Editor’s Slice
,
Hello
As many of you may already know, we have been out of circulation for the last few months owing to my wife, Claire’s, recent health issues. We are pleased to say that the worst of these are now behind us and we’re up and running again. Thank you to all of you for your kind words of encouragement and support throughout this period. It has been a very worrying time for my family, and it makes you reflect on others in need. With this issue, I’m proud to introduce a remarkable lady — Teresa Batson — to our readers. Teresa has two sons in The Gibraltar Regiment, which has recently deployed troops to Afghanistan. With the war-torn zones around the globe constantly in the media, we are announcing Teresa’s plan to send shoeboxes of hope to the boys and girls currently serving in Afghanistan. Please support her mission in whatever way you can – there are more details on page 16. Our usual Roaming Andalucía article focuses on Jerez; this wonderful place is definitely worth a visit possibly before, after or why not during the forthcoming Moto GP in April. With the run-up to warmer weather upon us, Beckii from Perfectas Nails in Alhaurín el Grande is on hand with all the facial tips you will need to face up to Spring. See her wise words on page 14. Our Trade Talk this month is with Sarah and David Rick of Creative Property Marketing, who have an interesting concept for all those trying to sell or buy property here in Spain. See their chat with me on page 12. Until next time,
Mike
The Andalucian X5092417D Calle Juanito Romero s/n, Campillos 29320 Malaga Contact us Telephone: +34 952 723075 Email: info@theandalucian.com Website: www.theandalucian.com Join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/theandalucian Owner Claire Marriott Editor Mike Marriott
Next deadline: 18 April Special thanks to our writers and contributors Alice Marriott Beckii Smith De Cotta Law Ella Durham Jo Shovelton-Fullick
Sarah and David Rick Stuart Langley Teresa Batson Tricia Johnson
Law & Order
Update on the new Employment Law reforms
by Maria Corder, De Cotta Law
The new reforms to Employment Law, although largely unpopular with workers, will be welcomed by employers. Spain’s previously-generous payment scheme on dismissal was often a major obstacle for businesses in the current economic climate, as the option of dismissing an employee in an attempt to reduce costs could be an expensive one. The high severance payments could also have been seen as a deterrent to hiring and the aim of the new reforms, which include the reduction of the severance payment, is said to be aimed at increasing employment. As part of the reforms, which came into effect on February 13, 2012, an employer will now be able to dismiss an employee by paying 33 days’ salary for each year worked, instead of the current 45 days — or just 20 days if there are profit losses over a ninemonth period. In Spain, through the use of collective bargaining agreements, the trade unions have a
great deal of power and control over the contracts and pay packages employers can offer. However, under the new changes, businesses in Spain will be able to withdraw from such agreements and have increased freedom as a result in relation to matters such as working hours, shift work, remuneration, working systems and performance in situations where, for example, they are facing economic hardship,. More specifically, in such circumstances, businesses will also be permitted to suspend a worker´s contract or reduce their hours. The changes also provide that absences of 20 per cent over two months, or 25 per cent over four months, can amount to a reason for dismissal. On the hiring side, by the provision of quite substantial tax benefits, the new reforms encourage organisations to hire employees under 30, and those who have been unemployed for a long period. Hiring should also be more attractive now, because employers with less than 50 employees can employ workers under an indefinite contract which allows for a trial period of a year. Additionally of benefit to employees, employers are obliged to offer training to employees with more than one year´s service. Although the dismissal of an employee may now be considered less expensive and less problematic, employers can face legal action if they do not follow the correct procedures or do not fall within the circumstances provided by the legislation. For more details see advert on page 6.
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Roaming Andalucía
Incredible Jerez
by Jo Shovelton-Fullick
Jerez is world-renowned for many high profile sporting events, including Formula 1 racing, and has become somewhat of a modern-day Mecca for motorcycle events including MotoGP and motocross. In fact, Andalucia's fifth-largest city is one of the most popular MotoGP venues, attracting hundreds of thousands of people to the annual main event. In addition to the high adrenaline track events, Jerez offers numerous more tranquil – yet equally appealing – attractions, making it one of the most interesting destinations in Andalucía. Since ancient times, the horse has been one of the strongest symbols of Jerez and there is an impressive number of incredible equestrian events in which this dignified creature can be seen. The Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art and the Yeguada La Cartuja Hierro del Bocado have spectacular weekly shows and there is also the annual 'Jerez Horse Fair,’ or Feria de Caballo, which is celebrated every year in the second week of May.
