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SOLTIMES march 2014
News
Health Charges and changes
The Regional health authority said this week that in 2013 it had issued bills totalling almost €300,000 to foreign visitors who needed medical treatment and who did not have any form of insurance cover. In the case of visitors from other EU states it was their failure to obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that led to them being charged for the treatment they received. The regional health authority in Valencia has announced a new scheme for obtaining healthcare.
Under its Convenio Especial - a scheme that is part of wide ranging reforms to the health system - anyone who currently lacks the right to state healthcare can now get themselves
covered.
Passport fees for British nationals overseas reduced by 35%
The scheme is open to working age The fees for a UK passport for British people - those under 65 - and those citizens applying from overseas countries, people over the age of 65 who for including Spain, will fall by 35% from any reason have no access to public next month. healthcare. James Brokenshire, Immigration and However, it is by no means a ‘free Security Minister, has announced that handout’. In the case of people under from 7th April the passport fee for 65, the cost of the insurance scheme customers applying for a UK passport is €60 per month while those over 65 from overseas will be reduced by £45 for will have to pay €157 per month. adults and £28.50 for children. British Consul in Alicante Paul The new fees are: Rodwell has welcomed the implementation of this new scheme · Adult 32 page passport £83.00 which provides a solution and peace · Child 32 page passport £53.00 of mind to a significant number · Jumbo 48 page passport £91.00 (Adult of British residents on the Costa / Child / Veteran) The 35% decrease in passport fees Blanca. is the result of efficiency savings made Martyn Standing of the healthcare over the last three years by bringing back team at the consulate in Alicante the processing and issuing of overseas said: “This is great passports to the UK, including from the news. It means almost former passport processing centre at the everyone who currently British Embassy Madrid. lacks the right to state healthcare can now get Will Middleton, Consular Director for Spain, said: themselves covered.”
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“This is good news for British citizens applying for a UK Passport from Spain. The repatriation of overseas passport centres means overseas applications can now be handled more efficiently and at significantly lower cost. “The new fees will benefit some four million Britons living overseas, including many of the estimated 800,000 who live
in Spain for all or part of the year.”
If you need a new or replacement passport, go to the Overseas British passport applications page on www.GOV. UK where you can make an overseas application. You need to apply and pay online and send your supporting documents direct to the UK (no longer to the nearest Consulate or Embassy). The turnaround time is four to six weeks, and applications are accepted up to nine months before the expiry of your current passport. The new fees for overseas applications remain marginally higher than the equivalent fees for UK-based applicants because on average overseas applications take longer – and therefore cost slightly more - to process. This is because it is often less straightforward to establish whether or not an overseas applicant is entitled to a UK passport. Overseas customers will also continue to pay a courier charge in addition to the passport fee. British nationals can get more information and advice on living in Spain by “liking / following” the British Embassy’s popular new social media channels on: Facebook - www.facebook. com/BritslivinginSpain or Twitter - www. twitter.com/BritsliveSpain Source: fco. gov.uk
SOLTIMES march 2014
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euro Sunlife Solar Solutions new Head Office opened in Punta Prima last year and employs a knowledgeable team of multi lingual staff, to answer any of your queries. With Solar installations currently being fitted from Mazzaron to Denia, complying with the current registration process, the company is going from strength to strength. “Unfortunately, there are several companies trading at the moment, making bogus claims to potential customers in order to achieve a sale. If you would like genuine and informative advice, a bespoke system designed for YOUR needs, installed correctly first time and then legally registered by our Solar Registered Engineers, then visit our new offices, visit our website or just give us a call.” The rapidly growing Renewable Energy company also supplys and installs many new innovative Solar products, from vertical wall mounted ultra slim panels to the latest in hot water and pool systems. If you are interested in Solar, then contact Sunlife Solar Solutions, they will have the Solution for you.
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office in Bolnuevo (near Farmacia) next to Cafe Colonia
4
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SOLTIMES march 2014
barnes bulletin
PASSPORT FEES FOR BRITISH NATIONALS OVERSEAS
Immigration & Security Minister, James Brokenshire, announces, a month too late for your scribe, that the cost of a new or replacement UK Passport is, from April 7th., reduced by 35%. This means that the new fee for an adult 32 page passport will be £83.00., with a child 32 page passport, now costing £53.00. James tell us that this reduction is possible due to efficiency savings made over the last three years, and by bringing the processing of overseas passports, back to the U.K., from the British Embassy in Madrid (Why doesn’t that surprise me!) Bill Middleton, Consular Director for Spain, explains that this fee reduction will benefit some four million Britons living overseas, including some 800, 000 who live in Spain. To obtain a new or replacement passport (It’s all done on line these days) go to the GOV.UK, tapping into “Overseas British Passport Application” page.
ort
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
EVENING ALL!
Should you ever have wondered who is watching you, through the fifty or so cameras l o c a t e d upon lamp standards and buildings along the high street in Pilar De La Horadada, get on the e-mail, and ask the question! Actually it’s this chap in the photograph, and a colleague or two, in the police station in Pilar. The Police Local have now set up a face book page, which has over 4000 followers. The site has information on road blockages, traffic flow, public events, law enforcement and hints on road safety. Chief of public safety in Pilar, Lancharro Francisco, explains that this electronic communication medium, was set up by the Police Local themselves, and that his department and council as whole, thank the officers for their forward thinking. Mind how you go.
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN
Students of mixed ages, completed their final year in Computer Sciences and Management recently in Pilar De La Horadada, and were pleased to receive diplomas from Deputy Senior Councillor, Elizabeth Marcos. Bill Gates had better watch out! Well done to you all.
WELL DONE LADIES!
Although going under the name “La Siesta Ladies Friendship”, this friendly group take an interest in events across the locality, and are always on the lookout for new members. The association, which is affiliated to La Siesta Church, recently donated 500 euro to Judy Ferris for the work undertaken with Alzheimer’s patients. More fund raising enabled some 500 euro to be passed to the treasurer of La Siesta Evangelical Church, to help the needy in the group of churches to which their local church belongs. The ladies ask that I mention that their Annual Christmas Fayre (I know, but it’s only 9 months away!) is scheduled for November 29th.. at 10.30 a.m. For more information on the girls at La Siesta, contact joewallacetrombone@gmail.com
SOLTIMES march 2014
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Russia has promised not to attack east Ukraine
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu promised his US counterpart Chuck Hagel in a telephone call on Thursday that Moscow would not assault eastern Ukraine.
Hagel voiced concern about Russian military movements but Shoigu assured him that “the troops he has arrayed along the border are there to conduct exercises only and they have no intention of crossing the border into Ukraine and that they would take no aggressive action.” Hagel also asked how long the military “exercise” would last but Shoigu “didn’t have a firm time frame for that.” Hagel also renewed US calls for Russia to de-escalate tensions and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Washington has watched a Russian buildup on Ukraine’s eastern border with growing concern after Moscow’s intervention in Crimea. Moscow’s promise to Washington came as Ukraine warned it would respond with military action if Russia tries to seize the country’s mainly Russian-speaking eastern regions. Nato secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday the alliance was concerned Russia might push beyond Crimea into eastern
Ukraine. President Barack Obama announced fresh punitive sanctions earlier over Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, while Russia responded by issuing its own list of sanctions against nine US officials. Amid the worst East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War, Obama has ruled out the use of military force in Ukraine while vowing to isolate Moscow through diplomacy and sanctions. Russia’s lower house of parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a treaty to annex Crimea from Ukraine, leaving just one legal obstacle for the Black Sea peninsula to cross before it is formally absorbed by Moscow. Only one deputy in the almost full chamber of the State Duma voted against the treaty, which was passed by 443 to 1, and the Federation Council upper house is expected to complete ratification on Friday, signed by President Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders on Tuesday. The Crimean port city of Sevastopol is home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Russian forces are now in control of the peninsula, which has an ethnic Russian majority and voted for union with Russia on Sunday. Approval of the treaty in the rubberstamp parliament had never been in doubt once it was signed by Putin.
The Rain is Spain!
The almost non-existent rainfall registered in the Valencia Region since the summer has left watering deposits at critical levels and created a severe fire risk in the mountains. In addition, the regional farming trade is complaining of severely dwindling crops and grazing problems for livestock. Citrus fruit, artichoke, cauliflower, broccoli, olive, almond and grape plantations are suffering from lack of water and abnormal weather that has led them to flower before time. This week’s light rain has done little
parasite.
Suspects have included pesticides, disease-bearing parasites and poor nutrition. But in a first-of-its-kind study published in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists at the University of Maryland and the US Department of Agriculture have identified a witch’s brew of pesticides and fungicides contaminating pollen that bees collect to feed their hives.
While neonicotinoids have been linked to mass bee deaths this study opens up an entirely new finding that it is more than one group of pesticides, but rather a combination of many chemicals, which makes the problem far more complex.
Up to 11 districts have been placed on alert in northern Valencia Province and southern Castellón. In Andalucía the statistics show that the province as a whole is graded as Very Dry in the north and west, with the rest of the province coming in as Moderately Dry, tending to be nearer to normal towards Almería City.
Overseas Retirees Hoping For A “Friendly” Budget
Wealthy pensioners will see their lifetime allowance decrease when new rules kick in next month and there are concerns pensioners could be targeted further at Wednesday’s Budget, a move that would affect anyone planning an overseas retirement. Richard Way, Editor at The Overseas Guides Company said: “The cap for lifetime pension wealth will fall to £1.25million from £1.50million in April, with any excess being taxable a rate of up to 55 per cent. For expats in France and Spain, a smaller pension pot and subsequent smaller income has heightened effect, as they are also exposed to exchange rate fluctuation. “The fear is the Government could curtail a re-introduction of the higher threshold or even reduce it further from
£1.25million. There are also calls to maintain – or even rise - the threshold for trivial commutation, which allows holders of smaller pension pots to claim the cash value of their pension pot back, rather than be forced to invest it in a poorly performing annuity. “Let’s hope Osborne takes into account how dismal savings and pension annuity rates are at the moment, and decides that further punishment of those already affected by these rates – including anyone considering overseas retirement – would be unjust”, concluded Mr Way. Source: com
The findings break new ground on why large numbers of bees are dying though they do not identify the specific cause of CCD, where an entire beehive dies at once. The researchers behind the study, Jeffery S. Pettis, Elinor M. Lichtenberg, Michael Andree, Jennie Stitzinger, Robyn Rose, Dennis vanEngelsdorp collected pollen from hives and fed it to healthy bees. The pollen they were fed had an average of nine different pesticides and fungicides, and the bees had a serious decline in their ability to resist a parasite that causes Colony Collapse Disorder. Further, the researchers discovered that bees that ate pollen with fungicides were three times more likely to be infected by the
The discovery means that fungicides, thought harmless to bees, are actually a significant part of Colony Collapse Disorder.
It is not just the types of chemicals used that need to be considered, but also spraying practices. The bees sampled by the authors foraged not from crops, but almost exclusively from weeds and wildflowers, which means bees are more widely exposed to pesticides than thought. While the overarching issue is simple - chemicals used on crops kill bees - the details of the problem are increasingly more complex, including what can be sprayed, where, how, and when to minimise the negative effects on bees and other pollinators while still assisting in crop production. It will still likely be a long time before solutions are uncovered and put into place. When economics come into play, an outright halt in spraying anything at all anywhere is simply impossible.
News
to calm concern over the fact that this winter has seen 85% less rainfall than usual.
Scientists discover another cause of bee deaths
Scientists have struggled to find the trigger for so-called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that has been decimating bee colonies throughout the world over the past several years.
5
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SOLTIMES march 2014
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SOLTIMES march 2014
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More about Pensions
Pensions are being radically transformed under plans announced in the Budget. From April 2015, savers will be given total freedom over how they withdraw pension money. In the meantime, temporary measures will be put in place to ease the strain on those seeking a retirement income. Here we explain how the changes affect savers: What is changing now? From March 27, the Government will introduce arrangements to give savers greater access to their pensions. Savers whose total pension savings amount to £30,000 will be able to take the entirety as cash, which will be taxed at marginal rates. Savers with larger amounts in pension savings will be able to take up to three pensions worth £10,000 each as cash, rather than two worth £2,000. Savers who use “income drawdown” will be allowed to take larger sums as income. This is likely to be several thousand pounds extra a year from each £100,000 in savings. An individual will need just £12,000 of secured pension income from other sources to make unlimited withdrawals through “flexible drawdown”. When can I make full withdrawal? The temporary reforms introduced next Thursday will fade away in April 2015, when savers will be able to access the entirety of their pension at any time after age 55, subject to income tax at marginal rates on three-quarters of the
money. The ability to take the whole pension as one lump of income would mean someone with a £100,000 pension could take £25,000 tax-free and then withdraw the remaining £75,000 to spend or invest as they saw fit. The £75,000 would be treated as income for that tax year, pushing the individual into the higher-rate tax band for the year. Will I be able to withdraw more slowly to limit tax? The alternative will be to take the money in annual lump sums. This might mean keeping the money invested in the stock market and going into “income drawdown”. From April 2015, there will be no cap on the amount of money that savers can withdraw from this arrangement, so income can be varied to stay within the basic rate tax or even nilrate threshold for the year if desired. Will I still be able to buy an annuity? Yes. Those who want to guarantee an income for life will still be able to purchase an annuity. The difference is that they will now do so on their own terms, rather than effectively being pushed down this route due to the restrictions on accessing small pots and the high costs and caps on income drawdown. Insurance companies have for many years made sizeable profits from selling annuities. Some of the biggest margins are on selling poor value contracts to those in poor health, who should qualify for a boost to account for a lower life
British woman to ride motorbike around the world
A North Wales woman is gearing up for a round-the-world challenge that will see her become the first woman to ride a motorbike on all seven continents. During her epic trip Steph Jeavons, 38, from Colwyn Bay, will visit 42 countries and travel 56,000 miles. She will be riding a lightweight Honda CRS 250 on the ride, which has been given the title ‘One Steph Beyond,’ and her £10,000 budget gives her just £5 a day for food and supplies. The trip will take her 15 months to 2 years, and she will be avoiding all motorways and main roads and living mainly in her two man tent with only the things she can carry on her bike. Ms Jeavons will be raising funds for Rally 4 Life, a charity set up to raise money to help tackle the problems of third world poverty. Beginning her trip on March 23, she will leave from London before heading across
the Channel. After covering Europe, Ms Jeavons will travel through Turkey, Iran, UAE, India, Nepal, Thailand, Australia, South America, North America and Canada before heading across to Africa and eventually home. She said: ‘It’s something I’ve wanted to do for more years than I care to remember, and so after much deliberation I finally decided that this is the year.’ “The support I’ve had from everyone has been amazing and while I’m no stranger to riding off-road or remotely, having been an off-road instructor for several years and travelled extensively overseas, it is still a very daunting prospect given the extremities of the terrain and climates I’ll be riding through.” To find out more about this remarkable woman and her truly epic journey go to rally4life.org/supporters/advocates/stephjeavons
Getting his own back!
A Bristol man ripped off by a Gumtree seller got his revenge by texting him the entire works of Shakespeare. Edd Joseph, 24, was furious when he bought a PS3 games console for £80. However, the vendor failed to deliver the goods. So Mr Josephs decided to take his revenge by texting the entire works of the Bard to the fraudster - all 30,000 words, reports the Bristol Post. Mr Joseph discovered he can copy the words from the internet and paste them into a text message - without costing him a penny on his unlimited mobile phone package. He sends it as one text but his victim can only receive them in 160 character chunks - meaning the 37 works of Shakespeare will buzz through in 29,305 individual texts. So far Mr Joseph has sent 22 plays including Hamlet, Macbeth and Othello, which have
been delivered in 17,424 texts. He reckons the remaining 15 works will take another few days to send - meaning his adversary’s phone will have been constantly beeping for nearly a full week. Mr Joseph said: I’m going to keep doing it. If nothing else I’m sharing a little bit of culture with someone who probably doesn’t have much experience of it. “I’m not a literary student, and I’m not an avid fan of Shakespeare but I’ve got a new appreciation you could say - especially for the long ones.” Mr Joseph bought the console and bundle of games by direct bank transfer - giving him no protection when the seller failed to send the goods or provide a refund.
