The Courier Edition 351 by TKO UK

THE WEATHER

Edition 351

DROUGHT EFFECTS BITE

omestic water rationing has moved a step closer as La Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (CHS) has ordered municipalities with over 20 thousand residents to activate their emergency drought plans. The CHS wants water consumption slashed by 15 percent, as low rainfall levels continue in the Vega Baja and Murcia regions. That could mean domestic supply cuts in the second phase of the plan if the measures fail to cut water usage by the necessary amount, with the CHS only guaranteeing an uninterrupted service to urban areas through to next month. National law obliges local authorities to have an emergency plan ready in the case of drought, which in

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terms of the Vega Baja region means councils like Almoradi, Crevillente, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada, and Torrevieja. Seventeen councils in the Murcia region are also obliged to produce their plans, including San Javier and San Pedro del Pinatar. The authorities must declare what water rationing measures they would implement, with the CHS arranging a series of meetings with them to look at their proposals. Measures will vary from area to area, but will almost certainly include cutting down on the watering of green areas and sports fields; car-cleaning with hoses; filling up swimming pools; and road cleaning with water. The CHS says that if the necessary savings are not

See page 2 for the week’s forecast

2 Bedroom 1 Bath Terraced Townhouse in Torrevieja TY ER OP THE R P F O EEK W

made, then restrictions on domestic supplies will be considered in a second phase of the plan to reach the 15 percent reduction target, either through water pressure reductions or occasional cuts to local homes and businesses. Orihuela council has already announced that two night-time road cleansing trucks, one of which is based on the Orihuela

Costa, will not be used. 28 thousand litres of water are used by the authority for street-cleaning every day. The agricultural sector has been the worst hit during the dry weather, and a number of vegetable growing companies have already moved from the Murcia and Vega Baja areas to better irrigated areas further north at Muxtamel and Sant Joan d'Alacant.

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home robbery gang that had no hesitation in using extreme violence has been arrested by the Guardia Civil. The men stole from properties in Rojales and Formentera, and in one case, broke the knee of a Quesada home owner. The three Spaniards (aged 25-34) were detained at their homes in Benijófar and Formentera, where officers found weapons including a taser, and an indoor marijuana plantation (pictured), which had drugs worth 15 thousand euros on the open market. In mid-September, the

trio entered a Quesada property which they ransacked after handcuffing the two residents, and breaking the knee of one of them. Authorities said the gang had no qualms at all in robbing homes whilst their residents were inside. After the Quesada incident, the Guardia Civil launched a joint operation with the local police in Almoradi and Guardamar, and uncovered two other similar cases in the Rojales and Formentera areas. The three men have been charged with the crimes of robbery with violence and intimidation; causing injury;

the illegal possession of weapons; as well as committing a crime against public health, by having a marijuana farm. Two of the men have

been denied bail after a court appearance, whilst the third has to report on a regular basis to the authorities and has had his passport taken away,

See Page 13

News

Thursday 7th December 2017

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Myra

Mandate Mystery Five Partido Popular councillors on the San Fulgencio authority have been expelled from the party for continuing to back the municipality's mayor Carlos Ramirez, after he was disqualified from office on the count of prevarication connected to the awarding of sports contracts. Ramirez resigned from the PP, but said he would not quit as mayor because he was lodging an appeal over the Orihuela court ruling. He got the backing of five of his colleagues, with the regional PP executive giving them a deadline of last Friday (as reported in the last edition of The Courier) to stop supporting him, or face being thrown out of the party. The deadline came and went, and the San Fulgencio council is now being run by Ramirez and the expelled PP representatives along with UPyD councillor, Joel Noche Lopes, though one PP councillor, Manuel Gomez, refused to back Ramirez, and now sits on

the opposition benches. One of the opposition parties on the authority, the PIPN, has two councillors, and their president, Samantha Hull said:- "There appears to be no precedent in Spain for something like this to have happened and we are taking advice accordingly." "The PIPN want to know how it can be both legally and morally right for six individuals to continue in governing positions that they only have because 1,081 voters at the last election voted for the Partido Popular. They have no mandate to govern".

Windmill Boosted

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Bob Orihuela Costa Tel. 618 898 034

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English, Spanish, German, Dutch and French. Tel. 685 901 265

Advertising Monday 12:00 Editorial Tuesday 12:00 News Thursday 12:00

Disgraced ex-Torrevieja mayor Pedro Hernández Mateo is potentially facing another legal battle, as the anti-corruption prosecutor, Felipe Briones, has called on him to face trial over the sale and purchase of rural land in the Almoradí area dating back to 2002. The news comes after the Public Ministry concluded a 12-year investigation into a series of allegations, and five months after the ex-Partido Popular mayor was released from a Murcia jail, after spending three years behind bars. Mateo was Torrevieja mayor for 23 years until 2011, and was convicted of breaking the law over the awarding of a multi-millioneuro waste-collection con-

tract in 2004, and was also barred from public office for 11 years and fined 10 and a half thousand euro. The Información newspaper reports that Hernández Mateo is alleged to have made over five million euro after buying the Almoradi-area land in 2000 and then selling two years later to the Edén

del Mar company, who during the property boom had a number of building developments in Torrevieja. It is now up to the Torrevieja court to decide whether the extensive files warrant any further investigation or indeed prosecution, with several business leaders also being implicated.

Mixed Message The number of people in Spain registering as jobless rose by 0.21% in November from a month earlier, or by 7,255 people, leaving 3.47 million people out of work, according to government figures released this week. The number of people paying in to the social security system as workers in Spain fell by 12,773 people, to 18.42 million people. In seasonally adjusted terms, registered unemployed fell by 22,744 in November from a month earlier. The number of people

registering as out of work in the service sector rose by 23,048 people, but fell in agriculture, industry and construction. In Alicante Province, unemployment went up by 2,492 last month, which was

one of the largest regional rises in Spain, fuelled by job losses in the service sector. Similarly, the Murcia region rise was also above the national average, going up by 1,487 people, a 1.35% hike on the October returns.

Greener Lighting

Patrick

DEADLINES

Prosecutor's Demand

A well-known San Javier landmark, El Maestre, dating from the late 19th century, is to have restoration work done on its internal and external walls. The Murcia government is funding the 80 thousand

euro project, which will start next year, and will also include the addition of some traditional windmill blades onto the structure located on the Alto del Villar. El Maestre was used by farmers for water extraction.

Thirty streets in the Lo Pagán area of San Pedro del Pinatar are to get new energy efficient LED street lights under a plan approved by San Pedro council. A 165-thousand-euro contract has been awarded to Electromur SA who will carry out the work, which will take around a month to complete, with 88 units

being replaced in locations such as Calles Agustín

Escribano (pictured) and Galicia.

THE WEATHER FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Stop Press Thursday 18:00 Published by TKO Media & Entertainment S.L. Printed by Localprint S.L Depósito legal A - 188 - 2014 ISSN 2530-6146 The Courier (Torrevieja) The Courier, its publishers, members of staff and its agents do not accept responsibility for any readers letters or claims by advertisers nor can it be held responsible for any errors in advertisements which are reproduced from poor artwork, low quality electronic data or inadequate instructions for text or other layout features. Further no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by an error, inaccuracy or nonappearance of any advertisement, although all advertisements produced are checked prior to insertion. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than ONE incorrect insertion and that no re-publication will be granted in the case of typographical or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement. E&OE. NO PART OF THIS NEWSPAPER MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHERS.

