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Spain jails jihadist recruiter gang

Spanish judges have jailed 11 jihadists for membership in a gang linked to Islamic State extremists that recruited fighters for suicide bombings in Syria.

leading a “terrorist organisation”.

The men were all handed sentences of between 10 and 12 years on Friday after the judges found them guilty of sending “numerous jihadists to Syria”, several of whom died in suicide attacks, a statement from Madrid’s National Court said. Based in Spain’s North African enclave Ceuta, they sent at least 28 people to Syria between April 2012 and June 2013, when they were arrested, the court said.

The court said the sentences were justified by “the radicalisation and danger posed by them all and the seriousness of the actions carried out by the cell that they voluntarily joined”.

At least eight of their recruits lost their lives in “terrorist acts... in which hundreds of people died”. The court handed 12-year sentences to Karim Abdeselam Mohamed and Ismail Abdellatif Al-Lal both of whom were convicted of

In a major crackdown on jihadists, including those operating online, Spanish police have arrested scores of suspected recruiters in recent years.

And the others were each sentenced to 10 years of prison after being convicted of belonging to the gang.

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Franco’s victims call for official investigation into unsolved crimes

Victims of Spain’s former dictatorship and their families on Saturday launched a campaign for a “truth commission” to shed light on unsolved crimes of the period.

The Platform for a Truth Commission called on political parties ahead of Spain’s general election on December 20 to commit to investigating disappearances during the 19391975 of Francisco Franco.

UN experts have urged Spain to break a decades-long taboo by investigating alleged crimes of the 1936-39 civil war and the Franco dictatorship that followed.

“We ask all the parties to commit once and for all to fulfilling the UN resolutions during the next legislature,” the movement’s spokesman Jordi Gordon told AFP. The aim is to “set up a parliamentary truth commission to recognise the victims of Franco and establish the facts”.

With the 40th anniversary of his death looming on November 20, Franco remains a divisive figure in Spain.

During the transition to democracy after his death in 1975, Spanish leaders agreed

an amnesty for the crimes of the past four decades so that the country could move forward.

But critics say the atrocities were too serious to be covered by an amnesty.

The platform estimates there are at least 150,000 unsolved “disappearances” and some 2,380 mass graves that have never been exhumed, Gordon said.

It also demands an official investigation into how babies were taken away from their mothers during the dictatorship.

It announced its latest campaign for a truth commission on Friday and formally launched it at an event in Madrid on Saturday.

Spain’s former Socialist government in 2007 passed a “historical memory law” that was supposed to shed light on Franco-era crimes.

But Gordon said a “victims’ bureau” set up under that law had been suppressed by the conservative government that took power in 2011 thelocal.com

3

4

October 2015

TV NEWSLETTER

OCTOber 2015

ort Well October is here and, up to the time of writing, we still have not had any significant rain ...... we had about 3 or 4 days steady rain at the beginning of September but not really enough to make a big difference to the water table. I noted some of the media called those few days a Gota Fria – but whilst I am not sure of the definition of the Gota Fria it was not like the ones I have seen over the years of living here – torrential rain for several days with significant flooding! We may get one before the winter season sets in .................

Just a sad note for regular readers in that Alan’s mum – mum Monk – passed away in early Septemeber .......... she had had a good life with her later years living in Spain before returning to the UK with deteriorating health issues ........ RIP mum – 93 excellent years.

TV NEWS .......... at the time of writing the satellite signals seem to be in a state of flux again but it would seem that our prediction of signals returning to their pre summer cooler weather increased levels is not going to happen with signals actually significantly decreasing in strength as the cooler weather arrives ! Many clients are reporting lower successful reception with some areas only being able to view in the evenings when signals have always tended to be a little stonger.

We are starting from such a low base level that even the bigger dishes are sometimes having issues on some channels with all the 5’s often failing ....... these channels come down to us on a higher frequency than the other FREESAT channels and seem to be affected more by the recent changes so if you get all but the 5’s this may be the reason and you may just have to accept you are lucky to get some UK TV. !

One of the issues is that the signal that controls all the FREESAT boxes is now significantly weaker and if you try a “system reset” to try and resolve any issues you are having the FREESAT boxes cannot see the necessary signal and will “jam” in the factory reset process. The only way round this is to take the box to a location that is receiving the necessary signal (by location or larger dish) and reset it there. At this time the advice must be not to try a“factory reset”on a FREESAT box – you may just end up with no TV at all ! This only applies to genuine FREESAT boxes ........ universal satellite boxes do not use this control frequency and can be “factory reset” to rid them of gremlins and genuine SKY boxes use a different control frequency to FREESAT boxes which

is strong in this region and the above issues will not apply to them.

So getting away from all the technical jargon you do not have satisfactory viewing these days – what can you do?

Well the first step would be to have a chat with your knowledgeable reliable installer and ensure your whole system , from dish to digibox and all the bits in between are both of the best quality , in good condition and installed 100% correctly – with these weak signals for FREESAT channels you really do need the best quality equipment and it must be installed 100% correctly.

Presuming all that to be in order the next step would be to increase your dish size or make a complete change to internet TV – which whilst is definitely the way forward in viewing systems can present its own set of new issues if your internet is not absolutely 100% consistent. However talk to an established knowledgeable UK TV installer who will give you the facts about viewing ........ beware of all the comments on the internet from the “experts” – much of it is incorrect.

When we want a smile we often go onto facebook and the like and read the input about TV !

Well that´s about it for this month – just a quick word of advice to newcomers to southern Spain looking to buy a property ....... If UK TV will be important to you (and we hear many say it will not be – but the winters are long , dark and chilly – it is not all outdoor sunshine living!) then chat to an expert about the availability of UK TV at the proposed purchase property before you finally buy .......... the huge dishes needed or the reliable internet sometimes are just not possible and once purchased it really is too late ............

TV NEWS is sponsored by RAINBOW SATELLITES ....... the 15 year old established TV installation company in the region of Murcia. Contact us for free friendly advise ........ an email is preferable – rainbowsats@gmail.com or try a call (0034) 686 358 475 but we are often working on a roof adjusting a dish with no third hand to answer the telephone ! - but leave a voicemail and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Our website www.rainbowsats. org has some good basic information on TV viewing in Spain.

Madrid teen’s suspected murderer arrested in France 18 years after crime Man who investigators believe murdered 17-year-old Eva Blanco was living in French village On April 20, 1997, a 17-year-old high-school student named Eva Blanco Puig was raped and stabbed to death as she walked home from a nightclub in Algete (Madrid).

Now, 18 years later, French police have arrested the alleged perpetrator of the crime in Pierrefontaine-lesVarans, a village in the northeastern Franche-Comté region.

DNA testing led investigators to A. C. G., a Moroccan-born man with Spanish citizenship.

Over the years, the Civil Guard in Madrid had opened up as many as 100 different lines of investigation into the murder of the young woman, whose body was found in a vacant lot with four stab wounds to her back.

Relatives, friends and acquaintances provided DNA samples, and the police handed out likely facial composites of the murderer. Citizen cooperation was requested, and all males in the area with a criminal record were targeted as part of the investigation. People protested on the streets to demand justice for the parents of Eva Blanco Puig.

But the investigation led nowhere.

It looks like God has heard me and given me some joy after so many years of suffering” Olga Puig, Eva’s mother But then at 5.30pm on Thursday, Olga Puig and her husband Manuel Blanco received a phone call from the Civil Guard’s homicide department, whose members they have become on familiar terms with over the years.

Captain Rubén Valero informed them that the alleged murderer had been detained three-and-a-half hours earlier.

“It looks like God has heard me and given me some joy after so many years of suffering,” said Puig, standing in front of the house owned by her other daughter Rebeca, who lives across from them. Eva was the eldest of her three girls.

“It was a very emotional moment; the captain also got emotional when he told us about the arrest. He started

euro

to cry,” recalled Puig with tears in her eyes. “Now I hope that justice will be done and that this man pays for everything he did to my daughter.”

The teenager’s body was found in an area called Las Pesqueras, near a roundabout on the M-100 road in Algete, 30 kilometers northeast of the capital. Eva had been to a local nightclub with several girlfriends, and around midnight the group decided to go home.

A friend walked Eva to a spot 500 meters from her home on Carmen Conde street, on the outskirts of town. In 1997, there was still little urban infrastructure in the area and few people were out on the streets.

This friend was the last person to see Eva alive.

The autopsy revealed that she had been raped before her death, and semen found inside her body allowed forensics to create a genetic profile of the criminal, who was described as “a male from the Maghreb region.”

But this conclusion only came 15 years after the crime.

Investigators crossed that information with nearly 2,000 DNA samples they had taken shortly after the crime from males in the area – including Eva’s schoolmates, teachers, friends’ fathers, construction workers and her own father’s employees at his crane company.

They also tracked down all men of Moroccan origin who had lived in Algete in 1997. This double probe was instrumental in locating the perpetrator, who used to work in construction and may have been personally known to Eva’s father.

A. C. G., now 52, left Spain in 1999 and is now resident in France, where he was living with his wife and children. The French Gendarmerie, acting on a European Arrest Warrant, located him in Pierrefontaine-lesVarans and arrested him at 2.30pm on Thursday elpais

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Unemployment increases by 26,087 claims in September

Job market issues mixed signals with number of Social Security contributors also up The job market issued mixed signals in September. Unemployment rose, but so did the number of people signed up with the Social Security system, a measure of job creation.

Last month saw 26,087 new jobless claims, raising the number of unemployed on record to a total of 4,094,042 people.

But at the same time, 8,916 people began contributing to the welfare system, bringing the total number of contributors to 17,189,815.

September is traditionally a bad month for employment in Spain as the summer tourist season draws to a close Seasonally adjusted figures are less contradictory, as they show a slight drop

in unemployment (9,746) and a more marked rise in Social Security affiliations (around 35,000).

September is traditionally a bad month for employment in Spain as the summer tourist season draws to a close. But it is also typically a period when affiliations drop, a trend that was bucked both this and last year after holding true between 2008 and 2013.

The rise in contributors was to a large part down to the beginning of the school year, which triggered more hirings in education; this was followed by increases in the administrative activities and manufacturing sectors. Tourism, in the meantime, lost 48,449 contributors to the welfare system. elpais.com

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The way the body can track the passing of the More of the sleep hormone melatonin is produced in seasons in a “chemical calendar” has been discovered the winter when the days are darker. Prof Loudon said: by scientists.

“We’ve known for some time that melatonin is critical for The team, reporting in Current Biology, found a these long-term rhythms, but how it works and where it cluster of thousands of cells that could exist in either a works had not been clear until now.” “summer” or “winter” state.

His colleague Prof Dave Burt, from the University of They use the lengthening day to switch more of them Edinburgh, added: “The seasonal clock found in sheep into summer mode and the opposite when the nights is likely to be the same in all vertebrates, or at least contains the same parts. “The next step is to understand draw in.

The annual clock controls when animals breed and how our cells record the passage of time.” hibernate and in humans may be altering the immune Even though people do not have a mating season, system. A team from the Universities of Manchester and there are signs we are still influenced by the seasons.

Edinburgh analysed the brains of sheep at different A study earlier this year, led by the University of times of the year.

Cambridge and reported in Nature Communications, showed human genes involved with immunity became Calendar They found a cluster of 17,000 “calendar cells” in the more active in the cold. pituitary gland, which sits at the base of the brain, and They said it could help fight off winter viruses such as releases hormones that control processes throughout flu but may make some conditions like arthritis worse. the body. http://www.bbc.com/ Over 29 years experience The research team say the cells have a “binary system” like a computer that can exist in one of two S.R.H “Senior Stylist” states - they can either produce “winter” chemicals or City & Guilds of London “summer” ones. benefits consultancy And the proportion of the calendar cells in each Do you suffer from mobility problems, state changes throughout the year to mark the passage breathlessness/pain or falls/stumbles? of time.

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Winter sun through the treesImage copyrightThinkstock at the This annual clock is Next to Lemon Tree Cafe known as the circannual country club rhythm and is the longerterm cousin of the circadian or daily rhythm Modern & Traditional Gents Hairdressing which keeps us awake at the right time of day.

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October 2015

braben’s blog...

project!

Hello and welcome to CanDu Computer “Kickstarter” Bytes. Today I´m going a little off base in This device doesn´t have as much as I would like to discuss, with the design weakness of you, the pro´s and con´s of HUD! I know, having to adhere a reflective it´s another one of those acronyms that film to the windscreen. It goes by the litter´s the world of technology and I name “Navdy” and can be pre-ordered make no apology for it as I didn´t invent as the one in the video appears to it. What is HUD? be the only one in existence. If your The acronym stands for “Heads Up Display”, nothing more frightening than interested, I would type “Navdy” into that. What is it for? Well to start with, “it Google, Yahoo or any of the smarter and is any transparent display that presents safer search engines or go straight to data without requiring users to look ´Youtube.co.uk´and watch the sale pitch away from their usual viewpoints”. The from there.

