March ~ 2012
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Almond blossom in Murcia
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Staff So here we are and its March already! The short cold spell seems to have disappeared and Spring is in the air! Not long now and we can all start complaining that its too hot again! I would like to thank all of you for the fantastic feedback that we received for last months Camposol District Journal. We are continuing to work hard to make the magazine better each month and I hope you enjoy our new Property, Financial and Legal section. As most of you are aware last month we ran a story accompanied by a photograph of a decapitated greyhound. Many of you have got in touch to say how disgusted you were by the story and some complained that we should not have put the photograph in there as it was too shocking. Before we went to print we had long discussions here about the best way forward with this storey. Ultimately, I made the decision that the photo would be printed with article, in full knowledge that this would split opinion and shock and outrage some of our readers. I stand by that decision. We cant simply hide from the facts of living life in this part of the world, or bury our heads in the sand because we find the harsh reality to difficult to deal with. This story highlighted a sickening practice that is happening in our community, right under our noses. For me the most important things are that not only did we highlight this, but we have caused debate and discussion about it. Its only with public awareness that things can ever be changed. At this magazine I promise to always publish the news, however difficult it may be for some to read. With the above said, I would like to welcome the new advertisers to our magazine this month and I hope that all of our readers, wherever you may be in the world continue to enjoy reading it. Remember that you can now join our mailing list and have the magazine delivered to you by e-mail each month, before the printed copies arrive. To do so, please send a blank e-mail to cdjsubscriptions@hotmail.com. Please note for those of you who wish to contact me personally then do so on my personal e-mail which can be found, along with my phone number in the column opposite. Robert Rutherford
GENERAL MANAGER Robert Rutherford robbiedistrictjournal@hotmail.com 664 287 099 NEWS Rod Sawyer rodsawyer41@hotmail.com 618 553 786 FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Gemma Barnes ART WORK Danny McCarthy Insignia Graphics 618 615 903
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2012
NEWS
Paramount theme park to host 5D attractions
Planned attractions for the new Paramount Pictures Theme Park in Murcia will be at the cutting edge of technology, including 3D, 4D and 5D special effects, whatever that is 4D and 5D are. By definition anything made in 3D is viewed in 4D i.e. time! The attractions will be themed around Paramount’s blockbuster films, and will be zoned into five separate areas : Paseo Paramount; Woodland Fantasy; Adventure City; Plaza Futura and Rango’ West. In the ‘Adventure City’ zone, the main attraction will be based on the Mission : Impossible series of films and feature an interactive roller coaster ride, with 3D and 4D technology, enhancing special effects and scenery. The’Rango’s West’ will be themed around the wild west and feature a 4D ride called “How the West was Sung” . This will follow the attempts of the central character – Rango the Sheriff – to restore order to the town. Other attractions will include the more traditional persuits of shooting gallery, rollarcoaster and whitewater ride, all set to a backdrop of the wild west. The ‘Woodland Fantasy’ zone will feature the ‘Spiderwick Chronicles’ – a 5D interactive ride, based on the film of the same name. Participants will use remote consols to interact and take part in the game to score points as they ride through 3D projected fantasy scenes. The Sleepy Hollow ride in the same zone – and again based on the film of the same name – will use 3D audio and holographic projections to scare participant, whilst those looking for a more futuristic adventure might prefe rchecking out the Plaza Futura zone where the key attraction is based on the Star Trek films, where a ride combined with 4D projected futuristic scenery will take guests “on a journey into the stars”. The impressive range of technology expected to be employed at the park certainly give credit to it’s claim to be one of the best parks in Europe, and mark the park out as having the potential to be the backbone of Murcia’s tourism industry once it opens it’s doors in 2015. Paramount appear to have secured the land required but it is still not clear quite what the financial backing is. The scheme has been hyped up as the future of Murcia, along with the new airport. It is still wise to say “if these developments take place” but as time goes by there
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do appear to be more building blocks in place. The possibilities do not seem as yet to have had any effect on house prices and Murcia remains hugely indebted, with chronic high unemployment especially amongst the young.
Murcia population is stagnant
The population only grew 0.6% last year in the Region giving the region a population of 1,470,069 This is according to the municipal census data at the end of 2011 which includes the National Statistics Institute (INE). There are an extra 8090 living in Murcia in 2010, according to this statistic. Despite the small increase, Murcia is one of the five regions with higher population growth. Spain now has 47,190,493 inhabitants. Gone are the dramatic increases in the economic boom years. The slowdown of immigration - not just the arrival of less foreigners, but many have already returned to their countries of origin, which explains this stacity of the population. The largest increase among the regions was in Navarra (0.8%), followed by Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, Murcia and the Balearic Islands. However, the strongest growth was experienced in the population registered in Ceuta and Melilla, where official statistics shows an increase of 2.2 and 3.2% respectively. Final data from the municipal census in 2011 revealed that in Spain, women are still more than half of the population, with 50.7% of registered voters compared to 49.3% of males. In addition, 8.9 million are under 18 years, 17.6% of voters. As for the foreign population, 5,751,487 are registered in the people of other nationalities, but in this group men outnumber women, with a total of 2.9 million vs. 2.7 million women. The Murcia region remains one of the regions with a larger foreign population. Specifically, 240,863 people live here from other nationalities. At Murcia only exceed Catalonia (1,185,852), followed by Madrid (1,067,585), Valencia (880 782), Andalucia (730 155) Canaries (307 009) and the Balearic Islands (242 812). Immigrant population falls However, the immigrant population has begun to slow in Murcia for the first time. In 2011, disappeared 1002 foreigners from the register, which means a fall of 0.4%. The distribution of the population has not changed substantially in 2011. By
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region, in absolute terms has the greatest population is Andalusia, with 8.42 million inhabitants. Follow Catalonia (7.5 million), Madrid (6.4), Valencia (5.1), Galicia (2.7), Castilla y León (2.5) and the Basque Country, with 2.1 million. Behind are the Canary Islands (2.1 million), Castilla-La Mancha (2.1), Murcia (1.4), Aragon (1.3), Baleares (1.1), Extremadura (1.1) and Asturias (1.08). With less than one million registered voters are located Cantabria (593 121), Navarra (642 051), La Rioja (642 051), Ceuta (82,376) and Melilla (78 476). Some regions are losing population. This is the case in Asturias, whose census in 2011 suffered a decline of 0.3%. In Aragon and Galicia, the registered voters fell by 0.1%. Meanwhile, the population of Castilla y León did not change. In response to the provinces, which showed greater variation last year in relative terms is Guadalajara, where the registered population increased by 1.9%, probably the result of the exodus from Madrid. It is followed by Toledo, an increase of 1.3% (may be attributable to the same reason), and Malaga and Almeria, with a 1% each. These figures bear out what many have felt, that there is an exodus from the area back to the UK, but it is only a small one, the bulk have remained and there have been additional arrivals.
Marriage and divorce before a notary
The new Minister of Justice, Alberto RuizGallardon, has announced plans to allow civil marriages or divorce, by mutual agreement, to be performed by notaries. The reason for this radical proposal, by the new conservative government, is to reduce the work overload of the courts. Marriages and divorces by notaries will be registered in the Civil Registry, in the same way as now when the ceremony is performed by a mayor.
Rubalcaba to lead PSOE
Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, Minister of the Interior in the government of Rodriguez Zapatero and PSOE candidate for prime minister in the last general elections, has been elected General Secretary of the Socialist Party. The new President is Jose Antonio Griñan, presently the leader of the Andalusia Regional Government, a post he will probably lose in the forthcoming regional elections.
2012
‘B Clean’ Gardening Group.
Working together to make Camposol look great! February 2012 Spring will soon be with us! Whilst we are all looking forward to the arrival of spring, along with it comes the need to keep our community areas looking great. Soon the rapidly growing weeds will be trying to take control of the road edges and footpaths. Hopefully we will also see a healthy spurt in growth of the hundreds of shrubs that we have planted to line the edges of some of our roads. Currently we are working to complete the pruning and spraying of all of the Palm Trees in the Sector and many thanks to those who have been assisting in this thorny task. There is much that still needs to be done: The work that we have already carried out needs ongoing maintenance and there are more projects that we would like to start. In order to continue to function we do need support – financial and physical. Unfortunately our numbers have depleted
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NEWS
over the past year, so please – if you are able to help out in way and give up a bit of time, we would love to hear from you. B Sector is the one part of the urbanisation which is used by just about everyone on Camposol and we do welcome the help that we get occasionally from other groups. Poligono Reps Required. We are hoping soon to become a Legally Registered Group, as other sector groups have already done. Reps are still needed for B20 and B22. Fund Raising. Because there are so many organised functions being held at peak holiday times we have decided to hold our next function a little later this year as follows, Late May Fun Night – On Friday 25th May we are holding a DISCO Nite with a meal of Bangers and Mash or Beef burgers at the Golf Club. Details will be available shortly and tickets will be 10€. and all proceeds go to community garden needs. Monthly Meetings. We hold a planning meeting on the last Tuesday of each month 16.00 to 17.00. in Trevi’s Function Room. Please show up and give your support. Join in and
discuss how we can continue to improve our sector. Weekly Working Party. Meets each Tuesday – 9 a.m. till 10/11 ish. Usually in front of the commercial centre unless otherwise arranged. Please just turn up and help. Information: Please contact: Sandy: 968986030 Helen/Glyn: 968199506 Roger: 968199502
Jet2.com to stick with San Javier JET2.COM has announced that although it is backing the new Murcia airport in Corvera, it will continue to use San Javier for the summer season and will only start using the new facility in November 2012. Jet2.com urged the regional Government and the new airport team to ensure minimum passenger disruption by delaying the airport switchover until after the summer season, in November, thus enabling customers to make their travel plans for this coming year.
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NEWS
A problem with Los Palacios?
What is going on down at the Cultural Centre? After months of settling in there have been problems over usage, now reconciled. There were acrimonious meetings and emails but common sense prevailed and now the users have a much better idea of what is permissible in the centre. The problems were about charges for services held in the centre. Former Clr Galvez made it very clear when the premises were opened that it was not to be used by businesses, charges and profits were out of the question in a centre where the lettings were free to the community. The Arts and Cultural Association of Murcia (ACAM) , a newly formed voluntary sector body with charitable status which was formed by Louise Bremner to encourage arts development as well as dance was the unwitting problem. Out at Canadas the school room, a comparable enterprise, does allow teachers to be paid and classes to charge fees. Pepe Gomez says, the two situations are not comparable, “Camposol, Los Palacios was set up under Madrid money which had to be bid for and was hedged in with restrictions; Canadas is part of Mazarron, the Mayor has a direct role in everything that goes on, where as Camposol is still un-adopted.” It does seem peculiar that Camposol has a cultural centre which cannot be used for art classes unless they are free. Subsequent to the withdrawal of permission to use the centre the Arts group under Louise, have had a meeting with the relevant officers and politicians in the town Hall. At the meeting they were told of funds they can access to set up and run classes in the community. This they intend to do. It could well be that the new choir may wish to do the same. It would appear that ex-pats have not known about these funds, even though of course many on Camposol have availed themselves of classes in the people’s university in town. The centre was built in a hurry on funny money. Neighbours have been given the undertaking that there would be restrictions on parking and noise. Private parties, weddings and funerals are banned. Food cannot be made on the premises, and alcohol is also forbidden. It does seem odd to have a cultural centre with no kitchen facilities. But there is no caretaker or community worker in charge either. Tatiana, the Town Hall clerk has been very much piggy in the
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middle, but her role is that of clerk to Camposol, not running the centre and she is accountable to Pepe Gomez. The chain of command is now a bit more obvious; the constitution makes the chair of the CRA or a designated committee member responsible for lettings, backed by a users committee. It has been made very clear that charges are verboten! Louise has made very clear that the constitution of ACAM refers now to donations. The CRA and its chair Bob Owen have done a great job over the years, encouraging much that is good and trying to keep on terms with the Town Hall.. Louise Bremner has done a remarkable job of creating a dance school. There is precious little for our youngsters to do on Camposol and this has helped provide a much valued facility; one which has also bridged the gap between the Spanish and ex-pat communities. Bob Owen has done an avuncular job as chair of the CRA, creating a good relationship with the new town hall. In the UK it is normal to pay for Adult Education. Most teachers are freelance part time, paid by the hour. The only free classes are for the disabled, for literacy, second language learners, Brits expect to pay for art classes and Spanish for that matter. Fees are usually based on the direct expenditure on the teachers. However it is also quite normal for there to be paid community workers organizing classes and running centres. The most fundamental difference is that in the UK all the part classes are financed through the Local Authority or the FEFC (Further Education Funding council) This means that all the staff are legal, in the sense that they pay tax and NI. This is not the case often in Spain, where part teachers, rather like many musicians operate at the black end of the economy. There is also the issue of insurance. It is difficult to believe that an insurance company would honour a policy, assuming there was one, if the teacher was not legal.
Accidents do happen! The new Arts group has written the possibility of employment into its constitution. However the only paid employee working on Camposol is Tatiana Andres. PALS, Age Concern, the CRA all run on volunteer labour. Part of most paid community workers roles in the UK is to raise the cash to pay their own wages; nothing strange or bizarre in this. It took the old West Riding many years to recognise bridge and yoga as legitimate educational activities…..and really Los Palaocios has only just started. Rod Sawyer
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2012
Constitution and Objectives of Los Palacios, the Cultural Centre on Camposol B Introduction: Purpose of this document is to regulate the operation and use of the Cultural Centre “ Los Palacios” of Mazarron located in the urbanization of Camposol. Any person, entity or group that wants to use the facilities will fulfill all that is established in this document. Note that this document has no legal basis since it is not part of the legal system. However with these guidelines it is intended to regulate the use of the cultural centre to avoid monopolisation of facilities and that paid professional activities are prohibited.
NEWS
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to regulate the conditions of use of the municipal building of the Cultural Centre “Los Palacios”. The Cultural Centre “Los Palacios” is a municipal facility that now houses offices for the exclusive use of the City of Mazarron and the different associations or neighbourhood groups of Camposol. The facility is available to residents of Camposol in which to develop social, cultural, recreational and other areas of public interest, and encourage citizen participation in those community activities. The activities carried out at the Cultural Centre should have a cultural or social purpose that is considered of public interest and has no profit motive. Organization: The Cultural Centre “Los Palicios” is a municipal facility maintained and funded by the Council of Mazarron. The organization of activities and designation of the hours will be conducted by the Chairman of the users committee of the cultural centre and the Chairman of the users committee will be the current Chairman of the CRA.
