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News

Chinese eatery dubbed “London’s rudest restaurant” has promised to reopen with better-mannered service

Wong Kei in London’s Chinatown defied received gastronomic wisdom that the customer was always right. Its patrons were cajoled, bullied, insulted and mocked by waiting staff.

Perversely, many diners loved it. Each night scores would queue up at the 500cover restaurant to be verbally abused over the chicken satay and pork fried noodles.

To its fans, it was a refreshingly abrasive anomaly in an increasingly sanitised service industry. But this notoriety has been consigned to the past. Wong Kei’s operators have pledged to adopt a new, politer waiting style after a revamp of the premises.

Some old regulars who revelled in the old regime’s carnivalesque atmosphere have reacted with dismay. “Here, bad service is ‘de rigueur’,” says one fan on the restaurant’s TripAdvisor page. “When we get a friendly waiter, it’s disappointing.”

And while Basil Fawlty at his most splenetic may appear an odd role model, a select band of hospitality entrepreneurs have built successful careers on a reputation for being cantankerous and abrasive to their clientele.

Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White once boasted of throwing out 54 customers in a single night and ejecting diners who asked for salt and pepper.

The reputation of Michelin-starred Dublin chef Kevin Thornton was elevated after reports that he verbally abused a man who asked for chips with his meal.

Bookings at the Adelphi in Liverpool rose by 20% after a BBC reality series was screened featuring rather forthright staff.

The owner of a Cumbria tearoom which attracted online criticism for its grumpy service won praise after hitting back that the north of England was “a place that still maintains a healthy respect for a good old fashioned surly disposition”.

Perhaps the venue most famous for insulting its customers was the Coach and Horses, the Soho pub whose former barman Norman Balon had matchbooks printed declaring him “London’s Rudest Landlord”.

But Russell Norman, star of BBC Two’s The Restaurant Man, who co-owns six central London restaurants including Polpo and Spuntino, strongly cautions prospective owners against trying to imitate these kind of shock tactics. ‘They won’t be appreciated by the overwhelming majority of customers’, he says. ‘If it’s part of the deal, it’s legitimate, it’s a form of entertainment. But if you are not expecting it and you walk in and you’re abused, it’s horrible.’

But in case British diners find themselves hankering after a dose of old-fashioned vitriol, Wong Kei co-manager Maylee McDowell says media coverage of the policy change has inspired her to keep open the option of a U-turn.

‘It all depends how it goes from here.’ she said.

Sochi Paralympics: Russia ready for biggest ever Winter Games

Less than two weeks after the Winter Olympics ended, 547 athletes from 45 countries will compete for 72 gold medals in five sports over 10 days. It is the largest number of countries to take part in the event since it was first held in 1976.

The Games, opened by Russian president Vladimir Putin, will begin amid an escalating political crisis in Ukraine.

A number of the world’s politicians have said they will snub the showpiece event following Russian intervention in Crimea, situated just 300 miles from Sochi.

Prime Minister David Cameron said it would be wrong for British ministers to attend the Games - a decision criticised by International Paralympic Committee president Sir Philip Craven -while Paralympics GB patron Prince Edward has also decided not to travel.

Ukraine had contemplated a boycott of the event but on Friday, the Ukraine Paralympic Committee president Valeriy Suskevich confirmed that their 23-strong team would take part.

Britain have sent a 15-strong team to Sochi as they attempt to win their first Winter Paralympic gold medal, competing in alpine skiing and wheelchair curling.

The team includes 15-year-old skier Millie Knight, who will carry the flag at the opening ceremony and is Britain’s youngest-ever Winter Paralympian.

Britain’s last Winter Paralympics medal came in 2006, when they won silver in wheelchair curling.

Angie Malone, who was part of that team, is a reserve in the present team, led by skip Aileen Nelson.

On the slopes, British medal hopes are led by visually-impaired skiers Kelly Gallagher and Jade Etherington.

The pair, who compete in several events, will be accompanied down the slopes at Rosa Khutor at speeds of more than 50mph by their sighted guides, Charlotte Evans and Caroline Powell, who issue instructions via headsets.

“All I can see on the slope is Charlotte’s orange fluorescent bib, so I follow that and hope it all goes well,” said Gallagher, who won four medals at last year’s World Championships and claimed three goldhttp:// www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disabilitysport/25741966 medals at the recent World Cup event in Canada.

However, Caroline Powell wears dark-coloured clothing to contrast with the snow, so Jade Etherington can get a sense of where she is going on the slope.

The duo have formed a strong partnership over the past 12 months, winning a number of World Cup and Europa Cup medals.

SOLTIMES march 2014

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Knit up a penguin!

A conservation group in Australia is calling on knitting enthusiasts around the world to make jumpers for sick penguins.

Phillip Island’s Penguin Foundation uses the jumpers to help rehabilitate birds that have been affected by oil spills or similar leaks from fishing boats.

Knits for Nature, a program run by the foundation, has created up to 300 different designs over the years thanks to its team of dedicated volunteers – but it is always in need of more.

News

“There’s a lot of hidden creativity out there,” said Lyn Blom, an employee of the foundation.

The jumpers help to keep the penguins warm and also prevent them trying to clean the toxic oil away with their beaks.

For those wishing to donate a jumper, the island’s Penguin Foundation has created a handy knitting pattern guide.

For those who want a great big Aaaaaahhh! go to www.penguins.org.au

Online gamer earns himself a fortune

Joseph Garrett, 23, a university graduate, has given up work after videos of him playing an online game in his bedroom became an internet sensation.

He now earns a fortune filming himself sitting on his bed playing Minecraft and uploading the clips to YouTube for fans to watch.

His channel - under the name ‘Stampylonghead’ - gets five million hits a day, making it one of the top 10 most viewed worldwide, Mr Garrett, who began playing Minecraft and uploading his videos 18 months ago, pulls in more traffic on the video sharing website than One Direction and Justin Bieber.

When his channel reached 10,000 subscribers he quit his job at a local pub

to manage the channel full time.

He is now sent, on average, 3,000 messages a day from gamers asking for tips. He makes money by pocketing a share of the advertising revenue from his videos.

Mr Garrett, who has a degree in TV and video production, currently uploads at least one 20-minute video a day.

He says: “When I was at university I switched over to doing what I do now, called a ‘let’s play’. You are essentially just playing and commentating while you play, just as a fun hobby.

“When those videos started to become popular, I started monetising them. That started to grow and ended up snowballing and that’s how I got to where I am now.”

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Swedish planners to move an entire town

This spring work will begin to move Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost town, two miles to the east. Over the next 20 years, 20,000 people will move into new homes, built around a new town centre, as a mine gradually swallows the old community.

More than 3,000 apartment blocks and houses, several hotels and 2.2m sq ft (0.2m sq m) of office, school and hospital space will be emptied over the next two decades - while alternatives are built on the new site.

The old church, voted Sweden’s most beautiful building in 2001, will be taken apart, piece by piece, and rebuilt.

The move has been dictated by the local iron mine - one of the most valuable iron ore deposits in the whole of Sweden, and the town of Kiruna’s largest employer.

The story began in 2004, when the stateowned mining company, LuossavaaraKiirunavaara AB (LKAB), sent a letter to the local government explaining that it needed to dig deeper into a hill just outside the town, which could cause the ground beneath thousands of apartments and public buildings to crack or give way.

A decade later huge fissures are appearing across the city, creeping towards the centre.

The number of people involved in a project of this scale exceeds the thousands and includes city planners, architects, landscape designers, biologists, urban designers, civil engineers, demolition and construction experts and builders, as well as social anthropologists.

The Stockholm-based architects White Arkitekter AB, which won the contract to design the new Kiruna, envisages a denser city centre with a greater focus on sustainability, pedestrians and public transport rather than automobiles.

The city’s location 145km (90 miles) north of the Arctic Circle means that it is in perpetual daylight from May to August and perpetual darkness from December to late January. Temperatures remain below -15C (5F) for much of the year, with snowfall all year round. Thus a design with narrow streets will break the wind and cold better, but will make the city harder to navigate

for traffic, and specialists are looking at how to construct houses and buildings in this climate while still having a low energy impact.

It’s also hoped the new, improved city will encourage more tourists to the area, helping local business. The world-famous Ice Hotel in nearby Jukkasjarvi attracts more than 100,000 people to the area every year, but tourists seldom bother to take the 15-minute journey to Kiruna.

The logistics of moving have to be addressed. LKAB will have to buy the existing properties, so that the residents can buy a new one in the new town.

But the sums are nightmarish. ‘The general idea is for LKAB to purchase people’s homes from them at market value plus 25%, and then sell them a property in the new city,” says architect Mikael Stenqvist. ‘But how do you work out what the market value is for a house in a city that doesn’t even exist?’

It’s a new situation and no-one really knows how to handle it,” says Yvel Sievertsson, urban transformation officer at LKAB. “We have hundreds of people working on the issue alone, including researchers at the University of Stockholm.

The goal is to have the new city centre ready before we start to move everyone over, and then to move everyone at once in one or two stages, to impact people’s businesses as little as possible.”

Paradoxically, new housing will have to be built in the existing town, before work gets going on the new one, as Kiruna needs up to 800 more living spaces in order to house the workers coming to build the new city. “It’s a Catch 22 situation,” says Peter Johansson, construction manager at NCC, the company leading the building of the new town. ‘We have about 250 people working on the sites but we need more than 1,000. We need workers from all over Scandinavia to make this project possible.’

LKAB has already spent 4bn kronor (£366m) on the project to date and has earmarked 7.5bn kronor for the remaining transformation, though it says it’s impossible to estimate the total cost of the project.

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SOLTIMES march 2014

barnes bulletin IT’S LOOKING GOOD

Benjamin Fraile, in charge of purse strings, otherwise known as Head of Finance at Pilar De La Horadada, has set the budget for 2014/2015 at 25 million euro. There will be increased spending on social services, employment and infrastructure. Mayor Jose’ Fidel Ros Samper told the budget meeting, that in 2 years, they had managed to set the town on the correct economic course.

Sale of some council held land had

ort

also helped stabilize the town coffers.

Mayor Jose’ said that his council will continue to lower taxes, adding that the opposition had left the meeting, dropping their heads in shame.

Interestingly, Pilar De La Horadada, is one of the few towns in Spain, in “The Black” where it’s finances are concerned. Not wishing to be accused of political leaning, but a “Pat on the back” might be in order!

CARNIVAL SAN PEDRO 2014

AND THERE’S MORE!

Pilar De La Horadada celebrated a combined carnival and craft fair recently. Marisa Peris’nez and Antonio Blanco were crowned Queen and King respectively, of this years carnival, and toured the many attractions and craft stalls, within the Church Square. There were mask workshops, face painting, dance and music. All

visitors to the carnival were treated to cakes and chocolate (That’s the way to run a carnival!) and special awards were made to Jose Martinez and Isobel Grace, who came dressed as harlequins. Councillor Elizabeth Marcop thanked all who had worked hard to make this 2014 carnival the success it was.

S c a v e n g i n g , orienteering or an electronic treasure hunt, call it what you will, but it’s taking place in and around Pilar De La Horadada, during the first couple of weeks in May. This treasure hunt with a difference, came into it’s own, in Spain, during the year 2000, now with some six million players taking part. Participants receive cryptic and otherwise clues, via their GPS devices, setting off to locate the catch of treasure There will be some 100 “Pots of Gold” to locate.

When discovered, the finder is required to complete an entry into the log book, that will be found alongside each treasure, and move onto the next hidden catch. More details can be found on www.geocaching.com There is a meeting to explain what GEHORADADA is all about, arranged for March 19th., at 20.00 Hrs., in the Cultural Centre, in Pilar De La Horadada.

Picture shows Eva Martinez, Councillor for Tourism, with Adrian Lopex and Jessica Ruiz, from the Council for Youth team.

GEHORADADA

Skimpy tops, micro mini skirts, impossible high heels, and that was just the fellows! A procession lasting some two hours, wound around the streets of San Pedro, Sunday 2nd., March, and just for a change this year, it remained pleasantly warm.

Youngsters dressed as packs of playing cards, dice, astronauts, and paratroopers, joined in with all the fun, that is carnival, here in Spain.

Members from ADAPT, took on the role of surgeons, frightening the watching crowd with giant hypodermic needles, while operating on a patient, at the same time. Music at 1000 watts per channel, accompanied the performers, and it was a weary, but happy band of revellers, that eventually made their way to the finishing line, and to a little well deserved refreshments, courtesy of the organisers. See you all in 2015.

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IF HELP IS REQUIRED, IT WILL BE GIVEN

Councillor for Social Services, Paquita Canovas, pictured, tells me that although the town of Pilar De La Horadada, has had less recourses for all council departments, Social Services have, during 2013, created a very successful disability day centre in Glen Praes. The council is aware that it must try to eliminate drug abuse amongst the younger community, visiting schools and community groups. To this end, the Unit Community Prevention of Addictive Behaviour (UPCCA) has been formed.

Mayor Jose’ tells me that some 482 families have been visited and helped through emergency situations that they have found themselves in. The council, via the social services

department, have set up the Banco Solidario , offer technical help, along with trading and skills workshops.

For careers, the chance to take a well deserved holiday break, in July and August, is now, also, a services offered by Paquita Canovas and her team within social services.

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

SOLTIMES march 2014

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Oscar Pistorius Trial

“Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius has been on trial for over a week, charged with the murder of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

From the mountain of evidence already heard, the four most salient points are: The Olympic and Paralympic track star killed his girlfriend in the early hours of Valentine’s Day last year. He fired four bullets through the door of a toilet room in which she was. Three hit her; the final one in the head, and she died.

The overarching question is why he did it. He says he thought she was a burglar and made a tragic mistake. Prosecutors say the couple argued and he shot her in anger.

The judge’s verdict would hinge on several questions that, so far, remain unanswered: What were the bangs that neighbours heard on the night of the shooting?

Four people who live near Pistorius said they heard loud bangs on the night of the shooting, with a pause between them. All four -- Michelle Burger, Estelle van der Merwe, Charl Johnson and Johan Stipp -- said they thought at the time that the sounds were gunshots.

They generally agree that there was a pause between two distinct sets of bangs or booms, with screaming in between.

Defense lawyer Barry Roux argues that the second set of bangs was in fact the sound of Pistorius breaking down the toilet door with a cricket bat after he realized what he had done.

But Burger and Stipp said the three bangs they heard came in such quick succession that there would have been no time to swing the cricket bat back before striking the door again.

Does Pistorius sound like a woman when he screams?

There were some chuckles in court when Roux first asserted that Pistorius sounds like a woman when he screams, but it turns out to be a critical part of the defence.

Some witnesses testified to hearing screams before any of the bangs, including the sound of both a man and a woman shouting.

The prosecution argues that the screaming was the argument that led Pistorius to murder Steenkamp.

But there was a second scream or series of screams that the neighbors said sounded like a woman in terror. Burger called them “petrifying,” and Stipp said the woman sounded “scared, almost scared out of her mind.”

That screaming, the prosecution suggests, was Steenkamp fleeing in fear from an enraged Pistorius.

But the defence says it was Pistorius himself, screaming in anguish as he realised his deadly error.

Neighbour van der Merwe gave some support to this theory, saying she heard what she thought was a woman screaming and asked her husband what it was. Her husband, who knows the track star, told her it was Pistorius, she testified.

But Samantha Taylor, an ex-girlfriend of Pistorius, testified that he had yelled at her and others often and that when he shouted, he sounded like a man.

Is Pistorius trigger happy?

