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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Lorca

The projected ‘Chinatown’ development in Lorca will not now go ahead.

The project, which would have covered 3 million square metres and consisted of eight zones including business premises, shops, leisure facilities with a golf course and hotel, 1,800 private residences and a University, was to have been constructed in the Pedanía La Toya, on the site of the Finca El Churtal.

It would have been landscaped to reflect a Chinese ambience, with appropriate landmarks and plantings.

In 2011 Alcalde Fransisco Jodár, on behalf of ZEIC (Zona Especial de Inversiones Chinas) signed an agreement with Wang Juanhua – Conferencia Política Consultiva Popular of Nanjing. However, the finances were not firmly

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in place, and the investors have now lost interest in the project.

This cooling off is most probably a result of the depressed financial climate, though doubts about the suitability of the site were voiced shortly after the earthquake in May 2011, which occurred only weeks after the agreement was signed.

cartagena

Cartagena is being dragged into the 21st century with the new legislature regarding shop opening hours, which have just come into force.

The Boletin Región de Murcia has designated certain areas of Cartagena as ‘Areas of Major Tourism Affluence’, and as such has given freedom to individual businesses to open on Sundays.

As expected, the larger shops are delighted with the change in the law, and some are already recruiting extra staff to cope with the longer opening hours, but some of the smaller outlets are not so happy, pointing out that for them the extra outlay involved will not be recovered by extra trade turnover.

However, it has given them the opportunity to open when large cruise ships dock, and many of them are saying that these are the only occasions when it will be worth their while to open out of hours.

Full liberty to decide opening hours has been given to the areas of historical interest, such as the Old Quarter and the Port. These areas will include: Capitanes Ripoll, Paseos Alfonso XII and XIII, Calle Real, Plaza de España, Alameda de San Anton, Plaza de María Cristina, Avenida de Colón, Calle Ramon y Cajal and Calle Puyola.

The Polígono Cabeza Beaza, the Parque and Espacio Mediterráneo has been given a slightly less generous brief; they will be able to open from Good Friday to 30th September.

Corte Inglés has already put in place its plans to open from 11 am to 9 pm on Sundays. The Ayuntamiento has expressed the hope that all traders will embrace this opportunity to stimulate trade, saying that it is a move that has been called for by the general public for a long time.

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murcia

Throughout the region the Feast Day of San Antón Abad, the Patron Saint of Animals, is celebrated on the Sunday closest to 17 January.

The Day is marked by special Masses in each of the localities, at the end of which animals brought to the church by members of the congregation are blessed - this includes all animals, from horses to goldfish!

San Antón is said to be the first Monk, as he shut himself up in his cell for 6 months so that he would be undisturbed, and better able to contemplate and reflect on his Faith.

During that time he ate only bread, prepared for him by the locals. To this day his Feast Day is celebrated with the baking of bread in the form of ‘panecillos’ little round loaves signed with a cross. Many churches will sell specially blessed panecillos at their doors, and they are said to bring good luck to those who buy them, and money to those who keep them in their purses!

Sangonera de la Seca

The Policía Nacional have intercepted 110 kilos of 90% pure cocaine, with an estimated street value of 18 million euros in Sangonera de la Seca.

The haul was found hidden in a consignment of 18,000 kilos of dried kidney beans from Columbia.

The drugs, in line with normal procedure, will be destroyed, but the beans will be distributed to the major Food Banks in Murcia and Cartagena.

Each of the Food Banks will receive half of the consignment of beans, that is 9,000 kilos each. The distribution of these will then be left to the individual Food Banks to donate as they see fit to other charities.

Approximately 121,000 people in the Murcia region received food aid from the Food Banks in 2012, an increase of almost 9% on the previous year.

The food is distributed through a network of soup kitchens, hostels, churches, food collection centres and shops, and reaches the needy through 304 non-profit organisations.

lorca

The bridge on the A7 Lorca – Puerto Lumbreras road, catastrophically damaged in the September Gota Fria, has been opened.

The Delegate for the Region de Murcia, Joaquin Bascuñuna, visited the site and declared that the works had been completed in the time estimated, and at a cost of 6.4 million euros. He said that this link, which handled 20,000 vehicles per day, was vital in the communications between the two cities, and for the onwards links to Granada.

The other bridge that suffered catastrophic damage was on the AP7 toll road at Vera. Works here were expected to be completed shortly.

tourism figures show 3% According to figures from the increase Consejal for Tourism, José Manual for 2012 Soria, there was a 3% increase in

the number of tourists to Spain during 2012.

He said: ‘2012 was a very good year for tourism despite gloomy forecasts, and the indications are that 2013 will see a growth in visitor numbers.’

‘Last year the total expenditure of tourists in Spain was 55.7 million euros, itself up 5.9% up on 2011 with the average spending per person rising to 968 Euros.’

‘The traditional holidaymakers come from the UK, Germany and France. However, the industry was strengthened by the growth of emerging markets with people coming from Russia, Brazil, China and India.

3

‘external audit’ of PP’s accounts in wake of Bárcenas scandal Spain’s prime minster, Mariano Rajoy announced on Monday that there will be an external audit into the Partido Popular’s accounts as a result of the ‘Bárcenas scandal”.

Rajoy also confirmed that there would be a parellel internal audit by the new treasurer, Carmen Navarro, to look into allegations of “extra” cash payments made by ex-treasurer Luis Bárcenas to high-level PP members and that all party members would be obliged to collaborate.

The prime minister also said that Cristobal Montoro, the Minister of Finance and Public Administration, would appear before the lower house to explain whether Bárcenas had taken advantage of the controversial tax amnesty.

Both Rajoy and María Dolores de Cospedal García, the Secretary-General of the People’s Party have denied ever receiving “black money”.

“The PP doesn’t have, and has never had, any bank accounts outside Spain, nor has it ever employed anyone to hold money on behalf of the PP outside of Spain”, maintained Cospedal today.

She went on to say that “the PP cannot, however, be held responsible if another person has overseas accounts relating to private business activity”, but did not mention Luis Bárcenas by name at any point.

Furthermore, she added that neither she nor the party knew about Bárcenas’ overseas accounts: “I didn’t know, and I don’t think anyone else knew either”, she said Rajoy confirmed that he would use the necessary “political force” to create a gran pact against corruption, “to try to bring in new measures to fight this scourge”.

Cartagena/Mar de Cristal

When officers of the Guardia Civil on patrol in Mar de Cristal stopped two vehicles for a routine inspection their suspicions were aroused by the nervous manner of the two male drivers.

They searched the vehicles, and found 4,000 packs of cigarettes with a value of 16,000 Euros stashed in the boots of the vehicles.

The cigarettes had come from Andorra. Cigarette smuggling, which used to be negligible, has increased dramatically since the rise in taxation has pushed up the price of a cigarette. It is thought that it now accounts for as much as 12% of the market, a loss of around a billon euros in revenue per annum for the Government.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Banco De Valencia To Shut Nine In 10 Branches & Sport Axe 890 Jobs

Banco de Valencia is about to close 90 per cent of its branches in compliance with terms laid down by the European Commission.

The ailing financial institution, which has been bailed out by the Ordered Bank Restructuring Fund (FROB), will shortly be bought for a euro by CaixaBank.

It has notified 890 of its 1,615 members of staff that they will be made redundant by the middle of February, and then will shut nine in 10 of its 350 branch offices.

Most of those affected by the closure are outside the Valencia region.

The bank has offered preferential early retirement terms to as many employees aged 50 and over as possible, to cut down on the number of people it leaves propping up the dole queue.

It has until December this year to complete the shut-down process

Night Closure Of A&E Units Could Spread To Other Parts Of Spain, Warns Health Authority

The closure of overnight A&E departments in 21 towns in Castilla-La Mancha could set a precedent for other parts of the country, warns the central government.

With the State health service in debt by 16 billion euros, regional authorities are being encouraged to make cutbacks.

In addition to Castilla-La Mancha, casualty units in health centres now shut for the night in various towns in the north of the Alicante province, including Pedreguer, El Verger, Ondara and Gata de Gorgos.

Between 22.00hrs and 08.00hrs, those who need urgent treatment which cannot wait until morning have to make their way to the nearest hospital, or wait for an ambulance.

Secretary of State for Social Services and Equality, José Manuel Moreno, says ‘around 80 per cent’ of health centres outside the provincial capital cities have ‘only two to three patients per night’ attending accident and emergency.

Although this sounds a low figure, in Castilla-La Mancha it now means

441 patients a week have to travel some distance to be treated outside of office hours.

He says the decision to shut local A&E units overnight was within the jurisdiction of the regional, rather than central, governments.

The Comunidad Valenciana is already considering following suit.

Moreno insists this would not leave any patient at risk because ‘this country has a network of land and air emergency transport’ to get them to hospital.

But the President of Albacete Medical College, Francisco Parra, feels differently.

It could leave someone who has had a heart attack having to travel up to 50 kilometres to get treatment, rather than a doctor from the village being able to get there in minutes, Parra cites as an example.

He says finances should not enter the equation when it comes to people’s health, and that if the State service wants to cut back on spending in this area, it ‘should have fewer management consultants’

Valencia switches off street lighting to save money

The thousands of drivers who frequently use the newly-widened CV-35 in Valencia, one of the busiest roads in the province, have got used to seeing the street lamps switched off, ever since the energy-saving (and costcutting) measure was introduced on August 1st last year.

However the ‘no-street-lighting-austeritymeasure’ has now been extended to all the major thoroughfares in the province, including important roads such as the Autovía de La Plana in Castellón or the Sax-Castalla road in Alicante.

The Autovía del Turia, is in complete

darkness along its entire route from 1am to 5am every day. During the remaining nighttime hours, only the sections from the Palacio de Congresos to Canal Nou and the link to the bypass are now lit. The authorities maintain it is an “energy-saving exercise” backed up by a reliable road safety study.

They also insist that Valencia’s roads were “more heavily lit” than those in Castellón or Alicante, which is why the change has been noticed more acutely.

Some local councils have complained about the lack of lighting on their turn-offs.

L’Eliana town hall, for example, has made an

official complaint to the regional goverment about the “decreased safety of circulating traffic and of pedestrians using the service road from the bus stop on the main artery”.

They have also drawn attention to the lack of safety for cyclists using the route.

In response, the regional authorities have defended their measures to restrict street lighting, insisting that they are in line with “policies to rationalise and cut back on public spending whilst maintaining acceptable levels of safety on the region’s roads” and quoting a saving of between 30% and 50% on their electricity bills.

Alicante and Valencia, home to Spain’s most expensive petrol & diesel

Spain’s most expensive petrol and diesel is sold in the provinces of Alicante and Valencia, a new report claims. Whilst the average price of 95 unleaded across the country is 1.3941 euros a litre, in the Valencia province this rises to 1.4059 euros and in Alicante, 1.4104 euros.

But those who live in the north of Valencia are advised to hop across the border into Castellón, the province that sells the cheapest petrol in Spain at just 1.3695 euros a litre.

For diesel A, prices shoot up even higher in these areas, with motorists paying nearly 2.6 cents a litre more in Alicante than the average for Spain, which is 1.3797 euros, compared to 1.4055 euros in the former.

Valencia is not the most expensive province for diesel, but it still costs more than the national average to fill up in the area – 1.3936 euros, nearly 1.4 cents more.

Again, Castellón, in the same autonomous region, sells some of Spain’s cheapest diesel at 1.3634 euros a litre.

The Alicante Province Economic Studies Institute (INECA), which produced these figures, has decided to name and shame the towns where drivers pay the most for fuel.

A difference of as much as 9.7 cents per litre for unleaded 95 petrol can be found between towns in the province of Alicante, INECA says, with Hondón de los Frailes in the south-west being among the cheapest at 1.35 euros a litre and Callosa d’en Sarrià near the coast being the most expensive at 1.447 euros a litre.

For diesel, Hondón de los Frailes wins again with prices of just 1.339 euros a litre, whereas Pedreguer, in the north of the province, sells the most expensive diesel at 1.4426 euros a litre.

Three dead as high winds wreak havoc across country

Two men, aged 49 and 67, who are yet to be identified, have died when strong winds blew over a wall in El Llano del Beal (Cartagena).

Exact details of the incident have not been disclosed, but it appears that both men were crushed at 10.20am by a two metre-high dividing wall, close to a recycling plant in the town.

The victims went to the farm in the Camino de San Ginés to feed their livestock as they did every morning when they were caught in the freak accident.

In Badajoz, a 54-year-old woman has died after the wind blew a metal door on top of her at a rural house.

The victim was still concsious when relatives

found her around seven thirty yesterday evening lying crushed beneath the huge door.

She was rushed to the Almendralejo health centre, where she later died.

The woman had apparently gone to the isolated property alone during the afternoon.

The town’s mayor, José Ramón Prieto, has confirmed that the victim was married with two children.

Civil Protection officers have issued warnings to people out in the countryside, advising them to stay away from loose cornices, unstable walls and trees that could blow over, and to take precautions when near to half-built or tumbledown properties.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

5

21% of mayors and County Council heads earned more than Zapatero in 2010

The Court of Auditors has published a report naming ten mayors or regional government leaders who earned more than the Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, in 2010.

Alicante County Council is top of the list, followed by Barcelona County Council. The list continues with the mayors of Zaragoza, Barcelona, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Madrid, Valencia, Alcobendas (Madrid) and Las Rozas (Madrid). Last on the list is Girona County Council.

The study is based on a questionnaire filled in by 172 county councils and town hall offices relating to areas with more than 50,000 inhabitants, and has just been submitted to parliament.

The Court of Auditors did not only take official salaries into account, but also expenses, meal allowances, etc, in 2010, the same year that Zapatero made extensive cuts to public officials’ salaries.

The average remuneration for local leaders that year was 37,970 euros per annum, rising to 52,439 euros for provincial leaders, 60,975 euros for deputy mayors 74,463 euros for mayors.

However, the leader of Alicante County

Council, José Joaquín Ripoll, earned a total of 141,428 euros, double the average salary, and the highest-earning mayor took home 121,466 euros.

Comparing local officials’ salaries with those of other insitutions, the Court of Auditors found that 9% were earning more than regional political leaders, and 6% were earning more than ministers in Spain’s central government.

Furthermore, 31% of mayors and County Council leaders were earning more than their regional presidents and 21% were even earning more than the prime minister.

The Ministry for Finance and Public Administration is believed to be working on establishing salary tables to standardise the salaries of those in public office, whether it be in local, regional or central government, taking into account the number of inhabitants in any given region.

Healthcare cash cutbacks ‘could affect life expectancy’ in Spain

Funding cuts in healthcare could lead to a fall in life expectancy in Spain, which is currently one of the highest in the world.

A spokesman for the Federation of Associations in Defence of Public Health (FADSP), Marciano Sánchez Bayle, says a notable difference in average life expectancy exists between those regions with more cash to spend on their medical services.

Aragón (provinces of Teruel, Zaragoza and Huesca), Madrid and Navarra have the best records, with life expectancy currently at an average of 83.3 years for men and women – because a higher percentage per head of the GNP is spent on healthcare.

The Canary Islands and Andalucía, where the least funding is available for medical assistance, have a life expectancy of 80.5 years.

Huge disparaties are seen in the amount per capita spent on healthcare in different

regions, with the Basque Country near the top at 1,596 euros, and the Comunidad Valenciana near the bottom at 1,125 euros per resident.

Sánchez Bayle says there is a ‘very significant distance’ in terms of healthcare quality between Navarra, at the top, and the Canaries, at the bottom.

It also has an impact on how family doctor surgeries run, he says.

Where the public is generally in better health because of more efficient and widelyavailable treatment, medical centres have less work to do, can spend more time with patients and appointments can be booked much more quickly.

Poorer regions try to do as much as they can in local GP practices, whereas richer regions are less reticent about referring patients to hospital for more specialist examination and treatment, says Sánchez Bayle.

35 suffer carbon monoxide poisoning at Barcelona church

A total of 35 people suffered carbon monoxide poisoning during a concert in the parish church of Sant Vicenç de Gualba (pictured) in Barcelona yesterday evening. 130 people were at the concert - part of the town’s Winter Festival.

According to the emergency services, three of the 35 affected are in a serious condition - an 81year-old woman, a 50-year-old woman and an eight-year-old boy - another is in a less serious condition and the rest have

Slippery Floors?

The Court of Auditors has recommended the introduction of measures to ensure greater transparency with regard to the salaries and expenses of public officials, and to ensure that limits are put on the number of paid positions they can hold.

suffered only mild ill-effects.

difficulties.

The alarm was raised at 8.30pm and the cause of the intoxication was found to be the “faulty combustion of the heaters used during the concert”. 13 people were allowed home after being treated at the church, but a further 12 were taken by ambulance to Girona’s Hospital de Palamós and four to the Hospital de Sant Joan d’Espí Moissès Broggi in Barcelona because of breathing

One person was taken by ambulance to the Hospital de Sant Celoni in Barcelona and five more were treated there after making their own way to the hospital.

After venilating the church thoroughly overnight, firefighters confirmed this morning that the levels of carbon monoxide were back down to normal and that it could be reopened to the public.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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Granada becomes an open-air rubbish dump as street-cleaners go on strike

Granada city centre is knee-deep in rubbish due to a strike called by refuse collectors and road-sweepers.

They object to being forced to work extra hours – bringing them to a total of 37.5 a week – at the same time as their pay is being cut by five per cent and will be frozen thereafter for the foreseeable future, not increased in line with inflation.

The employees are also being forced to re-juggle their shifts and breaks.

Negotiations between the 540 staff members and the company Inagra, which is contracted by the city council, have failed.

Other than the market sites in the souks in the central Zaidín and Almanjáyar districts, which are heavily frequented by tourists, plus hospitals and health centres – all of which are being cleaned and the rubbish removed as normal – the rest of the city has nearly 1,000 tonnes of rubbish lying around the roads and pavements.

Two women were arrested on Thursday for setting fire to wheelie-bins, but Inagra denies that this had anything to do with the strike action.

Officials insist there is no risk to health but some are considering bringing in the army to clear the backlog.

UK Fears Of New EU Immigration

About 50,000 people from Romania and Bulgaria will come to the UK every year when restrictions are lifted next year, think tank Migration Watch suggests.

According to a report by the BBC, Migration Wacthpredicts this level annually in the first five years after these controls end, warning of “significant consequences” for housing and jobs.

Citizens of both countries will have free movement across the EU in 2014.

Ministers say calculations are difficult but the Home Office said it was working to cut net migration.

Prime Minister David Cameron said earlier this week the detail for such calculations “wasn’t there yet”.

The Home Office said it wanted to move from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands of migrants by the end of this Parliament.

From next year, like other EU citizens, Bulgarians and Romanians gain the unrestricted right to live and work in the UK where currently, they require authorisation before taking a job.

Migration Watch, which supports tighter immigration controls, said its study suggested its estimates could be considerably higher if there were to be a movement of Roma people to the UK or if some of the nearly one million Romanians resident in Spain and Italy moved to Britain.

It said Germany and the Netherlands were “likely destinations” for Romanian and Bulgarian migrants because their youth unemployment rates were lower than other EU countries.

But it said the UK, with youth unemployment at 20%, “is nonetheless an attractive destination, partly because of its flexible labour market and partly because of the ease of access to its benefits system”.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migration Watch said: “It is not good enough to duck making an estimate of immigration from Romania and Bulgaria. It is likely to be on a scale that will have significant consequences

for housing and public services.

“It will also add further to the competition which young British workers already face.

“We have therefore produced our own estimate as a contribution to an important debate which must include the ease with which migrants to the UK can currently access the welfare state.”

It analysed migration from other European countries and the number of Bulgarians and Romanians already in Britain before making its estimates.

Sarah Mulley, of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank said that although it was “very difficult to predict migration flows with any degree of confidence in these circumstances” the estimates put forward by Migration Watch “look high”.

She said: “The UK is opening access to its labour markets along with the rest of Europe and the process of opening up to Bulgaria and Romania has been a gradual one, in contrast with 2004 when the UK was the only large EU country to open its labour market and when borders and labour market access were opened at the same time.

“So it would be very surprising if net migration from Bulgaria and Romania was on the scale predicted by Migration Watch.”

Temporary curbs on Romanian and Bulgarian migration were imposed by the Labour government in 2005 to protect the UK labour market.

The Labour Party has said it would support any moves to extend the measures.

But Home Secretary Theresa May said in November temporary curbs could not continue under EU law and the government was looking instead at limiting access to benefits and the NHS to reduce the “pull factors” that encouraged migrants to come to the UK. Last weekend, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles warned an “influx” of Romanians and Bulgarians would add to the existing housing problems in the UK.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

The father of two children who went missing in Córdoba and whose remains are believed to have been found on a bonfire is ‘insolvent’ and cannot pay the legal costs and compensation.

José Bretón could be ordered to pay 140,000 euros to cover the costs of the search for Ruth, six, and two-year-old José after he reported their having gone missing from a park in Córdoba during a weekend access visit.

The children’s mother, Ruth Ortiz, is said to have applied for two million euros in compensation, one million for each child, but her solicitor has refused to confirm this.

Bretón faces 20 years in jail for the death of each of his children, who lived with their mother in Huelva, if he is found guilty – the

maximum sentence permitted, even after including the aggravating factors of his being a direct family member and the victims being underage.