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News

Take Aim And Fire A Santa Pola woman, who fired a rifle at people walking past her apartment, has been arrested by the Guardia Civil, after a 14year-old boy needed a pellet removed from his head at Elche General Hospital. The 35-year-old apartment resident, who has an extensive criminal record, decided to start taking pot shots at several pedestrians from the balcony of her flat. A 43-year-old neighbour told the Guardia that she was taking an early evening walk, and heard a small bang which she thought was a firecracker, and eventually she felt a sharp pain in her right toe, which had been hit by a pellet. The father of the teenag-

er, who was walking alongside him at the time he was shot, told authorities that he noticed a woman leaning over a balcony, and when the Guardia raided the address, they discovered a rifle underneath a table, alongside the identical type

of pellets that had hit the people outside. The pellet-firer has been charged with the crime of causing serious injury, but no information about her motivation to take aim from her balcony has been disclosed.

Surprise Welcome

Alicante-Elche airport has welcomed its 13th million passenger for 2017, as it has smashed last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record of 12.3 million travellers, with most of December remaining. Sergio Ă&#x201C;vide was flying in on a Vueling service from Barcelona on Tuesday for a business meeting in Alicante, and was welcomed by Vueling and airport officials on what was his second-ever flight to Alicante-Elche. Sergio was given a commemorative plaque, a bouquet of flowers, a pass for

the airport VIP lounge, and a couple of Vueling flight tickets. Airport operator AENA says that they expect to welcome half a million passen-

gers this month to the facility, meaning that AlicanteElche airport would have attracted a total of a million extra travellers in the last year.

Continuing Tourist Rise Spain welcomed 73.4 million foreign tourists in the first 10 months of 2017, an increase of 9.2% compared to the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Institute. 7.3 million international tourists visited Spain in October, 1.8% more than in the same month of the previous year. The number of British coming to Spain increased by 7.1% to more than 17 million over the first ten months of the year, as pessimistic forecasts over the impact of

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lower exchange rates in the wake of last year's Brexit

referendum have come to nothing.

Drama In DoloresÂ

A 13-year-old boy had to be treated for a burnt hand and smoke inhalation and two people in their eighties also needed treatment, after a Sunday morning fire in a Dolores apartment. The incident happened shortly before 6.00 am in a fourth-floor flat on Plaza Cardenal Belluga in the town, which led to all of the residents of the 16 homes in the block being evacuated. The fire started in the dining room of the fourth-floor property, apparently by an electric heater that was very

close to a sofa, with firefighters from Almoradi and Orihuela being involved a rescue operation, as well as putting out the blaze. Besides the injuries to the teenager, firemen had to use a ladder to rescue a disabled 80-year-old woman via a window, and an 88year-old man was taken to the Vega Baja Hospital in Orihuela with breathing difficulties. The complex, despite the severity of the blaze, did not suffer any structural damage, and the residents were

able to return to their homes a few hours later.

Warrant Withdrawn A Supreme Court judge has withdrawn the international arrest warrant for deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont. The court explained that Mr Puigdemont has expressed willingness to return to Spain, alongside the other four members of his cabinet who fled to Belgium after the independence referendum. The five politicians travelled to Belgium after declaring independence for Catalunya following a referendum in October. The declaration was considered illegal by the Spanish parliament. The Supreme Court said withdrawing the warrant

would prevent more than one European jurisdiction overseeing the case. On Monday, Mr Puigdemont was told he would have to wait until next week for a ruling from Brussels on whether or not to extradite him to Spain to

face trial. Fresh regional elections, ordered by the Madrid government, will be held in Catalunya on December 21st, with Puigdemont and his colleagues standing again (more news on page five).

Note Fakers Found

Four people have been arrested by the National Police for distributing fake money across Alicante Province. The three men and a

woman, all of Spanish nationality, operated in various areas that sold drugs, targeting Alicante City, with officers arresting them last week.

Their car contained 18 counterfeit twenty euro notes, as well as some lottery tickets, which may have also been stolen.

Thursday 7th December 2017

New Speed Traps

Two new radar speed cameras (picture from the Informaciรณn newspaper) have been installed on the N332 in the area in locations regarded as some of the biggest black spots on the whole stretch of the road in the Alicante Province. The Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) has currently placed one the northbound carriageway at Km 54, in an area where there is an 80

km/h speed restriction, as motorists enter the Torrevieja area from the Orihuela Costa, the other, also on the northbound stretch, is in Santa Pola close to the Gran Alacant turn off, at the bottom of a hill. The Informaciรณn newspaper reports that the cameras were installed last week, and are neither mentioned on the DGT website of fixed radar points,

nor have any warning signs been erected. However, there are signs is in place nearby which says that speed controls can take place on the stretch of road, day or night, and the cameras are clrealy visible, with bright coloured markings. This cameras are two of a number which are being placed in dangerous locations around the area.

Drugged Driver

Electric Shock

The electricity bill for an average domestic consumer under the regulated tariff (Voluntary Price to the Small Consumer or PVPC) went up 1.46% in November compared to October, meaning a third consecutive monthly rise. November's bills were 3% more than the same month last year, and the latest increase happened after prices went up by 7.48% in October compared to September's tariffs.

The bill for a typical consumer - with a contract for 4.4 kilowatts and an annual consumption of 3,000 kilowatts/hour (250 kilowatts/hour per month) was estimated for November at 61.04 euro, according to the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC). Despite the increase of the electricity bill by 3%, compared to November 2016, it is still 10.57% cheaper than in January this

year, when it topped its highest amount, reaching 67.49 euro for a month. Last January, electricity prices in the wholesale market - which account for around a third of the regulated tariff - reached record levels due to the cold weather, the lack of wind and rain, as well as the rise in natural gas, which had to be used more intensely in the generation of electrical power due to the lack of wind and hydraulic resources.

Stranded Climbers

A Santa Pola school bus driver has been arrested for having cocaine in his bloodstream. A routine check carried out by the local police as part of a campaign to make sure

that school bus drivers were clean of alcohol and drugs uncovered the errant driver. His blood sample tested negative for alcohol, but was found to be positive for cocaine.

Santa Pola police officers were recently given training on how to use new drug testing equipment, something which has also been happening in other areas like Torrevieja.

Two people got into difficulties when they were descending from the Sierra de Redovรกn last Saturday afternoon. The men, aged 41 and 51 years, came from the Guadalajara and Madrid areas and were part of a four-strong group that were rappelling down a slope, when strong winds caused them to be trapped at a height of 150 metres. An Alicante Provincial fire brigade helicopter was scrambled to the area, along with local emergency services. Rescuers got the climbers out of their bind, and helped them to rappel safely to ground level.