Use of facilities: The use of the facilities “Los Palacios” can only be used for the purpose for which it has been designated. You may not make charges to attendees of any activity in the Cultural Center “Los Palacios”, except when it comes to raising funds for approved charitable causes. Mazarron Town Council, the Chairman or his designated deputy may exercise its powers at any time to carry out supervisory and inspection visits, and to take the necessary remedial actions if necessary. Duties • Keep the facilities in the same condition as they were before being used or transferred. • Respect the facility and be responsible for its cleanliness and safety. • Allocate facilities for the purposes assigned to it and the activity for which it was granted. • Take responsibility for the damage that attending the event or activity could cause to the property, facilities and infrastructure. • Carry out activities not involving any danger to those attending and for their own equipment to be in a safe and clean condition.
The auditorium of the castle no longer safe. The Heritage mayor said that “there were no appropriate studies done” before building the auditorium, which sits over a mining gallery The curtain falls, but the controversy continues. The open-air auditorium built in the courtyard of the castle of Vélez (XV century) will not be
reopened to the public; it sits on a mine and “we can not guarantee the security of citizens visiting or sitting there”, confirmed Heritage Councilwoman Maria Martinez. Thousands were spent on the up date and just few performances resulted in what was a beautiful setting. This castle really is a jewel in the crown, but of course the whole area must be riddled with old mining galleries and shafts.
NEWS
Camposol Residents Association
At the CRA’s last meeting with the Mayor in January we were informed that with the proviso of Masa’s work being acceptable then sector A should be handed over by the end of February and the developer would then move on to sector B. As far as we are aware, work to bringing street lighting, landscaping and road markings have received attention on sector A but nothing seems to have been, or is, taking place to bring the road surfacing up to standard. Perhaps with a concerted effort by Masa the Mayor’s forecast could still be realised but at the time of compiling this article, approximately a third of February has elapsed and with seemingly no evidence of Masa’s presence on A sector at this time, it is looking ever more likely that the projected date will prove to have been overly optimistic. If this situation continues we will no doubt be looking for some assurances from the Mayor when we next meet. Another of the citizen’s participation meetings was held on January 25th at the Camposol Community Centre and this time the Council lawyer was present. Originally the idea of these events was to keep residents of the whole of Mazarron informed of council plans, on Camposol however they have for the most part become a question and answer session covering the usual problems of escrituras, the rambla issue, demolition orders, embargoes, etc. CRA Chairman Bob Owen who attended for what was intended to be observation purposes, formed the opinion that for the most part there was little new from that which has been covered before in our own meetings with the Mayor. However he did feel obliged to intervene when the lawyer said that the solicitors acting for residents who bought on D32 should have made them aware of the problems and that they should be challenged. Bob somewhat forcibly pointed out that that owners
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bought in good faith, paid good money to solicitors and agents to act on their behalf. He did not consider that individuals should be put to the expense of consulting solicitors when all the problems were caused by the previous administrations failure to control Masa or its employees responsible for supervising the developer. He made it quite plain that it is the current council’s responsibility to solve all the legal issues as they have promised to do. The lawyer did then state that he was working towards legalising the whole of Camposol. Bob wants to point out that It is important that individuals take the trouble to attend these meetings and raise queries, challenge answers given and seek assurances from the council representatives. To just rely on the CRA Chairman to intervene on their behalf sends the wrong signal to the council and undermines the whole object of these participation meetings. Further to CRA Committee member Peter Pitt raising the matter of providing land for a football pitch on Camposol at the January meeting, we are pleased that the council have subsequently agreed. However the land that has been offered is not considered as suitable and Peter will be having talks with Councillor Jose Gomez, Minister for Foreigners with a view to finding an alternative location. Website: www.cracamposol.com e-mail: info@cracamposol.com
Consular Service Review
The consular service is currently involved in a review of its services. As part of this two members of staff who are based in Madrid at the embassy, asked for a meeting with a group of Mazarron residents. Bob Owen, chair of the Camposol CRA organised this in Los Palacios, the cultural centre on Sector B Camposol. The
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meeting had a cross section of folk, CRA, Age Concern, PALS and individuals all contributed to the discussion. The key question for the consulate, is how to improve its service. It goes without saying that this is against a backcloth of cuts. What became clear was that were two main issues, the distance from Alicante and communication with the community at large. Ken Payne from PALS made the ;point that new honorary consul in Murcia was very useful, but with the advent of the new airport, and cruise ships docking in Cartagena, then the distance from services was an issue. One where the solution was an office presence in Cartagena, In the current climate this will be difficult to achieve and the team were looking towards, for example, the internet and web access to improve access particularly to advice and information. Linda Biggs, from Sector A, brought up the cost of a passport and how ex-pats are disadvantaged by the fact that in the UK there is just one stop. The team explained that this was changing, access abroad would soon come under the one agency who would deal with all passports rather than with the current situation with the Home Office dealing with the UK and Foreign Office dealing with overseas applications. As far as those present were concerned this proposal may deal with efficiency, but not with cost. The team suggested that the UK deals with its ex-pats comparably with the rest of the EU. It was stressed that there is a difference, most UK ex pats are not workers earning a living, but retired people living on pensions, pensions which have lost value as the pound has gone down against the Euro over the past three years. It was worth stating that most ex pats here live in enclaves, are not forced to learn Spanish as they would be if they worked here. It was also pointed out that many find themselves trapped by their housing; they cannot sell unless they sell at a price which means they cannot hope
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NEWS
to access the house market in the UK. It was pointed out that wherever you went in Europe, you would have to register in order to access benefits, and that this applies to returnees as well. Communication between both the Spanish/UK authorities and individual citizens was poor. The fact that the new residencia card was now in use and obtainable from Cartagena was not common knowledge for example. Nb this card does not have a phot or finger prints on it Many residents have come here to retire, not to involve themselves in local politics or voluntary activities. An ageing population was going to exacerbate the present problems. In Mazarron ex-pats now have a sympathetic Town Hall regime and have themselves worked hard to create facilities.
The BBC do it again!
An interview with three couples on a Sunday resulted in a programme for BBC East. This took place up at the golf club on Sunday 22nd January. The golf club was packed out with visitors eating Jim’s excellent Sunday lunch. The three couple gave candid views of Spain, but all insisted that they were very happy living here for all the usual reasons; the weather, still cheaper than the UK, leisure opportunities, friends made. They did moderate this, grandchildren being missed but not the grayness of the UK. The BBC was in part responding to the articles reported in December in the Journal which outlined so called repatriation schemes by the Foreign Office, subsequently totally denied by the FO. Neither the Daily Mail or Sunday times have done anything to redress their dreadful articles, so it appeared doubly good that the BBC picked up on it. When the programme came out it had turned into the usual attack on Spain, with all the criticisms picked up on and none of the praise! The consequence? A number of Camposolers have protested to the BBC and to Broadcasting Authorities, but to date had no replies. Simply Networking Zoe and Laurence were invited to the recording session to observe and Zoe recorded herself the whole interview. She has castigated the BBC for its lack of professionalism, bias, words like “travesty” have been used. Just picking on one aspect of the interview, one couple mentioned burglary in the area as a key problem. There was no attempt by the BBC to put this in
2012
context, your chances of being burgled are higher in the UK than in Spain and the ex-pat community stands no more chance of burglary than the Spanish do. All the evidence is that burglaries have increased more in the UK than in Spain. Of course, wherever you live, burglary is a fear but all the BBC has done is to inculcate the idea that Spain is worse! Zoe has pointed out how little real research was done. Three couples interviewed with little back up, no attempt for example to cast the net round the literally dozens of people eating Sunday lunch. There are real problems in the ex-pat community in Spain, but programmes such as this only re-inforce people’s prejudices and pre-conceptions. Rod Sawyer
The X Factor Returns
The ‘X’ Factor returns to Camposol. On Wednesday 28th March the start of a twelve week countdown to the Camposol Fiesta with acts being eliminated until there is a star in the making. The winner receives a fantastic cash prize and has a half hour spot on the Camposol Fiesta and in October a spot on the prestigious CAFÉ Concert 6 at the Playa Grande Hotel in the Port. With the voting totally in the hands of the audience the judges will be able to voice their opinions freely, there are two permanent critics, Phil Brady and Peter Lilley and each week a well known local entertainer or celebrity will join them to voice their opinions. The show is to be hosted by the incredible Chris Cross and he will be ably assisted by Byron . The venue is the Golf Club on Camposol, the show starts at 8pm each Wednesday and drinks prices have been pegged to 6 Euros for a bottle of wine and 1.80 Euros for a pint of beer. There is a special ‘X’ Factor meal available each week. Tickets from the Golf club or on the door at 5 Euros and what promises to be nights of
Fun entertainment. Fancy entering then contact Chris Cross on 632 277858 but be quick there’s a lot of interest. X FACTOR 2012, Camposol Golf Club. Wednesday 8 pm from 28th March
Camposol Citizen Participation meeting
January saw the third Citizens Participation meeting with Cle Fernandez and Pepe Garcia in attendance. About 50 attended many from D32 who were very concerned to get answers from the Councilors and from the Town Hall lawyer who was present. There was one purple moment when the lawyer implied that owners had brought the troubles on themselves. This provoked an angry intervention from Bob Owen, chair of the CRA, who made it very clear hat this was not the case “This prompted my verbal attack on the councils lawyer. He didn’t get away with that statement unchallenged.” Says Bob. The Council has to accept the double whammy on D32, a court embargo on the land, and the non compliance with the plan parcial. The two Councilors were left in no doubt as to the feelings, and facts, presented by many owners. There were other matters discussed but the field really belonged to D32. These meetings are no substitute for the CRA and Council meetings, but give a very direct access to Councilors by ordinary citizens.
Remember when you call an advertiser tell them you saw their advert here
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NEWS
Pedro Antonio Sanchez
plans to unify the management of the industrial estates of Lorca and Puerto Lumbreras to attract businesses The mayor invited the media to a breakfast at the Parador to explain the large projects of 2012. One of the goals set by the mayor of Puerto Lumbreras for this new year is the unification of the management of industrial estates ofPuerto Lumbreras & Lorca, separated by the Rambla de Bejar. According to Pedro Antonio Sanchez, the two could be managed from a single entity, which would avoid duplication of costs and serve to promote the r egion. “It makes no sense to have two management entities, two different infrastructures, two boards, two presidents and two budgets. I think we must agree and that is the will of all, “he added. The merger “is an option that is on the table” in the draft shaft Lorca-Puerto Lumbreras, which will create eight million square feet of industrial land to be put at the service of entrepreneurs wishing to invest in an area strategy like this, near the motorway and future -7 over high-speed train, which, according to Sanchez, “can be very attractive to national and international companies who can install their distribution centers here.” Moreover, the mayor plans to re-instate
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the Paradores network project to re-fit existing facilities in a hostel-school to train professionals in the hospitality industry. The mayor acknowledged that the project has been paralyzed for more than seven years and believes that it is time to execute. “Quality tourism requires skilled professionals and Puerto Lumbreras wants to be the cradle of this initiative, training professionals in hospitality and catering,” added Sanchez. The only school of its kind currently exists in Spain is located in Leon, Puerto Lumbreras would became the second. On tourism, the mayor said that another of its objectives for 2012 is that the cruise ships that arrive in Cartagena will have visits to Puerto Lumbreras, which will provide “a comprehensive package of possibilities for tourism spending a whole day.here” Locally many visit Lorca, but few seem to make their way to Puerto Lambreras, which is a shame.
Personnel Board stated that fact and stressed that the current Corporation has sent them an email from the mayor of Staff, José David Amoros, who claimed that the government team “is working to address the problem of payroll. “ The Committee emphasizes that “this is just the straw that broke the camel of all the attacks, setbacks and failures we have been gifted since they took power.”
Officials remain unpaid for January
Payrolls for Totana officials continue hanging by a thread. Today, February 8th workers have not received from the Consistory pay for the month of January and know-not when they will. The works council of the City Council
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2012
POLIGONO SURVEILLANCE
Improved villa inspection to check that your house is in good order for your peace of mind At least one, or more, inspections of your villa every night Key hold & custody of your villa when you are away for a period of time
Emergency response service included If you feel threatened or intimidated when in your villa, call our special emergency number for assistance. We will initiate the necessary measures and actions in co-operation with the Police/Guardia Civil. (Available during our normal surveillance periods) Discounted cost for specialist support if police station visit needed (Available for reporting break-in or theft from your villa) Three month / Six month / Annual contracts available
10€ per month (includes IVA) Published and printed by Luis Canovas & Global de Servicios, Seguridad, Guarda Rural y Control, S.L. Camposol Business Center Tel: 968 103 008 Please Note: This special offer is available to ALL Poligonos on Camposol Its availability is subject to a large majority of the villas on the Poligono signing up for the service Further reduction in the monthly fee possible, depending on the size and take-up of the Poligono It is intended that this service will be available from 1st January 2012 Further details available from Luis Cánovas or Conchi at theCamposol Business Centre or email Telephone:
968 103 008
Security Alert!
The new security initiative by Luis Canovas has got off to a good start.. Several polygonos have signed up in part and are now benefiting from the nightly surveillance. This involves polygonos on B and D. A and C still have few signed up. In today’s climate, cut backs in policing and yet increasing crime, make private surveillance an increasing necessity. Although Spain has yet to catch up with the UK, every week sees more break ins on properties. The more who join the scheme the more surveillance can take place. At 10 euros a month is a cheap price to pay. An increasing number of holiday home owners are availing themselves of the scheme. You can get in touch with Luis and register by email, info@camposolbusiness.com, will get you to Luis or phone 968 103 008, or if over here pop into the Business centre next
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NEWS
to Marianos on Sector A. Polygonos B3, D7 and D35 are well on the way to signing up but Luis would like to hear from those who have not been approached on those polygonos, and of course the scheme does extend to individuals located throughout Camposol. The scheme does mean that you can rest assured that your villa does come under nightly surveillance. Security is a nightmare. The security and surveillance scheme should be backed up by individual householders ensuring
their properties are as thief proof as possible. Are you locks adequate or are they same as when MASA fitted them? Bolted doors and windows, rejas and security lights all help deter.