During forensic investigations on a bonfire in the orchard behind Bretón’s parents’ house, remains of charred bones were found and initially thought to be those of rodents.

But two private investigators appointed by Ruth Ortiz showed them to be the remains of human children of the same age as Ruth and José, the missing infants.

Attempts to extract DNA from the burnt remains proved fruitless.

Their father remains in custody pending trial, and continues to deny charges of murder.

Mali revenge attack on BP gas field Hostage death toll ‘rises to 48’

At least 48 hostages are now thought to have died in a four-day siege at an Algerian gas plant, as reports say that 25 bodies found at the complex on Sunday were all those of captives.

It had initially been unclear whether the bodies found were those of hostage-takers or staff at the facility.

A search is continuing at the In Amenas gas plant, where as many as 20 hostages remain unaccounted for.

Five suspected Islamist attackers were reportedly arrested on Sunday.

The Algerian authorities had said on Saturday that all 32 hostage-takers had been killed. The suspected organiser of the attack, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, said 40 militants had taken part.

The siege ended when troops mounted an assault on Saturday, saying the militants had begun killing foreign hostages.

Western leaders condemned the attack with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian describing it as an “act of war”.

The plant, which is responsible for more than a tenth of Algeria’s overall gas output, is expected to resume production by Tuesday, Algeria’s energy minister said.

Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal is due to give a new conference about the attack later this week.

Youcef Yousfi also pledged to boost security at energy installations but insisted it was “out of the question to allow foreign security forces to handle the security” of Algerian oil facilities.

During a visit to the affected plant on Sunday, Mr Yousfi said it would resume production within two days.

Security forces reportedly discovered the bodies of 25 hostages as they searched the complex for booby-traps and mines.

The militants had threatened to blow up the site and kill their hostages, officials said.

Belmokhtar, who is not thought to have been among the actual attackers, said his group had carried out the attack. He was speaking in a video message carried by the Mauritanian website Sahara Media.

The website said the video had been recorded on 17 January while the siege was still going on but not posted on the

website.

It shows Belmokhtar, who has convictions in absentia for murder, kidnapping and terrorism, saying he was prepared to negotiate with Western and Algerian leaders if operations against Islamists in Mali were stopped.

The crisis began last Wednesday when militants attacked two buses carrying foreign workers to the remote site in southeastern Algeria. A Briton and an Algerian died in the incident.

The militants then took expatriates hostage at the complex, which was quickly surrounded by the Algerian army.

Algerian state media said later that 685 Algerian workers at the plant had been freed but it is unclear if any Algerians were actually taken hostage, with reports that militants told them they were only targeting non-Muslims.

A statement from the kidnappers said the assault on the gas plant had been launched in retaliation for French intervention against Islamist groups in neighbouring Mali.

However, France only decided last week to intervene militarily in Mali. Analysts say the assault on the gas facility was wellplanned and would have required advance research, as well as possibly inside help.

In other developments: Six Filipinos were killed and four are missing , the government in Manila confirmed Three Britons were confirmed dead, and a further three are missing, feared dead.

UK officials were “working hard” to locate the missing, said Foreign Secretary William Hague A Colombian citizen resident in the UK, Carlos Estrada, is thought to be among the dead, the Colombian president has said Japanese officials said they had no confirmation of the fate of 10 nationals who remained unaccounted for, despite reports that nine had died Romania’s foreign ministry said one of its citizens had died in hospital after sustaining severe injuries during the siege. Another Romanian has already been reported killed and as many as three others have been freed Two Malaysians are unaccounted for, as are five Norwegians

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José Bretón ‘has no money to pay compensation or search costs’

7

8

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

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

music with mark

Michael McDonald (Born February 12, 1952 in St Louis, Missouri) is a 5 time Grammy Award winning American singer and songwriter.

McDonald is known for a soulful baritone singing style and a multi-octave range. He began his career singing back-up vocals with Steely Dan, and became famous when he became a member of the Doobie Brothers from 1976 to 1981, a period which resulted in several hit songs for the band.

Michael McDonald became one of the many in-studio adjunct members of the group Steely Dan, providing back-up vocals on tracks for the 1975 album Katy Lied. He would return on subsequent Steely Dan recordings including The Royal Scam in 1976 and Aja in 1977. He also played keyboards on some other Steely Dan tracks. McDonald continued to do background vocals for Steely Dan through to their 1980 release, Gaucho.

He was part of Steely Dan’s last touring band in the 1970s, playing keyboards and singing backup.

McDonald was recruited by the band The Doobie Brothers in April 1975 when lead singer Tom Johnston became ill during a national tour. His time with the band proved so successful that they decided to retain him as a full time member. As a member of The Doobies he recorded some of his best-known songs such as “Real Love”, “Takin’ It to

the Streets”, “Little Darling”, “It Keeps You Runnin’”, “Minute by Minute” and “What a Fool Believes” (which became a number one single in the U.S. and earned him a 1980 Grammy Award for Song of the Year along with co-writer Kenny Loggins). At the same time he appeared as a session singer and piano player for artists such as Christopher Cross, Stephen Bishop, Jack Jones, Bonnie Raitt, the rock band Toto and Kenny Loggins.

After the Doobies’ first farewell tour, McDonald compiled some of his earlier songs in the 1982 release “That Was Then: The Early Years” which bought him critical acclaim in his own right. His first solo album, “If That’s What It Takes”, also released in 1982, featured the hits “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” a duet with his sisters Kathy and Maureen, and “I Gotta Try,” a song co-written with Kenny Loggins, who recorded it as well.

“Ya Mo Be There”, a duet with James Ingram, won the 1985 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.

He followed that up with “On My Own”, a duet with Patti LaBelle, which reached Number 1 on the U.S. charts in 1986. Also in 1987 McDonald did a featured collaboration with American gospel group The Winans from their Decisions album: “Love has no Color”. That same year he performed the single “Sweet Freedom” that appeared on that summer’s hit movie Running Scared soundtrack.

McDonald’s 1990 album Take It to Heart featured a minor hit with the title song, co-

Michael McDonald

written with Diane Warren.

The following year he joined the New York Rock and Soul Revue, put together by Steely Dan’s Donald Fagen. 1991’s “Ever Changing Times” a duet with Aretha Franklin, had moderate success and radio play. In 2003, he earned two Grammy nominations for his album Motown, a collection of classic tracks in tribute to the Motown sound.

In 2008 McDonald released his Soul Speak album which (in addition to including three new songs penned

by McDonald) featured his interpretations of 11 carefully selected soul-inspired songs.

Ranging from universal evergreens like Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” and Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” to lesser-known numbers like Van Morrison’s atmospheric “Into the Mystic” and the late 60s Chicago soul of Tyrone Davis’ “Baby Can I Change My Mind”.

McDonald has reunited as a guest performer with the Doobie Brothers several times since their initial dissolution in 1982 and joined Steely Dan on their 2006 summer tour, both as the opening act and as part of the band.

In the summer of 2010, McDonald began a tour with Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs.

They are performing together as one band billed as The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue. The show includes classic rock, soul/ R&B songs by various artists and personal repertoire songs from all three headliners.

Michael Mcdonald is my all time favourite Male vocalist and his music a must for any music fan. I can personally recommend the Motown album, if you like the Motown sound you will find this a pleasure to listen to. I play a lot of his tracks on my shows so listeners will be familiar with some of his songs and will continue to do so.

You can listen to Mark Davies on Costa Calida International Radio, Mon, Wed and Fri evenings 7.00 till 9.00 on 90 and 100 FM or www.costacalidaradio.com

J Galvez Renero S.L.

Translations, Property Sales and International Services

Office located opposite Mercadona car park in Puerto de Mazarron

” 3 1 20

We are once again in a New Year and not sure where the previous one went to! There are always “ things to do which are put off until another day and yet suddenly another year has passed.

NOW is the time to attend to those jobs and make sure that when living in a foreign country that your affairs are in order.

“

Checklist

Do you have a Spanish Will or does it need revising?

Are you making a tax return either as resident or non resident?

Has your residencia expired and needs renewing?

Are you thinking of selling your property and need advice on costs and taxes?

Does your home insurance need revising?

At J Galvez Renero SL we can assist and advise on all of the above and more. Please call by our office or telephone for free no obligation advice.

Do not let another year pass by with things to do tomorrow!

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THE FRIENDSHIP GROUP OF HELP MURCIA MAR MENOR is holding a Beetle Drive

Friday 25TH January at 12.30 at the Caravan Club, San Javier Entry tickets are €7 which includes a fish and chip lunch.

Come along and support a worthy charity and have a good time as well Tickets are available from: HELP‘s office Calle Penelope No 11, Urbanization Oasis, Los Alcazares (behind the Deutsch bank) or by ringing Joan Mitchell on 868 185 685 or 678 135 467, Janice Clark on 968 134 355, the office 968 570 059

The Beacon of Light

Centre for Spiritual Awareness Meetings held every Wednesday from 7pm - approx 8.30pm: The Old School House Canadas del Romero dates for Our guest mediums:

January 23rd - Sammy Fitzsimmons January 29th - Mercedes Garcia Fundraising Event at Condada de Alhama 8pm doors close at 7.45 pm Tickets 5 euros 30th January - Mercedes Garcia For more info please call 620 877 326

www.beaconoflightmurcia.webs.com email: beacon.of.light.murcia@gmail.com Healing is available after the service by request.

Funding for the meetings will be raised by donations collected during the evening...

Join us on Facebook: Beacon of Light Murcia

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

DIAMANTE’S SMASHES TARGET FOR MABS

Since the beginning of 2011, Diamante’s Restaurant in El Mojón has been hosting the Ladies’ Lunch Club on the third Tuesday of every month, with the sole aim of raising funds for the MABS Cancer Support Group in Murcia. In 2011, they exceeded their target of 1000€ by 149€ and in 2012 they have smashed their target again. Terri LtoR: Lyn Baines (MABS Director), Janet Bell (MABS Hughes, co-owner of Diamante’s, Fundraiser), Terri Hughes (Diamante’s) raised the 2012 goal to 2000€ and, once again, the lunching ladies have excelled themselves. MABS continue in 2013, with the first one Murcia Director, Lyn Baines, attended scheduled for Tuesday 19th February, the January ladies’ lunch to receive 1.30pm for 2.00pm, with the three their donation of 2,587€. “This group of course lunch and class of wine for just ladies is truly amazing; they meet every 10.50€. All Ladies are welcome to come month, donate raffle prizes, buy tickets along to meet and make new friends. to raise funds, and have fun at the same Book your place with Diamante’s on 965 time. I’d also like to thank entertainer, 352 947.

Paul Allen, who donated his fee for MABS Murcia is a registered charity the Christmas lunch to MABS Murcia.”

(No. 7261) offering help and support commented Lyn. to local people of all nationalities who Terri announced that the Ladies’ Lunch have been diagnosed with or are being Club will once more be raising funds for treated for cancer. If you or someone MABS Murcia in 2013, this time raising the bar to 3000€. “We are extremely you know would like some confidential grateful to Terri, Karla and every one of help or support call our HELPLINE 693 the ladies for their continued support 275 779 or visit their website: www. in 2013. Without the generosity of mabsmurcia.com businesses like Diamante’s and the CANCER DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE AND ladies who lunch, we would not be able NEITHER DO WE to carry out the work that we do for all those affected by cancer in the Murcia MABS HELPS ALL THOSE AFFECTED BY region.” said Lyn. CANCER, WHATEVER THEIR NATIONALITY The popular Ladies’ Lunch Club will

Photographer: Janet Bell

Delhi gang rape case moved to fast-track court The case of five men charged with the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi has been moved to a fast-track court for trial.

Lawyers for the defendants say that the case will get under way on Monday.

A sixth suspect, who is thought to be 17, will be tried separately in a youth court if it is confirmed he is a minor.

The case has shocked India and sparked a debate about the treatment of women.

If convicted, the men could face the death penalty.

In the wake of the public outcry and nationwide protests, the government promised a fast-track legal process for this and other rape cases.

It announced it was setting up six fast-track courts in Delhi to allow crimes against women to be dealt with swiftly. Legal proceedings in India sometimes involve years of delays.

In Delhi, six fast-track courts were ordered for the trial of cases related to crimes against women, especially rape. Some other states such as Punjab and Maharashtra are also setting up fast-track courts for this purpose In 2000, central government started a scheme for more than 1,700 fast-track courts to try to clear the backlog of cases clogging up the Indian judicial system, partly related to a shortage of judges Funding is an issue because the central government said it could no longer fund them after March 2011, leaving future funding

The

decisions to individual states The five accused have been named as Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur.

The lawyer for Ram Singh, said he would file a petition arguing for the case to be transferred out of Delhi, fearing that the proceedings might be prejudiced because of the intense media interest.

“We are sure we will not get justice in Delhi,” VK Ananad said.

Last week another lawyer claimed that the men had been tortured and coerced into confessing they were guilty. Officials refused to comment on the allegations, citing legal restrictions.

The lawyers for two of the suspects have said they will plead not guilty. It is unclear how the three accused will plead. Prosecutors have said they have extensive forensic evidence.

The victim, a physiotherapy student who cannot be named in India for legal reasons, and a male friend were attacked on a bus in south Delhi on 16 December. She died two weeks later in hospital in Singapore.

Campaigners are calling for tougher rape laws and reforms to the police, who - critics say - often fail to file charges against accused attackers.

The government has said that it will bring in stronger sexual assault laws and has established several committees to recommend changes in the law.

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

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

a straight-sets loss, the Javea-born star finally found a way through to break his Davis Cup team-mate’s serve and stop the rot.

Ferrer stormed back into the match to take the third set 7-5, after Almagro had served for the match at 54 up and the comeback had begun. The number four seed then shook off an early deficit in the fourth, only to find himself trailing again at at the end of the seventh game.

Almagro served for the match for the third time at 5-4 up in the fourth, but Ferrer, despite playing far from his best tennis, somehow managed to fight back and force a tie-break, which he won to take the match into a fifth and deciding set.

Epic comeback by Ferrer to land place in Aussie Open semis

David Ferrer pulled off an epic comeback against fellow Spaniard Nicolás Almagro today to book himself a place in the semi-finals at the Australian Open.

For two and a half sets it looked as if Almagro was going to thrash his higher-ranked compatriot in straight sets and land himself in his first ever Grand Slam semifinal. However, Ferrer’s grit and then, in the latter stages of the match, an untimely groin strain, put paid to any thoughts the player from Murcia had of grabbing a long

sought-after win over his countryman.

Almagro, who had never beaten Ferrer in any of their 12 previous meetings, came out with all guns firing, playing aggressively from the start and quickly taking a two-set lead.

Ferrer, who had the best year of his career in 2012, did not appear to wake up until the tenth game of the third set, when, faced with the imminent prospect of

ETA Members Jailed For Trying To Set Up Terrorist Base In Portugal

Spain’s High Court has sentenced Garikoitz García Arrieta and Iratxe Yañez Ortiz to 37 and 22 years in prison respectively, for trying to set up an ETA base in Portugal in 2010. A third alleged terrorist was acquitted of collaborating with the terrorist group.

The alleged ETA terrorists were arrested in January 2010 after being caught trying to smuggle weapons, explosives and forged documents into Portugal from France in a van driven by García Arrieta.

The latter - found guilty today of being a member of a terrorist organisation, transporting arms, ammunition and explosives, causing harm through terrorist attacks and aggravated theft - pushed police officers into the van when they stopped him in Zamora, making off in their marked vehicle and reaching Portugal, where he was arrested the same night. On the way, he tried to steal another car, but failed.

The other defendant, Yañez Ortiz, admitted she had been an ETA member for ten years and had driven a car for them from France to Portugal, where she was arrested as

soon as she crossed the border.

The judge decided that Yañez Ortiz’ confession, García Arrieta’s “conduct” coupled with their “intense” relation with the terrorist organisation in their role of transporting explosives, “was conclusive evidence of a permanent and voluntary link” with ETA. The prosecution proved that both defendants “were commissioned to transport weapons, ammunition, explosives, components for making incendiary devices, false car number plates and equipment to manufacture other false number plates from France to Portugal, in order to set up a base in the latter, specifically in a house in Óbidos, to plan and supply terrorist attacks from there”.

García Arrieta was sentenced to nine years behind bars for being a member of a terrorist organisation, ten more years for possessing arms and explosives with the intention of using them for terrorist attacks, three years for forging official documents, 12 and a half years for causing actual bodily harm through terrorist attacks, and two and a

half years for stealing a police car.

He was also ordered to pay 3,075 euros in compensation to the guardia civil officer who was injured in the incident.

Yáñez Ortiz was sentenced to nine years behind bars for being a member of the ETA terrorist organisation, ten years for terrorism and transporting weapons and ammunition, and three years for forgery.

A third defendant, Luis María Cengotitabengoa Fernández, for whom the prosecution had demanded five years in prison for collaborating with ETA because his passport was found in one of the vehicles, was acquitted because there was insufficient proof that he had willingly given his personal documentation to the terrorist organisation. His defence successfully argued that his passport could have been taken without his knowledge by his brother, who is serving a custodial sentence in Portugal for being an ETA member, or even by his sister-in-law, who had access to his home.

Almagro served for the match three times; three times he was just two points from victory - the closest he has been to beating Ferrer in their 13 encounters. With his movement severely hindered by his groin strain, the fifth set was a foregone conclusion and Ferrer finally claimed a 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 victory and the chance to play Novak Djokovic or Tomas Berdych for a place in the Australian Open final.

Despite producing 16 aces, Ferrer’s performance was lacklustre and erratic. After the match he said, “I try always to fight [...] I’m happy because I played well on the important points but against Djokovic or Berdych I need to play my best tennis... better than today”.

This will be Ferrer’s fifth Grand Slam semi-final. He has never won a Grand Slam title.

In the doubles tournament, the Spanish pairing of Marcel Granollers and Marc López eased their way into the semi-finals with a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 win over Thomaz Bellucci and Benoit Paire. The Dutch pairing of Robin Haase and Igor Sijsling now stand between them and a place in their first Grand Slam final.

Duke Of Palma To Go Back Before The Judge In Nóos Case

The State Prosecutor yesterday requested another court appearance from Iñaki Urdangarin and his exbusiness partner Diego Torres, after the tax authorities confirmed that they had committed company tax fraud to the tune of 240,000 euros in two quotas of 120,000 euros, both relating to personal income tax in the case of the King’s son-in-law.

This latest chapter in the infamous Nóos Case is now delving into claims by the tax authorities that Urdangarin and Torres diverted public money into personal accounts in offshore tax havens.

The Nóos Case is the investigation of the alleged expropriation by the Nóos Institute of over 6.1 million euros belonging to the regional governments of the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community between 2004 and 2007.

Urdangarin declared before the judge José Castro in February 2012 and said Torres was responsible for tax affairs at the Nóos Insitute, claiming his role was purely to mantain “high-level institutional relations”.

In a marathan declaration that lasted from 9am until 4am the following morning, the Duke of Palma took responsibility for his own “actions and omissions” at Nóos, but not for those of his subordinates.

Urdangarin’s nephew, Jan Gui Urdangarin, was called to give evidence before the judge in Palma yesterday, and admitted to working as a “messenger” for his uncle, saying that he was employed to deliver sealed envelopes but never opened them, so never knew their contents. He confirmed that he delivered them and received other sealed envelopes in return, which he delivered to his uncle, the Duke of Palma.

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

www.soltimes.com

FUNDRAISER FOR QUARTETS

TO REPRESENT SPAIN IN DUTCH CONTEST

As members of the Spanish Gail. “Details will be announced in Association of Barbershop Singers the press and we’d love to see all our (SABS), Spangles Ladies’ Harmony supporters there.”

Chorus of Los Alcázares organised a Following on from their gold medal series of concerts to raise funds to success, Spangles has released a CD help two young Spanish barbershop called ‘Pure Gold’, which includes quartets to represent Spain at the their two winning contest songs and European Contest in Holland in March many audience favourites. ‘Pure Gold’ this year. is on sale at just 5€. Call 968 432 525 Torrevieja quartet, Fourmidables, or 968 334 527 to order your copy.

SABS 2012 Silver medallists and Spangles welcomes new members Cataluña-based quartet, Hanfris, so, if you’re looking to make new , SABS 2011 Gold medallists, friends and enjoy singing, why not appeared with Spangles (SABS 2011 visit Spangles when they rehearse at Gold medallists) and the Torrevieja Las Claras? They meet every Thursday Harmonisers (SABS 2011 Bronze from 10.00am to 1.00pm. medallists) at two concerts in Los Please call Lyn on 968 432 525 or Alcázares and Castalla, and the two quartets also sang to a packed house Anthea on 968 334 527 to book at Diamante’s Restaurant in El Mojón. Spangles or to find out how to join, or visit the website: www.

Audiences, whose vision of spangleschorus.com. barbershop may have been of four men in boaters and stripey waistcoats, were blown away by the stunning voices of the two young men’s quartets and the entertaining and professional performances of the choruses. Their comments ranged from “I didn’t realise that barbershop could be so entertaining” to “The show was unbelievable value for Fourmidables 2012 money”.