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Rajoy's PredictionÂ

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has pledged that Spain's economic growth could reach three percent next year, if Catalunya returns to "normality" after the region's secessionist drive. At the height of the Catalan independence drive in mid-October, the central government in Madrid had lowered its 2018 growth forecast to 2.3% from 2.6%, a marked decline from the

3.1% expected for 2017. "If we recover normalcy, stability and calm, this 2.3 percent growth will be three percent next year," Rajoy said at a Partido Popular meeting in Mataro, near Barcelona. Madrid has ordered new regional elections for Catalunya on 21 December after ousting the government of former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and suspending the parlia-

ment over the independence bid. Meanwhile, a supreme court judge in Madrid has ruled that two senior figures in the sacked Catalan separatist government must stay in jail, but six others can go free. The six had to post bail of 100 thousand euro each, after being remanded in custody last month, whilst Puigdemont fled to Belgium. All are accused of sedition.

A Modest Rise

The signing of new mortgages for Spanish home purchases grew 9.2% yearon-year in September, which is a considerable slowdown compared to the growth of 29% registered in August, although this is the fifth consecutive year-on-year increase. According to the data published by the National Statistics Institute, September had 29,388 mortgages on housing formalized and in 37% of them, a fixed interest rate was used, a percentage that

grows at a constant rate and that experts believe will surpass that of the variable rate loans "during 2018". The average mortgage on housing registered in September was 123,649 euro, 9.6% more than a year earlier and 10.9% more than the previous month, which experts attribute to the growing competition between entities, which activates the demand for financing. In total, the capital lent in the financial system to acquire a home in Spain reached 3,633.8 million euro

in September, almost 20% more than a year before and 22.6% more than in August. Beatriz Toribio, director of research for Fotocasa, said the fall in the granting of mortgages is pretty much in line with house purchases in September. According to Toribio, "the housing market is stabilising and as a consequence, there will be months in which there will be lower growth rates or even falls, but the trend is a positive one, as the economic climate improves."

Thursday 7th December 2017

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A Dirty Technique

A five-strong gang of bank robbers used a new technique to rob a Cartagena bank by using dog dirt to distract branch workers. All of the gang were subsequently arrested by the National Police, with their technique caught for all to see on the bank’s video security system. The group posed as strangers to each other, entering the bank in a series of disguises. One of them then dropped a pile of dog excrement on the floor of the bank near the entrance and then spoke loudly to get the attention of both customers and bank staff while the rest of the group got to work. A National Police spokesman said:- “They each took a dif-

ferent role; one was in a suit, another dressed as a youth in a hoodie and baseball cap, one was an old person, one a woman and another had his hair up in a ponytail.” When one robber started complaining loudly about the mess on the floor, exclaiming “What a disgrace, don’t they do any cleaning?”, the bank manager came out of his office to deal with the fuss. This left another alone in the office to steal what he wanted, and the group then left the bank calmly and went their separate ways. The National Police said the gang are suspected of stealing 64 thousand euro in at least 15 other robberies carried out at banks across the country.

Airport Extras

A new breast-feeding and young children’s room has recently opened at AlicanteElche airport, along with new work areas (pictured) for people to use the internet and to recharge their mobile units. The new room, located in the departures area, has three armchairs, two microwaves, changing tables and a toilet, as well as chairs for the youngsters,

plus books for them to read. Four new work zones have also been created at the airport for people to use the internet, in addition to recharging up their various units. The round-table areas have a dozen seats and each of the connection points has an electric socket, which accepts British-type plugs, as well as two USB sockets.

Thursday 7th December 2017

Buffs Donation

Carol Service

The Torrevieja Christian Fellowship (TCF) will be holding their annual Carol Service at their premises on Avendia de las Cortes Valencianas in Torrevieja on Sunday December 17th, starting at 10.30 am. Everybody will be made very welcome, and mince pies will be served afterwards in the coffee lounge. The Patience Lodge of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB), popularly known as The Buffs, recently presented local charity Age Concern Costa Blanca South with a cheque for sixteen-hundred euro.

The Buffs are a charitable organisation, and their lodge treasurer, Jim Joyner, along with secretary Dave Tonge, registrar Roy Wilce, and member Bill Clynes were present at the handover of the cheque to Age Concern

president Maureen Payne. Jim said: - “It gave us a lot of pleasure to hand over the money to Age Concern, as we know the funds are always wisely used for people that need help.” A great Xmas present!

Belly Good

Festive Rascals

The Rascals annual Christmas Singalongs continue this Saturday afternoon at San Luis square in Torrevieja, starting at 2.00 pm.

The group will finish off their concerts at Consum Square in La Marina on Thursday December 14th, beginning at 6.00 pm, with money raised going to the

Christmas Cheer

Santa Claus was the guest of honour at the recent Age Concern Costa Blanca South Christmas Fair in La Siesta, as he helped boost the proceeds to just over 2,700 euro. Hundreds of people turned out to support the annual fundraiser for the charity at their La Siesta headquarters, and President

Maureen Payne got a special greeting from Santa! Age Concern volunteers manned the stalls selling seasonal gifts, and the raffle saw the lucky winner get a three-day trip to Valencia City. The money raised will go towards maintaining the services Age Concern provides to the community.

Butterfly Children charity, as well as the Rascals also supporting the Elche Childrens Home and the Mattress Appeal for the San Jose Obrero Orphanage.

Twenty female members of the Torrevieja U3A Group recently took part in a sixweek taster course to learn all about the art of Egyptian and Turkish belly dancing. The course was such a great success that another one is expected to be laid on in the New Year. Belly dancing was appar-

Musical Success

Just over three and a half thousand euro was raised for local charities thanks to last week's production of the Irving Berlin musical, White Christmas, staged by the Studio 32 musical theatre at San Fulgencio's Cardenal Belluga theatre. Chairman Philip Wilson commented: “It’s wonderful to be able to deliver this

level of entertainment to audiences whilst raising much needed money for local charities. “I am very proud of everyone who has worked so hard to achieve what we have with this show.” Chicago will be Studio 32's next production, which will take place in May and June next year.

AT YOUR SERVICE

We’d love details of your charity events, amateur dramatics, and choral concerts! The Courier would love to hear from you as we gear up for another busy autumn across the Costa Blanca and Mar Menor. Send you snippets and photographs to thecourier@tko media.

ently never intended to be performed for the pleasure of the male population. but was simply a beneficial and safe form of exercise for ladies of all ages, shapes and sizes. If any of The Courier readers have a skill or pastime that they feel they could demonstrate and would be

of interest to others, they will be more than welcome to come along and present their talents to the U3A members. For more details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the U3A co-ordinator, Peter Shaw, via e-mail, torreviejau3agroups@gmail.co m.

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Thursday 7th December 2017

COME AND JOIN US! It’s the perfect time to consider joining Find A Spanish Property as a property associate, as property prices are on the rise, and the market is blossoming. 2016 was a positive year for the real estate market with prices having bottomed out the year before with modest price rises. Things have really kicked in during 2017, in strong contrast to the recession period that kicked in during 2008 and 2009. Official government figures confirm that prices are rising this year, and outside the cities of Madrid and Barcelona, Alicante Province which features the Costa Blanca, and the Murcia region with the Costa Calida tourist area, are two of the biggest areas on mainland Spain which are seeing substantial rises in demand along with price increases. The cranes are back with new homes being built by the coast, and the re-sale market continues to rise, fuelled by low interest rates in Spain. Statistics show that demand for homes from British buyers is still high, despite pessimistic fears last year over the Brexit factor, coupled with purchasers from across Europe, and even further afield. Recent surveys show that the majority of British people living in Spain are aged 65 and over, and website statistics confirm that older British nationals with no mortgage on their UK property are still very much looking at Spain as their area of choice to buy a holiday home, or even somewhere to retire to. It’s a great time to get involved in becoming a seller of real-estate in Spain, especially since most of the cowboys disappeared thanks to the recession nearly a decade ago. We like to think that we’ve played our own small part in helping to seeing them off, by offering an honest business that people are proud to recommend and that we now want to substantially expand.

