Ramen Burger.

The creation of chef Keizo Shamamoto is a juicy hunk of meat topped with scallions and arugula and stuffed between two mounds of fried noodles.

And in May the cronut - half croissant, half donut - was revealed to the world before quickly becoming a culinary craze.

The cronut is made from thin layers of flaky croissant dough that are deep fried, rolled in rose sugar, and then filled with light Tahitian vanilla cream.

Martin & Carole Breakfasts Snacks Meals Cakes Drinks

Mañanas Open

CAFE BAR

10am til late

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

Fantastic Manhattan summer 3.70€ Quality HomeFood Restaurant SPECIALS “The best kept secret in Cabo Roig” BOARD €4.95 Hidden Within La Rotonda Aparthotel Cabo Roig 5 2 f o e c i Truly Fabulous C ho , g in it c x e S s y RSE Always fresh, alwa MAIN COU lue!

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

Served 9.30 till 5pm (Sunday till 12)

Changed twice weekly

C hoice of DESSERTS

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

Ct ra A

Ca

rr er

de

Po n

en

t

dessert lic

an

te

-C

ar ta

ge

na

Zenia Boulevard

food at pocket friendly prices

SUNDAY at MANHATTAN NEW For the first time EVER!

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

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

Available till 9pm

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

1 course €5.95

(1€ extra for Beef)

2 course €6.95

www.Manhattancaboroig.com

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

3 course €7.95

3 course HOMEMADE Menu del Dia €8.50 served 12 till 9pm

30

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

stars in bars

to Advertise your bar or restaurant

DATE ARTIST

Call our costa blanca sales office on

966 719 647

VENUE

AREA

INFO

15th Woody Arches Cafe Bar Los Alcazares 16th The Elvis Experience The Hillside La Marina 16th JJ Soulman The Tavern 2 Lo Crispin 16th Cherry K Arches Cafe Bar Los Alcazares 16th Rob Bonovox The Olde 9th La Marquesa Golf 16th Andy Balsamo The Banana Tree Playa Flamenca 16th Dee Lo Marabu Dona Pepa 17th Terry Jay Arches Cafe Bar Los Alcazares 17th The Elvis Experience La Campana El Eden Nr Guardamar 17th Shadoogie Treetops Campoverde 17th Cherry K Inn at the Green Entre Naranjas 17th Andy Jones Bar Sioux Gran Alicant 17th Lenny Mitchell Vista Bar Aguas Nuevas 17th Diverse Disseny Bar Blue Lagoon 18th Andy Jones Steves Lounge Bar La Marquesa Golf 5pm Start 18th Steve Clark The Snug Torre de la Horredada 18th Lynden B Mulligans Bar La Manga Golf 18th Richie Alexander Pablos Bar Playa Flamenca 19th Justin Sane Arches Cafe Bar Los Alcazares Stand up comedian 21st Andy Balsamo The Vault Blue Lagoon 21st Lynden B & Bono Sunshine Party Boat Torrevieja Harbour Boarding 8pm

gig guide

North Staffordshire Oat Cakes are in Spain Visit Bill & Rita at

www.starsinbars.org

Los Alcazares Market - Monday Moncayo Market - Saturday El Zocco Market - Sunday Tel: 676 527 348 Email billsinspain@hotmail.com

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

from 1pm

includes a glass of wine, small beer or water

€ 6-95

plus

per person

Booking advisable as space is limited

Wednesday MEAL DEAL Menu changes weekly

X factor winner

cherry k

3 Courses

only €4-95 san miguel de salinas

cv-95

commercial centre



orihuela



inn at the green

san javier

ap-7 los montesinos

saturday NIGHT 9pm

677 617 434 672 033 676

 www.theinnatthegreen.co.uk

alicante

Saturday Night Steak Night 8oz Sirloin Steak Egg & Chips 5-95€ or Hunters Chicken Egg & Chips

Kitchen is open from 11am Breakfasts from 2€

Every Wednesday Kabaroke with & Sunday Matt Christian 9pm

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

CONGRATULATIONS TO

PHILIP YOUNG

ON HIS

90TH BIRTHDAY

“La Mata Jazz”

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

Torrevieja Costa Lions Club

Come and join our club members on one of our “ Business meeting nights” and see what we are doing this year to raise money for charities, in our local area and further afield.

We are growing in numbers every month so if you feel like helping us then we can be found on the second Thursday in every month at the Cabo Cevera Hotel in La Mata near Torrevieja, Meetings now start at 19.30 hours.

If you like what you see and hear, then you will be invited to join us at our next social night event later in the month, where ever and what ever it may be you can be sure of a good night.

Contact me on davedanie@gmail.com or via our web site on membership@torreviejacostalions.org

Ceroc Style Modern Jive

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

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

SALSA FUN FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS. Every Tuesday 11am. Bar Sofia, El Raso.Learn the basics to get you on the dance floor. No partner or dance skills required. We at Paso A Paso Dance believe dance should be for everyone, even if you have never danced before... the hardest part of our classes is coming through the door for the very first time, the rest is easy. Tel 670711408 for more info.

This is an invitation to attend the Costa Blanca launch of David Ebsworth’s new Spanish Civil War thriller Guardamar del Segura Public Library, Lecture Hall (Third Floor), Calle Sant Jaume Free Event!

David Ebsworth is the pen name of writer Dave McCall. He began to write seriously following his retirement in 2008.

Join David Ebsworth and representatives of the Guardamar Town Council as we celebrate the local launch of The Assassin’s Mark and talk about the previously untold Spanish Civil War incidents that inspired it - on this special 75th anniversary of those events Thursday 22nd August, beginning at 8.00pm Sangría will be served, and there’s no need to book - just turn up!

THE SPIRITUALIST CHURCH, QUESADA

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

We hold a Sunday Service at 11.30 a.m., a Tuesday Evening of Mediumship at 7.30 p.m. And every Thursday there is an Open Circle where you can develop your skills commencing at 7.30 p.m. Spiritual healing is available every Sunday and Tuesday after the service. WE ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER UNTIL TUESDAY, 10TH SEPTEMBER. Everybody welcome. Contact Wendy on 965323028. www.spiritualistchurchquesada.com New email is phoenixchurch23@gmail.com

COFFEE MATES

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

QUESADA LADIES CLUB

The Annual General Meeting of the Quesada Ladies Club will be held at the Cooper’s Arms, Dona Pepa, on Tuesday 3rd September 2013. This is for members only, and they will be admitted at the usual time of 2.30pm.