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News expectancy. With this revenue stream now under threat as annuity sales tail off, the danger of firms trying to sell these contracts inappropriately is as strong as ever. The City regulator is investigating and is acutely aware of the need to protect customers. The plus point could be a rise in annuity rates as providers are forced to compete to attract a smaller pool of customers. What’s the catch? The price for savers will be that access to their pension pots will be pushed back, at the same pace as the State Retirement Age. Initially it will move to age 57 in 2028. This could affect those around age 40 and under. What if I have already taken a pension income? The millions of savers who have purchased an annuity already will be tied to that contract. They will be trapped in the old system. Those who have gone into income drawdown will be able to increase their incomes by calling an emergency “review” with their pension provider or financial adviser. However, this can only take place on the anniversary of the last review. What will happen to other assets? From next April, there could sudden drop off in annuity purchases; pensioners who withdraw the money instead will be able to spend it how they wish. This could be other investments, such as buy-to-let property, but equally it could
involve paying down debt. Those on interest-only mortgages will have the chance to square off debts left by poorly-performing endowment policies, for example. Others may want to spend a small amount of the money on a holiday or to give an early inheritance. The average amount of money in defined contribution pension savings is £30,000. How do I decide which is the best route? The new rules could trigger a wave of demand for independent financial advice. While the Government is giving £20m to insurers and other pension providers to give “impartial face-to-face guidance”, it remains to be seen how this will work in practice. Each individual’s circumstances will be different. I’m just about to buy an annuity, should I wait? Yes, at least until Thursday. Seek financial advice with a qualified expert through Unbiased.co.uk and Pick-A.org. Look for “chartered financial planner” status. If you have access to guaranteed annuity rates which are only available for a short period at your named retirement date, it may be worth purchasing. For others, there is no requirement to take an income. Explore the temporary measures, but also consider waiting a year – if you can – for the full reform. Some annuity providers, including LV and Partnership, will accept cancellation if you are in the cooling off period. LV has extended this window to 60 days.
8
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
homes &gardens
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
The Vega Baja Garden Club
The March meeting of the Garden Club was opened by Val Duckworth, who welcomed members new and old. Val gave a run down of the tasks that should be carried out in the garden in March in preparation for the new summer season.
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www.mosquitoscreenco.com email: the.mosquito.screen.company@gmail.com Find us at Moncayo Market on Saturdays & we are pleased to announce we are now at Lemon Tree Market on Sundays
Val thanked the Club’s Social Sectretaries, Carole Williams and Carol Bass, for organising the Annual Club Lunch in February. This was held at “La Boheme”, a restaurant in Quesada. It was a resounding success and much enjoyed by all who attended. Everyone greatly appreciated all the effort that had gone into organising the event and making it such a pleasant afternoon. Val then welcomed Dick Handscombe, the guest speaker for the afternoon. Dick is well known throughout the Costa Blanca for his many excellent books covering aspects of gardening in the Mediterranean. He spoke about the many ways in which gardens can be designed and used according to individual needs and interests, for instance to provide shade, areas for recreation and dining, and for growing herbs and food crops. Dick spoke very enthusiastically about the ways in which even small areas can be used to grow vegetables, in containers or raised beds, if the ground is unsuitable, or if you live in an apartment and have no garden space. He described the many benefits of eating freshly picked home grown raw foods, of the many uses for various infusions that can be produced from herbs, and of the heath benefits of being actively involved in the garden. He gave many growing tips and gardening ideas, including ways to control pests and how soils can be improved. Dick answered many questions from members and signed copies of his books. His excellent and inspirational talk was very much appreciated by everyone. Dick Handscombe signing a book for a member. There was then the usual raffle of plants. A competition for the next meeting was announced. This will be for potted plants; one category for flowering plants and another for foliage plants. If you would like to enter the competition, please bring your plants along, they must have been in your possession for a minimum of six months and be in a container no larger than 11 inches or 28 centimetres in diameter.
Soft Furnishings & Re-Upholstery
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• 39 years experience in soft furnishings & re-upholstery • Foam (All densities) superior quality, cut to any shape or size • Curtains and Blinds all made to measure • Loose covers that fit like upholstery made for all types of furniture indoor and out • Gazebo covers made in a waterproof canvas fabric from customers original template • Hundreds of fabrics to choose from
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The next meeting will be held on Monday 7th April at 1.45 for a 2.00pm start, at Los Rosales Restaurant on the CV895 Lemon Tree Road, Campo de Guardamar. If you are interested in gardening and would like to attend the meeting, you will be assured of a warm welcome. For further information, please contact Val Duckworth, Tel. 966 716 527.
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
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News
£20m egg found on market stall
It is something all antique enthusiasts dream about - unearthing a rare gem at a market that turns out to be worth millions. And for a man in the US the dream came true when a golden egg he bought from a bric-a-brac stall in the Midwest so he could sell it for scrap turned out to be a Faberge egg worth about £20m ($33m). The scrap metal dealer, who has not been named, paid just £8,000 ($13,000) for the treasure. He planned to sell it for scrap value, but the egg was saved from destruction when nobody would match his initial outlay. The egg, which has a Vacheron Constantin watch inside it, was given by Alexander III to his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, in Easter 1887. However, its new owner, frustrated by his lack of success in selling the egg, tapped “egg” and “Vacheron Constantin” into Google, to find that it might be a Third Imperial Faberge Easter Egg made for Russian royalty. The internet search led the scrap dealer to Kieran McCarthy, director of Wartski, the London-based Royal Warrant-holding experts on Carl Faberge’s work. The owner flew to London to show
Mr McCarthy pictures of his purchase, which convinced the Faberge expert to fly to the small Midwest town to confirm the egg was genuine. He found it sitting on a kitchen table beside some cupcakes; “It’s the most incredible discovery,” Mr McCarthy said. “We have had so many discoveries but none of them are as momentous as this. “It has travelled from Imperial St Petersburg to the rust belt of America. It’s a story that deserves to be told because it could so easily have slipped away.
After a successful exhibition in Belgium, we are urgently looking for Legal properties for clients that are coming to buy.
“For the Faberge community and the historical community, it is a wondrous event because the Easter egg is the ultimate target for every antique dealer and every enthusiast. “It may never be seen again and it may disappear into the deepest, darkest vaults of a collector somewhere.” Wartski bought the egg for a private collector and it will be on display for four days in London from April 14. The egg was last seen in public in March 1902 at an exhibition in St Petersburg.
APAH APAH is looking for a long-term foster home for a special dog. Born in May 2010, Leo is a lovely dog, who charms everyone who meets him. Sadly, Leo has a health issue which puts many people off giving him the loving home he so deserves. His health has been stabilised, and to look at him you wouldn’t know there was a problem. If someone would offer him a home environment, APAH will cover any future medical costs. To meet Leo, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.
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SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
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Teaching Opportunity FIESTA IS A FIRM SUCCESS IN PUERTO DE MAZARRON
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 Location: Lorca/Murcia Contract type: Temporary Employment type: Part - time Salary: A ccording to experience & qualifications, minimum 9€ per hour.
2014 saw yet another successful year with the Fiesta de San Jose which ran from 14th - 23rd March, incorporating Father’s Day on 19th March. The main focal point for this years Fiesta in Puerto de Mazarron was the Plaza de las Comunidades Autonomas which is the main plaza in front of the sporting port leading onto the Paseo. Most of the weeks events were held here with craft stalls lining the paseo, a large open air stage playing live music, and plenty of places to eat and drink, guaranteeing a great party atmosphere. There was the usual Ruta del Aperitivo (tapas route) in the town with a free train to help revellers get between the bars for as many tapas as possible. The church (Iglesias) of San Jose is situated just behind the Plaza in the main block of buildings behind the paseo. This played host to a special mass on Wednesday followed by a procession through the streets of Puerto with the image of the Saint. Other features of this celebratory week were a funfair for the children and children’s entertainment, the traditional San Jose pétanque competition, veterans football match and tribute concert to Spanish pop group Fito y Los Fitipaldis. The event culminated in members of the public being invited to bring along a kilo of food for families in need in aid of The Red Cross.
Finca La Castellana
Animal Welfare Centre - San Miguel de Salinas Le Roy
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
Le Roy Is a young dog who has been castrated, chipped and all his vaccinations are up-todate. He is good with all other dogs and likes ladies, but he is extremely strong on the lead. With the correct training and patience you would have a giant of a small dog. Here at the Finca we have many different dogs all of which have unique personalities and histories to match but with one thing in common, all of them are looking for a loving home. If you can re-home, foster or sponsor one of the adorable dogs please contact Eleanor on 610 188 349.
SOLTIMES march 2014
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Getting British TV here in Spain can be a confusing and daunting task and finding a reliable and informative company is vital.
Welcome GO SATELLITE! Getting British TV here in Spain can be a confusing and daunting task and finding a reliable and informative company is vital. Welcome GO SATELLITE! about us GO SATELLITE was set up 8 years ago by husband and wife team Ian and Deborah. Ian has more than 20 years experience, having spent 10 years with SKY In Home Services in the UK, where he worked on the specialist heights team as well as SKY´S Prestigious VIP Team which caters for the “stars”, therefore the quality of his workmanship is extremely high! After leaving SKY, Ian set up his own business in the UK and ran this very successfully for 5 years before moving to Spain. SERVICES WE OFFER We are here to help!!!! We can arrange Installation of TV direct from the satellite with no monthly subscription. We are able to make repairs to
existing satellite systems, potentially saving you from additional costs. We are suppliers of Sky and humax receivers direct from the UK. You will find we are the cheapest on the Costa Blanca. Ask us about Sky cards and subscriptions as well as Al Jazeera cards for bars enabling viewing of Premier League Football matches. Our latest additional service is VPN routers, pop in to the office or give us a call for more details. We are not only here for your TV and Satelite solutions, but are able to offer help with Internet and Telephone. WHERE ARE WE? GO SATELLITE is based in
Ciudad Quesada and covers most of the Costa Blanca. WHY ARE WE DIFFERENT? Ian said “Being a small company has its advantages. We offer a personal service and get to know all our customers by name. It’s important to us that people fully understand and are happy with the service we are providing. We realise that the technology involved can be confusing but we are happy to spend time with our customers to ensure that they get the best system for their needs”. CUSTOMER SERVICE Any concerns or queries are dealt with in a clear and professional manner and clients can call Ian at any point if they have any queries. This ensures that all of their customers have complete peace of mind throughout the lifetime of the service. Added to that is the fact that GO SATELLITE is a fully legal,
Spanish registered business that provides individual, company and community installations with a free no obligation site survey. Go Satellite is going from strength to strength! SATISFIED CUSTOMERS! Over the past 8 years the company has installed hundreds of satellite TV systems for individuals, companies and communities. The Go Satellite system uses highest quality Portuguesemanufactured dishes and requires NO monthly payments. Packages are available to suit everybody´s requirements and budget. GO SATELLITE offer expertise, reassurance and a proven track record, which can be backed up by many a satisfied customer. OTHER SERVICES Go Satellite not only provide television but are also able to provide internet and telephone services. Packages are available to suit all with a switch on/off service available for non residents.
COME AND MEET US! We have an office in the Business Centre Calle Los Arcos No7 Ciudad Quesada, so you can now come and meet us and we will endeavour to help you with all of your TV queries. DISH ISSUES? Here at Go Satellite, we use only Top Quality Portugese dishes and Invacom LNB’s. Sky Packages are also available. If you do not have room or do not wish to have a dish, give us a call as we have a solution! At Go Satellite, we will endeavour, to provide TV for everyone.
So, if you are fed up of missing your favourite programs or you have lost your TV signal and do not want to lose out any more, then call Ian or Deborah on 965 725 670 or call into our office to find out more about GO SATELLITE and its services. Alternatively
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SOLTIMES march 2014
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Dementia often develops slowly and is not always obvious in the early stages. Symptoms similar to dementia can be seen in other illnesses. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell apart dementia from the usual mild forgetfulness seen in normal ageing. You should see your GP if you or your family and friends are worried about any changes in: • Memory • General mental functioning
Other signs and symptoms of types of dementia include: •R egularly forgetting recent events, names and faces. • Regularly misplacing items or putting them in odd places. • Confusion about the time of day.
• Ability to carry out daily tasks
•D isorientation, especially away from your normal surroundings.
• Personality
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Your GP will be able to either reassure you or, if necessary, refer you to a specialist. Diagnosing dementia early is important to allow you to get the right help and treatments and to plan for the future. Everyone with dementia will experience symptoms in their own way. Other types of dementia include Alzheimers,
• Getting lost. • Problems finding the right words. •R educed judgement, for example, being unaware of danger. •M ood or behaviour problems such as apathy, irritability, or losing confidence. • Becoming slower in thinking. •D isorientation, especially away from your normal surroundings. •D ifficulty finding words or using inappropriate words. •M emory problems like regularly misplacing items or putting them in odd places. • Becoming more emotional. •D ifficulty walking or a change in the way a person walks. •V ariation in attention, alertness and confusion. These fluctuations can be very noticeable from hour-to-hour or day-to-day.
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• Movements during sleep and vivid dreams. •S ymptoms similar to Alzheimer’s, memory loss and disorientation.
including
• Fainting and falls. •P ersonality changes, such as loss of inhibition, rudeness, apathy, impatience or inappropriate behaviour, of which the person is often unaware •L oss of emotional warmth and empathy for others. The person may seem selfish and unfeeling. •D ecline in language abilities – including difficulty getting words out or problems with understanding less common words and people’s names. •O vereating or changes in dietary preference, particularly cravings for sweet food. •C hanges in sexual behaviour. •D ay-to-day memory remains intact in the early stages, but the decline in the ability to communicate may give the impression of memory problems.
SOLTIMES march 2014
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Alzheimer’s, dementia with Lewy bodies and frontotemporal dementia are all neurodegenerative diseases. This means that the symptoms get worse over time. This is usually the case with vascular dementia too. The speed of change varies between people and also between different diseases, but in most dementias symptoms progress slowly over several years. Prevention Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are complex. It’s becoming clear that they don’t have a single cause. It is likely that a mixture of our age, genes, environment and lifestyle contribute to whether we develop dementia. The risk of developing most dementias increases with age. That means as we get older, we are more likely to develop dementia. About one in 20 people over the age of 60 have dementia, but this rises to about one in five people over the age of 80. Dementia is not a normal part of getting older or an acceleration of ageing. Dementia is caused by different diseases – most commonly by Alzheimer’s. We can’t change our age and there is currently no way we can completely prevent dementia, but research suggests there may be some simple things we can all do that might help lower our risk. A risk factor is anything that can increase your chance of developing dementia. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease (like heart disease and stroke) are also risk factors for all types of dementia. So it’s a good idea to keep
healthy by: • exercising regularly • not smoking • achieving and maintaining a healthy weight • controlling high blood pressure • reducing your cholesterol level • controlling your blood glucose if you have diabetes • eating a healthy, balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and low amounts of saturated fat. Some studies suggest that enjoying an active life, with lots of interests and hobbies might be beneficial. Other researchers have found that spending more time in education is associated with a lower risk. It’s not yet known whether eating oily fish or taking B vitamins can reduce the risk of dementia as studies so far have had mixed results. It is not advised to take NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen) or HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to protect against dementia, as research is continuing in this area. You should talk to your doctor before taking any supplements or drugs that claim to prevent dementia, as most are unproven and they can have serious side effects. You might read or hear about other risk factors for dementia. Despite occasional publicity, research has shown that meat, aluminium or living close to power lines are not risk factors for dementia. There is also no evidence that turmeric, gingko, ginseng, statins or coffee can protect against dementia. Source: Almeria Angels.