SABS President and Spangles Musical Director, Gail Grainger, commented: “These young guys are great ambassadors for SABS and we are so proud that they have qualified to represent us on the European stage. It will cost approximately 2,400€ for each quartet to compete in Holland and Spangles wanted to show their support by helping to raise funds for their trip. I’m delighted to say that we raised 1000€ from Hanfris 2012 the series of concerts and we’re extremely grateful to our wonderful audiences.”

After winning a Gold medal, quartets and choruses cannot compete in the following year, so Spangles and Hanfris will be going for gold again at the SABS Convention in Benalmádena, Málaga in April this year. “The Chorus is working hard on our two contest songs and we will be showcasing them at a show Spangles En Armonia 2012 in March this year. “ remarked

11

YOUR Camposol Fiesta! d

e t r a t S s a H n u F The The Camposol Fiesta 2013 is now confirmed as Friday and Saturday 14th & 15th June. Although the finer details are still to be worked out, it is proposed to start the event at 7.30pm on Friday evening with a Music Extravaganza by local acts followed by a fun packed Saturday with events for all the family.

We will be holding a Camposol’s Got Talent Competition on the day which will be open to all with a cash prize for the lucky winner.

There will be the usual Paella and Fireworks and a programme of British and Spanish events to entertain young and old.

However, the fun of the Fiesta is not limited to the weekend itself and we have already held events to engage the community and raise funds.

We held a Three Kings Children’s’ Party which was held in Oscar’s Bar and Trevi Restaurant supported the Fiesta with a Race Night.

It costs around 10,500 Euro to stage the Fiesta and we have to fund this from the Fiesta Funds.

Over the next few months we have various entertainment events planned and a number of raffles. All you have to do is purchase tickets…. enjoy the events and help us raise funds at the same time! Simples!

Design a Logo Children’s Competition for the

Camposol Fiesta 2013

Winning logo will be used for all official Fiesta purposes.

Award to be presented on the Main Stage with a framed copy of their design and trophy !!!!

Entries must include name, age, parents name, signature and contact number.

Entries cost 1 Euro

all proceeds to the Camposol Fiesta Fund. Open to all children under 16 years old.

Competition closes 31/1/2013. Judges decision is final.

TBH 2012

Drop off points: Paramount Resort Villa Rentals - Camposol Sector C Alley Palais - Camposol Sector B Healthy H2O stand - Thursday Market Sector A ASSSA Seguros - Puerto de Mazarron Sara Lara´s Bar – Puerto de Mazarron

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

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

It saddens me to hear that in this day and age where there is so much help available that people ‘Just get on with it’.Whatever ‘it’ is.

This Victorian way of thinking can cause more distress than the initial problem. We still seem to live in the age of the very British ‘stiff upper lip’, especially where conditions like anxiety, depression, addictive behaviours or confidence issues are concerned. Or indeed, any condition connected with the mind.

Your mind is your most valuable tool. So what is it then that stops people seeking help?

Maybe it is connected with the totally incorrect assumption that to seek help is a sign of weakness. On the contrary, to seek professional help is a show of strength in that you have recognised there is a problem,

freedom Technique

Emotional

12

This column has been brought to you by Personal Wellness Practitioner, Drew Ryder B.SC. Psych. Hons, IIHHT, ThAT, MAAMET, an experienced practitioner of EFT and other disciplines. www.drewryder.com

issue or challenge (dependent on your choice of definition) and that you have the inner strength to do something about it. And with today’s technology you do not even have to leave the comfort of your home to utilise the help that is available to you.

This also saves you any possible embarrassment of being seen by a neighbour, friend or relative as you go into a therapist’s office or treatment room.

How then does this work?

By utilising a computer and a program that is downloadable free of charge called Skype.

For those of you not familiar with Skype we can have a ‘virtual meeting’. That is we can both see each other and converse with each other in real time. Indeed this is becoming more and more the preferred method of receiving help where matters of the mind are concerned.

Does this detract from an actual ‘one to one session’ in any way?

Not at all, because you are actually receiving a one to one session, the difference being that you are not in the same room or indeed building. (I can even go as far as to say not in the same country, I currently have clients not only in Spain but also in the UK, USA and Caribbean using this method of contact).

Does the client receive the same benefits?

Yes the client does, perhaps even more so in that the client is usually in familiar surroundings. This often helps with their confidence.

or number of sessions. This is only because people’s issues vary considerably as does their response to treatment. It’s a bit like asking how long will it take to clear my cancer?

There are no specific answers.

What I will say however is that after each session the process is reviewed and if after six sessions there has been no significant improvement then perhaps a different treatment is required.

How do I arrange a session via Skype?

Initially telephone contact is made by a potential client and a Skype appointment is discussed and arranged.

Alternatively an email can be sent to info@ drewryder.com and an appointment can be arranged using email. Or, if you email a contact number then we can chat over the telephone prior to your first Skype session. Please note if you do not have Skype on your computer it can easily be installed and I can always email you a link or talk you through the process of downloading it. It is simple to do.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate How many sessions does a to contact me via client need to get over their telephone on 660 issues?

The answer to this particular question is a 326 194 or by emailing little difficult in that there is no set pattern as above.

Family fears for safety of missing teen

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A family in Valencia is becoming desperate as their missing 14-year-old daughter has not been home in over a month, nor contacted her parents.

Kristina Krasimirova, who is Bulgarian but has been to school in Valencia since she was small, went out on her orange BMX bike with 15 euros in her purse on December 11, saying she would be back before 21.00hrs.

She has not returned home.

Distraught mum, Roxana, says Kristina has a boyfriend of the same age in Paiporta, who lives with his mother and two small brothers, but she does

not appear to have been with him in the last month and a half.

Roxana says Kristina spent some time in a youth detention centre in October for a theft she has always sworn blind she did not commit, but then went back to school once she was let out.

“When she came out of the detention centre and returned home, she was disillusioned with everything. She was suffering from depression and said some terrible, really disturbing things,” Roxana explains.

“As an example, she used to say, ‘I can’t live in this world. It’s a dirty place

and I don’t want to be here.”

Roxana does not know whether Kristina has run away from home, committed suicide, been kidnapped or found herself forced into a youth prostitution mafia.

She is small in stature, slim, with long, light brown hair and a pierced lip, and speaks perfect valenciano and Spanish.

Anyone who may have any information concerning her whereabouts, however insignificant they feel it may be, should call the National Police on 091 or visit their nearest station.

Royal women take pay cut

King Juan Carlos I will be keeping his 2011 salary, that is to say 292,752 euros, and Prince Felipe his 146,376 euros, but has decided to make cuts totalling 55,000 euros in 2013 in payments to the rest of the Royal Family, namely what Queen Sofia, the Princesa de Asturias and the Infanta Elena spend on their offfical engagements. The monarch and his son go back to their 2011 salaries, after effectively taking a pay cut in 2012, when they, like other public officials, did not receive their Christmas bonus.

That meant the King taking a 21,000 euro pay cut, and his son a 14,000 euro one. Sources within the Royal Household confirmed that Don Juan Carlos, is making a concerted effort to cut expenditure, highlighting the fact that as from January 1st there are now 27 fewer cars for the Royal Family to use for their official engagements, leaving them with a fleet of 45. The Royal Household has also cut its website’s costs to 35,000 euros, has centralised all its printing and switched to ecological paper for all its official documents.

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curiosity may kill the cat ‘Man make fire’ is a favourite saying of mine when lighting the barbecue.

pause for thought “When all else fails, read the manual” is a common remark from one of my friends, when things aren’t quite going according to plan. Whether a new television, new phone, new computer, new camera or even new car these days, we often find ourselves impatient to get on and use that new ‘toy’ before fully digesting the instructions, with consequent frustration as it fails to perform as anticipated. And the trouble is, that as technology advances, these products become ever more complex so that the instruction manual can seem overwhelming, often giving the impression that a degree in terminology is required to understand it.

But however intimidating it may seem, a good instruction manual is invaluable, and well worth the time spent studying it. And this isn’t just a modern phenomenon, as anyone seeing my Riley Workshop Manual would recognize, with its dog-eared and occasionally blackened pages, bearing witness to the hours it spends under the bonnet, being studied and religiously followed whenever any work is carried out on the engine or other aspect of that car. It really is my ‘Bible’; the essential, ultimate reference book, without which this 60 year-old vehicle wouldn’t still be on the road and running as sweetly as when it was almost new.

And most of us appreciate the value of manuals like this, so it’s perhaps surprising that so few of us bother to read the manual for the most complex piece of equipment we own – ourselves. For just as the Workshop Manual is essential reading for anyone wanting to run an old car, explaining how to get the best out of it, so the Bible, however intimidating it may at first appear, really is essential reading for anyone wanting to get the best out of their lives. And yes, the language may at times seem a touch obscure, but that could similarly be said of most truly comprehensive manuals, so we shouldn’t be put off by that, but just give it a try and we may well be surprised how helpful it becomes.

800,000 years ago early humans mastered the art of making fire by rubbing sticks together and cracking flints together. This kept them warm; they could cook and protect themselves from animal attacks.

Modern day humans were very nearly not around today as 200,000 years ago a deadly ice age wiped out most of the world’s population. Remains found in South Africa at a site dubbed the Garden of Eden, is where it’s believed the few remaining humans survived the cold.

Then around 170,000 years ago our ancestors first wore clothes to keep warm and started to spread widely across the planet.

Humans remained as hunter gatherers, killing game, catching fish, finding honey and eating whatever plants, fruit and nuts that were in season to survive. Then around 11,000 years ago man started to plant wheat, in South America 10,000 years ago potatoes were first cultivated.

From maybe 8000 years ago animals were first kept. So food was available all year round and enabled populations to remain and thrive in one place, hence the earliest known buildings originate from 11,000 years ago.

These advances and inventions enabled humans to reproduce and survive to the present day; fire, clothing, tool making, agriculture and construction. The great Life of Brian sketch ‘What did the Romans do for us?’ hilariously sums up other innovations by man. It can be found on YouTube if a reminder is needed. Then along came the wheel, glass, gun powder, steam and the industrial revolution. Coal was then supplanted by oil as the provider of power and pollutant of choice.

Before World War Two,

Further information about the Anglican Church and details of forthcoming events may be seen on the web site www. mojacarchurch.org Duncan Burr is Licensed Lay Reader for the Anglican Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida and may be contacted at djburr@avired.com

Since 1939 there have been over 60 military nuclear accidents and about 40 involving civilian nuclear power; 3 mile Island, Fukushima and Chernobyl are easily remembered plus of course Palomares in Almeria where 3 warheads fell from the sky in 1956 when the bomber carrying them broke up over the sea. People and creatures across the planet have died or suffer defects and debilitating illnesses to this day from these so called scientific advancements.

The Large Hadron Collider in Cern, Switzerland, is a huge machine scientists are using to look for the meaning of life which is of course 42! Recently a learned professor talked about his excitement of maybe opening extra dimensions and finding different galaxies and stars. What on earth are these people playing at, forget Dolly the sheep these mad scientists may create a black hole and we could all disappear into it in a flash. Surely world peace, cures for illnesses and malnutrition are better ways to spend time and money!

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!

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the Manhattan project started as Albert Einstein and others had warned President Roosevelt that the Germans were trying to create an atomic bomb. Some of the world’s greatest minds spent six years and the equivalent in today’s money of US $25bn creating the atomic bomb. On July 16th 1945 ‘The Gadget’ was tested in New Mexico. Present at the test Robert Oppenheimer said ‘I am become deaththe destroyer of worlds!’ words spoken by Krishna from the Bhagavad Gita; a Hindu scripture. Another scientist Isidor Rabi said that he felt man had now become a grave threat to the world. The scientists tried in vain to stop the project after the test yet two weeks later the only two atomic weapons ever to be used in conflict detonated in Japan, killing and injuring over 200,000 people. To this day people still are afflicted by diseases such as leukaemia.

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World’s largest television unveiled

The world’s largest television has been unveiled - and it’s so big it has to be kept outside.

The C SEED 201 boasts 16ft-wide screen and costs £414,000 - four times as much as a Porsche 911 sports car.

It’s made in Austria by made by the supercar company’s Porsche Design Studio which hopes to sell 25 sets a year.

When switched off it is hidden away, but at the touch of a button seven folding panels rise from the ground and unveil the 201in widescreen.

It is made up of more than 725,000 LEDs which display 4.4 trillion colours and use biometric fingerprint sensors to prevent unauthorised use.

Alexander Swatek, from C SEED owner Global Bright Group, came up with the idea for the giant TV after being inspired by the phenomenon of public screenings.

“C SEED is a new brand that came about by pooling years of professional experience. It has a unique heritage because it draws on the best minds in their fields,” he said.

The biggest television already on sale in Britain is the 84in LG Ultra HDTV, which went on sale for £22,499.99 before Christmas.

Garden step was ancient treasure

An ancient carved step dismissed by art experts is set to fetch more than £30,000 at auction later this year.

The 1,000-year-old Buddhist moonstone has for years formed part of the garden path at Bronwen Hickmott’s bungalow near Exeter, Devon.

She originally grew up with it in her family home at Crowborough, Sussex - a house previously owned by a tea importer based in Sri Lanka.

Two years ago, the 66-year-old former secretary approached the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow to see if its experts could explain its history and value. However, a producer told her they were not interested and attempts to persuade auctioneers Sotheby’s to investigate were also rejected. It wasn’t until Mrs Hickmott mentioned the stone in passing to a valuer at Bonhams in Exeter that its history became clear.

It is now believed the six-inch thick, three

quarters of a ton granite sandakada pahana or moonstone is among only seven of its type in the world.

Carved by craftsmen of the Buddhist Sinhalese civilisation, centred on the UNESCO world heritage city of Anuradhapura, it depicts a half-lotus flower and a procession of horses, lions, elephants and oxen.

“I loved that stone so much as a child,” said Mrs Hickmott. “I used to trace the figures of the animals with my fingers and recite them in order; horse, lion, elephant, hump. I think the hump is actually an ox.”

“We called it The Pebble in our family and we’ve taken it with us around the country over five different house moves.

“But we are thinking of moving again and I don’t think it’s right to keep on shifting it - especially as we now know it’s historical value.”

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15

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viewpoint

BEANS!

All outbound flights had been cancelled, and the airport departure lounge resembled the atrium of the Tower of Babel on the morning after Sports Day – filled beyond capacity with athletes from every nation, all intent on getting home as soon as possible. People of all creeds and colours were milling aimlessly around, still high on the adrenalin of their achievements, and as yet all in good humour.

Due to the delay we were to be given breakfast; poached egg on toast, a sausage, two rashers of bacon and a spoonful of beans.

‘You go after the French girls and before the Egyptian boys.’

The hostess smiled as she handed me the menu slip and indicated the monster Conga that was the breakfast queue.

With my team tucked obediently behind me I inserted us into the Conga behind the red sweatshirted and black ponytailed French girls, gently but inexorably pushing to the side the Egyptian boys in their smart sandcoloured kaftans.

We reached the head of the queue and I proffered my tray to the girl behind the counter, who was operating with the timing josbiggs@hotmail.co.uk and mechanical

By Jos Biggs

precision of an automaton. I watched as she scooped from their individual dishes onto my plate the perfectly round poached egg on toast, the sausage and the two rashers of bacon.

She pushed the tray back to me. ‘Beans?’ I asked pleasantly, indicating the full tray of steaming hot beans.

‘No beans.’ She replied in a monotone.

‘It says beans.’ I held up the menu slip for her to see, my voice and manner the epitome of reasonableness.

She looked up and met my eye. I have seen more signs of life in a slice of Gorgonzola cheese than there was in her gaze. She shifted the gum she was chewing from one side of her mouth to the other side.

‘We don’t have any beans.’

‘Those are beans.’ I indicated the still steaming tray of beans.

‘No beans. Please move along, you are holding up the queue.’

I folded my arms. My team folded their arms.

‘We are not moving’ I said firmly, ‘Until we have our beans.’

A fat man with a dirty apron, his dark hair streaked with sweat emerged from the background, presumably the kitchen.

‘What’s the hold-up?’ He enquired.

‘They want beans.’ She intoned without emotion.

To be or not to be . . . what was the question?

Some years ago, a poor soul who knew no better, asked me to captain our village pub quiz team, and I reluctantly accepted.

One reason I agreed to his request was because the outgoing skipper was so indecisive, that rather than make a guess on those questions where none of us could agree on the answer (about 98% of them) he would mumble and frown until time ran out and another ‘zero points’ was registered.

Another reason was that he was usually Brahms and Liszt by round two and thirdly; he was a Scot who was so antagonistic to the rest of his English team mates, we usually spent more time having a go at each other rather than at the opposition.

Oh and fourthly; nobody else

was prepared to do it.

Like most unsuccessful pub quiz teams - or in our case, an utterly useless pub quiz team – we covered up our total ineptitude by declaring that we were just there for the beer and a good laugh, and whilst there was some truth in the beer pre-requisite, underneath it all we were desperate not to look completely clueless even though we were.

By way of over compensation, we would celebrate long and loud in the unlikely event of a victory over a team composed of bigger turnips than us. Unlikely is probably putting it mildly, because a win for us was about as rare as hair on a cucumber.

Then in the true spirit of unsportsmanship we would taunt the vanquished enemy with chants of ‘Yoos-lesss’ and thoroughly rub their noses in it, until with heads lowered, they would slink out of the bar and drive off into the night – much to the chagrin of our landlord who had just seen a useful few quid disappear before his eyes.

Such was our ignorance of geography, sport, history and such

By Colin Bird : badbirdnow@gmail.com

like, some people were convinced that our aim was not only to lose matches, but to score as few points as possible. This was not true, but rather than disabuse them of this idea, we revelled to some extent in our image on the pub circuit, of being good hearted dimmo’s We would always get enthusiastic welcomes when we travelled to away matches; after all, another large win was a matter of absolute certainty, and the landlord’s eyes would light up as we entered the bar, because we were also known as big spenders and good losers.

Bad winners . . . but good losers.

Most of the other teams on the circuit were composed of individuals who specialised in one subject or another as well as possessing a good all round knowledge.

We on the other hand had nobody with anything resembling a good all round knowledge, although we did have our own specialists within the team.

Trouble was, the subjects in question were of sewerage disposal, housework and pond maintenance and in my case Cornish pub names.

Unfortunately not too many questions of this nature came our

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Cyril, (sewerage) was asked once, to name the nine planets of the solar system. He looked as baffled as Adam on Mother’s Day before answering that he only knew three – the Earth, Mars, and the moon, although he wasn’t convinced that the Earth could be classed as a planet.

The frightening part was that the rest of us were nodding sagely at Cyril’s pronouncement and although we were not permitted to give assistance to team mates, I surreptitiously passed my struggling colleague a scrap of paper with the word Krypton written on it.

Another time, confronted with the question – ‘Which actress played the part of Elsie Tanner in Coronation Street?’ Agnes (housework) our token lady member, put down her knitting and beaming, declared loudly - Ena Sharples!

These days of course, you are a sad case if you actually can name soap characters, even the correct ones.

Amazingly, Splint (Pond Maintenance) whose nickname is derived from his surname of Harwood, was on one memorable occasion, posed a question about newts. He was so taken back with this turn of events that he almost ran out of time due to his premature celebrations involving his pint of Greene King and a good part of mine.

However, he not only gave the correct answer in the nick of time, but went on to give a full length lecture on the life cycle of the Great Crested Newt and precise locations in the British Isles where they could be found. All 700 of them.

Splint was the hero of the night however, because that point he managed to score was the difference at the end of the evening between the two teams. A rare win.

He had bored our opponents into submission.

Anyway, I’m available if anyone wants me.

ald John MacDon

(El Sordo) - ww

Canal Alqueria

u w.caratacus.e

Museo Parque de las Ciencias in Granada very kindly supplied an array of television broadcasting equipment.

They didn’t exactly donate it. A small but badly trained commando unit from Alqueria moved not so swiftly across the Spanish border and made off with it. Although antiquated it did transmit television pictures. From a shed on the Calle Generalissimo the sparking, smoking and shaking apparatus sent the Canal Alqueria Television signal across the village.

The Alquerian Parliament had decided to set up the service to meet the peculiar requirements of the village’s population. Local news, the singular Alquerian weather and entertainment designed for their strange tastes were all to be broadcast.

Blythe Gruntmore the resident Englishman and Geordie was to read the news. His grasp of Spanish was akin to a politician’s concept of truth. This was intentional as ninety percent of Alquerian news was bad and the other ten so trivial that not being understood by anyone sober enough to switch on their television set was a distinct advantage.

Rodriquez the most loathsome and hated man in the village took on the role of children’s entertainer in the guise of the lovable Rody el Payaso. His large bulbous red nose and clown’s baggy trousers simply made him even more hideous and grotesque than usual. One knew when he was performing in front of a live audience from the children’s screams and sobs. Prime time slots were filled by transmitting films from DVDs on hire from Dodgy Diego’s Film Rentals in Viator.

Manuela being Minister of Culture needed to be included but her usual contribution would be x-rated and only suitable for transmission in all but the most broadminded of Scandinavian states. She was therefore given a craft show demonstrating knitting techniques. Manuela is however an inventive girl with the result that her show could only be broadcast at two in the morning. Recordings of her show are changing hands for 200€ in the back streets of Almería.