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What happens next? With our support you can advertise YOUR website anywhere you wish in local and social media, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, it´s up to you. Once an enquiry is made it comes to YOU and your account manager, the decision is made by YOU as to how to proceed. You can get involved in the whole process as much or as little as YOU wish. Full legal documentation and support is provided by our independent legal team. Upon sale we will provide accounting documentation which details your commission. Throughout the entire process we will liaise with you and have full agreement on every aspect, including such things as picking up clients from the airport; property tours; taking them to solicitors; and signing those final papers. That’s our job, whilst as an Find A Spanish Property Associate you can get involved in as much or as little as you like.

What Have You Got To Lose? This is really the best time in a decade to get involved with the Spanish property market and to earn our generous commissions. Get in touch with us now to learn more.

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Book your place at the Blacktower Financial Management 2018 Workshops today! Keith Littlewood, International Financial Adviser at Blacktower, Costa Cálida 2018 will see Blacktower Financial Management opening a new office in the Costa Cálida region.

everything you can to make sure your money is safe and secure, and what you want to transpire in the future has the best chance of happening.

Based in San Pedro del Pinatar, you will be able to visit a financial adviserfor a free initial consultation about your own personal finances or attend one of the workshops that will be taking place in January and February 2018 in the prestigious suites located in the town centre.

If you need advice or if have any questions regarding the above you can contact me, Keith Littlewood DipPFS, on 657 684 094 or email keith.littlewood@blacktowerf m.com or visit www.blacktowerfm.com for more information.

The workshops will be covering subjects that are very important for expats living in Spain such as:

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

• Asset Declaration – Modelo 720 • Tax-Efficient Investing • Pension Pots in the UK - all the options explained • Wealth Management Refreshments will provided during workshops and

be the the

opportunity for you to book a further appointment if you feel appropriate. If you think you would benefit from attending one of these workshops, book your

attendance as soon possible as places will limited, stating which of above subjectsare interest.

as be the of

To book, email keith.littlewood@blacktowerf m.com or phone 657 684 094 and quote Costa Cálida Workshop. We will then contact you confirming your

attendance and to give you the time and full location details.

In today’s financial climate is essential you do

Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

Adoption Corner

Pets

Thursday 7th December 2017

A Dog’s World Is Very Different

JILLIE & QUEENIE Jillie on the left is very affectionate with her shy sister Queenie, a pretty calico tortie, and they can be homed separately. They are about one year old very lovely and sterilised, and sadly their owners have to go back to the UK for serious health reasons. For more information about Jillie or Queenie please phone PEPA on 650 304 746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail.com.

LOUIE Louie was found wandering the streets trying to interact with people, and appears to have been well looked after, but had no microchip. He is well house-trained, and very good on a lead. Louie would suit a single man as he has tendencies to bond with one individual only, which means that he would not fit in well with a family or other animals. For more on giving Louie a home, please call the K9 charity on 600 845 420.

PEPPER

The APAH charity has lots of lovely cats and kittens like Pepper that it is caring for, and all of them deserve a loving home to grow up in. If you are looking for a cat or kitten to love, then please call APAH on either 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

POLLY

Polly is aged just three months, and was found on a piece of wasteland when she was five weeks old. She has been in a foster home since then and is now ready for a new home, Polly loves cuddles and is very playful. To learn more about her please call Pets in Spain on 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com.

The outside world is an exciting or even scary place for a dog, and we should consider all of those when we take our dog for a walk, as we venture outdoor for the third of our walking features. All the things we take for granted can be a complete mystery to them: cars, bikes, other dogs, cats, joggers, horses - to name just a few. Any of these can lead a dog to react by barking, pulling, jumping up or refusing to move. Everyone believes their dog loves going for walks and hopefully, most of them do because it's a fun experience. But if your dog does show any of the reactions listed, then this may well be a sign that he is really quite anxious about being outside. Look for excessive panting too. If it can't be explained by the dog being very hot or physically tired, it may be a sign of stress. He shouldn't be panting when walking at normal pace over a reasonable distance in moderate temperature. If you have done your preparations at home that we’ve talked about in our last two articles, then your dog should be ready to trust that you are in charge, will make all the decisions and protect "the pack" when outside too. Your confidence, or lack of it, will be recognised by your dog and will determine how well or how badly the walk will go. So you will decide where you will go, what the rules are while you're out and when it's time to go home again. This means you need to be ready for anything and be prepared to be flexible so that you can change your planned route if circumstances require. Be on the lookout for potential problems and pay attention to what's going on around you - which you can't do if you're concentrating on something else like talking on the phone or listening to music. And if you've worked hard at getting ready to go out calmly, don't spoil it by letting your dog pull you when you get outside. Keep up the stopping, starting and changing direction every time the dog starts to pull. Similarly, if your dog jumps up or bites at the lead, pay no attention (i.e. no speaking or eye contact) until he stops then move on. And having practised going out of the door before the dog, the same applies outside with gates, narrow spaces and corners: you go first to check it's safe. If your dog reacts to any of the triggers listed above (or any-

ROCKY Rocky is aged around four years, and was rescued from a small dark enclosure where he had spent his whole life. Several months on he is a happy extremely affectionate loyal dog, and is now ready to move on to a home of his own, and is very loving and easy to look after. He likes outside space and will not run off. For more about Rocky please call PEPA on 650 304 746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail.com.

thing else), don't make him confront them in order to overcome the fear. What this does is confirm to your dog that a) his reaction causes the threat to eventually go away and b) he's protecting the pack, not you. In any animal, fear or stress causes the hormone adrenaline to flow around the body and this creates three possible responses: flight, freeze, fight. So how does this work when walking your dog and he sees/hears/smells something he's not sure about? His first choice should be flight, i.e. get away from it. But if he's on a lead and you're taking him towards this "threat" that removes the flight option. His second choice would be freeze. But again, if you're continuing to walk your dog towards this possible threat, that's not an option for him either. Therefore, he's only left with fight and so the lunging, growling, barking etc. starts. So before it gets to that stage, use the option that he would choose for himself and walk calmly but purposefully away from whatever it is. If your dog tries to protest, don't tell him off or reassure him with baby talk, but keep walking and either say nothing or just say something like "come on, let's go" in a calm, matter-of-fact voice. This shows your dog that you're not bothered about this thing and your decision is to simply walk away. It also breaks the cycle of your dog believing he has to bark, lunge etc. to make the threat go away as he'll start to realise it goes anyway. If space is limited, and you have nowhere to flee to, use freeze by moving away from the oncoming threat, putting yourself between it and your dog, preferably with your dog facing away from it (particularly important with other dogs to avoid direct eye contact between them) and wait until they've gone before moving on. If possible, distract your dog with treats or a toy. This acts as a reward for not reacting to the threat and also allows time for the threat to pass without your dog having to go through his usual repertoire. By the time he looks for it again, it's already gone. At all times, your calm reactions will be of enormous help to your dog and these situations will get easier to deal with each time. Our final set of walking tips will be in next week’s Courier.