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NEWS
Changes in Income Tax
The new Government has decided to extend the budget for 2011 into 2012, and is now making important changes in tax legislation in order to achieve a higher level of income and thus to reduce the serious deficit. On 30th December a new law modifying the basic income tax law (35/2006) on several points. The limit of 24,107.20 euros net tax income, in order to qualify for deductions in purchase and renovation of a permanent dwelling, has been abolished and thus those on higher incomes can also benefit from the deductions. For tax years 2012 and 2013 the tax rates, for the state part of the income tax, have been increased by:0.75% for taxable income of up to 17,707 euros, 2% for income between 17,707 and 33,007, 3% from 33,007 to 53,407, 4% from 53,407 to 120,000, 5% from 120,000 to 175,000, 6% from 175,000 to 300,000 and 7% for incomes above 300,000 euros. For income received after 1st January 2012, a top tax rate limit of 52% has been introduced. On property rental income the rate will go from 19 to 21%. The super reduced tax on the purchase of a dwelling (4%) is extended to the end of this year. Regional governments have certain possibilities when deciding on the regional part of income tax. The regions with the greatest deficits will have to go to the upper limits, and together with the increases in the state part of the tax, they will reach impressive levels. If one also adds the reintroduced Wealth Tax (Patrimonio) some contributors will pay more in their region than what they would in the northern ‘high tax’ countries like Sweden. Spain, as a tax paradise, is
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‘over and out’ for the coming years. It doesn’t stop there. Central government has ordered local government to increase the council tax rate or IBI (Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles). Properties that are above the average value for their municipality will be affected along with those whose catastral value was last reviewed before 2002. A figure of up to 10% has been indicated as the likely increase. We are told that both of these tax increases are temporary and will apply over the next two years. We shall see. It’s not just a case of bringing the money in, it’s reducing the money out. All the different government departments will have their budgets cut too. Perhaps not essential knowledge but you might be interested to read what’s going from where: Public works/ buildings – budget reduction €1.614 billion Industry, energy and tourism – €1.091 billion Treasury – €1.083 billion Foreign affairs – €1.016 billion Education, culture and sport – €485 million Employment and social security – €439 million Inland revenue and public administration – €432 million Health, hospitals and social services – €409 million Agriculture, food and the environment – €401 million Defence – €340 million Justice – €48 million Government – €19.6 million And we’re told this is only the start… A fiscal expert calculates that a person earning 300,000 euros per year, living in Barcelona, will have to pay 145,231 euros in tax (excluded Patrimonio). If you earn more than 300,000, you should avoid Catalonia, Andalusia, Extremadura, Asturias and Cantabria.
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If you earn 25,000 euros and live in Canarias, Baleares, Murcia, Catalonia, Andalusia or Extremadura, you will pay 6,570 euros, plus the taxes for Patrimonio. In the regions which implement all the possibilities to get tax income, Income Tax and Patrimonio taxes may be 60% on your income, and even higher for upper incomes and wealth in regions as Catalonia and Asturias. The wealth tax (Patrimonio) The Wealth Tax has changed so much over the past years, that with the recent decision of the new government to reintroduce it, we shall be repeating it, in the form it was, when it was suspended in 2008 by the government. The “patrimonio” is a tax on your assets (mainly property, bank accounts, cars, bonds, stocks and shares). Fiscal residents (i.e. tax resident in Spain) pay wealth taxes on their world wide assets, but their family dwelling is exempt if it has a value of less than 150,000 euro. Non-residents pay wealth tax only on their assets in Spain, i.e. holiday home, yacht, car etc. registered in Spain. The basic rate is 20% for assets up to approximately 167,129 euros, but the rate increases on assets above that. The return for the wealth tax for those tax resident is made at the same time as that for the income tax; for non-residents it must be made before the 31st December, for the previous year. So in 2012 one pays the tax for the year 1st Jan to 31st Dec 2011. Take advice! With the complicated tax situation and the great differences between regions, we recommend all tax paying readers to discuss their fiscal situation with a tax advisor, able to reckon out in euro and pence how much the Rajoy government want you to pay for the mismanagement of Spanish finances over the 10 past years.
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Camposol Sector D news
Camposol D’s last meeting in December was in fact the Annual Meeting which was well attended, although the numbers were down on last year. On the 9th December our team, led by Clive and Maureen Gritt, created our Christmas garden, opposite the notice board area. Mario Senior, donated a load of gravel for the garden area, which was gratefully received as a nice Christmas gesture. The garden survived the festive season and received many favourable comments by our residents. The pot holing team continued their repair work throughout December and January and helped Jimmy at the pits in the making of the fence posts to secure the pit area The five pits were set ablaze, (licences all in order) in one session and these are now ready for the new year A very successful dinner/dance was held on the 16th December. On Monday 19th December we had a carol service organised by the Fiesta Committee and Wellspring Church, which was very successful accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies.
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A very successful dinner/dance was held on the 16th December. On Monday 19th December we had a carol service organised by the Fiesta Committee and Wellspring Church, which was very successful accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies. Second week of January work resumed with our gravelling and garden work. Our trailer service, and our ‘bucketeers’ continued with their sterling service to the community. Sadly we received the news that our D 25 rep, Linnette Sullivan died after a short illness. The following week Graham the husband of Laurie Lewis our D14 Rep died following a long period of illness. Our committee will organise suitable tributes in our Memory Garden. Finance Report Our Treasurer gave out details of the accounts.. He advised that the old trailer had had a complete overall during the break as it was it rather bad condition and it is now in as good as new condition. Social Planned events: A Fun Quiz on the 27th April, at a charge of 1 euro per person. 1st June, FAST will be one year old and the Queen is celebrating 60 years on the throne. A combined Function is booked. Christmas Dance will be l4th Dec. New Year’s Eve celebration. Planned Works and Working Party Update Plants for D10 and D7 later in the month. Gravelling will be completed on D25 this Friday (10th) followed by banger in a bun. The fence around D25 has blown down in the wind – to be repaired. Perimeter trees to be inspected.
Compost Site Two pits are already full. The site will be two years old at the end of April and Jimmy would like to celebrate with a BBQ on the site. This will be looked into. A burning licence will be applied for when three of the pits are full. Registration of Association Still waiting for the paperwork to come back from Murcia. Security and Neighbourhood Watch No neighbourhood watch on D7 now as nearly everyone has signed up for the security offered by Luis at the Business Centre. D26still has 15 – 17 people and D20 and D9 still operate. The Cultural Centre has been booked for the first Monday of each month for future meetings 1600 hrs as normal.
Thousands stranded as Spanair goes bust
Thousands of passengers were left stranded at Spanish airports after Spanair went bust on the 27th January, canceling all of its flights at short notice. “Faced with the lack of financial visibility for the coming months, the company has decided to cease its operations as a measure of caution and safety,” Spanair said in a statement on Friday evening. The airline’s last scheduled flight landed on Friday night, leaving rivals such as Iberia, Vueling and Easyjet to share out the passengers left stranded. Spanish media estimate that some 22,000 passengers were affected over the weekend but Spanair. On Saturday morning, airports authority AENA said that special lounges had been allocated for Spanair customers at Madrid’s Barajas and Barcelona’s El Prat airports. 55 Spanair flights were cancelled at Madrid and 54 at Barcelona on Saturday alone, with a handful of flights cancelled at Valencia’s Manises airport and El Altet airport in Alicante. The company said in its statement on Friday: “The Spanair management regrets this and apologises to all those people who are affected by this situation.” Spanair, founded in 1986, had hoped to secure a multi-million euro investment deal with Qatar Airways, but it fell through. The Catalan regional govenrment, which has a substantial share in the company, said it was unable to increase its stake due to crisis budget cuts and EU limits.
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NEWS
Last month was the sixth driest January in the last 50 years
It has also been 0.4 ° C warmer than normal EP / LAOPINIONDEMURCIA.ES The month of January 2012 has been very dry, as it has rained only 30 percent of normal compared to the reference period (19712000), so an average of 21 liters per meter square in Spain, becomes the sixth driest January in the last 50 years. Thus AEMET spokesman, Angel Rivera, explained to Europa Press that where it has rained more than usual in January is in some northern areas as Cantabria and the Basque Country, and some areas of southern Aragon , Murcia and Valencia.
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By contrast, he added that the least has been rained on northern Catalonia and Aragon, where rainfall barely 25 percent of normal, ie it has rained 75 percent less. Moreover, in the Canary Islands the month has been “quite dry” and the Balearics has been “normal”. In fact, he pointed out that at the Observatoire de Lugo, the monthly rainfall was below the minimum value recorded in all its series. On the other hand, with respect to temperature, has assessed that have been “normal” or slightly warmer, with an average of 7.4 degrees Celsius, which exceeds 0.4 degrees to the normal value of the month for the reference period (1971-2000). Rivera explained that the day has been somewhat above normal, while the nights are down more than usual. In short, the spokesman AEMET has materialized that last pattern has continued in December and much of the fall, large rainfall deficit. Therefore, added that “this month” reconfirms “meteorological drought in Spain.” By area, added that the month has been “colder than normal” in Extremadura, the western half of Castilla and Leon, of Andalusia, where there have been negative anomalies of 1 degree Celsius, especially in southern Extremadura and Castilla y León center. In the rest of Spain, January was somewhat warmer than normal, especially in Navarra, northern central Aragon and Valencia, as well as generally higher in mountainous areas, where the thermal anomalies exceeded the value 1 degree Celsius. In this context,
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AEMET spokesman pointed out that, like in December, daytime temperatures were above normal and the respective values were exceeded historical records of average temperature-Peinador Vigo (Pontevedra) and Jerez la Frontera (Cádiz), while the night remained somewhat below normal. The highest maximum principal station was recorded on January 5 in Valencia airport, when it was 26 degrees Celsius, exceeding the previous high for the time series data from 1966. During January there arrived in Spain important entries of cold air, but there was a great night frosts, such as 9 and 11, when it dropped to -10.7 degrees Celsius in Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara) on 12 ; -8.2 degrees Celsius in Navacerrada and Villanubla Airport (Valladolid) 30 and 12 respectively, and -6.7 degrees in Salamanca-Matacán, on day 11. February has brought rain and cold weather to Spain and to Murcia, but it looks possible that Spain is returning to drought conditions coupled to hot weather.
Camposol ‘C’ Greenfingers Gardening and Social Group
Our Monday working party is again out with their woolly hats on, clearing the pavements and gutters as I type, during the coldest February I can remember! If you see our group working in your area, please offer them your support: some spare cash in the bucket or even a hot drink and biccies would be most appreciated! We are always looking for new volunteers – even if you aren’t resident and just spend your holidays here you are very welcome to join our happy band: we can offer bacon or sausage sarnies every Wednesday as an incentive! If you’d like to offer your skills, just get in touch with Bernard, our chairman, on 626 513 842. If you are not able to join our working parties but you’d like to donate a raffle prize or plants for future use, we would love to hear from you; no offer of help is too small! Despite the recent biting winds our workers have gradually tidied all the streets on C2 as part of our ongoing road maintenance and the corner of Calles Ibiscum and Retama (the entrance to the pig farm track) has now been cleared of mud and retained by kerb stones to prevent the land slipping during heavy rain. This project was completed as a request from local residents asking for a solution to driving on the wrong side of the road around a dangerous blind corner. The
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track will remain temporarily closed while concrete ramps are added to the new kerb so the farm track and its’ junction are made safe again. Planting has continued along the verges at the roundabout near the Driving Range and weeding was completed along calle Puerto Lumbreras. The ‘Welcome to C’ feature at the bottom of Avenida de los Covachos near the Rambla, including a wall, bench and surrounding planting, is our current ongoing project but please let us know if you have any particular task you would like us to tackle in your area, within the next month if possible, as all the streets on our sector will have been cleared and weeded at least once by then. This work is ongoing too, of course, and we would like to keep our streets nice and tidy so we would ask; if you have a pet, please clear up after it and keep our area a pleasant place to stroll around? Thank-you. Our maintenance scheme is now legally registered with the local council and is in the process of also being fiscally registered. We have at present 145 members, all of whom pay just Euros15 per quarter to improve our surroundings. I’m sure everyone will agree that it is a very small price to pay: Greenfingers have made a vast difference to the look of our streets; neat, gravelled verges, dustbins off the roads, many new plants and trees now becoming established and repairs where needed. Our volunteers have undertaken these tasks only until the local council take over responsibility for Camposol ‘C’ and it’s lovely to walk through our area now, with its’ pretty planted areas - it is no
longer looking overgrown and ‘forgotten’, even though some of the work has been backbreaking! If you would like to become a member of the scheme and know that you are making a valued contribution to keeping ‘C’ one of the nicest areas to live, please contact Bernard or your local reprensentative (we are still looking for representatives for C1, C3 andC6)…and if you know your next contribution is due, please also get in touch, thanks. Our group would also like to let members and non-members alike know that we are holding a Games Night at 7.30pm. on 6th March, at the Golf Club to raise badly needed funds: everyone is welcome and tickets are available at Euros5 each from Bernard or your local area representative, or e-mail spainvilarosa@gmail.com and for any further information about us please visit the website: http://www.greenfingersgardenandsocialgroup.com/
The Designation of Origin Jumilla sells 19 million bottles in 2011
A slight rise over the previous year, maintaining the trend of the last four years The Council of the Designation of Origin (CRDOP) Jumilla closed 2011 with sales of close to 19 million back labels, representing a slight increase over the previous year, maintaining the trend of the
last four years. This means that forecasts are met CRDOP Jumilla 2011, which hoped to keep the market levels achieved in previous years in wine sales with the stamp of this denomination. The back labels and red wines for aging account for 89 percent of those 19 million that the Council has issued to the 45 wineries that have been registered in Jumilla PDO. These strips are translated into bottles because they are binding on bottled wines that are marketed as DOP Jumilla. Jumilla CRDOP president, Pedro Lencina notes that “the Council want to encourage and congratulate the farmers and wineries for the effort being made to realize Jumilla is getting what for many is a utopia, making the crisis as an opportunity to demonstrate our value for money we can fill a very important gap in this difficult market. “ Moreover, “we have an unconditional ally, Monastrell grapes, our local variety and foremost variety,” says Pedro Lencina. “While we continue the trend to go for bottled quality wine which must be the future of Jumilla, is no less true that the commercial sector must take a step further and make these sales figures impact as far as possible in the wine.” Maintaining these standards will be very difficult taking into account present world conditions.