This is a key element of the state’s case, which prosecutor Gerrie Nel admitted in his opening statement is “circumstantial” -- there were no eyewitnesses to the killing.

So the state has brought two unrelated gun charges against Pistorius -- one that a gun went off in a crowded restaurant

News

when he was holding it, and one that he fired a gun out a car’s sunroof in irritation after an aggravating police stop for speeding that turned into an argument over his gun.

It’s not clear that the prosecution witnesses who have talked about the two incidents have done much to build the state’s case.

Boxer Kevin Lerena, a friend of Pistorius, was with him at the restaurant, he testified. Lerena said a third friend, Darren Fresco, passed Pistorius a loaded gun under the table, telling the athlete he was “one up.” That meant there was a bullet in the chamber of the gun, ready to fire. Almost immediately, it went off under the table. Pistorius apologised to his friends and asked Fresco to take the blame, which he did in order to avoid drawing attention to the Blade Runner.

Taylor is the only source for the sunroof incident thus far, and she was unable to provide any details about where it took place. Roux said that Pistorius was in fact golfing at St. Andrews in Scotland the day after Taylor said it happened.

But Taylor also said that Pistorius carried a gun with him and that at least once when he heard a noise at his bedroom window at night, he woke her, took his gun and went to investigate.

Another time when he thought his car was being followed, she said, he took his gun and knocked on the window of the other car with it.

Did Pistorius lie to a security guard after killing Steenkamp?

The ninth and last witness of the week was Pieter Baba, who was on duty as the security shift supervisor at the Silverwoods Estate on the night Pistorius shot Steenkamp. Several neighbours called his office to report hearing gunshots, and Baba went out with another guard to investigate. He ended up near the Pistorius house, speaking to Pistorius on the phone.

According to Baba, Pistorius said: “Security, everything is fine.” But Baba could hear Pistorius crying and decided to go to the house. He arrived in time to see Pistorius carrying Steenkamp’s body down the stairs. “My lady, I was so shocked I couldn’t think for a few moments,” he told the judge.

Roux made a concerted effort to shake Baba’s version of what Pistorius said on the phone, asking twice in a row whether the runner had said “everything” was fine or that “he” was fine, then whether he had said “OK” or “fine.”

Baba stuck to his story and finally turned to the judge to say: “My lady, Mr. Pistorius’s exact words were, ‘Security, everything is fine.’ “ Testimony for the week ended on that note, with Baba to continue on the stand Monday.

Why do South Africans call security rather than the police when they hear gunshots?

South Africans who can afford it tend to live in areas with private security.

Their alarm systems alert their private security guards, not police.

South Africans who use private security say their guards are based closer and will be on the scene faster than police.

Of the four Pistorius neighbours who testified, only one, Stipp, said he called police -- and even he called private security first. He said that the estate’s security guards arrived soon after he called, and that after talking to them, he went to the house to see if he, a doctor, could help.

He found security guards there and told them to call an ambulance. He left

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News

FATHER’S DAY PROMOTION

Retail shops in Pilar De La Horadada, are at it again. Following the success of the recent retail “Lucky Draw”, the department of commerce have introduced a “Pre Father’s Day Retail Competition” within the retail shops of Pilar. The commerce department has donated a 1000 euros prize. To enter, fathers (Or Mothers!) must complete an entry form, available in the shops in the town, and tick which 100 euro price, from the 10 listed, they would

most like to win. The Grand Draw will be held in the City Hall, on the 28th., of March. Council member Aurelio Samper (Pictured), gives the competition the name “Live Gives You Surprises”, and I guess for 10 lucky winners, it certainly will. Aurelio adds that this prize draw rewards loyalty to all shoppers that support and purchase from the local traders in Pilar De La Horadada. Sounds most enterprising.

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How to make your bathroom or ensuite feel warm!

Thirdly, how about a few colourful accessories, such as a loo brush or soap dish, to lift a space for not too much money?

Try a bit of stripe or a few items in coloured resin.

Then, finally, if you’re prepared to spend a bit more, you could invest in some new wood-and-mirror wall cabinets to provide a mixture of warmth, glamour and, of course, some extra space.

Fabric Flair After 39 years experience in the soft furnishings industry in the UK, husband and wife team Rik and Kim move to Spain 6 years ago to do the same and they have not stopped.

It is hardly surprising, as the type of work they did in the UK was of a very high standard, including Local Authorities i.e. stage curtains, Town Halls and Schools, and some of the top house builders. Not surprisingly, most of their work comes from personal recommendations.

The range of work undertaken here in Spain is amazing.

All types of re-upholstery, tailor made fitted loose covers, that fit like an upholstered piece of furniture, gazebo covers, sun loungers and of course blinds and curtains.

Fabric Flair also supply superb quality foam, all densities cut to any shape or size for all types of furniture, indoor or outdoor. For made to measure curtains they also supply all the hardware and expertly fit them in your home.

They have a wide range of sample fabrics to choose from, just give Kim an idea of the sort of fabric you are looking for and colour scheme and she will come up with a selection which you will not be disappointed with.

Quality and customer • 39 years experience in soft furnishings & re-upholstery service are by words at Fabric Flair, who will visit • Foam (All densities) superior quality, you at home or you can visit cut to any shape or size them in Almoradi where all • Curtains and Blinds all made to measure their work is manufactured • Loose covers that fit like upholstery made for all on the premises. types of furniture indoor and out So for superb made to • Gazebo covers made in a waterproof canvas fabric measure custom made soft from customers original template furnishing; Telephone 625 716 063 • Hundreds of fabrics to choose from Or visit them in Almoradi…

Opening Hours - Mon-Fri 10am to 4.30pm Sat - 10am to 1.30pm THE INTERIOR CENTRE All our work is professionally made at our premises in...

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

Soft Furnishings & Re-Upholstery

Fabric Flair

image::/www.allaboutyou.com/

8

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

Those Blinking Orange Traffic Lights!

Is there any Brit among us who at one time or another has not uttered this phrase?

What are they all about? We all understand traffic lights – green means Go, red means Stop, and orange means Get Ready, Watch out!

We know that orange lights are used as a precautionary warning, and we adjust our actions accordingly. But what are we to make of a blinking

orange light suspended over the road, and backed up by a red light? Are we to stop? Or are we to ignore it?

Us law-abiding Brits will naturally expect to stop, and wait for a green light. However, how many times have we seen the red light with its blinking orange companion, looked in our rearview mirror to see the juggernaut following us is very nearly attached to our rear bumper, and decided that, on

9

News measure, it is safer to simply carry on and risk the possibility of the wrath of the police rather than the certainty of being squashed like a road kill by that same juggernaut?

In my opinion, those lights are an ongoing accident waiting to happen – and most recently did - right outside the Sol times offices in Los Carasoles.

It was a domino effect accident – the first vehicle stopped, the following lorry almost stopped, just catching the first vehicle’s bumper, but the third vehicle, a 4X4, lost its front end under the tail of the lorry.

Fortunately the sturdy construction of the 4X4 saved its driver’s life, as the fourth vehicle, again a large lorry, crunched into the back of it, lifting it bodily off the ground.

The 4X4 driver was (I understand) not injured, but had he been driving, for instance, a Smart, or other small runaround car, he would certainly have been badly injured, possibly killed.

As the Law stands, the red light demands you stop, and the police can prosecute you if you don’t.

However, there is a category known as a ‘rolling stop’, where you almost stop, diminishing you speed gradually as you approach. The measure for

the ‘rolling stop’ is that, should it be necessary, you would be able to halt your vehicle from its travelling speed at the light.

Common sense indicates that the safest way to deal with these ambiguous lights is to first check your rear view mirror, and begin to ease down your speed. If there is another vehicle following, give a short dab on the brakes, sufficient to bring on the brake lights momentarily without reducing you speed, just as a warning to the following vehicle that you are decelerating.

As you approach the lights, engage lower gear, decelerate steadily, being aware of the lights and the following traffic, until you are at a speed where you could stop if necessary. BUT KEEP WATCHING YOUR REAR VIEW MIRROR, it is better to be prosecuted than plastered all over someone’s bumper!

I wonder how many drivers have had unnecessary accidents because of these incomprehensible lights? It seems to me to be a situation where, whether you stop or not you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t!

Childhood nightmares may Tesco criticised by point to looming health issues Greenpeace over tuna brand

Regular nightmares in childhood may be an early warning sign of psychotic disorders, researchers in the UK warn.

The study, in the journal Sleep, said most children had nightmares, but persistent ones may be a sign of something more serious.

Having night terrors - screaming and thrashing limbs while asleep - also heightened the risk.

The charity YoungMinds said it was an important study which may help people detect early signs of mental illness.

Nearly 6,800 people were followed up to the age of 12.

Parents were regularly asked about any sleep problems in their children and at the end of the study the children were assessed for psychotic experiences such as hallucinations, delusions and thinking their thoughts were being controlled.

The study showed that the majority of children had nightmares at some point, but in 37% of cases, parents reported problems with nightmares for several years in succession.

One in 10 of the children had night terrors, generally between the ages of three and seven.

Warning light The team at the University of Warwick said a long-term problem with nightmares and terrors was linked to a higher risk of mental health problems later.

Around 47 in every 1,000 children has some form of psychotic experience.

However, those having nightmares aged 12 were three-and-a-half times more likely to have problems and the risk was nearly doubled by regular night

terrors.

One of the researchers, Prof Dieter Wolke, told the BBC: “Nightmares are relatively common, as are night terrors, it is quite normal, but if they persist then there may be something more serious about it.”

The relationship between sleep problems and psychosis is not clear.

One theory is that bullying or other traumatic events early in life can cause both symptoms.

Or the way some children’s brains are wired means the boundaries between what is real and unreal, or sleeping and wakefulness, are less distinct.

It means treating the sleep issues may not prevent psychotic events.

However, nightmares may act as an early warning sign of future, more serious, problems.

Prof Wolke said a regular routine and quality sleep were key to tackling nightmares: “Sleep hygiene is very important, they should have more regular sleep, avoid anxiety-promoting films before bed and not have a computer at night.”

Night terrors occur at specific points during sleep and can be managed by briefly waking the child.

Lucie Russell, the director of campaigns at YoungMinds, said: “This is a very important study because anything that we can do to promote early identification of signs of mental illness is vital to help the thousands of children that suffer.

“Early intervention is crucial to help avoid children suffering entrenched mental illness when they reach adulthood.”

Campaigners have accused Tesco of stocking a brand of tuna that is caught in a way that can harm other wildlife.

Greenpeace said the supermarket giant pledged in 2012 to ensure all its own brand tuna was sustainably caught.

But the group says Tesco has started to stock tinned tuna from low-cost brand Oriental and Pacific which it says is caught in large nets.

Tesco said Greenpeace was “simply wrong” and the manufacturer said it “totally refutes” the claims.

‘Market leader’ Greenpeace claimed the brand was “dirty” because tuna in it was caught in big nets, known as purse seines, that could kill sea creatures.

The environmental group said Tesco “must try harder” to make sure tinned tuna was sustainably caught.

Greenpeace said Sainsbury’s was at the forefront of sustainable tuna, and Waitrose, the Co-operative, Marks and Spencer, and Morrisons were also praised.

Ariana Densham, Greenpeace UK oceans campaigner, added: “Morrisons joins Sainsbury’s as a market leader on tuna sustainability. They have eliminated unsustainable tuna from their products, which is great news for sharks, turtles and rays.

“If Tesco wants to catch up with the front runners and win back consumer confidence, they must take this dirty tuna off their shelves today.”

Campaigner and celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who is featuring the issue on his Fish Fight programme on Channel 4 on Sunday,

called on Tesco to take the brand off its shelves.

‘Healthy stocks’ Tesco said it had moved much faster than many of its competitors to make sure its own-brand tuna was 100% caught using a pole and line, which avoids catching other species by accident.

It said it had also promised to use sustainable tuna in other products such as pastas, sandwiches and salads.

A spokesman said: “Many of our competitors continue to sell non-pole and line caught tuna. Customers have a great choice of sustainable tuna at Tesco.”

Tesco was singled out for criticism by Greenpeace LDH, which owns the Oriental and Pacific (O&P) tuna brand, supplies a range of products including canned tomatoes, fish, fruit and vegetables, and dried pasta.

In a statement, the company said: “At least 85% of the tuna we sell is fished using the pole and line method; our O&P brand skipjack tuna is caught using the purse seine fishing method, which accounts for 63% of all tuna caught around the globe.

“Credible scientific research by the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations shows that stocks of skipjack tuna are healthy.

“All of our tuna suppliers are members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation and support its research-led initiatives for longterm conservation of tuna stocks.”

Source: http://www.bbc.com/

10

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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

Teaching Opportunity News

Councils using controversial lie detector tests to catch benefit fraudsters

The Nicholas ross Academy is a company which provides school children an all English learning experience, using a hands on approach. We provide dynamic, lively and energetic methods of teaching, which are the best ways to capture a young learner’s attention. Some of our methodologies are strongly influenced by Cambridge classroom strategies.

The academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Who is this job for?

A person who: • Would like to establish a secure career in Spain.

• Considers themselves to be dynamic and self-motivated.

•T ake things seriously and applies commitment to their career and professional development.

• Has experience working with infants and young children.

•H as an official teaching qualification or somebody who considers themselves to have a basic understanding of classroom methodologies.

•W ould be willing to be trained to form a basic understanding of teaching a foreign language to young learners

More than 20 councils have used or plan to use controversial lie detector tests to catch fraudulent benefits claimants, despite the government dropping the technology because it was found to be not sufficiently reliable. Responding to freedom of information (FOI) requests, 24 local authorities confirmed they had employed or were considering the use of “voice risk analysis” (VRA) software, which its makers say can pick out fraudulent claimants by listening in on calls and identifying signs of stress.

Although in 2010 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced it had given up VRA software, the FOI responses show councils have been spending, in some cases, millions of pounds on the technology.

Local authorities have continued to use the system to check whether people are honestly claiming the single person council tax discount, which allows single adults to pay 75% of the amount levied on a family.

Tory-controlled Derbyshire Dales said it had taken part in a county-wide review of council tax in 2011 that had used the technology – a contract worth £280,000 to Capita. The same company was hired

by Labour-run Southwark in south London and was paid £2.5m over three years. The council says VRA technology “was used as one tool to assist in determining the customers’ eligibility for the discount”.

The council said it did not record how effective the scheme had been but did say that its real worth was in making the public aware that it would crack down on benefit cheats. A council minute last year records: “Although [VRA was] used in a minority of cases, a significant amount of publicity was received that assisted in communicating to residents the council’s intention to remove discounts if property occupancy could not be evidenced.”

VRA is supposed to detect signs of stress in a caller’s voice by analysing short snippets of speech, and is still used in the insurance industry to catch fraudsters.

Critics say the system is not powerful enough to distinguish cheats from honest callers.

A number of councils – Redcar, Middlesbrough, West Dorset and Wycombe – said they were convinced of VRA’s merits and were considering use of the system in the future.

Read more on: theguardian.com

Oscar Pistorius vomits in court as girlfriend’s injuries are described

Location: Lorca/Murcia Contract type: Temporary Employment type: Part - time Salary: A ccording to experience & qualifications, minimum 9€ per hour.

There will be opportunities to improve your teaching qualifications with short courses which will be paid for by the company.

All applicants will be considered and we strongly value people with great drive and enthusiasm.

This could be the opportunity that you have been waiting for. Don’t let it pass by.

We can assure you a friendly and welcoming environment.