TARRAGON Tarragon and her siblings were found by some bins when they were a few days old and luckily two of the SAT animal rescue fosterers were able to bottle feed them and they all survived. Only Tarragon is still waiting to go to her forever home. She is now six months old, fully vaccinated, micro-chipped and spayed, and is a medium-sized crossbreed who has a wonderful temperament. For more about her, please call the SAT kennels in Dolores on 966 710 047 or email info@satanimalrescue.com.

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Get Involved with The Courier's Christmas Pet Food Campaign It's coming up to that time of year when we make an extra special effort in helping those that are less fortunate than ourselves. And this year is no exception. This Christmas, The Courier and TKO Radio will be focusing on homeless pets, including supporting the excellent work that the volunteers at Happy Animales Spanien located at the Finca San Miguel de Salinas do. Happy Animales Spanien is an animal sanctuary that looks after and homes around 50 animals. Over the next few weeks, we will be collecting nonperishable pet food in all shapes and forms. If you would like to help us in this Christmas campaign, you can do so by donating a tin of dog or cat food, biscuits or even treats and dropping them off to one of our three local drop-off points, which are located at: TKO Towers at Calle Los Arcos, 17 in Quesada The Computer Shop at Plaza Tolosa, 4, in San Luis Square, Torrevieja Easybuy Properties at Avenida de la Mancha, 29b, Aguas Nuevas, Torrevieja Thank you in advance to all those who get involved.

Thursday 7th December 2017

Phantom Slasher

At least 30 lorries parked off the AP-7 in Barcelona province had their tyres slashed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, five days after another 13 lorries had

the same thing done to them in the same area. All those affected had been parked in a southbound direction between the towns of MontmelĂł and Sant

Cugat del VallĂ¨s. Catalunya's equivalent of the Guardia Civil, the Mossos d'Esquadra, say they are baffled by spate of attacks on the vehicles.

Tighter Belts Retail sales have fallen for the first time in over three years in October, with the biggest fall being in the Catalunya region on the back of the controversial independence referendum. Retail sales across the whole of Spain fell by 0.1% in October compared to 12 months earlier, after producing a 1.6% rise in September, according to the National Statistics Institute said. The crisis hurt much of Catalunya's economy, with car sales, job creation and

hotel-stays all underperforming the rest of the coun-

Case To Answer

try, and dragging down the overall figure for Spain.

The Partido Popular (PP) will be Spain's first political party to be put on trial, after a court ruled that it has a case to answer over allegedly destroying laptops used by a former treasurer who being tried over a suspected slush fund. The PP, who have ruled the country for six years, and has been led by Mariano Rajoy since 2004, is accused of having destroyed the hard drives of laptops belonging to its former treasurer Luis Barcenas (pictured) at its Madrid headquarters before investi-

gators had access to them. The hard drives may have contained sensitive information about an alleged illegal funding racket within the PP. The National Court also ordered the party's current treasurer to go on trial along with its former IT specialist and a party lawyer for damaging computers and concealing evidence. "With the erasure of the data an important investigation was prevented from being carried out in a case of undeniable importance," the judge announced in a

written ruling. Barcenas himself filed a criminal complaint for the destruction of his laptops in 2016 but later withdrew it. Rajoy testified as a witness back in July in a major trial involving members of his party, and was the first-serving prime minister to testify in court since the restoration of democracy in the seventies. Barcenas is a key suspect in the so-called Gurtel trial revolving around a large kickback scheme that allegedly helped finance the PP.

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All Spick and Span

The Royal Bath of the Alhambra in Granada, the only Islamic medieval bath to almost be preserved intact in the Western world, has a newly restored roof after being comprehensively restored in a meticulous project. The bath had suffered major issues with leaks and

humidity hitting the roof and interior walls, and the reconstruction work has taken two years. The Alhambra Palace is the major tourist attraction in the Granada area in Andalucia, and the Royal Bath will be open for visitors to look at all this month. Located between

the palaces of Comares and Los Leones, the Bath of Comares or Royal Bath, as it was later known due to the private use made of them by the Catholic Monarchs after the Reconquest of Granada, was built by Sultan Ismail I (1314-1325) and then finished off by Yusuf I (13331354).

Double Whammy

Freezing temperatures across Alicante Province and the Murcia region have added to the drought problems faced by farmers, with vegetable crops being hit in some areas. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mixed picture for artichoke growers (picture from the InformaciĂłn newspa-

per), with the Almoradi and Elche areas suffering from frost. As a result, the quality and price of the vegetable will suffer. Adjoining areas, like Dolores and Orihuela, report not being as badly hit during the first low temperatures of

the winter. Frosts are very common at this time of the year, but the problem for farmers has been compounded by the drought, making the land drier, and therefore the plants weaker in being resistant to low temperatures.

Thursday 7th December 2017

The Gameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Up

Elche local police have shut down a cock-fighting venue in the Carrus area of the municipality, after spotting some roosters walking in the middle of an adjoining road. Officers had to break hard to avoid running over the animals and decided to get out of the vehicle to find out what was going on, and spotted an open gate at an

adjoining farm. Inside the premises, they found 12 cages with cocks in them, as well as a concrete area that was used to host the fights, and a CCTV system covering the cages and fight arena. The farm owner said that he was simply a breeder and that he would sell the birds to buyers outside Alicante Province.

Quantities of drugs were found, with a potential buyer appearing as the police were in the middle of their inquiries, and he was arrested for drug offences, whilst the farm owner still remains under investigation. Seven people were arrested by the National Police in July for running an illegal cock-breeding farm in Parque de la Flora.

Busy Weekend

Spain's tourism minister Matilde AsiĂĄn says that hotel bookings are up across the whole country for the long weekend this week, except in Catalunya, where a 13% drop has been recorded.

Hotels, country cottages and ski resorts are looking at a 64.3% occupancy rate this week, a 19.4% rise on occupancy for the same time last year, according to a survey carried out by

TurespaĂąa. Current hotel bookings for the long weekend are at 56.1%, (compared with 47.2% for the same dates last year) which is expected to yield 66.4% occupancy.

Not Good Enough A disabled persons lobby group has filed a lawsuit at the Supreme Court against the Spanish government this week, for not passing the law on universal access and non-discrimination against people with disabilities to all government property and public services within the designated period. The Commission of Representatives for Disabled People (Cermi) said that last Monday marked the legal deadline for all public property, prod-

ucts and services to be accessible. As this has not happened,

the body has started legal action against the government.

Massive Seizure

Nearly six tonnes of highgrade cocaine worth 210 million euro has been seized in one of the biggest drugs busts ever seen in Europe, according the interior ministry. The Guardia Civil and

customs officials found the cocaine at the end of November in a container supposedly transporting bananas which arrived in the southern port of Algeciras from Medellin in Colombia.

The Guardia arrested a Spaniard who headed the import department of the container company, and two alleged accomplices, a Honduran and a Portuguese national. Two others are under investigation.