Restaurant & Bar Bolnuevo’s Steakhouse Everything Freshly Cooked Full English breakfast 4.00 from 10am Value main meals available 12 till 3.30pm 4.95 Menu del dia 8.50 for 3 courses + coffee Menu del noche 3 courses 14.95 Fish & chips from 5.00 Special offer 2 large fish chips & peas with a bottle of wine only 18 Evening Menu, Sirloin, Ribeye, Fillet & Argentinian rump Leg of lamb steak, gammon steak, poached fillet of salmon Medallions of pork tenderloin, pan fried chicken fillet.
Evening Meals start from 6.30pm Private Parties & Buffets Catered for. Two minutes from the beach, a real restaurant!
please book on 968 158 499 2012
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NEWS
An Interview with Clr. David Fernandez
Clr. for the Environment and Citizen Participation Interviews can be two way trades. My interview with David Fernandez demonstrates this. He was very concerned to question how much ex-pats knew of current economic and social conditions in Spain. I did indicate to him that we were very aware that Spain had had to down some very nasty economic medicine and that unemployment locally was at an all time high, over 20%. He did outline how all the Murcian towns had cut their budgets and have now been instructed to cut even further “We must find new ways of raising money and economizing, in order to protect basic services. It is a fact that until last year the town Hall was asked to help with planning permissions, building regulations, business start ups, now we have the same people coming to us with basic needs, clothes and food. It will take years to remedy the problems the banking crisis has left us with.” David is the Izquierda Councilor. He won back the seat he lost in 2007 when Blaya achieved an overall majority. There is really no equivalent to Izquierda in the UK. It’s really a coalition of left wing socialists, Marxists and Greens. It has a dozen national parliamentarians, has councilors in many towns and cities, and runs two councils. David has the environment as his portfolio and also is responsible for the development of Citizen Participation, which mirrors significantly the neighbourhood councils set up in the UK. Briefly, they are meetings held bi-monthly for the villages, of which Camposol is one, and sectoral meetings for youth and the economy. They represent the coalition’s determination to enable individual citizens and organizations to participate directly in government, and for this to be reciprocated by politicians. The Camposol meeting has been described elsewhere, but David wants everyone to know that the meetings are not just cosmetic PR, the coalition wants to enhance participation, want people to be able to directly address councilors with their views. “We hope people will use the opportunity to outline issues and problems, and perhaps provide us with potential solutions” says David. Much of the discussion at the Camposol meeting was about the legal position of D32, an area hit by a double whammy; MASA did not have permission to build there
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and also it is affected by the rambla issue. “Camposol has many issues, the biggest being its recognition as complete. The Town Hall is tackling this piecemeal, completing Sector A first and then following through..” David emphasized that although the coalition represented differing political perspectives, their common thread was the well being of Mazarron, including Camposol. They early on prepared a common agenda which included a lot of work on Camposol. This still exists as plans, as do other aspects, but they were presented with the necessity of cutbacks in existing provision, and also found that the finances of the town hall were not what they thought. Completion of Camposol is still on the agenda as is public transport. They hope by June to finalise bus plans, which will include Camposol. They also plan major electricity savings with Mazarron’s street lights. They plan to go green, which will help meet energy targets and save money. They do need to enhance income. This can help offset cuts. For example according to David, “nearly a third of all households in Mazarron are not paying IBI, on Camposol this goes up to two thirds” Some of this is about past failures to secure legal developments, or delays over escritura. But some is due to the reluctance and/or inability of owners to pay the tax. The town hall does lose track of people and does intend to tackle this major issue. It has already tried to break down the payments to twice a year instead of one fell swoop. There are issues here that require sensitive handling, pursuing a family who are in dire financial straits already would be counter productive. It should be noted that Spain is not the UK, where it is common for attachments to benefits, even gaoling can and does take place. These are not criminal offences in Spain. The Council now faces requests for help over basic
needs, clothing and food, whereas in the past help with licences was the most common request. David hopes that the way forward for Camposol will be through a partnership between Camposol and the Town Hall. The Town Hall is applying pressure to MASA and has developed a better relationship wit the company than the previous regime. It is talking and discussing issues and ways forwards with the CRA and the Sector A committee. Anyone can attend the bi monthly meetings which Clr Fernandz chairs and Pepe Gomez attends and fields questions on behalf of the Town Hall. David feels that there has been progress, not just on Camposol, but across the district on a wide range of issues. The financial situation which the whole country faces, not just Mazarron, has slowed development not put a complete stop to it. As far as Camposol is concerned, David is concerned that the progress so far, with lights, road markings, green areas does not lose momentum and that progress to completion continues. I have to say that access to this Town Hall has been exemplary and certainly compares with the UK. There is still a long way to go, in very difficult circumstances. Rod Sawyer
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2012
It’s March already and the Camposol Fiesta is now only four months away. The week end of 16/17 of June is shaping up to be a memorable time for camposolers and their friends and our Spanish
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neighbours. Bands are now being booked acts resourced, fireworks and paella are ordered and the whole event is coming together steadily. What can I do to help? you ask yourself , quite a lot really We have some great functions coming up and by just attending you will be making a great contribution towards the fiesta. Firstly the COACH TRIP to the chocolate factory is fully booked but we have a reserve list which is growing weekly, if you still fancy this trip please let me know and if we have enough names we will put on a second coach, We are also running a TREASURE HUNT on SUNDAY 15TH of APRIL cost 7.50 inc a meal . A great afternoon out and a chance to visit places you may not have been before. You never know you may even get to the end in daylight. Now another first for us. We are holding a ROCK N ROLL dance at MARIANOS restaurant on FRIDAY 27th of APRIL. Lots of dancing guaranteed to a top class act. Priced at only 5.0 euros or 10.0 euros with a chicken and chips meal what are you waiting for? Tickets are on sale now either from our stall on the Camposol Thursday market or by phoning me on 968 199 967 Lastly a huge thanks to everyone who has so far purchased raffle tickets
from our market stall. we have raised over 200 euros to date and this will make a great difference as the bills start to come in. LOOK OUT FOR THE CAR COMPETITION TICKETS on sale from 1st MARCH Business meeting for all traders interested in the fiestas weekend, to be held in Trevi Bar March 21st at 3pm. Please remember its Your Fiesta make it happen Best regards Dickie Davies Chairman Fiestas Camposol
Perhaps now more than ever Advertising budgets matter. Call us and enquire about our low cost effective advertising Contact Robbie on 968 103 008 / 664 287 099
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NEWS
The new Community Choir
On a positive note, four girls from Spangles visited the choir 2 weeks back in early February- they really got the group motivated and we did quite a bit of interactive stuff. They also performed a little to illustrate the concept of harmonisation. Since then, we have sourced a very talented musician - Paul Reece - piano/keyboard player with a professional background ie used to play with Wizzard and other well known groups ie Sweet Sensations etc. Paul also writes music and songs for people and has a lot of knowledge about singing and harmonisation. The choir is lucky to have met such a person. Paul is available for private piano lessons - his tel no is 634 324 224. He is very easy to get on with and makes people feel at ease. His help will on the face of it be that of keyboard player - with Shirley Fisher leading the programme. However, behind the scenes his knowledge will be invaluable because for example he will be able to tailor a suitable song for the choir taking into account our capacity. To begin with, we are starting to assess voice pitches and allocate into groups and progress into creating harmonies. We are working on a regular weekly programme of breathing exercises, warm up songs, before going into the selected material. Over the next 6 weeks or so, the programme will be divided into 2 sections - one part being the popular music/rock etc., the other part being a few songs chosen from Oliver with the assistance of Stuart Hill who will act as Musical Director and also provide formal coaching to the group - with the aim of putting on a performance - maybe towards the end of March/April - venue as such not determined but could be Ladies Circle the performance to include the songs from Oliver and a few songs from the other section. Stuart’s help will be very beneficial as
we will have a short term goal to work towards and so we cant just “rest on our laurels.” Then there is an offer to sing at the Camposol Fiesta so afterwards we will have to get our act together to focus on that. Stuart will not be able to assist in that regard but there is someone in the wings who it is hoped will be able to continue as MD from that point.. Shirley Fisher
News from FAST
we now plan to have an Easter Fayre at Mariano´s Bar Sector A Camposol on Saturday the 7th April currently opening 11am - 3pm. We are sure that it should be just as successful as the Christmas one was. All proceeds of course go to maintain FAST Equipment. To date FAST have attended 88 call outs successfully thanks to our wonderful Volunteer Responders and have completed follow up calls on patients or relatives to ensure the best care is given. Our equipment is also top class with a range of defibrillators, Oxygen, Pulse Oxymeters to mention but a few. Anyone interested in joining FAST as a Responder again, please don´t hesitate to contact us as currently we are looking for more to join the team urgently. Full training is given and shifts are not excessive.
Sevilla says “that ‘the first aircraft will land at Corvera in June”
The Minister of Public Works highlights the good progress of negotiations with several airlines The first aircraft will land at the airport in Corvera late June or early July. Are the peramters within which the Ministry
of Public Works and Planning works and has been unveiled by the owner, Antonio Sevilla. Air Berlin, Vueling, EasyJet and Ryanair are amongst 25 airlines who have all had fruitful discussions about using the airport. Sevilla announced that rates will be “competitive” and can compete even with the airport in the neighbouring community at Alicante and the airport is committed to “low but viable rates and with which the airport can create good service” And, he explained, the government linked to the Ministry of Development “must determine whether the airport meets requirements for civil aviation and will have to determine what air space is to be used “ He is confident that this will not delay initial opening.”
Age Concern Programme for February
Age Concern Costa Calida is now a year old and has moved into new offices. For some time now offices and storage has meant underbuilds and the boots of cars, not exactly professional and certainly not efficient. The committee had been looking for premises for some time and finally located some on Camposol. Several were looked at, but location, cost or size ruled them out. Finally a decision was made to rent Calle Retama no 29 on C5. This is not a MASA built villa but one put up by other contractors. It’s very easy to find, cross the bridge onto C Sector, take first right and follow the road round, about 200 metres past the first turn off is No 29. It does have No.29 on its pillars and has a lamp standard right outside. New premises at Calle Retama Camposol Sector C5It are the headquarters of the Age Concern committee, with
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the possibility of bringing almost everything under one roof. Initially it is used as an advice and information centre. You can drop in on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning between 10AM and 2PM. A main phone has also been installed, so you can book tickets or appointments far more easily. 968 970 687 The monthly, first Wednesday of the month Talking Shop social stays at the Cultural Centre on Sector B Camposol 1.30 to 3.30PM. The Grand Auction, was on Friday 3rd February in Marianos on Sector A Camposol. For ten Euros you could register up to three items for the sale, keeping what you made Items were piled up at the back of Marianos early morning and many viewed them until noon. Auctioneer Rod brought the hammer down promptly at 1PM, and over 150 assorted objects were then sold. Over 100 in the audience bid, and there were some exciting clashes with up to four bidding for the same item. This was Age Concern’s first auction, and in fact nearly Camposol’s first as well. It certainly proved a need and an appetite. The committee has promised that it will run an auction every couple of months. At the end of February there were two events, A Country and Western evening at Marianos, Friday 24TH
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February 5 Euros for the music and 5 for an optional supper of chicken and chips. Music was by Phil Brady and the Brady Bunch, supported by the Mervyn Booth Disco The other was a Menu del Dia at Restaurante Barraca in the port on the 29th February. March sees the monthly social at the Cultural Centre Camposol B on Wednesday 7th and a Menu del Dia on Wednesday 28th at Country Club. Friday April 13th sees the Age Concern Spring Ball, priced at 18 euros, the Beagles & a four course carvery meal at the Sensol Golf Club Camposol Tickets can be had from outside the Salud bar on Camposol B on a Friday morning, or in the Bar Peyma just by the tourist information bandstand on a Thursday morning. They can also be had from the main office, 968 970 687 Calle Retama No 29, on C5 turn right after bridge and follow road round. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, 10AM while 2PM. Age Concern are very anxious to increase their selection of bric a brac, books and clothes. You can drop anything off during opening hours at the office.
A ray of hope in the fight against Masa.