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Tours, visits and show tickets for both The Royal Andalucian School and Yeguada la Cartuja Hierro del Bocado can be purchased directly from the following websites www.realescuela.org and www. yeguadacartuja.com A must on any stop-over in Jerez is a visit to the incomparable Jerez wineries. These 'cathedrals' of sorts are the places in which the world famous wine and brandy are born, nurtured and patiently aged. Again, details relating to the individual wineries and their reservation procedures can be found online. Here are details of possibly some of most well known.
Roaming Andalucía www.bodegastiopepe.com www.sandeman.eu www.williams-humbert.com Should you wish to experience the external antiageing properties of one of our favourite tipples, 'sherry', a visit to Spa Club Jerez could be worthy of your time. The centre is dedicated to anti-ageing medicine and total well-being, utilising active ingredients obtained as by-products from sherry and wine production. www.spaclubjerez.es Jerez 'Cuidad del Flamenco' is the universal reference for the purest 'gypsy-Andalucian art form with the 'Centro Andaluz de Flamenco' – located in Plaza de San Juan – offering a variety of exhibitions aimed at providing visitors with a greater insight into the deeply-embedded roots of this traditional form of creative expression. Details of festivals and concerts can be found on www.jerezjondo.com At the heart of Jerez is its Old Centre, declared a 'Conjunto Monumental Histórico-Artístico' or official 'Complex of Historical-Artistic Monuments'. It is here, throughout the picturesque streets and squares, that treasured churches, old public edifices and unique buildings can be discovered amongst orange trees and fountains. The suggested 'Panoramic Tour' – details of which can be found on the particularly informative Jerez tourist information site – offers a walking route that encompasses all examples of architectural beauty within this beautiful and vibrant city. Worthy of special mention is the Jerez Zoological and Botanical Garden, which is considered to be one of the most important in all Spain. Created in 1953, the centre is home to zoological and botanical collections of particular interest. Its conservation, reproduction and re-insertion programmes for
those species upon the very verge of extinction are of specific importance, as well as the activities of its Environmental Education Programme. www. zoobotanicojerez.com For the shopaholics amongst us, Jerez offers an array of traditionally-manufactured artisan products. Zoco de Artisania, in the historic centre of Jerez in the grounds of the old medina Almohad, consists of approximately 22 stores offering a selection of Andaluz and Moroccan-inspired products. Jerez offers a wide range of possibilities when it comes to enjoying the countryside and getting back to nature, and the city positively abounds with numerous gardens and designated green areas. There are also plentiful areas of wetland around the city, where many different species of birds may be observed throughout the year. Finally, Jerez's privileged geographical location, between mountains and sea, makes it possible to use the city as a base for making various excursions and visits to different localities of the province by way of a number of established 'rutas' or routes. Some examples are: Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos; Ruta del Toro; Ruta Atlántica; Ruta el Puerto de Santa Maria y Cadiz and Ruta de Sanlucar, Chipiona y Doñana. Full details of these routes, with printable maps, can be found again via the tourist information site www.turismojerez.com Due to the sheer number and scale of the attractions within Jerez, you may wish to treat yourself to an overnight stay. One thing is for sure, though: whatever your reason for visiting this diverse Andalucian city, it is guaranteed not to disappoint. The MotoGP event is being held between 27 - 29 April this year.