The last type is an application that origin of the name stems from a pilot being able to view information with you can use on your Android mobile the head positioned “up” and looking phone. IF you are in the least bit curious forward, instead of angled down looking about them, there are a few video´s at lower instruments. A HUD also has on “YouTube” that I strongly suggest the advantage that the pilot’s eyes do you watch before even considering not need to refocus to view the outside downloading and installing on to your after looking at the optically nearer phone. instruments. Although they were initially My pet hate is watching someone use developed for military aviation, HUDs are now used in commercial aircraft, auto- their phone while trying to change gear mobiles and other, mostly professional and direction. I have done it! i´m not proud of it and, although I got away applications.

The basic construction of a HUD is an with it, I will never do it again! With image source such as a laser; a curved this new generation of HUD devices you mirror or lens to create an image that will can; use it to navigate; use it to answer be the same size at 2 inches (remember phone calls and, listen and reply to text them?) as it is at at 20 miles (still work messages, without ever touching your in old money); and finally unsurprisingly, phone again; and lets not forget the some computer technology to create the ability to pick and play music all without images being projected. taking your eyes off the road and your At time of writing this article there are hands off the wheel!

3 places where you can get a HUD. The They are NOT cheap but $320 is a first is available as an “optional extra” small price to pay for something that on high end (read expensive) cars and is will make the driving experience of integrated into the engine management system to give fuel consumption and you and your passengers safer and emissions information, as well as the possibly smoother. If, like me, you are expected functions of speed, distance not inundated with obscene wealth then covered, and GPS directional advice you might want to look at any one of while not forgetting those pesky speed a number of android based applications that will provide a similar service for a traps!

The second type is the “after market” fraction of the price. devices that sit on your dashboard For free advice concerning your and project the information onto your computer, or to arrange an appointment, screen. I have seen one by the Garmin meet me at Olivers Bar in Albox on group which technically appears to be Friday´s 1200-1600, send me an email a respectable product in its own right at the address or phone me using the with, however, several minor flaws in the number below. implementation of the design. There For further information or advice on is also a new boy computing,contact Trevor on 689 892 745 or in town that is canducomputing@hotmail.co.uk backed by the

The Camino de Santiago II Walking the Camino gained popularity throughout the medieval period. In the early thirteenth Century when the Inquisition arrived just over the Pyrenees in Carcassonne in the Languedoc; certain religious ‘crimes’ could be atoned for by a pilgrimage to St. James’s tomb. As a penitent’ if Galicia didn’t appeal then Canterbury or Rome were other options.

Knowing the barbarity that accompanied the first French inquisition this was very generous of the Dominican Monks. The offer was made only for light first offences as a second offence meant death with half the guilty party’s property being forfeited by the Catholic Church. Strangely enough almost everyone was found guilty over a murderous 100 year period.

In 1119 Pope Callixtus II announced that whenever St James’s feast day (July 25th) fell on a Sunday it would be counted as a Jubilee year. All that made the pilgrimage and passed through the Cathedral doors with true intentions would be granted full indulgence. In 1179 Pope Alexander III said that the Jubilee tradition would continue in perpetuity.

By the thirteenth Century with the prospect of a full Church pardon for ones sins and even some crimes; 200,000 people were walking the path every Jubilee year. The next Jubilee is 2016.

After being published in 1135; the travel guide for the Camino Santiago the Codex Calixtinus was copied and distributed to churches, wealthy households and monasteries across France and further afield. The texts were read out as sermons to encourage potential pilgrims by describing the

se arching

Have you got one of THOSE drawers or cupboards at home, the one that has the things in that you thought you should keep, just in case? We’ve got one and there are batteries in there-some of which may still be charged-old receipts we kept for things we’ve probably since lost or put on the scrapheap, mobile phones that don’t work anymore and a host of other things that I claim were left by some alien being, because I would never have made such a mess.

Then, the day comes when you just know that the vitally important thing you are looking for at that minute just has to be in the drawer, and you come up against the “Theory of the Frantic Forager”. If this theory hasn’t yet been proven by science then it must surely only be a matter of time before it is. The theory goes something like this, the more you look for something, the more frantic your search becomes and consequently, the slimmer the chances of you finding that thing become. We’ve all been there.

You may wonder why this merits a few words here. What got me thinking about drawers-the non

undergarment types I should add-was an article about Astronomers searching space for alien life. It struck a chord. I mean if I, and I’m sure many other people, are incapable of finding something in a drawer, how the dickens will these people ever hope to find any sight or sound of aliens in somewhere as big as space?

I would have thought it was impossible, but once again, I find that I know nothing.

Although they haven’t found any extraterrestrials yet, these clever people have come close. Recently they picked up a signal and did think it may be aliens communicating, but it turned out it came from an obscure radio station, playing a recording of the late Tiny Tim singing “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”. An understandable mistake.

But they have found some evidence, in what is called the “Wow” signal. This was picked up in 1977 but hasn’t been heard since. Possibly it wasn’t extraterrestrials, perhaps it was The Floaters singing “Float On”. They haven’t been heard of since 1977 either.

Whoever it is, I hope the Astronomers have better luck tuning in to those signals than I have getting Smooth FM on my radio at home-now there’s an impossible search!

Graham is married to Helen and has a daughter, Alice. He lives part of the year near Albox, but works in Qatar, teaching. If you wish to contact Graham regarding this article email: helenandg@yahoo.co.uk

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

route, its religious benefits and reassuring them of the safety of the Camino.

It became fashionable among royal and noble society to make the pilgrimage though I imagine on horseback rather than on foot mingling with the peasants; Kings from Spain, Portugal, Austria and France made the journey. King Henry I of England’s daughter Matilda also crossed it off her bucket list.

Between1213-15; Saint Francis of Assisi reputedly walked from Italy to Compostela and then back again. Just into the Basque region of Spain where the Camino enters from France, there is a small town called Puente la Reina. Here a six arched bridge was built to save pilgrims from fording the river; upon the order of Dona Mayor the Queen of Sancho III of Pamplona. It’s one place where the route hasn’t changed in almost a thousand years; modern day pilgrims walk a few hundred metres in the footsteps of Saint Francis. The first Pope to visit Santiago de Compostela was John Paul II in 1982 and again in 89.

The Codex was kept in a safe at the Cathedral and brought out for special occasions. In July 2011 however the Codex was stolen. Cathedral staff searched for hours before calling the police. There were five security cameras in the archives but none aimed at the safe. Immediately it was suspected as an inside job as the safe keys were still hanging in the door of the safe.

A year later the Codex was found undamaged in

a lock up locally; along with a million in cash and other manuscripts missing from the Cathedral. The Cathedral’s former part time electrician of 25 years, José Manuel Fernández Castiñeiras was sentenced to 10 years earlier this year for the theft of not only the Codex but also 2.5 million Euros from the collection boxes. His wife was given six months and both were convicted of money laundering as they’d bought property in the region in his wife’s name. Already 1.7 million has been recovered and returned.

Manuel led a seemingly ordinary life but crazily kept a diary detailing his nefarious deeds; his entry for 5th January 2005 read ‘went to cathedral, took 2,910 Euros and 114 dollars, updated my account books, went out for two coffees, returned to the cathedral, back to a café, chatted with a priest, took a siesta, fed the animals, picked up wife from work, and did an electrical repair job.’ Buen Camino!

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15

16

Search for Nefertiti's burial chamber in Tutankhamun tomb

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The Egyptian pharaoh queen Nefertiti could be buried in King Tutankhamun's tomb, says a British archaeologist.

Nicholas Reeves says he believes there may be two hidden doorways behind the Tutankhamun's burial chamber, leading to two undiscovered rooms.

Egyptian officials plan to use radar equipment to test Mr Reeves' theory that Nefertiti's remains were placed in one of them. She was queen of Egypt during the 14th Century BC. Mr Reeves believes the remains of Tutankhamun, who died 3,000 years ago aged 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Nefertiti's tomb.

The remains of Tutankhamun, who may have been Nefertiti's son, were found in 1922.

Signs of a portal Dr Reeves developed his theory after a Spanish company of artistic and preservation specialists, Factum Arte, were commissioned to produce detailed scans of Tutankhamun's tomb.

The scans were then used to produce a facsimile of the 3,300-year-old tomb near the site of the original Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

While assessing the scans last February, Dr Reeves spotted what he believed were marks indicating where two doorways used to be. The archaeologist from the University of Arizona says he believes Nefertiti may lie inside. http://www.bbc.com/

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SOLTIMES PROPERTY SUPPLEMENT

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Bankia Selling 4,500 Homes with 40% Discounts

Bankia’s real estate management company, Haya Real Estate, is marketing 4,500 homes throughout Spain with discounts of 40% in a campaign which will run until the end of November.

Bankia will also offer mortgage loans with competitive rates to buyers who need financing, depending on their association with the entity.

Catalonia is the region which has the greatest number of these properties for sale, with 1,104, followed by: Castilla-La Mancha (977); the Canary Islands (873); Andalucía (675); Valencia (543), and Madrid (422).

In addition some 201 homes are being offered for sale in Castilla y León, as well as 80 properties in both Aragón and La Rioja, and 50 properties each in the regions of Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and Murcia.

Among the properties on offer in Catalonia, are a 3-bedroom house in Girona, reduced from 87,900 euros to a price of 54,240 euros, and a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in Tarragona with a garage, for 65,000 euros, reduced from 96,984 euros.

In Castilla-La Mancha over 460 homes are being offered in the province of Toledo during the campaign.

Among these are a house with two bedrooms and garage included, which

formerly had a price of 56,634 euros and is now available for 34,000 euros, and a one-bedroom apartment for 25,000 euros, reduced from 39,100 euros.

Moreover, Expansión reported that in the Canary Islands, a 2-bedroom apartment in Las Palmas is for sale at a price of 42,000 euros compared to the 70,560 euros it cost previously, while in Santa Cruz de Tenerife there is a 2-bedroom house on offer for 59,000 euros, down from 92,407 euros.

Other properties on offer in the campaign include a 2-bedroom house in Almería (Andalucía) reduced from 46,671 euros to 28,000 euros; a onebedroom home in Málaga for 44,000 euros (reduced from 68,063 euros); a 3-bedroom apartment in Valencia with communal pool for 85,000 euros (down from 126,474 euros); a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in Castellón costing 57,000 euros (reduced from 83,423 euros); a onebedroom duplex in Madrid reduced from 224,469 euros to 150,000 euros, and a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home which can be purchased up until the 30th November for 128,000 euros compared to its previous price of 170,940 euros. kyero.com

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October 2015

24 billion euros worth of Spanish residential property sold in first half of 2015

More money is changing hands in property sales in almost all of Spain 24 billion euros worth of Spanish residential property sold in first half of 2015. The gradual recovery of Spain’s real estate market is reflected in figures published by the Ministry of Development this week, showing that residential property sales generated turnover of 24,196.6 million euros in Spain in the first half of the year, 8% up on the equivalent period in 2014.

This is the second six-monthly period in a row to show upward movement, following a downward trend which lasted three years.

According to the Ministry’s figures, between 1st January and 30th June there were 181,071 transactions recorded, 10% more than in the same period last year, with the majority of them involving secondhand properties: these accounted

for turnover of 20,844.3 million euros (11.6% more than in 2014 and 86% of the total), while the new-build turnover figure fell by 10.2% to just 3,352.4 million euros.

Encouragingly, the figures increased in almost all of Spain’s seventeen regions, with the most significant upward movements being recorded in La Rioja (30%), the Balearics (25%), Cantabria (15.8%), Andalucía (12.8%) and the Comunidad Valenciana (11.6%).

The only decreases in turnover were recorded in Navarra (-21%), Extremadura (-14%) and Castilla-La (-12%).

Mancha

http://spanishnewstoday.com/

Home Mortgages Increased by 21.8%

The number of new mortgages constituted on homes listed in the Property Registers in Spain reached a total of 21,863 in July, which is 21.8% more than those constituted in the same month of 2014. According to the latest figures published by the National Statistics Institute, home mortgages have now accumulated fourteen consecutive months registering double digit increases.

The figure recorded in July, however, is 4.5% less than that of June, when the number of new mortgages on homes rose by 26.3%.

The average value of the home mortgages in July stood at 104,402 euros, representing an increase of 3.9% over the same month of last year, while the capital loaned increased by 26.6% year-on-year, to over 2,282 million euros.