How to apply?

Plese send a cover letter stating why you want to work in Spain and what qualities you can bring to the job. Also attach a recent copy of your CV to the following email address:

Email: thenicholasrossacademy@gmail.com Mobile: 640 505 037

Oscar Pistorius vomited in the dock at his murder trial on Monday as he heard graphic details of the injuries sustained by the girlfriend he fatally shot.

The testimony of the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Reeva Steenkamp’s body was not broadcast or reported live on Twitter by journalists because of its explicit content under an order from the judge, Thokozile Masipa.

However, journalists were allowed to report the testimony without directly quoting the witness.

The double-amputee runner, hunched over on a bench, reacted to the description of Steenkamp’s wounds by vomiting and retching repeatedly, prompting Masipa to briefly halt the testimony to ask the chief defence lawyer, Barry Roux, to attend to his client. The judge also asked whether Pistorius was able to understand the proceedings. Roux said Pistorius’s reaction was not going to change, and a bucket was placed at his feet.

Prof Gert Saayman, the pathologist, referred to photographs that were not shown to the gallery as he described bullet wounds on Steenkamp’s body, one to the right side of the head, one to the right arm and one to the right hip area. He also described exit wounds caused by the bullets and other abrasions and discolouration of the skin, consistent with the impact of a bullet fired through a wooden object such as a door.

There was another wound on one of Steenkamp’s hands, Saayman said.

Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder for 29-year-old Steenkamp’s

shooting on 14 February 2013. Pistorius, 27, says the killing was accidental because he thought his girlfriend was a dangerous intruder when he shot her through the door of a toilet cubicle in his home.

Before the adjournment on Monday, a security guard who said he spoke with Pistorius soon after the shooting of Steenkamp was challenged by the defence about his recollection of the sequence of events that night.

The sequence is important for the defence because, if it can prove that Pistorius called security first, it could support the contention that he was seeking help as quickly as possible.

The guard, Pieter Baba, had testified on Friday that he called Pistorius and was told “everything is fine” on the telephone. Baba said Pistorius called him back moments later but was crying and did not speak, and the second call then ended.

Baba said he was responding to neighbours’ reports of gunshots coming from Pistorius’s home after 3am on Valentine’s Day last year. He drove with a fellow guard to Pistorius’s villa and made the call from outside the house.

Baba’s statement that he called Pistorius first could back the prosecution’s case that the killing was premeditated, and that Pistorius was trying, at least initially, to conceal what he had done.

On Monday, however, Roux said call records showed Pistorius called security first, but could not speak because he was “indeed crying”.

“I’m the one who called him first,” Baba insisted

SOLTIMES march 2014

www.soltimes.com

11

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

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

Welcome GO SATELLITE! about us GO SATELLITE was set up 8 years ago by husband and wife team Ian and Deborah.

Ian has more than 20 years experience, having spent 10 years with SKY In Home Services in the UK, where he worked on the specialist heights team as well as SKY´S Prestigious VIP Team which caters for the “stars”, therefore the quality of his workmanship is extremely high!

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

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

existing satellite systems, potentially saving you from additional costs.

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

WHERE ARE WE? GO SATELLITE is based in

Ciudad Quesada and covers most of the Costa Blanca.

WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT? Ian said “Being a small company has its advantages. We offer a personal service and get to know all our customers by name. It’s important to us that people fully understand and are happy with the service we are providing. We realise that the technology involved can be confusing but we are happy to spend time with our customers to ensure that they get the best system for their needs”.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Any concerns or queries are dealt with in a clear and professional manner and clients can call Ian at any point if they have any queries.

This ensures that all of their customers have complete peace of mind throughout the lifetime of the service. Added to that is the fact that GO SATELLITE is a fully legal,

Spanish registered business that provides individual, company and community installations with a free no obligation site survey.

Go Satellite is going from strength to strength!

SATISFIED CUSTOMERS! Over the past 8 years the company has installed hundreds of satellite TV systems for individuals, companies and communities.

The Go Satellite system uses highest quality Portuguesemanufactured dishes and requires NO monthly payments. Packages are available to suit everybody´s requirements and budget.

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

OTHER SERVICES Go Satellite not only provide television but are also able to provide internet and telephone services.

Packages are available to suit all with a switch on/off service available for non residents.

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

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

Sky Packages are also available. If you do not have room or do not wish to have a dish, give us a call as we have a solution!

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

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

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12

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

SOLTIMES march 2014

t a e d r o o G G l e k e o o F L

Electronic Cigarettes Starter Packs from €20 Delivered to your door Easy to order

www.costacigs.eu Tel: 962 839 156 or 635 706 359 Use Discount Code: GIVEME20 to get 20% off your first order

Do you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis?

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar Fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis) is the name given to the inflamed condition of the thick connective tissue (a ligament) called the “plantar fascia” that supports the arch of your foot.

The Plantar Fascia attaches to the heel bone and then splits into several thinner bands, as it reaches towards the toes.

Causes of Plantar Fasciitis

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Strain and stress to this band of fibrous tissue can be caused by sudden changes in weight bearing motions during sports activities, a weak flat foot, abnormal pronated conformation, wearing shoes with little or no arch support, extended hours of standing on a hard floors and being obese.

For many people, the condition is worse in the morning, when they first get out of bed and try to stand up.

During the night your foot and ankle relax and the plantar fascia shortens a bit, so when you try to stand up and put weight on your feet...

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Do you suffer from mobility problems, breathlessness/pain or falls/stumbles?

Do you need help washing / dressing or supervision?

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

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

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Sciatica - Back Pain - Sports Injuries Digestive and Cardiovascular Disorders Headaches - Arthritis - Skin Conditions

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Debbie James has been looking into Footwear/ Orthotics for you and can help you with given exercises to promote a Neutral Gait …… if you have Pes Cavus - high instep or Pes Valgo Planus – Low Arches, help is at hand with Canonbury Medical supplies.

It is estimated that around 75% of the population suffer from “excess pronation” due to the tibial varum factor and the unnatural, hard fat surfaces we walk on daily ……. Especially in Spain!!! Hard floors in our homes in Spain are different from what we were used to in the Uk. Debbie say’s more common now people are wearing flip flops or Sandals with no supports to the Medial Arch. In the warmer weather the cheaper brands are to be avoided if you do not want to suffer from flat foot syndrome.

Sports Massage for those problem areas.

mojacar Saturdays 10 - late Booking essential

the inflamed tissues doesn’t stretch very much and you feel the pain.

Monica Algañaraz Over 40 years experience in physiotherapy and osteopathic treatment. General postural assessment and holistic health checks available English spoken PLEASE CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT MONICA ALGANARAZ: 695 355 381 Email: monica@centrophysis.net www.centrophysis.net Wednesdays: Mojacar Playa Valle del Almanzora: Olula Del Rio

“Excess pronation” often disrupts normal knee function and hop alignment and increases forces on the lower back muscles.

The biomechanical deficiencies are common in all types of patient from children to the elderly, from top athletes to people with sedentary lifestyles.

By re-aligning the lower limb to tits natural angle, Vasyli orthotics ensure correct foot function and help relieve common biomechanical complaints.

In combination with a Sports Practitioner’s advice and good footwear you can combat these complaints. Specific exercises are given dependant on your biomechanics of your foot; these can all be done in the comfort of your home, once you have had a thorough consultation. The exercises take no time at all but must be followed daily in order to either help build stronger muscles in your feet to support your arches or Stretches to help promote a healthy gait to reduce a high instep are the most beneficial treatments in conjunction with Orthotics if needed.

Surgery is seldom required if you address these complaints in the earlier stages and can even be helped in the later to alleviate Chronic pain in the feet, ankles, knees, and hips.

Please contact Debbie James 687 619 239. An appointment can be arranged and a simple foot test done in order to identify problem area’s Debbie is working with the leading company “Canonbury” of 30 years in Podiatry Health Care profession …… helping you every step of the way.

SOLTIMES march 2014

www.soltimes.com

almeria angels

Hay Fever

Hay fever is a common allergic condition that affects up to one in five people at some point in their life.

Symptoms of hay fever include: • sneezing • a runny nose • itchy eyes The symptoms of hay fever are caused when a person has an allergic reaction to pollen.

Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. Pollen contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses (small air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and forehead) to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

You can have an allergy to: • tree pollen, released during spring • grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer • weed pollen, released any time from early spring to late autumn Many people find that their symptoms improve as they get older. Around half of people report some improvement in symptoms after several years. In around 10%-20% of people symptoms go away completely.

Treatment There is currently no cure for hay fever but most people are able to relieve symptoms with treatment, at least to a certain extent.

In an ideal world, the most effective way to control hay fever would be to avoid exposure to pollen. However, it’s very difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the summer months when you want to spend more time outdoors.

Treatment options for hay fever include antihistamines, which can help prevent an allergic reaction from happening and corticosteroids (steroids), which help reduce

levels of inflammation and swelling.

Many cases of hay fever can be controlled using over-the-counter medication available from your pharmacist. But if your symptoms are more troublesome it’s worth speaking to your Doctor as you may require prescription medication.

For persistent and severe hay fever there is also a type of treatment called immunotherapy where you are exposed to small amounts of pollen over time to build up a resistance to its allergic effects. However, this can take many months or even years to be effective.

Self-help tips It is sometimes possible to prevent the symptoms of hay fever by taking some basic precautions, such as: • wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes when you are outdoors • change your clothes and take a shower after being outdoors to remove the pollen on your body • try to stay indoors when the pollen count is high (over 50). The pollen count is the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air.

Air samples are collected in traps set on buildings two or three storeys high. Taking samples from this height gives a better indication of the pollen in the air.

Complications Hay fever does not pose a serious threat to health but it can have a negative impact on your quality of life. People with very bad hay fever often find that it can disrupt their productivity at school or work.

Another common complication of hay fever is inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis). Children in particular may also develop a middle ear infection (otitis media) as a result of hay fever.

13

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14

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

SOLTIMES march 2014

braben’s blog...

“Some Things Should Still Be Personal” Or How the Major Internet Organisations have capitulated to P.R.I.S.M. What an opening statement!

Blasphemous, libellous and downright suable. Only if it is untrue! What on earth could have provoked such an outburst!

Have you seen the advert on T.V. That states Microsoft is only interested in your privacy and states that “some things should still be personal”.

Let’s start with a recap of some of the subjects that have been discussed within the leaves of your favourite free newspaper.

We have talked about personal security within your own systems, we have discussed how data is stored, deleted, recovered and completely wiped! What if this isn’t enough?

For generations we have accepted that there are agencies that monitor (for our safety????) all our telephone conversation, emails, and just about every conceivable form of electronic information transfer. But where do we, the private citizen, draw the line and shout “Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law!”. Would it surprise you that there is an agreement that goes back to 2007 being run by the NSA (National Security Agency) in America, whereby any agency can get information about anyone, on any subject.

This is what is going on behind the innocent acronym PRISM. PRISM is a “Special Source Operation” in the tradition of NSA’s intelligence alliances with as many as 100 trusted U.S. companies since the 1970s. Some of these names will be familiar: FaceBook; Microsoft(Hotmail, etc); Google (well known for collecting infor mation!);

YouTube and Skype (also Microsoft).

Under US law there can be “specifically authorizes intelligence agencies to monitor the phone, email, and other communications of U.S. citizens for up to a week without obtaining a warrant” when one of the parties is outside the U.S. As most of the information flows through servers (Bloody Big Computers) and these are all based in the US, where are we when it come to personal freedom?

Now that you know that the NSA has access to all the major players in the america it will be dawning on you that every photo pasted onto Facebook can be accessed by these ‘Agencies’, every comment in every email, every single word spoken to a loved one, half way around the world could be monitored and used against you. So the question that must be asked is “Do we actually what someone watching over our every move?” or are we “Grown-up enough to be able to make our own decisions as to what is right and what is wrong.”.

I was wrong! Like everyone, I do make mistakes, and try to learn from them! I believed that whatever I said to my friends in England, Australia and the rest of Europe was covered by the privacy that 2 friends hold. I believed that pictures put on the internet to let friends know that I was well and enjoying life, were safe. I believed that anything placed on “YouTube” had been monitored which allowed me to watch only what I wanted to.

I have absolutely no desire to cause anyone any concern. It is my earnest hope that we will be more careful about what we put in these ‘Very Public Forums’ in the light of this new knowledge. Remember, with knowledge you have choices! Stay smart and choose carefully.

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

Franco an early history Spain was ruled by a dictator until November 1975; styling himself Caudillo de España, por la gracia de Dios, Leader of Spain by the grace of God, we remember him as Francisco Franco. Franco was born in 1892 in Galicia at the El Ferrol naval base into a naval family.

He first aspired to be a naval officer but the Americans obliterated the Spanish navy in 1898 in Cuba. Instead he joined the infantry academy aged 15 in Toledo. He married a devout catholic in 1923 called Carmen Polo.

Franco volunteered for service in the Rif War in Morocco rising rapidly through the ranks.

In turn he became the youngest ever captain, major then colonel. Aged just 33 he became the youngest general in Europe since Napoleon Bonaparte. He commanded the Spanish Legion in 1926 winning 13 medals along the way. During his tenure in clear defiance of the Geneva Convention signed in 1924, the Spanish used mustard gas, phosphene and other chemicals against the Berber tribesmen as revenge for losing 13,000 soldiers at the Battle of Annual. The poison gas was supplied illegally by the German Government.

In 1934 there was a general strike in the mining region of the Asturias. The Spanish government suspected the regular army would refuse to attack their own countrymen so instead sent Franco’s Foreign Legion in to quell the revolt. Murdering, torturing and

Packing them in!

According to history, it was the Egyptians who first came up with the idea of using paper to package the vegetables and spices they sold. Amazingly this was 1035-no not twenty five to eleven, but the year 1035! The reason I dug up this pretty useless bit of information was just to point out that, sometimes, things don’t get better as society advances.

Some of you may remember that when you bought a new shirt, it was held in place in the packaging by dozens of pins. Almost without fail, you would put it on and there was one you’d missed, leaving you with a scar similar to a Premier League footballer’s tattoo, but for a fraction of the cost! Well, at least that’s improved and the pins have been replaced by plastic clips.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case for all purchases. There are occasions when we buy something that, once home, we can spend hours trying to get at. It often reminds me of the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where they blow the train to smithereens just to get into the safe. The number of times I’ve wanted a stick of dynamite to get at the new batteries!

One of the worst, and those of you with daughters will be familiar with this, must be Barbie dolls. You will know, if your child has ever had a Barbie, just how difficult it is to get the thing out of the package. I sometimes think it would be easier to break someone out of a high security prison. The seal is so airtight that you run the risk of losing a digit or two when you take a knife, scissors or meat cleaver-depending on your level of frustration-to the thing.

But you see my point is, why do companies spend so much time and, not to put too fine a point on it, so much of our money, making their products so inaccessible? Well, of course, those companies claim that the Graham is married answer is, theft. I’ve got a better idea. to Helen and has a We can get rid of this expensive, daughter, Alice. He environmentally unfriendly plastic lives part of the year immediately.

All goods should have a near Albox, but works microchip which is programmed to play in Qatar, teaching. If “Agadoo” by Black Lace if anyone tries you wish to contact to steal it. That should be enough for the Graham regarding this article email: thief to drop the item and run for the hills helenandg@yahoo. screaming-with everyone else in the shop co.uk close behind them!

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

raping as they went, the Moroccan mercenaries even castrated the dead. Over 2000 Spaniards were killed and thousands more injured.