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

FREE n o i t i t e p m o c

AT MANHATTAN, CABO ROIG

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

CONGRATULATIONS TO LAST WEEK’S WINNERS: MEAL FOR 2: clifford reeve

Andy Wilson Photographer

LINE DANCING

2 CHANCES TO WIN!!!

Every week 1 lucky couples can win a fabulous Menu del Dia… … 1 couple can win a delicious, 9 item English breakfast, including tea or coffee (between 9.30am – 5pm)

po l p o

a

WHICH HE CELEBRATED WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS (as you can see in the photo) !!

THIS VERY SPECIAL NONAGENARIAN IS YOUNG BY NAME AND YOUNG BY NATURE, DEARLY LOVED BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND VERY HIGHLY THOUGHT OF BY ALL WHO KNOW HIM

Invitation

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

C

C O M M U NIT Y NE W S

31

BREAKFAST FOR 2: gary mcGregor

space for a little one?

Lara is a lovely little 8 month old girl who was very frightened and full of fleas. She is living in a foster home and has become much more lively and confident. She will only be a small dog when she is fully grown.

This little family were left in a cardboard box, between two parked cars on a busy Car Park in the scorching hot sun. They are only five weeks old and should still be with their mother, instead they would have been dead within hours, either through dehydration or by being squashed under the wheels of a car. To arrange to meet Lara or the little family of kittens, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563

32

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

SOL CLASSIFIEDS

SOLTIMES www.soltimes.com

WILL BE FINED

enquiries@serenitysailing.com / http://serenitysailing.com/ powerboating-level-2

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

advertise all your unwanted items for sale in this section any single item up to 300€ free of charge

email: blancasales@soltimes.com from perjero (england) 70€ for 2 front headlights from toyota carina 1800cc 70€ for 2. front & rear brake pads new still in box for perjero 2.8 sup/excd.

50€. tel: 662 465 080 (camposol, mazarron, area)

6311ARFI I I 2.4GHz Wireless Ultra Slim Keyboard and 1600dpi HiResolution Optical Mouse Still boxed unused, cost £22, Only 10€ Cuidad Quesada, Tel 965725573, Mob 659013882

pool tables, snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts. tel: 666 933 726 www. spainpool.com

966 713 075 OR 680 545 923 www.southcostablancaonline.com

hearing aids

From

550€

garden services

A1 ground & gaRDEN SERVICES Diggers, Skips, Garden Re-form & Maintenance Telephone 628 505 733

Folding table tennis table with bats and balls, Only 110€ Cuidad Quesada, Tel 965725573, Mob 659013882

asssa medical

insurances

Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, 968 153 396 mazarron@asssa.es jewellery

GOLD WANTED

PFAFF sewing machine. As new.

All attachments i n c l u d i n g buttonholing and embroidery 50€ 965319784 Shoes Leather size 6 UK/ 39 EU. Brand new

plastering

English jeweller wishes to buy broken E NG L I S H or unwanted Gold jewellery, silver and P L A S T E R E R internal finishing, coins

IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT

www.digitalhearingspain.com

never been worn still in the box 25€.

Camposol B Tel 655095242 /968199242 C omplete beginners set golf clubs. Right hand mens golf set.

Donnay international, drivers, putter, sand wedge , complete irons , bag.

Camposol B . 60€ Tel 655095242, 968199242

Net g ear ADASL Wifi Hub (DG834G) only 10€ Cuidad Quesada, Tel 965725573, Mob Ladies Golf E mpre x 659013882 Golf trolley,

METAL BUNK Furniture BED With est computer station 2006 sl glass curtains underneath ROJALES SPECIALIST OF PRE - OWNED FURNITURE single & AccESSORIES AT SENSIBLE PRICES create extra living space and house clearance specialist choose from glass curtains, double futon to match FREE LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE glazing, bi-folding doors. for a free bed.

Excellent WE BUY, SELL & PART EXCHANGE estimate. Tel: Peter on 646 111 825 condition - Used QUALITY FURNITURE only twice.

Open Mon - Fri 10 - 18.00, Sat 10 - 14.00 insurance C/Pablo Neruda 2, Local 5, Rojales Rojales area. 75€ PLEASE CALL JAMIE ON: Tel: 635 303088

Furniture first

leak detection

for sale

recon turbo for perjero 2.8 super excd 1998 not used 300€ or near offer. 2 nearly new bridgestone dueler h/t 256/70 r15 110h 50€ boats each. 2 boch fog lights 50€ or 70€ IT IS ILLEGAL TO SKIPPER BOATS for 2. bonnet WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE chip protector If you are caught skippering a power from perjero 2.8 boat without a license you 20€. rear stop light for roof from Possessing an perjero 30€ front (internationally recognised) headlight chip RYA license saves money.

Contact us now with NO OBLIGATION: protectors 40€ for Richard Plaster 638 056 224 / 2. front headlights

see us online everyday

TELEPHONE: 966 719 647

Call Peter

664 890 990

Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths

external rendering, 15 years experience, good rates. FULLY LEGAL IN SPAIN. Call Chris 671 444 246 / 965 078 866 email: c_pettit@ hotmail.co.uk

good condition.

20€ Camposol B. Tel 655095242, 968199242

Masa small armchair. Blue and yellow fabric. Pine arms and frame 30€ or will swap for IKEA type chair in good condition.

Camposol B Tel 655095242, 968199242

plumber

EMERGENCY

PLUMBER

All plumbing work undertaken, from full bathroom installation to small leaks.

Need a plumber in an emergency then call now

966 763 633 650 587 361

pool & water leak detection & repair specialists

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

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

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

SOLTIMES CLASSIFIED 966 719 647

pets FINCA LA CASTELLANA ANIMAL WELFARE CENTRE Dougie: Dougie was found in a field after being hit by car, back to full health now and has been castrated, chipped and vaccinations to date.

He is around 12 months old, medium size & loves everyone!

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

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

Basil is about 8 months old and is very affectionate. Good with people a&other dogs.

Would love a home of his own . Smallish, very sociable & desperate to please.

Please contact K9 or PHONE 600 84 54 20 www.k9club.es E-mail k9clubinfo@gmail.com

Eleanor 610188349

WANTED

under counter double freezer can collect tel: 672 033 676 wanted commercial kitchen oven

must be in good working order

Pets In Spain Pixie was found in the campo and was extremely dehydrated and underweight.