Sacerdote del Semblante Lánguido, the village priest and existentialist rounded off the day’s programmes with a half hour spot. He spent the whole thirty minutes banging on about the meaningless universe and the contingency of all life. Some thought he was working hand-in-hand with Francisco Cabezacaso AKA Paco the Shrink the village psychiatrist. His patient numbers increased proportionally to the priest’s air-time.

A review of Canal Alqueria in a Spanish newspaper simply said. “The most exciting thing to happen to television since the off switch.”

Unfortunately electromagnetic waves do not conveniently stop at borders with the result that Spanish homes were receiving the Alquerian signal. Complaints reached such a peak that the Spanish authorities had to act. A week after Canal Alqueria started transmitting it stopped, blocked by elements of the Regimiento de Guerra Electronica 31.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

IVA on medication, veterinary and healthcare equipment ‘too low’, says EU

Reduced-rate value-added tax on certain medication, medical equipment and veterinary supplies is ‘illegal’, claims the European Commission.

Medicines, healthcare products and materials that may be use to prevent, diagnose, treat, relieve or cure illnesses should attract IVA at the full rate of 21 per cent, and not the ‘middle’ rate of 10 per cent, according to an EU ruling from 2010.

The higher-rate IVA is not applied to items used for relieving or treating inherent deficiencies, or for purely personal use or employed solely for the permanently disabled.

This means veterinary treatment equipment and medication should also be taxed at 21 per cent, because ‘personal use’, ‘use by the disabled’ or ‘pharmaceutical products’ are definitions that can only be applied to humans rather than animals, according to the Commission.

Items exempt from higher-rate IVA for use by persons include needles, blood-pressure reading machines, latex gloves, masks, disposable caps, gowns or socks, gauze, plasters, thermometers or ‘white coats’.

Spain’s government has been ordered to increase IVA on non-exempt items with immediate effect and to pay the costs of the European court investigation.

If it does not do, large fines will be imposed.

This means healthcare costs for the State will rise dramatically, and pet-owners could face much larger vet bills.

Animal rescue volunteer killed by tram A 70 year oldwoman lost her life yesterday morning after being hit by the AlicanteBenidorm tram.

The victim was standing on the boarding ramp near the pavement, reportedly in the path of the vehicle, in El Campello (Alicante).

Despite the driver having warned that a pedestrian was in the way, slowing down as much as she could and blasting her horn, she was unable to avoid the impact at the Salesianos tram stop.

Paramedics rushed to the scene, but all attempts to revive the woman failed and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim, who has not been named, is said to be very well-known in El Campello for her animal rescue work and her connections with local dogs’ homes.

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If your resolution to exercise more is leaving you tired out, put your feet up.

Research suggests that short rest periods are just as important as the exercise itself.

Taking it easy now and again not only allows the muscles to recover, it also makes the body fitter faster, Stirling University sports scientists believe.

Their study was of keen cyclists but they think that men and women who are simply trying to get a bit fitter could also benefit from building periods of rest into their exercise programme.

In the study, 12 cyclists were split into two groups. One did bursts of high intensity exercise, interspersed with short rest periods, three times a week.

In each session, they pedalled hard, but below sprint pace, for four minutes, then stopped for two minutes, before repeating the pattern five times.

The second group rode continuously for an hour at a slightly easier pace, three times a week.

After four weeks, the two groups swopped programmes.

Tests showed the first programme, which involved a mixture of tough training and taking it easy, to be the most beneficial, leading to twice as big an improvement in power and performance.

Researcher Stuart Galloway, an exercise physiologist, said: ‘It is a case of training smarter.

‘We found in these cyclists that if you can make the hard sessions harder and the easy sessions easier, then you will likely see better progress.

‘Amateur athletes tend to spend a lot of their training in the moderate intensity bracket which in our study showed smaller

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improvements.

‘For the wider public, most people were advised to do moderate intensity exercise for around three hours a week.

‘More recently, high-intensity bouts of exercise such as spin cycling classes or interval running have been presented as the best option.

‘We would suggest that while high intensity is still important, it’s the combination with low intensity which has the biggest impact.’

It is thought that muscles find it harder to recover from long periods of exercise, than from short bursts, even if they are physically tougher.

Dr Angus Hunter, co-author of the study which appears in the Journal of Applied Physiology, said: ‘Your muscles may be fatigued more quickly when you work at high intensity but they recover more quickly too.’

This could leave people feeling less tired in between exercise sessions.

Dr Galloway said: ‘Often everything merged into the middle, so the hard sessions aren’t hard enough and the easy session aren’t easy enough.

‘If you feel fatigued after exercising and are taking too long to recover, it is probably because you have done a session of continuous, moderate intensity exercise.’

The study is one several to extol the virtues of short, sharp bursts of exercise.

Aberdeen University research suggests that short, sharp burst of exercise are better at warding off heart disease than much longer, but less strenuous, sessions.

Concentrated effort may also burn off more calories - as well as being easier to fit into a hectic day.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

the power of meditation

People who suffer from painful conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis could ease their symptoms using a form of meditation, say researchers.

are becoming addicted.

They added that the treatment, known as mindfulness, could prove a cheaper alternative to prescription medicines.

Study leader Melissa Rosenkranz, said some people don’t benefit from regular medicines with many suffering from negative side effects of drugs or failing to respond to standard treatment.

Mindfulness meditation involves ‘being present’ by focusing on breathing patterns and bodily sensations. This reduces worrying about the past and future and has been shown to be effective at alleviating depression.

The latest study suggested its calming effect could help those with stress-related chronic inflammatory conditions - such as bowel disease and asthma.

It is also a convenient technique as people can do the meditation exercises while sitting down or walking, according to the authors from the University of Wisconsin.

It comes as family doctors in the UK are being told to slash prescriptions of painkillers and sleeping pills amid concerns that patients

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New guidelines now urge doctors to consider alternative treatments such as physiotherapy and counselling.

Ms Rosenkranz said: ‘Our study shows that there are specific ways mindfulness (meditation) can be beneficial and that there are specific people who may be more likely to benefit from this approach than other interventions.

‘The mindfulness-based approach to stress reduction may offer a lower-cost alternative or complement standard treatment and it can be practised easily by patients in their own homes, whenever they need.’

The study compared two different methods of reducing stress, one related to meditation and the other involving exercise and musical therapy.

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program was meant to match aspects of the mindfulness instruction in some way. For example, physical exercise was meant to match walking meditation, without the mindfulness component.

‘In this setting, we could see if there were changes that we could detect that were specific to mindfulness,’ Rosenkranz said.

Cream containing heat from chilli peppers was used to inflame the skin of participants in both groups.

Although both groups felt calmer after therapy, only mindfulness proved effective at reducing the inflammation.

Ms Rosenkranz added: ‘The study suggests that mindfulness techniques may be more effective in relieving inflammatory symptoms than other activities that promote well-being.

‘This is not a cure-all, but our study does show that - there are specific people who may be more likely to benefit from this approach than other interventions.’

Significant portions of the population do not benefit from available pharmaceutical treatment

options. Some of these patients suffer from negative side effects of the drugs, or simply do not respond to the standard-of-care for treatment of the disorder.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

ejuvenate retreat Most sunbeds in England elax El Cucador fail UK safety limits

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We are a self-contained private suite of rooms on the right hand side of La Vida Cucador, with its own entrance, plus disabled access and good parking

If you are a fully-qualified therapist and want to know more about us or to book a room, email retreatcucador@gmail.com Become a friend on Facebook & see our monthly Special Offers!

Nine out of 10 sunbeds in England fail to meet British and European safety standards, research in the British Journal of Dermatology suggests.

The levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by 400 sunbeds were on average two times higher than recommended limits, the study found.

Researchers warn the number of skin cancers may increase if stricter controls are not put in place.

But sunbed manufacturers say regulation is making them safer to use.

The Cancer Research UK funded study examined 402 sunbeds across England between 2010 and 2011.

The researchers from the University of Dundee also looked at the risk of developing skin cancer from sunbeds compared with the risk associated with tanning in the Mediterranean sun.

They found the cancer risk from sunbeds was more than twice that of spending the same length of time in the midday sunshine.

Yinka Ebo, at Cancer Research UK, said: “Research has already shown that using sunbeds for the first time before the age of 35 increases the risk of the skin cancer malignant melanoma by 87%.

“Sunbeds are not going to do you any good - the best-case scenario is they will age and damage your

skin. The worst-case scenario is a cancer diagnosis and potentially death.”

Regulation on sunbeds came into force in 2009, but the researchers suggest stricter control measures are required to prevent an increase in the number of skin cancers.

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: “England is sadly trailing behind the rest of the UK in this matter.

“We need proper regulation, covering issues like safety of equipment and health warnings for clients.”

But Gary Lipman, chairman of the Sunbed Association, which represents companies that manufacture and operate tanning stations, said the study findings were out of date.

“The Sunbed Association has been working with its members, non-members and... local authorities since 2009 to inform them about the change in UV emission levels, and advise how to become compliant.

“Sun bed users should check with their salon that the sun bed is 0.3 compliant - that means its UV emission levels are guaranteed to be no higher than the midday Mediterranean sun.”

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The cost of dying has got a lot more expensive – Or has it??

From 1st September the rate of IVA (vat) charged by Funeral Directors rose from 8% to 21% so an average funeral cost here in Spain will be in the region of 4840 €. With an Iberian Funeral Plan you fix the cost of the funeral at today’s price and it is fixed forever, irrespective of how much funeral expenses rise in the future. With guaranteed Plan prices starting from just 2995 €. Do you need to look elsewhere for total peace of mind?

Just look at the facts: • Iberian have the best plans and plan benefits at the best price • Iberian plans are the only genuine interest free plans if you wish to pay by instalments • Iberian do not charge you an additional administration fee • Iberian do not have any deferred or final settlement payments at the end of the instalment term • Iberian Funeral Plans are fully transferrable to the UK • Iberian Funeral Plans cover you throughout the EU and can assist worldwide.

With prices starting at just 2995 € and IVA FREE, less does equal more. Therefore it makes so much sense to protect your loved ones by investing in a guaranteed funeral plan from Iberian.

Visit www.iberianfuneralplans.com

or simply contact our offices on 952595691 (Malaga) or 965993498 (Benijpfar-Alicante) Also located in The UK, Portugal, Canary Islands and Balearics

www.soltimes.com

I was reading an older copy of your favourite free newspaper yesterday when I read an article on this new(ish) laptop caught my eye. The article was about the Google ChromeBook and it got me wondering exactly what makes this such an innovation.

The only claim to fame for this device is that it has not got a hard drive, and neither goes my laptop but that isn’t innovation as much as it is despiration! The Chromebook runs Chrome OS, an operating system that have been written by Google. Google Chrome OS is the little brother of Chromium OS which is a Linux-based operating system and is open source (meaning anyone can examine the source code and modify it!). It was designed by Google, with a simplified user interface, to work exclusively with web applications (direct from the website!). Google Chromebook is aimed at users who spend most of their computer time on the Web, the only application on the device is a browser incorporating a media player and a file manager.

So far this does sound like a good deal, doesn’t it? Well it is lighter than an equivalent laptop, claims to start up within 10 seconds and unlike normal laptops maintains this speed regardless of how much it is used.

There are 2 basic levels that the OS performs on, these are what is built in and what is stored on the cloud. So let’s start with what is built in. The system is populated with Apps which are the programs that you use on a Chromebook to do things like create documents, listen to music and edit photos of your puppy. Google claims that there is no more buying and installing software as thousands of apps are free.

Now let us examine what is in the cloud. Chromebooks have an auto-update mechanism so you always get the freshest software and security features. The applications also have the option of auto or manual update which you can expect every couple of months.

Chromebooks use an online file storage service, so you can save and access your stuff safely online and won’t need to back up your files manually.

So far, so good. Now here is where I start to have a few problems.

I like to have my files where I can get to them! I like the idea that I don’t have to be connected to the internet to be able to access this information. Like many, but not all, I have different password combinations some of them long and randomly generated. I have to store them in a file that has been encrypted, on a USB chip that has been encrypted and then store the chip in the most improbable of places. Can you guarantee that someone, who you have never met, is willing and able to provide the same level of security for your secure information?

In America, where WIFI is everywhere, working on-line is feasible. Here in Spain we are still some 10 year behind the UK and many more years behind america. Maybe this technology isn’t quite ready for Spain or Spain isn’t quite ready for this technology.

So in conclusion, Your Chromebook can update your software either automatically or manually. Your data is stored “in the cloud” by some unseen divinity and you need internet access to work at more than 10 percent efficiency. Or you have access to hundreds of thousands of free programs that will update automatically or manually, do not require the internet to do 90 percent if your workload and know exactly where all your passwords and important documents are!

This piece, for example, is being written on my cheap and cheerful ancient laptop without the internet as the winds have blown over my internet receiving dish! Something I wouldn’t be able to do if I had to work exclusively on-line. Just a thought ;-)

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

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Address To A Haggis...

BIOGRAPHY:

Robert Burns was born at Alloway, near Ayr, on 25 January 1759.

His father William was a gardener to the Provost of Ayr. Robert was educated briefly at John Murdoch’s school in Alloway and later in Ayr. Family financial worries forced Burns to work as a farm labourer, and it was while thus occupied that he met his first love, Nelly Kirkpatrick. She inspired him to try his hand at poetry, a song entitled “O, once I lov’d a bonnie lass”, set to the tune of a traditional reel.

Burns worked at a succession of labouring jobs, including flax dressing, and began writing poetry regularly. When his father died in 1784, Burns and his brother Gilbert rented a farm near Mauchline.

Burns spread his affections freely, and the next decade saw 8 illegitimate children born to him through 5 different women. One of these, Jean Armour, became Mrs. Burns in 1788.

SUCCESS: The first published work of poetry by Robert Burns was “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect” which saw the light of day on 31 July 1786. This collection of verse contained many of Burn’s best works, including “To a Mouse”, and “The Holy Fair”.

The success of “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect” convinced Burns to abandon plans to emigrate to Jamaica. Buoyed by his burgeoning reputation as an unschooled “ploughman poet”, Burns moved to Edinburgh and became part of the thriving cultural

scene there. He was unable to find a patron to support his writing, but publisher James Johnson gave him work editing a collection of Scottish folk songs. This work, titled “The Scots Musical Museum”, was published in 5 volumes over sixteen years. Burns himself contributed over 150 songs, including “Auld Lang Syne”, a reworking of an earlier folk song of unknown origin.

Burns and his wife Jean moved to Mauchline, where in 1790 he produced “Tam o’ Shanter”, which was first published merely as an accompaniment to an illustration of Alloway Kirk, in a volume of “Antiquities of Scotland”. The growing Burns family moved again, this time to Dumfries.

Burns contributed 114 songs to “A Select Collection Of Scottish Airs” by George Thomson, but he received very little payment for his efforts. In 1795, Burns was inspired by the events of the French Revolution to write “For a’ that and a’ that”, his cry for human equality.

One year later, on July 21, 1796, Burns was dead of rheumatic fever. He was buried in the churchyard of St. Michael’s in Dumfries, even as his wife Jean was in childbirth with their ninth child.

LEGACY: Robert Burns gained more fame after his death than he ever did during his lifetime. Many of his songs and poems have become international favourites - even among those who find his use of Scottish lowland dialect difficult to decipher!

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o’ fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer Gie her a haggis!

21

Burns Suppers have been part of Scottish culture for about 200 years as a means of commemorating the birth of Robert Burns.

Burns Suppers range from ostentatiously formal gatherings of aesthetes and scholars to uproariously informal rave-ups of drunkards and louts. Most Burns Suppers fall in the middle of this range, and adhere, more or less, to some sort of time honoured form which includes the eating of a traditional Scottish meal, the drinking of Scotch whisky, and the recitation of works by, about, and in the spirit of the Bard!

And when Burns immortalised haggis in verse he created a central link that is maintained to this day.

22

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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

THE SPAINIAC | Plaza de España (Seville) | Candice Parsons

Until physically facing the building up close, the grandiosity of Plaza de España lies almost hidden on the edge of Parque de María Luisa’s lush and leafy gardens.

With its construction beginning in 1914 and design overseen by Sevillian architect Aníbal González, the Renaissance/neo-Moorish styled landmark was built specifically as the centerpiece of the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 (‘Expo 29’).

Located next to Avenida Isabella La Catolica, Plaza de España was designed to showcase both the industrial and craft talents of Seville.

The initial idea was that this presence and hosting of the world Expo would enhance and modernize the image

of the city, and thus increase its civil works, employment and international relationships.

Due to the outbreak of both World War I and political issues between Spain and Morocco, the completion of the site was delayed.

Its progress also faced aesthetic criticisms and financial difficulties caused from Seville’s poor economic status during the construction period.

In 1926 Gonzalez resigned from his position in the project and was replaced by Vincente Taverner, who oversaw its final completion in 1928. Taverner added the central fountain to the site, where King Alfonso XIII

inaugurated Expo 29.

Today, Plaza de España houses government offices and the regional army’s general office.

Measuring 50, 000 square metres, the plaza covers the size equivalent to five football pitches.

The two tall towers at each end, connected by a long and curved colonnaded gallery structure, all echo a majestic awe within and throughout the whole site.

Known as the ‘Venice of Seville’, Plaza de España is surrounded by a 500-meter canal with four bridge crossings, all intricately decorated with ceramic tiles.

Small rowing boats can also be rented along the canal for around five euros per 45 minutes, or the motorboat, Enriqueta, for nine euros.

The curved wall following along the canal holds 48 alcoves; of which each of their benches represent the different provinces of Spain. The alcoves boast relevant tableau and maps, illustriously designed using colorful azulejos.

Over the decades, Plaza de España has been used as a filming location for several movies, including Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia, and more recently, The Dictator with Sasha Baron-Cohen.

As both an emblematic site of Seville, and a significant representative for Spain and Spanish history, Plaza de España is a landmark not to be missed in this city.

Candice Parsons is a writer and avid Spain and Spanish culture lover from Melbourne, Australia. ‘Like’ my Facebook page: www.facebook. com/pandemicrhapsody and follow me on Twitter @MiLlamoCandi

LEGAL CORNER WITH MICHAEL DAVIES, ABOGADO/SOLICITOR

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

Q: I have heard that a new law has been passed that is going to permit the obtention of title deeds for many of the “illegal houses in the Almanzora Valley” What you have heard about is a new law passed in February of last year. This law has indeed established different certifications that town halls can issue depending on the situation of a property with ought a building license, and which under certain circumstances will offer access to a title deed to the house and access to the property register (this will not be the solution to all illegal properties).

These documents are going to have a cost attached to them. (Which could vary between 2 and 5% of the building cost of the property depending on the town hall). Many town halls have not decided yet on the percentage that they will be charging. In addition most town halls will not issue these certificates until they have established the exact situation themselves of all the properties built with ought a license in their territory. Not all illegal houses are the same and not all town halls and registrars will interpret the norm in the same way (specially at this early stage).

We suggest consulting how the law may affect your particular situation as soon as possible

CONSEQUENCES OF THE DEFICIT: TAX AUTHORITIES ARE HOT AT COLLECTING NON- RESIDENT INCOME TAX

(Do not confuse with your rates /IBI which are generally paid by direct debit) Do not forget that if you are a non-resident of Spain (and you are making no income). You must present a non-resident income tax return every year. It is obligatory, and if you are not doing so you must start. If you wish to receive a full explanation about this tax, please email me and I will send you the article...

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

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

property group

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4 bed / 3 bath large Townhouse with garage around 10 min. to coast and Desert Springs Golf. Build 164 m². Ref. 1165

4 bed / 2 bath large Penthouse Apartment with 4 terraces near harbour, beach & promenade.

Ref. 1059

3 bed / 2 bath south Apartment with sea views near beach. Terrace: 19 m². Underground private parking place. Ref. 1291

2 bed / 2 bath Bungalow. Private plot of 135 m² just a few minutes walk to beach, promenade & amenities. Communal pool. Ref. 1006

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2 bed / 1 bath Penthouse sea facing Apartment on first line community with pool. Large terrace with views. Ref. 1083

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arboleas

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3 bed / 2 bath detached Villa with private heated pool. Plot 612 m². Terraces, solarium & gardens. Central heating.. Ref 1420

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4 bed / 2 bath Villa with independent garage, solarium and pool a few minutes to town. Plot 5,000 m². Build 202 m². Ref 1017

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2 bed / 1 bath semi-detached Villa on plot of 246 m². Living dining room with fireplace.

Roof solarium with sea views. Ref. 1052

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3 bed / 3 bath nice Villa with garage in La Parata close to the club. Plot 400 m². Terrace, solarium & utility area. Ref 1010

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Please visit our office or refer to our website for more “bargains”. Vendors: If you are seriously considering selling your property please visit our office to discuss effective ways of achieving your goal.

As per decree 218/2005 the “Documento de Información Abreviada” (D.I.A) for any property sold

by Veritas Homes is available at our office.

23

24

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Spring Spring Clean Clean Your Your Pots!

Pots!

Available in a huge range of various sizes and designs, are visually interesting and provide an excellent home for many plants.

Made of baked earth (in Italian=terra cotta), clay has been in use for containers, bricks, pipes, roof tile, and sculpture for thousands of years in both Eastern and Western cultures. One of the most astonishing uses of terra cotta is the collection of 8099 funerary statues of warriors discovered in China in 1974.