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Short Story
Wasp in the jelly
by Ella Durham
It was a cool, bright and breezy afternoon in March when I first received the invitation. A portly woman with rosy cheeks, mousy bobbed hair and a toothy smile stopped me as I left the village post office. I was busy stuffing a large book of stamps into my purse when I felt a tug on my arm. “Excuse me,” she said, in a soft plummy voice, “I believe you must be Mrs Stockton. Am I right? Yes, of course I am. How are you settling in? Martha told me you and yours had just moved into Girdle Cake Cottage on Feather Lane. That’s two cottages down from me. She told me that you’ve come down from the city. So much nicer here in the country, don’t you think? How do you do? I’m Jessica Barnfather but please, call me Jess.” She smoothed down her already-immaculate poppy-print dress and held out a white gloved hand, took mine without waiting for it to be proffered and shook it quite vigorously. “Martha?” I enquired, a little bemused, while gently retrieving my hand and rubbing it in an effort to restore the feeling in my fingers. “Oh, silly me! Martha is the postmistress here.” She nodded back in the direction of the post office. “She keeps an eye on things here in the village. A veritable font of all knowledge, I like to call her.” She drew nearer and looked around her, as if about to divulge a secret, but was frightened of being overheard. “Although some, I may add, are rather more cruel and call her a nosey gossip!” “Oh,” I stammered, “that’s not very nice, is it?” Well, what else could I say?
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“Quite! Now, my dear, for my sins I’m the chairperson of the organising committee for our village’s Easter Fair, you know.” I didn’t. “So, of course I’m keen to invite you to join our little happy band of volunteers, and help the Fair go with a swing. Despite what that dreadful Mrs HamiltonSmythe says about newcomers, I am happy to report that the rest of us are delighted to welcome new blood and ideas. I’m sorry to say this, but...,” she looked round again, “Mrs H-S is a terrible snob, and believes that we should snub those who do not match up to her ideal of the perfect villager. Well, we shan’t be bullied by her, shall we? So, I would love it if you’d agree to come along to our meetings. It would be a wonderful way of us ladies getting to know all about you,” she twittered.
I suddenly felt the urge to run. I’m not the ‘committee’ type. Besides, we’d only moved into the cottage a week ago. The packing cases were still to be unpacked, I still hadn’t put up any curtains in the twins’ bedroom, the Aga wasn’t working properly and the downstairs loo had decided to spring a leak as soon as we’d exchanged contracts. All in all, the Stocktons were not yet ready to face the Great Villager Inspection. Nevertheless, I found myself smiling stupidly and saying that I’d’ be delighted’ and ‘of course I would be happy to help’ and – worst of all, ‘what did she want me to do?’ Jess virtually jumped up and down on the spot. “Splendid, splendid!” she exclaimed, clapping her white-gloved hands. “Do you sew, my dear?” “Er…no.” “Can you cook? You know, bake cakes and pastries?” “Er...no.” “Jams? Chutneys?” “Er… no, I’m afraid not.” “Oh, I see,” she went on, looking slightly worried. “Do you do anything theatrical — painting scenery, dancing, singing, that sort of thing?” “No, no and no to all three. Look, I’m sorry, Mrs Barnfath — Jess — I don’t seem to be much good at any of the things you need. Perhaps we should just forget it,” I reasoned, feeling totally useless and wishing she’d agree so I could hurry off and hide under a stone. I was sorely disappointed.
Short Story
“Nonsense!” she enthused, “I’ll not take ‘no’ for an answer. I’m sure you’ll be super at something. Our first meeting is on Thursday evening at six in the church hall. I’ll see you there. The ladies — well, most of them anyway— are dying to meet you.” With that, she swept away, her large hips swinging right to left in time with the humming of her own version of ‘Colonel Bogie’. “What on earth am I going to do, Jeff?” I asked my husband, as he fixed the wooden shelves not quite in a straight level to the twins’ bedroom wall. “I can’t refuse to go now, I’ll be pilloried and an outcast even before I’ve been ‘in’! What if they’re just a bunch of busybodies who have nothing better to do with their time than gossip about everyone and everything? Small village; small talk!” Jeff put down his hammer and laid his hand on my shoulder. “Liz, this Mrs Barnfather might seem a bit overbearing, but she obviously means well by trying to get you included in village life straight away. So, why not give it a go? See how it pans out. You can always pull a sickie if it gets too much on the day,” he suggested. I could hear the giggle in his voice. He was enjoying this. “But I can’t DO anything,” I moaned. “It’s as if we have to pass some sort of initiation test before we’ll be found acceptable. If I’d known it was to be like this, I’d never have agreed to come to Little Chortling.” I was just about to stomp out of the room in a huff when Anne, one of my seven-year-old twin girls, appeared in the doorway. “You make amazing jelly, Mummy!” she declared simply, and turned on her heel. I put my finger to my lips and gave it some thought.