She is approx 9 months old and looks like a Sheltie cross, weighing just 5 kilos.

Call: 645 469 253

Nina was thrown from a white Porsche last week and the people drove off leaving her behind. She is around 8 months old & had kittens recently as she still has milk. Nina is very friendly & will make a lovely lap cat.

Call: 645 469 253

can collect call www.petsinspain.com - info@petsinspain.info 609 199 394

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

33

www.soltimes.com property for sale / rent

RENTAL PROPERTIES URGENTLY REQUIRED

in Cabo Roig/Villamartin, Orihuela Costa Playa Flamenca

We have clients enquiring in this area

Contact CASASOL REAL ESTATE

tel: 965 325 601 tony@casasolrealestate.com

for SALE detatched cortijo 20mins from mojacar Spanish cortijo with 4 beds, 2 baths, Open plan, kitchen & diningroom,workshop, courtyard front & back² €150,000 Tel: 649 186 107 thunderpaul2003@hotmail.ccom FOR SALE Apartment (Top floor / Penthouse) Almoradi,Costa Blanca

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

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

removals

Just Removals Friendly Low Cost

Full or part loads spain-uk-spain

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

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

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

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

Sky Digibox, Pace with sky card, BBC 1, 2, 3, 4 ITV1, 2, 3, ch4 & 5, 60€ can deliver. Tel: 667 235 205 Rainbow Satellites for all your TV needs with clients all over the Murcia Region. Contact Matt or Alan 686 358 Tel: (0034) 676 534 978 475 or rainbowsats@terra.es

Large 22 cubic metre van with tail lift available for all removals & deliveries call Dave on 693 251 562 email davendonc@aol. com LWB Sprinter van going from south to North of the UK & back every 2 weeks, based near Murcia Airport. Tel: 610 846 260/ 0044 7519 186 355. or email: van. man@hotmail.co.uk

De Lima’s removals new box van leaving from the UK to Spain Local, National & international REMOVALS & STORAGE Quality Second hand furniture showroom

263 Paseo del Mediterraneo Mojacar Playa, Next to Sal Marina Hotel Mon-Sat: 10am-2pm Call Marc on 647 006 183 or Jo on 600 344 565 or e-mail enquiries@delimas.biz

www.delimas.biz

fortnightly SERVICE TO & FROM UK FULL OR PART LOADS

ONE WAY

UK to Spain or Spain to UK

* COLLECTION & DELIVERY *STORAGE

TEL: 667 235 205

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

CLASSIFIED 966 719 647

email:davendonc@aol.com

whats in the news?



SOLTIMES

693 251 562 want to know

Van hire

*LOCAL *NATIONAL *EUROPEAN

Telephone Dave on

SOLTIMES

go online : www.soltimes.com wigs

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

34

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

trade Businesses can advertise in the classified section

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

recruitment

RAY ARE YOU A ?

E OF SUNSHIN

SOLTIMES are looking for A

Bright, enthusiastic person with an outgoing personality to join our sales team in Costa Blanca based at our office in Quesada.

Full or part time sales position available.

Experience not essential as full training will be given as long as you’re organised, enjoy meeting people & can work to deadlines

Send your CV to rob@soltimes.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 and other areas. Escort available home & house visits Tel: 693 357 526

car parts

motoring starts here

Car parts

Need quality new parts for any car

Vehicles wanted

WANTED

ALL VEHICLES

Cars, Motorhomes, 4x4’s, Boats, for sensible prices on all parts Vans, Trailers, Quads, Classics

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

Free quote go online or phone www.carpartsinspain.com

or telephone 692 930 326 Vehicles registration

“RE-PLATE” MATE GB

FOR CASH

Telephone: 699 805 995

info@carsrus.es

CA4RS CASH

WE BUY

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

jet skis urgentely wanted any condition

bangers4cash@yahoo.co.uk

603 100 692

E

Don’t take a chance!

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

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

SELLING YOUR car ?

Alan 662 249 159

www.replatematecostablanca.com

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

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

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

recruitment cont...

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

Ed’s mobile

CAR REPAIR SERVICE

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

610 078 940

cars for sale SEAT CORDOBA

1.9 DIESEL RHD, SPANISH REG. 1999, 125,000 MILES A/C, 10MTHS ITV, TRANSFER INCLUDED €1500 622 338 515 Ford Fusion Nov - 5 door hatch 1.6 Trend 105,000 kms, 1 owner Full service history A/C, Alloys, CD player PAS, ABS Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors Remote locking Rear head restraints Awaiting full valet Metallic blue

wanted cars for cash Best prices paid

Spanish English Anything considered

telephone Tim on 662 211 993 cars for sale Toyota Auris 2007 - 5 door hatch 2.0 D4D 6-Speed 108,000 kms, 1 owner Full service history A/C (Dual Climate) PAS, ABS, Cruise Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors CD player Remote locking Rear head restraints Isofix Metallic silver

Mercedes C220 CDi “Sports Coupe” June ‘07 - Sports Coupe 53,000 kms, 1 owner Full service history A/C (Climate), Alloys PAS, ABS, Cruise Front fog lights E. windows/mirrors CD player Remote locking Rear head restraints Pearl Blue/Black Grey/Cream leather

€5,250 www.fwreurocars.com

600 726 221 965 687 976

Hyundai i30 2011 - 5 door hatch 1.6 CRDi Classic 18,000 kms, 1 owner Full service history 3 Years orig warranty!

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viewpoint alqueria - Pacoism

I don’t like shopping, thus I go to Mercadona, where I can get everything that I need under one roof.

Non-household shopping, by which I mean clothes, shoes, bags, curtain, cushions, etc. is no more pleasurable, but still at times necessary. For these items the one roof principle gives way to the one stop principle, e.g. the Shopping Centre - Specifically, the Almenara

outside Lorca.

We needed between us shoes, shorts, tops and T shirts, but we didn’t need a size chart, because we knew what size we were. However, what we didn’t know is what size the various items were – it may say 34 on the label, but 34 what?

It started with trainers for me – easy, size 6 or 40 will fit. Oh, no they won’t! Like the Ugly Sister in Cinderella there is no way my foot was going into a size 6; size 8 had to be called for, which turned out to be a 41. Now there’s an anomaly; If 6 = 40, and 8 = 41, where has size 7 gone?

Shorts for Pete was no easier. We soon gave up selection by label size, and chose by the oldfashioned method of holding the item up and judging the size by eye.