There are a number of advantages to using terra cotta. Clay is completely natural. It’s porous so it’s nearly impossible to overwater plants - something many gardeners learn to be wary of when using plastic or resin containers.

Clay tends to protect aboveground root systems from extremes in temperature too, which is especially important during the warmer summer months. Its porosity contributes to

fed up with spending a fortune every year on electricity, gas or diesel?

breathability of the container, so roots (which need air) can breath and remain healthy.

Of course clay pots are heavy and subject to cracking and breaking. This sad situation means that it makes sense to invest in good quality pots, then take care of them so you can enjoy them for many years. One downside is that their porosity can make them difficult to clean from season to season, so pathogens can affect your plants if you don’t sterilize them.

Cleaning pots Remove all loose debris and dirt from your pots first. You can use a dish scrubber, fine steel wool, or a stiff brush. Cleaning pots from year to year prevents passing fungi, bacteria, or viruses. One method, albeit stinky, is to bake your flower pots in the oven at 220°F for an hour or so. That will kill anything still residing on your pots. This method works well with small and medium sized pots. Let them cool slowly; don’t attempt to move them until they are at room temperature. This can put your oven out of commission for quite a while though if you have a

lot of pots to do....and it doesn’t work for really large pots.

Method Two is to use 1:10 ratio of bleach to water, then soak your pots for about 30 minutes. Rinse well. If you let the pot sit for a couple days and dry out before planting, the remaining bleach residue largely dissipates. Bleach does weaken materials over time, so make sure you work with a very dilute solution - more is not better! Some gardeners clean their pots as well as they can, then run them through the dishwasher with white vinegar.

Because clay is porous, the salts in fertilisers pass through the pot’s walls and accummulate on the outside creating a hard white crust.

To clean the crust off and restore your pot to its original pristine exterior, make a paste of baking soda and scrub with a soft brush.

Fine steel wool also works.

If you notice a damp, green film on pots left in the shade, you have a fine crop of algae. It doesn’t hurt the plant so leave it alone. You can clean it at the end of the growing season.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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416,304 €

Very large villa front line golf just down from the club house on El Valle Golf resort.

Features 3 large bedrooms, large walk in dressing room, separate kitchen new with all white goods included. Plot size of 800 sq meters. Large 8 x 4 pool with off road parking for 3-4 cars.

The property id available with up 110% mortgage with 2 years interest only (subject to status) Original price 880,000 euro’s now less than half price call no for more details.

Lovely 3 bedroom villa on the popular resort of Aqua Y Sol. Very large plot of over 650 sq meters.

3 Large double bedrooms all with built in wardrobes. Large lounge with wood burning stove and dining area just off the separate well quipped kitchen. Storage building are included and the large satellite dish. Double glazed throughout with modern alarm system and security grills on all windows. Beautiful terrace and landscaped garden surround the 8 x 4 pool. Parking for 3 cars.

Up to 110% mortgages available on many properties 2 years Interest only No deposit.

Assistance with your NIE, bank account, re location, schooling and medical assistance available Mortgages are offered subject to status and are not guaranteed.

285,000 euro’s Ref EV 021

Luxury 3 bedroom villa with marble floors villa on El Valle Golf resort. Two bathrooms one is en-suite. Lovely corner plot South West facing next to a children’s play area. Private pool. Separate kitchen and utility room. Gas central heating and full air conditioning. Gated development. With fantastic 18 hole golf course, 2 minutes walk from club house , restaurant and super market, paddle and tennis courts.

Viewing Highly recommended!!!

All prices are plus taxes at the current rate, an Agency fee may be payable with certain properties For further details and arrange a viewing pleas email andy@spanishhome4u.com or tel +34 654431052 many more properties available.

Paramountholidayrentalsspain.com Holiday and long term rentals available, furnished and un-furnished

Holiday rentals from 260 euro’s per week Long let from 450 a month plus bills Lovely very well-equipped 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment on the 1st floor at El Valle Golf resort.

San Javier to Murcia road C3319.

2 bathrooms one with Jacuzzi bath and over head shower, 2nd bathroom with walk inshower both with luxury marble floors .

Large lunge with dining table and very large outside L shaped terrace great views onto the pool, large hot tub/Jacuzzi on this terrace to spoil yourselves.

Un– furnished large 3 bed villa on a corner plot, From 790 euro’s a month plus bills Villa Alcor on El Valle Golf resort. The resort features supermarket open 7 days a week, large clubhouse with bars and restaurant, gymnasium, tennis and paddle courts. Gated and secure community, just 20 minutes from Murcia city, 10 minutes from the new airport at Corvera, 25 minutes from the beaches of the Mar Menor. 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, separate kitchen very large garden BBQ covered are and ample parking, The garden and pool are South west facing

Long let available from 450 a month plus bills Part Furnished duplex on the 1st and second floor Mosa Trajectum: Huge lounge and American style open plan kitchen. Two large bedroom and 2 bathrooms. Large patio doors from the lounge and the up stairs bedroom lead out to South facing terraces with stunning views. Viewing is a must. Mosa Trajectum has its own golf course, restaurants and bars and in only 20 minutes from Murcia city.

For further details and to arrange a viewing please email info@paramountholidayrentalsspain.com or Tel +34 654431052 Andy

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for the latest property news go to www.kyero.com

Home Sales Fell in November 107% Mortgage Deal For After Three Months of Increases Apartments Near Murcia Theme Park

The sale of homes fell 6.1% in November compared to the same month of 2011, to a total of 25,655 transactions, 50.8% of which related to previously owned homes, and 49.2% to new builds, the National Statistics Institute said in their latest report released last Monday.

According to a report by Kyero.com, the decline in housing sales recorded in November 2012 ended three consecutive months of year-on-year increases (August, September and October).

This positive trend, which came after 17 months of declines, was attributed to the end of the tax benefits for new house purchases which came into force from 1st January this year.

However, that does not seem to have influenced the sales in November as the figures fell once again. The November result was due to a decline both in previously owned as well as new homes, although transactions for the latter fell somewhat less.

Specifically, El Economista reported that sales of previously owned homes fell by 5.9% in November year-on-year, to 13,044 transactions, while sales of new homes fell

by 6.3%, to 12,611 transactions.

The majority of the property transactions carried out during the penultimate month of last year, namely 89.5%, were for private housing. In total, the sale of such homes fell by 3.5% to 22,972 transactions, while the number of public housing transactions came to 2,683, representing a decrease of 24% compared to November 2011.

Month-on-month (November over October), housing sales rose 1.6%. The monthly figure for November of last year is the least registered in this month since 2009 and is far from the monthly advances of 22% and 17.4% experienced in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

In the first eleven months of last year, house sales accumulated a decline of 12.3%, with a drop of 10.2% in new housing transactions and 14.2% for previously owned homes.

In November 2012, the highest number of house sales per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded in La Rioja (132) and Cantabria (98).

Over 60% of the house sales carried out in November 2012 were recorded in Andalusia (5,115 operations), Valencia (3,912), Catalonia (3,490) and Madrid (3,103).

property guide....

One Spanish agent is offering 107% mortgage deals on property near to the new Paramount theme park in Murcia, a region that is widely tipped as one of the biggest growth areas in Spain.

Paradise Homes Abroad are selling 2 bed, 1 bath apartments in the Mojon Hills area only 500m from the beach and close to the new theme park, which can be purchased for costs of just €4750. The park is looking set to be completed by 2014 and it is believed it will bring an economic boost to the area, as well as increasing tourism and investment into a region which has been relatively overlooked

by British overseas property buyers, making property in the area a positive investment, especially considering improvements that are being made to the region’s transport links.

“Two airports, the new International Airport

LOS GALLARDOS DIRECT FROM OWNER

of the Region of Murcia which is called Corvera (opening estimated for 2013) and San Javier Airport will provide easy access by air and there is also an excellent road network between Madrid and the Mediterranean area. A new High Speed Train line is expected to open in 2014 connecting Murcia with the main Spanish capitals. Locally, Alhama de Murcia is perfectly positioned between the main cities of the Region (Murcia, Cartagena and Lorca)” commented the company’s Corey Grimes “The region is ideal for many reasons, including its 300 sunny days per year, its beaches less than 30 minutes away, its amazing natural and cultural heritage, and its outstanding transportation infrastructure.” he added.

Article courtesy of www.aplaceinthesun.com

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The yucca plant is a popular indoor and outdoor plant. One problem in caring for yucca plants that indoor owners have that outdoor owners generally do not is that indoor plants can grow too tall. They need to be trimmed back. Pruning a yucca may look harsh, but it is an excellent way to not only keep your yucca plant manageable but propagate the plant.

Y is for YUCCA

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

27

Yucca Plants – Care & Pruning

With yucca plants, care and pruning are easy. When your yucca plant becomes too tall for the space it is in, gently remove it from the pot. Determine where the halfway mark is on the trunk or a point where you wish to be pruning a yucca that is above the halfway point. Using a saw or a sharp pair of loppers, cut the trunk in half.

Repot the bottom, rooted end of the trunk. Water well and then you are done with your pruning. While the plants are recovering, continue caring for the yucca plants as you normally would. In a short time, the plant will produce new leaves. It will recover to look as good as it did before, except that it will be much shorter and more appropriately sized.

Propagating A Yucca Plant

If you wish to produce more yucca plants, take the top half from pruning the yucca and use a marker on the trunk to indicate where the leaves are. After you have marked the trunk, cut off the leafy top. Plant the trunk in potting soil, making sure to have the end that previously had the leaves pointing up. Check the mark on the trunk if you have forgotten which end is which.

In a few weeks, the trunk will have rooted itself and a few weeks following this, the trunk will start producing new leaves. Continue caring for the yucca plants as they grow.

Best time For Pruning A Yucca

Like most plants, the best time for pruning a yucca is right before it goes into its growth period. This will be in early spring. While early spring is the ideal time, a yucca can be pruned anytime. Just make sure the yucca plant gets plenty of light while it is recovering.

Pruning Yucca Flower Stalks

Though not exactly pruning, many people wonder about cutting off the yucca’s flower stalk after the blooms have faded. The flower stalk can be pruned off at any time, even before it is done blooming. Simply cut the stalk off with a sharp pair of pruning shears or cutter at about 3″-4″ above where the stalk emerges from the main stem.

Like all things about yucca plants, care and pruning is very easy. It may seem drastic, but I assure you that your yucca plant considers this to be a very normal thing.

28

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

UP THE GARDEN PATH

Get your spirit level, spade, trowel and cement mixer out and start laying some garden paths!

The secret to laying successful gravel, slate, shingle or granite chippings paths is to plan carefully and have all the required materials and tools to hand before you start work. For all loose surfaces, an edging of some description is required, to prevent it escaping to the rest of the garden.

Step 1: Clear the site and markout Using a scaled plan of your garden design, mark out the position of your paths, with pegs and line. Clear any vegetation from the area and dig out soil to a depth of approx. 150mm (6”) with a spade Step 2: Edging in stone or concrete needs mortar For stone or concrete edging mix a mortar at a ratio of 3-4 parts building sand to 1 part cement. Place the mortar at the edges; position the edging material into the mix ensuring the correct height by gently tapping with a rubber mallet. Use a spirit level to ensure they are level Step 3: Edge higher than surface Remember, the edge should be higher than the surface to stop the gravel spilling out. If it is placed next to grass, ensure that the top is at least 10mm below the height of turf to prevent mower damage. Instead of stone edging, you could use planed timber, logs, or wooden sleepers which don’t need concrete - secure with wooden pegs.

Step 4: Layer of hard-core Now place a layer of hard-core over the base, to a depth of approx. 100mm (4”) and firm with a vibrating plate. If you have a small path you could do this with a garden roller Step 5: Layer of sharp sand, hoggin or fine gravel Cover this with a layer of sharp sand, hoggin or fine gravel to a depth of approx. 25mm (1”) and firm again. This will help the hard core from showing through the top layer in the future Step 6: Gravel, slate, shingle, granite chippings Now place a layer of gravel, slate chippings, shingle, granite chippings, or any other loose surface of your choice. Rake to correct level, and gently hose with water to clean the material DIY tips for your gravel path project If you spill mortar on edging, wash with water to prevent stains...

For a curved edge, use a hose or rope as a guide...

Although many people lay a weed proof membrane over the soil and then add gravel to create a path, this does not provide a firm foundation for gravel, but will be fine for bark chippings...

Sol Insure A New Ray Of Light For Insurance

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Sundance Spas

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29

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FOOD & ENTERTAINING...

Celebrity recipe books - too much for us to digest La FREE

VidaBar Cucador

new on tuesdays 6-9pm curry & chips cod & chips

only 5€

new

all Premier league football all welcome live ladies friendly darts wed 8pm

tapas menu

only 1€

take away service

blackthorn cider

ESTRELLA ONLY 2€ PER PINT

Open Every Day 12pm - Late Tel: 950 634 562 • lavidacucador@gmail.com book the Venue: For your Private Parties, Weddings and Birthdays etc.

days a

Super Corner

ENGLISH SUPERMARKET ALL YOUR FAVOURITE BRANDS AND MORE IN ONE SUPERSTORE!!

OPEN MON-SAT 9:30-6PM & SUN 9:30-1:30PM

Monday to Saturday inclusive - Lunch 1pm - 4pm

vegetarian menu available

Khan doner kebab

MENU DEL NOCHE

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

DINNER 7PM-10PM

sunday roast menu del dia 4 courses with bottle of ESTE wine per couple & coffee included: Roast Lamb Shoulder & Pork Knuckle, 12oz Entrecote, 20oz T-Bone, 10oz Pork Tenderloin, Roast Potatoes & Fresh Vegetables Freshly Baked Bread SERVED 1pm - 4pm

Childrens menu available

Booking Recommended

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eat in or takeaway

meal deals incL fries & drink

menu doner kebab chicken, beef or mixed €5 menu pizza turca chicken, beef or mixed €5.50 menu chicken burger €4.80 menu chicken wings (6 pieces) €4.80 Single DONER KEBAB chicken or beef only €3 avenida Puente (just before the bridge across the rambla) Albox

Tel: 950 104 160

K

ash bar

MENU DEL DIA 4 Courses with Wine & Coffee

Every day a different stew!

Lamb, Pork, Fish, Lentils MON: Roast Lamb Shank tues: Roast Pork Loin wed: Roast Pork Knuckle fri: Roast Lamb Shank sat: Roast Lamb Shank & Pork Knuckle SUN: Roast Lamb Shoulder

Chicken Tikka Masala takes three days to cook.

Waitrose has suffered a backlash for sticking with Heston and his chemistry set approach to cooking ahead of Delia, who has spent much of her career taking the mystery out of preparing good food.

The research found that many have given up on cookbooks completely, with more than half - 53 per cent - now searching for recipes online based on what they have got in the fridge and cupboard.

The Sacla managing director, Clare Blampied, said: ‘The Italians have taught us that simple recipes featuring four or five key ingredients are the key to successful every day cooking.

‘Perhaps it’s time to learn from them and de-clutter our kitchens of complicated books we don’t use and embrace the Italian way of cooking fresh, seasonal recipes using simple methods and relatively cheap ingredients.’

open Every Day 12noon -midnight

TURRE, NEXT TO MESON DEL POBRE

week

LOCAL STEW & ROAST

recipes were too complicated. More than a quarter - 27% - said hard-to-find ingredients stopped them using the books.

The cooking terms that largely sent home chefs into a spin were ballotine, where 45% had no idea what it was, umami, cartouche, concasse and chiffonade.

The research found the typical British home has 10 cookbooks, however the owners have only tried an average of four recipes from each.

People admitted that 40% of recipe books have never been used at all.

Waitrose has suffered a backlash for sticking with Heston and his chemistry set approach to cooking ahead of Delia Smith Heston Blumenthal’s ‘In Search of Perfection’ and Gordon Ramsay’s ‘3 Star Chef’ were cited as the books most likely to gather dust.

This is not surprising when creating Heston’s Black Forest Gateau recipe involves the need to knock-up a makeshift vacuum chamber, while his Perfection

STOP ‘N’ SHOP IN YOUR...

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SAXON REAL ALE ON TAP - ONLY 2.40€ PER PINT

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40% of the celebrity recipe books are never used by home cooks! They may look magnificent when propped up against the latest hi-tech kitchen gadget, suggesting this is someone who could take on any TV chef in a battle of knife skills. But many are intimidated by the unfamiliar ingredients, recipes and language used by the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay.

By contrast, mums and dads creating a family meal, or even a dinner party, are much happier with the style, ease and simplicity offered by the likes of Delia Smith and, particularly, Jamie Oliver.

The findings may well send a message to the bosses at Waitrose who have, controversially, dropped Delia from their advertising while keeping the more adventurous Heston.

Two in three - 67% - said they find the recipes in many glossy cookbooks intimidating, according to the survey commissioned by Italian food company Sacla. Some 35% said they were put off by the cost of ingredients, while 29% said

turre

formerly Bar Stop

opening times 9am - late • closed Monday

y Breakfasts Speci a d n al Su s m e enus h c n Lu darts

Large selection of drinks

n ow op en

pool table

tel: 950 479 593 or 634 311 163

www.soltimes.com

email your favourite recipes to editor@soltimes.com

cereal controversy boys.

The OECD estimated that a comprehensive anti-obesity strategy in England would cost less than £12 per person and save 70,000 lives per year.

The Government has responded to the obesity problem by drafting a public health responsibility deal that will require manufacturers

winter warmer menu To include

Homemade Steak Pie, Chips & Gravy Sausage & mash Gammon Steak, Chips, Peas & Pineapple

Changes Daily & from only 4€

Music on Friday 25th January disco & music from all eras

to meet a commitments.

series

of

Nestle has already signed up to all commitments, including reducing calories. However, Kellog’s have only committed to a reduction in salt content.

All manufacturers are expect to report on their progress by next month.

Mesón de

Irene

Unmissable offer!

Free Bottle

of La Mancha Red or white wine per couple to take away with any of our night menus

Valid only with this voucher Mon - Sat: 19.00 - 22.00

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Breakfast cereals sold in Britain contain as much as 30 per cent more sugar than the same products in the United States.

Kellogg’s Special K is sold as a healthy option for women trying to lose weight but contains 17g of sugar per 100g.

That is equivalent to more than four teaspoons of white sugar and is 30 per cent more than the 13g of sugar per 100g in Special K sold in America.

The British version of Cheerios, made by Nestlé, has 21.5g of sugar per 100g, more than five times the amount of sugar as the American version (4g per 100g).

Nestlé said the British version of Cheerios more closely resembled Multi Grain Cheerios, a cereal with a similar amount of sugar which is not sold in the UK. Weetabix flagship health brand Alpen muesli was found to have 15% more sugar than the version sold in the US. The manufacturer claimed that the difference in levels of sugar was not a result of extra additives in the UK product. Weetabix said that the difference was because of ‘locally sourced ingredients’.

Calorie content was also found be divergent between UK and US cereals. Of the 16 brands of Kellog’s cereals sold in both countries, 11 had had a higher number of calories per 100g.

The findings come on the back of Government moves to regulate sugar content in products available to children.

A recent report by the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that English children were the third fattest in Europe, after Italy and Greece – but almost twice as obese as the French.

Almost 27% of girls in England were overweight and 23% of

31

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

d o o G

Grea tF rie nds YELLOW

s e m Ti

STONE BAR

Valentines night Dinner Thursday 14th February from 6pm

Pre Starters Salad – A bowl of fresh Chef’s salad served with bread & Ali Oli & a bottle of house Red or White Wine per couple Starters Not Tonight Josephine – Fresh Mushrooms cooked in a creamy garlic sauce Too Hot To Handle – Home made Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper soup with a hint of Chilli Main Courses Under Cover Fun – Chicken stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon with a creamy tarragon sauce served with vegetables & new potatoes.

From Russia With Love – Beef Stroganoff cooked to your liking with wild rice Let’s Just Do It! – Pan fried fillet of Salmon, cooked in parsley & butter served with vegetables & new potatoes Thai Delight – Fresh Vegetables cooked in a Thai and coconut sauce, served with fragrant rice (V) Desserts Let’s Get Hot and Sticky – Home made Sticky Toffee pudding with Toffee Sauce Too Drunk to Keep It Up – Home made creamy “Baileys” Cheesecake Adam and Eve – Fresh fruit salad Beverages Tea or Coffee with Mints

€12,95

per pers

on

Booking essential, call paul on 634 332 178 (€5 reservation deposit per person) Find us in Piedra Amarilla (Formerly The Grapevine) For more information and phone orders call Paul: 634

ITV CENTRE

← Albox

332 178

Fines →

Yellow Stone 1km Piedra Amarilla →

Traditional Takeaway Fish & Chips Opening Hours Mon 12:30-3pm Tues-Sat 12:30-3:30pm & 5-9pm Opposite Iceland Car Park,Vera

Tel: 667 333 361 www.thechippyvera.com

Eat in or Take-Away No more sitting in your cars to eat...

The Chippy now has tables & Chairs

667 919 025 Café Bar

LA ALFOQUIA, ZURGENA

new Sunday lunch menu only

5€

WEDNESDAY NIGHT CURRY 2 Courses €6 NEW WINTER WARMER MENU from €4 FISH, CHIPS & PEAS for €5

Available every day

Open Monday - Friday 8am til late Saturday & Sunday 9am til late

New to The Chippy Tuesday is Curry Day Lunchtime & Evening

Homemade authentic curries cooked from scratch & cheap as chips.