Month-on-month, mortgages on homes increased by 1.9%, compared with the increase of 5.7% recorded in July of the previous year, while the capital loaned rose by 2.7%, compared with a rise of 2.7% recorded a year earlier.

In the first seven months of the year, Diario Sur reported that the number of new mortgages constituted on homes accumulated an increase of 21.2% over the same period of 2014, with increases in the capital loaned, of 25.5%, and in the average mortgage amount, of 3.5%. Andalucía was the region which recorded the greatest number of new mortgages on homes, with a total of 3,737, followed by Madrid (3,418) and Catalonia (3,406).

In July, the Balearic Islands was the region which registered the highest yearon-year increase in the number of home mortgages constituted (+146.2%), followed by the Canary Islands (+53.3%) and Cantabria (+42.8%), while the only regions to register year-on-year declines were La Rioja and the Basque Country, of -21.9% and -1.2%, respectively.

The regions where most capital was loaned for these new mortgages were Madrid, with a total of 541.7 million euros, followed by Catalonia (410.2 million euros) and Andalucía (329.6 million euros). kyero.com

Foreign Tourists Spent Record 305 Million Euros Per Day in August According to the latest Egatur Tourist Expenditure Survey data published by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, total spending by international tourists visiting Spain in August amounted to a new record figure of 9.46 billion euros.

This represents an increase of 4.1% over August 2014, and equates to average expenditure of 305.2 million euros per day for the Spanish economy in August.

The increase in August was as a result of an increase in tourist numbers (+1.6%), an increase in the average spend per person (+2.4% to 1,026 euros) and an increase in the average spend per day (+4.6% to 107 euros).

The United Kingdom and the Asian markets contributed significantly to this result in August.

All the main regions registered growth in their overall expenditure figures except for Catalonia, which posted a slight decrease of -0.2%.

The statistics highlighted the considerable increases posted by the Canary Islands (+9.6%) and Madrid (+16.9%) in a month when tourism is usually in decline.

In August, the tourism markets with the highest expenditure were the United Kingdom (with 2.25

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billion euros, up 7.7% over August 2014), Germany (1.18 billion euros, -7.9% compared with 2014), France (1.3 billion euros, +2.5%).

The Scandinavian market accounted for expenditure in August of 404 million euros, while among the remaining markets, significant growth in spending was posted – in terms of the figures for the first eight months of the year – by tourists from the Asian markets, especially Japan (+39.5%) and China (+43%), as well as Canada (+32.6%), the United States (+15.8%) and Latin America.

The regions to benefit most from international tourist expenditure in August were the Balearic Islands (2.36 billion euros, +1.2% and accounting for 25% of the total), Catalonia (2.24 billion euros, -0.2% and 23.7% of the total), Andalucía (1.41 billion euros, +8.7% and 14.9% of the total), the Canary Islands (1.26 billion euros, +9.6% and 13.3% of the total), Valencia (874 million euros, +1.2% and 9.2% of the total) and Madrid, which posted the highest growth figure in August, of 16.9%, reaching 559 million euros. kyero.com

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SOL Y MAR

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Oria - villa sol190 - 119,000€

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We urgently need more properties for sale & rental for waiting clients Properties of the week

Ref: CM/RB Secluded 3 bed, 2 bath, det. villa, nr centre of playa, gardens, terraces & parking, 126 m2 build, 540 m2 plot.

Ref: ES/TS - Det. Villa, 100m to beach, sea views, 3 bed, 2 bath + 2 bed s/c apt. below hse. private pool,garage, gardens, solarium, .

MOJACAR PLAYA REDUCED - €199,950

MOJACAR REDUCED €345,000

Ref: PD/ND - ground floor apt in the popular PUEBLO DIANA complex, 3 double bed, 2 bath, adj to large pool & grass gardens, a/c, full UK TV, wifi, 100 meters to beach MOJACAR NEW €144,995

Ref. AE/AB – Spacious semi-detached 3 bedroom house, terrace with sea & mountain views, garage, peaceful location near Mojacar Playa.

MOJACAR CAMPO reduced €137,000

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

Hotel Overnight Stays Up 4.5% in August Spanish hotels registered a total of 44.9 million overnight stays in August, according to provisional data published last week by the National Statistics Institute, which is 4.5% more than in the same month of 2014.

The year-on-year increase in overnight hotel stays in August is principally due to a 5.2% increase in the number of overnight stays made by residents in Spain and also, to a lesser extent, to stays by nonresidents, which increased by 4%.

The average length of stay dropped by 0.4% to stand at 3.8 nights per traveller in August, which had a 76.7% occupancy rate for the month, with a year-on-year increase of 4%.

The weekend occupancy rate grew by 4.3%, year-on-year, to 77.2%.

El Economista reported that, during the first eight months of the year, overnight stays increased by 4% over the same period of 2014, and in the two months of July and August, hotel overnight stays grew by 5.1% over 2014, with a 6% increase in stays by residents and an increase of 4.6% in those of non-residents.

According to the Institute’s data, Andalucía, Catalonia, Valencia and the Canary Islands were the main destinations in August for residents in Spain, with year-on-year variations

in the number of overnight stays of +1.5%, +17.4%, +2.8% and -5.7%, respectively.

The main destinations in August for non-resident travellers were the Balearic Islands, which accounted for 35.1% of the total number of overnight stays, representing an increase of 2.3% over August last year, followed

by Catalonia (21.9% of the total overnight stays, -1.8% y-o-y), and the Canary Islands (19.2% of the total, +5.4% y-o-y).

The Balearic Islands also registered the greatest occupancy rate per available places during the month of August (92.9%), followed by the Canary Islands (86.8%) and Valencia (82.9%).

With regard to touristic areas, the island of Lanzarote presented the greatest occupancy rate per available places (95.5%), while Mallorca recorded the highest weekend occupancy rate (91.9%) and also the highest number of overnight stays, with more than 7.8 million.

The tourist spots which registered most overnight stays were Barcelona, Calvià and Benidorm. Tías achieved the highest occupancy rate (99.5%) and Llucmajor registered the largest weekend occupancy rate (99.3%). kyero.com

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

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120.000€

169,950€

Oria.

Nice villa within the town, 3 bed, 2 bath and a pool.

Arboleas.

Villa built with quality, 3 bed, 3 bath & a private pool!!

159,000€

175,000€

Arboleas.

Beautiful villa with 2 bed, 2 bath, pool & Jacuzzi, Stunning views!!

Albox.

Stunning villa with 3 bed 2 bath, garage, pool & a big plot.

159,000€

200,000€

Arboleas.

Fantastic villa with 3 bed, 2 bath & pool.

Beautiful views.

Almanzora.

Nearly new, large villa, 4 bed, 4 bath & private pool.

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

21

www.soltimes.com

Residential Building Licences Up 27%

We urgently require Rental Properties for waiting clients Casa El Cid

In the month of July this year some 5,198 licences for new builds in Spain were authorised which, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Public Works, is the first time since December of 2011 (when 5,414 licences were granted) that this figure has exceeded 5,000 in a month. So far in 2015 a total of 28,870 licences have been granted, which is 27.49% more than in the first seven months of the last financial year, and already represents almost 83% of the figure for the whole of 2014, which was the first positive year registered after seven consecutive years of declines According to the Ministry’s calculations, the 5,198 licences to construct housing approved in July, represents a month-on-month increase of 14.5% and a year-on-year increase of 12%, and further confirms the improvement in the housing sector.

Two out of every three of the licences authorised in July were for apartment blocks (with a total of 3,504), while the rest related to individual family homes (1,693). Both of these figures were an improvement over the previous month, when they stood at 3,094 and 1,444, respectively.

Moreover, idealista.com reported that the number of licences granted for housing reforms also increased in July, by 14.4% over the previous month to a total of 2,752, while permits for housing extensions increased by 36% month-on-month, to a total of 168 licences issued.

At the current pace, the number of building licences authorised could reach some 45,000 for the whole of the year, which would surpass by around 10,000 the number granted in 2014. kyero.com

property group

Cobdar

Quality one bedroom town house in the village of Cobdar.

52,000€

Villa Cerricos

Chirivel

Two bedroom villa with stunning views complete with swimming pool near to Chirivel.

Casa Graciela

Rambla de Oria

Bargain two bedroom property in the popular area of Rambla de Oria.

97,000€

Casa Madroño

Albox

A stunning cortijo in the hills above Albox Complete with 8x4m swimming pool.

120,000€

Plaza Nueva, 9 Albox (Almería)

262,500€

Tel: 950 120 406

info@inmobiliaria-almanzora.com www.inmobiliaria-almanzora.com

Opening hours.

Monday to Friday 10.00 am to 6.00 pm.

Saturday 10.00 am to 1.30 pm

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

22

October 2015

Bedar, 04288 (next to Miramar Restaurant)

Tel: 607 705 085 or 687 938 466

O Olive

Email: info@olivehouse-es.com

www.olivehouse-es.com

Monday - Friday 10am - 3.30pm

Sales office now open in Bedar

OLV1016

Sorbas

...it’s all in the detail

OLV1013

Los Gallardos

Hamburg to seize commercial property to house migrants

Hamburg has become the first German city to pass a law allowing the seizure of empty commercial properties in order to house migrants.

The influx of migrants has put pressure on the authorities of the northern city to find accommodation.

Some migrants are sleeping rough outdoors.

Hamburg’s law takes effect next week.

This spacious country property is minutes from the main road yet tucked away with great views, 7 bedrooms in total, a separate casita, private pool and ample parking. New to the Market

320,000 Euros

Bedar

OLV889

This very interesting property is quirky in style and located in the pretty village of Los Pinos. The property has lots of interesting features and would make a very good permanent home or holiday lock up. The property also has room a plunge pool.

149,950 Euros

This fine looking property is new to the market boasting 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, private swimming pool, stunning views to the Cabrera mountain range and over 10,000m2 of usable land. This wonderful property is located under 10 minutes from Mojacar.

380,000 Euros

OLV1021

Chercos

This fine looking 5 bedroom, 2 bathroom traditional Cortijo, The property boasts good access, 1000m2 of fenced garden wonderful views and just 2km from the village.

110,000 Euros

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

In a separate development, prosecutors filed charges of inciting racial hatred against a co-founder of the anti-Islamic Pegida movement.

The prosecutors in the eastern city of Dresden said they acted after Lutz Bachmann had on Facebook described asylum seekers “trash” and “animals”.

Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident) members have staged a number of rallies in recent months, attracting tens of thousands of people.

Meanwhile, a new survey by broadcaster ARD said 51% of people admitted the influx of migrants scared them. It suggests a four-year low in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s popularity.

She has said Germany can accommodate migrants who have genuinely fled war or persecution a humanitarian gesture towards the many thousands risking their lives to

reach Europe this year.

But many politicians - including her conservative Bavarian CSU allies and various EU partners - have criticised the open-door policy.

Hamburg’s new law is described as a temporary, emergency measure.

Owners of empty commercial properties will be compensated.

The law does not include residential properties.

But the conservative opposition in the city, in the north of Germany, condemned the move.

The authorities in Bremen, a city just west of Hamburg, are considering passing a similar law.

Germany expects to host at least 800,000 asylum seekers this year about four times the number it had last year.

Many are from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. But the thousands arriving also include asylum seekers from Kosovo, Albania and other Balkan countries, whose claims are usually rejected.

On Thursday more than 200 migrants fought each other in a mass brawl at a reception centre in HamburgBergedorf. Police said Syrians and Afghans were involved in the latest clash.

BBC news

Voss Homes would like to thank our property owners and buyers for their loyalty and support.

PROPERTY OF THE WEEK - €79,000

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

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

23

www.soltimes.com

Barcelona is second city in world where tourists contribute most to economy

Mastercard has just published the latest iteration of their Global Destination Cities index.

The report reveals a wealth of information about international travel and the contributions that travellers make to international hubs around the world.

Perhaps the most interesting dataset provided by Mastercard shows what tourists to key cities actually contribute financially. The study reveals the top global destinations by visitor expenditure per city resident; in essence it shows just how much visitors contribute to the local economy in comparison to locals.

Of these top destinations Dubai is far and away the winner. The research suggests that visitors spend an

average of $4,668. It is important to mention here if that number sounds fantastical that there are a number of factors that can affect this figure.

Firstly, one should remember that many visitors to Dubai make the most of the opportunities that present themselves and stay in one of Dubai’s enviable collection of world-class hotels. This, of course, inflates the sum of money that many people spend the UAE.

Furthermore it should be remembered that Dubai has a relatively small resident population; in the Emirates as a whole expats and visitors outnumber locals by 8 to 1.

As a result this metric will naturally be rather higher than for destination cities more densely populated with

locals.However Dubai is far from the only city to benefit handsomely from overnight visitors. Second in the rankings comes Barcelona (spend = $2,793), closely followed by both London and Singapore.