He retired into the cubicle with size 38, 42 and 52, where he discovered that 38 was too big, 52 a bit snug, but 42 was perfect!

With our shopping tolerance waning by the minute we riffled through the thousands of T shirts, totally disregarding the size labels, and chose a dark blue M, which was the same size as its neighbour XL, but without the garish logo.

Having waded through acres of men’s walking shorts in the sports shops but drawn a complete blank for women’s walking shorts, I pinned my hopes on C & A, which is normally a good hunting ground for me as I am C & A shaped.

Yes, they had shorts. In two sizes – Advanced Anorexia or Elephant’s Comfort Fit. I gave up and glanced dismally at the bras, where my size, according to the size conversion label, is 90. I have no idea what 90 relates to, as no part of my chest area measures 90 anythings!

They had plenty of bras, all between size 80 and 110. Are C & A deliberately discriminating against the normal sized woman? Midway between anger and despair I wandered past the Sale rail, where 3 blouses fell into my hand – XS, M and 48/50.

They all were the identical dimensions and all fitted – so josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk what size am I? I don’t know!

By Jos Biggs

Welcome To the Twilight Zone

World shattering ideas and the best wheezes, always seem to pop into my head in that half sleep/half wakeful no-man’s land. And I know that it’s either drag myself out of my comfortable bed and make notes quickly, thereby upsetting my lovely lady by switching on the light, or go back to sleep in the knowledge that come morning, they will have melted away like snow in Barbados and be lost forever.

And so it was last night, when a vision of the Queens Corgi’s appeared uninvited into my almost comatose head. Don’t ask me why, nothing royal had crossed my mind that day, neither had dogs or anything remotely doggy. But there they were, sitting side by side, just looking at me expectantly.

I was determined not to get out of bed and reach for my note book and threw them a mental stick to chase, but they were having none of it and just sat there with lolloping tongues, willing me to come up with some Corgi type tales. And although I did manage to resist the idea of dragging myself to the computer, I spent the

35

next God knows how many hours – fully awake – allowing all sorts of scenarios to troupe in bizarre procession through the twilight world of my imagination. All it needed to recall every eccentric detail this morning, was the trigger word ‘Corgi’.

I’ve always thought that it would be a real eye opener to be a fly on the wall inside the royal apartments, to catch glimpses of Her Majesty and Phil totally relaxed and away from the glare of the media. After all they are just two flesh and blood people like the rest of us when you get right down to it.

So there they are in their lynge, in dressing gowns and wearing Homer Simpson slippers. The Queen is knitting a cardy for baby George as she catches up with Emmerdale on telly, and the Duke is nodding off - a whiskey and soda on the table beside him - as one of the Corgi’s lets one go. Now I’m sorry, they might be royalty, but dogs is dogs and they all have the same disgusting habits and peculiarities.

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The Queen is the first to notice the change of atmosphere and naturally does what any woman would do, and that’s blame her partner.

“Is that you Phillip?” she retorts, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

“What? . . . no it’s that bloody mutt Candy” He observes, kicking the nearest dog.

It has to be noted that in fact not all the Queens dogs are pure bred Corgis, Candy and Vulcan being what are known as Dorgis – a cross between Corgis and Dachshunds - and who can therefore legitimately be referred to as mutts.

And as if by way of confirmation, Candy lifts her head and with her whole front end doing a ‘U’ turn, she sniffs the grey cloud hovering around her rear end and delivers the surprised look that all dogs give at times like this and which basically says: “Was that me? . . . Really?”

A footman enters carrying a tray of cocoa for HM; another Scotch for HRH, and a plate of custard creams. As he turns to leave, one of the Dorgi’s/ Corgi’s, attaches itself to his left leg in a death lock as it tries to achieve what Mick Jagger apparently could not, back in 1965 and proceeds to vigorously hump his calf. But Royal footmen are impeccably trained and made of stern stuff, so pretending not to notice, and gathering as much dignity as possible, he about turns and with head held high exits with immaculate decorum, complete with a panting dog superglued to his leg.

You have to assume that the royal hounds have the run of the house, so it must be a nightmare making sure that little wet messages and embarrassing Richard the Thirds are cleared away as quickly and discretely as possible.

Perhaps there is a dog flap in the drawbridge, so that they have easy access to the gardens, but whose job is it to clean up after them?

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

Size Matters

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

Whether Pacoism will rival the great religions of the world only time will tell. Whether Existentialists or Humanist will convert to the Pacoist philosophy, we will have to wait and see. Presently Pacoism only flourishes in Alqueria. Groups of travellers make pilgrimages to the village just to worship at the feet of Loco Paco. The great man had absolutely no idea of what was going on. His world is one of a finely crafted veneer meticulously built up over the years. Anything outside of his small terraced house was a complete mystery to him. His only friends are a Saharan Dung Beetle called Benjy and an imaginary five foot rodent. To the Travellers the three identities form the ‘Holy Trinity of the Divine Paco’.

The villagers themselves were delighted at this influx of visitors and their cash. The Travellers consumed Remitroot at an unnerving rate, their hedonistic community relished the effects of the liquor particularly its qualities as an aphrodisiac. Although the traders of Alqueria were delighted the population in general were rather puzzled and surprised at the choice of the ‘Holy One’. It is a commonly held belief that simply staying in bed drains Paco’s intellectual reserves.

Paco’s followers believe Manuela to be his foil and therefore the Evil One, calling her ‘La Diablesa’ and making the sign of ‘La Moza Malvada’ whenever she appears. This did not surprise the villagers however, they have had their suspicions for years. Manuela did nothing to disprove this conviction. It all added to her kudos, her mystery, her control over the male population of the Pueblo.

The route from Órgiva to Alqueria is by now a well-trodden one. A pilgrim’s trail for the Travellers. Groups sit crossed legged under Paco’s window discussing his philosophy and miracles. Paco’s philosophy is one woven around him without his knowledge or consent, certainly without his understanding.

The miracles The Miracle of the Crying Virgin. This turned out to be Pilar Redondorodillas keeper of the local bakery. The flour made her appear as a plaster saint, the crying because Paco had walked in and as for being a virgin, sheer invention.

The Apparition of the Dancing Man. This figure appears on Paco’s patio dancing and singing in an incomprehensible and unknown language. It usually appears a day or so after Blythe Gruntmore, the resident Englishman and Geordie receives his Newcastle Brown Ale shipment from Gibraltar.