“who has kindly agreed to help us with the Easter Fair. Now she must have many hidden talents which we can make use of, so let’s see what she has to say.” She turned to face me, “Mrs Stockton?” For a moment, I panicked. Ten pairs of eyes bore into my head. I swallowed hard and croaked, “My name is Liz and I can make jelly!” There was a deafening silence. “Jelly?” whispered a little waif of a woman with rosy cheeks, a beaky nose and dressed top to toe in Harris tweed. “Yes,” I squeaked, “my daughters love it. I’m sure that it will be a hit on your refreshments stall, as there’s bound to be ice cream there on the day!” I could hear the wooden chairs creaking as the Committee shifted its considerable weight. Mutterings filled the room. Was I to be ridiculed and banished in disgrace for my pathetic offering? The old wall clock ticked the seconds away. I sweated while they considered their verdict. Then, at last, someone spoke. “Of course! Jelly! We’ve never had anyone make jelly before! What a terrific idea, Elizabeth. Strawberry flavour I hope,” said a glamorous redhead, swathed in jewellery. I could have kissed her. Some others nodded and chatted excitedly. You’d think I’d offered them the Crown Jewels. But one lady sat stonyfaced and glared at me. “Jelly?” she bellowed. “Huh! Is that it? Not even a full-blown trifle? Are you joking? You must have an exceptional level of talent if your ‘piece de resistance’ is, uh-hum, jelly,” she sneered and nudged her neighbour. The excited chatter died at once. The group held its breath. Was I to be pitied or cheered? The lone objector spoke again. continued on page 9
Thursday found all the notable ladies from the village assembled in the church hall. It smelled of sawdust and old varnish, and the windows were in dire need of a clean. Sitting around in a circle and leaning on an old gnarled wooden table, the women of the Easter Fair Committee stared at the newcomer — me! I felt my throat go dry. Jess looked quite the part in her navy blue suit, piecrust collared blouse and a straw hat. She spoke first. “Ladies, I present Mrs Stockton. Sorry dear, didn’t quite catch your first name the other day,” she whispered in my direction, and then to the throng, 9
Short Story “Mrs Chairperson, do we really want or need someone at our Fair whose sole culinary contribution is JELLY? I think not! I must ask you ladies, what is our village coming to? I will be the laughing stock of the Parish Council if this is permitted and encouraged. Considering my family’s standing in this community – which, my dears, is substantial,” she stared hard at me. “I insist that this woman be refused entry onto this committee!” The snooty woman rose, struck a haughty pose and slapped her hands on the table, glaring around the room as if daring the others to deny her. Jess looked abashed and shaken, but then she seemed to regain some courage. “Mrs Hamilton-Smythe, please! Surely, all contributions are welcome, are they not, ladies? We must allow newcomers to our village to feel they can be a part of things, to share in our lives, no matter how slight or small their abilities may appear to be. I believe we must all do that.” Mrs Hamilton-Smythe looked disgusted. “Indeed, I shall not,” she boomed and with that, she inflated her enormous chest and flounced out of the room.
I tra-la-la’d all the way home. Jess had battered the old snob down and I’d won. Jelly was on the menu. All I had now was to produce the goods. On the Big Day, I lifted the three huge wobbly jellies down from the larder shelf. I had kept the window open to keep them cool without the nasty over-chill of a refrigerator. I had made enough to feed an army. This would be my triumphant entrance to village society. I would be the talk of the Fair. The newcomer done good! Then, as I brought them out into the clearer light of the kitchen and put them on the pine table, I stared down into the bowls and froze. One of the jellies had some unexpected added ingredients set into it — WASPS! My blood ran cold. What on earth could I do? I was ruined! I’d promised three bowls and now there’d be only two. Not enough for the whole day. That bulldog Hamilton Smythe would have a field day. Sadly, I packed the bowls carefully onto a carrier tray. As I was loading them into the car, Jess walked by and peered into the boot. “Only two jellies, Elizabeth? she asked. I lifted the tea cloth from the third bowl, revealing the jelly with the wasps. “I’m so sorry. Jess, I’ve let you all down. This one is going into the waste bin!” “No!” she cried, “I think I can make very good use of this.” She grasped the bowl and scuttled away before I could stop her. At the Fair, Mrs Hamilton–Smythe sidled up to me at the cake stall. “So good of you to heed my words, my dear,” she cooed, “and create a fully spectacular trifle. But to send it to me as a gift...well, I was quite touched. Mrs Barnfather brought it along to me. How kind of you. I must say that the little pieces of Garibaldi biscuits inside the jelly were a stroke of genius. Delicious! Astonished, I looked at Jess. Slowly, she put her finger to her lips and winked at me.