The 1936 general election saw the republican Popular Front take power; becoming the last elected government in Spain for the next 40 years. General Franco offered military support to the outgoing Prime minister if he decided to annul the result but he declined.

New Prime Minister Azańa cleverly moved all the generals with suspect loyalties away from Spain and General Franco found himself in the Canaries. Other military generals planned a coup yet Franco refused to lend his support and gained the dubious title of Miss Canary Islands for his delay. Franco rightly believed the coup would fail and wrote to the Prime Minister warning of potential catastrophe in but the Prime minister chose not to reply.

Only then did Franco side with the plotters.

The coup started in July ’36; garrisons across Spain rose up and martial law was declared.

Although large areas of western Spain were taken by the rebels, most of Spain supported the republicans including the main cities of Madrid and Barcelona.

Importantly for the republicans the industrial north also remained in their hands aiding their struggle. The civil war started as neither side

had a clear advantage; half the armed forces including the air force remained loyal to the government.

Right-wing sympathisers in Britain chartered a plane from Croydon airport adding an MI6 officer as navigator. Two blondes were also on board to make it look like a pleasure flight.

Landing in the Canaries the plane didn’t arouse any suspicions and General Franco was flown to Morocco to re-join his legionnaires. His 30,000 Legionnaires were stranded as the loyal Spanish air force wouldn’t move them to Spain. Hitler sent Junkers 52 transport planes and two battleships to transport the soldiers to Algeciras where they quickly took over much of SW Spain.

On their way to Madrid Franco’s’ forces defeated the republicans in Badajoz. The soldiers murdered many people including 2000 herded together then shot in the town bull ring. The revolt in Toledo had failed and 2000 rebels were under siege. Franco rushed his army to rescue them taking bloody retribution on the republicans. Atrocities were done by both sides during the civil war however Franco had a habit of never forgiving or forgetting hence high numbers of casualties both during and after the Civil War.

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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We at Harleys Custom Garage have what we feel is a great location right on the playa in Magical Mojacar the biking mecca of the past few years - overlooked and unknown by many!! Superb for rides and tours all year round it has some of the best roads in the world, and a testing ground for manufactures new motor bikes. we have people coming from all over Europe.

We at Harleys Custom garage have had a few months to prepare ourselves for the season for all your biking needs from builds to services - valeting - parts -renting - Bike sales We have more than 30 years

experience with Haley Davidson and old british bikes such as Norton, BSA and Triumph, not saying that we can’t help the rest of the biking fraternity,.

Our motto is “WE LOVE YOUR BIKE AS MUCH AS YOU DO” Here at Harleys Custom Garage everybody is welcome to come to the shop just for a browse a drink and chat and enjoy the view of the Superb Motorbikes and of course Mediterranean sea.

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Harleys Custom Garage, Mojacar have many years experience working on Harley Davidson, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki motorcycles.

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SOLTIMES march 2014

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

DOES A NON-RESIDENT HEIR PAY INHERITANCE TAX IN SPAIN ON FUNDS LEFT TO HIM IN JERSEY? Question: My deceased father (a resident in Mojacar) made a will leaving his worldwide assets to me (I am resident in London). The estate consists of a house in Mojacar and a bank account in Jersey worth 210000 pounds sterling.

My Spanish solicitor is saying that I have to pay inheritance taxes on the account in Jersey because it was declared on my father´s 720 form (declaration of foreign assets) last year. I have read a book on the subject and my interpretation is that I should not pay inheritance tax in Spain on the funds in Jersey.

What paperwork needs to be presented to the bank in Jersey for them to release the funds to me?

The difference in inheritance tax between presenting the self-assessment forms in Spain including the funds in Jersey or not is over 59000 euro.

AnSWER: I can confirm that because you are nonresident you do not have to pay inheritance tax in Spain in relation to the funds in Jersey. It does not need to be included on the self-assessment forms in Spain. You would have to pay if you where resident in Spain. Non-Resident heirs only pay inheritance tax in Spain on assets situated in Spain and on life insurance payments made by foreign insurance companies that operate in Spain. (This will become clear

to your solicitor on reading article 7 of the Law 29/1987 of 18th of December in relation to Inheritance and Donation tax) .The declaration of the asset on the 720 declaration makes no difference to this.

B. Winding up the estate in Jersey is simple and straightforward. Your solicitor in Spain will need to gather some Spanish documents and choose a barrister to obtain probate at the “Jersey Royal Court”.

This sounds complicated, but it is not. The procedure is not very expensive and takes two to three weeks if the solicitor in Spain presents the correct paperwork. In Jersey all you will need to pay is a small stamp duty to the “Jersey Royal Court “ (0.5% for the first 100000 pounds sterling and 75 pounds for every additional 10000 pounds sterling) and a Jersey barrister’s fee, which varies from my experience between 1000 and 5000 pounds depending on how much work he needs to do.

Michael Davies.

Abogado.

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

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

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

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SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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17

Spain begins privatisation of bailed-out lender Bankia

Bankia’s 19.2bn euro loss in 2012 was the worst in Spanish corporate history

FOR BUSINESS

Spain’s government has started selling some of its stake in nationalised lender Bankia.

It issued an initial offer of shares on Thursday worth 7.5% of the bank.

The Spanish government owns 68% of the lender, having injected it with 18bn euros (£14.8bn) of EU-funded aid when a property crash brought the country to the brink of financial collapse.

Since then, Spain’s biggest bailed-out bank has returned to profit, with shares up 29% so far this year.

It made 512m euros in 2013, compared with a loss of 19.2bn euros the previous year - the biggest loss in Spanish corporate history.

The government plans to sell off further small stakes this year, but no more than 18% in total, because it wants to maintain control for now.

Turnaround “This is truly a sign of the shift in perception and of the reality of our financial system,” said Spain’s Economy Minister Luis de Guindos.

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Bankia shares closed on Thursday at 1.58 euros each, implying a valuation of 1.36bn euros for the stake.

Its bailout in 2012 was part of a 41bn-euro aid package from the European Union, designed to rescue Spain’s financial system.

The country was on the verge of defaulting on its debts, following the collapse of a long building and housing boom in 2008.

Spain’s surviving banks have been forced to take steep losses and move toxic assets into a so-called “bad bank” set up by the government.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/

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Legal Matters

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DESCRIBING THE PROPERTY ON THE DEEDS AS IT IS IN REALITY.

If you have built an extension to your property or bought a property which description is incorrect on the deeds or at the Cadastre, pay attention to the following information:

CHECK THE DESCRIPTION ON THE PROPERTY DEEDS.

The deeds must include a correct description of all the constructions on the property.

It is quite common that properties that have been owned by different owners for many years have been modified (a new room, a roof covering the terrace, etc.), or extended (a garage, a pool, a guest house).

If the real size and constructions do not coincide with the description in the deeds, do not worry, there are ways to sort it out.

For example: You have a 120 m² house with a 50 m² pool and a garage converted into a guest house. On the deeds, the house measures 120 m²,

YOUR DUTIES AS A PROPERTY OWNER IN SPAIN but the pool is not reflected, and the garage appears as a garage and not a guest house. The deeds must be updated.

WHAT ABOUT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY AT THE CATASTRO (“SUMA” in Alicante)?

In the same way than on the deeds, the property must be registered at the “Catastro” as it is in reality. The yearly Council Tax bill (IBI) shows the actual size of the property. You must check if the Catastro records show the actual size of the property, including whatever modifications or extensions that have been done.

Remember that the Catastro office calculates the IBI according to the size of the property, taking into account all of the constructions (house, pool, garage, etc). If you have made extensions on the property, the Catastro office must be informed.

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SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

19

Sterling fell slightly against the euro Sterling fell slightly against the euro on Friday, as investors maintained confidence in the single currency following the European Central Bank (ECB) press conference a day earlier. Performance against the US dollar was more turbulent, with sterling struggling on the back of positive nonfarm payrolls data, which indicated increased employment in the US in the non-farm sectors.

The most important day for sterling this week looks to be Tuesday, which sees testimony from the Governor of the Bank of England (BoE), Mark Carney. This will be closely monitored for any indication of the central bank’s stance on inflation, as well as for any other factors that could influence economic outlook for the UK – and thus influence currency movements. Tuesday also sees the release of monthly manufacturing production figures, a sector which makes up 80% of the country’s total industrial production. These figures could cause significant market movement.

Euro strikes highest level since 2011 against US dollar

The euro struck its highest level since 2011 against the US dollar on Friday. This was down to a mixture of an increase in US non-farm job creation, as well as the European Central Bank’s (ECB’s) decision not to cut interest rates last Thursday.

The latter was somewhat of a surprise as many investors expected a possible cut from the already record-low interest rate of 0.25%, and could give the single currency momentum going into this week, as the ECB obviously believe that economic situations are not as bad as some fear.

Today is thin on economic data releases from the Eurozone, but the market will await news from the Eurogroup meeting, where the main focus will be on the crisis in Ukraine.

US dollar has a positive day

The US dollar had a positive day yesterday, thanks largely to better than expected labour data from the country. Although early euro strength had seen the dollar reach its lowest point since late 2011 against the multi-nation currency, it made good gains later on following the release of non-farm payrolls data, despite the fact that the overall unemployment rate rose to 6.7% from 6.6% the month before.

With the payroll figure surpassing expectations, this added weight to the likely continued increase in the tapering of the quantitative easing program which is viewed a USD positive. These gains involved hitting a six-week high against the Japanese yen.

This week is quiet on the data front for the first few days, with only the budget balance and words from members of the Federal Open Market Committee as factors that could cause the dollar to strengthen or weaken. We see more influential figures on Thursday, when both retail data and unemployment claims are due. Friday also promises some relatively important data, with the Producers’ Price Index and the preliminary Consumer Sentiment figures released by the University of Michigan.

With Janet Yellen installed as the new Chair of the US Federal Reserve, positive data would add to optimism over continued tapering.

Employment figures weaken the Canadian dollar

The Canadian dollar weakened on Friday, following worse-than-forecast employment figures released in the afternoon. The currency suffered

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its biggest drop in over two weeks in response to the data, which revived speculation that the central bank may be forced to cut interest rates in order to stimulate growth and prop up the jobs market. Last Wednesday’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged pushed up the currency’s value, but Friday’s figures saw much of these gains eradicated.

The Japanese yen lost further ground on Friday.

In response to the geopolitical situation in the Ukraine, the yen had a very strong start to last week as traders looked to buy into Japanese safehaven assets. These gains were pegged back as the week went on, and optimistic employment figures out of the US on Friday injected more confidence into the market. As a result, we saw the demand for risk increase and the yen lose value.

Looking forward to this week, we have Australian business confidence data and employment figures.

In New Zealand we have an interest rate decision and central bank press conference, and in Japan we have a monetary policy statement and central bank conference. We also have industrial production figures out of China.

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20

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...spotlight

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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Fyffes to merge with Chiquita and create world’s biggest banana company

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Proposed new business ChiquitaFyffes will generate £2.75bn revenues from sale of 160m boxes of bananas a year.

The tropical fruit supplier Fyffes is to merge with its US-based rival Chiquita in a deal creating the world’s largest banana company.

The proposed new business will be called ChiquitaFyffes and generate revenues of $4.6bn (£2.75bn) from the sale of more than 160m banana boxes a year, as well as melons and pineapples.

Dublin-based Fyffes, which also sells products under the Sol brand, employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. Chiquita is the larger of the two firms with annual revenues of $3bn and 20,000 staff.Shareholders in the North-Carolina-based company will own 50.7% of the combined business following the merger, which values Fyffes at $526m.The existing brands will be retained but customers will have access to a more diverse product mix and choice, the two companies said.

The Fyffes executive chairman, David McCann, who will become chief executive of the merged business, said: “Our outstanding employees will benefit from working for a larger, more diverse business which offers opportunities for growth.

“We believe we will be able to use our joint expertise, complementary assets and geographic coverage GB to develop a business that can run smoothly and efficiently to better partner with our customers and suppliers.”

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21

Dogs’ brain scans reveal vocal responses Devoted dog owners often claim that their pets understand them. A new study suggests they could be right.

By placing dogs in an MRI scanner, researchers from Hungary found that the canine brain reacts to voices in the same way that the human brain does.

Emotionally charged sounds, such as crying or laughter, also prompted similar responses, perhaps explaining why dogs are attuned to human emotions.

The work is published in the journal Current Biology. Lead author Attila Andics, from the Comparative Ethology Research Group at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, said: “We think dogs and humans have a very similar mechanism to process emotional information.”

Eleven pet dogs took part in the study; training them took some time.

“We used positive reinforcement strategies - lots of praise,” said Dr Andics.

“There were 12 sessions of preparatory training, then seven sessions in the scanner room, then these dogs were able to lie motionless for as long as eight minutes. Once they were trained, they were so happy, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it.”

The canine brain reacted to voices in the same way that the human brain does For comparison, the team looked at the brains of 22 human volunteers in the same MRI scanners. The scientists played the people and pooches 200 different sounds, ranging from environmental noises, such as car sounds and whistles, to human sounds (but not words) and dog vocalisations.

The researchers found that a similar region - the temporal pole, which is the most anterior part of the temporal lobe - was activated when both the animals

and people heard human voices.

“We do know there are voice areas in humans, areas that respond more strongly to human sounds that any other types of sounds,” Dr Andics explained.

“The location (of the activity) in the dog brain is very similar to where we found it in the human brain. The fact that we found these areas exist at all in the dog brain at all is a surprise - it is the first time we have seen this in a non-primate.”

The team used a variety of techniques to train the dogs Emotional sounds, such as crying and laughter also had a similar pattern of activity, with an area near the primary auditory cortex lighting up in dogs and humans.

Likewise, emotionally charged dog vocalisations - such as whimpering or angry barking - also caused a similar reaction in all volunteers, Dr Andics said: “We know very well that dogs are very good at tuning into the feelings of their owners, and we know a good dog owner can detect emotional changes in his dog - but we now begin to understand why this can be.”

However, while the dogs responded to the human voice, their reactions were far stronger when it came to canine sounds.

They also seemed less able to distinguish between environmental sounds and vocal noises compared with humans.

About half of the whole auditory cortex lit up in dogs when listening to these noises, compared with 3% of the same area in humans.

Commenting on the research, Prof Sophie Scott, from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, said: “Finding something like this in a primate brain isn’t

News

African migrants storm into Spanish enclave of Melilla

More than 200 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have broken into Spain’s North African enclave of Melilla by scaling the border fence.

It is one of the biggest migrant surges into Melilla in recent years.

Many of the migrants suffered cuts scaling the fence.

During the incident, migrants threw stones, sticks and bottles at police, officials say.

This month there have been similar mass break-ins in Melilla and Ceuta - another Spanish city in North Africa.

The break-in happened at about 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT) at Ben-Enzar, a crossing point on the Spain-Morocco border.

The migrants, many of whom said they were from Cameroon and Guinea, sang triumphantly as they made their way to the Melilla migrant reception centre, Spain’s El Pais daily reported.

They are likely to be expelled from Melilla. The reception centre is already overcrowded - built for 480, it now houses

too surprising - but it is quite something to demonstrate it in dogs. “Dogs are a very interesting animal to look at - we have selected for a lot of traits in dogs that have made them very amenable to humans. Some studies have show they understand a lot of words and they understand intentionality - pointing.”

But she added: “It would be interesting to see the animal’s response to words

1,300 people, its manager Carlos Montero said.