In May 2010 we were advised by a neighbour that, via their solicitor, they had successfully taken Masa to court to recover the Plus Valia Tax they had paid. Although it was written into the purchase contract, it is a legal requirement that this tax is paid by the seller. In light of this development we, along with several others, approached this solicitor to act on our behalf. He explained that, as a precedent had been set, he was willing to take Masa to court on our behalf on the understanding that we gave him Power of Attorney to act for us, and he would retain one third of any money recovered. The case was duly won and Judgement issued, but then came the difficult part - trying to locate a bank account with money in it which was not siphoned off by Masa before an embargo could be placed on the account. Eventually an account was found with some money in it and this resulted in three people being paid out, ourselves included. The solicitor is continuing to search for more funds to repay the others and hopefully will be successful in the New Year. Name and address withheld, any correspondence to Rod Sawyer
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Weekly Events Sundays The Trevi on B, open every night for meals! The Trevi Bernie Mac and stand up bingo from 7PM Sunday Lunches Elliot’s in Bolnuevo 7E. Sensol Golf club, 12 Euros! Canadas Social Centre 6E booking advised, the Trevi. Mondays. Trevi’s music quiz, Alley Palais Bowling League. Sensol Golf Club Fun Quiz with Brian, Tel’s entertainment quiz at 9PM. Mondays and all week! Elliots Menu Del Dia 8.50, great tapas at Trevi. Tropikana has a 3.50 breakfast Tuesdays At the Trevi Sue’s fitness class 10AM. Mens fitness at 11.30AM. Karaoke with Byron Canadas Social Centre 9pm. food always available. Wednesdays The Trevi-quiz.9pm, Tel’s Bingo at 1.30PM, DJ on the decks at Alley Palais from 9p Thursdays Camposol Golf Club Camposol-live music with wine at €6 & beer 2pints for 3euros! Tel’s quiz & football card at 9PM. At the Trevi Sues fitness class 10AM.. Free line dancing at Canadas, 7.30pm followed by actual dancing, evening menu Fridays Alley Palais, karaoke from 9pm til late 2nd and last Friday of the month indoor market at Alley Palais At the Trevi, bridge daytime starting at 9.45am Saturdays Golf club, live entertainment, Trevi karaoke Bernie Mac, Fortnightly afternoon tea dance Sensol golf club Camposol 2.30 Bingo Tel’s Sunday 7.30PM & Wednesday 1.30PM, Quizes Trevi Monday night music quiz with John, Trevi-Wednesday quiz, 8.30PM Sensol Golf, fun quiz with Brian on Monday night; Tel’s Monday 9PM entertainment & Thursday fun 9PM, Open Mike Nights Thursdays as usual at the golf club 2 pints 3 Euros and wine 6 Euros a bottle also Jimmy’s BBQ 12 Euros! Karaoke Alley Palais at 9pm Friday, Saturday’s and Sundays, Trevi Bernie Mac Sunday’s, The Trevi Bernie Mac at 7PM, Friday evening Tels. Tuesdays Canadas from 9pm Local Markets Alley Palais 2nd and last Friday of the month! Canadas Sunday mornings, Mazarron Saturday morning. CAMPOSOL IS THURSDAY AM ON SECTOR A
Restaurant & Bar Bolnuevo’s Steakhouse Open 7 days Monday to Saturday 10am till 3.30pm 6.30pm till close. For breakfasts, lunches, and evening meals. Sunday lunches Everything freahly cooked 968 158 499
DON’T forget, every Thursday & Saturday at Camposol Sensol Golf Club is live music night! Two pints for 3 Euros, wine 6 Euros a bottle! Thursday 1st March Sensol Golf Club, Backwater live and jam Saturday 3rd March Sensol Golf club Camposol, Andy Jones Wednesday March 7th Age Concern Talking Shop Social at Cultural Centre Camposol B 1.30PM start until 3.30 Tea dance at the Sensol Camposol golf club, come and dance the afternoon Away to John Sloman, 2.30pm until 5pm. Now every fortnight Thursday 8th March Sensol Camposol golf club, CAS band live and jam Saturday 10th March Sensol Camposol golf club, Kyle James Thursday 15th March Sensol Camposol golf club, Backwater live and jam March 16th at Bullas Casa de la cultura March 17th and 23rd at La Molata social centre, just past Polaris world. “Wyrd Sisters” A play adapted from the Terry Pratchett novel Tickets 5€ from Age Concern: Rod Ellwood on 634146722/ rodandhazel@mazarronmail.com Saturday March 17th Sensol Camposol golf club Lenny Mitchell Bali Hi St patricks Day with the Lions at Bali Hi, Camposol Sunday 18th March Celebrate Mothers Day at Sensol Golf Camposol, special menu! Monday19th march PALS 3 days Benidorm, FB 125 euros Wednesday 21st March Tea Dance at Sensol Golf, Camposol John Sloman, 2.30PM Thursday 22nd March Sensol, Camposol golf club, Backwater Saturday 24th March Sensol Camposol golf club, Woody Monday 26th March Fiesta day trip to Valor choclate factory!!! Wednesday March 28th Age Concern, Menu del Dia at Country Club, 10 Euros, 1.30Pm, entertainment! The X factor starts at the Sensol Golf club, Camposol. Tickets 5 euros, golf club, entry? Phone Chris Cross 632 277 858 Thursday 29th march Sensol golf, Camposol, Backwater Saturday 31st March Sensol Golf club, Camposol Laking Lewis
the golf and social club
Open every day 8am till late. The best views on and over Camposol 603 135 387
QUICK GUIDE TO ADVERTISERS Accomodation & estate agents
Mercers www.spanishproperty.co.uk 00 34 968 199 188 from UK 08450 177 805 2let2buy2sell www.2let2sell2buy.com 968 979 876 from UK 00 44 1223 968 199 Sensol Golf Villa Rentals info@sensolgolfvillarentals.com 968 970 614 or 608 631 700 Costa Calida Property Services 968 199 251 costacalidaos@telefonica.net Villa Quest 968 974 918 www.villaquest.co.uk Spanish Resort Rentals, 0034 669 19 01 13 www.spanishresortrentals.com
Bar, restaurants & cafes
Alley Palais (CamposolB) 968 97 88 69 alleypalais@hotmail.com Bar Trevi (Camposol B) 669026544 Elliots (Bolnuevo) 968 158 499 Sensol Golf Restaurante (Camposol) 603 135 387 Seventh Heaven - The Port 968 332 088
Bathrooms
Beautiful Bathrooms 968 974 038 / 663 617 563 mybeautifulbathroom@gmail.com
Beauty Care & Health Heather mobile 636 657 481 Freedom Mobility 968 153 620
Electricians Andy 617 644 339
Fish & Chips Elliots Bolnuevo 968 158 499
Funerals and funeral plants
ASSA 968 153 396 Tony Smith, the funeral director 650 631 719
Golf & Accessories Condado Golf Company, 652 436 925
Gymnasiums
Camposol Fitness, ladies only 696 000 341
Hairdressers
Carols, Camposol B, 968 974 989
Insurance & Asesoria
Nash Warren, Bolnuevo 968 156 583 R&L Seguros 968 138 516 / 620 277 690 ASSA 968 453 386 www.assa.es El Pilar 968 425 210 info@asesoriaelpilar.com Ibex Insurance 968 595 945 Mazarron@ibexinsure.com www.ibexinsure.com Kennedy Financial Services, 951 219 576 - 678 935 992
Internet Cafes
Bowling Alley
Alley Palais (Camposol B) 968 978 869 Email: alleypalais@hotmail.com
Alley Palais 968 97 88 69
Law services
Shirley Ann Fisher 968 103 008
Builders CM Constructions 659 159 948
Metalwork of all kinds/decorative&utility
Car Hire
Mobility, aids & equipment
Eriks, Camposol 636 050 008
F&C Rental 968 199 156
Freedom & mobility Camposol 968 153 620
Painting & decorating
Car mechanics & car sales
Trevor Smith 968 163 298
Ken Sherwood mechanics 679 646 859
Pool cleaning, maintenance & repair
Camposol Business Centre
Mediterrania, District Journal, Security, Dentist, Chiropodists, Another World Properties 968 103 008
Central Heathing & Plumbing
Mark,The Boilerman 630 036 569 Calida Gas & Oil 659 761 771
Tony, the pool diver, complete services 646 438 694 Complete Pool Services 681 076 048 Pool King 628 055 973 Kohn pool Services 968 138 638 Or 626 684 979 email: koehn-poolservice@hotmail.com Watermaid pools systems, 636 698 501 info@watermaid-europe.com
Printing & Design
Charities
PALS 968 422 228 / 626460 465 Andreas animal rescue 690 906 565 JJPuppies 618 934 921 Making a Difference 634 357 137 Mabs 639 665 370 www.mabsmazarron.com Lions 682 104 635
Insignia Graphics, 618 615 903 Mister print 638 893 357
Shows & private events Kim, 699 293 136
Spanish interpreters and courses
Chiropodists
Nathalia Camposol Business Centre 968 103 008
Computer design services
Debbies translations & interpreting, 677 353 136 debstranslation@hotmail.co.uk Pilar Garcia 630 21 99 82
Television Services
Daniel White www.danielwhitedesign.com
Rainbow, 686 358 475 www.rainbowsats.org email rainbowsats@gmail.com
Window cleaning services
Dentist
AYS 619 877 303
Camposol Business Centre 968 103 008
Water, purification services
Ear Canding
The H20zone 619877303 TheH2ozone@live.com
Heather mobile 636 657 481
In the event of a medical emergency call 112 and then phone F.A.S.T on 968 970 626 (Camposol Only) THE LIONS LORCA EARTHQUAKE APPEAL Donations can be paid into the Santander Bank IBAN:0049 4578 3820 1000 4392 WANTED We’d like your old mobile phones to be re-cycled for charity! Just pass your old ones to any LIONS member. Any condition n.b. chargers and sim cards are not required Saturday 17th March ST PATRICKS DAY PARTY at Bali Hi, Camposol 5 Euros pp 7.30PM to midnight, Irish music, karaoke, raffle food is available. Sunday 25th March COACH TRIP to BENIDORM MARKET 15 Euros pp Drop off at the market or visit the town COACH TRIP TIMES AND PICK UP POINTS Puerto de Mazarron bus station 8.30AM. Country Club 8.45AM. Camposol A 9AM More info? 682 104 635. We are outside Kennelly’s every Friday morning,11AM to 1PM Asunto: Asociaciones Num 7.961/1 CIF G73385171
FEATURES
Foreign Language Tourette’s Syndrome
There’s only one thing worse than not being able to speak the language when you live in a foreign country, and that’s speaking it badly! I have an affliction that I think many language students have at some point: using the wrong word at inappropriate times. If I’m honest I have this affliction in English too. Blurting out the first thing that comes into my head, without censor, has gotten me into some funny scrapes. Recently we were at our local Spanish village fiesta and were happy to be invited to eat lunch with some neighbours. When we got there our fellow guests included the choir and the vicar. I understand some people have a reasonable fear of spiders, snakes or clowns (!), but my personal fear is of men dressed in frocks who think they hear the voice of god, like to eat his body and drink his blood. The vicar smiled and waved me over: “Come and sit here, right next to me,” and he patted the ratty bench. I looked behind me hoping he was talking to someone else, but no, he was beckoning me. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s a lovely man, smiley, friendly and about a foot
shorter than I am, and I’m sure I’d win in an arm wrestling contest. But, my interest in religion is minimal and my irrational fear of vicars is huge. I slowly walked towards him,hoping my husband would see my predicament and come to assist me. No such luck, I was on my own. “You have beautiful hair. It’s so light and luminous. You look like an angel,” was his opening gambit. Smooth talker or what? One of my tricks to learn Spanish is to copy what other people are saying and repeat it back. For example if a Spanish friend says, “Would you like some ham?” instead of just saying, “Yes please,” I would say, “Yes please, I would like some ham.” This technique has caused me loads of trouble in the past. Especially as I think all the scuba diving has blocked up my ears and I quite often hear the wrong thing. For example, the words for scared (miedo) and sh*t (mierda) sound remarkably similar to me. Telling our horse riding instructor that my fellow Brit riding companion is shit didn’t really help her confidence! I also have an insatiable urge to say the wrong thing at inappropriate times - take for example some years ago in a previous life when I was on stage in front of 100 or so insurance salesmen (99% of them were
men), explaining the virtues of the internet, when I froze and forgot what I was saying. After an interminably long pause I blurted out, “You can buy breast implants on the internet!” Well, it got their attention. So, my little vicar is smiling beatifically up at me, waiting for my grateful response, and I reply in Spanish: “You have beautiful hair too, it’s very gray. You look like a monk.” I thought that given the circumstances he’d be very happy with my response, surely any vicar would love to look like a monk? And if he’s calling me an angel, then a biblical response is required. No? However, he pursed his lips like I’d pee-d in his wine and slid along the bench in the opposite direction. I’d obviously said the wrong thing, again. Later, after a frosty lunch I asked my husband what I’d done wrong. I was indignant that I hadn’t meant to offend him. It transpired that instead of calling him a monk (monje) I had inadvertently called him a monkey (mono). Now even I know there aren’t any monkeys in the Catholic Church, there’s the holy goat of course, but monkeys? That would be stupid! Debs Jenkins is a British writer, living in Spain, with 2 dogs, 6 cats, 5 chickens and
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www.thecamposoljournal.com
2012
FEATURES
a horse - she loves scuba diving, writing, horse riding, boats & painting. She’s the author of Going Native In Murcia, the
database of more than 470,000 insured pets, and narrowed them down by voting for the 50 most unusual names in each category. Here are the results: So drumroll, please... the 10 Most Unusual Dog and Cat Names for 2011: 1. Almost-A-Dog 2. Franco Furter 3. Stinkie Mcstinkerson 4. Sir Seamus McPoop
5. Audrey Shepburn 6. Dewey Decimell 7. Knuckles Capone 8. Beagle Lugosi 9. Shooter Mclovin 10. Uzi Duzi-Du Ps whats the most unusual name on Camposol?
only English language dedicated guide to the Murcia region. Buy it at www. amazon.co.uk or www.NativeSpain.com
What names we lumber our pets with Pet lovers really take their time on pet names. After all, it’s a decision your pets will live with their whole lives. Working in a veterinary hospital, we see a lot of trends in names. There are some names that are very common, every day we see a Max, a Buddy, or Jake for males and a Molly or Maggie for females. Here is a fun list of unusual and wacky names. The employees at Veterinary Pet Insurance, (VPI), selected the most unusual pet names from the company’s
2012
Remember when you call an advertiser tell them you saw their advert here
page 23
LEGAL FEATURES ISSUES
Arts & Cultural Association of Murcia (ACAM)
ACAM’s very first AGM took place at the Camposol Business Centre On Friday 3rd February. A fantastic mix of members from Murcia Dance, George Thompson Community Art Classes and Mazarron Festival de Baile contributed to the AGM. From young children to parents, and, volunteers to students, on behalf of ACAM project managers and ACAM board we would like to say a huge thankyou for your time and continued support. Special thanks also goes to Luis Canavos for guiding us through the legal areas within the delivery of ACAM’s aims and objectives. It was great to have some children’s and young people’s input into a meeting that will shape the quality activities delivered locally for the young. In addition to this is was great to have parent representatives and students from ACAM’s Arts & Cultural projects, giving their advice and opinions to strenghten the foundations of ACAM. Key decisions made include the change of ACAM’s office address. ACAM projects will now fund a virtual office space at the Camposol Business Centre, Sector A. It’s been a very busy couple of months for
ACAM projects. Both Murcia Dance and George Thompson Art Classes are now running their projects at different venues. Murcia Dance Murcia Dance now delivers their children’s programme at the Sensol Hotel Dance Studio. The children from the age of 3 up to 13 years are loving it at the new venue. It’s spacious, light, mirrored, lovely views and the flooring is perfect for dance. This term the children will be working towards their Annual Performance and Presentation which will take place in May. They wil also be training in the Professional of Teachers (PTD) Hip Hop syllabus with the view of taking the UK Council for Dance in Education accreditted exams from January 2013. Murcia Dance Principal, Louise Bremner, is the Spanish Coordinator for the PTD in Spain. George Thompson Community Art Classes George Thompson delivers his Art Classes to adults at Canadas Del Romero Casa Cultura Community Building. George’s students also appreciate the new building which is light and has beautiful views that stimulate a creative and artistic environment to work in. Mazarron Festival de Baile 2012 Mazarron Festival de Baile has finalised
it’s 2012 dates. It will run from Saturday 23rd – Monday 25th June. Already 4 schools have registered with 60 entries. This fantastic event raises the profile and quality of dance throughout the Costa’s, and, brings many new people to the Mazarron area. 150 dancers from Almeria to Alicante, with, their family and friends are expected to attend this event which is now in it’s third year. Pilar Garica Language and Community Classes ACAM would like to welcome a new project member, Pilar Garcia Language and Cultural Activities. Pilar is actively working at securing links with schools and the Mazarron Council, not only to run a programme of funded language classes but also other ACAM projects. ACAM Development Mark Stocks, Vice President to ACAM has been busy setting up many ways of introducing ACAM to the rest of Europe. You can find about ACAM on our facebook page. Just tap in Arts & Cultural Association of Murcia and you will get information about ACAM’s projects and links to ACAM’s twitter page. For more information about getting involved in ACAM and accessing its’ projects please telephone Louise Bremner 655 421 120.