Choose from starters, mains & rices. For thos e who want the Including vegetarian options usua

l, full menu available

Saturday Night Meal Deals (can be mixed & matched) 2 x Cod or Haddock & Chips

Only 10€

2 x Pie & Chips Only 7€

2 x Sausage or Savaloy or Chicken Nuggets or Fish Cakes & Chips - only 5€

32

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

ALBOX

Cod ‘n’ Chip fridayS

MENU DEL DIA

onl y served 12 - 3 except Fri & Sun €

2 Courses

Beer-battered Atlantic Cod, Homemade Chips, Mushy or Garden Peas…

Fridays & Saturdays 12 - 9pm

5

Bar Menu Home-made puds Burgers, Lasagne, Omelettes, chilli

from

All Day Breakfast from 9am

5.95€

Includes FREE Tea or Coffee

traditional served 12.30 - 5pm SUNDAY LUNCH

Friday & Saturday Evenings Restaurant Open 6pm-9pm

Topside of beef & Yorkshire pudding roast Pork with crackling and apple sauce tender roast CHICKEN with stuffing local grown potatoes , seasonal vegetables glass of house wine, tubo of beer or a coffee

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Delicious & Home-cooked

starters, puddings 2€

onl y 6.95€

Menu From 5.95€

each

to include a FREE Drink

Friday

15 FEB th

SERVED 10AM-12PM

Activities at

Monday

Rock ‘n’ Roll..........7:30

Traveling Acoustics

Tuesday

Acoustic Musicians & Floor Singers

all levels welcome to come along, bring your instruments and join in

A Night of Music to Enjoy

All Welcome 8pm Start

Quirky Quiz............7:30

Wednesday

Bingo with Ged...2:30 Line Dancing with Carrie..7:30

Thursday

Ceroc Dancing & Fun Social Night..7:30 Plus

Robin & with Friends

ALBOX

Art Classes held most days Pop into the bar for more info Computer Club Keep fit & slimming classes check the board for times •••

← ARBOLEAS BAZA → Av•••AL . L BO ep an X → to jacksalbox@gmail.com

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

@

BP Garage

950 120 718 / 610 641 567

Fast-food ‘linked to childhood asthma and eczema’

Eating fast food three times a week may lead to asthma and eczema in children, say researchers who have looked at global disease and dietary patterns.

Data from more than 500,000 children in more than 50 countries suggests poor diet may be to blame for rising levels of these allergy-related conditions.

Those who ate fast food, such as take-away burgers, risked severe asthma, eczema and itchy, watery eyes.

Eating plenty of fruit appears to be protective, Thorax journal reports.

Fast food often contains high levels of saturated- and trans-fatty acids, which are known to affect immunity, while fruit is rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds, say the researchers.

In the study, children in their early teens who ate three or more weekly servings of fast food had a 39% increased risk of severe asthma.

Six and seven year olds had a 27% increased risk.

Eating three or more portions of fruit a week cut the risk of severe asthma, eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis by between 11% and 14%.

The study authors, Prof Innes Asher, from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, and Prof Hywel Williams, from the University of

Nottingham in the UK, said: “If the associations between fast foods and the symptom prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema is causal, then the findings have major public health significance owing to the rising consumption of fast foods globally.”

Generally, people with asthma do not have to follow a special diet.

In some cases, certain foods, such as cow’s milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, yeast products, nuts, and some food colourings and preservatives, can make symptoms worse.

Malayka Rahman of Asthma UK, said research suggests that a person’s diet may contribute to their risk of developing asthma and that eating healthily may have a beneficial effect.

“Evidence suggests that the vitamins and antioxidants found in fresh fruit and vegetables have a beneficial effect on asthma therefore Asthma UK advises people with asthma to eat a healthy, balanced diet including five portions of fruit or vegetables every day, fish more than twice a week, and pulses more than once a week.”

Cheap and nasty food from around the world is being dressed up as high quality and pushed out through high street stores and restaurants. Honey, cheese, eggs, organic meat and produce, Basmati rice, even fish and chips are not necessarily what they seem, according to a report by the DailyMail.co.uk Just before Christmas one British firm was fined more than £20,000 for passing off a cheap pesto sauce as something far more gourmet.

Stark Naked Foods claimed its pesto was made with extra virgin olive oil and Grana Padano cheese, when in fact it was sunflower oil and a cheaper Latvian cheese.

At the same time, pubs and restaurants are not immune to boasting of offering local quality food, when this actually means the nearest supermarket or wholesaler.

One estimate suggests British families are wasting as much as £7billion a year paying over the odds for food that has been faked in some way.

There are cases of imported beef from Zebu cattle, which have a distinctive hump on their neck, being imported from south America and sold in pubs as ‘British’.

Meat from cross-breed cattle containing Zebu genes from Brazil is cheaper than British beef, however critics point out that it can also be much tougher.

Vast quantities of cheap honey is being imported into Europe from China and used to bulk up other types in a scam that has become known as ‘honey-laundering’. In some cases honey is not honey at all, but rather corn syrup or just sugar.

Butcher shops and leading restaurants have been found selling conventional meat and produce as organic, along with a premium price. In the past, even Harrods has been

found selling farmed salmon as wild. But the fakery does not stop at salmon, for some fish and chip shops have been prosecuted for passing off Shark Catfish, which is farmed in the rivers of Vietnam’s Mekong delta, as battered cod. The fish sells for less than half the price of real cod in wholesale markets, however chip shop customers are being charged as if it is the real thing.

Director of policy at the Trading Standards Institute, Andy Foster, warned that a squeeze on spending means his members find it increasingly difficult to stem the problem. He said: ‘Food fraud has been an issue that dates back more than 100 years. There are numerous examples.

‘Things like extending – bulking up – meat products with other species is common in catering. We have known this with certain types of take-away food and fish, for example.

‘Where there is a price differential there is always a temptation for a more unscrupulous manufacturer to make a switch and try and get away with it.’

Mr Foster said: ‘Wherever there is a few pounds to be made someone will try to exploit it.

‘In times of recession, when people are looking for a bargain and going to different places, that is where you start to find more fraud introduced to food.’

Policing of food companies and restaurants is the job of trading standards officers, however spending on these services and number of people on the ground has been cut sharply in the last two years.

Mr Foster said: ‘With the limited resources that trading standards have, which is diminishing year on year, they are less able to carry out the more routine sampling we would normally do.’

cheap food dressed up as high quality and sold on the high street

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

email your favourite recipes to editor@soltimes.com INGREDIENTS 2 tsp cumin seeds large pinch chilli flakes 1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion , chopped 140g red split lentils 850ml vegetable stock or water 400g can tomatoes, whole or chopped 200g carton chickpeas or ½ a can, rinsed and drained (freeze leftovers) small bunch coriander roughly chopped (save a few leaves, to serve) 4 tbsp 0% Greek yogurt, to serve

INGREDIENTS

METHOD Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Add the oil and onion, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.

Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until it is a rough purĂŠe, pour back into the pan and add the chickpeas. Heat gently, season well and stir in the coriander. Finish with a dollop of yogurt and coriander leaves

Spaghetti with Walnuts,Raisins & Parsley

300g/11oz spaghetti 2 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, sliced 5 tbsp raisins or sultanas 250ml/9fl oz chicken or vegetable stock 50g/2oz Parmesan, grated 5 tbsp chopped walnuts Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped METHOD: Cook the pasta in boiling water, following pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions until soft and golden brown about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the raisins and stock and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until hot through. Toss with the pasta, Parmesan, walnuts and parsley.

33

...FOOD & ENTERTAINING Starter

Red Lentil, Chickpea & Chilli Soup

dessert

Baked Raspberry Cheesecake

main

INGREDIENTS

8 digestive biscuits 50g butter , melted 600g cream cheese 2 tbsp plain flour 175g caster sugar vanilla extract 2 eggs , plus 1 yolk 142ml pot soured cream 300g raspberries icing sugar

METHOD: Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Crush the biscuits in a food processor

(or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool. Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk and soured cream until light and fluffy.

Stir in half the raspberries and pour into the tin. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool.

Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1 tbsp icing sugar.

Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork. Push through a sieve. Serve the cheescake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries.

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

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

STANDARD CROSSWORD

6 Explode, but outside of river banks finally (5) 9 Part of church, or part of chap’s empire? (4) 14 Bird taking cat’s tail is shocking! (9) 16 Hitting the drink in middle-age (8) 18 Bet on coming back OK, having taken nothing for writing in (8) 19 Funny dive into new net is obvious (7) 21 Persuades company with weapons (6) 23 Dynasty’s first storyline’s almost gone awry! (4) 24 Endured first parts of Shanghai’s trade orders on demand (5)

Down

26 A long-handled curved blade (6) 27 Relieves constipation (8) 28 Fool or trick (6) 29 Makes bigger (8) Down 1 Imbedded (6) 2 Dare (9) 3 The smallest amount (5) 4 List of names at the end of a movie (7) 6 Australian marsupials (9)

7 Entice (5) 8 Marked by excessive selfindulgence (8) 11 Chooses (4) 15 Not having come in contact (9) 17 Etching (9) 18 Hated (8) 20 Perishes (4) 21 Choose to refrain (7) 22 Evaluate (6) 24 Faithful (5) 25 Type of vine (5)

1 Funny looking oily ‘Quo’ lads lacking commercial speech (to oneself) (9) 2 Particle as America decided to do in 1980 and 1984? (8) 3 Living outside Japan’s first island city (7) 4 Awful East takes up gas to be different (8) 5 Flies with small (but important) number before large number? (6)

HARD SUDOKU

Very Hard!

SUDOKU PUZZLE CRYPTIC crossword

CROSSWORD

SOLUTIONS SUDOKU PUZZLE

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

Across 1 Pearls or a pendant (8) 5 Glided on ice (6) 9 Mariner (8) 10 Lacking vigor (6) 12 Acclaim (5) 13 Imbedded (9) 14 Results (6) 16 Snob (archaic) (7) 19 Thrown out (7) 21 Delegate (6) 23 Ones who contaminate the air or water (9) 25 Jumps (5)

CRYPTIC

7 Aims to leave Al second (5) 8 Tasty slice I demolished with duo (9) 10 Temporary setback in greeting China’s leader with trophy? (6) 11 I, in Paris, with a very bad, mistrustul vigilance (8) 12 Number reportedly in favour of new leader embracing support (8) 13 Go up to rebel leader that is without final profits (4) 15 Hung up, returning without a river in China (7) 17 Not much to eat as a snack? (7) 20 Examine Shanghai’s first prison (4) 22 6 sit, or initially stand, for guests (8) 25 Fastened together cadet with hat perhaps (8) 26 Bite gently for two business leaders in long river (6) 27 Having control over poor inn taken in by heartless gang (9) 28 Find some of ammo under a pile (5)

CROSSWORD

coffee break

Across

STANDARD SUDOKU

34

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

THANKS FOR THE MEMORY! Getting the New Year off to a good start, Jakki Higginbottom is under way with rehearsals for The Independent Theatre Group’s production of “Thanks for the Memory – A Taste of Music Hall. It looks as if it is going to be quite an extravaganza.

Well known for her acting in productions such as “The Exorcism”, and “Noises Off”, Jakki, with ITG, has taken on the demanding role of Director in the forthcoming show, which will be performed at the Teatro Saavedra in Cantoria on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24 February.

Music Hall has always been one of Jakki’s passions, having performed in and directed successful shows in England, for many years. The name “Thanks for the Memory – A Taste of Music Hall”, when first announced, created a lot of excitement, with many interested performers, eager to dress up and take part. The Audience are invited to wear Edwardian Style clothes (so raid your “dressing up boxes” ) with hopefully some very creative hats, and to sing along with the cast for a wonderful “vespertine of verbose vamping, vertiginous vaudeville’!

PAWS seeks commercial sponsorship

La

Cucador

VidaRestaurant&Venue

Friday Burns Friday 25th Party January January Party Night

+J with J+

our main menu includes 16oz steaks mixed grill fresh fish

WED-SAT 6:30-9:30pm

Our Homecooked

7.45€ Menu at Starters & Puds 2.50€

from

Music Music

GREAT value MENU CHANGES WEEKLY

sold out

Wonderful N Night Wonderful ight for all all for Address Address a Toast d to the the a n to to the Haggis Haggis Lassies

Kilts Optional 6.00pm - 9.30pm 3 Course € 5€ 95 4..9 14 Themed 1

booking advisable

fridays

Beer-battered cod, homemade chips & peas

Menu + 1/2 Bottle of wine

7 -- 7:30 7:30 pm pm 7 Bookings Advisable Advisable Bookings

New PAWS, the Mojácar-based animal charity, has launched a scheme to attract commercial sponsorship. They are offering advertising space on the side of their new van which transports animals every month to Holland, Germany and UK. NRG Insurance in Mojácar’s Parque Comercial became the first company to sign up, when Nancy Roberts Gordon and Carmen Guerra presented a cheque for 500 Euros to PAWS treasurer Gerard Donck.

Bar

booking advisable

Janet Franklin, PAWS Head of Special Projects who is administering the scheme, explained that there is a scale for donations, with larger amounts being rewarded by more space on the panels. “We are talking to several businesses looking to attract clients from elsewhere in Europe” she said. “We travel through Spain, France, Belgium, Luxemburg Holland and Germany, and across the UK, so it is a widespread exposure. We’ve even had companies suggesting redesigning their logos to incorporate other languages!”

Specials

Photo: (l to r) Carmen Guerra, Nancy Roberts Gordon, Gerard Donck

your news! your views!

your events! your recipes!

we want to hear from you! email: editor@soltimes.com

in the Bar

Tapas Menu

All Selections 1€ Each

pawsenquiries@gmail.com

5.95€

New

“We are delighted to hep PAWS by sponsoring them in this way,” said Nancy, “because they have made a real contribution to the community in this area for more than 20 years. It chimes in with our own efforts to help animal lovers by offering a new service, Liberty Pet Insurance (for dogs and cats) which is a new product that we have just rolled out. There’s no set premium, clients can pick and choose their cover.”

www.paws-patas.org

from

traditional

sunday lunch

Tuesday Bar only

5€

12.30PM - 5PM

6pm - 9pm

Chicken Curry

fISH OF THE DAY OPTION ALSO AVAILABLE

& Long Grain Rice or

Cod, Chips ‘n’ Peas Open Every Day 12pm - Late

Tel: 950 634 562 lavidacucador@gmail.com

We are here

Albox Arboleas Zurgena La Alfoquia

Mojacar

E15

booking advisable

1km

La Vida

Cucador Junc 547 Huercal Overa

book the Venue

For your Private Parties, Weddings and Birthdays etc.

35

36

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

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Financial Services For Expats

“

We want a good income from savings to maintain our lifestyle in Spain

” RELAX We can help you

Do you need more income?

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2 Year Income Bond

7% per annum in GBP 7% per annum in Euro Income paid monthly OR invest for growth Minimum investment 20,000 GBP or Euro

QROPS Speacialists Confused about QROPS? Need to release a cash lump sum?

Call us for a plain speaking, no jargon chat about how we can help you.

AES INTERNATIONAL

Main Office – Torrevieja C/Bautista Bertomeu Sober (Near Aquapolis Water Park) 03183 Torrevieja, Spain Open: Mon – Fri (10am to 2pm) Tel: 965 704 338

Murcia Region Orihuela/Mar Menor/Murcia Mazarron Steve Higgins Tel: 968 978 188 Mob: 634 017 511

HERE FOR THE FUTURE

www.AESinternational.es AES International is a trading style of AES Financial Services Ltd which is registered with the Comissión.

Nacional del Mercado del Valores (CNMV) and Dirección General de Seguros y Fondos de Pensiones (DGS) and is authorised to give investment advice under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID).

Some of the investment examples advertised may be unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS) and may not be suitable for all investors. Investors should always speak with their advisor as to the suitability of these investments within their portfolio. It does not constitute an offer to enter into any contract or agreement, nor is it a solicitation to buy or sell any investment.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

37

community news dium An Evening With International Me

NOAHS ARC PARTY NIGHT Garcia Mercedes

Spanish and English Speaking Tuesday 29th January 8pm Doors close 7.45 pm Condado de Alhama For more information please call 620 877 326 Tickets 5 euros http:// beaconoflightmurcia.webs.com/ beacon.of.light.murcia@gmail.com

It was the day members of my family questioned who I used to speak with, that i learnt what was happening to me in the eyes of our religion and culture, was not normal.

Remembering back as far as 8 years and younger, I was seeing and speaking to people that no one else saw or heard or felt. My nick name ‘La Bruja’ translated ‘The Witch’, separated me from ‘normality ‘ as I knew it and life became a challenge, in as much that I learnt to grow to fear ‘Spirit’.

Having undergone many exorcisms with priests, I started to dislike this and saw it as a curse and never a gift.

It wasn’t until we moved back to London, from Malaga, Spain and now in my teenage years that I learnt of a place recommended by a person to whom I entrusted and spoke of my truths. This place was the SAGB (Spiritualist Association of Great Britain ) in London.

To sit and develop in a circle, still unclear if this would be a place where my questions would be answered, you were interviewed by a so called ‘Medium’ and it was then that I realised, that my curse was a gift that I could put to very good use and help others.

Over the years of development that followed, I started to demonstrate in Spiritual Churches. Travelling all over the UK, becoming more and more experienced in the public speaking within such a sensitive environment.

Many tests and exams later, I too taught others, the skills necessary to bring out the best in one’s mediumship and have never stopped since.

Still very active as a teacher, a Spiritual Counselor and a Minister to all, demonstrating publicly and privately, that Life is really eternal through proof of evidence. As a Spiritualist Medium, I have traveled across the globe to prove my faith, which has always been as natural for me as breathing.

It was the day members of my family questioned who I used to speak with, that i learnt what was happening to me in the eyes of our religion and culture, was not normal.

Remembering back as far as 8 years and younger, I was seeing and speaking to people that no one else saw or heard or felt. My nick name ‘La Bruja’ translated ‘The Witch’, separated me from ‘normality ‘ as I knew it and life became a challenge, in as much that I learnt to grow to fear ‘Spirit’.

Having undergone many exorcisms with priests, I started to dislike this and saw it as a curse and never a gift.

It wasn’t until we moved back to London, from Malaga, Spain and now in my teenage years that I learnt of a place recommended by a person to whom I entrusted and spoke of my truths. This place was the SAGB (Spiritualist Association of Great Britain ) in London.

To sit and develop in a circle, still unclear if this would be a place where my questions would be answered, you were interviewed by a so called ‘Medium’ and it was then that I realised, that my curse was a gift that I could put to very good use and help others.

Over the years of development that followed, I started to demonstrate in Spiritual Churches. Travelling all over the UK, becoming more and more experienced in the public speaking within such a sensitive environment.

Many tests and exams later, I too taught others, the skills necessary to bring out the best in one’s mediumship and have never stopped since.

Still very active as a teacher, a Spiritual Counselor and a Minister to all, demonstrating publicly and privately, that Life is really eternal through proof of evidence. As a Spiritualist Medium, I have traveled across the globe to prove my faith, which has always been as natural for me as breathing.

don’t forget we print your announcements free of charge! so EMAIL YOUR events and BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO: EDITOR@SOLTIMES.COM

Camposol Golf club Friday 8th February 8pm til late Dance to the fabulous Beagles Tickets 5 euros from the stall on Fridays, sector B or call Sue on 649 302 281

WELCOME GROUP UPDATE

January 23rd dance with tributes to Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Barry Manilow and the Everly’s. Just €8.

February 14th Valentine’s Day dance with The Jazz Singer, Gene Pitney and Matt Christian. €10.

Just a few places left for the Norwegian fjords cruise, leaving our area on 11th May, overnight in Madrid, flight to Copenhagen, then 7 nights aboard MSC Poesia, fully inclusive of all meals and local drinks. Special discounted prices - call for details.

HOT NEWS. Trip to Sevilla from 16th September. All coach travel, 4 nights B & B in Hotel Becquer, close to bars and restaurants, and just a short walk to all the attractions. Take a stroll down to the river, visit the Plaza de Espana, or go down past the university to the cathedral, where you can take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Trip includes a stop in Granada on the outward journey, a day trip to Huelva, a visit to a jamon factory, and time in Cordoba on the return journey. All for just €350. Book now to avoid disappointment.

market tavern & cm construction (puerto de mazarron)

(Camposol A)

are drop off points for soltimes

Private or trade letters to editor for birthdays or announcements Drop your details into them and we will print them in the next edition of the paper

PALS EVENTS

BURNS NIGHT. 25th January, piper, haggis tatties and neaps. A traditional evening at the Playa Grande Hotel for a 5 course meal with wine and a tot for 25 Euros. Special room rate.

24th / 27th June Coach and hotel trip to AVILA, SALAMANCA, SEGOVIA, and Toledo 210 Euros staying in 3 and 4 star hotels.

Tickets at Saralaras in Puerto de Mazarron each Wednesday afternoon 1 till 3 or Saturdays at the Trevi from 11 till 1.30 or call 626 460 465.