On 6 February at least 14 migrants drowned when hundreds tried to swim into Ceuta. The two Spanish territories have become a magnet for migrants seeking work or asylum in Europe

China urges Malaysia to intensify search for flight MH370

China has urged Malaysia to “step up its efforts” in the search for the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane that disappeared on Saturday.

A massive search and rescue operation involving nine countries has found no trace of the plane or the 239 people on board - most of whom were Chinese.

The authorities are further expanding the search areas in the Malacca Strait and the South China Sea. Flight MH370 vanished from radar en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

Relatives of the missing passengers have been told to prepare for the worst.

rather than just sounds. When we cry and laugh, they are much more like animal calls and this might be causing this response. “A step further would be if they had gone in and shown sensitivity to words in the language their owners speech.” Dr Andics said this would be the focus of his next set of experiments.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang had earlier urged the Malaysian authorities to sharpen its search efforts.

“We have a responsibility to demand and urge the Malaysian side to step up search efforts, start an investigation as soon as possible and provide relevant information to China correctly and in a timely manner,” he said.

Patience appears to be wearing thin in the search for the missing aeroplane, says the BBC’s Celia Hatton in Beijing.

The Malaysian authorities are attempting to address Chinese concerns - they have reissued a pledge to fly worried family members to Kuala Lumpur so they can be closer to the search efforts, our correspondent adds.

But one victim’s relative - Guo Qishun, whose son-in-law was on the plane - said he did not see the point of flying to Malaysia. “If we go to Malaysia, we can do nothing but wait, just like we are doing in Beijing now. If we go to Malaysia, who can we rely on? Most of us don’t speak English,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

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How to make your bathroom or ensuite feel warm!

Firstly, look at including some wooden items, from a duckboard to a towel ring to a loo seat – perhaps combining oak with metal details as in one of my collections.

Secondly, look at the textiles – from towels and shower curtains to the blind and the bath mat – all comparatively large canvasses for you to work in some magical colour and a bit of non-linear shape.

Thirdly, how about a few colourful accessories, such as a loo brush or soap dish, to lift a space for not too much money?

Try a bit of stripe or a few items in coloured resin.

Then, finally, if you’re prepared to spend a bit more, you could invest in some new wood-andmirror wall cabinets to provide a mixture of warmth, glamour and, of course, some extra space.

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Overseas Property Buyers Should Plan Spring Viewing Trips Now

British people hunting for an overseas property are being advised to plan their spring viewing trip now, in order to secure decent time with their preferred agents in a season gearing up to be a busy one.

“Feedback from overseas estate agencies already indicates a surge in interest in British buyers in 2014 compared to last year, which means a hike in the number of people doing viewing trips”, said Richard

Way, Editor at The Overseas Guides Company.

“Springtime, in particular around Easter, is a popular period to hunt for property on the Continent – it’s warming up but not unbearably hot, resorts are coming to life but not crowded like in peak season.

Flights and accommodation tend to be cheaper than the summer season too. And if a buyer needs to return to continue their search, perhaps more than

once, or to complete a sale, they have plenty of time to do so before the end of the year.

“Buyers with flexibility should avoid school holiday times altogether - and if possible, it is advisable to visit a property in and out of season, to get a yearround feel for the place”, concluded Mr Way. Source: smartcurrencyexchange.com

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SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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How Can I Get My Dogs to Stop Digging?

We know that digging can be harmful to people’s environments, but, at the same time, digging for some dogs is an activity that keeps them balanced. Digging is a form of exercise and distraction, and, for a dog, it can be simply a matter of being bored and having nothing else to do. It’s especially common if it’s in their breed to be diggers; when it’s part of their nature, they’ll often drain some of that extra energy by doing something that they are instinctually familiar with.

Human parents will bring their child to the playground and let them play in the sandbox, because digging is part of our nature as well. Today, we don’t use that ability often, but deep in our genes, we still crave it. So we have a specific place we allow kids to dig. That can be one option for you – to make a specific place in your yard where your dogs are allowed to do their digging. If that is still not acceptable to you, you need to find a way to drain the energy they release by digging. Exercise is always the best way to drain any dog’s pent-up energy.

Running with your dog, swimming with your dog, hiking with

your dog – there are so many options.

So my question to you would be: do you know the energy levels of your dogs and are you challenging them enough physically so that they don’t feel the need to dig, bark, jump, or chew? Are they exercising, and for how long? If it isn’t long enough, then I would recommend intensifying that exercise. If you don’t have enough time, that’s when I would recommend putting backpacks on them, which can help by turning 30 minutes of actual exercise into an hour.

Stay calm and assertive.

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EHCRC La Zenia Charity Shop Re Launch The place to be this Friday morning 14th March is the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre’s charity shop in Calle Maestro Torralba, La Zenia.

The largest of the charity’s five shops has recently undergone a major refurbishment to a high standard with more floor space, more stock and a changing room to try on those bargain clothes in privacy.

The experienced and knowledgeable volunteer staff are offering superb value for money donated furniture which can include when available, sofa’s, chairs, settees, sideboards, beds, tables as well as the usual selection of electrical goods. A vast selection of used women’s and men’s clothes and footwear is on show and available at low, low prices.

Stock changes daily so come on down and see for yourself.

The fun starts at 11.00 am when Taffeta, one of the rescue centre’s miniature ponies will make a guest appearance. Taffeta was rescued from certain death and in an extremely bad condition in 2008. She has since become a huge celebrity with a full diary due to her many guest appearances at fund raising events and parades.

Come and join in the raffle, enjoy the drinks and nibbles, meet the staff and browse amongst the bargains on offer.

The EHCRC is a registered Spanish charity and every cent spent in any of their five charity shops goes towards the upkeep and care of the 63 equines at their

Rojales sanctuary.

If you have any quality saleable used or new furniture or any other items that you wish to donate to this or any other of their charity shops located in Guardamar, Ciudad Quesada, La Siesta or Los Montesinos please call the donation hotline on 636 062 000.

To see where your money is spent why not visit the centre at one of their popular Sunday afternoon open days. Gates open at 1 pm, admission is free and the first horse tour starts at 2 pm. Refreshments, hot and cold food and a great atmosphere can be enjoyed in the garden café.

For directions and to learn more about this fantastic charity or to make a donation or sponsor a horse visit their website www.easyhorsecare.net

SOLTIMES march 2014

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book review

“Houses, husbands, and midnight gin parties. Nothing’s going to change. Not in any way that really matters. It will be like always.”

This is post-war America, full of expectation and excitement for the likes of cousin Nick and Helena seeking The Great Gatsby life of endless parties and self-indulgence galore. Both women were married: Helena had sadly lost Fen after 2 months of marriage but remarried in haste and moved to Hollywood with its glitz and glamour whilst Nick married Hughes out of love and desire hoping to lead an exciting life. Yes, hoping!

The story interestingly, darts back and forth over two decades so you need to be on your toes and there are multiple narrators-in total five: Nick, her daughter Daisy, Helena, Hughes and Ed, Helena’s son. There are overlaps which serve as reminders to the readers of the events taking place as well as indicating the innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. The characters are presented very much as a dysfunctional family, sad, lonely and unhappy. Too many lies, too many secrets.

Tiger House is central to the plot because this is where the main characters unite to spend their long hot summers entertaining, dancing to the blues, indulging in excessive drinking and flirtatious behaviour and endless rounds of gossip. With all this apparent excitement and the passion of the heat and moment, boredom and disillusionment destroy the fervour. And, of course a brutal murder. Klaussmann has cleverly used Wallace Stevens’ poem Disillusionment At Ten O’ Clock, a lament, to illustrate the monotony of life starved of imagination in the title and at the end of the novel. We see this disillusionment particularly in Nick who hides her feelings and is grossly unhappy at discovering her husband’s betrayal.

He was supposed to love her. Instead he made everything blank and turned her

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann

life gray. Excessive drink and one-night stands are the consequences. But does this fulfil her needs? Of course not. She hides her loneliness and unhappiness, admitting to making a mess of things.

Badly damaged.

Ed is the creative one but as a paradox one can perhaps say that creativity could also lead to destruction. There’s a fine dividing line between the two.

He is different and has a distorted and unhealthy view of life and love. He believes that love is brutal and sudden causing permanent damage. He is creepy, following people, listening into private conversations to educate himself about people and what’s inside them. Hughes worries that there’s something seriously wrong with the kid. His behaviour is psychotic and he is dangerous.

We are presented with a gruesome image of a mouse that he has trapped in the basement. He has crudely sliced it open and inserted a small toothpick which was sticking out of one of its eyes.

If he does this to animals could he do this to human beings? That’s the worrying factor.

1959 is a significant time because a violent murder is committed and witnessed by Ed. He then admits to having had some kind of inkling of the work he wanted to do in the future which sounds ominous doesn’t it? He describes this murder as some “kind of joy released, the closest thing to love.”

Helena believes she is an innocent, easy prey because of her vulnerability mistaken for her gullibility. She believed that the world was cruel to innocents like herself. She grows to hate cousin Nick, alias the Bitch and deludes herself into thinking that Nick has prevented husband Avery from having contact with her. Avery supplies his wife with an abusive level of drugs to subdue her so that he can take advantage of her before abandoning her. Once weaned

off the drugs she envelops herself into a boozy cocoon which basically has the same effect as losing touch with reality.

She sees herself as a prisoner and she is trapped unable to escape.

I have the most sympathy for Hughes.

His betrayal happens on the spur of the moment during the war. Three precious liberty days spent in London and a chance encounter with a lonely WREN called Eva destroyed his peace of mind and he was saddled with guilt at betraying his young wife. “ He had promised to love and protect Nick and instead he had betrayed her. He was disgusted.” He blamed the war for turning everything upside down.

He admits to having done things he isn’t proud of but he does love Nick and asks for forgiveness. He is a strong presence in the novel and protective of his wife and daughter.

Nick also felt trapped. Hughes wanted life to be good and safe. She disliked the stuffiness and respectability. “Sometimes I want to rip my clothes off and go running down the street stark naked and screaming my head off.” She wanted them to be different and saw marriage like jumping off a cliff. “They were not supposed to be careful people.”

Another reminder of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

There’s an interesting discussion about monotony, that life isn’t always going to be full of adventure or excitement. All the little things one has to do every day can make life tedious. And I suppose we are talking about getting the right balance here aren’t we? They got it wrong and lived to regret it. Makes for powerful reading though…Don’t you agree???

Publisher:Picador.

ISBN: 978-1-4472-1207-2

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

25

pause for thought As many will, I’m sure be aware, we’re now in the season of Lent, when Christians traditionally review their lives and priorities as we remember the 40-day period Jesus spent alone preparing for his ministry, when, we’re told, he was tempted by the Devil.

I always find it particularly fascinating that each temptation was prefaced with the word ‘IF’. Such a dangerous word when used cleverly, sowing seeds of doubt; it’s one of the most common strategies of Satan in undermining faith.

Time and again, in that story, Satan questioned the person of Jesus – was he really divine? Did he really know what he was doing? And why not take the easy option? And how often in our lives does Satan similarly try to question our faith? And more often than not, it’s in a spirit of contempt, making it all the harder to resist. And so we’re asked questions like “You don’t believe all that religious nonsense do you?” or “What possible benefit can you derive from going to Church?”

So I suggest that during this Lent, we take encouragement from the story of Jesus being tempted, and like him, confront such temptations as we may face, refusing to be cowed into doubting the intelligence of our faith. But just as Jesus rebutted Satan by quoting scripture, so can we gain similar strength from recalling the words St Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth – a place where they thought themselves supremely clever “God has made the wisdom of this world to look foolish. For you can’t discover God by clever reasoning, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

What an important concept that is. If the human mind could comprehend God, then He’d merely be superhuman, not Divine. We couldn’t fully understand God’s logic, so only the foolish would try. The fact that our faith defies human logic is itself evidence for the validity of that faith, so take courage and be proud of this divinely logical faith!

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

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

STANDARD CROSSWORD

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

26

ACROSS

ACROSS 1 Direction (5) 4 Equilibrium (7) 8 Brass instrument (7) 9 Fruit (5) 10 Beamed (8) 11 Singing couple (4) 13 Kind of lake (6) 15 Movie house (6) 18 Large and scholarly book (4) 19 Precise (8) 22 Tooth (5) 23 Inactivity (7) 24 Family name (7) 25 Laconic (5)

1 Religious assembly fitting in star (7) 5 Wine from Greece brought back in canisters (7) 9 Excessive praise for bad spelling ain’t aloud (9) 10 Scheme conclusion for jet set (5) 11 Belgian port getting rid of an idiot (5) 12 German award making press cranky (4,5) 13 Feet of people who get talked about (7) 15 Hazel’s protector, say, makes one mad (7) 17 French song composed by German boy in study (7) 19 Ruler’s wife appearing last month in Yemen’s capital (7) 21 Long Rhine sequence in Wagner’s work (9) 23 Bloomer made by member of string quartet (5) 25 Peeled, making Pop embarrassed? (5) 26 I need half a month before becoming a saint (9) 27 Watch Obadiah attend to customers (7) 28 Opponent of new technology did play instrument outside (7)

Down 1 Notation cancelling a previous flat or sharp (7) 2 A regular route (5) 3 Seven-sided polygon (8) 4 Dairy product (6) 5 Jump (4) 6 Planet (7) 7 Choose by vote (5) 12 Venomous (8) 14 Risk taker (7) 16 Norm (7) 17 In operation (6) 18 Domesticates (5) 20 Theatrical performer (5) 21 Song for solo voice (4)

Down 1 Talk about rent for a piece of property (7) 2 Excite mirth in a daughter of Mnemosyne (5) 3 Times leader knocks adornments (9) 4 Fruit is found in waterfalls (7) 5 Asian capital managed by board (7) 6 Subject to constant cold (5) 7 A woman loved what a Roman is content about (9) 8 Skill is extremely tangible for a performer (7) 14 Grown-up kids’ tender hearts god broke? (9) 16 If forced, see idle TV broadcast (9) 17 The song of Homer’s charmer (7) 18 Tell about French and Scottish island (7) 19 The French inheritance given up by a former French colony (7) 20 Expert made to order in the world of scholarship (7) 22 The lowest point in a dire section (5) 24 Pygmy antelope or Nile wader without a tail (5)

SUDOKU PUZZLE s

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

squiggle SUDOKU

standard SUDOKU

easy SUDOKU

CRYPTIC crossword

CROSSWORD

squiggle

standard

SOLUTIONS

easy

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

Logic Puzzle SOLUTIon

18. How many centimetres make up a hand, the measurement used on horses? ...........................................................................

19. What are the six murder weapons used in a game of “Cluedo”? ...........................................................................

20. In what year did the weather forecast appear in The Times newspaper for the first time? ...........................................................................

# name wore colour 1 Jane 4 red 2 Jackie 2 green 3 Julie 1 blue 4 Josie 3 yellow

1. Alfred Nobel, the man after whom the Nobel Prizes are named, was originally well known for inventing what? ..........................................................................

2. On a standard dart board, what is the lowest number that cannot be scored with a single dart? ...........................................................................

3. Which politician was once replaced by a tub of lard on the TV show Have I Got News For You? ...........................................................................

4. What is the most common colour that appears in the flags of the world? ...........................................................................

5. In movies, who directed the Godfather trilogy? ...........................................................................

6. What is the name of the parliament of the Isle of Man? ...........................................................................

7. Which American state is known as the Sunshine State? ...........................................................................

8. By which nickname was Edward Teach better known? ...........................................................................

9. Who wrote The Canterbury Tales? ...........................................................................

10. In what year was the Bank of England founded? ...........................................................................