Even someone as intellectually challenged as Paco couldn’t remain oblivious to his new found status indefinitely. He began putting two and two together. Despite several wrong answers the realisation finally dawned and it made Paco feel rather uncomfortable.

(No of course they don’t have a drawbridge at Buck House; that’s just me being silly).

I can’t see Her Majesty carrying poop bags around with her, so some poor servant must have the responsibility for this distasteful task. And how would he or she have got the job. I mean how would it have been advertised? That’s a question for another

sleepless night.

These then were the musings of my tired and hyper active imagination – and I haven’t even started on Prince Phillip’s ferrets, or the palace parrots with their colourful collection of ribald songs, courtesy of the Duke’s coaching.

I should really get out more...

36

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

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braben’s blog...

I think it’s good that we celebrate so many important events throughout the year, with days set aside for things like World Peace Day, World Literacy Day and World Environmental Day. All are worthy and important events, but what of the other, lesser known days, what do we do to celebrate them? In July every year in America they have National French Fries Day. Really? They celebrate chips with a day to themselves? I suppose it must be held on a Friday, what do you think? Sorry, that was like a joke-a bit.

Strangely enough, the day that National French Fries Day is celebrated is also Embrace Your Geekness Day. Now come on, who on earth sits in a darkened room night after night, drinking gallons of Red Bull inventing ridiculous things to celebrate and why chips and geeks? Surely there are others who are equally worthy of being remembered with a day all to themselves? What’s wrong with, say, National Pest Control Operative Day, or National Person Who Makes Your Hot Chocolate at Starbucks Day? Worryingly, there are sites that recommend presents for many of these days and for the Geek in your life, if you have one-a Geek that is, not a lifethere are recommendations to buy Geek or Nerd clothing, whatever that may be, or subscriptions to things like PC World. Now look, I’m beginning to become suspicious. Chips day, Geeks Day and other days like themyes there are many-are designed only with the intention of getting us to part with our money. Maybe they should rename those days National Gullibility Day? They’re harmless I suppose, apart from costing a small fortune in sending appropriate greetings cards and gifts, if you take them seriously. My favourite Day is Peculiar People Day, celebrated on 10 January, so next year, don’t forget that strange person in your life and send a card telling them how odd they are. I’m sure they’ll see the funny Graham is married side of it and not want to visit you in the dead of to Helen and has a daughter, Alice. night with a sinister look in their eyes to administer He lives part of the a Norman Bates moment or two. year near Albox, If you can wait, in September there are two days but works in Qatar, teaching. If you wish that surely are especially for politicians amongst us. to contact Graham First we have National Procrastination Day, I think, regarding this then Ask a Stupid Question Day. I’m confident that article email: helenandg@yahoo. they’ll do justice to both-as they manage to do co.uk every day!

Spain & Morocco’s Differences of Opinion courtesy Wikipedia

The Pot and the Kettle

The Islas Chafarinas are three small islands located just 3.5km off the coast of Morocco, they have been occupied by the Spanish since 1847 with the only residents being a 190 strong military garrison. There used to be a colony of the world’s second rarest seal the Mediterranean Monk Seal living there but by 1990 they had all been murdered by fishermen for ‘stealing’ their fish.

The Alhucemas islands consist of three islands all within hailing distance of Morocco. The Penon de Alhucemas at just 200m off the Moroccan coast is the largest with a Spanish fortress housing a garrison of 30 men on it. The other two islands are Isla la Mar at 207m away and the Isla de Tierra is closer still being just 93m from its African neighbour.

Next we have Penon de Velez de Gomera; this island is so close to Morocco that in 1934 a huge storm washed so much sand between them that it created an 85m beach to connect them. It’s classed as the world’s shortest land border. A Spanish

garrison is stationed on the fort that’s built on the 100m high rock. Last summer the Committee for the liberation of Ceuta and Melilla which included the local mayor managed to scale the rock and plant Moroccan flags before getting arrested. 1790 was the last time there was a military attempt to get it back from Spain. It looks like a ‘Mini-Me’ of another place that’s been in the news recently – Gibraltar.

The Isla de Perejil is uninhabited lying 250m off the coast of Morocco, about 13 km from mainland Spain with ownership disputed between the two countries. Morocco placed some Army cadets there in July 2002 to stop illegal immigrants and smugglers using the island. Spain was having none of it and a week later sent a major invasion force consisting of the Air Force, the Navy and their elite commando unit across the Straits of Gibraltar to valiantly retake the island from the terrified teenagers who gave up on the spot without firing a shot. Even the Spanish Legion got involved. The spat was deemed so important that the great warrior Colin

Powell brokered a peace deal which still leaves the island disputed by both sides. The island is again empty apart from some goats with Moroccan nationality.

Melilla is part of the European Union and lies in east Morocco. It’s been won and lost by the Spanish many times since they first invaded in 1497.

The last conflict ended in 1926. It is twice as large of Gibraltar, with the population of about 75,000 fiercely holding on to their Spanish identity.

Melilla was where the Spanish Civil War started with a military revolt against the Republican officers in July 1936. The first concentration camp by the Nationalists was also built here and infamously the town boasts the only statue of Franco still on Spanish soil. King Juan Carlos visited in 2007 causing massive protests in Morocco.

I remember Charles and Di’s visit to Gibraltar in 1981 causing a similar stir.

Lastly there is Ceuta; 18 miles from Gibraltar and three times the size with a population of 85,000. Invaded by the Portuguese in 1415, a treaty signed in 1668 gave it to Spain just a few years before the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 gave Gibraltar to the British.

Ten thousand Moroccans cross the border each day to work there; it has a low tax regime, a strong military presence and is notorious for smuggling. Morocco wants it back but Spain ain’t budging. Sound familiar?

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

YOU ARE BEING LIED TO!

Now I have your attention, let me explain!

A new study says that on average, more than half of the ink from inkjet cartridges is wasted when we throw them in the rubbish bin. Why is that interesting? According to the study, we are throwing them out when the printers are telling us that the cartridge is empty and this, usually, isn’t true.

The study by TÜV Rheinland looked at inkjet efficiency across multiple brands, including Epson; who were among the highest rated, at more than 80 percent efficiency using single-ink cartridges and not too surprisingly, commissioned the study; Lexmark, Canon, HP, Kodak, and Brother. The test was a simple one, weigh an unused, empty cartridge of the type being tested, to get a baseline weight. Weigh a full cartridge and finally re-weigh it when the printer says it is empty.

Simple!