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Health

Thursday 7th December 2017

New Migraine Drug Hailed as ‘Incredibly Important’ Breakthrough A new migraine drug that can halve the length of time sufferers are laid low by the debilitating condition has been hailed as an “incredibly important” advance. Erenumab, a laboratorymade antibody that blocks a neural brain pathway called CGRP, is the first drug in 20 years proven to prevent migraine attacks. Phase III trial data on nearly 1,000 patients showed that it typically cut between three and four “migraine days” per month. In half the patients treated, migraine duration was reduced at least by half. Migraines are characterised by an intense, throbbing

headache, sensitivity to light and noise, nausea, vomiting, low energy, and visual disturbances. Attacks can last anything from four to 72 hours. Each year more than 8.5 million people in the UK are thought to experience migraine, more than the number affected by asthma, diabetes and epilepsy combined. The condition is linked to depression and absenteeism due to migraine is estimated to cost the UK economy more than £2 billion per year. The Strive trial compared patients taking erenumab for six months with others

given a non-active placebo dummy drug. Lead investigator Professor Peter Goadsby, from King's College Hospital, London, said: “Strive... represents an

incredibly important step forward for migraine understanding and migraine treatment.” The findings, reported in The New England Journal of

Medicine, clearly showed that blocking the CGRP pathway could reduce the impact of migraine, he said. Prof Goadsby added: “The results of Strive represent a

real transition for migraine patients from poorly understood, re-purposed treatments, to a specific migraine-designed therapy.” Simon Evans, chief executive of the charity Migraine Action, said: “Migraine is too often trivialised as just a headache when, in reality, it can be a debilitating, chronic condition that can destroy lives. “The effects can last for hours, even days in many cases. “An option that can prevent migraine and that is well tolerated is therefore sorely needed, and we hope that this marks the start of real change in how this condition is treated and perceived.”

Kellogg's To Cut Sugar In Popular Cereals By Up To 40% Next Year Kellog’s is set to cut the amount of sugar in three of its best-selling cereals by up to 40% by the end of next year and discontinue one of its sugariest creations. In a bid to help the nation make healthier choices, the cereal giant will cut the sugar in Kellog’s Coco Pops cereal by 40%, from 30g sugar per 100g to 17g sugar. This is following a reduction

of 14% earlier this year, meaning that from 2017 to 2018, it will have halved the sugar in Coco Pops. The amount of sugar in Rice Krispies and Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes will also be reduced, while Kellogg’s Ricicles will be removed from the market altogether. The announcement is part of an effort to reduce obesity and related type 2 diabetes figures across the UK, which

sugar contributes towards. According to the NHS, one in every four adults and around one in every five children aged 10 to 11 is obese, which significantly increases a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes. Sugar in Rice Krispies cereal will be reduced by 20% and Rice Krispies MultiGrain Shapes cereal will see a 30% reduction in sugar per serving.

The manufacture claims it has been able to do this after its food development team came up with clever ways to maximise flavour by using the simple ingredients of cocoa and grains to maintain taste, while reducing sugar, without using artificial sweeteners. The company will also stop making Ricicles cereal in January 2018, which currently contains 34g of sugar per 100g of cereal. What’s more, from next year you’ll no longer see any children’s on-pack promotions on Kellogg’s Frosties, in recognition of the fact that the cereal now tends to be eaten by more adults than children in the UK. The company has also committed to go further to tackle salt. While salt has been reduced in Kellogg’s cereals by 58% since 1999, from the start of 2018, the brand will reduce salt in Rice Krispies in the UK by a further 10% and in Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes in the UK by 50%. The new recipe of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies will be in

stores from January 2018 and Coco Pops and Rice Krispies Multi-Grain Shapes from July 2018. Commenting on the announcement, Jenny Rosborough, campaign manager at Action on Sugar told HuffPost UK: “We are encouraged by Kellogg’s sugar reduction plans and the recent changes they’ve made and would now like to see this ambition rolled out across their whole portfolio of cereals. “It is crucial that manufacturers take responsibility for the nutritional quality of

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cereals they’re selling and how they market them, particularly to children. We’d like to see Kellogg’s implement front of pack colour coded labelling to support parents in choosing their lower sugar and salt cereals more easily.” Sarah Alderton Anutr, assistant nutritionist at Consensus Action on Salt & Health, added: “We are pleased to see that, in addition to reducing sugar, Kellogg’s has committed to further salt reduction in some of its best-selling children’s’ cereals.

Health

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LEG SWELLING AND WATER RETENTION Swollen legs, especially swollen ankles, caused by water retention is a common problem that is regularly seen amongst the older population. The ankles and legs can become swollen for a number of reasons that are related to the malfunctioning of organs or systems in the body. Water retention can occur anywhere in the body, the face, the arms and legs, the abdomen etc. Water retention that only occurs in the summer months is commonly due to dehydration and the loss of minerals present in water. This type of retention can be easily corrected by keeping hydrated and making sure the mineral levels of the body are optimal. One of the commonest causes of water retention in the legs is joint disease and insufficiency of the veins.

Joint disease is an indication of connective tissue disorders. The connective tissue is the name for the fibres that support the body and help it maintain its framework. The joints, bone, muscles, tendons, skin and the supporting structures of our organs are made of collagen, the body’s main connective tissue. Without adequate nutrients to maintain the structure, such as MSM, the connective tissue weakens. This causes inflammation of the joints, bone, tendons, ligaments etc. This resulting inflammation will lead to leakage of protein and water from the blood vessels into the surrounding tissues, which in turn will cause ankle and leg swelling. Another common trigger for inflammation is the insufficiency of the valves in the veins. The veins return blood

to the heart after it has flowed into organs to nourish them. Unlike the arteries, that rely on the pumping action of the heart to get around the body, veins rely mainly on the contraction of muscles to drive returning blood back from the legs into the heart. Veins have valves that regulate this flow. Sometimes these valves become weak and this leads to the pooling of blood in the veins and eventual leakage into surrounding tissues. This causes leg swelling. Due to the fact that veins rely on the muscles to pump blood upwards to the heart, not exercising the legs enough or weight gain will cause or worsen legs swelling. Medications are also a common culprit. A number of drugs are known to pool water in the legs. These include antidepres-

sants, blood pressure medications, anti-inflammatories, hormonal drugs and diabetes medications. Diseases of the organs are also a very common cause of leg swelling. Disease of the heart, kidney and liver will all result in water retention in tissues, especially the legs. The heart pumps oxygen rich blood to the tissues and organs. It also receives returning blood from the rest of the body. If the heart weakens and the flow is disrupted, it will lead to accumulation of blood in the veins which leaks into surrounding tissue and cause swelling of the organs. This type of swelling is first noticeable in the legs because they are furthest away from the heart. This is what is referred to as congestive heart failure. A common cause of congestive heart failure is the lack of