11. Which country has the airline KLM? ...........................................................................

12. What two letters are worth the most in a game of Scrabble? ...........................................................................

13. What are the three primary colours of light? ...........................................................................

14. After how many years of marriage would you celebrate your ruby anniversary? ...........................................................................

15. Where would a “troglodyte” live? In a cave, up a tree or underwater? ...........................................................................

16. How many counters does each player have at the start of a game of backgammon? ...........................................................................

17. What is the only sign of the zodiac not named after a living creature, and what is it named after?

SolPUZZLES

During the recent Sol Times Sports Day, four girls were competing in the 400 metres hurdles. Official figures mysteriously went missing just after the event, however, various spectators could remember the following information. Josie was never suspected though!

1. Jane won and wore red.

2. The girl wearing number 1 came third.

3. Julie beat the girl in yellow, but wasn’t wearing number 2.

4. Only one girl finished in the same position as the number she wore, but she didn’t wear red.

5. Jackie beat the girl wearing number 3 and Josie wore yellow.

6. The girl in green wore number 2.

7. A spectator remembered one girl wore blue, but couldn’t remember anything else about her.

Can you determine the positions the girls finished in, along with the numbers and colours they wore?

Julie wasn’t wearing 2 (clue 3) so wasn’t wearing green (clue 6), Jane was wearing red (clue 1) and Josie wore yellow (clue 5), hence Julie wore blue, leaving Jackie wearing green wearing 2 (clue 6). As Jackie wore 2, she didn’t come 3rd (clue 2), and Jane came first (clue 1), which means that Jackie must have come 2nd in order to beat the girl wearing 3 (clue 5). We now know Jane won and Jackie was 2nd, therefore Julie must have come 3rd in order to beat the girl in yellow (clue 3), leaving Josie in last place. As Jackie came second and she beat the girl wearing 3 (clue 5), the girl wearing 3 must have come 4th (therefore Josie) as the girl wearing 1 came 3rd (clue 2). Julie (who is 3rd) wore 1 (clue 2), leaving Jane wearing 4. QED.

Q&A

27

1. Dynamite 2. 23 3. Roy Hattersley 4. Red 5. Francis Ford Coppola 6. Tynwald 7. Florida 8. Blackbeard the pirate 9. Geoffrey Chaucer 10. 1694 11. The Netherlands 12. “Q” and “Z” (both

Q&A ANWERS:

AIR BAG AIR CONDITIONER ALTERNATOR AXLE BATTERY BODY BRAKE BUMPER CAR SEAT CARBURETOR CARRIER RACK CHILD SEAT CLUTCH COOLING FAN CRANKCASE CRUISE CONTROL DEFOGGER DEFROSTER DOOR DRIVE LINE DRIVESHAFT ENGINE FRAME FUSE GAS TANK HEADLIGHT HOOD HORN IGNITION MUFFLE

The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.

Robert Bloch It’s true that we don’t know what we’ve got until we lose it, but it’s also true that we don’t know what we’ve been missing until it arrives.

Anon “Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, ‘Where have I gone wrong?’

Then a voice says to me, ‘This is going to take more than one night.’ “ Charlie Brown.

“I grew up with six brothers. That’s how I learned to dance - waiting for the bathroom.”

Bob Hope. “[The television is] an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn’t have in your home.”

David Frost “I have always been a huge admirer of my own work. I’m one of the funniest and most entertaining writers I know.

Mel Brooks (on writing his Memoirs) “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”

Douglas Adams.

Car Parts

Find and circle all of the car parts that are hiddden in the grid.

The remaining letters spell an additional car part.

POWER WINDOW

STARTER STEERING WHEEL RADIATOR SUSPENSION RADIO TAIL LIGHT REAR VIEW MIRRORS TIRES ROOF TRANSMISSION SEAT BELT

TRUNK TURN SIGNAL WHEEL RIM WHEELS WINDSHIELD

worth 10 points) 13. Red, Blue and Green 14. 40 15. In a cave 16. 15 17. Libra - named after the scales 18. 10 19. Candlestick, Dagger, Lead Piping, Rope, Revolver and Spanner 20. 1860

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

28 SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

Bar Unique

Entertainment for March Saturday 15th March 9pm:

Request night all your favourite hits will be played all bottles of San Miguel & Mahou €1 from 9pm

Sunday 16th March 3pm:

Dominic Dolittle....lead singer from the Dominoes singing jazz & blues, set menu 3 courses to include coffee €12.95 booking essential

Saturday 22nd March:

60’s night with JJ music, 3 course menu to include paella €12.95 per person,booking essential

Sunday 23rd March 3pm:

Atlantis... singing Neil Diamond, Dire Straits and other ballads, roast dinner available booking essential

Saturday 29th March 9pm:

Soul Mash ... 5 piece band singing hits from The Beatles, 3 course set menu to include paella €12.95 per person, booking essential

Sunday 30th March 3pm:

Brendan Odee... 3 course set menu to include full English roast

Thai Banquet €19.95 per person (minimum 4 people)

7 dishes including seafood Starter

choice of one of the following Tom Yam Soup - This is the infamous Spicy Sour Soup from Thailand with a pungent and zesty feast of flavours...highly nutritious which is very healthy and tasty.

••••• Laab moo - spicy pork salad made with a collection of fragrant herbs and spices, crunchy vegetables served in either a crunchy cabbage leaf or lettuce leaf.

••••• Home made spring rolls in a sweet chilli dip.

•••••

Main course

Choice of one of the following all served with white basmati rice.

••••• Thai Red Curry - this Red Curry is fragrant and sumptuous and can be made anywhere from mild to not depending on your taste.

••••• Thai Green Curry - this Thai Green Curry recipe features chunks of tender chicken simmered in a homemade green curry sauce along with healthy vegetables.

The result is a very aromatic curry which is a favourite of many Thai’s.

••••• Thai Masaman Curry - Another fragrant Curry with chunks of tender chicken in a rich coconut based sauce.

••••• Sweet and Sour Pork - Traditionally a Chinese dish but the Thai’s make this as well. The dish is very tangy…delicious!

••••• Pad Thai with King Prawns popular noodle dish very popular amongst the Thai’s ••••• Our very own Thai chef will be making fresh authentic daily specials (smaller menu available on request)

All Reservations:

barunique@hotmail.com or Contact Glenn on 634 393 235 for information on all events.

Restaurant from

OX

ALB

COD N’ CHIPS

5.95€

Fridays & Saturdays From 12 - 9 PM

Desserts from 2€

SUNDAY LUNCH 12noon - 5pm

2 Courses from 8.95€ 3 Courses 10.95€

HOME-MADE AND DELICIOUS WAITER SERVED BOOKING RECOMENDED

from

6.95€

Book our function room with private patio garden for your parties, weddings, birthdays etc.

OPEN 9AM-LATE MON-SAT 10-6 SUN

950 120 718

jacksalbox@gmail.com

SEE OUR MAP ON PAGE 30

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com air-conditioned

Blood orange tart

Ingredients

200g/7oz sugar, plus extra for dusting 3 blood oranges, juice and zest 1 tsp orange blossom water 2 free-range eggs, plus 6 yolks 200g/7oz butter, cubed 25cm/10in sweetened shortcrust pastry tart shell, blind baked (you can use ready-made) 3 blood oranges, peeled, sliced into rounds 1 tbsp demerara sugar double cream or custard, to serve

La

VidaRestaurant&Venue el Cucador

st patricks day

monday 17th march

irish stew

bookings now being taken for

mothers day

sunday lunch

ONLY2.95€

Preparation method

served all day

30th march from 12.30pm

traditional sunday lunch from

Mesón de

8.95€

#

Irene

winter crazy offer

Free Bottle of wine

per couple to take away after having our night menus Valid only with this voucher dinner 19.00-22.00 until 31ST MARCH

menu e h c o N

Spring into our restaurant with our new

Del

#

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/ Gas 4.

Whisk sugar, orange juice and zest, orange blossom water, eggs and egg yolks together in a bowl until well combined.

Add the butter and set over a pan over simmering water.

(Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water.)

Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the butter has melted and the mixture has thickened.

Pour the mixture into the cooked pastry case , cover with clingfilm (to prevent a skin forming) and set aside to cool.

Arrange the orange slices on the cooled tart and sprinkle over the demerara sugar.

Using a cooks’ blowtorch, heat the sugar until caramelised.

To serve, slice the tart and serve with double cream or custard.

Home cooked with all the trimmings served 12.30pm-5pm includes a complimentary coffee & chocolate

oonnly ly

10.95€ pp pp

booking recommended

A choice of

evening bar

MENU DEL dia

4 COURSES WITH WINE & COFFEE Monday to Saturday inclusive Lunch 1pm - 4pm

MENU DEL NOCHE 4 COURSES WITH WINE & COFFEE

20oz T-BONE STEAK, 16oz BEEF ENTRECOTE 12oz PORK TENDERLOIN, ROASTED LAMB SHANK & SHOULDER, ROASTED PORK KNUCKLE & MORE DINNER 7PM-10PM

sunday roast menu del dia

4 courses with bottle of ESTE wine per couple & coffee included: Roast Lamb Shoulder & Pork Knuckle, 16oz Entrecote, 20oz T-Bone, 12oz Pork Tenderloin, Roast Potatoes & Fresh Vegetables Freshly Baked Bread SERVED 1pm - 4pm vegetarian menu available

29

Childrens menu available

FREE WI-FI

OPEN 7 days a week Booking Recommended Spanish Speaking 950 430 145 English Speaking 647 730 103

Poligono Industrial Albox, Near the ITV Garage w w w.me s onde i r e ne.com

5 Starters

5 Main Dishes 5 Desserts

specials served 6-9pm

Mon : Chill & Rice 5€ Tues: Cod n Chips 5€ or chicken curry 5€ Wed: Chicken & Chips or Gammon Ham & Chips 5.50€ Thurs: Pie Night 5.50€

sky sports

LIVE - shown in the bar

All home-made.

Includes Glass of Wine or Tubo

thursday - saturday 6pm - 9pm (starting 13th march) bookings now being taken

fish n chips Beer battered Cod home-made chips & peas

from om fr

5.95€

FRIDAYS 12.30pm - 9pm

lite bite snacks Specials, Burgers, Wraps

open for lunch 12pm - 4PM

menu del dia 2 COURSE LUNCH 12:30 - 3:30pm

6€

Tel: 950 634 562 lavidacucador@gmail.com

o pen e v

ery d 12pm - l ay ate We are here

Albox Arboleas 1km

Zurgena La Alfoquia

Mojacar

E15

La Vida

Cucador Junc 547

Huercal Overa

30

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

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

Boeing makes ‘self-destruct’ top secret smartphone

A smartphone designed for handling top secret communications has been developed by Boeing.

If the phone is tampered with, it automatically deletes any data and renders itself inoperable.

Better known for its aeroplanes, the firm said it needed to help organisations get “trusted access to data to accomplish their missions”.

The device, named Black, joins a growing range of high-security smartphones entering the market.

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a similarly-titled Blackphone was announced, aimed more at businesses and consumers worried about private

data.

Boeing already provides secure communications for US government officials - including the president.

Expandable Boeing’s Black is not intended for mainstream use - and does not yet have a price or release date.

The device took 36 months to produce, the company said, and has drawn on expertise from recent acquisitions of companies specialising in mobile technologies.

Product specifications posted on Boeing’s website state that the device contains two SIM

Andy Wilson Photographer

cards to allow switching between government and commercial networks.

The smartphone runs a heavilycustomised version of Google’s Android operating system and Boeing has added its own branded security apps.

But where Black goes beyond typical mobile security is in physical enhancements to the hardware itself.

“There are no serviceable parts on Boeing’s Black phone and any attempted servicing or replacing of parts would destroy the product,” the company explained in documents sent to the Federal Communications Commission.

“The Boeing Black phone is manufactured as a sealed device both with [extremely strong glue] epoxy around the casing and with screws, the heads of which are covered with tamperproof covering to identify attempted disassembly.

“Any attempt to break open the casing of the device would trigger functions that would delete the data and software contained within the device and make the device inoperable.”

Apple has issued a fix to a flaw in its OS X operating Furthermore, the system which previously left users vulnerable to phone’s hardware can security breaches while browsing online. be expanded to include A software update was released last week to iPhone, biometric sensors, satellite receivers or solar panels. iPad and iPod owners to protect users from “an attacker” who may “capture or modify data”.

Apple issues fix to reported OS X security hole

stars in bars

It was later discovered that the problem also existed on Apple laptops and desktop computers running OS X.

DATE ARTIST

The problem was first spotted on Apple’s mobile devices which run the iOS 7 operating system. It related to the way secure connections are made between Apple’s safari browser and websites, including banking sites, Google and Facebook.

VENUE

AREA

INFO

14th Soul Power Evolution La Fuente Start 5pm 14th DJ Snoopy Evolution La Fuente Start 8pm 14th Eric Clapton Tribute Oscars Bar Mazarron 14th Done N Dusted El Mundos Benimar Start 2pm 14th Stevie Spit Reflections Bar San Luis Drag Show 15th Lynden B Bobby Jo’s Diner Los Montesinos 15th PDQ Bar Carlos Torrevieja 15th Vinny Mack The Tavern Catral 15th JJ Soulman Que Pasa Villamartin 16th Lynden B Inn at the Green Entre Naranjas 17th Paddy’s Day Party Show Reflections Bar San Luis Andy Jones

& Lynden B 2pm 17th PDQ Bar Carlos Torrevieja 17th St Patricks Festival The Bushwacka Cabo Roig 18th Funk U Band Lansdowne Bar Playa Flamenca Start 8pm 18th Lynden B Arches Cafe Bar Los Alcazares

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

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

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

On Tuesday, Apple issue a security fix through its software update service.

These sites have digital security certificates that allow an encrypted connection to be established between a user’s computer and the website. This means any data that is sent over the connection should be secure.

Dropped the ball However, a vulnerability in the code for Apple’s iOS and OS X operating systems meant the security certificates were not being checked properly. This meant hackers could impersonate a website and capture the data that was being sent over the connection before letting it continue its journey to the real website.

Apple released a fix for mobile devices running iOS 7 last week but a spokesperson issued the following statement about OS X: “We are aware of this issue and already have a software fix that will be released very soon.”

The fix was released on Tuesday.

According to researchers the security flaw had existed for months but no-one had reported it publicly.

Graham Cluley, a security analyst, said it was a failing by the company that it had not been identified earlier.

“It’s pretty bad what Apple have done, they’ve seriously dropped the ball. How much the problem has been exploited is hard to say. Hackers may now be trying to take advantage while users wait for the security fix.”

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

31

community news PALS Forthcoming events trips and excursions

11th April GARRUCHA Market, Lunch included at our favourite restaurant in BEDAR then onto ICELAND in Vera. 25 Euros 27thApril-1st May. A trip half board to our Andalucian adventure. CORDOBA, SEVILLE< GRENADA, and a visit to the white villages and RONDA. Centrally located hotels. From Pto de Mazarron, Country Club and Camposol. 320 Euros in double sharing.

18th October-25th October only a few cabins left for a suoper trip all inclusive cruise, gratuities, port taxes, drinks, entertainment, food and transport to Valencia from just 690 Euros. Visit Palma de MALLORCA, ROME, FLORENCE,SARDINIA and CORSICA. If this is your first cruise it wont be your last!!!