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...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES march 2014
braben’s blog...
Hello and welcome to CanDu Computer Bytes. First an apology. Sol Times had to reprint a previous article due to my negligence. The article you read last week was supposed to have been emailed for inclusion. So next week’s article is about how to make sure you have attached your attachments and not “do a Trevor” :-) Today I am writing this from a country who’s corruption make the Spanish attempts at corruption seem infantile. Where am I? England of course. Why such an opinionated opening? As you might have come to understand from reading my articles over the years, I’m very much for the freedom to choose. I choose not to have speed cameras every 300 yards, not because I am a speed merchant but because I’ve learned that getting somewhere 2 minutes sooner by travelling 20 MPH faster isn’t worth it (what can you do in that 2 minutes – part boil an egg!). By the same token, I choose to be able to use the internet without being told where I can and can’t go! So what in the name of Sam Hill has gotten under my skin? I am using the technology that is “torrent” to download, from a friend, an enormous package of programs that he has spent the past 3 years writing. I am one of a number of people who is trusted enough to test, “to destruction”, his programs and offer suggestions in the re-coding to resolve these problems. Because of the size of these files it is easier for a number of testers to download parts of the files from him and the rest from each other, thereby making downloading much faster, easier and allows us to really get on with what we are there for – helping my mate produce effectively. Richard Branson has been bullied by the courts, who have in turn been manipulated by the film and music industries to prevent access to the websites that are used as an
access point for the dissemination of these programs. The arguments used in court are that the people downloading movies and music are in breach of copyright laws. Let’s ignore, for now, the fact that there are people who do this, because it is a fact that this goes on! We can ignore the fact that music and film companies have, over the many years that they have had the unrestrained monopoly, now completely lost control! Although both of these statements are completely true and in other circumstances would be a wonderful fireside debate, today we have to consider the following statement: 1) It is wrong to prevent the access to any place, physical or electronic, where lawful and proper interaction is accepted and acceptable? 2) Further, should the legal system be able to create a sweeping statement (law) that prohibits the actions of all because of the actions of a few. 3) Should we, the lawful taxpayers, allow this travesty to continue because it is “the law”? I’m classed as a trouble maker in england by the authorities because I, not only, dare to think “outside of their box”, but tell the world and his best mate my thoughts! Forgive me but I was under the strange impression that being able to share files was sacrosanct, an act of free expression that is only compromised in Neo-Socialist and Communist countries. Welcome to the Soviet Socialist State of Lesser Britain and you are welcome to it! I will be back at Jack’s bar in Albox on Friday 21st March for the computer clinic. Bring your computer related problems for: free advice; free assessment and clearly priced solutions (more than most can / will offer you)!
For further information or advice on computing, contact Trevor on 689 892 745 or canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk
Vladimir Putin
Putin was born in 1952 in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) to a factory working mother and a Navy conscript father. During WWII his father served in the feared NKVD; forerunner to the KGB. Putin had 2 older brothers, both died before he was born. Other than a grandfather, a chef not much is known about Putin’s ancestry. Putin was/is a keen sportsman enjoying judo at school. He attended Leningrad State University and joined the Communist Party; he joined the KGB after graduating in 1975. After training he monitored foreigners in Leningrad. He married an ex Aeroflot hostess Lyudmila (Putina) in1983; moving to Dresden in 1985 working alongside the East German Stasi (Secret Police). Putin recruited students from Dresden Technical University, aiming to send them to the US as agents once graduated. BND (West German intelligence) records show that ironically his wife spoke to a BND agent in Dresden saying her husband was violent towards her and had affairs. The couple returned home in 1990 at the collapse of the East German Communist regime. Putin was stationed at his old university in Leningrad again as a recruiter. He resigned a year later when the KGB tried to overthrow President Gorbachev. Politically this was a sound move as he then worked for the Mayor’s Office in St Petersburg. There have always been rumours of Putins’
Spare Time Suggestions!
Stuck for something to do in your spare time? I know that many of us are satisfied with simply enjoying being a couch potato. But even that has its competitive edge. Earlier this year three fit young chaps in Las Vegas broke the world record for sitting watching television. They lasted over 85 hours before they ran out of the room, gibbering wrecks! Can you imagine, sitting in front of the television for so many hours. I wonder how many times they lost the remote control. But, if spending endless hours in front of the television isn’t your thing, don’t despair. I’ve been doing a little research and found all manner of fascinating frivolities to help while away the hours. How about Yak farming? You’ve never considered it? Well, consider away. Yak meat is supposedly delicious, according to that well known body, the International Yak Association no less. Okay, not everyone is a Yak fan so, if, for some unaccountable reason, Yak farming doesn’t grab you, how about a far more sensible suggestion? Mooing. Mooing, as in the noise various cows famously make, is a popular hobby in America- the land of plonking yourself in front of the television for over eighty hours! Not only do people enjoy mooing, with other consenting mooers, they can also compete for a prize of 1000 dollars at the Wisconsin State Fair. They’re not so daft after all! I know that spending your spare time mooing may not be everybody’s cup of tea-or mouthful of grass. In that case, how about extreme ironing? Now ironing is my least favourite thing in the world so I find it very difficult to understand why some half-baked people go to dangerous locations to do their ironing When I say they’re half-baked, I think I ‘m being kind. They iron whilst hanging by ropes, from a sheer cliff face, on a surf board and even on top of moving cars. I’m Graham is married not sure what they get out of it; certainly to Helen and has a not nice creases, their irons aren’t even daughter, Alice. He plugged in! lives part of the year So, next time I’m sitting by the pool near Albox, but works relaxing, or simply reading a book, I’ll in Qatar, teaching. If think of those people who might be tearing you wish to contact dementedly after a Yak across a muddy Graham regarding field, ironing on top of a speeding car, or this article email: mooing for all they’re worth, and just be helenandg@yahoo. glad that I enjoy sensible things. Now, co.uk where’s my Buzz Lightyear costume?
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
vast hidden wealth and here maybe the start. An investigation recommended Putin be fired after he approved $93 million of exports of which payment was apparently never made. Strangely he kept his job for another five years. Then in 1996 came a potentially lucrative job in Moscow transferring property assets from the old USSR to Russia. A year later, Boris Yeltsin made him Deputy Chief of Staff. At the same time Putin bought a 7000m2 Dacha (Country estate) on the lake shore in Solovyovka. 7 friends also bought locally and they all built residences there gaining planning permission to turn it into a gated community. Putins neighbours include Yuri Kovalchuk (net worth $1bn), Vladimir Yakunin (President of Russia Railways), Andrei Fursenko (Govt Aide) and his brother Sergey Fursenko (President of Zenit St Petersburg FC and director of a Gazprom subsidiary). In the wake of the annexation by Russia of Crimea, international financial sanctions were announced recently on people close to Putin (his inner circle) including those above. Others becoming obscenely wealthy under Putins patronage have also been targeted. The winter Olympics in Sochi cost $50bn to construct and stage, Putins friend and ex judo partner from the 60s Arkady Rotenberg won lucrative building contracts for the
games and has sanctions against him as does Gennady Timchenko. Timchenko is co-founder of Gunvor an energy trading company responsible for nearly 10% of all oil and gas deals worldwide. The Americans say they have proof that Putin is an investor in Gunvor. Putin was Prime Minister in 1999 and Yeltsin named him as his successor; he was President of Russia from 2000-8 but the constitution prevented him assuming a third term. So Putin became Prime Minister instead. Whilst still President, Putin changed laws in anticipation of this, transferring more powers to the PMs Office. Since 2012 he again has been President, this time for longer as he changed the constitution to enable a 6 year term. Putin is separated from his wife Putina and although they have 2 daughters, they have never been seen in the press. One lives in Holland with her Dutch husband. Putin has been linked romantically to an ex ballerina and Anna Chapman who was arrested in 2010 as a Russian spy in New York. Putin recently granted Snowden temporary asylum in Russia and Chapman asked Edward Snowden to marry her via her twitter feed. Putins wealth is officially reported as $150,000 although it’s alleged it’s closer to $70bn!
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
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LEGAL CORNER WITH MICHAEL DAVIES, ABOGADO/SOLICITOR If you wish us to print an article about a particular topic, please
e-mail info@daviessolicitors.com
Q. Please explain the situations in which a resident qualifies for non-payment of capital gains tax.
A . The first thing is to be able to prove to the notary the day of the sale that you are in fact a Spanish tax resident. It is very important to realize that having what everyone calls the “residencia” issued by the police does not in fact prove you are a tax resident of Spain, and that if this is the only document you take to the notary to prove tax residency , the notary will consider you a non resident and you will be subject to a 3% retention. To prove you are a tax resident your solicitor needs to request a certificate from the tax authorities, which can then be taken to the notary. If you suffer the nasty surprise of them saying that in fact you are a non resident, you will need to get this amended by proving to them that you are in fact a resident before they will issue you with the correct certificate for the notary. The best way to secure tax residency status is making a resident income tax declaration in Spain in June of every year. If you are going to sell shortly, request this certificate in advance to avoid last minute surprises. 1. The possible total or partial exemption from capital gains tax due to reinvestment (roll-over): If you
are a resident and sell one property to purchase another of the same or higher price you can claim 100% exemption from capital gains tax. To benefit you have to have been a resident for at least 3 year before the sale takes place, and you must purchase the next property within 2 years of the sale. If you are moving to a smaller property, you can claim exemption of a percentage of the capital gains tax. 2. Claim of total exemption if you are over 65 years old: If you are over 65 and sell your main home (where you must have lived for at least 3 years as a resident), you can claim 100% exemption from capital gains tax even if you do not reinvest. If the property is owned by a couple and one member is over 65 and the other is not, you are allowed to claim the exemption in respect to half the price. Michael Davies. Abogado.
Michael Davies is a Spanish Abogado and has been practicing law in Andalucia since 1993. He is member of the Law societies of Almería and Madrid. For a short period of time leading up to 2007 he was also Honorary British Consul
COMPLETE HOLIDAY HOLIDAY CARE CARE News COMPLETE
ECB supervisory Nouy rejects EU ‘split’ over banking union
one of the three elements of the eurozone ‘banking union’ created in the wake of the debt crisis. The SSM allows for direct supervision of the eurozone’s largest banks, notably those with assets of more than €30bn and those that have major cross-border activities.
The newly appointed chair of the European Central Bank’s supervisory board has said she is making it a “personal issue” to ensure that the creation of a eurozone “banking union” does not lead to a split between eurozone and non-eurozone countries. Giving evidence to the Economic Affairs Committee on 18 March 2014, Daniele Nouy told MEPs she was keen to encourage non-eurozone states to optin to the so-called single supervisory mechanism (SSM). She insisted, “the best way of making sure this will happen is for the SSM to do a very good job”. The supervisory board which Ms Nouy chairs oversees the SSM, which is
Other elements of the banking union include a single resolution fund and a common method for winding up failing banks at minimal risk to the taxpayer. Responding to a question from Portugal’s Elisa Ferreira, Ms Nouy said the timescale towards setting up a fund, which could be as long as ten years, was “far too long”, saying she would like the fund established within three to five years. Ms Nouy joined the Bank of France in 1974, and became the country’s senior bank regulator in 2003. She was appointed as the first Chair of the Supervisory Board last November, for a non-renewable five-year term. Source: www.bbc.co.uk
MOJACAR PLAYA
RENTALS - SALES -MANAGEMENT - MAINTENANCE
We urgently need more properties for sale and rental for waiting clients Properties of the week
W NE
Ref. PC/SK beautifully refurbished, very large 1st flr apt, 300m to beach, pool & a/c.
MOJACAR - €149,950
Ref. LR/TS Spacious 3 bed, 1.5 bath, duplex 100 metres to Mojacar beach, gardens/ terraces front & back, parking, a/c. MOJACAR - €164,950
ED UC D RE
W NE
Ref. JP/CH Beautiful, 3bed, 2.5 bathroom, duplex with garage, terraces, pools, garden, a/c, 200 m from beach.
MOJACAR PLAYA-179,950EUROS
Ref.CB/BS Very pretty 2 bed, 2 bath, terraces, pool share, pking, a/c, mountain location and views, 20 mins Mojacar
CABRERA - 179,950 EUROS
Paseo del Mediterraneo 19, Mojacar Playa, Almeria (near the Hotel Best Indalo)
Tel: 950 478 612 / 610 808 631
info@almeriaholidays.com
www.almeriaholidays.com
A
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES march 2014
Buy Buy SUBASTA
UCTION
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YOU NAME IT WE SELL IT
Tel: 681 095 096 622 288 750
REST. Balabona & Petrol Station
Murcia
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x lbo
Vera/Mojacar EXIT 543
La Concepcion
We are here
16
Directions: we are only 5 mins from Arboleas, Zurgena, 10 mins from Albox, Huercal Overa and 20 mins from Mojacar & Vera. From A7 jct 543, direction to La Concepcion for 3.5km on the right.
buybuyauctionsubasta@gmail.com www.buybuyauctionsubasta.com
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
The Right Way To Buy A Home Abroad
What is the biggest mistake you could make when buying property in a foreign country? Why pay for an independent lawyer when you’re already using a notary? Viewing trips – do they really take much planning? Exactly how can exchange rates affect your buying power abroad? Powerful questions like these will be tackled at the A Place in the Sun Live show this month, when international property experts, including Richard Way of The Overseas Guides Company, take centre stage for a seminar about the right way to buy a home abroad. “These free seminars are an ideal way for propertybuyers to get free advice and ask any niggling questions – and we all have them – about an overseas purchase,” said Richard Way, Editor at the Overseas Guides Company. “Deciding to spend your life savings on a home abroad can be as daunting as it is exciting, so it’s incredibly important to get reliable, first-hand information and meet the right people from the outset. Bringing together experts from different fields of the international property
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industry creates the perfect environment for buyers to do just that and do invaluable research.” A Place in the Sun Live takes place from 28th-30th March at Olympia in Kensington, London. The “How to buy overseas property the right way” seminar, featuring Richard Way and other trusted overseas property experts, will take place on all three days of the event in the exhibition’s central hub, where visitors will also be able to watch live interviews with the presenters of the Channel 4 A Place in the Sun TV series. “The Overseas Guides Company will be shining the spotlight on Spain at this year’s show, complementing the seminars by bringing together experts from the Spain Buying Guide and offering free, info-packed leaflets and guides to anyone who registers on our stand at the exhibition,” continued Richard Way. “We’ll have literature on buying safely, how to get the most from a viewing trip, currency exchange and more. And along with members of our knowledgeable resource team, visitors can come and chat to our recommended bi-lingual Spanish lawyer, Raquel Perez, who has helped hundreds of British people purchase safely in Spain.” Visit Richard and the Overseas Guides Company team on Stand A53 at A Place In The Sun Live, 28th - 30th March, or contact the Resource Team for more information on 0207 898 0549. Source: smartcurrencyexchange.com
R in g air Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Heating Installation, Service & Repair Tel: 966 716 859 Mob: 669 605 173
Professional marble polishing • Marble floor restoration & repairs • Marble floors cleaned & buffed to a high sheen • Marble stairs, worktops & fire places renovated • Rugs & upholstery cleaned Call Mike: Day 691 649 515 Eve: 966 721 331 www.simplyprofloorcare.com simplyprofloorcare@hotmail.com Alicante to Cartegena & the Murcia region
Glamour distributers
Hair & Beauty Products C/Acequia del Rio no 27 03179 - Formentera del Segura (Alicante)
Tel - 966 792 626 Movil - 627 083 774
17
FOR BUSINESS
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Call NOW for a 617 500 876 competitive quote 0044 7722 77 9062 Pets also carried - Fully Insured
coast2coasttransport@hotmail.com www.coast2coastremovals.com
DAVID THE PLUMBER Prompt and reliable service, no job too small. Full bathrooms or just makeovers and handyman service. 24 hour call out Boilers: 80 litre fully installed from 160€
Call David on 634 286 590 THE READY MADE Est. 2006
CURTAIN & BEDDING STORE Quality Textiles For Your Home Sewing Service
www.readymadecurtainoutlet.com At Los Dolses Commercial Centre, Villamartin Next to the card shop near the canal.