Acetyl-L-Carnitine - a nutrient that is important to produce energy for the heart. Taking a supplement form of Acetyl-L-Carnitine will improve the heart’s ability to burn fat in order to generate energy, which improves the performance of the heart. The kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood and must do so several times a day. The kidneys can struggle to perform this function, especially when the blood is overloaded with toxins, and this malfunction can start to cause water retention in the legs. Turning now to the liver. There are four stages of liver disease and once it has progressed into the later stages, water retention can occur. The liver produces proteins, such as albumin, that help keep water in the blood vessels. When the liver

becomes diseased the production of these proteins is reduced. This can result in the leaking of fluid into the tissues. If you are experiencing water retention, the most important thing to do is to find out the exact cause and to address the issue. Elevating the legs can be very helpful in relieving the pressure and discomfort. You should also avoid wearing tight shoes and clothing, such as tight jeans, that can cause leg swelling. Make sure you are eating a healthy diet to maintain adequate mineral and protein levels. The most important action to take, however, is to visit your doctor. Call 965 071 745, 966 189 074 for a Full Body Diagnostic Scan. For more information visit www.medb.es

Mindfulness training may help you keep the weight off "If you manage to lose weight but struggle to keep it off, you may want to consider taking up mindfulness meditation," suggests reports. This follows a review of studies that looked at the effect of mindfulness-based interventions on weight loss and obesity-related eating behaviours. Mindfulness draws on the

ancient practice of mediation by training people to become more aware of the present moment while not getting caught up with any thoughts or worries at the back of the mind. The researchers argued that mindfulness could have a number of potential benefits. It may reduce negative thoughts and feelings that can encourage over-eating,

and it may also improve resilience to help deal with the hunger pangs and increased physical activity that come when following a diet and exercise plan. Overall, they found mindfulness interventions were associated with small-tomoderate effects on weight loss, with an average loss of about 7lb (3.18kg) at followup.

In comparison, while there was higher initial average weight loss in control groups – where people were given more conventional weight loss treatment, such as a diet and exercise plan – this was followed by weight gain in many people, reducing the overall effect. Follow-up time differed between studies but was 16.25 weeks on average.

There were also some improvements in eating behaviours in the mindfulness groups, such as a reduction in binge eating. However, this research can't offer certainty that mindfulness interventions are effective for weight loss: it pooled mostly small studies of variable quality and methods, the interventions differed across studies and

by Simon Le Vell

it was unclear whether participants were using other weight loss measures alongside the mindfulness intervention. This makes it difficult to know if the effects were truly down to mindfulness, or other weight loss programmes. Despite these uncertainties, mindfulness may have benefits aside from weight loss.

Food & Drink

Thursday 7th December 2017

Garlic & Basil Ciabatta

Ingredients

Method

1 2 1 1 2 2

Heat the grill to high. Beat together the mayonnaise, butter and garlic cloves until smooth. Chop basil, stir through and season with salt and pepper. Put the halves of the ciabatta,

tbsp mayonnaise tbsp butter, softened bunch of basil small ciabatta tbsp grated Parmesan garlic cloves,crushed

sliced lengthways, on a baking tray and spread with the butter. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, then grill for 2-3 mins.

Mushroom Jacket Potatoes

Ingredients

Method

2 large potatoes 2 tsp sunflower oil 250g mushrooms 100g sour cream & chive dip sprigs of dill (to garnish)

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and rub with half the sunflower oil. Bake the potatoes for 1 hr 20 mins. Slice the mushrooms, fry

in the remaining oil, then stir through half the sour cream & chive dip. Pile the mushrooms into the jacket potatoes and garnish with dill. Prep: 10 Mins Cook: 1 Hour 25 Min

Cheeseboard Macaroni Cheese

Prep: 5 Mins Cook: 3 Mins Serves: 4

Ingredients 350g pasta shapes 2 tbsp butter 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp mustard powder Â˝ tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 3 tbsp plain flour 500ml milk 250g mix of cheeses you have around, plus extra hard cheese for the topping Method Cook the pasta according to pack instructions, drain

and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the garlic and cook for a min until softened, then add the mustard powder and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 min more. Add the flour and stir to make a paste, cooking for about 1 min, until the mix starts to bubble a little. Take off the heat and gradually pour in the milk, whisking with every addition so the sauce doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go lumpy. Return to the heat and cook for 5 mins until thick-

ened, then add the cheeses, stir until melted, and fold in the pasta. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Tip the pasta into a baking dish, and top with additional cheese, preferably some hard cheese such as cheddar or parmesan, then bake for 25-30 mins, until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool for 10 mins or so then serve. Prep: 10 Mins Cook: 50 Mins Serves: 4

Food & Drink

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Food

Thursday 7th December 2017

Spinach & Pepper Frittata

Double Chocolate & Orange Biscotti

Ingredients

Method

5 large eggs 300g low-fat cottage cheese 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 15g finely grated Parmesan 225g frozen leaf spinach, thawed, squeezed and finely chopped 2 roasted red peppers (not in oil), torn into strips generous grating of nutmeg 100g whole cherry tomatoes

Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a 20cm sandwich tin with a single sheet of baking parchment if your tin has a loose bottom. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with the cottage cheese, garlic, half the Parmesan, the spinach, peppers, nutmeg and some black pepper.

Tip into the tin, top with the tomatoes and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 40 mins until set all the way through and starting to puff up. Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold. Will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.

110g self-raising flour 1 tbsp cocoa powder 60g ground almonds 75g golden caster sugar 50g dark chocolate chips 40g candied peel 1 large orange, zested 1 large egg and one egg yolk, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract Âź whole nutmeg, grated (optional) Method

Prep: 10 Mins Cook: 40 Mins Serves: 4

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the flour,

cocoa, ground almonds, sugar, chocolate chips, candied peel, orange zest and a pinch of salt into a large bowl, and mix well. Make a well in the centre, then add the nutmeg (if using), egg and vanilla extract. Use your hands to bring the mix together, kneading it firmly. Shape the biscotti dough into a log approximately 15cm x 5cm x 2.5cm deep. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking parchment, then bake for 30 mins until firm to the touch (the log will split and crack a little on the

top). Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 mins. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the log into slices 11.5cm thick. Put the biscotti back on the baking tray and reduce oven to 150C/130C fan/ gas 2. Bake for 30 mins or until the biscotti are completely hard to touch. Cool completely, then wrap in baking parchment or store in an airtight container. Prep: 15 Mins Cook: 1 Hour Makes: 8-10

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.com Christmas Season Officially Opens in Alicante The Nativity of Benigembla, Santa Claus’ house in Alicante or Valencia, and Ciutat del Nadal are some of the most immediate proposals which give the starting signal for the Christmas season in the Region of Valencia.