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Trade Talk
Reach for the sellers with Creative Property Marketing The Andalucían finds out how sellers of properties in Andalucía can now reach millions of potential buyers with no commission to pay. Creative Property Marketing is the brainchild of English expats, David and Sarah Rick — experienced property professionals who have spent more than 30 years in the property industry in Spain, the UK and across the globe. They are passionate about offering a new and revolutionary service to property sellers in Spain. Mike of The Andalucían asked David and Sarah to tell his readers more about this amazing idea, and in particular, why nobody has thought of it before! Mike: So, what made you consider setting up Creative Property Marketing? David and Sarah: We have both been successfully involved with estate agency in the Málaga area for the last five years but we have come to the realisation that something new is needed. The property market is extremely tough and the standard estate agency business model simply doesn’t work in this type of market.
audience of potential buyers. For just €245 (plus IVA) sellers can advertise their property for a full 12 months on the following property portals: Right Move and Prime Location (in the UK) and Kyero and Think Spain based in Spain. Mike: What are property portals? David and Sarah: They are basically big websites that have listings from many different estate agents and private sellers. These property portals spend millions to ensure that they appear at the top of search engine results such as Google. They also attract huge numbers of people searching for property through TV advertising — you only need to look at Right Move to see that they attract more than 17,000,000 (yes, that’s 17million) searches for overseas property a year. The problem is that advertising on them is incredibly expensive. Many don’t accept private sellers with single adverts and others which do, charge high sums such as £299 for just three months’ advertising (Right Move).
Mike: What is different about Creative Property Marketing?
Mike: So how come Creative Property Marketing will be using the best four?
David and Sarah: Well for a start, we are an advertising agency and not an estate agency, and we don’t charge commission to buyers or sellers when a property is sold.
David and Sarah: Well, it is a fundamental for our business – there is little point in trying to compete with these property portals, which is what many estate agents try to do. You need to use them to promote your property, which is what they do best. The fact is that advertising with these four portals will be expensive, but that’s why we need sellers to understand our proposition and sign up as soon as possible.
It was obvious to us that sellers need a much wider audience of potential buyers, and the money spent running a standard estate agency business could be spent more effectively on international advertising and marketing, reaching millions of people rather than paying for rent, petrol, company cars and lots of other costs involved with a standard office set-up. We also recognise that buyers are very price sensitive – if we can reduce the cost of selling property, sellers will be able to offer theirs at a more attractive price or be more flexible when an offer is made. Therefore, Creative offers sellers the opportunity to sell their home privately, saving thousands of euros on sales commissions and reaching a huge 12
There are many other property portals but from our experience of selling in Spain, we feel that we have chosen the most popular, best-publicised and most effective sites for Spanish property. Mike: How do you deal with different languages? David and Sarah: At the moment, Creative Property Marketing is set up for English speaking sellers, selling to English speaking buyers. Over the past five years, we have found that most buyers speak English — including the Dutch, Belgians and Scandinavians.
Trade Talk Mike: What type of property will you consider if a seller wants to sell? David and Sarah: We can accept any property, anywhere and at any price. If you’ve got an apartment in Antequera, a cortijo in Campillos or a villa in Velez, we will help you. To start with, we will be focusing on Andalucía — which is huge in itself — but in the future, we hope to spread across the whole of Spain (or the Balearics, and even the Canary Islands!) Mike: Why will you not be having an office? David and Sarah: As we mentioned before, we want to keep costs down to an absolute minimum so that we can offer sellers the best possible rates for advertising. To do this, we want to avoid all the normal costs associated with running an office – rent, power, telephones, desks and all the incidentals such as insurance and cleaning, etc. We are dedicated to making this an affordable way for people to sell, and offer the best property portals at a price which they simply could not get anywhere else.