SARAH & TONY TURLEY 966 848 980 or 642 308 654
costa blanca conservatories cracked or misty glass & double glazed units replaced call now for a free quotation over the phone
Paul 662 196 024
18
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES march 2014
Legal Matters
Help for Expats in Spain
Your Belgian Estate Agent for the inland area like Arboleas, Albox & surroundings. After a successful exhibition in Belgium, we are urgently looking for Legal properties for clients that are coming to buy.
Cucador Very nice villa with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a private pool with beautiful views! Price is 149.000€
Albanchez Nice villa on a plot of 852m² with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, pool. beautiful views. Price is 140.000€
Willemsens Karel web: www.immo-carlos.com
email: info@immo-carlos.com
Tel: 950 090 875 – Mob: 648 505 938
All words you may have heard since arriving in Spain, but never been quite sure what they mean, either in English, or for you as a resident. If so, read on for more information and the numerous reasons why registering on the padrón may just be worth your while. The padrón is, quite simply, the municipal register, a list of all the people who live in a certain town, while empadronarse is the act of registering yourself on this list with your local town hall. Officially, all residents in Spain are required by law to register on the padrón, yet many British ex-pats still have not done so. Perhaps some view the padrón as a means of vigilance by the state, in ‘big-brother’ fashion. However, it is simply a way for the town hall to know how many people live in their area, without entering into investigations as to a person’s official residence status or financial affairs. The information provided is confidential and protected by data protection laws. You don’t even have to own your house to register, just have an address where you usually live, whether you are the owner, you rent, or live with family or friends. Nor is registration a long, drawn-out process. Simply go to the padrón office at your town hall and fill in the form they provide. Take along identification, such as a passport, and also your NIE or residence certificate, a recent utility bill in your name, and the deeds to your house or a copy of your rental contract. Although you may have to return to collect your certificate, the actual registration is completed all on the same day. And once you’ve completed this simple process, you can begin to enjoy all the advantages being
THE PADRÓN, EMPADRONAMIENTO, EMPADRONARSE. on the padrón offers. To highlight a few, we’ve listed the top five as follows: For better public services: Central government allocates money to municipalities according to how many people are on the padrón. Therefore, if you are not registered, your town hall is losing money for the provision of health centres, police officers, firefighters and schools. To access benefits and social care: You must be on the padrón for a certain period of time to take advantage of some incomerelated benefits and other aspects of social care available through social services at your town hall. For a reduction in taxes: Being on the padrón could mean up to 50 per cent off property tax, and reductions in community charges and inheritance tax. Furthermore, those on the padrón often enjoy discounted courses, leisure and cultural activities run by the town hall. To have your say: In order to register to vote in local or European elections, you must first be registered on the padrón. To make life easier: You’ll find you need your padrón certificate to carry out various administrative tasks, such as register for healthcare, register your car with Spanish number plates or enrol your children in school. And, remember, it is compulsory, under Spanish law, for all residents in Spain including Spanish nationals to register on the padrón. (Artículo 15 de la Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local)
Tlf. 646 844 708 E: 4wayconnections@gmail.com For all your legal needs www.4wayconnections.webs.com
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
uk Budget 2014: The Key Points You Need To Know
The Chancellor George Osborne has delivered his fifth budget. Here are the key points. Savings • Tax-free ISAs to be boosted to £15,000 per year from July. Junior ISAs up to £4,000 a year. • Stocks and shares ISAs can be tranferred to new single ISA scheme. • Premium Bonds cap lifted from £30,000 to £40,000 in June, and to £50,000 next year. • 10p rate of tax for savers to be abolished. • Zero tax band to cover £5,000 of savings. Reliefs • Alcohol escalator to be scrapped for all alcohol duties, instead a rise with inflation. • Scottish whisky duty to be frozen as it is “a huge British success story”. • Cut of 1p in duty per pint of beer. • Export finance lending interest rate to be cut by a third and lending doubled to £3bn. • From 2015, all long haul air passenger flights carry same, lower, band B tax rate. • Right to Build scheme for builders of their own homes including £150m of finance to support it. • New £200m fund for councils “to bid for” to fix potholes across Britain. • Additional £140m help for flood damage. • September’s fuel duty rise will not be brought in. Taxes • Duty on fixed-odds betting terminals to rise to 25%.
• Horse race betting levy to be extended to bookmakers based offshore. • Bingo duty will be halved to 10% “to protect jobs and protect communities”. • Tobacco duty to remain at 2% above inflation and escalator will not be stopped. • Increased disclosed tax avoidance schemes scrutiny for the wealthy. • City fines over Libor rate-rigging to continue going to military charities and emergency service charities. • From midnight anyone buying home over £500,000 through corporate entity to pay 15% stamp duty to “avoid abuse”. • “We will expand the tax on residential properties worth over £2m to those worth more than £500,000.” • Private jets, previously not taxed, will see tax levied on flights. Income Tax • Personal tax allowance rises to £10,500 next year, giving average saving of £800. • 40p tax rate threshold to rise from £41,450 to £41,865 from next month and then up by further 1% to £42,285 next year. • Transferable tax allowance for married couples rising to £1,050. Pensions • All retirees on defined contribution pensions to be offered free, impartial, face-to-face advice. • No need for pensioners to buy annuities if they do not wish to. • Removal of all remaining tax restrictions on how pensioners have access to their pension pots. • Income requirement for flexible
KAREN OLIVER + TEAM WELCOMES YOU TO THE NEW
info@solymarspain.com - www.solymarspain.com
Contact us now on
950 064 584 Mob: 677 667 722 / 635 979 829
we urgently require rental properties 33,000€
SOL 149
Land in albox 1867m2 in a small hamlet tarmac road access with permissions to build water and electric on site
250€ pw
MAR991
SELF CONTAINED APARTMENTS 1/2 bed 4 bath self contained stunning views and access to private pool
39,950€
SOL 050
CUCADOR 3/4 bed 1 bath all major work has been carried out but needs finishing detached & garage 1700m² of land
draw-down from £20,000 to £12,000, raised cap draw-down limit from 120% to 150%. • Lump sum small pot level lifted fivefold to £10,000. • Almost doubling total pension savings as a lump sum to £30,000. • £20m to be spent in next two years working with consumer groups over pension advice. • New Pensioner Bond paying market leading rates, issued by National Savings and Investments, open to everyone aged 65 or over. Available from January next year. Spending and Welfare • Foreign aid to be 0.7% of national income. • Public sector spending reduction to reach £1bn by 2015-16. • A permanent cap on welfare, excluding state pension, set at £119bn in 201516, rising in line with forecast inflation to £127bn in 2018-19. Growth • Independent OBR growth forecast revised upwards to 2.7%, up from 2.4% in Autumn Statement. • Growth next year is also revised up to 2.3%, then 2.6% in 2016 and 2017, with growth expected to return to long-term trend of 2.5% in 2018. • 1.5 million new jobs forecast in next five years. Borrowing • Deficit this year of 6.6% reduced to 5.5% next year, then expected to be 4.2%, 2.4% and finally 0.8% in 2017-18. Following year forecast surplus of 0.2%. • Expect to borrow £108bn this year, £12bn less than forecast last year. No
borrowing from 2018-19. • OBR forecasts public debt to be 74.5% of GDP this year; 77.3% next year; peaking at 78.7% in 201516 - lower than the 80% previously forecast - before falling to 78.3% in 2016-17, then falling to 76.5% and then 74.2% in 2018-19. • The new £1 coin to thwart forgery and “In honour of our Queen”. Jobs • Support for more than 100,000 new apprenticeships. • New Alan Turing Institute for computing “big data” to boost Britain’s IT prowess. Business • New allowance for ultra high pressure, high temperature oil field for North Sea oil and gas. • Tax relief of up to 25% for touring theatrical productions. • VAT relief on fuel for air ambulances and inshore rescue boat services across Britain, and a new air ambulance for London. • Accept recommendation to move collection of Class 2 NICs into selfassessment, abolishing for 5 million people “this wholly unnecessary bureaucracy”. • Corporation tax - high street stores will get £1,000 off their rates, and businesses the £2,000 Employment Allowance. • From next year, corporation tax to drop from 21% to 20% and under21s taken out of the jobs tax. • Business rates discounts and enhanced capital allowances will be extended for another three years. Source: www.web.orange.co.uk
Properties
Houses Wanted in Huercal Overa/Vera Urgently Required & surrounding areas For Sale & For Rent 400€ pcm
MAR982
PARTALOA PIEDRA AMARILLA Pets allowed 3 bed 2 bath fully fenced and secure with stunning views
59.995€
SOL11
OLULA DEL RIO 4 bed 2 bath in a typical little spainish hamlet marvelous views plunge pool reformed and ready to move into
350€ pcm
MAR666
INCLUDES UTILITY BILLS 2 bed 1 bath fully walled and gated fully furnished pool
67.500€
19
SOL152
LA ALFOQUIA Village house in need of reforming 3 bed 1 bath 100m2 build on a 600m2 plot
550€ pcm
MAR890
ALBOX Cortijo 4 bed 2 bath no pets fully walled and gated
49.950€
SOL390
PURCHENA 3 bed 2 bath village house small garden but has two terraces to enjoy the views
OUR OFFICE ADDRESS: AVENIDA 28 DE FEBRERO, 44 BAJO, ALBOX (A334 ALBOX TO BAZA ROAD) opposite Albox Online
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
“RE-PLATE” MATE GB
Don’t take a chance! Don’t break the Law! Let us take the hassle away from you and re-register your vehicle on to Spanish plates
E
490€ plus Road Tax plus CO2 emission if applicable WE PROMISE TO BEAT ANY GENUINE QUOTATION For a full service contact:
Alan 662 249 159
www.replatematecostablanca.com
B.D. Security Big enough to cope, small enough to care
GRILLES - GATES - FENCING - Arches
Call for a free quote for all your metalwork and security needs phone david on: 679 360 744 email: davegrilles@hotmail.com
Are your security grills/gates rusty? Do they need a professional facelift so they look like new again? We take away your existing grills, sandblast them back to bare metal removing all old paint and rust. We then prime and powder coat them to your required colour and taste.
• • • • •
Roller Shutters & Persianas Mosquito Roller Blinds All Styles of Mosquito Nets Replace Materials for Toldos Glazing Work
We Fit, Repair or Replace or : 688 806 296
Tel: 680 845 651
INDOOR MARKET AND CAR BOOT SALE Saturdays & Sundays Sellers Set up at 8am BUYERS AT 9am.
At The
“Black Seven House”
Situated on the CV 945 in Montesinos
SELL YOUR UNWANTED ITEMS OR PICK UP A BARGAIN EVERY WEEKEND
AUCTION Every Monday All Items Booked in 10am till 1pm Public Aution Starts From 2pm Please Do Not Park On The Road Use The Car Park At The Rear
↑
one for the boys
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
To Los Montesinos
→
CV945
To Quesada
↑
20
To Torrevieja
Black Seven House
For Further details Contact GRAHAM on 0034 689 762 990
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
21
To advertise on this feature please call the Costa Bl anca office
Tel : 902 750 190 EXT: 330
SAN LUIS COMPUTERS
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APPROVED INSURANCE REPAIRERS
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22
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
Our Business is Growing Specialists in:
Landscaping - Irrigation - Garden Maintenance Lawn work - Tree Trimming
Call: 666 847 583 or 950 699 984 gardenworks.bates@gmail.com
selecciones NEW STOCK ARRIVING DAILY
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
homes& gardens Benches and Chairs
Benches and chairs are important garden features because they literally allow us to sit and enjoy the garden. When I realized I didn’t have anywhere to relax in my own yard, I immediately went out and bought a lightweight wooden bench that I could easily move around my garden until I found the perfect spot for it. If you already know where you’d want a bench or chair in your yard, I recommend getting a really nice one in wood, concrete or even stone. Or you can stick with a lightweight chair that’s easy to move. As long as it gives you a nice place to spend more quality time in your garden, you’re good.
Night Lighting
OPENING TIMES: mON - sAT FROM 10AM - 3PM
Mojacar - Bedar - Vera
Triton Pool cleaning prices from 60€ per month
Triton Property Services Triton Security Services When you want something done, professionally, reliably and on time then you need people who pride themselves on providing the service you need with total trust and commitment. Pool Cleaning Landscaping Property Management Key Holding Property Maintenance Vacant Property Checks Gardening & Strimming Home SecurityImprovements Painting & Decorating Plus Home Care Services
Providing the right people for the job!
Call us on: 634 326 322 www.tritonspain.com NASH CONSTRUCTION
Complete Construction, Landscaping and Digger Hire Now is the time to get a free quote for renovation work on your house/pool for the summer season. Need a new Kitchen? Bathroom? Roof? Driveway? Over 30 years experience Our workshop repair all kinds of construction and gardening/farming machinery welding : gates, rejas. Collection and delivery service from a mower to a 4x4 vehicle. Call Andy Nash T. 66193418 email: nashconstruction51@gmail.com
For those of us living in hot or humid (or both) areas of the country, late afternoon and twilight are about the only time we can stand to be in our gardens. Night lighting doubles your outdoor time. There are several ways to add night lights to your yard. Candles add an air of romance, while tiki torches give your garden that fun tropical feel. Christmas lights strung in trees or through arbors give a space some sparkling ambiance. And more expensive, inground systems highlight artwork, paths and plantings, giving you endless evenings to experience the wonders of moon gardens and night pollinators, such as giant hawkmoths.
Garden Art
Although I’m one of the last to admit there are other things to put in a garden besides plants, garden art can add a lot to your outdoor enjoyment, too. And the best part is that most art requires no maintenance. I want both beauty and function from art, and the way I get this is by incorporating beautiful furniture and structures – like arbors for vines and other climbing plants. So create an air of whimsy (and low maintenance) with fantastic
and functional art.
Entertaining
Gardens are perfectly well and good in their own right, but sometimes you need a pat on the back for all your hard work. Create an excuse to invite people over for a garden party. Don’t worry about the weeds – focus on a small area of your garden or on a newly installed feature such as…oh, I don’t know…night lights! Keep the celebration simple. Focus on fresh food, and use art to attract the eyes of all your guests.
Water
Water is cooling and refreshing on hot summer days, and it appeals to our senses of sight and sound. “Grownups” often think that water gardens are the only way to invite this life-giving source to our outdoor spaces, but children know that sprinklers and kiddie pools are fun and easy water garden stand-ins. If you’re worried that the neighbours will call the men in little white coats if they see you jumping through your sprinkler, confine yourself to the back yard. Whatever the neighbors think, you’ll be cool and invigorated by your romp!