This data really helps to underline the money that international travel can bring into major worldwide hubs, leaving a lasting positive impression on the local economy.

It is also interesting to note which cities are growing fastest in terms of overnight visitors. Here Colombo takes the crown. This sprawling metropolis in Sri Lanka has long held an important strategic position along the East-West trade routes.

Following closely behind in terms of growth in Chengdu in Southwest

China, with Abu Dhabi coming in third.

Once again we see just how the UAE is becoming a critical international air travel hub, not just growing in visitor numbers but also drawing in great wealth from the expats and travellers who pass through.

However while these cities may be the fastest growing, they aren’t the largest. As it turns out it is London which comes in top, with an astonishing 18.82 million international visitors expected this year. This is only slightly ahead of the runner-up, Bangkok, with 18.24m visitors. Paris, long one of the most visited cities in the world clocks in at number three. http://www.tumbit.com/

Catalonia and Barcelona

Catalonia and Barcelona has become one of the first tourist destination of Spain, it knows how to please the big majority : with a history among the oldest in Europe, a capital, Barcelona, which never sleeps and an inland full of charm not to forget beautiful beaches in La Costa Brava. The variety of artistic treasures, the Romanesque churches and the great names in modern art and architecture , Dali, Gaudi, Miro, Picasso ...

Barcelona sited between the sea and the mountains, has found a formidable balance: a foot in the traditional things and the other in the avant-garde.

Barcelona has the reputation of being the most cosmopolitan, modern and avant-garde city in Spain and it has renewed for the 1992 Olympic Games.

While in Barcelona take a little time to visit Catalonia like: Costa Brava owes its name of "wild coast" to the uniqueness of the sudden encounter between mountain and sea. Nature, climate and history, the picturesque of its ports and certain villages have been enough to have a world wide reputation.

The Costa Brava is a 160-kilometre stretch of beautiful, rugged coastline in the region of Catalonia in the North East corner of Spain. Natural beauty, endless miles of sandy beaches and summer sunshine. You’ll find modern, international tourist resorts with high-rise hotels alongside unspoilt fishing villages, sheltered rocky coves and medieval towns with ancient castles. The Costa stretches from Blanes, North of Barcelona, to Roses near the French border.

It has 4 regions: L’Alt Empordá, Baix Empordá, La Selva and Girones.

Blanes, a harbour on the Costa Brava, the Wild Coast, at the border of the province of Barcelona, marks the beginning of the most light-filled part of the Costa Brava.

The Costa Brava is formed by a lot of little towns and small fishing ports like Cadaqués, which was the residence of Salvador Dalí. Calella de Palafrugell where

you can listen to the famous habaneras in a festival celebrated once a year.

In the 200 kilometres we will find little Mediterranean towns like L’Escala, Palamos or Sant Feliu de Guixols.

You can visit the Parc natural de Cap de Creus or the Parc Natural Aiguamolls in L’Empordà, the Illes Medes in L’Estartit, the city of Roses and Empuries, the medieval cities like Pals and Peratallada, the ancient city of Tossa de Mar and the beautiful botanic gardens in Blanes and Lloret de Mar. Marvellous beaches and many other entertainments will fill your time in the Costa Brava with an average annual temperature of 17º Celsius, moderate rain and 2500 sunny hours every year.

Costa Dorada , in the south of Barcelona, it is the color of gold, luminous, being in the maritime littoral the reason of its name "Costa Dorada" (Golden Coast).

La Costa Dorada (Daurada in Catalan) The 20 towns that make up the Costa Dorada cover a marine littoral 216 kilometers long, 786 hectares of spacious beaches with clean fine sand and transparent shallow water.

In between the sea and the mountain range there are wide areas filled with peaceful towns and farmlands, where vineyards, olive groves, carobs, hazel trees and almond trees grow, and occasionally even vegetable gardens. The whole area, between; hotels, camping sites and apartments, has capacity for over 500,000 tourists, and receives an average 3,500,000 visitors per year.

The large tourist centers along the beaches of the Costa Dorada have developed in recent times upon the old fisherman’s quarters in old towns mainly dedicated to agriculture, and sometimes located atop the hills near the sea in order to protect themselves from attacks by corsairs and pirates in earlier centuries. http://www.barcelona.com/

24

October 2015

Spanish inflation dives, falls to -1.2%

MADRID--Spain’s consumer prices fell in September at their fastest pace in six months, driven by a decrease in energy costs that some economists expect could lead to months of falling prices in the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy.

FOR BUSINESS

Spain’s statistics institute INE said Tuesday that a preliminary calculation shows the country’s European Union-harmonized consumer prices fell 1.2% on the year in September, compared with a drop of 0.5% in August.

INE will provide a full CPI breakdown on Oct. 14, but noted that lower power and fuel prices were the reason for the September decline.

María Jesús Fernández, an economist with the influential Madrid-based think-tank, Funcas, said the decrease is slightly more pronounced than anticipated.

She said it reinforces views that earlier expectations of a small increase in consumer prices late this year are likely to be misplaced due to persistently low oil prices.

Spanish economists have been

adjusting their inflation estimates over the last few weeks, as oil prices have remained low, but fresh cuts may be required.

A Funcas consensus estimate compiled earlier this month from 16 economists still anticipates that CPI under Spain’s own domestic calculation will rise 0.9% on the year in December, from a 0.9% decline in September.

Crude-oil futures have been under pressure as poor Chinese industrial data signals a weaker demand outlook.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, moved little in early trading Tuesday and was last priced at around $48 a barrel, compared with over $90 a year ago.

INE didn’t release an estimate for September’s underlying consumer prices--which strip out the effect of volatile energy costs--but in August it rose 0.7% on the year. Ms. Fernández said

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this indicates domestic prices are evolving normally for an economy growing at an annual clip of 3% or more in the third quarter.

She said lower oil prices remain a boon for the Spanish economy, as shown by an earlier 11-month stretch of negative annual CPI that only ended with small annual increases in June and July.

“This has a positive effect for any economy, like Spain’s, that overwhelmingly depends on imported energy,” Ms. Fernández said. http://www.marketwatch. com/

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

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The Wise man of Alqueria

It had been rumoured for a long time that there is a wise man in Alqueria, as unlikely as that may seem the source of the gossip was reliable or as reliable as anything in the Village could ever be. People would look at one another in the street, wondering “Is that the wise man?” apart from Loco Paco who could never be taken for a wise man, in fact to walk in a straight line was a mammoth task for him.

If a wise man did exist he was certainly needed. The government of Alqueria was trying to govern without using authority which would only be ignored anyway. Governing by referendum was a possible working alternative.

Unfortunately Alqueria is fiercely partisan. At state of undeclared war exists between the Newcomer’s Barrio and the Hill People’s. Any referendum on any matter is seen as part of this rivalry with both barrios taking contrary positions irrespective of issue. With half the population living in each barrio deadlocks are common place. Certainly if a wise man existed then a meritocracy may just work.

The task was to find him. Being wise he wouldn’t of course associate with the dysfunctional idiots that stalk the streets of Alqueria, why he was still living in the Pueblo is another mystery.

It was suggested that he would walk about with a glowing light-bulb hovering above his head but this just goes to show has desperately Alqueria needs a wise man. Why is he so wise?

viewpoint

Would the wise man consume alarming quantities o f Remitroot Whisky e v e r y Saturday night and collapse in a comatose stupor? The vast majority of Alquerian adults thought this extremely wise. Would the wise man channel all his energies and genius into blind hatred towards the opposing barrio? If not then he didn’t sound very wise at all according to the Alquerian model.

But the wise man had to be found to bring sanity and order to the Village.

Every male was sent an intelligence test in the form of a questionnaire through the post. Many thought it was a summons and went into hiding, Sancho Alvares thought it was a recipe and tried to to cook it. Loco Paco failed to open the envelope and Pedro El Gordo thought it was his call-up papers and reported to the Cadíz basic training unit of the Spanish Legion.

Did they ever find their wise man?

The search continues. Wise is relative and relative to the other inhabitants wise would mean the ability to do colouring in but struggling with joined up writing.

Artificial Intelligence

They’ve been getting very excited recently on the telly about the creation of Artificial Intelligence.

Why? Don’t they know that Artificial Intelligence has been around at least since Man first invented electricity? I would have thought that it was obvious that anything that is powered by an invisible force will have the potential for an intelligence all of its own.

The proof is all around us.

However, that intelligence is not necessarily benign. Take, for instance, the kettle. A watched kettle will not boil – everybody knows that. But if you take your eye off it and go and do something else, even if only for a second, the kettle will bust its gut trying to transform the kitchen into a sauna.

Yet how many times have you come back from somewhere all cold and tired, yearning for a nice cup of tea, hot, ready and awaiting your arrival. But does the kettle oblige, turn itself on and be ready and boiling as you walk through the door? No! We’re not asking it to actually make the tea, just to be boiling when we arrive, yet will it? Not a chance, although we know it is perfectly capable of boiling unsupervised.

My latest brush with artificial intelligence concerned the printer. I have never had good relationships with printers, but I thought that the current printer and I had come to an uneasy understanding of each other.

I asked it politely if it would mind terribly much printing a document, please. It whirred, clicked and clattered into action, duly spilling out the requested

Strictly 2015 Week 2

As the celebrities had performed twice in both disciplines this week, it was time to start the process of elimination. There are three for me who ‘should’ be for the chop - but will they? that remains to be seen. We’ll have to see what the great British public make of them?

Opening this weeks show were Jamelia and Tristan and a Cha Cha Cha. Although it wasn’t a bad attempt there was very little attention paid to technique. Her legs were constantly bent and she needs to track her legs to improve the action. As a result some of her leg lines were ugly. I gave her 5 and the judges 21. Next to dance were Daniel O’Donnell and Kristina with their Charleston. Daniel had a real good ‘go’ at this dance. It was a bit careful and cautious and he needed to let go a bit more but I found him constantly looking towards Kristina probably to make sure his choreography was correct. This did detract a bit but otherwise not bad. I awarded him 5 and the judges 23. Kirsty Gallagher and Brendan then performed a Salsa. Her legs and lines are excellent but unfortunately far too stiff for a basic salsa action which needs softer legs and hips by the bucket load. She was awarded 20 by the judges and 4 from myself. One of my early favourites Jay McGuiness and Aliona were next out performing a Waltz. Out of the ballroom frame constraints he was beautiful but he will need to be able to move with the same ease in hold.

I found him a bit restricted in movement with his left arm pushing forward too much. That said for week 2 excellent and for that I gave him 7 with the judges in top slot this week with a 31.

Iwan Thomas and Ola followed with their Cha Cha Cha. Oh dear! what on earth? There was so much posing and standing still and not surprising Ola tried her hardest to cover up appalling technique with permanently bent legs and so wide apart - argh! I gave him 2 and the judges bottom place 13 and must be in danger this week? Corries Georgia May Foote and Giovanni then performed their Waltz. Watch this space for this young lady, she needs to work on core lift and take care with

her right arm which was too straight but and excellent dance overall. I awarded her 7 and the judges 25.

Chef Ainsley Harriet and Natalie then came out and danced their Salsa. It was so entertaining, Ainsley sold this to perfection and was in my opinion one of the best celeb salsas we have ever had. Normally I feel that the action is too stilted but not this time I gave him 8 and the judges a measley 26. Carol Kirkwood and Pasha were next to perform a Foxtrot. Oh dear Carol although a bit better than last week it was heavy and clumpy. Pasha tried to cover up with the umbrella but I’m afraid we just saw straight through it another celeb in danger? I awarded her 3 and the judges 20.

Eastenders actress Kellie Bright and Kevin then danced a Cha Cha Cha. Kellie has great leg action and all she needs to do is get her weight a bit further over her toes and it would improve further. She is one to watch. I gave her 7 and the judges 27.

Anthony Agogo and Oti were next to perform a Waltz. He did show a nice soft action but a lack of correct footwork, frame and core detracted from the performance. I gave him a 5 and the judges 19. Anita Rani and Gleb then came out with a Charleston. What she danced, she carried off brilliantly but I felt it was more like Lindy Hop than Charleston, the music was Lindy Hop so she wasn’t to blame and I felt that 2 of the judges caned her for something that wasn’t her fault. I gave her 8 and the judges 27. Jeremy Vine and Karen did the first American Smooth of the series. The lifts worked beautifully but smooth it certainly was not.

However he really enjoys his dancing that you can see and for that reason I gave him 3 and the judges 17. One

25

By Jos Biggs

josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk pages – with every alternate line missing!

I checked that I had asked it correctly. Yes, it said, it understood. So I asked it again, and once more ended up with the same alternate lines missing, and a lot of spoiled paper.