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Alle
lais Bi a P y
open from 7pm till 11pm Various homemade soups Chicken teriyaki Steaks Alley Palais specialiality fried chicken Pasta: various sauces bolognese, carbonara Thai chicken, prawm stir fry Burritos: braised pork, chicken mango, spicy chicken Fish: swordfish, sizzling shrimps Desserts: all homemade by Antoine. And Lots more, please see inside for menus Telephone 968978869
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FEATURES
Out & About One of our New Years Resolutions was to get out more. We have followed up some recommendations and visited old haunts. A week last Sunday, the 22nd January we tried the golf club. Ten Euros for basically four courses, an excellent home made soup, leek and potato, followed by a build yourself salad with some delicious ham, an array of main course meats, but I had the steak pie with all the trimmings and finished off with pavlova, strawberry! Great views and about 90 there, but no hold ups, and everything hot. And this last Sunday, the 29th we re-visited Elliot’s in Bolnuevo; I had a very nice deep fried camembert, Rathnait, her favourite prawn cocktail, she had beef and I had pork, all the trimmings, with the veg and gravy coming separately. I like a plate I have to load up, rather than one that arrives groaning and full. I also like to put my own gravy on! Rathnait was full but I very greedily had the lemon cream dish, very nice and beautifully presented. In both cases it is a mark of a good restaurant to take for granted the décor and table; clean and neat. No plastic surfaces here! On Camposol Si and Vicky, James and Louise are leaving the Tropikana. They have turned the fortunes of this bar right round and over the year it has become one of the most popular in the area. Signs of the times. We have also done some Menu del Dias; in particular the , this is just before the roundabout and motorway bridge on the main road into Mazarron. We had been told how nice it had become and gave its 8 euro menu a try. We will be back! Service was excellent, with an English translation of the short menu, as usual a tuna salad or home made soup choice, a fish or meat main, in this case we both had the stew which was delicious, followed by a Spanish cheesecake dessert, excellent. It was pretty full although we were the only British in at the time, a very relaxed meal. Would very much recomend a visit. I enjoyed the vino tinto. Last Friday, the 27th was an unmentionable birthday, too many decades. I was taken out for the night with friends down the road to Canadas where for 6 euros, yep birthday
page 26
skinflint! I had a four course meal and a jazz concert. I love A La mode. They first played three years ago? I heard the sound of trad jazz in a bar, stopped and investigated and stayed and enjoyed. They are now playing monthly, so the next one is Friday 2nd March and then the 13th April, check with the bar. It is a ticket affair, but the meal was very good value, salad, cold meats & quiche, followed by chicken wings and chips, finishing off with a Spanish cake. The jazz followed and was very lively, with a repetoire ranging from trad through mainstream to swing. Surrounded by rock music as we are, a trad band makes a difference, there was even a couple bunny hopping (sorry folks Lindy hopping!)! The only recommendation I would make, do go dressed warm, its not the hottest place in Mazarron! The 25th January saw an Age Concern Menu del Dia at the Da Fu Hau in the port. Rightly this is one of the most popular Chinese and some 56 sat down for the lunch. You cant fault the choice or the quality. No contest for me, chicken and corn soup, chau mein and duck, followed by lychees. Christine sang her heart out entertaining folk rather more successfully than the song and the only jarring note was the service delivery. The end table where we were had soup at 2.15 and the main at 3.45PM which is too long a gap. They did have everyone’s choices beforehand, but were full downstairs. These menu del dia’s on the last Wednesday of the month priced at 10 euros including entertainment are proving a most popular. The next one in February, the 29th, is at a Spanish restaurant in the port and has a mini Eistedfford as entertainment, St David’s day being the following day. It should be good food and good fun. The previous week we had gone to Welcome’s cheapo at Marianos, Chicken and chips followed by the Blues Bros. They did manage to serve over 150 rapidly with hot grub, a big plus. The Blues Bros got a big reception and their singing was excellent, but the act seemed to consist of capering up and down the stage area and isles! Welcome always seem to attract a big crowd and acts which are not well known on Camposol or in Mazarron. Rod Sawyer
www.thecamposoljournal.com
New Distribuiton Points for Lorca and Aguilas: Lorca: Purias: Furniture Plus Estacion: Bar Juan y Anna´s Aguilas 1. Oficina de turismo de Aguilas Calle del Rey Carlos III (Next to Port) 2. Bar Frankfurt - Paseo de Parra 3. Bar Sur - lle del Rey Carlos III 4. La Piramide - Paseo de la Constituación Also dont forget that you can now receive the Campsol District Journal by e-mail each month. Simply send an e-mail to cdjsubscription@hotmail.com and
2012
FREE INSTALLATION
VW’s European sales boom
Volkswagen has pulled even further ahead in the European new car sales race, posting a huge nine per cent increase in sales during 2011. The German giant shifted a total of 1,684,150 new cars in the 27 EU markets, up from 1,544,529 in 2011, according to figures just released by the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association. The Golf remained Europe’s best-selling model. At the bottom of the European brand table was Jaguar, which saw sales slide an alarming 14.7 per cent to just 23,074. The biggest winners of 2011 were Jeep (up 61.8 per cent to 23,745 units) and Lexus (up 53 per cent to 27,016) the brand clearly benefitting from the introduction of the compact CT200 hybrid. Ford came in as the second biggest brand, selling 1,077,759 cars, down 2.9 per cent on the year before in an EU market that was down 1.4 per cent to a total of 13,573,550 new car sales. Renault (third, with 1,044,920 sales) was down nine per cent and Opel/ Vauxhall (fourth with 989,261 sales) were down 1.8 per cent. The French PSA group had a bad year: Peugeot (fifth) fell 9.4 per cent to 911,703 and Citroen (sixth) fell eight per cent to 770,726 units. Other big losers were seventh-place Fiat, which saw sales fall 71.2 per cent to 682,140 units, 22nd-place Honda (down 20 per cent to 149,684) and Suzuki down 8.6 per cent to 177,996 units. Audi (8th) was up nine per cent to 680,262, BMW (9th) up five per cent to 641,737 and Mercedes (10th) up one per cent 591,750. Thanks to the Evoque Land Rover leapt 11.5 per cent to 74,706 units and Mini was up 19 per cent to 168,462 units on the introduction of the Countryman.
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Mitsubishi stop production in Europe
Mitsubishi will stop production at its Dutch factory by the end of the year, the manufacturer has announced. The NedCar facility currently builds the Mitsubishi Colt supermini and Mitsubishi Outlander SUV, but reports say annual production at the plant has dipped below 50,000 units. Mitsubishi had previously hinted that it would build another model at the factory, but company sources have been quoted as saying that ‘exchange rates and labour costs’ as well as this year’s expected shrinkage in the European new car market, ruled out installing another Mitsubishi model. Media reports suggest that the Japanese carmaker will investigate the possibility of allowing another manufacturer to take over the plant. Around 1500 people are employed at the facility. Located near Maastricht, the Mitsubishi facility started life as a DAF plant and became a Volvo facility when the Swedes bought DAF’s car division in the mid1970s. It became a joint-venture operation between the Dutch government, Volvo and Mitsubishi in 1991 and was the home of the S/V40 and Mitsubishi Carisma from the mid-1990s. Mitsubishi took full ownership of the factory in 2001 with Volvo pulling out in 2004. Mitsubishi also built the Colt-based Smart ForFour for Mercedes at the plant.
Taiwan-built Luxgen5 for Europe
Taiwanese car manufacturer Luxgen says its first premium saloon, the Luxgen5, will be angled towards European buyers. The Luxgen5, which will be unveiled in April 2012, will be come with the choice of two turbocharged engines. An all-new 2.0-litre unit will produce 170bhp and 188lb ft when coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission manufactured by the Japanese company AISIN. The car will cover 0-62mph in 8.48sec and has a top speed of 130mph. The second engine offering is a 1.8-litre that comes with a five-speed automatic gearbox and produces 150bhp and 170lb
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ft. Luxgen worked with smartphone manufacturer HTC to develop the driver aids and multimedia systems on the Luxgen5. The car can be linked to
smartphones using the Android operating system. The Think+ multimedia interface allows full mobile phone functionality to be controlled directly through a 9in smart touch screen on the central console. The Luxgen5 also gets head-up display, lane departure warning system, blind-spot assist, satnav and Bluetooth connectivity. Designed with global sales in mind, the Luxgen5’s chassis has had input from US engineering company, Altair. Athough Luxgen hasn’t confirmed whether the car will definitely go on sale to Britain, the fact that the car has undergone testing on a mixture of European and UK roads, including suspension configuration sessions at MIRA, suggests it is designed with this purpose in mind. The Luxgen5 will make its public debut at the Taipei auto show next April.
Sports car painted on the side of a van (very clever)
2012
Revised Aston Martin Vantage launched
Aston Martin has announced a series of engineering updates and styling revamps for the 2012 Vantage range. The new lineup will be priced from £84,995 for the entry-level V8 and will top out with the limited-edition V12 Zagato at just under
£400,000. Described as the biggest range overhaul since 2008, the base 420bhp V8 Vantage gets a number of upgrades first seen on the Vantage S model, including quicker steering, bigger brakes and wider tyres. A new steering column installation, revalved power steering and a quicker (15:1 from 17:1) ratio is claimed to give more feedback and provide more agility. The braking system has been enhanced
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at the front, with new 380mm, twopiece ventilated cast iron front discs and six-piston calipers. Aston is claiming “significantly increased stopping power and pedal feel”. A brake-holding Hill Start Assist set-up is also included as standard, and the tyres are now 10mm wider. The new seven-speed Sportshift II automated manual transmission is now an option. The 2012 V8 Vantage is distinguished by styling changes inspired by the Vantage S and limited-edition Vantage N420. It gets a new lower front bumper and air splitter, restyled sills and a new rear bumper equipped with a diffuser. Priced from £99,995, the 430bhp Vantage S gets the new Sportshift II ’box as standard, as well as a sports exhaust, a “motorsport-derived, carbonfibre detailed” aerodynamic styling package and a more sumptuously trimmed, handstitched leather interior. The company’s new integrated Garmin sat-nav is also standard, as is cruise control and Bluetooth. The V12 Vantage continues unchanged. Deliveries of the V12 Zagato will start in the final quarter of 2012, and Aston
Martin says production will be strictly limited to 150 units. More than a third have already been sold.
Pippa rage!
He won’t have been the only chap to have admired Pippa Middleton’s shapely figure during the royal wedding. But he may have been the only one foolish enough to make his appreciation quite so obvious to his partner.
And as this unfortunate driver now knows, hell hath no fury like a woman unfavourably compared with the royal maid of honour. The unknown man was caught on camera with ‘Is Pippa’s bum still better than mine?’ daubed across his Peugeot 206 in white paint.
See our main advert on page 26
Pina colada al vaso (Rum cake filled with Pina Colada)
Description: This cake is like a Caribbean Pirates treasure chest. Well worth finding! Ingredients: 1 slice pineapple 1 egg 75 g butter 1 tablespoon flour ¼ cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey ¼ cup water ½ cup rum - For the custard: 100 ml of cow’s milk 50 ml coconut milk - To decorate: 4 Cherries mint leaves Directions: To make the cake dough, put the egg in a bowl, add a tablespoon of brown sugar, a tablespoon of honey and mix all ingredients well with a hand held blender. Add a tablespoon of flour and mix gently. Take two cup cake molds lined with baking paper and add the cake mixture into them. Bake at 180 º C for 15 minutes. Put the coconut milk and cow’s milk in a saucepan and mix well with a wooden spoon. Put the butter in a skillet. Cut the pineapple slice into small cubes and add it into the pan with the melted butter. Add a pinch of brown sugar and a splash of rum. To plate up the dessert, unmold the cakes. Remove the tops of the cupcakes and set aside. Hollow out the cupcakes in the middle, put them on two plates and fill the hole with pineapple. Pour over milk mixture in a decorative manner. Place the reserved top of the cake, sprinkle with sugar. Finally garnish with two cherries and mint leaves. Serve.
Granizado de melocotón y almendra (Peach and Almond Granita)
Description: Infused almonds make a richly flavoured “milk” that forms the basis of this light, easy, tangy dessert which would be the ideal choice to follow a filling main course. Ingredients: 115g (1 cup) ground almonds 900ml (3 3/4 cups) water 150g (3/4 cup) caster sugar 1 tsp almond extract juice of 2 lemons 6 fresh peaches Amaretto liqueur, to serve (optional) Directions: Put the ground almonds in a pan and pour in 600ml (2 1/2 cups) of the water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve placed over a bowl, and press lightly with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Pour the liquid into a clean, heavy pan. Discard the infused almonds. Add the sugar and almond extract to the pan, with half the lemon juice and the remaining water. Heat gently until the sugar disolves, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3 minutes without stirring, taking care that the almond syrup does not boil over. Leave to cool. Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones. Using a small knife, scoop out about half the flesh to enlarge the cavities. Put the flesh in a blender or food processor. Brush the exposed flesh with the remaining lemon juice, chill the peaches. Add the almond syrup to the peach flesh in the blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour into a shallow freezer proof container and freeze until ice crystals have formed around the edges. Stir
with a fork, then freeze again until more crystals have formed around the edges. Repeat until the mixture has the consistancy of crushed ice. Lightly break up the granita with a fork to loosen the mixture. Spoon into the peach halves and place two on each serving plate. Drizzle a little amaretto liqueur over the top, if you like.