Cut Flowers
Bring the outdoors in by cutting some of the precious (and possibly wilting) flowers from your garden. Cut your flowers in the morning or evening, but not in the middle of the day. Don’t worry if you’re not a professional floral designer. Flowers are beautiful in their own right, and there’s nothing like being able to say you grew a bouquet yourself. These are just a few ways Carratera Lorca - Baza, 56 (Albox) to enjoy your garden for Tlf: 950 431 738 Email: carpinteriametalicatyt@hotmail.com the remainder of summer. • Exterior gates & fencing Pull up a seat on your new bench, relax among • Electronic opening gates your flowers and think • Rejas for fire escapes in various designs from 150€ about it. If you’re not too • Ornamental metal gazebos next to Bazar Oriental distracted by the beauty • motorised up & over garage doors that surrounds you, I’m T&T sure you’ll be able to think • Fixed or concertina window & door grills of lots more fun ideas • Specialists in Stainless Steel – either for now or next CTRA. Lorca - Baza • Spiral staircases season!
TyT
Carpenteria Metallica Juan Chacón
A CHIMNEY OR FLUE NEEDS CLEANING ONCE A YEAR! WHY? • T O REDUCE THE RISK OF A CHIMNEY FIRE BY REMOVING SOOT AND TAR
• TO REMOVE A BLOCKAGE SUCH AS A BIRD NEST! • TO INCREASE THE EFFICIENCY OF YOUR APPLIANCE (ESPECIALLY WOODBURNERS)
FOR PEACE OF MIND BOOK YOUR SWEEP TODAY FOR A FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL, CLEAN, SERVICE CALL PAUL ON 617150300 OR 850993057
A CLEAN CHIMNEY IS A SAFE CHIMNEY!
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
23
Home Sweet Home property SERVICES NEW YEAR NEW BUSINESS? 3 WAYS TO ADVERTISE RING 950 121 936 OR 902 121 936 OR EMAIL YOUR ADVERT TO sales@soltimes.com
Bill’s Carpentry & Shop Fitting
Hanging Doors Flat Pack Furniture Fitting Kitchens - Tiling
No Job Too Small Free Quotations Tel: 633 507 165
O Olive
Contact: 607 705 085 or 687 938 466 C/Llanos, Bedar (Next to the Miramar Restaurant) Open: Monday-Friday 10.00am-3.30pm
www.olivehouse-es.com
bedar El Pinar 59,950€ This new and spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse is located in the popular village of El Pinar, just 5 minutes from the beautiful village of Bedar and under 15 minutes from the beaches of Mojacar. ONLY ONE LEFT AT A KNOCK DOWN PRICE
OLV711
CALL 902 750 190 EMAIL: SALES@SOLTIMES.COM
The Right Way To Buy A Home Abroad
What is the biggest mistake you could make when buying property in a foreign country? Why pay for an independent lawyer when you’re already using a notary? Viewing trips – do they really take much planning? Exactly how can exchange rates affect your buying power abroad? Powerful questions like these will be tackled at the A Place in the Sun Live show this month, when international property experts, including Richard Way of The Overseas Guides Company, take centre stage for a seminar about the right way to buy a home abroad. “These free seminars are an ideal way for propertybuyers to get free advice and ask any niggling questions – and we all have them – about an overseas purchase,” said Richard Way, Editor at the Overseas Guides Company. “Deciding to spend your life savings on a home abroad can be as daunting as it is exciting, so it’s incredibly important to get reliable, first-hand information and meet the right people from the outset. Bringing together experts from different fields of the international property
BUY SELL RENT MAINTAIN industry creates the perfect environment for buyers to do just that and do invaluable research.” A Place in the Sun Live takes place from 28th-30th March at Olympia in Kensington, London. The “How to buy overseas property the right way” seminar, featuring Richard Way and other trusted overseas property experts, will take place on all three days of the event in the exhibition’s central hub, where visitors will also be able to watch live interviews with the presenters of the Channel 4 A Place in the Sun TV series. “The Overseas Guides Company will be shining the spotlight on Spain at this year’s show, complementing the seminars by bringing together experts from the Spain Buying Guide and offering free, info-packed leaflets and guides to anyone who registers on our stand at the exhibition,” continued Richard Way. “We’ll have literature on buying safely, how to get the most from a viewing trip, currency exchange and more. And along with members of our knowledgeable resource team, visitors can come and chat to our recommended bi-lingual Spanish lawyer, Raquel Perez, who has helped hundreds of British people purchase safely in Spain.” Visit Richard and the Overseas Guides Company team on Stand A53 at A Place In The Sun Live, 28th - 30th March, or contact the Resource Team for more information on 0207 898 0549. Source: smartcurrencyexchange.com
David
665 517 643 Steve
610 905 173 valleyconstruction2008@gmail.com Fully Legal & Experienced Builders All Building Work Undertaken No Job Too Big or Small!! Phone or email for a no obligation quote
Urgently wanted properties for sale in the Huercal-Overa, Zurgena, Taberno & San Juan de Los Terreros areas. Call 0034 950 616 827 / 0034 678 002 006 155a Carretera Estacion, Huercal Overa.100m from LIDL
www.vosshomesspain.com
The Window Doctor For all those window problems
Fly Screen Repairs, Stain Glass Windows
The flies are coming so get them sorted!! Broken locks, draughts, broken down units, condensation in windows etc.
CALL SEAN 630 231 644 Building and Bespoke Carpentry Specialist 41 yrs Experience
•Fiberglass Swiming Pools •Regelling
Call Roy 634 306 455
Office hours 10am – 2pm Mon-Sat
24
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
Mountain View
Cat hotel Hondon de las Nieves/Frailes
Centrally-heated houses with large individual runs Love and care will be lavished during your cat’s stay My 29 years of experience in animal and veterinary care will give you piece of mind
Pick up & delivery service offered for coastal areas
Telephone: 966 195 816
Answerphone - we will call back: Mobile 654 155 473
www.mountainviewcathotel.webs.com
Domino Pet Hotel
animal corner
The Importance of Giving Your Dog Affection Love is one of the greatest gifts we can share with our dogs.
Dogs are affectionate animals. Touch means a lot to them, both in their natural world and when they live with us. However, affection that hasn’t been earned and is shared at the wrong time can be detrimental
to a dog. Here are a few of my thoughts on sharing affection. Give affection - but at the right time! Remember anytime you give affection, you
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reinforce the behavior preceding it. Reward stability. Share your love when your dog is in a calm-submissive state. Share affection after a dog has... exercised and eaten,
changed an unwanted behavior into a behavior you asked for, responded to a rule or command, or entered a calmsubmissive state. Don’t share affection when your dog is... fearful, anxious, possessive, dominant, aggressive, whining, begging, barking, or breaking a household rule. Don’t forget exercise and discipline. Prove your love by giving your dog what he or she needs: long walks; rules, boundaries, and limitations Give your dogs as much love as you have! Give as much love as your heart can handle and then some! But please give it at the right time.
EASY HORSE CARE - The Horse Too Late To Save
Two weeks ago the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre (EHCRC) Foundation based in Rojales were involved in a major, much publicised rescue of 14 horses from a horse dealers premises in Callosa De Segura. And it never stopped there. The following night they were called back by two officers from a division of Callosa Policia Local called U.R.M.A. (Unidad Rural y Medio Ambiente). These two officers are serious about animal welfare and are similar to the Guardia Civil Seprona division, responsible for animal welfare and the environment. Someone had sneaked into the abandoned premises and tied a malnourished horse to a tree using a piece of string. One day later and another call from U.R.M.A. to rescue a mule abandoned in a small concrete box sized pen located in a crumbling abandoned factory unit also in Callosa. The next rescue though was tinged with sadness and disbelief. On Wednesday March 19th Sue and Rod Weeding, co founders of the EHCRC received three telephone call asking for assistance from officers of the Guardia
Civil Seprona Division Orihuela and the Guardia Civil from Alicante and also Torrevieja about the plight of a horse in what can only be described as a walled yard with derelict buildings inside. The police had been alerted by a concerned member of the public. Sue and Rod raced to the premises to be met by the Guardia Civil Seprona officers, They were confronted with the sight of a young horse close to death lying prostrate on the ground he was obviously severely malnourished and dehydrated. They immediately administered some water and made him as comfortable as possible until Dorothea their vet and other members of the EHCRC team could get there. Explains Sue, “ Sadly when Dorothea arrived and after examining him she confirmed our worst fears that he was beyond further help. The attending police officers gave Dorothea permission to put him to sleep. Further investigation revealed the other equines being kept there, two horses, two ponies a donkey and a mule. One of the horses is in desperate need of help and we are on standby to get it out when the police call us. The other five equines there are in reasonable condition and we have been advised that they all have different owners. The Guardia Civil Seprona are actively trying to trace these owners and also the proprietor of the premises, all believed to be gypsies, to find a solution for these creatures and to get the installation closed down once and for all. This is not the first time we have been called to this place as we rescued two horses and two donkeys from there three and a half years ago. We are finding now that there is a huge advancement in animal welfare with the police and we have been called out to and worked on several cases
with officers from many towns and villages on the Costa Blanca even as far away as Benidorm. It is important that the EHCRC Foundation continues to grow and find a way to fund the ever increasing amount of animals that need our help and continue to give the police the support they need in fighting animal cruelty. ” concludes Sue. The EHCRC would welcome any donations or sponsorship to support the work that they are doing. If you are a bar owner or business that wants to hold a charity event to support the Rescue Centre please get in touch with Sue Weeding on 652 021 980 or email David East, PR volunteer on pr@easyhorsecare.net The EHCRC will ensure that your event receives the maximum press and radio publicity plus coverage on their Face book site prior to and after the event. Every single cent donated to the EHCRC charity or spent in any one of their five charity shops located in La Zenia, Los Montesinos, La Siesta, Ciudad Quesada or Guardamar goes towards the upkeep and care of the horses, donkeys and ponies in their care. Large items such as furniture that is donated can be collected from your house and likewise delivered after purchase from their charity shops. Contact the charity shop hotline on 636 062 000 for this service and also if you would like to become a volunteer and work for a few hours or days in any of the shops including the new one due to open on La Marina Urb. in a couple of weeks. Why not visit the centre on their open days every Sunday between 1 pm and 4 pm where refreshments and tasty food are available in the garden café. Entrance is free. The first horse tour commences at 2 pm where you can get close to, and meet the residents and see first hand where your money is spent. For more details about the EHCRC and directions to the centre just outside Rojales visit www. easyhorsecare.net
SOLTIMES march 2014
www.soltimes.com
book review Divine Damages by Georgia Varjas.
“ The air tortured her skin. She felt daggers attack her and pierce her flesh but she resisted. ‘ I know what you did, I saw you. Now, I am your tormentor.’ “ This is an interesting selection of 10 modern, tongue-in-cheek stories of feminism taken to an absurd extreme using male and female caricatures. In Stalking Patty we are looking at revenge and female empowerment. Patty is approaching middle-age and we discover how gullible she was at 17, discovering boys and sex for the first time. What ensued inevitably, was an unplanned pregnancy followed by a tragic miscarriage. A simple D&C was needed to clean her out but she was left infertile and with permanent psychological damage.
Whilst under the anaesthetic she remembered the nurses laughing at her and the surgeon wielding a huge carving knife. Consequently, she was doped with medication for the next decade when her self-esteem had reached rock-bottom and full of despair. In time a new relationship with Brian petered out when she was unable to conceive leaving her feeling angry, guilty, depressed and of course, abandoned. She blamed Dr Death for her misery. In time life improved. Patty weaned herself off the medication, got a job and put on weight. Things started to look up until that fateful day at the British Museum. It was a chance encounter, twenty years later: “This was the man who had crippled me, spoilt all my chances of happiness and fertility. Winthrop had permanently crucified it.” How sweet is revenge? She wanted to hound him, torment him. Exploitation and ultimately ruin were her objectives. She adopted the role of the femme fatale. “I got him and I damaged him and the satisfaction was all mine.” But did she succeed in regaining some personal power and inner strength? Was revenge really so empowering for Patty?
You decide….
Sweet Claudine shows a woman completely detached from her marriage and husband. She is self-sufficient and happy to bake and promote her business. She takes relish in the sun sparkling over the sugary coatings of her pastries but lacks the warmth or passion to engage in a romantic or sensual relationship with Didier, her husband. Didier marries for selfadvancement wanting an indolent lifestyle. Over time he became critical and insulting at work gaining a reputation of being mean and arrogant. Inevitably, he became bored with his dead-end job and Claudine. As a sharp contrast she became successful and popular. People praised her business prowess. This just fuelled his resentment and frustration. He demeaned her business as a silly hobby. His mind was pre-occupied over his future-a luxurious life in the south of France-once he has sold her house, her delivery van and her business. But single not married or tied down. Does he manage it? There is a twist to the finale and Varjas introduces a touch of the supernatural and a dramatic climax. For one of them there is freedom; the other is doomed. But is that the full story!? And for a dose of sexual frustration there’s Righteous Val who seems to have lost her way and behaves in the most crude and unrighteous manner. At 49 years of age we can initially sympathise with her plight-abandoned by a Lothario of a husband who shacks up with a 20 years old babe from Essex- frumpy, fat and altogether, shabby. You can see why the husband absconded can’t you? But he does leave her with a generous alimony and a lovely house.
“How does a woman get what she wants? Wasn’t I kind and considerate?” Perhaps it’s just the injustice of being “dumped” or boredom that motivates her into cleaning up the streets and preventing physical abuse to women or children. A crusader. Armed with a small hammer, a pair of pliers, a Phillipps screwdriver, sharp kitchen scissors and masking tape.
Seriously, she was on the warpath confronting drunks and ugly schoolboys believing they would give the least resistance. She saw herself as a bit of a saviour without the religious connotation-a version of Mother Theresa or a Batman without the ridiculous costume of course. And then it went a bit pear-shaped. It seems that she gets easily turned on by attractive, foreign males called Carlos. Why are the pretty ones always called Carlos? Enough is enough. Let’s have some fun. So how does she tackle her “cream cake in the bathtub variety” with rusty methods of seduction? Does she have to knock him over the head to entice him into her lair or boudoir? And why does Varjas end the tale with a mischievous hint (or is it a moral?) about using a “plentiful supply of Viagra?” It sounds kinky to me. Publisher: Wordplay. ISBN: 978-1482796-858
REVIEW it by Carol Naylor. www.carolnaylor.blogspot.com / www.carolesleynaylor.wordpress. com naylorcl@hotmail.es
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pause for thought We do of course all like to be popular and necessarily therefore many of us are sometimes tempted to pull off some sort of stunt to grab attention. Trouble is however, that as I’ve often noticed from watching television ads, there are times when a dramatic performance can actually detract from the ad itself, leaving me remembering the advert, but having no idea what product was actually being advertised. So Jesus, during his 40-day period in the Wilderness, which as mentioned before, we Christians remember during this period of Lent, similarly faced the possibility of throwing himself from the top of the highest building in the area and walking away unscathed. Some publicity-stunt that one; bound to make people sit up and take notice! But Jesus rightly rejected that option as one that would lead people to believe in and follow him for all the wrong reasons, remembering the stunt but missing His message completely. And how often, sometimes in very subtle guise, we who claim to serve Him find ourselves tempted to use the power of His Holy Spirit to glorify ourselves rather than Jesus Christ, our Lord and master. It’s so easy to speak or write aiming to please others, hoping they’ll think well of me, whereas my task as a Christian is to make much of Christ and nothing of myself. For as John the Baptist remarked, “He must increase whilst I decrease.” So whenever called upon to act, speak or write on His behalf, I always pray to be spared that temptation, using the words of a hymn learnt years ago: “Not I, but Christ, be honoured, loved, exalted. Not I, but Christ, be seen, be known and heard: Not I, but Christ, in every look and action: Not I, but Christ, in every thought and word”. For if I leave others with a clear impression of myself and little of Jesus, then I have failed; whereas if from my words/actions others learn of Him, but little of myself, then indeed I have succeeded in my task. 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
properties for sale houses and land can be separated with own escrituras or sold as one lot.