PALS information 626 460465 or www.pals.sm4.biz Tickets Saturdays 11 till 1.30 at The Trevi on B Sector Camposol or Wednesday 1 till 3 La Ratatouille in Pto de Mazarron.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND COSTA CALIDA AND COSTA ALMERIA

Priest: Reverend Pauline Williams 950 956 166 / 687 250 860

F.A.S.T Fundraising team.

F.A.S.T 2014 Fundrasing dates for your diary Saturday May 10th May Fayre at Mariano’s Friday May 16th The May Ball at The Amapola Restaurant entertainment “Terry Jay” Fri Aug 1st Rock N Roll Bar- B- Q at The Clubhouse Sat 11th Oct Buffet Dance at The Trevi restaurant Sat 29th Nov Xmas Fayre at Mariano’s Restaurant Friday 5th Dec Xmas party at The Clubhouse all tickets for F.A.S.T functions are available from the bookstall 2nd and last Friday of every month or telephone Brenda 680 174 499 Jean 646 737 479.

Many thanks

WELCOME future EVENTS

March 30th - Annual treasure hunt. An afternoon of fun around our area. €8 to include buffet at our mystery final destination. Prizes for the winners and losers.

April 9th - Monthly dance with the ladies favourite, Nick Gold, supported by the Venus Girls. €8.

April 25th - Trip to Benalmadena staying 2 nights half board at Hotel Triton, close to the Arabian-style marina and right on the promenade. On Saturday night, we go to the Ricky Lavazza Show - not to be missed. Just €150, including show.

May 14th - Dance with the live band, Done And Dusted. €8.

Don’t forget our Baltic capitals cruise, and Summer Ball. Full details from Rosemary on 620105179.

St. Nicholas Ecumenical Church

We hold services each week at 10.30am on Camposol, Mazarron. Everyone is welcome to join us. For further details, call Rev. Maureen Kent 968 970 637 Camposol Sector B Find us next to The Post Office Open Monday to Saturday from 9am until late Sunday from 11am until late

Tel: 634 334 381

THE FRIENDLY & FUN PLACE TO BE SHOWING LIVE SPORTS

Quiz Night every Thursday at 8pm Find The Joker every Friday at 7pm Wild Cat - Saturday, 1st March for Fast Charity Angie McKay as Cher - Saturday, 8th March Fish & Chips - Friday nights 7pm to 9pm sports shown saturdays & sundays

SECTOR D COMMUNITY GROUP

The community group is looking for volunteers to represent their poligono´s at committee meetings.

All decisions on expenditure and projects are decided at these meetings, held once a month at 4 pm on the first Monday each month in the Clubhouse. At present the following poligonos do not have a representative so those living on these poligono´s do not have a voice on decisions being made. D 12,14,15,17,22,28, Would you like a say in what is decided, then ring Mick Drummond on 968 131 971 or 666 863 670 or email him at michaelmarjorie@hotmail.co.uk

Luz del Sol

new properties s.l.

Call us on 968 199 068 www.luzdelsol.co.uk

Centro Comercial #34, Sector A, Urb. Camposol, Mazarron 30875, Spain

SolTimes

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

32

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

SOL CLASSIFIEDS

SOLTIMES www.soltimes.com

see us online everyday

BY TELEPHONE Between 10am & 5pm Monday to Friday

966 719 647

glass curtains

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

handy man

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

awnings

From

550€

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

Furniture

Furniture first

www.digitalhearingspain.com

est 2006

sl

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

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

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

house clearances

quick cash house /bar clearance

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

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

TELEPHONE: 966 719 647

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

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

pool tables,

snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts.

666 933 726

www. spainpool.com

BOSCH MAXX W T L 6 1 0 2 In excellent condition, hardly used 150€ O.N.O Location CAMPOSOL Sector C Please contact TEL 0 6 310 74 6 2 5 zofoled@hotmail. com to view and for more details.

Own transport required D ouble folding Bed nice condition, 35 euros, Ford Fusion Roof Box with Roof bars & fittings hardly used, 75 euros, 2 x Travel cots good condition, 20 euros each Please Telephone Laguna Green 865774401 or 685054729.

L arder fridge with icebox. Excellent condition.

45 e u r o s .Tu m b l e dryer. Excellent condition.

45€ Telephone 966785459 Motor Cycle Frank Wear, Thomas leather/ Kevlar gloves 25€.

Frank Thomas Calf length boots size 45 30€.

AGV ladies full face helmet ACU approved 30€.

Caberg full/open face helmet 40€

Frank Thomas trousers, Goretex with Kevlar inserts 100€. Tuzo jacket brand new with removable lining for summer use 100€.

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

Brand New Golden Interstar Satellite Receiver VB-TIS 8200 €25 Algorfa Area Tel: 616 348 311 G eorge Foreman Grill €20 Algorfa Area Tel: 616 348 311 Two 1,000 piece Jigsaws still new in wrapping €6 for both Algorfa Area Tel: 616 348 311 M oulinex Master Chef 970 with all extras €20 Algorfa Area Tel: 616 348 311 New Christy white cotton Duvet Set King Size €15 Algorfa Area Tel: 616 348 311

condition €35 each. One double mattress with cover €50, One Single Folding Bed as new €50, DVD’s 50 cents each.

Folding Walking Stick €10 as new Quesada Evenings Tel: 698 468 283 B owling woods Almark Commander size 3 very good condition price includes bag 65euro quesada area 966716646 Dinning room table 160/80cm will extend a further 40cm at each end if required wooden with 6 matching chairs exelent value 295euro quesada area 966716646 3 Oil Filled ElectricRadiators, will sell separately €15 each, brand new Quesada area Tel: 965 073 658

LargeGlazed Earthenware cooking pot 10 plastering inch in diameter, good condition €6 E N G L I SH Algorfa Area Tel: P L A S T E R E R 616 348 311 internal finishing,

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

FULLY LEGAL IN SPAIN. Call Chris 671 444 966789612.

246 / 965 078 Two single 866 email: c_ mattresses with pettit@hotmail. covers, clean co.uk P A speaker, and stand.

Thomman the box 350 watt full range speaker.

New 70 Euros.

Torrevieja.

jewellery

BLACK & DEC KER JIG SAW

IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT Call Peter

664 890 990

Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths

CLASSIFIED

and new blades €20

Quesada

966 716 599

to advertise call christine on 966 719 647

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

musician Lenny Mitchell: Guitarist-singer, professional, international, solo act.

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

pets

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

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

property for sale / rent

RENTAL PROPERTIES URGENTLY REQUIRED in Cabo Roig/Villamartin, Orihuela Costa Playa Flamenca

We have clients enquiring in this area Contact

CASASOL REAL ESTATE

tel: 965 325 601 tony@casasolrealestate.com

insurance

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

SOLTIMES

insurances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, 968 153 396

mazarron@asssa.es

SOLTIMES want to know whats in the news?

go online

www. soltimes.com

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

www.soltimes.com

Tel: 966 719 647 or 902 750 190 ext 330

property for sale / rent FOR SALE Apartment

(Top floor / Penthouse) Almoradi, Costa Blanca

4 BED, 2 BATH, Large Terrace overlooking Plaza, separate kitchen and utility room, lift, furnished incl. white goods, UK TV. 105m². Close to the town ‘s attractive central square and all other amenities. 10 mins drive from the resort of Guardamar and close to La Finca Golf.

Reduced price 72,950€

(0034) 676 534 978

Orihuela Costa Near Villamartin 3 Bed 2 Bathroom House, Lounge/dining, Large Separate Kitchen, Rear Nayor, Terrace. Large Solarium, Private Pool, Bbq. Part Furnished €400 Per Month Furnished €450 Per Month Long Term 6 Months + Plus Bills Tel: 622 149 466 For Viewings

33

removals

detatched cortijo reduced 20mins from mojacar, 4 beds, 2 baths, Open plan living kitchen diningroom workshop, cour tyard front & back & room for a pool. Mountain v i e w s . €115,000 649 186 107 or email thunderpaul 2 0 0 3 @ hotmail.com

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

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

Go Satellite

TV Installations and repairs

Humax HDR-1000s only 350€ Sky+ HD Receiver 295€ All latest models fully guaranteed

all major credit & debit cards accepted

Tel: 965 725 670

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

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 Local, National & international REMOVALS & STORAGE Quality Second hand furniture showroom

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

www.delimas.biz

fortnightly SERVICE TO & FROM UK FULL OR PART LOADS

simply removals

Van hire

ONE WAY

Spain ‹ UK › Spain



UK to Spain or Spain to UK

*LOCAL *NATIONAL *EUROPEAN

* COLLECTION & DELIVERY *STORAGE

TEL: 667 235 205

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

• Full & Part Loads • Local-No jobs too small • Pets Welcome • Experienced owner/driver (Playa Flamenca)

Tel: 603 192 957/966 848 607 UK: 00 44 790 519 8895 MEL LANDON melvyynleo@yahoo.com

want to know whats in the news?

go online: www. SOLTIMES.com

34

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

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

trade Businesses can advertise in the classified section

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

motoring section

removals cont...

Just Removals Friendly Low Cost

Full or part loads spain-uk-spain

WANTED

Local Van & Pets Welcome Cars, Motorhomes, 4x4’s, Boats, Moves Trailer Motorbikes - Caravans ALL VEHICLES

Call Brian 965 326 920 - 666 847 648 email: beechdale@hotmail.co.uk

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.

SOLTIMES

CLASSIFIED

Vans, Trailers, Quads, Classics

FOR CASH

Telephone: 699 805 995

info@carsrus.es

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

tel: Tim on 662 211 993 Vehicles registration

Contact CASH CASH “RE-PLATE” MATE Christine

966 719 647

recruitment

jump into March with

SOLTIMES are looking for

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

Send your CV to cmm@soltimes.com

or call Paulette on 950 121 936

Situations Vacant Hairdresser for Mazarron busy salon

apprentice position also availabe Call Jane on 611 611 858 or email: janes.salon.bolnuevo@gmail.com

Marketing Assistants required due to company expansion.

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

Basic salary plus excellent bonus package .

Please email your CV to marketing@avalonsl.es

or call

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

wanted

Rebecca 966 799 070

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SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

Consequences – everything has consequences!

That wind, that has blown interminably for longer than I can remember, hurled its final grand exit against the wheelie bins designated for our estate, and upended them on top of the communal water meter, the consequence of which was a shattered meter.

This would have resulted in the Great Flood of Limaria, but for the prompt action of Jim and Brian, who stemmed the torrent pouring from the smashed pipe.

However, we had no water; no hardship in the short term because we have a whopping great deposito; all it needed was me to turn on its pump for flow to be

restored.

I duly plugged in the cable and turned the 2 handles which direct the water from the deposito to the house.

Normally this manoeuvre initiates a healthy, deepthroated hum from the pump. This time all it did was whine like a constipated mosquito.

I unplugged it and returned indoors to Pete with my tale of woe. ‘Did you do it right?’ asked He who has little faith in my mechanical prowess.

So I did it all again. The mosquito was still without bowel relief.

The pump was clearly ailing, and I don’t mess with ailing electrical appliances; but I know a man who has the know-how - Tall Andy.

Tall Andy is qualified to know about all things electrical. He responded to my summons and came promptly to my aid. He listened to my description of the pump’s symptoms and without hesitation strode round to the little house in

By Jos Biggs

josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk

which the pump resides, with me trotting behind like a Chihuahua following a Great Dane.

Not all of Andy fitted into the pump house, despite his astonishing physical folding up capabilities, so I was left anxiously regarding his back.

‘Did you push this button?’ his voice enquired from within.

My mind flew back in time to the 1965 film The Great Race, in which Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate, exhorts his hapless sidekick, Max, played by Peter Falk, to ‘Push the button, Max,’ on various outlandish machines with dreadful but comedic consequences.

No, I hadn’t. I feared the consequence of such drastic action by me might have blown up the pump, the pump house, the house itself and a good proportion of Limaria as well! ‘No’ I replied in a small voice.

Andy pushed the button.

The pump roared into life.

If we have a constipated pump again, I now know to ‘Push the button, Jos!’

The Career Super Highway or the Gravel Path to Nowhere Not many people are lucky enough to have had jobs or been involved in a profession that they absolutely loved.

For those who have, it was either through sheer luck that they found themselves in their dream job, or – as in my lady wife’s case - they knew exactly what they wanted from an early age and pursued their ambition.

As a child, my wife never had any doubt in her mind that one day she would become a hairdresser. She progressed from giving her dolls shampoo and sets to just about every neighbour in the street if they didn’t see her coming first. The cats could be seen sporting dread locks and her school pals often had Afros and weird tints in that particular part of Erdington.

As a reward for her early efforts, she was lucky enough to be accepted into what was then the crème de la crème in hair stylist circles – Raymond’s in Birmingham.

Known as Mr. Teasy Weasy, Raymond was the first celebrity stylist and his salons were frequented by the rich and famous. The London salon may have been the flagship of his empire but the Birmingham New Street salon was acknowledged as the superior establishment with a staff of over one hundred.

Her apprenticeship lasted three years, followed by a two year period as a junior stylist. That’s five full years

By Colin Bird :

badbirdnow@gmail.com

before she was able to command a good salary as a top stylist.

I on the other hand, traveled a very different route.

Having passed the Civil Service entry exams, I was offered a job at one of two Ministries in London, but I turned it down, and embarked on a career of, well, not embarking on a career. I have worked in the restaurant business and in a factory making tins. I have been a chauffeur, a direct salesman and a village postie to name but a few. It was perhaps an unwise move and I had moments of doubt over the years, particularly on those occasions when money was in short supply, but just like my wife, it was the path I chose for myself.

It goes without saying that as a civil servant, I would have attained great heights as a Whitehall Mandarin; been retired off at age 45 with an inflated pension and a waistline to match, and be ensconced in a Sunningdale mansion with two Springer Spaniels and a Portuguese maid.

But crucially, I would never have met my good lady on the story book island of Bermuda where we lived, or seen and resided in other wonderful locations in the UK and overseas. I would not be blessed with the circle of friends that I have, and would probably never have considered moving to Spain.

I may on the other hand have decided to purchase a nice little pad in Monaco, but then how can you begin to compare Monte Carlo with Los Dolses. In short, my life would have been poorer and I would have missed out on some incredible and memorable experiences had I chained myself to a life of routine, and what for me would have been a painfully

tedious existence.

All of this went through my mind as a result of experiencing some of the jumped up little jobsworths who occupy positions that involve dealing with the public. They are in every country of course, but they seem to have more than their fair share in Spain, and we have all had less than pleasant experiences whether it is at the Ayuntamiento, health clinic, or dealing with service providers.

It makes me wonder why people who are so darned obnoxious and unhelpful, choose to take jobs that put them in such close contact with their fellow human beings.

But it’s not only in these areas of employment that you find individuals who are simply not suited to the job.

Take my own case.

I once worked in the roofing trade for several years, but I cannot stand heights.

How daft is that. And on a boys night out once many years ago, we got lost (yeah right) and found ourselves in a seedy little strip club in London’s Soho.

Strippers often use props in their acts, like pythons or telegraph poles, or so I am told, but on this occasion the enterprising lady did a ventriloquist act whilst trying to shed her clothes tastefully.

Trouble was, she had long since lost any vestige of youth, was uglier than John Prescott’s dog and was decidedly not stripper material, so it wasn’t long before we were yelling for her to strip the dummy.

Conclusion: to be able to spend your working life in a happy environment, doing something that you love and are entirely suited to, has to be worth more than rubies.

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

Push the Button, Max!

35

viewpoint the passing

alqueria

Alqueria was in mourning, perhaps the most loved and respected person in the Village’s history had passed away.