That’s the first problem. Printers routinely report that they are low on ink even when they aren’t. We, the user, assuming that the printer is reporting the accurate measurement of ink used, according throw out the used cartridge. The truth is that there can be up to 20% of the original quantity of ink left in the cartridge. You are being conned out of 1 fifth of the possible printing that could be done and in some cases there are still hundreds of pages worth of ink left.

Now add this to the fact that when you buy a new printer the cartridges are usually only half full in relation to the ‘normal’ standard cartridge, and the cost of replacing these cartridges is almost equivalent to buying a new printer, and that these cartridges are all the same size but are marketed at ‘standard’ and ‘high-capacity’ and differ only by the amount of ink! Then you will begin to see just how much you are being lied to and conned!

The second issue is a familiar one: multi-ink cartridges are marked “empty” when only one colour runs low. Multi-ink cartridges store three to five colours in a single cartridge. Printing too many photos from the air show will kill your cartridge faster than you can say “blue skies,” as dominant colours (say, “blue”) are used faster than the others. Therein lies the reason Epson backed the study: the company is singing the praises of its single-ink cartridge approach, an approach which is necessarily more efficient in terms of wasted ink because there’s only one colour per cartridge, and thus only one cartridge to replace when that colour runs out.

Still, the unintended result of this study is that regardless of the battle between single- and multi-ink cartridges, inkjet printers themselves are way off the mark when it comes to reporting the fullness of their cartridges. Next week we can look at possible solutions to this problem.

I am waiting for you, the reader, who might be experiencing problems, to suggest the best day(s) to have a regular ‘clinic’ at ‘Jacks Bar’, where you can come and get your computer related problems diagnosed FREE of charge! Now that has to be a good deal :-) For further information or advice on computing, contact Trevor on 689 892 745 or canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

TEST DRIVE: SEAT TOLEDO

We live in extremely straitened times where most countries including the UK continue to accumulate debt. The prospect of a career for life has become virtually nonexistent. UK house prices have risen to such an extent that first time buyers are now nearly 40 years old.

In fact when my father was my age he borrowed three times his salary to purchase our family

home - a beautiful four bed detached property in need of updating with two acres of land in a picturesque part of Dorset. That would barely get me a one bed house in a rundown part of the next county now.

Why has life become such a struggle? Most of us feel that there’s less money with which we have to do more.

Consequently, the hard up motorist craves a good

deal and Seat, realises this. It has responded with its Toledo, the family hatchback priced from under £13,000 to just below £18,000. And its diesel model also happens to be super economical. Thank goodness – perhaps life is not so bad after all.

Named after the historic Spanish city, this is an extremely sensible car for our times. With its clean lines it one to be proud

TEST DRIVE: CITROEN BERLINGO

A friend needs a broken cooker replacing immediately. I suggest repairing it but he says it costs more to repair than to replace. He is frustrated that only the four hobs on his Beko work and that an element for the grill and oven needs replacing at considerable expense,

which isn’t justifiable.

“Older cookers don’t have built in redundancy,” my cynical friend claims, “like all new appliances, which are designed to fail so that the manufacturer and their supply chain continue to make money after the product has been sold.”

Now, normally, I wouldn’t

be able to help him because firstly I am no electrician and secondly even with the best will in the world a cooker will not fit in the back of my old Ford Fiesta.

But this week I’m driving a shiny new Citroen Berlingo van with double doors at the rear and a helpful sliding door at the

of; the 1.6TDI SE test model s ig n i f ic a nt ly helped by its rich burgundy finish.

Sharing the same chassis as the Skoda Rapid, which I tested only a few weeks ago both models clearly share a good deal.

This comes as no surprise as Spain based Seat is owned by Vol k s w agen , which also owns Skoda.

The rear wash/wipe on both models has been borrowed from the Audi A1. The washer is built into the wiper and effectively projects a jet of spray across the window unlike any other wiper I have come across.

Buyers pay a premium for such innovative features on the Audi, too. Inside, the dashboard is very similar to the Rapid with the same layout and controls. Then there’s the side as you can see in the video at testdrives.biz. So I suggest that we pop down to this reconditioning specialist I know not far from where I live and see what they can offer. He’s delighted because he was fretting about how he would transport a cooker if he found one. And he’s even happier when he learns that there are three seats in the Berlingo cabin, so his girlfriend can come along, too.

Inside, the cabin is comfortable and, just like the exterior it is reminiscent of the Peugeot Partner van, that I tested a few weeks ago. Air conditioning, electric windows and a decent stereo all come as standard and the five speed manual gearbox is easy to use. The diesel engine is responsive and economical.

Anyway, they find a cooker for under £100 and we take it away there and then. It’s fairly easy for us to manoeuvre it into the back of the van, shoving it through the double doors

37

motoring

good build quality and the hardwearing interior trim.

Its seats could do with being more supportive, especially over longer journeys. Generally it has a competent if bland ride.

There’s a folding armrest in the centre of the cabin, which is useful for long motorway jaunts when gear changes aren’t required.

At speed the Toledo does buffet a bit in the wind but this is quickly forgotten when realising that this little gem returns over 50mpg at 70mph. Engine stop/start helps this model easily cover 700 miles on a tank of fuel. It’s pretty gutsy, too, hitting 60mph from standstill in just over 10 seconds. The five-speed box is as reasonable as you might expect; I don’t have a bad word to say about it.

Families need a massive boot and they won’t be disappointed with the 550 litres of luggage space as you can see in the video at testdrives.biz. If more room is required the rear seats fold down and the centre rear armrest conceals a hole for long, awkward objects such as skis or piping. Luxuries include electric front

on its back and then my friend opens the sliding door and jumps through to pull it into the rear. There’s a step inside the sliding door that makes getting into it fairly easy.

“The Citroën Berlingo has ruled the small panel van market since it was launched in 1996,” says Parkers, the car experts.

“A market leader through virtue as well as value, the [second generation Berlingo introduced in 2008] offers a raft of improvements over the previous model, which make the arguments for choosing one even more compelling. Two body lengths are now available and many new features, including a collapsible passenger seat to increase load length for

windows, electrically adjustable wing mirrors and air conditioning.

“Seat will be hoping that the Toledo can help dent the sales figures of popular established hatchbacks like the Ford Focus while pinning back newer entries in to this market such as the Volvo V40,” writes Parkers, the car experts. While it may have the appearance of a saloon, this latest version of the Toledo comes with a large, wide-opening rear hatch.”