In 2013 PALS are allocating all monies raised to be put to the CAFÉ account in order to get the additional ambulance as quickly as possible .

MABS CANCER SUPPORT GROUP – MURCIA JANUARY 2013

Every Wednesday - ART WORKSHOP - Café Golf, San Javier 10am-12pm - Bring out the art in you! Informal workshop to get you started on water colours. Donation of 2 € per head for MABS. For further information call Geoff on 968 192 768.

EVERY SATURDAY – BOOK SALE - The Arches Restaurant, Los Alcázares 10am-1pm (weather permitting): The MABS Book Stall is a regular feature at The Arches Restaurant on a Saturday and is popular with book-lovers from Los Alcázares and the surrounding areas. Browse the stall and enjoy a coffee or bargain breakfast while you choose your books.

Keep watching the press or visit our website www. mabsmurcia.com for more events. For further details, please call 634 362 826

the New Royal Bar & Restaurant

Tel 968 595 864

Our food is full of flavour & freshly prepared Breakfast ~ Menu Del Dia ~ A la Carte Friday Fish and Chips from €6.00

ENTERTAINMENT IS

e

FREE

AT THE NEW ROYAL Saturday 26th January

elvis

e

Menu del Dia

An Amazing For ONLY

58.50€ Courses

sings songs from the

50’s &60’s

Sunday’s at The New Royal Sunday Lunches from € 8.50

Menu de la Noche Mon - Thurs 7 - 9pm 10€ per person 3 Courses plus 1 bottle of Wine per couple

All Live Sporting Events Shown On 3 BIG Screens

We Are Open Every Day Mon - Thurs 10am - 11pm, Fri - Sun 10am - late

(El Alamillo Plaza, 200mts from the Beach – Pto De Mazarron)

38

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

SOLTIMES www.soltimes.com see us online everyday

BY TELEPHONE Between 10am & 5pm

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

SOL CLASSIFIEDS beds

Sweet Dreams sale now on See our Advertisement on page 13 for more information

Centro Commercial, Flamenca Beach, La Planta, Playa Flamenca

Monday to Friday

Tel: 965 321 701

902 750 190 ext 330

boats

966 719 647

BOATING LICENSES ARE NOW A LEGAL REQUIREMENT IN SPAIN Serenity Sailing RYA Training Centre, Competent Crew to Yachtmaster, VHF & ICC. Own-boat tuition on sail and power. If you have a yacht or powerboat get qualified and certified.

Contact Richard +34 638 056 224 Email: enquiries@serenitysailing.com or visit: www.serenitysailing.com

BY E-MAIL

Send your advert or Classified lineage to

blancasales@soltimes.com

IN PERSON

Quesada Business Centre, calle Los Arcos No 7, ciudad Quesada Mon to Fri 10am - 5pm

PAYMENT

VISA ,Paypal, bank transfer & Cheques made payable to MATHEWS mEDIA s.l

businesses for sale/rent

All adverts Friday at 5pm prior to publication

Furniture first

est 2006

Pool tables, sl snooker tables, ROJALES SPECIALIST OF PRE - OWNED FURNITURE table tennis tables, darts.

Tel:666 & AccESSORIES AT SENSIBLE PRICES 933 726 www. house clearance specialist spainpool.com FREE LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE WE BUY, SELL & PART EXCHANGE 100’s Garden QUALITY FURNITURE plastic pots, all Open Mon - Fri 10 - 18.00, Sat 10 - 14.00 sizes €10 the lot C/Pablo Neruda 2, Local 5, Rojales Quesada Tel: 654 PLEASE CALL JAMIE ON: 666 686 evenings

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

garden services

A1 Group

Complete Garden Maintenance & Property Services We cover Mazarron & surrounding areas

Telephone 628 505 733

Mañanas

hearing aids

S h o p / O f f ice Counter Less than 6 Months Old, Light Pine, As New, Paid 295€ will accept 185€ contact 693 980 397

TV decoder with optional languages, complete with remote control, still under guarentee. as new and boxed 18 euro Dainese Full Tel 635885062 face motorcycle Camposol helmet Size XL Only 25€ ono, Location 13 boxes of new Cuidad Quesada, golf balls, 3 balls Tel 965725573 / in a box, Topflight, Wilson Pro, 659013882.

Spalding 1.50 a One pair of Frank box Tel 635885062 Thomas Motorcycle boots White red and Camposol Large amount of VHS videos and DVD,s, CD’s and Games, Low prices, negotiable.

Quesada Tel: 654 666 686 evenings

heating

horse riding

NEATER

Horse back riding

See our main advert on the news pages

Murcia, cartagena Telephone 679 572 690

house clearance

steakhouse

quick cash

restaurant for rent

contact mark 966 714 318

blue size 11, only 15€ ono. Location Cuidad Quesada, Tel 965725573 / 659013882.

Office Desk Less than 6 Months Old, Light Pine, As New, Paid 149€ will 1 folding single accept 80€ contact bed €15 Quesada 693 980 397 Tel: 654 666 686 Nilox anolog evenings to digital Spanish

HEATER

Please contact Tel: 966 781 307

fully equipped low rent great opportunity for the right people

for sale

Electrician , available for all VGA cable and works. Small or large. Call Dave 693 251 audio cable only 562. davendonc@aol.com 25€.

Location Cuidad Quesada, Tel 965725573 / Furniture 659013882.

Popular Cafe Bar in Algorfa Traspaso/Lease for sale full legal license 40 covers inside 20 covers outside Fully stocked Existing business ready for immediate takeover

electricians

DEADLINES

electricians

hearing aids

new ex demonstration models b.t.e only 4 channel aids €250 each 1 pair 8 channel aids €600 a pair

digital hearing tel: 698 418 642

ELECTRICS & PLUMBING IN THE COSTA BLANCA

no job too small & free estimates! specialists in all electrical & plumbing works

new icp’s fitted - swimming pool heaters & air-con, electric gates & burglar alarms hot water boilers,gas heaters & solar new bath/shower suites - spanish legal

call clive: 617 268 346 or frank: 639 988 487 www.electriciancostablanca.co.uk

for sale

house, hotel & bar clearance transport in 1 hour tel: 669 723 709 jewellery

GOLD WANTED

A L U M I N I U M English jeweller wishes to buy broken GATES Double & or unwanted Gold jewellery, silver and Electric Sliding. coins Guaranteed no rust. Call Tracy on IMMEDIATE CASH 966 726 891 C om p u ter Monitor 15” flat screen with built in speakers model L5EX-TA complete with power cord,

PAYMENT Call Peter

664 890 990

Member of the National Association of Goldsmiths

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

39

www.soltimes.com limousine hire

CALL

SOLTIMES

RENTAL PROPERTIES URGENTLY REQUIRED

CLASSIFIED

902 750 190 ext 330 insurance

asssa medical i n s u ra n ces Asssa Mazarron, Diane Nolan, Tel: 968 153 396, mazarron@asssa. es

property for sale / rent

Tel: 968 969 648 618 315 933 (eng) 634 321 024 (esp) info@tuxedolimousines.es www. tuxedolimousines.es

locksmith

for rent, 3 bed, 3 bath spacious semi-detatched house with in Cabo Roig/Villamartin, garage situated in the popular Orihuela Costa & Costa Calida area of La Zenia, walking We have clients enquiring in this area distance to shops, beaches and Contact the new La Zenia Boulevard, CASASOL REAL ESTATE Furnished, Long term, tel: 965 325 601 550€ monthly plus electric & Email: water, perfect family home tony@casasolrealestate.com Tel: 966 733 079 or 619 098 543

Reduced

24 HR EMERGENCY LOCKSMITH Window / Shutter / Door locks Opened, Changed & Fitted Telephone: 653 145 300 Email:locksrus@hotmail.co.uk Special Deals for Urbanisations

musician

personals

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

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

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

PETS

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

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

Piano Player

able to play for small functions, cocktail music etc.

Would suit over 50’s ex London Pub Pianist.

Can let you have demonstration if required.

n atas h a , Divorced, diverse super sexy, private apartment, complete massage with massage bed.

Very discreet. Call 677 676 554 San Policarpo No. 87 Apt 1-17 Cerca Calle Orihuela.

Can accommodate one person or accompanied.

plastering E NG L I S H PLASTERER internal finishing, external rendering, 15 years experience, good rates. FULLY LEGAL IN SPAIN. Call Chris 671 444 246 / 965 078 866 email: c_pettit@ hotmail.co.uk

We have a key-ready block of apartments in Los Montesinos with full finance! All you pay is €3,000 to complete.

reduced 0 only 0 2 0 .

9 4 €

to

Apartment For Sale

cortij0 grande golf course 1 bed, 1 bath apartment fully fitted kitchen, white goods, parking, lovely views. Ideal golfing holiday apartment.

Close to Mojacar / Turre.

T: 664 291 793

jescott29@hotmail.co.uk

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

Overlooks a newly reformed Plaza, church & mountains, unusually large terrace. 2 min walk away from the town’s attractive central square, all other amenities are also within easy walking distance,12 mins drive from the resort of Guardamar del Segura. Close to La Finca Golf course Private Sale €79,950

Tel: (0034) 676 534 978 immaculate 2 bed, 1 bath ground apartmant situated in the very nice area of Lomas de Campoamar golf resort. very spacious accomadation of 86m2, furnished, walking distance to La Fuente Commercial centre, 24 hour security, includes use of communal pools, tennis courts etc, 395€ + bills, no offers

ring now on 648 111 779

for immediate viewing for SALE detatched cortijo 20mins from PROPERTY swap mojacar This is Cheaper than renting? a unique spanish For swap All you pay is EUR 3,000 buying costs and the rest is mortgaged cortijo with 4 beds, Modern 2 bed / 2 bath 2nd top floor apartment at around EUR 250 per month. Cheaper than renting an 2 baths, Open plan in Dolores town Alicante. Roof top pool, private apartment in the area. Some of these 2 bedroom apartments have 2 bathrooms and some with only 1. It’s a first come, first living areas, kitchen solarium, secure garage parking, lift and balcony & diningroom as with great mountain views. 15 mins from beach, 25 served basis! Great deal!

The apartments do not come with white goods but do have pre well as a workshop, mins to airport. Friendly international block and pets courtyard front & are allowed. Furnished inc all white goods, so ready installation air conditioning. back & room for Quality and location to move in immediately. Will swap for a country a pool. Mountain The apartments are finished to a property to reform in the Costa Calida region. very high quality with communal views. Build 256 Would also consider land / ruin in the same area. areas decked out with marble m², Terrace 100m², Cash either way floors and spacious corridors Plot 1200m² Tel: 968 157 268 or email which make the building very light. €150,000ono Tel: stevecoen@hotmail.co.uk The location is second to none, on 649 186 107 the entrance to Los Montesinos overlooking the Torrevieja salt lakes and every apartment has its own private roof garden but there is no communal pool.

Prices are 59.900 €, the payment plan is 3.000 € deposit and straight to mortgage. If a client wants a 30 year mortgage it works out at 266 € per month and if it is a 35 year mortgage it works out at 242 € per month.

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40

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

trade Businesses can advertise in the classified section

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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House prices to surpass their pre-financial crisis peak for the first time next year

Property prices will race ahead in the next two years and are set to surpass their pre-financial crisis peak for the first time in 2014, economists predicted today.

Bullishly, the Centre for Economics and Business Research also forecast that in five years’ time a typical home will cost £261,000, representing an increase of 19.1 per cent compared with this year.

Average prices this year are expected to edge up to £219,000, marking a 0.8 per cent increase compared with 2012, the CEBR said.

And by the end of 2014, a typical house in Britain will cost £223,000, 0.7 per cent higher than the 2007 peak.

CEBR says signs of improvements in the mortgage market and fading economic gloom will be key factors in house price acceleration.

The slow recovery will be welcome news to homeowners, especially those who bought around the peak of the market and have found themselves stuck with little or no equity in their home.

Daniel Solomon, economist at CEBR, said: ‘Next year, UK property prices will hit a significant milestone, passing their pre-crisis peak for the first time.

‘This will be driven by fundamentals, such as a return to modest economic growth.’

House prices have remained sluggish in recent years, although experts have been surprised at the resilience of much of the market, given the wider difficulties of the

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economy.

Surveyors and lenders have predicted house sales will pick up this year amid improvements to the mortgage market which have come about as a result of a multi-billion pound Government scheme launched in August to boost lending.

Lenders have been slashing their mortgage rates and the number of deals on the market has also increased since the scheme started.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders recently reported an uplift in loans being advanced to first-time buyers and mortgage approvals to home buyers generally have been increasing in recent months.

According to a study by Halifax released over the weekend, mortgages have dropped to their most affordable level for a decade and are currently almost twice as cheap as the height of the financial crisis.

Typical mortgage payments for both first-time buyers and home movers have plummeted to 28 per cent of average incomes, down from a peak of 48 per cent in 2007.

The average monthly mortgage payment for someone with a 30 per cent deposit is £580, while the typical take-home wage is £2,062.

Lloyds to help 60,000 first-time buyers onto the ladder in 2013: Lloyds Banking Group has also this morning announced it is committing to lend £6.5billion to help people make their first step on the property ladder in 2013. The banking giant says that this pledge makes it ‘Britain’s largest commitment to support first-time buyers.’ It expects the pledge to help around 60,000 people buy their first home by the end of the year.

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43

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

Sterling weakens against the euro

The UK pound has continued to weaken against the euro, falling below the 1.20 level for the first time since early April 2012.

According to a report by the BBC, currency traders said that concerns over the UK’s AAA credit rating and relationships with the European Union were undermining sterling’s strength.

The pound was worth just over 1.19 euros in trading late on Thursday, making a euro worth about 83.5 pence.

That means UK tourists exchanging money are like to get fewer euros.

The pound has fallen 3% since 3 January, according to Bloomberg data, which Harry Adams, managing

director at Argentex, said suggested that “2013 could be a disappointing year for sterling”.

and that adds up to testing times for sterling,” said Daragh Maher, foreign exchange strategist at HSBC.

He said: “There are two main areas of concern for the pound: firstly, the loss of the UK’s AAA credit rating which is becoming increasingly likely and secondly, Britain’s unclear position in the EU.

He forecast the euro/sterling rate to reach 89 pence by the end of the year. “There’s... going to be an erosion of the view that sterling was the best of a bad bunch,” he said.

“We only have to look back a few months to see that currencies react badly to uncertainty. The longer this debate drags on, the harder sterling will fall.”

The pound was also 0.3% lower against the dollar, hitting $1.5956 on Thursday, its lowest since 23 November.

“The UK economy is still very soft

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However, one impact of a weak pound is that UK exports are likely to be cheaper.

On Tuesday, the Fitch ratings agency warned that the UK’s topnotch sovereign credit rating could be cut if the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s March budget shows debt levels continuing to rise.

Greek ex-minister Papaconstantinou faces tax probe Greek MPS have voted to launch a criminal investigation took no action and later claimed to have lost the list.

into ex-Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou.

He is accused of tampering with a list of suspected tax evaders with Swiss bank accounts.

Three of Mr Papaconstantinou’s relatives were removed from the list. He has denied involvement.

But MPS voted against extending the probe to another ex-finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, and former PMs Lucas Papademos and George Papandreou.

The scandal centres on a list of names, provided in 2010 to the Greek government by then French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who is now head of the IMF. The “Lagarde list”, as it has become known, contained the names of over 2,000 Greeks who held Swiss bank accounts, and who may not have paid tax on all their income.

But the Pasok (Socialist Party) government of the time

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It later re-emerged, after a journalist published it, but the later version did not include Mr Papaconstantinou’s relatives, reports say.

He has said the case against him has been fabricated.

The opposition leftist Syriza party had also wanted Pasok leader Mr Venizelos, who succeeded Mr Papaconstantinou as finance minister, to be investigated for failing to pursue the case.

There had also been calls to investigate M Papademos and Mr Papandreou.

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MOTORING

TEST DRIVE: SEAT mii

Aren’t computer games a great escape from reality?

Up to the age of 16 I used to enjoy playing them but there’s thankfully no time for that anymore with my demanding wife and daughter.

As I sit inside the Seat Mii I find my mind wandering back to that distant past where I was the unbeatable Formula One champion of the world and I don’t mind admitting it, a dab hand at any rally circuit, too.

For the Mii name reminds

me of the Nintendo Wii video game console.

Perhaps the Seat marketing team felt that Wii gamers consist of the cool and hip 18 to 35 category that they want to appeal to. The sort of guys and gals who like to drive a bright red little city car and thereby stand out from the bland and characterless crowd.

The type of people who consider the Mii to be a reflection of their gregarious selves.

Ironically I have just driven the highly

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economical Skoda Citigo, which looks pretty much identical and scores highly with me. Aren’t they the same car? Isn’t history going to repeat itself? Will I not simply find myself rewriting the same article?

The diminutive Seat might share the same wheelbase as the Skoda Citigo and VW up! but there is more to it than just being a rebranded VW. Firstly, it incorporates Spanish flair and styling with German engineering, the press office is keen to point out. But where Skoda and VW target a more middle aged

motorist, the Seat is the young person’s choice.

The five-door model tested has a much smoother and decisive five-speed manual gearbox and there’s a sizeable electric sliding glass sunroof, which was missing in the Skoda.

Its two-tone grey and black interior is far more appealing than the black in the Skoda but it lacks the heated front seats.

The two share the same Navigon touch screen that is not only a sat nav but a useful trip computer that provides an up-todate mpg and distance to refill reading. The Mii also has cruise control

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

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

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as you can see in the video at testdrives.biz.

A criticism though is that when the temperature plummets to 1.5 Celsius during the test the side windows mist up despite the blowers being on full and pumping out warm air.

Parkers, the car experts, say: “Not since the days of the Arosa has Seat been involved in the competitive city car market, but it should be a big name again in the sector with the Mii. It offers good levels of refinement, is perfect for driving in tight town situations and has a high quality interior.”

In the same way that the Skoda Citigo makes a good long distance

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companion, so too does the one-litre Seat Mii. These really are versatile little numbers and excellent small cars. The Seat Mii is the funkier version and should appeal to a younger market. The five-door model is best for practicality.

specification New price range: £7,925 - £10,890 Used price range: £6,393 - £8,232 2012 onwards Economy: upto 80mpg 0-60mph: 13.9secs Top speed: 99mph Power: 59bhp Watch the video at: www.testdrives.biz

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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MAGGOTS END......................................... CLAPTONS GOLF SOCIETY......................

RODS AND REELS This week was the final round of the Presidents Trophy. The venue again was the Embalse de Pedrera ( still in line with Blanca as the place to blank.) Of the 9 anglers who turned up, we had 4 blanks (no change there then!!!). The embalse is still being filled. Deep water is still the order of the day, however this has to be as snag free, as you can find. The last 2 weeks has not only, cost me feeders and hook lengths by the dozen, but fish as well (which are hard enough to catch as it is).

The worst of it is they really know where the snags are!!!!.

Top Rods on the day 1st Bill (The Master) Reade fishing the feeder and using tares with 5.56 kilo´s.

2nd Terry (Swing E´m) Screen fishing the feeder using tares with 4.86 kilo´s 3rd Dave (Yours Truly) Hoare fishing the feeder using maggot with 4.70 kilo´s.

This season´s winner of the trophy is Terry Screen with 11 points.

PLEASE NOTE The club has some vacancies at present, if you are interested in joining please contact Derek Swann on 966729293 or 603535771.

ABBEY ANGLING RESULTS Supplied by Terry Screen The venue for the 2nd round match of the Abbey Angling Cup was fished on the river Segura at Murcia on the 15th January.

The water is still low and coloured and the work has now started on the opposite bank, with large stones being laid up the bank

making a wall.

We arrived at our pegs and began fishing the match, but to the dismay of the anglers on pegs 6 to 13 to find that the work had started on the bank opposite them. There was a large noisy excavator banging the stones into place and so causing the ground to vibrate, which upset the fish and put them off feeding.

Workers should have completed the stretch from the weir to the bridge by the end of the week and we will keep you informed on their progress.

1st Alan (The Chairman) Reid with 23.420kg fishing the feeder using bread (Well Done) 2nd Bill (The Master) Reade with 9.040kg fishing the feeder using maggot 3rd Terry (Swing em) Screen with 6.540kg fishing the pole using paste All details are available on our website www.abbeyangling.com or from the match secretary Terry Screen on 965328368 ANGLERS TOGETHER The objective of Anglers Together was to introduce anglers to each other, who otherwise had no one to fish with or didn’t know where to fish.

It was successful in bringing together many anglers who established friendships and which continue to this day.

No meetings are held now but information is still available through our email address; anglerstogether@hotmail.co.uk.

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Fairwayz Golf Society......................

Another glorious day on the golf course for the Fairwayz golf society. Today, 17th January, although you would have thought it was mid April due to the super weather, we played at Altorreal golf course near Murcia. The course was patchy in places but overall in good condition. No excuses for poor scores, although the scores were pretty average.

The results were as follows:Gold category.

1st Alex Duchart 33pts.

2nd Colin Pepperday 27pts.

Best front 9 Steve Hamilton 17pts.

Best back 9 Roger Inwards 16pts.

Nearest the pin Gerry Williams.

Nearest the pin in 3 Alex Duchart.

Silver category.