‘Pete’ I said, ‘the printer won’t work.’

Pete has qualities that I lack. He has patience and persistence. He will peck away at a problem until he has worked the machine into submission, whereas I simply lose my temper and go all hissy.

He pushed its buttons, delved into its innards, would not take no for an answer when it refused to allow him access to its cartridges to check its ink – in fact, he wore down its resistance.

But it took him a good hour before it would condescend to print all of my document!

That printer knew perfectly well what it was doing – it has Artificial Intelligence!

of my favourite performances of the night was from Katie Derham and Anton and their Tango. This must be the first time since series 1 of this show that Anton has actually been given a celebrity he can actually dance with and this was excellent. She just made one slip towards the end of the dance in her choreography but apart from that super characterisation throughout and a well deserved 8 with 28 from the judges. Peter Andre and Janette did the first Quickstep of the series but I have to say for me a little disappointing. His energy and presentation were great but as soon as he tried to dance basic quickstep it fell apart a bit as it was lacking in movement. He was fine on the hops and skips but couldn’t keep it going when the going got slower. For that reason I awarded him 6 and the judges were generous with 30. Closing the show were Helen George and Aljaz with a Cha Cha Cha. This is the ballet girl and her legs and feet are beautiful. However her action was a bit stiff and stilted. She is too upright and needs to perch a bit more in Latin to gain the necessary foot pressure into the floor and a cleaner action that is needed. I gave her an 8 and the judges 29.

With a combined judges score being used this week for the leader board, in top slot was Peter Andre with a tie for second between Helen George and Jay McGuiness and at the bottom Iwan Thomas closely followed by Carol Kirkwood and Jeremy Vine. On Sundays results show the bottom 2 were Jamelia and Iwan and in the dance off Iwan was eliminated from the show as the first celebrity this series. I already have a few favourites that I’m keeping my eye on - have you got yours yet? Come and hear my views at one of our classes and join our really friendly dancers. Don’t have a partner - don’t let that stop you. In the meantime, until next week Keep Dancing!

Keep Dancing!

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

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26

October 2015

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

sol picture quiz!

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1. In which country was a vine variety called ‘vegetable dragon pearls’?...........

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Answers

soltimes wine Quiz

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IDENTIFY THEse FAMOUS faces

1. Jimi Hendrix 2. Patrick Stewart 3. Nicole Kidman 4. Pope Bendedict XVI

on this day 9th October

1238 – James I of Aragon conquers Valencia and founds the Kingdom of Valencia.

1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar, this day does not exist in this year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

1834 – Opening of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, the first public railway on the island of Ireland.

1900 – The Cook Islands become a territory of the United Kingdom.

1989 – An official news agency in the Soviet Union reports the landing of a UFO in Voronezh.

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

The remaining letters spell a secret message - an Albert Camus quotation.

4

soltimes rugby Quiz

1. Which nephew of Barry John became a Wigan player?................................

2. Which rugby international won junior Wimbledon in

2. In which part of the United States is the Zinfandel grape chiefly cultivated?...

1966?..................................

3. Which team did Andy Platt and Dean Bell join after leaving Wigan?............

3. In which South American country is Casablanca Valley?.................................

5. What are the three styles of port?.......

4. Which was the first Union club to win the John Player Cup three years in a row?.....

6. What colour are most English wines?..

5. Which Welsh player was a champion hurdler?............

4. Retsina is native to which country?.....

6. Who captained Australia in the 1995 World Cup Final?

7. What colour are most of the wines from France’s Anjou region?...................

7. Who captained Australia in their World Cup win in

8. What is a crate of twelve bottles of

8. Who captained England in the 1995 World Cup Final?

9. Who captained the 1967 touring All Blacks?...............

10. Who did Russian Prince Obolensky play for in 1936?

Answers

squiggle SUDOKU

CRYPTIC crossword

6. White 7. Rose 8. Case 9. Champagne 10. Jancis CROSSWORD

1. China 2. California 3. Chile 4. Greece 5. Ruby, tawny & vintage

SOLUTIONS

wordsearch answer

standard SUDOKU

Answers

easy SUDOKU

Ms Robinson?........................................

RED LEAVES SCARECROW SCHOOL SEASON SEPTEMBER SHORTER DAYS SQUASH SWEET POTATOES THANKSGIVING TURKEY WINDY YELLOW LEAVES

AUTUMN IS A SECOND SPRING WHEN EVERY LEAF IS A FLOWER

10. What is the first name of wine writer

FEAST FROST HALLOWEEN HARVEST HAYSTACK HICKORY NUTS LONGER NIGHTS NOVEMBER OCTOBER ORANGE LEAVES PIE PUMPKIN RAKE

6. Brad Fittler 7. Nick FarrJones 8. Dennis Betts 9. Brian Lochore 10. England

9. What is Moet et Chandon?..................

ACORN APPLE BIRD MIGRATION BLOWING LEAVES BLUSTERY DAY CANNING CHESTNUTS CHILLY COLD CROPS EQUINOX FALL FARMING

1. Scott Quinnell 2. J. P .R. Williams 3. Auckland Warriors 4. Leicester 5. Nigel Walker

wine called?...........................................

1991?..................................

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27

UK Motorhomes Wanted

Contact Karl on 0044 7976 662395

email: carlskitt@live.com

across

STANDARD CROSSWORD

1 Paces (9) 6 Not behind (5) 9 A hydrocarbon gas (7) 10 Leaves (7) 11 Pious (7) 12 Fitting inside one another (7) 13 In another manner (9) 15 Vista (5) 16 Vapors (5) 19 Buyers (9) 22 8th planet of the solar system (7) 23 Ruffled (7) 25 Avid (7) 26 A standard example (7) 27 Athletic endeavor (5) 28 Surmised (9)

Down

1 Exhausts (5) 2 Flightless bird (7) 3 Disperse (7) 4 Each and all (5) 5 One more than 16 (9) 6 Charges (7) 7 Tie together (7) 8 Differs (9) 13 Coordinates (9) 14 Makes larger (9) 17 Female singing range (7) 18 Old Scottish for “Salmon” (7) 20 Use (7) 21 Burbot or guffer (7) 23 Worries (5) 24 Fearful anticipation (5)

SUDOKU PUZZLES

easy

squiggle

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

5 Alter commercial fair (6) 7 Acts for inside hair-waves (8) 9 Cyril and Ned creating solid shape (8) 10 Take on animal before another one returns (6) 11 Surprisingly, militias rise where things are alike (12) 13 Scale one’s calls (6) 15 Excavation in... in... in... 1000 grams (6) 18 Preserving 100 renovations, perhaps (12) 21 Criminal, or returning books with hesitation (6) 22 Thrilling England with 90 not out, without one-time great opener (8) 23 Covers left a new king in stakes (8) 24 Pressed on into dire trouble (6) Down

1 Add up ICI accounts - initially new for one who 7ac, perhaps (8) 2 Good man, a help turning up for arenas (6) 3 Living thing’s body part is minute (8) 4 Sounds negative, is the opposite (not initially) (6) 6 Clear space which makes it easy to see? (8) 7 Allow hesitation (minute) in hole in the earth (6) 8 Parents keep quiet when before The Word (4) 12 Declare cat-girl first (8) 14 Watches second entrances (8) 16 Time particle following - not a system of symbols (8) 17 Second-level small card game (6) 18 Taxis taking in huts (6) 19 One who suffers two boys (6) 20 Aim to leave everyone heartless (4)

famous birthdays on this day

standard

PJ Harvey, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (1969) Nicky Byrne, Irish singer-songwriter and footballer (Westlife) (1978) Ghetts, English rapper (1984) Bo, American dog of Barack Obama (2008)

soltimes Minion moments

28

October 2015

FOOD & ENTERTAINING...

Comforting Casseroles

A collection of warming, easy make casserole and stew recipies from BBCGoodFood to chase away the chills.

Sausage & bean casserole

Mediterranean Pesto chicken vegetables with stew with cheesy lamb dumplings

(Serves 4-6) Ingredients 2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 medium sticks celery, finely chopped 1 yellow pepper, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 3 fat garlic cloves, chopped 6 cooking chorizo sausages (about 400g) 6 pork sausages (about 400g) 1½ tsp sweet smoked paprika ½ tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp dried thyme 125ml white wine 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 chicken stock cube 1 x 400g tin aduki beans, drained and rinsed 1 bunch chives (optional) Heat the olive or rapeseed oil in a large heavybased pan. Add the onion and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the celery and peppers and cook for a further 5 mins.

Add the sausages and fry the sausages for 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, spices and dried thyme and continue cooking for 1 – 2 mins or until the aromas are released.

Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to remove any residue stuck to the pan. Add the tinned tomatoes, and fresh thyme and bring to a simmer. Crumble in the stock cube and stir in.

Cook for 40 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for a further five minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs, season with black pepper and serve.

Hearty Stew Pub Fries (Serves 8) Ingredients 1 bag (680g) frozen potato wedges with skins 1 portion of vegetable stew with beef 230g shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 75g crumbled blue cheese 40g chopped green onions

(Serves 4) Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 250g lean lamb fillet, trimmed of any fat and thinly sliced 140g shallots, halved 2 large courgettes, cut into chunks ½ tsp each ground cumin, paprika and ground coriander 1 red, 1 orange and 1 green pepper, cut into chunks 1 garlic clove, sliced 150ml vegetable stock 250g cherry tomatoes handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan.

Cook the lamb and shallots over a high heat for 2-3 mins until golden. Add the courgettes and stir-fry for 3-4 mins until beginning to soften.

Add the spices and toss well, then add the peppers and garlic. Reduce the heat and cook over a moderate heat for 4-5 mins until they start to soften.

Pour in the stock and stir to coat. Add the tomatoes, season, then cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally until the veg are tender. Stir through the coriander to serve.

Heat oven to 220°C. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Bake potato wedges on cookie sheet as directed on bag, stirring halfway through.

Meanwhile, heat stew. Mound baked potato wedges in 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Sprinkle half of the Cheddar cheese over wedges. Pour stew over cheese and wedges. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Top with blue cheese and onions. Serve immediately.-Betty Crocker. Com

(Serves 8) Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 12-15 chicken thighs, skin removed, bone in 200g smoked bacon lardons or chopped bacon 1 large onion, chopped 4 celery sticks, chopped 3 leeks, chopped 4 tbsp plain flour 200ml white wine 1l chicken stock 2 bay leaves 200g frozen peas 140g sundried tomatoes 140g fresh pesto small bunch basil, chopped For the dumplings 140g butter 250g self-raising flour 100g parmesan, grated 50g pine nuts Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Brown the chicken until golden on all sides – you might have to do this in batches – remove the chicken from the pan as you go and set aside.

Add the lardons to the pan and sizzle for a few mins, then add the onion, celery and leeks, and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 mins until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the flour, season and cook for a further 2 mins.

Gradually stir in the wine and allow it to bubble away, then stir in the stock. Return the chicken to the pan with the bay leaves and cover with a lid.

Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1½ hrs or until the chicken is tender. The stew can now be cooled and frozen if you’re making ahead. Just defrost thoroughly, then gently warm through back in the pan before continuing.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add the peas, sundried tomatoes, pesto and basil to the stew.

To make the dumplings, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Mix in the grated cheese and add 150ml water, mixing with a cutlery knife to bring the crumbs together to form a light and sticky dough. Break off walnutsized lumps and shape into small balls. Roll the tops of the dumplings in the pine nuts so a few stick to the outside, then place the dumplings on top of the stew and scatter with any remaining nuts. Put the dish in the oven and bake for 25 mins until the dumplings are golden brown and cooked through. Serve with mashed potato and extra veg if you like.

29

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FOOD & ENTERTAINING...

Cottage chilli hotpot

One-pan Spanish fish stew

Vegetable stew with herby dumplings

(Serves6)

(Serves 4)

(Serves 6) Ingredients 800g braising steaks, cubed 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned well 4 tbsp olive oil 300ml red wine 2 red onions, cut into chunks 2 carrots, cut into chunks 4 garlic cloves, bashed to remove skin 2 red peppers, deseeded, cut into chunks 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and sliced few thyme sprigs, plus 1 tbsp leaves 1 bay leaf 1 tsp each ground cumin and coriander ½ tsp each cinnamon and chilli flakes 2 x 400g cans chopped plum tomatoes 2 tsp caster or granulated sugar 250ml good beef stock 400g can red kidney beans, drained 1kg potatoes knob of butter

Ingredients handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped zest and juice 1 lemon 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 medium onion, finely sliced 500g floury potatoes, cut into small chunks, no larger than 2cm cubes 1 tsp paprika pinch cayenne pepper 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 fish stock cube 200g raw peeled king prawns ½ a 410g/14oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 500g skinless fish fillets, cut into very large chunks

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 350g shallots, peeled 2 leeks, thickly sliced ½ swede, chopped into chunks 2 parsnips, quartered 350g Chantenay carrots 175g pearl barley 225ml white wine 1l vegetable stock 1 bay leaf 3 sprigs thyme small bunch parsley, finely chopped For the dumplings 100g self-raising flour 50g unsalted butter 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Toss the beef in flour, then brown half in a pan,

In a small bowl, mix the parsley with ½ the garlic and lemon zest, then set aside. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan. Throw in the onion and potatoes, cover the pan, then sweat everything for about 5 mins until the onion has softened. Add the remaining oil, garlic and spices, then cook for 2 mins more.