Neither Hill Person nor Newcomer, she spanned the barrio divide offering sound council tempered with compassion and humanity.

Idealised by the children of the village who could do no wrong in her eyes. These scallywags were her favourites, the more mischievous the better. She delighted in watching their antics as they pushed their mothers’ sanity too the limits.

The teenagers of the village, those confused adolescents who stood on the threshold of adulthood, bewildered, could always rely on a kind word. Those who had lost their way in life, she would defend. Never for a moment believing any human being to be a lost cause. Many have taken a new direction after listening to her common sense advice. She clearly understood that all have faults but understood even better that the good points far outweigh the bad and everyone is capable of change.

It was a cold morning in late Spring that the funeral cortège moved through the streets of Alqueria. Every

window shuttered, every place of business closed. Alqueria was united in grief. Barrio rivalries forgotten.

Young and old, bare headed, arm in arm followed the procession.

It isn’t only her family which will feel the loss, the Village is the worse for her passing. She received no rewards, no titles or honours just the respect of all who came in contact with her.

The vacuum she left by her passing can never be filled. A new way will have to be found by those she left behind and by those who are yet to be.

As the sun set on a melancholy Alqueria all knew the world would never be the same. A less understanding place. A less tolerant place and never again complete.

RIP VCM (Dedicated to my wife who passed away on the 18th of February 2014)

advance moves

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advance Moves are gearing up for another busy year.

36

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

SOLTIMES march 2014

sport

CF LORCA DEPORTIVA 2 MAZARRON FC 0

Without four regulars in Alfonso, Jose Ruben, Tico and Ishmael, and only able to name two substitutes, Mazarron were always going to struggle at league leaders Lorca and predictably suffered a 2-0 defeat.

Mazarron’s performance in the first half can best be described as inept. Without Jose Ruben they hardly threatened the Lorca half let alone the penalty area and the only shot on target was a tame free kick which the goalkeeper saved with his eyes closed.

After 19 minutes Lorca thought they had taken the lead. A tremendous shot from 25 yards was well saved by Marcos but the ball fell straight to a Lorca forward who slotted home

from six yards. Fortunately for Mazarron the linesman had spotted that he was in an offside position and the goal was disallowed.

Two minutes later, however, Lorca did go a goal up when one of their strikers barged into Mazarron’s smallest player Juanillo and fell to the ground. The referee not only pointed to the spot but also booked Juanillo and Marin sent Marcos the wrong way with the penalty kick.

Marcos came to the rescue just before half time with a tremendous save when the Mazarron defence opened up and, although the Lorca player went round him, he recovered quickly to dive at his feet and turn the ball away for a corner.

Mazarron improved after the interval and manufactured three or four goal scoring opportunities, the best of which was an excellent free kick from Tolo which found Juan Andreo unmarked at the far post but he somehow contrived to steer the ball wide of the goalpost. Lorca made the game safe with a spectacular long range drive from Marin after 79 minutes which gave Marcos no chance in the Mazarron goal.

In the last minute Moha was denied a consolation goal when his chip over the advancing Lorca keeper hit the post and clearly crossed the line before being scrambled clear by the goalkeeper . The linesman at first seemed to indicate a goal but the referee waved play on.

Mazarron’s miserable 2014 continues with just one win from nine games.

Team: Marcos, Randry, Alcaraz, Juan Andreo, Dani (Salvi), Chema, Enrique, Moha, Juanillo, Cecilio, Tolo Man of the Match: Alcaraz

S.M.G.S at Villamartin 5th March Today we played the 3rd of 5 rounds of the Bogey Medal Shield Trophy at Villamartin.

We arrived at the course with the weather quite calm but by the time we teed of the wind got up and made the first few holes very difficult all you need for the start of a medal round.

The course was in good condition especially the greens but there were places on the course where the ground staff are working to continually improve the course that should have been made GUR. Out thanks go to all the staff at Villamartin for their hospitality and donation of prizes.

Nearest to the pins were

Ben Price(6), Phil DeLacy(9), Mary Cleary(13) and Chris Hamblett(17).

Best front nine was Phil DeLacy and best back 9 Mary Cleary.

In the Bronze category John Parker was 4th with a net 79, 3rd was Mick Roscoe 78, 2nd was Ellen Drakesmith 75 and 1st was Ray Ewins 74.

In the Silver Category Mike Jordan was 4th with a net 78, 3rd was Alan Williams 75, 2nd was Steve Davis 68 and 1st with the best score of the day was Alan (polo

ALFIE’S GOLF SOCIETY Thursday, 27 February 2014 – Las Colinas

The hallowed turf of Las Colinas was the venue for 31 Alfies GS members and guests alike on the last Thursday of February. A totally different story to last year at this time when we set off for Saurines in an ice storm and torrential rain later in the day forcing everyone off the course. Cloud cover most of the day, but a major improvement from a year ago !

Las Colinas is in my opinion simply the best course in

the region which is the main reason why, as Captain, I chose it for our Eclectic Cup this year and to any golfer it is plain to see why the pros now come here in November on the European Tour qualifying school.

Stunning views, bunkers aplenty for errant shots and just the right number of water hazards. Cabell B. Robinson must have been a very proud man when the last layer of turf was put down here. Additionally the staff here go the extra yard for golf societies, with for all players engraved bag

mint) Macdonald with a net 66.

In the Gold Category John Osborne was 4th with a net 78, 3rd was Tony Smale 77, 2nd was Barry Roehrig 76 and 1st was Ben Price 74.

John Trehy after weeks of trying succeeded in winning the Abacus.

Next week our Venue is El Plantio followed by Mar Menor and then La Finca so if you fancy a game give Phil a ring on 966774197 or visit our website www.smgs. org visitors are always made welcome.

tags, course guides, free tees, drinking water and a drink in the clubhouse. A thoroughly professional setup all round.

George Rankine receives his winner’s trophy from Captain, Mike Morris Scoring was at a premium on the day but with 37 stableford points George Rankine (hcap 19.6) came out on top of the pile.

New member Ole ‘Elvis’ Westerback (26.4) was second with 36. Nearest the pins on 7 and 10 respectively were won by

LA MARINA GOLF SOCIETY Back to a well manicured Alicante Golf this week and, with the weather once again set fair and the men’s tee

some grovelling by the Captain and President due to a mistaken calculation on countback, Secretary Alan

week despite the forward tees. Winners being Pete Wotton and Elspeth Craig.

Winner of the Guest Prize with a magnificent 18 pts was Pete ‘The Fish’ Stevenson.

We did have a 2’s winner, Carol Marriner (who also collected 5 points!)

Many thanks go to Nigel from Clubstohire.com who once again provided the prizes for the day and to Helena at the La Marina Sports Club for providing some lovely grub.

Dates for your Diary 20th March Presidents Trophy at Alenda 11.00a.m.

positions challenging the ladies tees, high scores were expected all round.

Unfortunately not so in the majority of cases although our newest male member coped pretty well. After

was demoted to 2nd place and Chris Raper declared the winner of the Gold Division with 30pts. Silver Division winner was Captain Alan with 35pts.

Only 2 ntp’s were won this

21st March Spring Dance - La Marina Club - 2 course meal 10 Euros 25th April Auction Night Meal and Music 8 Euros.

All items for auction to Jimmy Scott please

QUESADA GOLF SUPER LEAGUE

MATCH DAY 5 ALICANTE GOLF 3RD MARCH 2014 Here we are at Alicante for the final match of the season.

What a game we have in prospect. Who will be our champions this year? Will it be San Miguel GS who have been our front runners for most of the season. Will it be Mini Golf GS who have not lost a match but are still those few points behind.

Or will it be the winner of the last two years Benijofar GS, theirs is a much bigger hurdle to climb as they are 8 points behind the leaders.

We had asked the course to put the pins in the most difficult place they could so the climax of the season would be as tight and as thrilling for the players as it could be. In the event the wind decided to put itself in the playing position to make it even more difficult. With Ian and Andy both on the subs bench and roaming the course in the buggy it was apparent that the final score was ebbing and flowing between the three front runners, and it looked to be that the champions would only win by a very narrow margin, but this was how the league was supposed

Joe Murphy and Ove Collin with Peter Golder taking the longest drive prize on 15.

A special mention must go to Norman Howes who, on 14, was two inches away from recording his first ever hole in one. Mick Hurst took the best guest prize.

Congratulations to all the winners on the day.

The usual thanks to all our committee for their hard work in the background, to Anita at Alfies for the free buffet for players and last but not least to Mike Probert from Costa Blanca Green Fee Services for arranging

to be, competitive golf in a friendly atmosphere with the edge always in place.

When everybody finished and journeyed back to the Claptons Club House for the cards to be checked and the points added up we had had the most thrilling finale to this year’s season, with San Miguel coming out on top as our champions for this year, closely followed by Mini golf.

Congratulations to all the teams that played in this year’s league. Our thanks to Chris and his staff for the excellent fare. Hope to see everybody next season.

Results as shown below. To all golf societies in Quesada and the surrounding areas there is still room for more teams to play in next season’s league.

I am sure you will find this

pleasant competitive scene very much to the benefit of all your members as our present teams will tell you.

Also date for the diary the Summer Competition is now to be played at Font del Llop on Monday 7th July 2014. Tee 9am, 1st and 10th, green fees 38 euros, format better ball stableford.

Please remember you do not necessarily have to belong to a society, all you need is a member to take you as a guest or put you and your partner in as a guest. Once again this will be a great day out for all players and Andy, Ian and Mike will have much pleasure in seeing you there should you decide to join us. Please contact Ian or Mike quesadagolfleague@ hotmail.com no later than the 31st May.

our day out.

March 27th sees us at another cracker jack of a course, Saurines de la Torre, with a tee off time of 10.33am. As per, the list is filling quickly.

Members and guests are more than welcome and if you should want to play please contact myself or Anita at Alfies Bar, La Ronda Centro Commercial, Lomas

de Cabo Roig or contact our secretary Sandie Hall at alfiesgolfsociety@gmail. com. Mike Morris Captain, Alfie’s GS

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

www.soltimes.com

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38

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

SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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SOLTIMES MARCH 2014

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Tuesday Night Eurogolf, La Marquesa Press Report.

Trios - Ten Pin Bowling League This week saw the semifinals of the Cornish Pride Cup, kindly sponso red by Shane and Sue Winfield of Cornish Pride Los Dolses.

With all four teams bowling for points as well, their incentive was to win and win well. Cup SF team Caballo Negro took on Bar Mosquitos in the league but, it was BM who came out on top 6 -2, Dave Haynes of BM rolling a 213 scratch game to ensure the win. And to make it a bad night for BM, their Cup opponents Split Happens outgunned them by 86 pins. SH overpowered Juans Warriors 8 - 0, who sadly had only two bowlers on the night. The Cup ever presents Splash, continued their march to the final, with an 8 – 0 demolition of Lucky Strike and, with Antonio Berenger firing a 219 scratch final game, they easily overcame Crazy Pinz by 140 pins. CP got off to a great start in game one against Cornish Pride, taking the game with a 588 handicap team total. Gunter Wilms finishing with a 228 handicap game but, even that couldn’t prevent Cornish P from taking the next two games and overall pinfall, to record a 6 – 2 victory.

42 players were entered the March Monthly Medal and Birthday Cup on Thursday 6 March 2014 at our home course of La Marquesa. The weather conditions could not have been more perfect, no

The results follows:

were

as

TMGS Match Report, Las Ramblas, 5th March 2014 One this day in history 1974 British coal workers called off a four-week strike following a 35% pay offer from the new Labour government and 1984 The National Coal Board announced a plan of massive job cuts & pit closures. Oh the irony!

Also on this day in history, not one player achieved Top of the league Team handicap and there were Finland continued their no “2’s” winners, hardly surmarch for the title, with a 6 prising on greens that were – 2 win against a determined as rough as sandpaper is Los Lobos. Jukka Koskinen of TF taking all the mens on a babies bum! Yes, it’s highs of the night, including hollow tinning time. a 221 scr game and 600 scr series. HallyDay, chasing TF, came up against The Mixers in determined mood.

TM took the first game by 5 pins and the second by 13 but, HyD battled back to take the 3rd game and overall, to share the points 4 – 4. Los Bandidos had Barry Tolson to thank for a 6 – 2 victory over The Dreamers. Barry ending with a 619 h/c Series, as LB battered TD by 197 pins.

wind and what would be a glorious summer’s day in the UK which made a nice change from the gale force winds we had to play in on Tuesday.

30 of us turned up at a very blustery morning to play golf at what is known as the “Marmite” course of Las Ramblas and fortunately later on, the wind dropped slightly and the sunshine burst through to a very nice 21 degrees which did make the days golf a tad more enjoyable.

As the scores came in, it wasn’t any surprise to see So the Cup final will be that a low 30 score was between Splash and going to be very good, as Split Happens and will be it always is on this course. contested on April 8th. Good In the Silver Division, it only luck to both teams. needed 26 points for SanNext week we are holding a raffle and, any donations will dra Twentyman to claim be greatfully received by a 4th spot, 27 points for Mick Committee member.

Kennedy to claim 3rd and

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Ernie Wilson was in the frame again with 30 points to claim the runners-up slot.

This left a very nice 34 from Bill Wylie to claim the 1st prize in that Division.

The Gold crew didn’t fare much better and Steve McGuninness’s 29 was enough for 4th and GerdCrom and Steve Higgins each claimed a 31 point score for 3rd and 2nd respectively leaving Arne Hannson’s 32 points enough for the top slot in that Division.

Gold Division: 1st Terry Sharley 72 nett.

2nd Ian Pegg 73 nett 3rd John Barraclough 75 nett 4th Bob Buckeridge 76 nett Silver Division: 1st Jan Shorley 70 nett 2nd John Jones 71 nett 3rd Franz Berndt 73 nett 4th Claire Daye Gretton 74 nett Nearest the Pins: 5th John Barraclough La Campana 11th Bill Martin Clapton’s

12th John Hill The Clubhouse 15th John Jones Lo Maribu 17th Liz Menzies Manolos Thanks to our sponsors.

Best Front 9: C Jones 35 Best Back 9:: Ian Pegg 31 Best Gross: J Barraclough 81 WINNER OF THE MARCH MONTHLY MEDAL AND BIRTHDAY CUP: JAN SHORLEY Football Winners: Dave Curtis, John Hill, Sue Gillett & Colin Hobden.

TOFF’s Results Tuesday 4 March 2014 Overall Winner –ALEX RALPH Gold Division: 1st Vince Tocker 35 Hello

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points 2nd Bob Buckeridge 33 points 3rd David Gregson 32 points Silver: 1st Margaret Richings 35 points 2nd Harry Armstrong 34 points 3rd Ian Stewart 32 points Bronze: 1st Alex Ralph 35 points 2nd John Hill 34 points 3rd Tom Corbett 34 points Nearest the Pins: 5th Dave Lewis,1 5th Steve Yoxall, 11th Hedy Paehlig, 17th Dave King Best Front 9 Roger Richings 20 Best Back 9 Gordon White 18

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All 4 NTP’s were claimed and their reward was a sleeve of TMGS golf balls which went to Mike Freeman, John Eyre, Sandra Twentymann and Per Skarnes.

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Player of the Month for February went to Ernie Wilson and for that feat; he received 2 sleeves of balls and a free round of golf at Villamartin.

COSTA CALIDA/MAR MENOR

Our next game, Wednesday 12thMarch 2014, 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 Fixture Secretary on 966719604.

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