Two detached villa shells built up to and including roofs 125m2 built on flat 3000m2 plot. Secluded position, unspoilt countryside views across orange and lemon groves front and rear.
Fully Legal & with Full Title Deeds
• E ach villa spec: 3 beds / 2 baths. Size 125m2
•S pace for pools (12mx6m) • E xceptional uninterrupted views of orange and lemon groves to front & rear •S ituated between Almanzora & Arboleas overlooking Almanzora valley • 1 0 minutes to nearest town with all amenities • I nland country setting, but only 30 minutes to coast. • I deal for builder to complete internals.
Private sale - Priced to sell Must be viewed to appreciate this golden opportunity
Tel: 609 199 394 / 647 379 878 / 950 064 801
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
1. T om’s mom had three children. The first was named May, the second was June. What was the third childs name? 2. The manufacturer doesn’t want to use it, the buyer doesn’t need to use it and the user doesn’t know he’s using it. What is it? 3. The word CANDY can be spelled using just 2 letters. Can you figure out how? 4. Bill bets Craig $100 that he can predict the score of the hockey game before it starts. Craig agrees, but loses the bet. Why did Craig lose the bet? 5. What is the next 3 letters in this sequence? o t t f f s s _ _ _ 6. FOUR is HALF of FIVE. Is this statement True or False? 7. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be? 8. What do these 3 have in common? Superman, Moses, The Cabbage Patch Kids 9. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away? 10. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? 11. I can sizzle like bacon, I am made with an egg, I have plenty of backbone, but lack a good leg, I peel layers like onions, but still remain whole, I can be long, like a flagpole, yet fit in a hole, What am I? 12. This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it? It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it! In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out! Try to do so without any coaching! 13. Hi! Ma and Pa told me I’d better say that all the two-letter words in this paragraph have something in common ...... or else! What’s the common factor here? 14. What falls but never breaks? What breaks but never falls? 15. This one’s a tuffy! There is a common English word that is seven letters long. Each time you remove a letter from it, it still remains a common English word - from seven letters right on down to a single letter. What is the original word, and what are the words that it becomes after removing a letter at a time? 16. In olden days you are a clever thief charged with treason against the king and sentenced to death. But the king decides to be a little lenient and lets you choose your own way to die. What way should you choose? Remember, you’re clever! 17. What is it that when you take away the whole, you still have some left over? 18. What six letter word in the English language contains ten other words without rearranging any of its letters? 19. Name an English word of more than 2 letters that both begins and ends with the letters “he” in that order. There are two possible answers. “hehe” is not acceptable. 20. A man was found murdered on Sunday morning. His wife immediately called the police. The police questioned the wife and staff and got these alibis: The Wife said she was sleeping. The Cook was cooking breakfast. The Gardener was picking vegetables. The Maid was getting the mail. The Butler was cleaning the closet. The police instantly arrested the murdered. Who did it and how did they know?
Brain Teasers Answers
SolPUZZLES
Amazing Facts on the human body
APPENDIX TO LIFE: Recently it has been
discovered that the appendix is very useful to the bacteria that help your digestive system function. They use it to get respite from the strain of the frenzied activity of the gut, somewhere to breed and help keep the gut’s bacterial inhabitants topped up. SUPERSIZED MOLECULES: Practically everything we experience is made up of molecules. The biggest molecule in nature resides in your body. It is chromosome 1. A normal human cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes in its nucleus, each a single, very long, molecule of DNA. Chromosome 1 is the biggest, containing around 10bn atoms, to pack in the amount of information that is encoded in the molecule ATOM COUNT: It is hard to grasp just how small the atoms that make up your body are until you take a look at the sheer number of them. An adult is made up of around 7,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000 (7 octillion) atoms. GOOSEBUMP EVOLUTION: Goosepimples are a remnant of our evolutionary predecessors. They occur when tiny muscles around the base of each hair tense, pulling the hair more erect. With a human’s thin body hair, it just makes our skin look strange. EYELASH INVADERS: Depending on how old you are, it’s pretty likely that you have eyelash mites. These tiny creatures live on old skin cells and the natural oil (sebum) produced by human hair follicles. They are usually harmless, though they can cause an allergic reaction in a minority of people. Eyelash mites typically grow to a third of a millimetre and are near-transparent, so you are unlikely to see them with the naked eye.
AMUSED ANNOYED ANTSY ANXIOUS CARING CONTEMPT CONTENT CONTRITE DELIGHT DESPAIR DISLIKE DOUBT EMPATHY ENVY EUPHORIA GLUM GREED GROUCHY GUILT HATRED HORROR INFATUATED JOYOUS LEERY PRIDE RAGE SAD SATISFIED SERENITY SHAME
logic puzzle
After a local Post Office burglary, five suspects were being interviewed. Below is a summary of their statements. Police know that each of them told the truth in one of the statements and lied in the other. From this information can you tell who committed the crime? Brian said: It wasn’t Charles, It was Alan Derek said: It was Charles, It wasn’t Alan Charles said: It was Brian , It wasn’t Eric Alan said: It was Eric, It wasn’t Brian Eric said: It was Derek, It was Alan
logic puzzle solution:
wordsearch
Moods & Emotions Find and circle all of the words that are hidden in the grid. The remaining 11 letters spell an additional word.
Answer:The hidden word is: DISCOURAGED
Fun Brain Teasers with Answers to Challenge your Mind
Answer: Derek was the culprit
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
Looking at Brian’s statement if it was Charles, then Brian was lying in his first statement, which makes the second statement true. Which would mean that it was both Charles and Alan. So it can’t be Charles. Which means Derek was lying in his first statement, which makes the second statement true. Therefore it can’t be Alan. So Eric’s second statement must be false, meaning his first statement was true, therefore it was Derek.
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1. Tom Tom’s mom had three children, June, May, and Tom. 2. A Coffin 3.The answer: C and Y 4. Bill said the score would be 0-0 and he was right. Before any hockey game starts, the score is always 0-0. 5. “e n t “ They represent the first letter when writing the numbers one thru ten. 6. It’s True. The Roman Numeral FOUR (IV) is in the middle of the word Five: F(IV)E 7. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry. 8. They were all adopted! 9. The answer is Charcoal. In Homer Simpson’s words: Hmmmm... Barbecue. 10. Sure you can:Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow! 11. A snake.
12. The letter “e”, which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph. 13. All the two-letter combinations are abbreviations of U.S. States: Hi:Hawaii, MA:Massachusetts, PA:Pennsylvania, me:Maine, in: Indiana, I’d: Idaho, or:Oregon 14. Night and Day! 15. The original word is “Snowing”. It decomposes to: sowing, swing, sing, sin, in, and I. 16. I think I would have chosen to die of “old age”. Did you? 17. The word Wholesome. 18.The word is Spared. The ten words are: Spa, Spar, Spare, Pa, Par, Pare,Pared, Are, Re, and Red. If you got this one you are good! 19. Headache or Heartache. 20. It was the Maid. She said she was getting the mail. There is no mail
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
STANDARD CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1 Diabolical cast in a play (7) 5 One eating little head of lettuce held by cook in hot water (7) 9 Aquatic plant providing a variety of materials (5,4) 10 Carrying on thus, for some reason I create a sort of boom (5) 11 One who takes after beggarman (5) 12 Able to contend, not being disheartened (9) 13 Noble start to resistance in French resistance movement (7) 15 They teach large groups of swimmers (7) 17 Object for trial (7) 19 Refuse to reveal how old clothes are (7) 21 Form of address valued for the auditor taken unawares (9) 23 Argue about something boring (5) 25 Record left by teacher in Siam (5) 26 Page with scope for truism (9) 27 Mount seen the day before the others (7) 28 Thrash Elia a second time (7)
ACROSS 1 Counting device (6) 4 A forceful consequence (6) 9 Deport (5) 10 Relished (7) 11 Act of deliberate betrayal (7) 12 Movable staircases (5) 13 Easily handled or managed (6) 15 Lithe (6) 19 Device in a brass wind instrument (5) 21 Oval (7) 23 Slowly moving ice mass (7) 24 Large artery (5) 25 Throws out (6) 26 Sternutation (6)
Down 1 Turned away or aside (7) 2 Similar (5) 3 Kitchen implement (7) 5 Commissioned military officer (5) 6 Unfathomable (7) 7 Periodic rise and fall of sea level (5) 8 Deceive by mock action (5) 14 Assemble in proper sequence (7) 16 Scoundrel (7) 17 Promote (7) 18 Prolonged period of time (5) 19 Undefined (5) 20 Live (5) 22 Sum of money offered as a prize (5)
27
CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
www.soltimes.com
Down 1 A sign Tommy’s upset about patrol leader (7) 2 Bones sailors found on island (5) 3 Instrument making snout feel odd (4,5) 4 Risks making Chinese detective dry up (7) 5 Sausages from a Greek island (7) 6 Publication for children (5) 7 Curiously, Maine’s not an American state (9) 8 Eric, having set off, repeats something memorized (7) 14 Reading or writhing in river (3,6) 16 Flora collected metal she owns (9) 17 Father’s wise migration (7) 18 Drunkard turns to observe drunkard (7) 19 Duck turning up initially looking like a Walt Disney animated goose (7) 20 Art deserving a pledge? (7) 22 April keeps providing material for a poet (5) 24 A couple upset after end of big cheese (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
...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES
28 SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
Tasty food for everyday, special occasions and for sharing with friends Pepper, tomato and basil pasta A gorgeous supper dish inspired by flavours from the Mediterranean - roasted peppers, tomatoes and a simple basil sauce. Serve with your favourite pasta.
Ingredients
3 long sweet peppers, red, yellow, and orange 12 cherry tomatoes 2 cloves of garlic, peeled 7 tbsp olive oil large bunch basil 400g/14oz orecchiette pasta salt and pepper
Preparation method
Turn the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Slice the peppers lengthways and trim any odd edges to form neat little boat shapes. Lay them in a fairly large roasting tin facing upwards. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them inside the peppers roughly managing four per boat. Finely slice the garlic and tuck them in with the tomatoes and also add any pepper trimmings you have. Now generously drench the peppers in a good four tablespoons of olive oil, season and put in the warm oven for half an hour. Meanwhile take all but a small handful of the basil and blitz in a food processor with three tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt. When 30 minutes or so have passed and you can see a slight softening of the peppers and tomatoes, pour over the basil dressing and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Now for the pasta, I have chosen orecchiette because the little dips help absorb and contain the juices, but any similar shape will do. Cook in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. When the peppers and tomatoes are completely soft, wrinkled and starting to brown at the edges; they are ready. Lift them onto a serving plate. To make the most of the oily goodness tip the cooked drained pasta into the roasting tin, stir well ensuring that you dislodge any sweet caramelised peppery bits, as well as letting the pasta soak up all the flavour of the oil. Finally tear in the remaining basil and serve the peppers and tomatoes on a bed of the sweet oily pasta
Grilled Asparagus & Red Onions with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
Ingredients
2 medium red onions, peeled 1 ½ pounds asparagus (about 24 medium
stalks), ends trimmed 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided Kosher salt Freshly ground black
½ teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, best quality
Preparation method
Mesón de
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
1. Preheat grill to high. 2. Prepare red onions: Cut onions in half from root to tip, then cut halves into ½-inch slices. Pull slices apart and tumble into disposable grill pan; toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. 3. Prepare asparagus: Place spears in baking dish and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. 4. Place pan of onions and asparagus spears on the grill (be sure to place spears perpendicular to grates so they don’t fall through!). Set asparagus dish next
#
#
pepper
Restaurant from
OX
ALB
COD N’ CHIPS
5.95€
Fridays & Saturdays From 12 - 9 PM
Desserts from 2€
2 Courses from 3 Courses from
6.95€ 8.95€
HOME-MADE AND DELICIOUS WAITER SERVED BOOKING RECOMENDED
showbar & restaurant
The Irish Rover
Your No1 Entertainment Venue in Mojacar for All the Family
great entertaiment with
1 course 8.50€ 2 courses 11€ 3 courses 13.50€
for the first time in mojacar
will sparkle
from
6.95€
a fabulous drag & comedy act on april 4th
Book our function room with private patio garden for your parties, weddings, birthdays etc.
9AM-LATE MON-SAT (Tues 8:30) 10-6 SUN
950 120 718
jacksalbox@gmail.com
SEE OUR MAP ON PAGE 30
daily
Eagles tribute 1st may homemade michael buble tribute 17th may specials book now for mothers day
SUNDAY LUNCH 12noon - 5pm
to grill (do not clean). Cover and cook vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Open cover and turn asparagus (use tongs to press and roll). Cover and cook 1 -2 minutes more, until asparagus spears are nicely browned and tender-crisp. Remove asparagus from grill and place back in baking dish. Stir onions, cover, and continue cooking for about 15 – 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until tender and caramelized. In the meantime, transfer asparagus spears to cutting board and cut into 1½-inch pieces. Place back in baking dish and toss with finished grilled onions. Add sugar and balsamic vinegar and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (I usually add a good ¼ teaspoon more salt). Transfer to serving platter and serve hot or room temperature.
for just
5€
all major sports events shown here inc gaa sports
telephone: 950 473 135 mojacar playa between Lua & Moma Beach
Open 10am till late 7 days a week
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com air-conditioned
Chipotle Popcorn Chicken
La
VidaRestaurant&Venue el Cucador
present for all the mums on
Marinating the chicken in buttermilk overnight ensures juicy, flavorful meat under the crunchy, tangy-spicy interior. Adding chopped cilantro makes it look even less like you microwaved frozen popcorn chicken, as does serving the bites with any of our homemade dipping sauces.
mothers day
sunday lunch
Thursday 3rd April
Hypnosis, magic andfrom fun 9pm evening
30th march
entrance
6€
12.30pm-5pm
traditional sunday lunch
bookings now being taken
from
available pre-show - from 6pm
8.95€ Ingredients
Preparation method
2 chicken breasts 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup canned chipotles in adobo sauce, pureed 2 cups flour Salt and pepper 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1.Cut chicken breasts into 1 ½-inch pieces. Place in mixing bowl and cover with buttermilk and pureed chipotle chilis. 2.Cover and refrigerate overnight. Once the chicken has had time to sit in buttermilk, dredge the chicken in seasoned flour and fry in a 350 degree fryer. 3.Once out of fryer, season with salt, pepper and chopped cilantro.