Pour over the lemon juice and sizzle for a moment.

Add the tomatoes, ½ a can of water and crumble in the stock. Season with a little salt, then cover the pan. Simmer everything for 15-20 mins until the potatoes are just cooked.

Stir through the prawns and chickpeas, then nestle the fish chunks into the top of the stew. Reduce the heat and recover the pan, then cook for about 8 mins, stirring very gently once or twice. When the fish is just cooked through, remove from the heat, scatter with the parsley mix, then bring the dish to the table with the bottle of olive oil for drizzling over and some crusty bread, if you want.

Heat oil in a large casserole dish. Add shallots and cook for 5-6 mins until starting to soften and brown. Add leeks for 2 mins, then stir in swede, parsnips and carrots.

Pour in barley and wine, cook until wine has reduced by half. Add stock, bay, thyme, parsley and seasoning. Cover pan, bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 mins until barley and veg are tender. Stir occasionally to stop it catching.

Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Rub flour and butter together to form breadcrumbs. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle over 2 tbsp water, mix to form a soft dough. Divide into six and roll into balls. Dot on top of stew and transfer to oven. Cook, uncovered, for 20-25 mins until dumplings are golden.

using 1 tbsp oil. Once browned, spoon into a bowl. Add 100ml wine to the pan and scrape up any bits. Reduce a little, then pour into the bowl with the cooked beef. Wipe the pan and repeat with the remaining beef and another 100ml wine.

Meanwhile, whizz the onions, carrots and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

Add 2 tbsp oil to the pan and tip in the chopped veg, peppers, fresh chilli, thyme sprigs and bay.

Fry for 10 mins. Tip in the spices, cook for 1 min, then add the rest of the wine and reduce by half.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, beef, winey juices and stock, season, then simmer for 1½-2 hrs until the meat is meltingly tender. Stir in the beans and allow to cool.

Peel and slice the potatoes about 5mm thick, then boil for 5 mins. Drain, then tip back into pan.

Add the butter and thyme leaves, season, then

Spanish bean stew (Serves 4)

toss to coat. Tip the chilli mix into a 35 x 25cm

Ingredients

dish, then layer the potatoes on top. Dot with

1 tbsp olive oil 200g chorizo sausage, thickly sliced 1 onion, chopped 400g/14oz chicken thigh fillets, cubed 1 tomato, roughly chopped 410g can cannellini beans, drained 1 large potato, cut into small cubes 500ml hot chicken stock 4 tbsp chopped parsley

butter. Cover with cling film and cool completely if freezing. Will freeze for 1 month – defrost before cooking. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 50 mins-1 hr, until the sauce is bubbling and potatoes golden. Serve with soured cream and green veg.

Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the chorizo, onion and chicken over a high heat for 5 mins. Add the tomato and cook for a further 2-3 mins until pulpy.

Stir in the beans, potato and stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 20 mins until the potato is soft and the chicken cooked through. Stir through the parsley and serve. You can cool and freeze the stew for up to 2 months.

To serve, defrost and heat through thoroughly.

30

October 2015

Anyone for chicken kiev?

Seventies food is back in fashion

If this series of The Great British Bake Off is anything to go by, the Seventies are back. Not with flares and big prints, but vol-au-vents, black forest gateau, and arctic roll, fixtures of the Seventies dinner party. Could their Bake Off appearance transform them from the kitsch and slightly embarrassing foods of our past into wellloved classics? Is it time to reassess that decade’s culinary legacy?

Anna and Duncan Watts, owners of the Jones Family Project, in East London, certainly think so. They’ve created a full-blown Seventies popup within their restaurant. “Our chef was a little uncertain, because the food of that time has a

reputation for being terrible,” says Duncan. “But the dishes are really good, they’d just been terribly executed, because you couldn’t get the ingredients.

People used to make ‘pink sauce’ for prawn cocktail

by mixing tomato ketchup and mayonnaise. We use gazpacho and langoustines.”

“We’re trying to get rid of the stigma that it’s rubbish food to eat,” says Prudence Randall, who’s behind the opening of Seventies-inspired restaurant Coin Laundry next month.

“It’s unapologetically rich, it’s naughty, it’s the kind of stuff you’d make at home and eat and not tell anyone about because you’d be embarrassed. And it’s really, really good.” It’s not just themed pop-ups and hipster eateries that are digging out the recipe books of the 1970s. Familiarity may have formerly bred contempt in restaurant kitchens, but a quiet renaissance of familiar dishes is occurring, as chefs slip redux-ed Seventies staples onto their menus.

Some have considered puddings like baked Alaska as definitive desserts which transcended their decade a long time ago. Hawksmoor has it on the

menu, as does chef Tom Aikens, who’s had it on the menu of Tom’s Kitchen since 2006.

“Baked Alaska’s always been a firm favourite,” he says. “It’s a comforting dish with a bit of theatre.

One of those that everyone likes because it’s sticky and gooey and you get squidgy ice cream at the end.”

And when you think that the Seventies also gave us steak in peppercorn sauce and lemon meringue pie, suddenly it doesn’t seem quite as awful as we’d been led to believe. Maybe a revival of the rest of the decade’s repertoire is actually long overdue.

Glass of Blue Nun anyone? Perhaps that’s a step too far. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Bright buys into Spanish food distribution firm Bright Food (Group) Co Ltd, the Shanghai-based food giant, has completed the acquisition of Miquel Alimentacio Grup, Spain's second-largest food distributor, in a move to expand its European distribution network. The 110-million-euro ($123.15 million) takeover was made jointly by Shanghai Tangjiu Group Co Ltd, a fully owned Bright Food subsidiary which took a 72 percent stake in Miquel, JIC Investment Co Ltd and Shenzhen Donghuatong Trade Development Co Ltd. Officials said they expect sales of 1 billion euros from Miquel this year, a company with wide distribution networks in place in Spain and other European countries, which now becomes the largest Spanish firm to be taken over by a Chinese food company.

Miquel has a strong range of food and beverage products appealing to Chinese consumers, particularly wine and olive oil. Bright Food now expects the first shipments of those to arrive in China in November.

"Our first step will be to integrate these global food resources, and then we plan to use them to manufacture and then sell some of our own Chinese brands across the world," said Ge. Founded in 1925, Miquel has 63 cash-and-carry stores in 11 Spanish districts, serviced by six logistics distribution centers. Its 14,000 different products on sale come from 2,500 Spanish and more than 100 international suppliers. Among those products are some self-owned brands.

"With rising public attention on food quality, more traditional food companies like Bright Food and China Oil & Foodstuffs Corp are expanding their resources and networks from domestic to overseas areas," said Liu. Bright Food's plans to transfer some manufacturing to Spain, said Liu, is indicative of how wages are rising in China, even for often lowly paid food factory workers. According to a new report from the Boston Consulting Group, last year alone Chinese companies made 154 overseas merger and acquisition deals worth $26.1 billion. Luo said they also view foreign deals as a way to obtain cutting-edge technology, gain overseas brands and management experience, and hedge against fluctuations in the Chinese economy.

Bright Food is already an active overseas buyer. It acquired a controlling 60 percent stake in 2011 in the United Kingdom's Weetabix Ltd, which owns the breakfast cereal brand as well as Alpen and Ready Brek, and bought Australian dairy company Mundella Foods at the start of last year.

It also owns 40 percent of New Zealand infant formula processor Synlait Milk, while Shanghai Maling, China's largest meat processor which is 38 percent owned by Bright Food, took a 50 percent share in New Zealand's leading meat processor Silver Ferm Farms this month, in a deal reported to be worth $261 million. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

Catalonia Named European Region of

Gastronomy in 2016

The region will roll out a series of partnerships and activities to promote its cuisine and products The activities will aim to enhance Catalonia’s visibility, boost its economy and promote sustainability and social cohesion Catalonia has been named European Region of Gastronomy for 2016 (Minho in Portugal has also been awarded), an award which seeks to support better living standards in Europe “by highlighting distinctive food cultures, educating for better health and sustainability and stimulating gastronomic innovation”.

As part of this distinction, Spain’s northeast region will be promoting local products, cuisine, and Catalonia at large. On September 22nd, the

region was in the spotlight in Brussels, within the framework of the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC), to inform on the various activities it will organize during 2016. Then, on September 29th and 30th, it will take center stage at Expo Milano, where it will be officially awarded the title of European Region for Gastronomy, and will be presented as a gastronomic and cultural destination at the international Euromeeting seminar.

This distinction is organized with the support of the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, and European institutions.

It will be awarded to two or three regions every year, which will roll out a series of events and collaborations that enhance their visibility, viability, social cohesion and sustainability. http://www.foodswinesfromspain. com/

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Tel: 950 121 936

welcome events

Welcome Group Events Wednesday October 21st. - Dance this evening at Mariano’s and enjoy two top acts, the duo Diverse and the lovely Lucinda, a good night for all. €8 Wednesday November 11th. Ladies day out to Benidorm Market and Christmas shopping.

Afternoon show at the Rich Bitch included. €15 Wednesday December 9th. - Book now for Christmas Party at Mariano’s. Truly excellent night with Ricky Lavazza and Time Warp. €12 Thursday December 31st. - New Years Eve Dance. Three great artists, Rob Sweeney, Dan Davy and Christine will help you welcome in the New Year with all your friends. Fabulous night to include excellent buffet and champagne at midnight. €20 A Romantic Weekend Trip to Benalmadena, leaving February 12th 2016 for 3 nights half board with wine & water at the 4* Hotel Mac Puerto Marina. Price includes coach travel and day trips plus The Ricky Lavazza Valentine Show. €170 Welcome Cruise March 6th 2016. - 10 nights aboard Norwegian Epic, fully inclusive including drinks package from Barcelona calling at Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Tangier and Malaga. Price also includes Insurance, Coach travel, Taxes and overnight stay in Valencia. More info call Rosemary.

NEW Saville Trip Monday May 2nd 2016 - 4 nights staying in the heart of the city at the newly refurbished 4* Hotel Melia Sevilla on B&B. Price Includes coach travel, day trip to Tio Pepe Factory, Jerez and hopefully another trip to the Jerez Horse Show. €350 p.p.

For more information or to book your tickets, call Rosemary on 620 105 179

Ex-Servicemen’s Association

Mazarrón District (Founded 1 May 2006) EVENTS - 2015 Wednesday 14th October - 1.30pm for 2pm, Viggos Puerto de Mazarron, Lunchtime Meal Sunday 8th November - 1.30pm for 2pm, Restaurant Trevi, Camposol “B” Remembrance Sunday Lunch following the Service at St Nicholas Church Saturday 12th December - 7.30pm for 8pm Restaurant Bar Med, Puerto De Mazarron Membership and enquiries, Ian 629 818 611 or esamd.espana@gmail.com

- community news MABS MAZARRON EVENTS

OCTOBER Friday – 9th OCTOBER – Charity Quiz Night – The Clubhouse hosted by Camposol Golf Association.

Sunday - 25TH OCTOBER – MABS RACE for LIFE – walk, run or skip around the 4km of 8km course.

Entry 10€ for Adults 5€ for Children under 12years includes T-shirts and medals for FINISHERS. Trophies for winners. ****New this year – MABS Race for Life Sheild awarded to winning Team******* Forms available from – MABS Charity Shop; MABS Information Centre, TREVI, ALI PALLAIS, EURONICS,COSTA CAFÉ, BEST WISHES, TEL´s Bar, CAT´s Bar, TROPICANA´s, VISTA Bar, Tuesday - 27th OCTOBER – Volunteers Meeting – TREVIS Bar, Camposol 11.30 all welcome **DON´T FORGET TO VISIT OUR CHARITY SHOP IN TOTANA LOADS OF BARGAINS!!!! ** Donations always needed and welcome REGULAR EVENTS CRAFT GROUP - every other Wednesday from 1.30 at the MABS Information Centre – restarts 9th September after the summer break BOOK SALES – every 3rd Friday at Commercial Sector B 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

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

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

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

on the health, so there are often dozens of mud people wallowing in it at any one time.