1st Graham Butterworth 30pts.

2nd Steven Cleaver 30pts.

Best front 9 Iris Cleaver 16pts.

Best back 9 Stuart Taylor 15pts.

Nearest the pin - nil.

Nearest the pin in 3 - nil.

2 ball prize - Alex Duchart.

Thanks to Tony and Steve for arranging the day, along with Fran Cummins for the food at Fairwayz afterwards.

Our next game is at Vistabella on 24th January at 9:30 1st tee time.

The following game is at Alenda on 31st January at 9:50 1st tee time. Please arrive at the courses 1 hour before 1st tee time.

New members and guests always welcome, for more information telephone Tony on 966785781 or Steve on 966637449. Thank you, Steve Lawrence

LAS COLINAS hosts SMGS The attractive setting in the hidden valley where the Las Colinas course nestles was the midweek venue for San Miguel Golf Society. Forty members and guests had paired off into teams of two to do battle in a better-ball Stableford event.

It was an unusually cold and dull day coupled with an icy breeze and the conditions hardly changed for quite a few hours. When the sunshine did eventually break through we were halfway into the prize-giving.

Tight lies and super slick greens were the order of the day which made high scoring a tricky task, especially for the higher handicappers. Shots never seemed to carry their usual distance through the cold air as the golf balls often felt more like frozen lumps of lead.

One golfing accessory that hardly saw the light of day was the pitch mark repairer which became fairly redundant on the firm, slick greens.

On the other hand, the ball marker was frequently over-worked as two putting became more of a rarity rather than the norm’.

As might have been expected, it

CDMONTESINOS......................................

DEPORTIVO ORIHUELA VS CD MONTESINOS - MATCH POSTPONED Our match against Deportivo Orihuela, corresponding to Match number 18, due to be played on Sunday, 20th January 2013, was cancelled at the last minute as Orihuela Council deemed that the strong winds caused a public safety issue. Both sides and the match official turned up but were not allowed to play the game by the local Council officials present.

The match is being re-arranged for either TUESDAY 22nd or WEDNESDAY 23rd of January 2013. It will be played in the evening. As soon as either date is confirmed we will notify all our members by email. It will also be on the FORUM part of our website (www.cdmontesinos.com), so we suggest you all keep an eye on this.

VAMOS MONTE!!!

LAS SALINAS PETANCA LEAGUE.........................................................................

No distance too far Hello

VISTABELLA GOLF 18TH JANUARY 2013 Christmas and New Year well over this was the first match of 2013 to be played at Vistabella. The first tee was at eight minutes past nine, earlier than normal, but as the course is only 20 minutes from the Clubhouse, this was not a problem.

It was a chilly start but the sun soon came out and a difficult day followed for most players. The nearest the pins were shared by only two players.

The greens were fast and at times unreadable leaving us with lower scores than usual. As everybody finished it was

straight back to the Clubhouse for presentation and meal. Thanks to Chris and staff for their hospitality.

Scores as follows: Overall Winner Bill Martin 31 points Gold Winner John Stones 29 points on c/b Gold Runner Up Duncan Williamson 29 points on c/b Silver Winner Terry Smith 30 points Silver Runner Up John Harvey 27 points Best Front Nine Dave Pretty 14 points Best Back Nine Phil Docherty 16 points Nearest the Pin 4th Chris Gridley 8th John Harvey 15th Chris Gridley Best Guest Dean Parlour 28 points Most Potential Tony Wilson Next meeting at Los Colinas on 15th February.

Members please note, numbers at the moment are low so if you intend to play please sign up on the web as soon as possible or let someone in the Clubhouse know.

was the lower handicap players who went home clutching the lion’s share of the prizes – but, as usual when we visit Las Colinas, the day of keen competition at a classy venue was enjoyed by all.

Nobody in the silver division managed to hit and stay on the 14th water-side green but the other four NTP’s were claimed by Ben Price, Steve Fleet, Les Wilton and Darren Hancock.

As would normally be expected with this format, all five top pairs beat par with Tommy Boyle & Brian Mulligan taking 5th with 37 points.

Norman Padmore & Paul Cobain came 4th with 38, 3rd were Theo Boulhouwer & Ben Price (39), 2nd were Paul Guest & Barry Roehrig (40) with Steve Fleet & Ivan Hanik taking top slot with a very fine haul of 41 points.

Not a couple you’d normally associate with a performance which helped them collect the “Abacus” award…..in fact rumour has it that Colin & Jacqui Rust had their eye on the fine bottle of wine to help celebrate Colin’s birthday the following day. Hope it went down well, Colin.

Two more January meetings see us at La Finca and Bonalba.

Visit www.smgs.org or give Barry a buzz on 966 731 033 to find out all the details of forthcoming events and don’t forget – visitors wishing to join us for a game are always made very welcome.

Photo: Some of this week’s happy winners.

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KOSTA KITCHENS SPONSOR OF DIVISION 1 With the halfway stage now reached the leaders Rocajuna unbeaten visited second placed Lakeside Lakers, this was well contested with the Lakers winning the triples 3-1, the visitors hit back in the doubles, before going down by 4-3, this was the first defeat for the newly promoted Rocajuna team, but they still have a useful 4 point cushion. Third place Buccaneers won 5-2 away to XPS, a useful win over a XPS side missing several key players.

The reigning champions Castillo Musketeers, slipped up at home to Lakeside Vagabonds, by 3-4.

Two teams at the bottom needing points were Los Balcones and Blue Lagoon, this was a convincing win by 6-1 DIVISION TWO. This is dominated

by Amigas Belgas, the San Luis based Belgium club, they are really enjoying playing league matches and at the halfway mark are certain to play in division one, they

were promoted last season and have settled down well. In second place are Dominos Dragons they lead a pack with just 3 points separating them Torre Bears, were also promoted but have not settled down yet on their new pitches at Altos Del Limonar, they will have players back from Sweden any day which will help them. Castillo Cannons have slipped a little a couple of wins can change this as it’s still very close. Dominos Red, are just out of the relegation spot, they are occupied by Corsairs, who have struggled with team strength this should now be rectified by new signings which are allowed for a short period around Christmas they should move up the table.

Which leaves Castillo Caballeros in trouble already trailing by 8 points.

DIVISION 3. Halfway leaders are Danish Dynamite, who have set the pace with a 5 point lead over Lakeside Hellcats , both teams are playing well. In third place are Castillo Crusaders, they

have 3 teams breathing heavily, just 1 point behind Florentilles, El Presidente, and Danish Vikings, this is so well matched. In the relegation places are San Miguel and Buddies Bar. DIVISION FOUR. Leaders are Banditos with a six point lead over the 3rd placed team, a good start from this team, with La Dolores Peacocks holding 2nd place, 3 points clear of Danish team Laguna Rosa , they are followed by Danish Friends, who have a 1 point lead over Freebooters, and Laguna Vista, leaving Hideaways and La Dolores Blue in the relegation places.

DIVISION FIVE. Not surprisingly Torre Del Moro, from the Swedish league are clear cut leaders , they like all new members have to start in the lower division, and they are enjoying meeting new teams and playing at new venues, they will surely gain promotion.

Another new team Amigos Belgas 2, are also enjoying life they have formed a solid team. The

Panthers, also newly formed have settled in well are in 3rd place.

With the new teams experiencing league matches for the first time, Torre Bears, Torre Del Agua, Daya Vieja, El Raso, and Dominos 3, are all making good progress. Daya Vieja are very pleased with this there first time of playing so this has been a tough baptism, this was how we had hoped the new teams would progress playing each other.

The League which was formed in 2009 with just 6 teams has grown rapidly with 39 teams now competing, more so that we now have Danish, Swedish, Belgium, French and British all playing together which was a gamble that seems now to have paid off.

We still welcome new teams, with a 6th division a possibility, several teams have already shown interest for the Autumn start, we would like to hear from them for further information please cal 966785642.

Roger Seymour

www.soltimes.com

TMGS Oh the winter day`s of Spain and the chilly conditions where everyone wore trousers and, at least, a jumper and that was the order for the day of the latest event of TMGS. However, we were lucky and the threat of rain didn’t come to fruition and the Society played the full round dry, unlike 89 balls which is an average of 4 balls per player lost in the abundance of water. However, it is felt that some were embarrassed to reveal their exact number lost which must have pleased John Hillier who guessed the number lost and took the sweepstake.

There was a little trepidation as to the standard of the greens with rumours spreading like an Australian wildfire, but it was pleasing that, in general, the greens were in very good condition and although one or two were in need of TLC, the majority were in in a good state and very worth the 30€ (including buggy). Why pay double the price for courses that

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

don’t appreciate their customers?

The format of the day was a Stableford Joker competition, where there was to be a double pointer on the front and back nine, where the golfer chose one hole on each for double points.

The days Silver prizes were taken by, in 3rd place, Per Skarnes with 32 points, pipping his fellow Scandinavian friend of Roger Nielsen who came in 2nd with 35 points but the top score of the day was achieved by “F. B.” Colin Marsden with the best score of the day, 39 points.

The Gold Division didn’t fare much better and in 3rd place was the Hungarian Alex Alfody with 34 points, one behind Vice Captain Mick Kennedy on 35 and the 3 behind the winner of Steve Higgins with 37 points.

The Best Visitor prize went to Martin Donnelly with 29 points and was impressed with the professional way the Society was run. Photo is the Silver category winners, L-R Per Skarnes, Roger Nilsen and Colin Marsden Our next match see’s us at the wonderful and so undermined track of VillaMartin on the 23rd of January so if you fancy a game with the most diverse nationality Society, book in with us at www.tmgs.org or call our Match Secretary on 966 719 604. We will welcome you with open arms.

FC TORREVIEJA........................................

A DEPLETED FC TORREVIEJA BATTLE FOR A POINT Last Sunday Torry made the short trip to Crevillente, followed by around 40 of the Torry faithful, to take on 2nd bottom Crevillente who had lost only one of their last five games and included in their line-up ex-Torry favourite Carrasco.

Torry had only 12 regular squad members to choose from following the departure of Dani, injuries to Jorge and Ernesto, with the latter being long-term, and the suspension for the game of Vicente Boix.

Patri, who has plied his trade with Torrevieja CF in Second Regional for most of the season, got a start. 2 youngsters Guillem and Mati were on the bench for Torry along with keeper Manolo and forward Jose Manuel.

Torrys starting line-up: Tur, Manu, Abel, Rafa, Sergio (José Manuel, 72’), Burguillso, Cuco Ros, Patri (Guillem, 84’), Luís Carlos, Gasch and Koeman (Mati, 90’).

The game kicked of in front of a crowd of just over 250 on a windy late afternoon. Torry got off to the perfect start when after 7 minutes Patri took a free-kick from outside the area and his shot on target took a wicked deflection off the Crevillente defensive wall and wrong footed the keeper and flew into the back of the net for a GOALLLL to Torry. This gave Torry something to fight to preserve . As the half wore on Crevillente pushed Torry back and had chances to level which were squandered. However, Crevillente did get the breakthrough after 27 minutes when Torry keeper Tur failed to deal with a fiercely struck looping long range strike which he could only weakly palm to his left and the ball was swept into the back of the Torry net from close range for a GOALLLL and equaliser to Crevillente. Crevillente continued

to attack and their where some anxious moments for Torry and in particular keeper Tur who flapped at and thumbled crosses and shots but managed to get way with it.The game went flat in the first 10 minutes or so of the second half with neither side seizing the initiative but as the half progressed Crevillente’s momentum intensified and they won numerous corners which Torry managed to repel with Tur in the Torry goal showing a marked improvement in his handling of and punching clear of the ball than in the first half. Towards the end Abel had a fine header from a corner tipped over the bar by the Crevillente keeper with a very good reflex save. Torry then had a good break and Koeman, who timed his run to perfection, was free on goal but was flagged for offside, a very dubious decision in my opinion.

Soon after Cuco Ros had a driving run through the middle and was unceremoniously bundled over by the last defender on the edge of the box. The offender received a straight red card and rightly so. The free-kick was wasted. The game drew to a close with Torry returning home with a hard earned point. Abel and Rafa, in central defence, were immense for Torry and young Manu Amores, deputising for Vicente Boix, gave a very energetic and enterprising performance at right-back. Yellow Cards were shown to Torry players Gasch, Rafa, Cuco Ros, Koeman and Burguillos in a game which was hard fought but never nasty.

Torry are now, together with 4 other teams, 5 points outside the relegation zone. On Sunday Torry are at home to league leaders Novelda , 5.00 pm kick-off.

A slightly worried Darrylldinho hoping that Torry can add a bit more quality to the team quickly, particularly in the midfield area.

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GREENLANDS BOWLS CLUB.................. BENIAJAN CF 1 MAZARRON FC 1.......

BY STEVE HIBBERD In the Southern league, Cedars started 2013 where they left off in 2012, with a fine victory over Country Bowls Havesters.

Wins for Fred Tilley, Chris Dewar, Pete Tomkins 24-11. Keith Page, Mike Kilby, Allan Brown 26-9. Marina Beardsall, Zoe Wilcock, Jim Wilcock 14-13, plus a 16-16 draw for Nadine Bater, Val Duchart, Ted Upham, resulted in another 9 points towards promotion. Unfortunately, at the time of going to press, Oaks & Elms results had not been received.

The start of a new Fed 4s season, saw both the Bulls & Bears play at home.

Although the Bears recorded an impressive 6-2 victory over Horadada, details of who did what are unknown. Playing against Quesada, the Bulls won 1, drew 1, and lost the other rink, but alas had an inferior 54-66 shots difference, as they went down 3 points to 5. Well done: Sandra Heath, Bill Sims, Lynn Greenland, Dave Greenland 28-21. Graham Bater,

Steve Hibberd, Mike Veale, Steve Cantley 16-16.

Twas not a good resumption for our SABA league sides, as all 3 took a bit of a hammering. Over at San Miguel, Maples went down 4-10 against Pulsars, with only these 2 rinks securing points for their side: Jeannie Clements, Averil Toozer, Mike Edwards 17-10. Fred Tilley, Mel Brown, Vic Mahomet 16-15.

At Greenlands, Sycamores lost on all rinks against Quesada Pearls.

Also at home, Chestnuts earned 2 points against CB Supernovas, courtesy of a narrow 14-13 win by Margaret Dewar, Brian Hewitt & Chris Dewar.

A long trip to Javea proved fruitless for both the Winter & Berleen teams, although as with the Oaks, Elms & Bears, I have not been provided with details of the game.

Please could captains of these 4 teams, include me (steviehibberd@ yahoo.co.uk) on the distribution list for future results that one of the buggies probably wouldn,t make it back to the club house unassited so manfully pushing the buggy with the other buggy for the last 6 holes they played in, on their return to the pro shop they were told they should have phoned and a buggy would have been bought out to them, but no one appeared to have a phone on them that is until Bob piped up “ oh yes I had my phone on me “ well SECOND SENIOR moment for this group!!! after eight holes one of our guests Pat Ogden hadn,t lost any balls but had managed to lose 2 golf clubs now that has got to be a record for any one!! on hole 18 another guest Pete Theobald wished that he had taken his tree wood out with him as after hitting his tee shot onto the other fairway, he then tried to play it back to the 18th fairway only to find the trees all the way to the green ( ping pong ping pong) on hole 17 Les Pancott hit his ball into the trees so his driving partner decided to help him out by driving the buggy into the trees to find the ball unfortunately as they went through the trees a branch caught on the buggy sprang off and smacked Les in the face, whilst still seeing stars he took his next shot but wasn,t sure which flag he was aiming at as he could see two of them.

Results Gold Div Winner - Susan Smith - 30pts; 2nd Place - Vic Dew - 29pts; 3rd Place - John Dunnion - 27pts Silver Div Winner - Eddie Furness 29pts on count back; 2nd Place - Val Furness - 29pts on count back; 3rd Place - Pam Martin - 27pts Nearest the pin in 3 shots Gold Div Hole - Silver Div Hole 3 Sue Westerman Nearest the pin in 2 shots Gold Div Hole 12 Rod Day - Silver Div Hole 5 Les Lindores Best Guest Ted Tuvey 27 pts The Roy David Bartram.

Reported by Pam Martin

quesada golf Wednesday 16th January 2013 at Altorreal 35 members and guests played at Altorreal for the first game of the new year, and like a lot of courses at this time of year it was not in the best of conditions, they had also just dressed the greens that morning although this did not stop the greens from being fast, there were a few complaints from members about the state of the course but unless you travel around all the courses before booking which would be an impossible task you cannot know what condition the courses will be in, also the greens staff have to do the work on the course as and when they see fit. On the whole the consensus was that they enjoyed the course.

Snippets from the course were a bit sparse but here goes, on hole 14 one of our 4 balls decided to have a bit of a laugh on the players behind and on finding the body of a crow they placed this in the hole and when Tony Patterson reached the green and tried to putt his ball into the hole this was when he found that someone had already got the birdie ( Ha Ha John King nice one) , on hole 5 Brian Smith hit his ball into the green close to the pin so went and marked his ball, playing partner Bob Steward putted to the same place then putted into the hole picking up the marker as he went, they then spent the next 10 mins looking for Brians ball when they couldn,t find it walked to next tee whereupon Brian put his hand into his pocket and low and behold found his ball too late to take his putt, now this has definetly got to be one serious SENIOR moment!!! on hole 14 Brian Smith, Bob Steward , Ted Tuvey and Tony White all ex soldiers realised

Mazarron had to battle for 40 minutes of the second half with ten men after Alfonso was sent off in the 50th minute but hung on for a 1-1 draw to continue their impressive run of results.

In truth it was a below par performance but Mazarron were not helped by the antics of some Beniajan players and the inadequacy of the match officials who were intimidated throughout the game by the home players and supporters.

Mazarron got off to the perfect when they took the lead after just six minutes. Cecilio’s through ball found Ruben racing clear and his clever lob eluded the Beniajan keeper and nestled in the corner of the net.

Ruben was booked two minutes later following a challenge with the Beniajan left back who fell to the ground as though pole axed. After 15 minutes Ruben broke clear again but this time his lob was cleared off the line. Beniajan came more into the game and Jose Iker had to be

alert to tip a free kick over the bar.

Then a cross from the left wing deceived Iker and Matt Clarke did well to clear the ball off the line.

Beniajan equalised three minutes after half time when the Mazarron defence failed to clear and the ball was stabbed home to make it 1-1. Then two minutes later came another unsavoury incident, again involving the Beniajan left back who fell to the ground again as Alfonso ran past him. The linesman who had been intimidated by the home supporters behind him in the first half when a plastic bottle had been thrown at him, reacted to their appeals and called the referee over.

Alfonso was shown a red card much to the amazement and disgust of the Mazarron supporters.

Despite being down to ten men Mazarron’s defence,again marshalled superbly by Diego, held firm with Jose Iker making a number of good saves including a tremendous double save in the 84th minute. Mazarron were restricted to long range efforts but could have clinched it in the dying minutes when, first a Ruben header was cleared off the line and then a free kick from Baeza on the right just evaded desperate lunges from Barrachina and Diego at the far post.

Team: Jose Iker, Barrachina, Diego, Pepelu, Matt Clarke, Alfonso, Santi (Diego 2), Baeza, Panocha, Jose Ruben, Cecilio.

Man of the Match: Diego

ITV ORIHUELA RFC ITV ORIHUELA RFC HOPING TO KEEP ON ROLLING ITV Orihuela RFC head to play Murcia XV hoping to keep their 100% away record intact after two great wins against Albacete and Lorca this season.

With this being ITV Orihuela’s 40th anniversary this year, and was first formed forty years ago back on 8 January, are hoping to have a double celebration this year both on the and off the pitch. At the moment this seems to be the case and hoping that it will continue throughout the year.

Also in April we have Barnet Elisabethians RFC U18’s coming over on tour here, together with other teams looking at coming over.

They are also playing San Javier RFC as well.

This coming weekend we will be televising all of the live LV Cup matches at the rugby bar in Rojales, The Steakhouse, used to be Tylers Bar. Starting on Saturday with Sale v Scarlets at 15.30, followed by Dragons v Ospreys, and at 16.00 on Sunday Nottingham v Bedford in the championship. So come along to the only designated rugby bar in the area and join the Costa Blanca Rugby Supporters Club as well. Looking forward to seeing another good turn out down there

this weekend.

I am down at the Moncayo Market on Saturday, 26 January, with all the rugby branded clothing, so come down and get all your shirts ready for the 6 Nations starting on 2 February. Also I will be at the rugby bar, the Steakhouse, on 31 January.

You can also get raffle tickets for the 6 Nations rugby match, Ireland v France, at both places, The prize includes flights and accommodation as well.

ITV Orihuela RFC’s next game is this weekend away to Murcia XV on 26 January at 17.00, at the moment. This will be followed by Murcia UCAM on 2 February.

Training is at the Miguel Hernandez University ground at 20.15 on Tuesday and Thursday for the seniors and juveniles. The juniors start at 18.15.

So if you are interested, dig out those rugby boots and come along and see for yourself what it is like.

New players are always welcome no matter what age or skill level you are.

If you would like more information about what is going on in the club, you can contact the club by phoning myself, Garry on 692 767 242, and for the juniors contact Oscar on 600 871 606 (Spanish)

48 SOLTIMES JANUARY 2013

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