Mike: What about the support that buyers and sellers sometimes need? Won’t people feel a little “on their own” selling privately through Creative Property Marketing? David and Sarah: We thought of this immediately when the concept came to us. We want people to feel empowered, and we aim to give them the tools with which they can control the sale of their property. At the same time, we are there to help if they have any questions. Our website has lots of information, guidance and additional services which can help both sellers and buyers. We have built up a good reputation over the years and we hope that we have covered everything within the website, but if anyone has anything they wish to ask us, they can contact us and we will happily help wherever possible. Mike: Thanks, David and Sarah, for the insight into this new venture and we wish you the best of luck in the future. For more details see advert on page 3.
A new perspective on buying and selling propery in Spain
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Beckii’s Beauty
Are you ready to face Spring? It’s that time of year again — we’ll all be complaining about the heat soon, and whilst we’re busy complaining, we forget about the effects it has on our body too! So, why not take that little bit of time NOW to start prepping for the summer months ahead? This month, we’re looking at taking care of your face. Skin becomes more sensitive and fragile in the spring due to the climate change, and the rising humidity increases the risk of acne and skin allergies. Therefore, we should choose the most natural and mildest way to take care of our skin.... but how? Well, the first step Beckii at Perfectas Nails in Alhaurín el Grande suggests is to open your refrigerator and select the right food to feed your skin. Luckily for our readers, Beckii has shared her top five facial masks that you can DIY at home, or why not pop in the salon and enjoy these treatments in comfort? Exfoliate with a yummy yoghurt mask Cleansing is always the most crucial step, but excessive cleansing and exfoliating would, in fact, expose your skin to bacteria. That’s why I recommend the yoghurt mask— it mildly exfoliates your skin, whilst killing bacteria. How to make it: Mix yoghurt (plain yoghurt) with flour, in a 1:1.5 ratio, and then stir until mushy. If it remains runny, add a little more flour. You are looking for a fairly thick consistency which will stay on the face. Repair acne with a caring carrot mask It is easy for your delicate skin to have some acne in the spring. But don’t worry, the vitamin B and E contained in carrots can beat down those annoying breakouts and get your skin back to feeling smooth.
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How to make it: Wash, peel and mince a carrot. Mix two teaspoons of carrot with two teaspoons of mayonnaise. Add some honey, and then stir until mushy. Moisturise with a brilliant banana mask Rich in vitamin A and natural oil, banana can not only moisturise your skin, but it is also a superb mask to even out the colouring of your face. The older we get, the more the little red lines (capillaries) stand out; this mask will adjust the appearance of this redness. It is definitely the best choice— and one of the cheapest— for any girls who have dry and sensitive skin. How to make it: Peel a ripe banana and slice it in two. You only need half, so you can eat the other half — it helps with your ‘five-a-day’ too! Mash the remaining half and mix in a teaspoon of honey. Control oil with a scrummy strawberry mask For girls who suffer with oily skin, the basic and primary step is balancing. Strawberries can provide the effect of disinfection and cleansing, as well as preventing different types of acne. How to make it: Pulp two strawberries into juice and mix with a teaspoon of milk. Then apply on your face and massage. Shrink pores with a clever cucumber mask The basic step of shrinking pores is re-hydrating your skin. Cucumber juice can relieve your skin from dryness and tiredness, and therefore refine those unpleasant pores.
Beckii’s Beauty
How to make it: Squeeze a fresh cucumber into juice and filter the dross; a piece of muslin, linen or clean material such as a tea towel will suffice. Using some bubble wrap as a cloth, mop up the juice, and then place it on your face. As an additional stress relief moment whilst the mask works its magic, you can sit there and pop the rest of the bubble wrap! Whichever mask suits your facial skin and needs, leave it on for 10 - 15 minutes and then rinse your face with lukewarm water. See? It really is that easy to get your face ready for summer, and for the ultimate treat, don’t forget that Perfectas Salon works daily with these mixtures in a relaxed environment for you to enjoy and relax at unbeatable prices. April offers include: Acrylic/gel nails from 17€ Facials from 10€ Manicures/pedicures from 6€ Hair cut & blow-dry from 10€ Colours from 12€
Contact Beckii and her team at Perfectas Salon in Alhaurín el Grande on 656 934930 or email perfectas@hotmail.co.uk for more details see advert on page 13.