The average depth of the Mar Menor is four metres and at its maximum it is seven metres which means that the seabed slopes very gradually and you have to get several hundred metres in before the water is of any depth.

The beach at Playa Paraiso is very popular, partly because it has road access right onto the beach. On summer weekends it will be packed with Spanish families, who move most of their house onto the beach.

The Mar Menor’s salinity provides buoyancy so it is, supposedly,

Playa Paraiso beach on a summer weekend.

The sea is very shallow, with netted off areas to exclude watersports,

TABLE TENNIS AT PILAR DE LA HORADADA

pals events

24/27 November mini break to VALENCIA Sold out, no wonder at 150 Euros but cancellation list in existance 14th December tickets moving for the annual supermeal 8 courses including drinks and with Martin Ross entertaining 29.50 Euros pp why not make up a table and have your own party within a party. Costa Costa Hotel, a chance to dress up and be merry.

1st January Annual Swim from Bahia Beach sponsorship forms available silly dress is expected.

16th/20th March BENMIDORM full board at helios.

160 Euros covering St Patricks and san Jose Cancellation list in existance

14th/20th May Coach trip to PORTUGAL half board and visiting fabulous locations 510 Euros pp sharing On Tuesdays at 11am At bobbie jo·s, los montisinos double.

For a chat and a cup of tea For further information For information please call 626 460465 or visit contact wally Williamson On 966 770 871 www.pals.sm4.biz or see us at La Ratatouille on a

new properties s.l.

The Mar Menor is a huge (135 square kilometres) salt-water lagoon, separated from the Mediterranean by the 24 kilometre long La Manga del Mar Menor (The Strip).

Sports Centre every Monday at 10am Five tables equipment supplied, coaching given if necessary, all standards welcome. Contact George on 965 326097 or Gordon on 966 848304 or e-mail drewgeorge49@ yahoo.com.

A parkinsons Support Group

Luz del Sol

31

sales@soltimes

wednesday from 1 till 3 or at The Trevi on a Saturday 11 till 1.30pm

MARKET DAYS IN THE AREA

Monday - San Pedro del Pinatar Tuesday - Los Alcazares / Alhama de Murcia

Wednesday - Santiago de la Ribeira /

Fuente Alamo / Totana Thursday - San Javier / Camposol Sector A / Lorca Friday - Isla Plana (Summer only) Saturday - Mazarron Pueblo / Aguilas Sunday - Puerto de Mazarron / Mar Menor / Cabo de Palos

one of the safest places to swim in the world.

The mineral-rich waters are said to have therapeutic effects and because of this the area has a significant spa tourism industry.

The sludge in the salt pans is also credited with beneficial effects

fishing and jellyfish.

The jellyfish are mainly harmless and much reduced in numbers from previous years, apart from the summer of 2006 when they were back with a vengeance. Playa Honda beach During the week the beach is quiet.

mazarron lions

The lions Club meets 1st Monday of every month at 4 pm upstairs in the Trevi bar Camposol Sector B all are welcome Contact Nigel 605 111 205 mazarronlions@gmail.com If you are interested in joining the Lions please contact Nigel barker or Visit us at our stall every Friday outside Oscars camposol B 11 to 3 pm Tel 696 827 525

Send us your event information and we can share with your local community production@soltimes.com

32

SOL CLASSIFIEDS

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

free of charge deadline thursday 5pm

Monday to Friday Between 10am & 5pm

or EMAIL us Send your advert or lineage to

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DEADLINES All adverts Friday at 5pm prior to publication

alternative power

Contact Martin 659 232 507 martin.freeman@free-sol.com www.free-sol.com

www.ecocorpshop.com are you getting frustrated at ever increasing electricity bills do you want a clean, reliable energy alternative if so call ecocorp on 671 716 597 or 950 930 187 for a no obligation quotation

sunlife solar solutions

The finest solar installations on the costa blanca

sl registered company 100% legal installations we will beat any like for like genuine written quotation

tel: 965 271717

business opportunity “Internet Millionaire Reveals Secrets Of Making £1,000 A Week & More Without Any Previous Experience” If you would like to start earning extra money now! Then the internet is definitely the place to do this. You can earn money whilst relaxing by the pool or even earn whilst you’re sleeping. This is the reality for people that are making money online.

Read why you should be cashing in on today’s booming economy and discover for yourself how you can turn your passion into a large monthly wage, For Free Information Visit

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transfer & Cheques made payable to

MATHEWS mEDIA s.l

Call Paulette on: 950 121 936 or 902 750 190 Ext 330 for sale

pool tables snooker tables, table tennis tables, darts.

every single month.

PAYMENT VISA ,Paypal, bank

October 2015

insurance

asssa medical

insurances Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan

968 153 396 mazarron@asssa.es

grass top quality artificial grass installed by qualified professionals

Tel: 666 933 726 www.spainpool.com

Vibratory Massager circulation stand/sit on machine.

Model Sensomedical 222220055 programable as new unused instruction manual (Spanish) Torrevieja area for collection 100€ ono Tel: (0044) 7799 232303 Marshall valvestate 100 watt combo, tons of features.

175€, Thomman P A speaker 350 watt. 15 in speaker with tweeter.

Including stand in new condition 75€.

Fender gig bag for Strat, Tele. 5€ Tel: 629 975 378 / 966 789 612 Brand new white slate shower base 70 x 80. Cost 280 euros will accept 100€. Quesada Tel: 966 713 707 Modern headboard DB size - white with black inset 75€ Quesada Tel: 966 713 707 Modern ceiling light chrome/glass/black panel sides.

50€. Quesada Tel: 966 713 707 SUPANOWA - New Generation of Cooking ! Almost New. Less energy -60%; Convection system. roast chicken, grilled steak, cakes & Pies, etc..

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150€ negotiable. Tel: 693 572 427 Cream leather two seater reclining sofa and two reclining chairs 275€ Tel: 965 327 431 / 628 606 781 Talking books, tape or disc, good selection, 1€ each Tel: 690 772 178 (San Fulgencio) Sunncamp Scenic plus caravan awning 100€, Oregon 14inch petrol chains saw, just serviced 65€, Sky+ HD reciever with remote 40€, Empty orange gas bottld 20€, Collection of over 30 various thriller books 15€, Camposol. Tel: 634 359 089

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October 2015

animal corner

To advertise here call : 950 121 936

What's the difference between turtles and tortoises? incredibly sturdy, t o h e l p protect them from predators. They tend to have short, sturdy feet with long claws to help them with digging.

A young woman, known only as Kimberley on the social networking app, is seen holding a tortoise and begins the video by saying: "So, here's a little note to self - if anyone runs into a turtle, save it.

"Don't just leave it on the road. They're so cute."

She then says "turtle saving is a hobby" before tossing the creature into a pond. However, tortoises, unlike turtles, cannot swim and could have died as a result of the "rescue".

The reptile was later identified as a gopher tortoise, which is a federally threatened animal in parts of America.

While the video could be a very well made prank, turtles and tortoises are commonly mistaken and, in cases like this, the error could prove fatal.

Here, we round up some of the major differences between the two reptiles...

Diet Turtles Turtles are omnivores - meaning they eat both vegetation and other animals.

As well as vegetation, they have been known to feed on small fish, jellyfish, and insects such as earthworms.

Tortoises Most tortoises are herbivores, surviving on a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grasses and flowers.

Some species of tortoise are thought to consume up to 200 different types of plants throughout the years.

Lifespan

Habitat Turtles Turtles live almost exclusively in the water. The only time they come to land is to lay eggs, but the mother will quickly abandon her young and return back to the water, leaving the turtle hatchlings alone from birth.

Tortoises Unlike turtles, tortoises are terrible swimmers and live on land. Mother tortoises will provide protection to their young hatchlings for around 80 days after birth - after which they survive on their own.

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Physique Turtles Because they spend so much time in the water, a turtles body is streamlined to help it glide more effectively. They also have fins, webbed feet, and long claws, which help them get a good grip on debris and climb onto surfaces.

Tortoises Tortoise shells are shaped like a dome and are

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Turtles Sea turtles have an average lifespan of 60 to 70 years, with around 50 of those required for the reptile to reach maturity. The lifespan of the common turtle lies somewhere between 20 and 40 years.

Tortoises In contrast, tortoises can live to be around 80, with some having been known to live for over 150 years.

Experts say it is possible for most tortoises to live for over 100 years in captivity, but living beyond that would require "carefully controlled, nurturing environments."

The world's oldest tortoise is 183-year-old Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise that lives on the island of Saint Helena http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

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Book Review

“A single shot ricocheted across the water, the noise amplified by the echo from the mountains behind, and a crimson blanket spread itself slowly across the still sea.”

Spinalonga was a former leper colony where people were exiled from 19031957 in northern Crete.

During the second world war the Germans occupied the island as well as allied forces. Hislop has combined history with fiction, presenting the reader with a moving portrayal of four generations of one family blighted by leprosy, war and its legacy.

Alexis Fielding is 25, working in a museum and likely to follow in her father’s footsteps in archaeology.

Ed was her boyfriend of 3 years and what was once a promising affair has now turned sour “like a sickly cutting that had failed to survive being transplanted from greenhouse to border.” They were meant to be on holiday but conflict, arguments and lots of self-reflection amounted to doubts over suitability and compatibility. Curiosity about her mother, Sofia who was born on the island of Crete resulted in Alexis trekking to Plaka to find a family friend called Fortini who hopefully

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The Island by Victoria Hislop would unravel the family history which inevitably meant unearthing the skeletons in the closet, a disclosure that knocked Alexis for six!

From 2001 the story reverts to 1939 with Alexis’s great grandparents and the tragic revelation that her great grandmother Eleni had developed the virulent strain of leprosy and was condemned to the place of the living dead, Spinalonga to end her days in suffering and torment before being laid to rest in a communal and unmarked grave. Ironically, fate dealt another severe blow when one of Eleni’s daughter, Maria was diagnosed with the same disease as her mother and followed a similar fate almost in 1953. Timing was cruel-she was about to celebrate her marriage to a local Romeo whe she was exiled to the rock as it was called. Fortunately there were doctors researching the disease and a cure was eventually found, although it was too late for those who had succumbed to the disease.

When the Germans arrived during the 40s they committed murder and mutilation destroying villages and its inhabitants fearing the Allied forces and the Resistance which proved a threat to their occupation of

35

Crete. They threatened to exterminate all male inhabitants of the villages aiding the Allies. A young male leper from the island was brutally murdered trying to swim to Plaka to celebrate his son’s 3rd birthday in the late summer of 1943.

Obviously, they were nervous of leprosy spreading and wanted it contained on Spinalonga.

Fortini is thorough and yet sensitive as she retells stories about the lives of those affected by jealousy and betrayal in hard times when the war added an extra strain of misery.

“Our so called fate is largely ordained by our ancestors, not by the stars.” Three generations of lives were so intertwined.

Eleni and Maria’s sad fate was the tip of the iceberg. Pandora regretted opening her box. Would it be the same for Alexis when she discovered what happened to her grandmother Anna and her husband?

Alexis is certainly shocked by what she hears but matures and consequently grows closer to her mother and these revelations have the added bonus of helping her to decide on her future with Ed. It’s a wonderful story, deep and fulfilling. It deserves a read.

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36

motoring

October 2015

review

Model X car

in the news

MPs claimed £4.3m in motoring expenses in past three years Shock figures uncover MPs’ expense claims for tolls, parking and the London Congestion Charge

http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/

Britain’s Members of Parliament have racked up nearly £4.3million in motoring-related expense claims in the past three years.

Taxpayers have been asked to foot the bill for MPs’ yearly expenditure for claims such as parking, the London Congestion Charge and toll fees, plus the use of their own vehicles.

Auto Express has calculated totals for each of the 11 regions defined by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), with around £1.4million claimed by MPs per year – an average of £130,000 per region. While MPs in the South West claimed the most in 2014/15, at £179,629, our data reveals the 28 MPs in the West Midlands have the highest expense bill over the past three years. The region’s MPs claimed £550,305 on motoring expenses from 2012 to 2015 – a yearly average of £6,550 per MP.

Silicon Valley electric car-maker Tesla has launched its third model to date - a sports-utility vehicle distinguished by its double-hinged “falcon wing” rear doors, which unfurl themselves upwards to help parents put their children inside.

The Model X was unveiled nearly two years later than originally scheduled. The firm’s chief executive Elon Musk acknowledged that the “difficulty in engineering” some of the parts involved had been greater than he had originally expected.

The car can fit seven people and can travel about 250 miles (400km) on a single charge.

However, analysts say its price - which runs as high as $144,000 (£95,100) - is expected to temper demand. Tesla has said it plans to unveil a lower-cost vehicle in 2017.

The company has yet to make a profit.