The Toledo, just like the Skoda Rapid, makes an ideal family proposition.

specification 2013 onwards New price range: £12,495 - £17,840 Economy: 64mpg 0-60mph: 10.1secs Top speed: 118mph Power: 103bhp Watch the video at: www.testdrives.biz especially long items.

The Ready To Run range includes factory-produced specialist conversions including glass-carriers, dual-fuel LPG models and temperatu re - controlled vans.

specification Citroen Berlingo 1.6HDi Diesel New price range: £13,289 - £18,879 Economy: over 50mpg Power: 90bhp Top speed: over 100mph Watch the video at: www.testdrives.biz

Advanced motorist Tim Saunders is the former Business and Motoring Editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo.

His regular test reports appear in numerous newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the UK, Ireland & Gibraltar - and now here in Spain! For more information contact Tim on: timasaunders@tiscali.co.uk

38

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

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2013

sport

motoring

There is only one luxury people mover and that is the...

Chrysler Grand Voyager

It is fortunate that I have a grand voyage of my own planned to really put it through its paces. And I am pleased to report that it scored very highly with the Saunders family.

I want to whisk my family away for a long weekend to Tichborne’s Farm Cottages in Wiltshire and all our belongings would not have fitted into a standard car.

It is only when you have at least two children that you realise many cars just aren’t big enough anymore. They won’t fit all the paraphernalia.

But this cavernous yank easily swallows everything including our cumbersome tandem pushchair, together with one crib, four days of food for the self-catering break, various suitcases for the girls and a couple of shirts for me...

Life is so very easy with the Chrysler. Everything is electrically operated including the power folding wing mirrors and front seats.

The rear doors and boot can be opened or closed by pressing the appropriate button on the keyfob or by the front occupants who can push the roof mounted switches as you can see in the videos at testdrives.biz.

The rear passengers aren’t forgotten either because there is a button close to the Hello

inside of each door for them to use if desired. The doors also automatically slide open when the external handle is pulled. These rear doors are especially userfriendly when children’s car seats need fitting because there is so much space.

Traditional car doors that open outwards often pose a problem when they cannot be fully opened, for instance where there’s another car parked next to you in a car park.

The third row of seats, which accommodate three passengers is easily lifted at the click of a button in the boot. This rises or falls with ease and when stowed, the boot is simply enormous.

My wife likes the fact that there is a space between the two seats in the second row, giving passengers plenty of room and allowing for long items to be easily stored.

Simple to pull up blinds are also fitted inside all the blacked out rear windows for extra protection from the sun.

As a treat my eldest daughter is allowed to watch a DVD and headphones are stored in a useful overhead compartment.

This large vehicle is famed for its regular appearance in BBC1’s The Apprentice,

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where it ferries hapless candidates to Lord Sugar’s various challenges.

It’s an ideal vehicle for such activities because there is plenty of room inside, making it perhaps more user-friendly than the slightly cheaper but more traditional black cab taxi.

With its brilliant black finish, chrome grille, door mirrors and handles the Grand Voyager cuts a dashing figure commanding many a second glance from admiring motorists.

I like the captain’s style seats, which incorporate fold down armrests in the front and in the second row. The driving position is excellent

and it’s a responsive vehicle considering its size although the brakes are not as responsive as I might wish on some occasions.

The 2.8-litre diesel engine is a little rough around the edges and can be heard from inside the cabin but for me this just adds to the sense that it is a van and that’s quite appealing. It’s perhaps what the A-team might have moved up to if they ever became more sophisticated. The six speed auto box is guilty of being a little indecisive at times usually when travelling at low speed up a hill and second gear might do the job just as well as third at around 25 to 30mph. Despite its size it has the power to safely overtake vehicles at speed along Wiltshire’s B-roads.

Overall the Chrysler Grand Voyager is unequalled in terms of luxury and capability. We travel around 300 miles on under half a tank. A hard vehicle for the family to return.

specification

Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8 CRD Limited OTR price with options: £36,930 0-60mph: 12.8secs Top speed: 115mph Economy: 30mpg Road tax: £600 a year

Watch the video at www.testdrives.biz Advanced motorist Tim Saunders is the former Business and Motoring Editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo.

His regular test reports appear in numerous newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the UK, Ireland & Gibraltar - and now here in Spain! For more information contact Tim on: timasaunders@tiscali.co.uk

SMGS at VILLAMARTIN

San Miguel Golf Society’s monthly visit to Villamartin, one of our most popular venues, is always well supported but as is usual in the searing August temperatures, quite a few regulars don’t brave the midday heat.

From a personal point of view after a run of fairly good performances, lying in a shady spot beside a few chilled beers does sound a far more constructive way of killing a few hours…..

Still, it was me who chose to duff the odd shot as well as missing a bagful of putts resulting in getting even hotter and more bothered over this most frustrating of pastimes. Makes you seriously consider taking up line-dancing or even knitting!

That reminds me…..

Paddy and Mick came dashing out of the local zoo covered in scratches and their clothes in tatters with Paddy shouting, “Well Mick, I don’t know about you but that’s the first and

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last time I’m goin’ liondancing!”

Anyway, I couldn’t lay any blame on the course which, in fact, was a tad shorter than normal as someone had been sensible enough to move the blocks forward to a reasonable distance away from the whites!

As I say, it didn’t do me a lot of good but the vast majority of the field scored well with the very unusual result of all six winners in the members’ section shooting under par. Barry will have the scalpel out tonight!

NTP prizes went to Brian Staines (Hole 6), John Aitchison (Hole 9), Alan Gilbert (Hole13) and John Osborne (Hole 17). The best guest award went to Ian Drakesmith for a very commendable 36.

Top three in the silver division were Norman McBride, 3rd with 38 pts, Mick Roscoe, 2nd with 39 pts and Alan Gilbert in 1st place with 41 pts.

3rd in the gold division was big Mick Cook with 37pts, 2nd was Brian Staines with 38 pts and top of the gold was Arnie Hansen with 39 pts. Congratulations to all this week’s prize-winners.

Get all your society info at www.smgs.org or simply give Baz a buzz on 966 731 033 for all the details of forthcoming Wednesday meetings.

Visitors are always made to feel very welcome.

Photo: Some of this week’s happy winners.

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FC TORREVIEJA

CD Montesinos

TWO MORE SCORE DRAWS FOR TORRY Torry have signed another central defender in the past week. He is 25 year old, Alicante born Alexis Who has played for Torrelano, Elche Ilicitano and more recently Mexican first division side Estudiantes de Altamira who he joined in January and made 10 appearances for.