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Charity News
Box up your kindness With many of our troops deployed to Afghanistan, we are asking for your help to keep their morale high. One lady from Campillos, Teresa Batson, has mounted a campaign to help boost the boys’ and girls’ spirits when they are so far from home. Proud mum Teresa has two sons in the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, and she is hoping to arrange to send parcels to our heroes on the front line. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment has many troops already in war-torn Afghanistan, and there’s nothing they like more than receiving a piece of home once in a while. There are a few guidelines that need to be followed: 1) Everything must fit into a shoebox 2) Lads’ mags such as NUTS and ZOO are allowed – but no pornographic titles 3) Very important – parcels must not include any glass, aerosols or pump-action sprays 4) No marzipan, as apparently it smells like Semtex!
Hot on the wanted list are sweets. Not only do they boost the troops’ morale, they really boost their energy whilst on duty. Encouraging letters from home are also great gifts to send, and really do not cost anything more than your time and kindness. If you can fill a shoebox, do not worry about the weight as all parcels will be sent via BFPO from Gibraltar, or you can just donate any of the items on the list below. Please bring them to Andalucian Auctions in Campillos, and they will be passed on to Teresa. Alternatively, for more information contact Teresa directly at terebat@hotmail.com A poll conducted recently on British television concluded that most ladies have on average 30 pairs of shoes, so ladies — or men — if you have any spare empty shoe boxes, please bring those to Andalucian Auctions too, as they are desperately needed.
hemyou t t e Le now car k Toiletries / Pharmacy Snacks Confectionery Recreation
Toothpaste Pringles Travel sweets Paperback books Toothbrushes Crisps Toffee Magazines - not top shelf Shampoo Nuts Fudge Puzzle books Conditioner Pork scratchings Mars Bars* Pens Shower gel Beef jerky Chocolate raisins* Pencils Roll-on deodorant Savoury rice Chocolate peanuts* Jigsaws Razors Noodles Energy sweets Sport programmes Shaving gel Oatcakes Love Hearts, etc Playing cards Talcum powder Crackers Fruit pastilles, etc Travel games Foot powder Stock cubes Lollipops Notebooks Cotton buds Packet soups Mints Artist’s paints Wet/Moist wipes Fruit/cereal bars Chewing gum Sketch books Tissues Fruit flakes *winter months only Batteries Lip salve Dried fruit Travel wash Shortbread Clothes Misc Sanitary protection Small cakes SocksT shirts Boot laces Immodium Biscuits T shirt Blank greetings cards Rennies Small tins of fruit Underwear Messages of support Paracetamol Packet custard Plasters Evaporated milk Please don’t forget we need empty shoeboxes too. Bring Insect repellents Condensed milk your items to Andalucian Auctions - see advert on page 5 Sun screen for full contact details. 16
Alice’s Wonderland
Small is beautiful
by Alice Marriott aged nearly 14
Hi it’s me again, Alice As you can see, I’ve only got a really small space, so I’ll try and cram it all in as it has been a long time since I wrote to you. Christmas has been and gone; that was fun — Becky came for a few days which was nice, but I had forgotten just how excitable she can be! In other news, we have some new cats which are beautiful, but sadly, we lost one of our dogs. Dad’s having another go at vegetables this year. Mum’s been very poorly, but seems much better after her operation. Grandma’s had the flu thing that was going round, but haven’t we all. I’m concentrating hard at school to get my grades up as this year’s proving much harder. Becky’s done really well and passed her driving theory test, and will soon be turning 18 and driving for real, so that’ll be interesting when she wants to borrow the car. I do hope you’ve all been well and I’ll look forward to writing a full sized article next month – DAD! Love, Alice x
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Classified Adverts
Services Offered Electrician all areas covered. Call Tom for a quote on 606 694 536 Gardening – all aspects undertaken. Free quotes. No job to small. Call 952 737643 General handyman and pool cleaner. Reliable and experienced call 680 323649
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