It is the third vehicle produced by the firm, and was unveiled nearly two years later than originally planned.

The firm - which has yet to make a full year profit said about 25,000 people had pre-ordered the car.

Analysts say the Model X should be a success because it will be seen as a status symbol.

“I think we got a little carried away with the X,” acknowledged Tesla’s chief executive Elon Musk at the launch in Fremont, California.

“There is far more there than is really necessary to sell a car.

“And some of the things are so difficult, they make the car better but the difficulty of engineering those parts is so high.”

One expert suggested the model filled a gap in the market.

“If Tesla’s going to be a more significant player, they need more products and SUVs are what the market is demanding,” said Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst at the car buying site AutoTrader. com.

BBC.com

Although overall claims fell year-on-year in 2014/15, the figures are still nearly £13,000 higher than in 2012/13, despite the MP expense scandal uncovered in 2009. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most frugal MPs for car usage can be found in London, where the 73 politicians spent just £196 each on tolls, Congestion Charges, parking and other car claims in 2014/15.

MPs in the capital have slashed their car expenditure by nearly a third, from a total of £19,899 in 2012/13 to just £14,338 in 2014/15.

Top 5 MP motoring expense claimants: • George Galloway (Respect/Bradford West) £11,676 • Laurence Robertson (Con/Tewkesbury) £11,671 • David Morris (Con/Morecambe & Lunesdale) £11,181 • Khalid Mahmood (Lab/Birmingham Perry Barr) £10,293 • Stephen O’Brien (Con/Eddisbury) £9,916 Some members are still claiming high expenses for car use, though. George Galloway, who lost his Bradford West seat at May’s General Election, tops the list as the highest-claiming MP in 2014/15.

The Respect party leader single-handedly racked up more expenses than two-thirds of London’s MPs put together. A spokesman told us Galloway claimed all £11,676 “for using his car for the round trip between his constituency and Westminster”. The 404-mile drive set the taxpayer back £182 a time, when a return train ticket for the same journey would have cost £128.

Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, told Auto Express: “The publication of all travel claims plays an essential part in enabling constituents to scrutinise whether their MPs have proven to be good value for money. “With the publication of these figures, MPs will be reminded just how expensive travelling has become for motorists. http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/

www.soltimes.com

SC AGUILENO 0 MAZARRON FC 1

Trophies en mass for Torrevieja Saturday 3rd October was fantastic for Torrevieja swimmers. Five members of “Club Natacion Torrevieja” par ticipated in the first ever 2.5km sea swim from the Isla Grosa, just of f the Mediterranean sea side of La Manga, back to the beach, nex t to the Spor ts Pavillion at La Manga. This event was organised by “El Patronato Depor tivo Municipal de San Javier”.

The ferr y took the 100 par ticipants from the Por t of Tomas Maestre, La Manga to the Isla Grosa, 2.5km’s away.

Swimmers had to jump of f the ferr y and wait in the jelly fish infested waters at the beach on the island until the star ting orders were given. The ferr y lef t the swimmers with the jelly fish and they had to swim the

2.5km’s back to shore.

And for Torrevieja’s team it was trophies all round. Zoe Connolly came in first (38 mins 55secs) followed by Piroska Rideg ( 40mins 28 secs) and Yuriy Lymar (40mins 58 secs). Masters Vicki Connolly (44mins 27 secs) and Paul Mat thews (46mins 44 secs) followed shor tly af ter.

Zoe’s swim awarded her first place in the girls 15-20yrs categor y and Piroska 2nd place.

Yuriy won 2nd place in the male 21-30yrs categor y. Vicki’s swim gave her 1st place in female Masters 46-50yrs categor y and Paul’s swim a close 4th place in the men’s Masters 56yrs and over. Zoe and Piroska then continued with more trophies being placed first and second in the overall race, being the first 2 female swimmers of any age to finish.

Zoe’s trophy collection didn’t stop there she was then a w a r d e d the trophy for the youngest f e m a l e s w i m m e r.

So a HAPPY H A P P Y swimming team this weekend.

A 78th minute goal by substitute Paleto gave Mazarron a well deserved first victory of the season away to SC Aguileno.

Mazarron fielded a more attacking formation with debutant Habid giving much needed support to Jose up front.

Aguileno started the game stronger but Mazarron began to string some passes together and Habid was causing trouble with some strong runs down the left flank.

After 18 minutes a superb through ball from Jose found Juanito in the clear but he just overran the ball and was only able to force a corner.

A minute later Jose squandered an excellent opportunity following a poor defensive header from the home side but he hit his shot tamely at the keeper.

However, the best chance of the first half fell to Habid after 27 minutes when a right wing cross found him unmarked at the far post but he sliced his effort wide. At the other end Juan Fran had to make a last ditch tackle after an Aguileno forward ran through the Mazarron defence beating three defenders in the process.

On 39 minutes a fierce strike by Jose was well saved by the Aguileno keeper as Mazarron went into half time on level terms after a much improved performance.

Mazarron started the second half brightly and Juanlu's pass found Juanito on the right but his first time cross was just cut out with Santi waiting to pounce in the middle.

Aguileno missed a good chance shortly afterwards when their centre forward miskicked in front of goal and Antonio in the Mazarron goal had to be his best on a number of occasions to prevent Aguileno taking the lead.

Mazarron broke the

37

deadlock, however, after 78 minutes when a through ball found Palote who dribbled into the penalty area and around the Aguileno keeper before steering the ball into the net to the delight of the travelling Mazarron supporters. As Aguileno pushed forward in search of an equaliser, more opportunities fell to Mazarron although they were reduced to ten men when Mounir was sent off after receiving two yellow cards. First Jose rounded the keeper only to see his cross cleared and then Juanito, in injury time, hit a curling left foot shot which hit the

post and rebounded to safety.

It was an excellent team performance by Mazarron and a much deserved victory.

Team: Antonio; Alberto; Juan Fran; Juan Andreo; Mounir; Juanlu; Rollon (Palote); Santi (Andreo); Juanito; Habid (Enrique); Jose.

Man of the Match; Antonio

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38

COSTA COBRAS RFC KEEP MOVING FORWARD

This week Costa Cobras RFC are returning back to Daya Vieja sports ground with the juniors training from 18.00-19.30 and the seniors at 20.0021.30 all new members are more than welcome to come along and join in.

No experience is necessary everyone is welcome to join regardless of age, experience or gender.

After training on the beach and having a variety of people coming along and training on the beach and coming back during future holidays, we also had some senior players as well.

One of these players contacted their club and have requested to be twinned with Costa Cobras RFC, and we are very happy to be twinned with Brightlingsea Rugby Club and Bsea Youth Rugby.

We are looking at doing some exchanges between the clubs and setting up alternative tours between the two teams, so everyone who want to do so are more than welcome.

This is another big step for the club.

Also we are hoping to have meetings with some local town halls with regards to getting a permanent pitch thanks to local businesses helping

October 2015

the club get the foot in the door.

Also on Friday 19 November with the help of Victorias Tearooms in Almoradi to raise money for, DEBRA, the Butterfly Children the club are auctioning off rugby memorabilia international and club shirts as well as other items that have been donated.

For more details you can connect the tearooms or myself.

So come a long and join this new club from the start and be part of something new in the area.

We are looking to be able to put a team in at all

levels in the league this time next year so come along and join the newest rugby team on the Costa Blanca and join the rugby revolution.

All ages, gender and nationalities are welcome, from beginners to experienced players, the more the merrier, as we are based on the true traditional ethics of the sport.

So come along and join the newest rugby club on the Costa Blanca. Also team bonding after training in the nearest bar for a drink and chat, just how rugby should be.

Training still takes place on Monday and Wednesday from 18.00-19.30 for the juniors and 20.00-21.30 for the seniors in Daya Vieja at the sports ground.

For more information about the club contact myself, Dutch, on 692 767 242.

Also I am back down at Zoco market on Sunday again from 09.00-13.30, so come on down and find more out about the club and rugby in the area.

Also for all of your rugby branded clothing and gear including Canterbury casuals and Cotton Traders shirts.

EUROGOLF MEDAL

This months medal on Thursday 1st October turned out to be a non qualifier as the groundsmen failed to put the blocks on the plates so the medal was played on the shorter course off the blocks.

Therefore we are going to have the medal qualifier later in the month.

The results were as follows Silver cat. 20­+ 3rd Tony Stanley 73 2nd Debbie weedon 71 1st Joe Ogden 70 Gold cat. 0-19 3rd David Gregson 72 2nd Malcolm Foskett 71 1st Stan Low 69 and the overall winner.

Best front 9 Marilyn Eckersall 33 best back 9 David Valentine 32 Nearest the pins 5th Hedy Phaelig 11th Brendan Foran 15th David Gregson 17th Malcolm Foskett Football draw Gill Britten Terryy

25’95 €

Sharley Sue Gillett Bryan Fenwick Toffs results for the Tuesday Bronze division 22+ 2nd Morag Turner 34 c/b 1st Joe Ogden 34 silver div 16-22 2nd Hadge Armstrong 33 1st Tony Stanley 34 Gold div 2nd Pino Perito 35 1st and overall winner John Barraclough 36 Best front 9 Malcolm Foskett 21 Berst back 9 Debbie Weedon 18 Nearest the pins 5th John Barraclough 11th David Gregson 15th T Hall 17th Hedy Paeligh Football draw Hedy Paeligh Joe Ogden Alan Venables Ian Pegg.

Congratulations to all the winners.

If you would like to join Eurogolf and take part in our monthly medal and stableford plus fun team games please visit the website www. eurogolf.co.uk

SOL TIMES

COSTA BLANCA

Sales- : 902 750 190 (EXT: 330) email: blancasales@soltimes.com

COSTA CALIDA/MAR MENOR PAULETTE : 902 750 190 (EXT: 332) email: calidasales@soltimes.com

Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent of political parties, private investment and government. Our policy is to provide readers with a news and information service that is fair, accurate and balanced. Sol Times Calida and Sol Times Blanca are independent publications. Published weekly and produced exclusively in Murcia & Blanca. Sol Times News Group cannot be held responsible for claims made by advertisers, nor can it be held responsible for errors in advertisements caused by poor quality text, photographs or layout instructions. Furthermore, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss or damage resulting caused by any error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement. Deposito Legal Sol Times Calida AL 851-2010. Sol Times Blanca AL 852-2010

39

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2.0tdci, diesel, 2007, 164,000kms

€9,950

Opel corsa 1.3cdt1, diesel, 2012, 54,000kms

€9,950

Ford Mondeo 2007, Diesel, 171,000kms

• Mazda MX5 1.8i, 2007, Cabrio, 43,000km, ...............................€10,950

€7,950

• Opel Corsa 1.3 CDTi, 2012 5 door,54,000km, .....................€9,950

fiat 500

• Ford S-Max, 2.0l TDCI, 7-Seats, 2006 ,155,000km....................€8,450 • seat altea 2.0, tdi, diesel Auto, 2005, 131,000km .............€6,950

lounge 1.2, 2012, 28,000kms

€7,950

• Citroen jumpy 2.0, hdi, diesel, 2005, 183,000kms................ €5,950 • chrysler stratus 2.0 auto, 1999, 104,000km... .................€2,950 • Fiat punto 1.2 auto, petrol, 1998, 37,000km........................€2,950 • Citroen xsara 2.0 TDi, Diesel, 2003, 139,000KM................€2,950

motorcycles

• kawasaki eliminator 125cc, 2007, 1,400kms............€1,500

Right hand drive vehicles

Toyota Hilux

2004, 2.5D4D 168,981 kms

€5,450

Mercedes C220 Auto

1999, 2.2 CDi, rhd 321,869kms

€3,950

• rolls royce silver spirit, rhd, 51,000 miles..................€13,950 • KIA SEDONA, 2.9 TD, DIESEL, 2005 ,113,000 MILeS..................€4,250 • renault laguna 2.0i, extreme, 2006 ,83,000 miles....€3,450 • Trailer, 1000kg with Sides....................................................... €795

audi a3

ford s-max

Right hand drive - spanish reg • toyota hilux, 2.5 diesel, 2004, 105,000km..........................€5,450 • Mercedes c220, 2.2 CDi, Auto, 1999, 322,000 km.................€3950

~ RHD / LHD Taken in Part Exchange / purchased for cash

~ Full procurement service

fiat palio 1.9 2002 103,000kms

€3,450

AUDI A4

1.9TDI DIESEL, AUTO, 1997, 319,000KM

€2,450

Visit our website Over 40 cars in group stock

www.specialistvehicles.com

N-332 km carretera, Call us: 968 146 18 158 or 618 628 511

pilar de la horadada

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SOLTIMES october 2015

www.soltimes.com

Tel 902 750 190