Home cooked with all the trimmings served 12.30pm-5pm includes a complimentary coffee & chocolate booking recommended
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
BOOK YOUR MOTHERS DAY 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
Childrens menu available
29
homemade pies & lite bites menu
menu oche N
Del
sky sports
LIVE - shown in the bar
10.9 5€ pp pp
A choice of
5 Starters
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€
ly oonnly
5 Main Dishes 5 Desserts
All home-made. Includes Glass of Wine or Tubo
thursday - saturday 6pm - 9pm
fish n chips Beer battered Cod home-made chips & peas
from om fr
5.95€
FRIDAYS 12.30pm - 9pm
lite bite snacks 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
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
All they need is a loving home !
can you help? romeo
Romeo is a 2 year old Chihuahua cross and weighs just 6 kilos, he is very good with other dogs and cats, is house trained and very faithful.
sebastian & chanel
Sebastian and Chanel were found in a shallow canal last week, they are approx 10 weeks old, good with cats and other dogs and will be medium size when fully grown.
pets in spain Call: 645 469 253 www.petsinspain.com info@petsinspain.info
Ides of March 2014 Humanist Walk The 24 walkers started just off the RM-D4 Morata Road where there were no loos nor hot coffee (shame). A gentle stroll along a smooth wide track where a loose Doberman did not attack the group. The walk wound around and up to the mine buildings of Coto Fortuna, which were started by the Romans in 200 BC and lasted into the 1950s (The Romans only lasted until 400 AD, others took over after that). The Romans smelted lead to make coins and later miners extracted alum to add to cosmetics. There were no gato montes (wild cats) to be seen but a very colourful caterpillar two foot long did attract attention from Xavier’s dog. The walk continued round the site and ended at the San Carlos Shaft, which has been partly renovated by the owner of an adjacent olive plantation who did the work when he retired. Lunch was taken in Restaurante La Siena where a reasonable meal and loads of wine cost only 10euros. In recognition of his hard work in the setting up the Humanist
RAFT RACE JUNE 15th
SAN JUAN DE LOSS TERERROS. The Great Kon Tiki Raft Race (organised by San Animal) will take place on 15th June from the beach at San Juan de los Terreros from 12noon. Teams of 2, 3 or 4 crew members are invited to make their own craft from “non-marine” parts and race for the coveted San Animal Kon Tiki Trophy. There will be separate races for Under 17,s and seniors. Further details and rules are available from Richard and Elina on 950-466-248 and elina.montepinotaperleg@hotmail.com
Andy Wilson Photographer
Group, John Blakey and Martin Ruston presented Richard Ward with a certificate and life membership, saving the annual 5euro fee. The next walk will be in the San Juan area on 12 April 2014. For more information on the Humanists of Murcia go to www. bolnuevo.com and to contact the Humanist Celebrant for marriages, naming ceremonies and funerals call 634 025 711
BE SEEN 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK 365 DAYS A YEAR,
with an entry in the
SOLTIMES business directory
From just €15 for 3 months www.soltimes.com
Tel: Christine on 902 750 190 blancasales@soltimes.com
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
31
community news
obituary
rest in peace
ron olds The loss of a Legend, who will be sadly missed by all his many friends and family. Love from us all xx
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 27th April - 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.
mabs events
APRIL Saturday 19th April - MABS EASTER FAYRE - MABS CENTRE - 396 Avda de los Covachos Camposol Sector B4 – From 11.00 onwards. Easter Bonnet competition; Easter Egg hunt; Craft stalls; raffle and much more. For further information tel: 620 582 418. Tuesday 29th April - VOLUNTEERS MEETING Trevi bar, Camposol Sector B - 11.30 am If you would like further information about how you can help MABS come along to our meeting. For further information please ring 620 582 418 or call into the MABS Information Centre JUNE Saturday 14th June - The MABS Shield Open Golf Competition – THE CLUBHOUSE, Camposol Playing format and entry info to be announced later. Thursday 19th June - ASCOT LADIES DAY – MABS CENTRE Camposol B JULY BBQ – 25TH July - MABS CENTRE Camposol B FORTHCOMING EVENTS MAY MUSIC MARATHON - Cañadas del Romero with Byron ~~~~~~~ September dance date T.B.A. ~~~~~~~ MABS Race for Life - 26th October ~~~~~~~ MABS Christmas Fayre - T.B.A. ~~~~~~~ Event tickets on sale at the book stall between 10.00am and 1pm or from the MABS Information centre on Sector B Camposol or by Calling 620 582 418 Keep watching the press or our Notice Board for more forthcoming events
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!!!
F.A.S.T Fundraising
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.
Friday May 16th
WELCOME future EVENTS
Jay”
F.A.S.T 2014 Fundrasing dates for your diary Saturday
May
10th
May Fayre at Mariano’s The May Ball at The Amapola Restaurant entertainment “Terry
April 9th - Dance with the ladies favourite, Nick Gold, supported by the Venus Girls. €8.
Fri Aug 1st Rock N
April 25th - Trip to Banalmadena, staying half board at Hotel Triton, right on the seafront and close to the marina. Saturday night, the Ricky Levazza Show. Just €150 including coach, wine and water with dinner and entrance to show, trip to Mijas, and time in Malaga on the way home.
Clubhouse
May 14th - Dance to a live band, Done And Dusted. €8.
Restaurant
May 30th - Cruise to Baltic capitals. Call for latest availability.
party at The Clubhouse
June 11th - Ladies Day at the Clubhouse, formerly the golf club. All the usual stalls, fashion show, etc, and buffet for just €10.
functions are available
June 25th - Summer Ball at Le Cumbre Hotel, Puerto De Mazarron. Champagne reception, 6 course meal with all drinks, and entertainment by Terry J. €30 only. Coach available at €5.
month
or
telephone
Brenda
680
174
Roll Bar- B- Q at The Sat 11th Oct Buffet Dance at The Trevi restaurant Sat 29th Nov Xmas Fayre at Mariano’s Friday 5th Dec Xmas All tickets for F.A.S.T from the bookstall 2nd and last Friday of every 499
Jean 646 737 479. Many thanks
CHURCH OF ENGLAND COSTA CALIDA & ALMERIA
Priest: Reverend Pauline Williams 950 956 166 / 687 250 860
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
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
swimming pool air energy titanium heat pump 3.54 klw ½ hp
1,150€
tel: 674 482 358 pool tables,
snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts.
666 933 726
www. spainpool.com
Leather 3 Seater And 2 Seater Sofas And Matching Footstool In Dark Blue Leather. Can Email Photos. Fuente Alamo Area Murcia. Tel. 634334169 Satellite Dish, 1 Meter with brackets etc” as new only 15 months old ,Famaval Hi Gain .... great for spanish / german TV 30€ 2 Halogen room heaters as new 10€ each or 2 for 15€ these are in excellent condition hardly ever used Mazarron 634 382 778. U prig h t Bicycle, antitheft device, 16 gears, Dynamo lights, €60 a bargain. Quesada area Tel: 698 468 283
each Quesada area Tel: 698 468 283 4 Butane Orange Gas Bottles for sale 8€ each + 2 regulators 4€ each. Fagor Eco Plus Gas Water Heater 25€ 966717151 (Quesada) Satellite Dish 1.4 complete with bracket €70 Mazarron Area Tel: 699 261 663 s at / di s h 1 metre with brackets etc.”famaval hi gain” ex condition. great for spainish/ german tv. 50€.617 653 087 SOFABED - 3 seater in light blue pattern. 25 euros. local delivery could be arranged. could email photo. fuente alamo area tel 634334169 portable air condition unit as new 80€ golf vw roof bars lockable brand new 40€bread maker breville compact bakers oven 15€ solid brass feature curved fire guard & companion set 20€ gas bottles silver butano x 4 each 15€ bosch jigsaw st 650 20€ steps alluminium 5 tread adjustable angle as new 20€ pump mopping power plus brand new boxed 3500l 1/hr 25€ catral 966 078 608 / 649 539 888
brackets etc””. famaval hi gain”. ex condition..great for spainish/german tv. 50euro Bicycle Upright Type, Good Condition, Dynamo Lights and Reflectors, 28 inch wheels, Saddle Bags and Bell, 16 gears, chain covers, mudguards. New Tyres and Lock. 60€ a Bargain Quesada Tel: 698 468 283 Double Gate Opening Kit, unused, boxed, complete with instructions, 95€ Tel: 690 772 178 (Urb La Marina) “ 80cm satelite dish with wall bracketexcondition 15€ Quesada area 966 716 646. 2 camping gas bottles 1 full 1 empty, complete with regulator 15euro quesada area 966716646 E lectric Hedge Trimmer 16 inch cut, nearly new €35 Quesada 966 716 599 E x tending Garden Shears €12 Quesada 966 716 599 E x tending Loppers €12 Quesada 966 716 599
plastering
E N G L I SH PLASTERER internal finishing, Clean double e x t e r n a l mattress with cover rendering, €35 Quesada area 15 years Tel: 698 468 283 experience, Two single good rates. mattresses clean FULLY LEGAL with covers IN SPAIN. Call Quesada area Tel: Chris 671 444 698 468 283 246 / 965 078 V ariou s 866 email: c_ Videos and Satellite pettit@hotmail. DVD’s 50 cents dish,1 metre with co.uk
jewellery
Jigsaw saw Black & Decker Jig saw and new blandes €20 Quesada 966 716 599
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
IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT Call Peter
664 890 990
Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths
Books 100 assorted hard back and paper back books. 10 euros. La Siesta area. Tel 966785459
insurances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, 968 153 396
mazarron@asssa.es
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 . €12 5 , 0 0 0 ono 649 186 107 or email thunderpaul 2 0 0 3 @ hotmail.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
removals
BE SEEN
24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK 365 DAYS A YEAR
With an entry in the
SOLTIMES
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
urb.montebello near quesada
detatched 3 bed 2 bath villa for long term rent, fully furnished, seperate kitchen, air con, internet & satellit tv connection, solaruim & glazed in porches, communal pool,
450€ plus utility bills
tel: 965 724 183 or 616 883 103
33
business directory From just €15 a quarter
www.soltimes.com
Tel: Paulette 950 121 936 sales@soltimes.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
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
Vehicles registration
Full or part loads spain-uk-spain
Local Van & Pets Welcome Moves Trailer Motorbikes - Caravans Call Brian 965 326 920 - 666 847 648 email: beechdale@hotmail.co.uk
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
Contact Christine
966 719 647
WANTED
For re-registration of cars, motorbikes and motor homes contact Graham Shelton Who after re-registering over 1000 vehicles will put you on the right side of the road.
605 319 889 or 966 753 375 www.spanish-number-plates.com info@spanish-number-plates.com
GB
SOLTIMES are looking for
FOR CASH
Telephone: 699 805 995
info@carsrus.es
wanted cars for cash
CASH CASH CASH
E
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
Don’t take a chance! Don’t break the Law! Let us take the hassle away from you and re-register your vehicle on to Spanish plates 490€ plus Road Tax plus CO2 emission if applicable
Do you have a caravan, vehicle, boat or motor bike for sale THIS SPACE, FOR PRIVATE ADVERTISERS,
IS ONLY 15€
INCLUDING A PHOTO PHONE CHRISTINE ON 966 719 647
& REACH OVER 40,000 READERS
this space for only 15€
We pay instant cash same day for cars, vans, bikes, quads, caravans, trailers, absolutley anything!
From 1€ to 10,000€
Call Phil: 607 848 332
wanted uk cars & vans bought for cash Telephone 667 235 205
WE PROMISE TO BEAT ANY GENUINE QUOTATION
car repair service
Alan 662 249 159
Ed’s
This size advert is only 15€
For a full service contact:
www.replatematecostablanca.com
Marketing Assistants required due to company expansion.
Tel: (0044) 1323 727 903 email: eastbourne @bluebirdcare.co.uk
Cars, Motorhomes, 4x4’s, Boats, Vans, Trailers, Quads, Classics
Same day collection
jump into March with
flexible rotas available east sussex coast location gatwick only 45mins from £450 to £590 per week inc
ALL VEHICLES
“RE-PLATE” Best prices paid Spanish English Anything considered MATE tel: Tim on 662 211 993
recruitment
Experienced Live - in carers wanted
wanted
Costa Blanca North & Murcia Regions Full Time position available for promotional work. Basic salary plus excellent bonus package . Please email your CV to marketing@avalonsl.es or call
Rebecca 966 799 070
SOLTIMES CLASSIFIED Contact Christine
966 719 647
mobile
CAR REPAIR SERVICE
CAR AIR CONDITIONING REGASING SERVICE SERVICING, REPAIRS ENGINE DIAGNOSTICS GARAGE SERVICES
610 078 940
PHONE CHRISTINE ON
966 719 647
cars for sale
webuyanycarspain@gmail.com Contact us by email for a valuation on your car payment in cash or bank transfer send us your car details, photos if possible by email and we will send you a valuation within 24 hours price quoted will include collection and transfer to the new owner
webuyanycarspain@gmail.com
cars bought & sold
uk/spanish, lhd/rhd
part exchange welcome full details at www.aerosautos.weebly.com
tel: 661 136 136 or UK:+44 7749 543693
SOLTIMES MARCH 2014
www.soltimes.com
I blame it all on the Spanish lady in a brown coat; last January I had parked quite legally in front of her garage and in doing so invoked her implacable wrath and an undeserved verbal battering. I don’t suffer from road rage, chocolate addiction, or any such normal crosses which we mere mortals have to bear, except for punctuality anxiety. Although I can tolerate lateness in others, being late, or even the possibility of being late myself, makes me snappy and scatty, short tempered and liable to make mistakes. I was not late for my Spanish lesson, but tight for time as I swung Del into a practically deserted Avenida Lepanto in Albox and brought him tidily to a
halt behind my classmate’s car. As I did so I noticed he was smack in front of a small and insignificant side entrance; the spectre of the Spanish lady in the brown coat sprang terrifyingly into my mind. Although I am not faster than a speeding bullet and cannot leap high buildings in a single bound, like Superman I am clumsy and mild-mannered so I engaged reverse and moved Del back a space, considerately leaving the entrance to the side turning open. Then without a backward glance I left him standing in splendid isolation, and in no-one’s way. An hour later, having covered myself in mediocrity and proved beyond a shadow of doubt that I am not linguistically gifted, I returned to find a green paper under Del’s windscreen wiper. I goggled at it in disbelief - a parking fine! I looked down – yes, I had parked
By Jos Biggs
josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk
on a yellow line! A yellow line that was exactly one car long, and situated exactly one car’s length back from the side entrance! In an instant Superman was superseded by the Incredible Hulk, and I became ******* Incapable of Normal Expression. I had done wrong, and deserved the fine BUT: I needn’t have parked there at all, there were half a dozen other spaces available, I only chose that one to keep the street tidy (and because it was nearest to my destination and I was on the verge of late) AND: If I had not moved back to free up the entrance, in front of which I could quite legally have parked, I would not be in debt to the Law to the tune of 90€. It is definitely the doing of the Spanish lady in the brown coat. She influenced me subliminally and caused me to park illegally. It is her fault!
Shot In the Line of Fibbing Not many people realise this, but I have a cluster of fading but still clearly discernable scars on my abdomen. I received these many years ago when I happened to be in the street as two masked armed robbers burst out of a Building Society office in my home town. Stupidly and without giving too much thought to my actions, I chased after one of the men as he ran for the getaway car and received a shot gun blast to my stomach for my troubles. But I somehow still managed to wrestle him to the ground and with the help of other passers by, we managed to overpower and subdue both robbers until the police arrived. Being a modest kind of a bloke, I don’t talk about it much and I still have flash backs that bring me out in cold sweats. Good story isn’t it! Bet you’re impressed. My present wife certainly was when I originally recounted the tale to her many years ago in my efforts to grab her attention and win her affections. But it’s all a total load of horlicks! Oh sure I do have those scars on my somewhat less than flat tummy - I used to have a six pack but these days it’s more of a buyone-get-one-free belly - but in point of fact these are actually the result of doctors taking a number of grafts to
By Colin Bird :
badbirdnow@gmail.com
pack round my damaged foot after I crashed my motorbike in the 1970 Isle of Man TT race. Yeah well alright, that’s cobblers as well. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth your honour is, I had surgery many years ago for a horrendous ingrown toe nail which was removed along with a significant portion of my big toe. Grafting was deemed necessary before I was allowed to go home and a dozen or so pinchgrafts were taken from my abdomen. A routine procedure under local anaesthetic but one that had me chewing the bed pan in agony once the effect of the drugs had worn off. I wish they had emptied it first. I left the hospital two days later with a throbbing midsection, a pair of crutches and lectures about the perils of wearing winkle picker shoes ringing in my ears. I was 18 years old. The point is we chaps tend to stretch the truth when we are out to impress the ladies and so naturally, when my battle scars were noticed and remarked upon by a ravishing blond nymphet – the future Mrs Bird - on the beach some years later, something instinctively told me that the story of an ingrown toenail was not going to hack it. The trouble is, telling porkies to impress people can become addictive. One of my many jobs over the years was as a driver for a taxi and chauffeured car company, and a regular trip was taking special needs kids to various schools in Bury St Edmunds. When driving children, it is compulsory for an escort to be in attendance to keep an eye on things and help occupy your charges during the journey. It’s
also deemed as necessary security for the kids and driver in these dark times of child abuse. We would listen to Terry Wogan on the radio and have little singsongs on our way to and from school although I am not too sure what the parents thought when they heard verses from The Ball of Inverness being repeated at home. I had told my escort on several occasions that I had once been a singer in a rock band, and that we had cut an album back in the early seventies. I went to the trouble of printing a phony cassette album cover, with all the musical and production credits being given to mates from the past and supposedly recorded at The Fat Pimp Studios in Henley-on-Thames - a totally fictional entity. The cassette inside was of an album by the legendary band Ten Years After and I figured that with this particular lady’s own favourite songs being in the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star category, she would not have heard of them, let alone their music. Alvin Lee to her would probably be one of the Chipmunks. Trouble was when I faked a reluctant agreement to play the tape for her and expecting a look of stupendous admiration, she just sat there with a face like a ruptured duck, slipping me the odd sympathetic glance and shaking her head. At the conclusion of this brilliant album she cleared her throat and said, ‘Yes well, I think you chose the right profession don’t you dear’. It was one of those occasions when I wished I hadn’t bothered. Perhaps honesty really is the best policy.