Bizcocho para el Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day cake)
This is a popular cake for celebrations made with apricots and decorated with some candy fruit on top. Serves 4 to 6 people. Ingredients: 4 eggs separated 250 g sugar 250 g flour 1 / 2 cup olive oil 1 / 2 cup milk 1 tsp dry yeast some apricots some candy fruit for decoration Preparation: Mix the yeast with the flour. Preheat oven to 180deg Grease baking tray with butter and sprinkle a little flour. Beat the egg yolks and add sugar gradually. Carry on whisking and add oil, then milk and finally add the flour mixture. Put the apricots in the bottom of the baking tray, which you should first cover with buttered and floured sheet of wax paper. Pour the mixture on top of apricots and decorate with candy fruit. Then put it in the oven at 180º C for about 20 to 25 minutes. Check if it is done with a knife or a skewer, which will be clean when it is cooked. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Not Like Grandma’s Sherry
A not-so-traditional sherry cocktail at Tabard Inn. The first sherry cocktail that ever touched the lips of Adam Bernbach, bar manager at Proof and Estadio, was the work of another notable local barman: Derek Brown, who owns the Columbia Room and the Passenger cocktail bars in DC. “It was a variation on an Adonis”—a mix of dry sherry, sweet vermouth, and bitters—recalls Bernbach, and the drink made an impression. Although José Andrés’s Jaleo was the area’s first sherry-cocktail destination, Bernbach is now Washington’s foremost mixer of sherryenhanced concoctions. He uses dry finos, aromatic amontillados, and dark, rich olorosos in place of base spirits and in supporting roles, sweetening or bittering up drinks as necessary. Sherry, which begins life as a white-wine grape, hails from the southwest of Spain, in and around the city of Jerez. After vintners press and ferment the fruit, they fortify the wine and age it in barrels, often using the solera system, mixing old batches with new. For years, the Spanish shipped cheap stuff to the United States—that’s how it earned its reputation as Grandma’s super-sweet postprandial sipper. Today, wine and liquor stores stock an array of sherries, making it easy to experiment at home. A good place to start is this cocktail—which pairs amontillado sherry with aged tequila and Drambuie—from Chantal Tseng at DC’s Tabard Inn. Tabard Cocktail Serves 1 1½ ounces reposado tequila, such as Milagro ½ ounce amontillado sherry, such as Lustau Dry Amontillado Los Arcos ½ ounce Drambuie 1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters 1 slice orange peel 1 sprig fresh thyme Fill a bar glass with ice and add the tequila, sherry, Drambuie, and orange bitters. Stir about 50 times, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the drink to release its oils, then float the peel and rest the sprig of thyme on top.
The Rules of Golf are Still Stupid! By John Brown
Sometimes in life, you will stand at a metaphorical crossroads, and you will opt to take one side of the fork in the road. At one of those crossroads you will find by the side of the road, my grey flannels and my navy blazer with shiny buttons. (I held on to the shiny black shoes). I was Captain of the Junior Golf Team, and this was the compulsory uniform at team matches. I’m so pleased that I didn’t progress to being that blazer-guy at the golf course. I’m recollecting this because the men in grey flannels and navy blazers are having a field day – particularly at the R & A and also at the FA. The FA continues to dig holes for itself. They haven’t been able to introduce video technology, so the men in blazers now hold a Monday morning trial by video where they replay all the weekend’s heavy tackles and then they issue post-match bans on the ones that the referees allegedly missed. After their admirable stand against racism, the FA have just recently removed the Captaincy from John Terry. In any professional organisation anyone being accused of such a serious charge would be suspended, without prejudice and on full pay, pending an investigation. Fabio Capello just didn’t get it. He is one of the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ brigade. So Fabio then allows himself to be interviewed on Italian TV where he says the decision is stupid, and nobody spoke to him about it. How is it that no-one wearing a blazer at the FA went out of their way to inform Fabio that they were about to remove John Terry from the Captaincy? Why wasn’t Fabio briefed about the FA’s position, and why wasn’t he given some guidelines about what to say to the press? It beggars belief! The FA has also introduced a new yellow card offence. It is now deemed to be ungentlemanly conduct for a player to pass the ball to Andy Carroll. This is viewed by the FA as being an example of deliberate timewasting, and not acting in the best interests of the game. As a fan of Newcastle, the ‘Great Disaster’ of the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool has now turned into the great £35m laughing stock. If it wasn’t Kenny Daglish in charge there would be hoards of Liverpool fans descending on Anfield carrying flaming torches like Transylvanian villagers marching on Dracula’s castle. Subway have announced they no longer plan to name a sandwich after Andy Carroll due to cost issues. It would just be an expensive sub. Andy Carroll has issued a statement on his move to Liverpool. ‘I really enjoyed playing in the Championship last year and Liverpool are a
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club going in the right direction for me.’ There’s been a fire in Andy Carroll’s house. His whole library has gone up in flames! He has lost both of his books! (And he hasn’t finished colouring in one of them yet)! For more jokes, you can always rely on golf’s men in blazers – the men at the USPGA and the R&A. They sat down together in 2011 to review the rules of golf. The golfers rule-book amounts to 208 pages of overblown complexity that is crying out for simplification. So what did they change? The three main rule changes are: Bunkers – you can now rake them before you take your shot. Windy greens – if your ball gets blown away when you try to putt, you won’t be penalised. Late on the tee – if you turn up 5 minutes late, you can now play (rather than being disqualified) but with a 2 shot penalty added. So who is affected by these small changes and under what circumstances? Well, the professional golfer is always presented with an immaculate bunker, so it isn’t him or her. I’ve personally never considered the condition of a bunker before I take the shot? The only circumstances where it may be an issue is where your ball is in a badly raked bunker, and you think you may not get out in one shot – so you rake it in advance of failing to get out? Not a big deal for most golfers. I’ve never had a problem with wind – well, not while I’m putting at any rate. You need to be on very fast greens and in a high wind. So this rule change will impact mainly on professionals. I watched Padraig Harrington struggle to take an important putt at Turnberry. He was holding his putter off the ground in order to prevent him being penalised if the wind blew his ball away. This rule isn’t likely to impact on you and me when we play golf, but it is a good change. Being late on the tee is occasionally a problem for professionals – especially with a very early tee off time. If you miss the start of your monthly medal, it is an inconvenience and you take whatever punishment the committee deems appropriate – often being excluded from the next two or three competitions. This rule change will mainly impact on professionals. That’s it! There was no mention in the review about all the other silly rules that impact on golfers. Ian Poulter dropping his ball onto his ball-marker, for example. Rory McIlroy has just received a 2-stroke penalty for brushing away some sand that was in front of his ball, on the fringe of the putting green. He was about a foot off the green. He is allowed to brush away sand if he is a foot further forward, but not if he is off the putting surface. What difference is it going to make to allow golfers to brush sand away if they are going to putt from off the green? What about spike marks? Anders Hansen was looking at a 5 -foot putt at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Between him and the hole there was a large spike mark – it looked like it was about a ¼ inch
high? Anders hit a good looking putt. The good looking putt hit the spike mark and it instantly swerved left finishing about 3 inches wide of the hole. Where is the justice in this? Why can’t Anders flatten the spike mark? OK I hear you all saying – they would all be doing it – flattening all sorts of bumps all the time – it would slow the game down. Well what about being allowed to only flatten 1 spike mark with only 1 tap of the putter? It would only be fair. This rule is reminiscent of the stymie. Indays of old, if your opponent’s ball finished between your ball and the hole, you had to leave it there. You were snookered, or ‘stymied.’ Professionals had to learn to chip the ball over the opponent’s ball and into the hole. Plugged balls are equally unfair. If a ball is plugged, you should be able to just lift it and drop it. The same should apply to bits of mud that are stuck on a ball. You should be able to lift it, clean it and drop it – end of story. What is fair about your ball landing on a soggy bit of turf and subsequently disappearing below the surface of the course - plugged? Why is it necessary to try to play a ball that is submerged? You and I would do well to hit a good shot even if it was teed up in the middle of the fairway, let alone with 1 inch of it being underground! Similarly, if a ball is in a divot, why not allow the player to lift it and drop it? Why not get rid of the ball in divot played as it lies rule? What difference would it make? It is patently unfair as it stands. It is hard enough for most of us to play off perfect lies. I can’t see, for example, that the local bad weather rules about preferred lies in poor conditions gives anyone an unfair advantage? So the men in blazers have decreed – these are the new rules of golf and the rules of amateur status 2012 – 2015. It will be another 3 years before they deliberate again. The Rules of Golf are still stupid.
Remember when you call an advertiser tell them you saw their advert here
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Property, Financial and Legal CHANGES IN THE LAW AFFECTING QROPS REGULATIONS
In my last article, I talked about the new legislation which was to be effected and the effects this can have on your QROPS transfer. Angela South, Managing Director of Expat Pensions, says “ the consultation period ended on 31st January 2012 and by the time you read this article, the extent of the new law bringing tighter controls regarding QROPS will be known, and from 6th April all transfers will be subject to these new restrictions. This does NOT mean that QROPS is stopping – it means that there will be changes and tighter controls. It is expected some of the changes will include: The five year non-resident rule for scheme reporting will be changed to 10 years from the date of transfer QROPS must be recognised for tax purposes in their country of establishment Individuals will have to acknowledge the tax implications of moving their pension out of the UK – this could be a requirement prior to successful transfer of a scheme It should be understood that the Government has STRESSED that it is “preserving the ability for those intending to leave the UK to take their pension savings with them to continue saving and provide an income when they retire”. That is why the QROPS Regulations are not stopping but there will be changes. Why are there changes ? Because the UK Government wants to make sure that “qualifying recognised overseas pension schemes” (QROPS) are not used as a way of obtaining payments from UK pension plans and thus avoiding payment of tax charges due to the Inland Revenue. Angela will now be able to advise you about the new regulations and how this will affect the options open to you to effect a QROPS transfer. Why not be one of the first clients to receive advice regarding your UK private pension under the new regulations! IF YOU WANT TO KNOW YOUR OPTIONS – contact me to start the no commitment enquiry process Shirley Ann Fisher, UK Lawyer & Commissioner of Oaths, Camposol Business Centre, Calle Madrid 19, Camposol, Mazarron, Murcia 30875, or ring me on my mobile 634 053 976 or send me an email to shirleyfisherlegalservices@gmail.com
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RENEWING RESIDENCIA WHERE TO GO/PROCEDURES
(I carried out renewal today, so this report is well up to date) 1. Documents required: a. Modelo EX 18 (application). Complete part 1 and sign bottom with date (can be downloaded). One copy only required. b. Modelo 790 (in triplicate) - form for payment of fee of Euro 10,20. Cannot be down loaded. Obtain when you arrive and complete part 1, sign top and bottom. If you can get a Modelo 790 before you go then this saves time and hassle. c. Your valid Passport. d. One passport size photograph. e. One photocopy of your passport (the page with the detail and photograph on it). f. Your old residencia card. 2. Where to go: a. National Police Commisarriat in Cartagena (in vicinity of Naval Museum and road to the port). b. Blue zone parking close-by but very much in demand. Underground car park 300 metres along port road - not cheap. c. Follow sign for EXTRANJEROS DOCUMENTACCION when you get to the commissariat. Takes you to rear of building. d. You will see a large ‘toldos’ and a ramp and steps with two doors. Look for door with sign EXTRANJEROS. e. Queue at bottom of steps, not on the ramp. f. Aim to get there for 8am. Be first in queue. At about 8.30am funcionario will hand out tickets and checking on why you are there and if you have the right documentaion. At this time he will give you a Modelo 790 should you not have one. Euro citizens appear to get priority. g. Door will open at 9am and the same funcionario will call the first four forward and you go in (my wife and I were tickets 3 and 4).
back to you (you can keep). You will also get to keep the top copy of the Modelo 790. d. You are finger printed (once) and the impression is made on the EX 18 which you have handed in. e. You are handed your new redidencia. THIS IS NOW A CARD WHICH IS TAKEN OUT OF THE RECORDING RESIDENCIA DOCUMENTATION WHICH THEY KEEP. THIS CARD IS THE SIZE OF A DEBIT/ CREDIT CARD. SAME SIZE AS YOU OLD RESIDENCIA BUT NOT AS SOPHISTICATED AND WITHOUT A PHOTOGRAPH. THIS IS THE CERTIFICATE OF YOUR AUTHORISED RESIDENCE IN SPAIN (it is back-dated to your original residencia date). THERE IS NOT A LETTER ANYMORE! Tips: Good idea to have more photocopies than required - JUST IN CASE. Also photographs. Might also be a good idea to have your padron with you too - but not necessary under the procedure. Again, just in case because procedures can change at a WHIM in Spain - Civil Service you know!!!!! FINDINGS. Excellent service. Time taken once inside the office - about 20 minutes. Efficient, especially one of the ladies who I recognise from first time round seven years ago, she was particularly efficient and fast. Regards, Stanley Long
3. Procedure. a. Stand at barrier once you get into office and to your right you will see a funcionario (lady). She will indicate you to come forward and you hand your Modelo 790 to her together with Euro 10,20. She will receipt your 790 and hand back the top and second copies, keeping the third. b. You then go to one of two funcionarios when they call you. Hand over your EX18 plus all documents/photograph. c. The funcionario will document you and hand back your documents, having first cut the corner of your old residencia card when handing it
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FOUR YEARS ON
As the economic situation worsens and the Governments of both Spain and the UK seek to collect as much tax from us as possible we need to do all we can to make sure we are not paying too much tax in the UK or Spain. Four years on from helping our first clients obtain the refund of their overpaid UK tax UK Tax Refunds sl are still providing a service to the expatriate community obtaining refunds of overpaid tax, helping people become fiscally correct in Spain, writing tax efficient wills and advising on tax efficient wills. How many people reading this have thought it really is time I got my affairs in order in Spain, but for whatever reason language, economic and other difficulties, have never quite got around to it, well for the cost of a telephone call UK Tax Refunds will advise you if you are entitled to a refund from the UK taxman, how being fiscally correct in Spain cou save you thousands of euros in the long term and give you peace of mind that you are conducting your affairs properly in both countries. If you have ongoing problems with HMRC can we help? is self assessment driving you mad? do you have a “K” code and don’t know why? do you think HMRC are not giving you the best advice would you like a second opinion. For help on any of these things
please telephone us on
965 690 518.
Property, Financial and Legal Do Estate Agents really knock prices down?