In the latest pre-season friendlies Torry drew 2 -2 at home to Murcian Tercera side UCAM Murcia and 1-1 away at Regional Preferente side CD Almoradi.

The results of both games were probably a fair reflection of the play.

The scorers against UCAM Murcia were Pastor and trialist Javi and against CD Almoradi Carrasco netted from a spot kick.

I am pleased to report that Rafa is back and came on as a substitute in both friendlies. Both keepers played a half apiece and both performed competently with Carrion probably looking the most likely to start as the no 1.

Defensively Torry look o.k. except for defending set-pieces. This needs to be worked at on the training ground.

Vicente should occupy the right-back position and Dani the left-back position with Eloy as back-up.

In central defence the pairing of Rafa and new signing Alexis, who looked comfortable on his debut at Almoradi, looks to be the most effective although Alexis needs to put in a bit of extra training to come up to match pace.

The versatile Burguillos can stand in there as can the trialist Maxi if Torry sign him. In central midfield

Valdeolivas and Burguillos will compete for the holding role although the manager may elect to play both of them. On the flanks there will be competition for places between Pastor, who looks a promising prospect, Micro and Manu Amores and probably Eric who is not a natural centre forward. Depending on whether the manager plays one or two holding players there will be competition between Carrasco, Alberto and Gasch for the second central striker role.

Carrasco would be my pick given his experience and technical ability.

The problem position is definitely centre forward.

Eric does not have the physical presence there and the manager needs to act quickly and try and get somebody in. If he doesn’t then that is where Gasch may have to play through necessity.

Last night Torry played at home to CD Cox who achieved promotion to the Regional Preferente at the end of last season. On Saturday Torry play their final scheduled friendly away to another Regional Preferente side Thader (Rojales).

Hopefully Torry will have/ will record victories in both these games against lower level opposition to take them into the season with some confidence.

A slightly worried Darrylldinho, following his adopted team in Spain prepare for the new season with a bit of a lack of real fire-power.

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Sporting maz Camposol FC Alley Palais 5 -2 In the first small test of the season Sporting showed the first 20 minutes what potential there is. Within 20 minutes it was soon 3-0.

The 16-year-old Daniel Scott in the center of the first half scored a hattrick and gave an assist. This young talent was man of the match. After the first hurricane of attacks FC Alley Palais came more into the game and create some possibilities.

By a small mistake of the goalkeeper of Sporting gave FC Alley Palais the 3 -1.

After that showed Sporting some skills and ran it to 5-1.

In the second half the heat

clearly began to play a role.

The game was slower in the second half and with some changes in the game the level of the teams was not reached as in the first half.

FC Alley Palais scored 1x, bringing the final score to 5-2. All in all a fun game to watch and promised much for the future. Coach Jelco Oosterhof “I’ve seen enough things we can continue, this was very good for us.” “A very good start.”

(Sporting Camposol: Daniel Scott 3x, Dani 1x, 1x Budia / AP FC: Tom 1x, 1x James) Gerard

Lo Marabu Golf Society (in association with Costa Blanca Green Fee Services) at Font del Llop on 8th August 2013.

For this month’s interim society meeting a group of 20 players visited the established course at Font Del Llop taking advantage of the excellent society deal obtained from Costa Blanca Green Fee Services.

The weather was superb and the course in excellent condition and we played a BOGEY competition which was a new concept to many of the players, although judging by the scores we should play this event more often.

The wining scores were as follows: 1st –Sebastian Lee +2 2nd – Craig Ross +2

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3rd – D Bensley +2 4th – P Hardiman +1 Nearest the Pins: Paul Hardiman and Malcolm Wright We were joined today by Craig Ross who plays off plus 2 and recently lost in the semi-final of the Scottish Amateurs Championship and played Font Del Llop in 68 gross today and so at 19 years old is one to watch for the future.

Our next FULL society fixture is at Villamartin on 28th August 2013.

Report by Mike Probert of Costa Blanca Green Fee Services on 966 704 752 or 661 345 931 or see us at our web-site at www.costablanca-greenfees.com.

This week we play the first of our pre season friendly matches. On Wednesday evening 14th August at 9pm we play a training game against a non federated side to give the players their first run out.

On Saturday 17th August kick off 7.30 we are at home to Dolores in our first real test.

On Wednesday 21st August at 9pm we are away to El Altet (to be confirmed).

On Saturday 24th August at 7.30pm we are at home to Torrevieja (to be

39

sport confirmed).

On Wednesday 28th August at 9pm we are at home to Santa Pola (to be confirmed).

On Saturday 7th September we are at home to San Fulgencio (to be confirmed).

This will be the presentation of the team before the season starts proper.

A complete list of pre season games, photos information and full training scedule is in the “PRE SEASON” section on the club website www. cdmontesinos.com

TMGS Match Report for Saurines de la Torre – m7th August 2013 This was our first venture to Saurines although one or two had played it before.

It has to be said that the fairways and the greens were in an excellent condition and the Caddy Master had the attitude of “no matter what, I am here to serve you” which is, in itself, a diminishing attitude of some courses in the area.

The main area of concern seemed to be the “lost ball” syndrome where if you strayed left or right, you were in an area of desert sand (not really sand, more gravel and fescue bushes). We might, in the future, introduce a local rule where the ball “isn’t lost, but unplayable”…which could and should increase the pace of play. Many enjoyed the challenge, a few didn’t and the scores were a reflection on just how tough this course can be.

The Silver Division, like the Gold suffered and it only took m27 points for John Hillier to claim 4th spot. 28 points was enough for Mick Kennedy and Alan Rickers to claim 3rd and 2nd…and this

left Roger Nilsen to win that Division with 30 points.

The Gold lot didn’t do much better and 29 points (countback employed) wasn’t enough for Vernon Brown to edge out John Eyre for 4th and 3rd. Alan Rixson took the runners-up slot with 32 points and this left James Hunter with an excellent 40 points to take the honours of the day.

NTP’s were claimed by Richard (Hippy Boy) Wale, James Hunter and gusts Mark Howard…who in addition won the Best Guest prize with 35 points.Photo is of the Silver category winners Our next game, Wednesday 14th August 2013, see’s us at the La Finca golf course, so if you fancy a game just look at our website www. tmgs.org or call the Match Secretary on 966719604.

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

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