John MacDonald (El Sordo) - www.caratacus.eu
fine
35
viewpoint
alqueria
Ohhh Saturday night
The Saturday night binge is a universal institution or very nearly. After a long week grafting to keep body and soul together the Saturday night blow-out is a safety valve, a reward. Alquerian Saturday nights follow a similar pattern except the term graft has little meaning outside of plastic surgery circles if of course such circles existed in Alqueria.
The village republic of Alqueria produces by far the best Remitroot anywhere in the world. The bad drainage is said to be a major contributing factor. The variety of products which can be made from the plant is staggering. Remitroot Whisky and Wine are by far the most popular. Addictive and very strong aphrodisiacs they sell at premium prices on the international markets. Alquerians simply don’t have to work. This of course leaves ample time to plot subversive activities to keep the barrio feud going and adequate opportunity to carry them out. This is the preoccupation of all able bodied Alquerians who owe allegiance to one of the two barrios. So when Saturday night arrives the disruptive folk of the Pueblo believe they have earned their evening’s spree. Saturday night in Alqueria is not for the faint-hearted. Showing the world that they are alive and kicking is a serious business for the
young folk of the Pueblo. The Bar La Casa Devante is thronged with the ablest and most resilient of the Hill People. To the south of the Village similar scenes are played out at the Bar La Golondrina Verde which is besieged by Newcomers. On the fringes sneaking a clandestine drink are those too young to consume alcohol in the eyes of the law. Fortunately the law in Alqueria is in the charge of Jóse Cabrasilbido, and he was feeling no pain. The eyes of the law were bleary and fast closing due to the effects of his favourite Remitroot tipple. Then we have the youngsters of drinking age. Consuming vast quantities and swearing on stacks of bibles that they weren’t in any way intoxicated this pledge was usually taken from the horizontal position. The seasoned drinkers. These leather livered veterans put the world to rights while bemoaning the modern age and all it has to offer. Manuela holds court surrounded by the fittest and most hopeful of the young men. She drinks in moderation as selecting an escort for the evening is a serious business. Especially when you are as dedicated to your task as Manuela is. Sunday morning is a time for the revellers to try and find the roof of their mouths and to try and remember who they need to apologise to.
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.
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sport
Eurogolf, La Marquesa Press Report. 60 players took part in our March Monthly Stableford Competition on Thursday 20 March 2014 at our home course of La Marquesa Golf Course. Yet another glorious spring day with a little breeze but not enough to cause any major problems. This resulted in some high scoring. Well done to those who managed to achieve this and welcome to your new handicaps. Once again the subject of slow play arose with as many as 4 flights waiting to tee of on some of the par 3s. If, for whatever reason you start to lose ground on the group in front, where appropriate, allow the following group to play through. This will allow everyone to enjoy their game and eliminate 5 hour rounds . Also, we would remind players once again of the deadlines set for the annual competitions. The results were as follows: Gold Division 1st Robin Richards 37 points 2nd Sue Gillettn 36 points 3rd Bill Martin 35 points 4th Ian Pegg 33 points Silver Division 1st Gordon Bourne 37 points 2nd Brian Heard 37 points 3rd Jim Weston 36 points 4th Terry Sayers 36 points Bronze Division David Lewis 40 points Mike Gillett 37points Brian Heard 37 points Tom Corbett 36 points Nearest the Pins 5th John Langford The Clubhouse 15th Dave Nicholls, Lo Malibu
11th Gordon Bourne Bar Sophia 17th Tom Corbet,t Bar Med 12th Stan Low Manolos, Thanks to our sponsors. Best Front 9: Corine Jones 20 Best Back 9: Claire Daye-Gretton 18 WINNER OF THE MONTHLY STABLEFORD - DAVID LEWIS Football Winners: David Gregson, David Gregson, Debbie Weedon & John Hill. TOFF’s RESULTS TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2014 – OVERALL WINNER –BOB BUCKERIDGE Gold Division 1st Bob Buckeridge 37 points 2nd Ian Pegg 36 points
TMGS Match Report
19th March 2014 Villamartin.# On this day in history, Wyatt Earp was born in 1848 and back in Blighty in 1938 The BBC televised its first rugby match, the Calcutta Cup game between England and Scotland at Twickenham. Scotland won 21-16. Must be about the only time they won. The day started well with the weather almost perfect for golf, warm and slightly overcast for the 36 members and guests and our starting tee 10 took its toll on “faded” shots off of the tee. As the day went on, the greens started to dry out and slow turned to “bloody hell” with many 3rd Bill Martin 36 3 putts being recorded. Even though the greens points 4th David Gregson 35 were a little ‘sharp’, there points Silver Torrevieja CC 1st Jim Weston 37 On Saturday, 29th points 2nd Robin Richards 37 March, Torrevieja CC take on the might of the points 3rd John Holland 35 RAF when they face a points touring side from Brize 4th John Jones 34 Norton. points It’s their first visit to Bronze this neck of the woods 1st Claire Daye Gretton and we hope it won’t 35 points 2nd Pat Jackson 35 be the last. points “Chocs away” at 11.00 3rd Jean Jackson 33 am at the athletics points track in the Torrevieja 4th Morag Turner 31 Sports Centre, and it is points hoped both teams will Nearest the Pins 5th Alan Marshall 15th fly high and produce a Bob Buckeridge good game of cricket. 11th Liz Menzies 17th For further information David Blimston TorreviejaBest Front 9– Alan e-mail Venables 20 Best Back c r i c k e t @ l i v e . c o m . 9 –Ian Stewart 19 Best or colingriffiths80@ Guest: John Curran - 29 yahoo.com. points
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were a few scores in the 30’s albeit only 2 bettered their handicaps and John Hagart was seen sharpening his scissors. All 4 NTP’s – kindly sponsored by Vernon Brown and his party – were claimed with the
enough for 3rd and Kit Dowse’s 36 took 2nd. Colin Marsden’s 38nwas top score of the day for the winner’s slot in the Silver Division. The Gold Division was just as tight with Alan Rickers taking 4th with 33 points (on countback) and Arne Hannson and Vernon Brown’s 34 points taking 3rd and 2nd place. This left Steve Higgins with 37 points to take the top spot in that Division.Photo: Silver Category Winners
family Hagart claiming 2 Our next game, 28th of them with Bill Wylie March 2014 see’s us at and Dag Lovas the Font De Llop for our last others. round of the Captain’s The Silver chaps (and Stableford event so if ladies) fared quite well you fancy a game just with 34 points being look at our website needed for John Hagart www.tmgs.org or call to take 4th spot. Per the Match Secretary on Skarnes’s 35 was good 966719604.
TMGS Match Report Our fun day at Alicante on 21st March saw 24 players competing for the Bill Griggs memorial trophy. Competition was fierce and the final scores were close although not particularly high, our captain Jim came out victorious winning the trophy for the first year by one point from runner up Bill Malcolm. Other winners on the day were Colin Fear longest drive, George Marshall Deane nearest the pin in two, Steve Walsh, Kim Hunter Marc Doherty,
J i m McCar thy and Nigel Wright all winning nearest the pin on the par 3’s. T h e longest walk and the football card was won again by Brian Wilson. Back at ruby’s bar where a fine buffet was provided by our sponsor, we drew out blind pairs and this was won by Jim McCarthy and Roy Molyneaux.
CLAPTONS GOLF SOCIETY This months competition was played at La Serena. Everybody was apprehensive due to the fact that this course has 16 holes where the water is in play, and we all know this plays havoc with the head. When we set off on the first tee it was a nice comfortable cool day with the sun showing its face for later warmth. As it was the wind once again reared its head and made play more difficult as the day proceeded, and as usual on this course the water was the winner and many balls were lost. To this end the scores showed everybody had had a difficult days golf
but there were some good shots played and the nearest the pin was successful on all the par threes and even the twos competition was shared with some very close shots. Everybody having finished playing we journeyed back to the Clubhouse for a much needed drink and a meal. There was a difference of opinion in the Clubhouse as to whether we would play at La Serena in the future but this depended on how many balls each individual had lost. Our thanks to Chris and his staff for his usual hospitality. Results as follows. Overall Winner Andy Trefry 35 points
Our next game is a stapleford trophy game at Bonalba on the 4th April anyone wishing to join the society or play as a guest please contact rubysgolf@ yahoo.co.uk
Gold Winner Bob Eaton 34 points Gold Runner Up Phil Pettican 31 points Silver Winner Rick Drake 32 points Silver Runner Up John Harvey 31 points on c/b Best Front Nine Tony Wilson 20 points Best Back Nine Dave Pretty 17 points Nearest the Pin: 3rd Mike Wyatt 9th Dave Mace 15th Dave Beale 17th Rick Drake Best Guest Phil Cook 26 points Most Potential I a n Gibson Twos: Mike Wyatt and Rick Drake
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LO CRISPIN GOLF SOCIETY Alicante - 19.03.14
Well, summer is certainly on the way with temperatures in the top twenties during the day and so it was at Alicante. This venue is always well supported and today there were 40 members and guests making the journey up the AP7. This year we are playing there 4 times and have decided to make things a little different by playing an eclectic along with our stableford with the usual 3 divisions. For those who have entered this competition the results of our efforts are recorded on our website, so it will be easy to see where improvements are necessary when next we
play Alicante. The course itself is undergoing improvements so conditions were a little on the rough side but these things have to be done so on our next visit it will be much better to play. The top of the heap, oblivious of conditions were:
sport
pts c/b NPs: Dicky Claeys hole 3, John Devine hole 6, Stan Earl hole 12 and Brian Leys hole 15.
It was most definitely cooler, cloudier and windier than the local forecast had us believe which must have made quite a few golfers clad in shorts a little chillier than they might have expected. Two doubles matchplay games were played in tandem with the day’s Stableford competition and they resulted in the demise of two very strong pairings. “BO” v “Norfolk Pumpkins” was a closely fought tussle in which the Norfolk Rusts made a spectacular back nine come-back taking the game to the very last green. Congrats to Ben Price & John Osborne who won by the narrowest of margins. In surprising contrast the other match was an easier conquest for the victors. “Long & Short” (Alan
Tuesday Night Trios - Ten Pin Bowling League Week Twenty-Four played 18th March 2014
This week saw the start of our three week Easter Scramble, kindly sponsored by Right Move There were three 2s Insurance of Quesada recorded, Sue Smith, and La Zenia, where Harry Wilcock and Stan bowlers have to string Earl. Stan had a good day strikes together to claim Gold Division:1st Brian raffle tickets, which will as he won the free game Coultate 33pts, 2nd Brian give them the opportunity Smith 32pts and 3rd Dicky draw as well. Our next 18 to claim prizes in the hole game is at Alenda on raffle, to be drawn on the Claeys 31pts. Silver Division: 1st Sue the 2nd of April. For those 8th April. Juans’ Warriors Smith 34pts, 2nd John who play at Vistabella the took on Lucky Strike and, JW wanted Henderson 32pts and 3rd game on the 23 April has although George Stuart 31pts on been cancelled due to the some tickets, it was only c/b of the last three holes, start of hollow tinning the LS that collected four and won the game 6 – 2. The sorry Gordon Cobb. day before. Dreamers Don “I never Bronze Division: 1st Lo Crispin Golf Society can get two strikes in a Dave Keating 32pts, 2nd http://sites.google.com/ row” Galley almost single Janet Candlin 28pts and handedly blew away Hall 3rd Margaret Obrien 23 site/locrispingolf/ y Day, managing 5 tickets on the night, ably assisted by David Davies with two and, Allan Flitman with one. Even Lesley Day of HyD managing 2 tickets couldn’t prevent a 8 – 0 defeat. Bar Mosquitos continued ‘laughing the night away’ and comfortably beat The Mixers 6 – 2 and, claimed the team high game handicap on the night of 652. Team Finland had expected another Some of the day’s happy winners. comfortable win over Gilbert & Tony Smale) Two very close Cornish Pride but, finding gallantly admitted that on countbacks were needed the lanes ‘a little difficult’, the day the two Steves to separate the four lost the first game by 16 (“Towie”) were simply too winners in the silver strong for them as they division - 4th was Capt went down 6 & 5. Steve Davis (30), 3rd was The four par 3 NTP’s were John Aitchison (30), 2nd claimed by Ivor Turkington was Alan MacDonald (34) (Hole 2), Ben Price (Hole & 1st place went to Phil de 8), Glen Rapley (Hole 14) Lacy, also with 34.
SMGS at Mar Menor Three dozen members and guests made the trek south into Murcia province to play the oldest of the Polaris courses which is now a sixth part of the “Murcia Golf Experience”.
pins and, if it wasn’t for Olli Leppanens two 200+ games, could easily have lost the other two. As it was they scrambled a 6 – 2 victory out of near defeat, to maintain their grip on top spot. The only draw of the night 4 – 4 saw Caballo Negro continued their recent improvement, by matching Splash. Juanjo Carral of Splash rolling a 224 and 615 scratch game and series, to take the individual honours on the night. Crazy Pinz found Los Bandidos far to strong and were completely outplayed, finally losing 8 Hello
NTP in 3 shots on the par 4’s which were selected for each of the 3 divisions went to Keith Stevenson (Bronze), Alan MacDonald (Silver) & Colin Rust (Gold). The bronze category saw Norman McBride (31) in 4th, Keith Stevenson (32) in 3rd, Ray Ewins (33) in 2nd & Mick Roscoe in top spot with a very commendable 36.
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Countbacks also featured in the high scoring gold division - 4th was Willie Buchanan (34), 3rd was Steve Fleet (37), 2nd was Ben Price (38) & 1st was Ivor Turkington, also with 38.
Check out www.smgs. org for all society news or just give Baz a quick buzz on 966 731 033 for details of our future Wednesday meetings at which visitors are always welcome.
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– 0 by over 200 pins. Split Happens knew they were in for a hard night and, if Los Lobos had been bowling any other team on the night, they would have taken points. But with Gary Walsh bowling his seasons high series scratch and handicap of 595 and 661, and the SH Team taking the h/c team series of 1821 on the night, took all 8 points. We have no bowling next week 25th March, so we’ll all be back on the 1st April, to continue our efforts for more tickets in the Easter Scramble.
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