I have heard many people say, “oh but at X estate agents they knock the price down for their buyers”. I can understand people thinking this, especially in these tough times but the reality could not be further from the truth. Estate Agents make their money in commission, based on the sale price. So the higher the sale price the more commission earned. Please also remember that we do not make offers. Our buyers make the offers and we submit these to the vendor. If the vendor thinks the offer is too low, they should counter offer and so on until a price is agreed by both parties. As Estate Agents our responsibilities are to both the vendor and buyer, we are really a conduit to connect the two parties. When a vendor comes to us, we have a rough idea what their property will be worth, simply by noting the property style and where it is located. We then make a visit to value the property. The value can be determined by many factors, such is there a swimming pool, Air-Con, Central Heating, is there converted under building etc etc. The market dictates what a property will sell for, not us. Let’s assume that a standard Classico has a price band of between €40 - €60,000, there is little point in trying to get €75,000 and any experienced agent should advise you accordingly. In a buyer’s market, the buyer holds all the cards. They can look at countless web sites and they will know within 30 minutes of internet research, what the price band is for a Classico. We work hard for both our vendors and buyers to get the optimum price achievable. We want both parties to be happy with the result and we would like to think people are happy with our services and judging by the large amount of referral clients we get, we are doing something right. So the next time you hear someone say “they just knock prices down” please remind them that it is not in our best interest to do so!. Chris Mercer MNAEA
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Currencies Direct Andrew Brown Regional Sales Manager of Private Foreign Exchange at Currencies Direct says ignore the doomsayers, Spain still has a lot to offer. Despite the current credit crunch Spain is still the number one preference for those looking to retire or start a new life abroad or at least that is what all the newspapers, magazines and web portals are trying to persuade us, while the property market endures the worst recession since the 1980’s. The reality is that every country is suffering, but is there any better country than Spain in which to ride out the recession? With sunshine most of the year, beautiful beaches and stunning mountainous landscapes, superb food and wine, and the charming locals, Spain certainly offers the most pleasant way to go through challenging times. The first tip on getting through these difficult times is to review all existing expenditure and look at alternative solutions for your financial commitments. As a foreign exchange specialist, Currencies Direct guarantees to beat any high street bank on price and service for international payments regardless of the amount or whether you are sending or receiving funds. In difficult times when you need to make the most of your money, why give it away through poor exchange rates and exorbitant payment charges? Through our extensive Spanish local branch network in Mojácar, Moraira La Zenia and Marbella, we are never far from where you are in Spain. Our specialist team have a good understanding of how to
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make things easier and work hard to make your money go further. Using Currencies Direct for foreign exchange and international payments means no commissions, no sending or receiving charges (in Spain or the UK) and the most competitive exchange rates, meaning you save money. If you are buying or selling a property we can save you up to 3% off a property price compared to your high street bank. If you are transferring money on a regular basis to support your life in Spain, whether it is for mortgage payments, pensions or general living funds, it pays to use our free Overseas Regular Transfer Plan. Most banks typically charge between £10 and £40 on every monthly transfer - I firmly believe that you shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege of sending your money overseas. Currencies Direct’s Regular Transfer Plan allows you to send your money on a monthly basis at no charge and always at the best possible rate. You are in complete control, as the plan can be started, stopped or changed at anytime - it couldn’t be simpler. These are just two of the innovative ways we can make your life in Spain easier for you. For more information about our services and a free no obligation consultation, please visit one of our offices, or contact me directly, I will be happy to discuss your currency requirements with you in our office or in the comfort and privacy of your home. Contact the Currencies Direct Mojacar office on +34 950 478 914 or email me directly at andrew.b@currenciesdirect.com
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Remember when you call an advertiser tell them you saw their advert here
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Getting in touch with the committees and organisations
CRA Camposol Residents Association. Main base is the wooden hut on the car park on Sector B Commercial Centre. It is open Mon, Wed & Fri mornings.email them on info@cracamposol.com. Chairman is Bob Owen available on Tel :(0034) 634 364 738 Secretary is Sandy Allison Their web site which is interactive and very informative is www.cracamposol.com Sector A committee. Have their own web site at www.a-camposol.com They can be emailed at info@a-camposol.com. They publish minutes and notes in the window of the office at far end of shops bottom Sector A Commercial centre, behind the post boxes. The telephone contact number for the committee is 603109974 This number is manned every morning Monday thru Friday 10am / 12noon Sector A gardening group is run by David Senior Peake who can be contacted by email dseniorpeake@hotmail.co.uk. They also run a bookstall Friday morning outside the post room on A. The team leaders meet monthly in Tels first Monday in moth 11AM visitors welcome. Sector B & B-clean (their gardening group) NB B sector community group is newly formed. Helen White 968 199 506 is the pro tem organisor. Sector C Greenfingers gardening group, Bernard Holland, our chairman - Tel 626 513 842, email spainvilarosa@gmail.com Camposol Community Group D Sector The group meets monthly on the first Tuesday at 4PM in the Trevi Chairman Mick Drummond 968131971 or 660038015 Secretary Les Crook 968979831 or 606874193 Ents and Tickets Linda Crook 968979831 or 606874193 Trailer Bookings John Hannah 634341427 Compost Site Supervisor 651119145 Camposol Fiesta www.fiestascamposol.es Dicky Davies 968 199 967 Age Concern Meets every Wednesday morning in the Cultural Centre everyone welcome Their chair is Anne Lambert 628 153 329 Camposolers The registered group site for residents of Camposol, the proprietor is Reg Rogers who can be contacted by e-mailing reg rogers@hotmail.com. Apply to Reg for membership. NB there is an underline dash between reg and rogers!!!!!! Town Hall can now be contacted through an office in the Cultural Centre Sector B, by the roundabout down from the roundabout by the filling station. Tatiana Andres is there to help you every weekday morning. Phone 968 131 717, email oficinacamposol@mazarron.es MABS now have an office in the old MASA office on the main dual carriage way on Sector C LIONS, Secretary Lion Mike Coombs 968 429 129 Membership Lion Mervyn Booth 968 163 082 ANNOUNCEMENTS The Fiesta committee has announced that the fiesta will be held on the 16th & 17th June in 2012. If your committee would like your details here then please contact Rod Sawyer at rodsawyer41@hotmail.com
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MABS EVENTS IN MAZARRÓN March 2012 Saturday 24 March – MABS SPRING BALL Costa Hotel, Mazarrón, 7.30 pm for 8.00 pm Tickets 27.50 Euros (to include Grand Raffle Draw plus other prizes). Smart Dress Code. Coach available at extra cost. To order tickets call: 620 582 418
Tuesday 27 March - VOLUNTEERS MEETING – Trevi Bar, Camposol Sector B – 11.30 am If you would like to find out more about how you can help MABS come along to our meeting. For further information please ring Bev on 693 362 823 Friday 30 March – JIGSAW BEREAVEMENT GROUP – Cat’s Bar, Camposol Sector A – 2.00 pm The MABS Mazarrón bereavement group ‘Jigsaw’ meets on the last Friday of the month at Cat’s Bar, Camposol Sector A, Mazarrón. Call 620 582 418 for further details. Every 2nd and 3rd Friday – BOOK SALE – Camposol Sector B Commercial Centre Spring Ball and raffle tickets on sale outside Alley Palais every Friday Keep watching the press or visit our website www.mabsmurcia.com for more events For further details, please call 620 582 418
0!,3 %6%.43 Monday 19th March Benidorm 3 day trip, 125 Euros FB, Helios Hotel Friday April 6th new band The Doghouse Blues Band, Good Friday Dance at the Golf Club on Camposol . Tickets 5 Euros or 8 Euros to include meal Fixed price drinks. Wednesday 18th April Mojacar/Bedar trip lunch inc at 25 Euros 1st May, 29th June & 12th October, BBQ’s on the beach at Bolnuevo, 13 Euros! October 20th for a 7 night/8 day fully inclusive cruise to Malta, Sicily, Maples, Sardinia and Palma from 600 Euros per person including transport Tickets for all of these at The Trevi on a Saturday between 11 and 1.30 or in the Port at Saralaras on a Wednesday from 1 .30 till 3 or call 626 460465
Have a great time with PALS who DO IT 4 U,
COSTA CALIDA Future Events
Every Monday Wednesday & Friday morning at the AC office on Calle no 29, cross the bridge and turn right round the periphery road on C. the office is open for the deposit of items for the bric a brac, clothes and book stall as well as advice and information. Wednesday 7th the monthly social at the Cultural Centre Camposol B, free at 1.30PM Wednesday 28th at Country Club, Menu del Dia 10 Euros starts at 1.30PM Friday April 13th sees the Age Concern Spring Ball, priced at 18 euros, the Beagles & a four course carvery meal at the Sensol Golf Club Camposol. In response to requests Age Concern is organising another daytime Murcia coach trip, price 10 Euros, on the 16th March, starting from the port, Country Club & Camposol
Tickets can be had from outside the Salud bar on Camposol B on a Friday Ticketsor from where Wednesday AM, atinformation the advice session at the on morning, in the Barapplicable Peyma just by the tourist bandstand a Thursday morning. Ring 634 103 215B,or 634 336 484 Cultural Centre Camposol or outside the Salud Camposol B Friday mornings page 36 Remember when you call an advertiser them you sawortheir advert here ring tell Graham 634310215 Maggie 634336484
Pets age much faster than we do.
Andrea’s Animal Rescue & The Henrietta Foundation is first and foremost an Equine/Donkey Charity, we have just last month taken in another donkey that was abandoned in Cartagena. But due to the situation regarding ill treated and abandoned dogs here in Spain, we now have an abundance of dogs that we really need to find new homes for... So this month we want to concentrate on trying to find homes for these lovely girls and boys. If anyone out there feels that they could offer a home to any of these dogs, or even offer some respite foster care, please contact Andrea on 690 906 565 or visit our website www.andreasanimalrescue.com for further information. Rathnait and I spent an afternoon at Andreas recently. Its overwhelming, the numbers the care. When you meet the dogs all saying chose me you could bring them all home. The donkeys and sheep are in a corral with their own accommodation, built for the job. The dogs have their own compound by the house and mostly the run of the house. Sit down and you are buried under dogs. I don’t know how they manage. We have three dogs and they keep us busy. All the dogs are obviously happy and well cared for, but Andrea cant be the end of the line. Please look at the pictures, we have met all the dogs and there isn’t one we wouldn’t have. If you can take one, and if a problem, why not foster? Rod Sawyer
Maddie
Mindy
Bobby
Leroy
Buddy
Lucky
Mia
Gypsy
Joel
Murphy
Muffin
Karla
Scamp
Pumkin
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The life span of a dog depends on its size or breed. In general, the larger the breed or size of the dog, the shorter the life span. For example, in a study of life-spans, only 13% of giant breed dogs lived to be over 10 years old. Conversely, 38% of small breed dogs live to be over 10 years of age.
Dogs are considered senior in the last 25% of their lives. Below is a list of the most common breeds with their life expectancies and age at which they are considered “senior”. When your dog is senior, make sure they have a senior check-up with your vet.
Tommy Cooper Jokes
Man goes to the docs, with a strawberry growing out of his head. Doc says, ‘I’ll give you some cream to put on it.’ ‘Doc, I can’t stop singing the green green grass of home.’ ‘That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome.’ ‘Is it common?’ ‘It’s not unusual.’ A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet. ‘My dog’s cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him?’ ‘Well,’ says the vet, ‘let’s have a look at him’ So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth. Finally, he says, ‘I’m going to have to put him down.’ ‘What? Because he’s cross-eyed? ‘ ‘No, because he’s really heavy’
A drunk staggers into a Catholic Church, enters a confessional booth, sits down, but says nothing. The priest coughs a few times to get his attention But the drunk continues to sit there. Finally, the priest pounds three times on the wall. The drunk mumbles, “Ain’t no use knockin, there’s No paper on this side either!”
‘Doctor, I can’t pronounce my F’s, T’s and H’s.’ ‘Well you can’t say fairer than that then’ Two elephants walk off a cliff...... boom boom! So I went to the dentist. He said ‘Say Aaah.’ I said ‘Why?’ He said ‘My dog’s died.’ So I got home, and the phone was ringing. I picked it up, and said ‘Who’s speaking please?’ And a voice said ‘You are.’ So I rang up my local swimming baths. I said ‘Is that the local swimming baths?’ He said ‘It depends where you’re calling from.’ So I rang up a local building firm, I said ‘I want a skip outside my house.’ He said ‘I’m not stopping you.’ Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese. And there are 5 people in my family, so it must be one of them. It’s either my mum or my dad. Or my older brother Colin. Or my younger brother Ho-Cha-Chu. But I think it’s Colin. So I was in my car, and I was driving along, and my boss rang up, and he said ‘You’ve been promoted.’ And I swerved. And then he rang up a second time and said ‘You’ve been promoted again.’ And I swerved again. He rang up a third time and said ‘You’re managing director.’ And I went into a tree. And a policeman came up and said ‘What happened to you?’ And I said ‘I careered off the road.’
Self-Styled Aristocrat Mrs Snooty’s off to Leeds Care of Ryanair, Behaving like her private jet Is going to get her there. She marches like an officer And though she isn’t large, She punches well above her weight, And bullies her entourage. She wears a worn out, cheap straw hat With a shabby, flowery dress, And a manner that’s designed to Suggest that she’s noblesse. I hear her telling everyone About her place in Spain, Superior and arrogant, A condescending pain. A snooty cheapskate, she adopts A patrician air, But no-one here believes it As she’s flying Ryanair. © Lynne Joyce
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“Your meeting place in the Port�
The staff and management would like to welcome you to 7th Heaven! If you haven't been before then come to see what you have been missing! We promise that after tasting our home made cakes and food you will truly be in "7th Heaven". Not only do we serve a wide range of Beers, Wines and Spirits, but out famous patisserie is the best in the land offering freshly baked English and Continental gourmet cakes and pastries! For those who fancy a bit more something more to eat then then check out our extensive food menu where you will find something to satisfy every appetite! Choose from vast range of mouthwatering Steaks, Fresh Fish, authentic homemade Pizzas, Pastas, Burgers, Chicken, freshly baked baguettes with assorted fillings and our famous pancakes and gallets and a whole lot more. We serve food ALL DAY so come and join us for a truly unforgettable experience. FIND US AT THE NEW MARINA AT THE PORT!!
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!!
CAMPOSOL
NEW TO CAMPOSOL DENTAL CLINIC! Revolutionary 3 Phase Dental Cleaning! Using new technology we can offer you a complete 3 phase clean in just one session! Phase 1: Plaque removal Phase 2: Complete dental surface polish Phase 3: Removal of stains caused by Tobacco, Coffee, Red Wine, etc.
Only 20 euros!!!
DENTAL CLINIC We also specialise in all aspects ` of dental care including Orthdontics Implants Oral surgery The best quality for the best price Ask for a quotation without commitment We care for the health of your mouth Payment by instalments possible
Find us at the
CAMPOSOL BUSINESS CENTER
URB. CAMPOSOL-SECTOR A 968
103 008