Christmas is still a few weeks’ away, yet you can tell that it’s getting closer by the day as many towns are lighting their Christmas lights and decking out their main squares in Christmas finery. In some towns and cities of the Region of Valencia, the activities to celebrate these festivities begin in the next few days, so we are going to detail the most important events in the province of Alicante. We will start with the Casa de Santa Claus in Alicante opening its doors on 6th December and it will remain open until 25th December for both young and old to visit Santa Claus in the comfort of his house and enjoy all the fun activities the elves have prepared. The House of Santa Claus is in the Parque de la Ereta. This is a little house, that has been adapted and decorated accordingly, and it can be visited during these unforgettable holidays. Children can go to tell their wishes to Santa Claus himself. Next to it, you find the Well of Desires which holds the letters with thousands of illusions in them. Make yours and don't forget to take a photo! Alcoy Ciutat del Nadal. One more year, you will be able to join in guided tours, workshops, the Fireta of Nadal, an exhibition of Nativity scenes and programme for pastoretes, "día de la burreta", a visit to the Wise Men camp and, of course, the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, declared of International Tourist Interest by its magic and beauty. It is one of the oldest in Spain. But, without a doubt, Christmas in Alcoy starts with the representations of the play the Belén de Tirisiti, declared Heritage of Cultural Interest. It is a singular piece of popular theatre of puppets of rod retaining the popular flavour of the argument incorporating scenes including aspects of ancient customs in Alcoy. The Casal de Nadal is a space where you can live the magic show Alcoy displays to celebrate the arrival of Christmas season. Take a look at the programme of activities with special attention to workshops for children where they will learn to make small trees to hang on the Christmas tree, to paint bells, figurines for the Belén and the parade of the Reyes Magos, stars, angels, and many other things. And finally, this year in Benigembla a real artisan Christmas Fair will take place. All stands are from authentic active artisans and it has a Nativity scene in which Mary and Joseph are no actors, they are artisans themselves. On 8th, 9th and 10th December, it is worth a visit to the village for those people looking for handmade gifts for the upcoming Christmas and Epiphany. Neighbours contribute to the feria with a tavern, Christmas decorations and cake stands and a display of arts and crafts.

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Local Events Events This This Local Christmas Christmas

Until Sunday 10 December, 2017 Alicante The Galician Festival of Seafood at the Volvo area of the port Jijona (Xixona) The Xixona Xmas Market 2017 Until Monday 25 December, 2017 Alicante Visit Santa at his house in the Parque de la Ereta Until Friday 5 January, 2018 Alicante Christmas Craft Market on the Avenida de Federico Soto Until Sunday 7 January, 2018 Alicante Ice Skating in the in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento Toboggan Run in the Plaza de la Montaneta Thursday 7 December, 2017 Benijófar Flower and Fruit Offering Parade at 1.30 pm with music Inauguration of the Municipal Nativity Scene in the Plaza de Constitucion 7.30 pm Friday 8 to Sunday 10 December, 2017 Torre Pacheco Car and automotion event at the IFEPA. Alicante V Festival Tangomágico Friday 8 December, 2017 Día de la Inmaculada Concepción (Immaculate Conception) Torrevieja Eucharist celebration and procession at 18.30h from church Benijófar Solemn Procession with the statue of la Purisima, followed by a firework display. 7pm Saturday 9 December, 2017 Orihuela “El Ultimo Tren a Trebilinka” at the Teatro Circo Guided tour of the Route of Culture. Must reserve your place. Torrevieja Night Race across town. 19h from the main square The Rascals Annual Christmas Sing-a-long 2 pm in San Luis Bigastro Arts, Crafts and Antiques Fair at London Antiques 10 to 2 pm Sunday 10 December, 2007 Benijófar Christmas concert by Crescendo Choir 19.30h at the church Torrevieja Kids musical - D’Artagnan and the 3 Muskateers at 17.30h Rojales The Wizard of Oz (in Spanish) at 17.30h at the theatre Orihuela Costa Christmas Fair - 3 pm to 7pm in Villamartin Square Thursday 14 December, 2017 Torrevieja Cantabile Choir present A Christmas Concert at 3 pm at Los Balcones church Rojales Just Brass Christmas Charity Concert 8 pm Rojales Theatre La Marina The Rascals Annual Christmas Sing-a-long 6 pm in the Consum Square Friday 15 to Sunday 17 December, 2017 Altea Winter Wonderfood Altea - street festival Rojales XI Christmas Market in the Market Square (Plaza de Abastos) Alicante Christmas Nativity Market at the Plaza Seneca Friday 15 December, 2017 This final edition of the year of The Courier is out, before taking a break until the New Year. Friday 15 December, 2017 Torrevieja International Christmas Carol Concert in the main square from 5.30 pm

CLASSIFIE SITUATIONS VACANT Solar Power - Sunlife Solar Solutions have vacancies for both a Solar Installation Engineer and a Solar Thermal Engineer (or plumber with pool heating experience). Call 965 271 717 or send your CV to info@sunlifesolarsolutions.c om RADIO SALES - Come and join the team at TKO. Email your cv to admin@tko.media, full training is given so don´t be shy, email us today. Field and telesales reps wanted, full training given, experience desired, call The Courier 966 921 003. Radio Sales - RADIO COSTA MEDIA needs selfemployed salesperson for Torrevieja & surrounding areas. Call 685 901 265 or please email info@radiocosta.eu Realtor vacancy - Proven track record, experience, local knowledge all essential. Car essential, multi-lingual desired. Send CV to: office@easybuyproperties.com CHURCH SERVICES Torrevieja Christian Fellowship at Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas 68, Torrevieja 03183, all welcome to their friendly and lively 10.30 am. Service each Sunday morning. Tele: 966700391 or visit our website on www.tcfspain.org. International Christian Assembly, Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja. Evangelical non-denomina-

tional church. Sunday services 11am. Children's church 11am.. For more information lease Telephone today: 966 799 273 or 660 127 276. QUIZ MASTER Experienced quiz-master /question setter with personality. If you would like a quiz master that is entertaining, and is available to host quiz nights in local bars. Tel: 664 838 581. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PRINGLE VENDING MACHINE ROUTE. GREAT CASH INCOME. Work one day per week. May finance. Sell 19,000€. Call: 697 834 934 FOR SALE DUE TO RETIREMENT New and Used Furniture Business, well known, repeat business from regular clientele. Trading for over 10 years. Only serious applicants need apply. For more information Tel: 620 582 063 SERVICES STRUCTURAL SURVEYS Mark Paddon BSC Hons Building Surveying MCIOB. CAAT. Buyer’s and defect reports. Tele. 653 733 066 www.surveryorspain.com

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TRELI ON THE TELLY WITH ALEX TRELINSKI

Holby City (BBC 1, Tuesday) has a good tradition down the years of bringing people into the ranks that you would not necessarily expect in this always enjoyable medical procedural drama. Think Robert Powell and Art Malik as good examples and now the McGann acting brothers offer us up Paul, who was fantastic in the Monocled Mutineer, Withnail and I, and the only good thing in the rotten mid-nineties Doctor Who tv movie. Paul’s brother Stephen is, of course, the friendly doctor in Call the Midwife, and Paul has big-time medical credentials in Holby, as he plays Professor John Gaskell, who has apparently discovered a miracle cure for motor neuron disease. McGann immediately drags you in and gets you thinking that not everything is as obvious as it seems, despite his chummy nature towards his new colleagues in his debut on Tuesday. But the real killer stuff surrounded the Ice Queen, Jac Naylor, finally showing her true feelings over her sis-

Hot Week In Holby ter’s death and breaking down. Suddenly a different person appeared and she decided to resign to concentrate on her daughter, when tragedy struck. When Holby’s good, it can be brilliant, and I cannot wait for the conclusion of this twoparter this evening (two in a week…yes!). I could not find any spoilers for the resolution of this story and the Holby team are always on the money on keeping things under wraps, but let’s hope Rosie Marcel’s character doesn’t meet her end. Along with Guy Henry’s Henrik Hanssen, she’s one of the best things about the show, though I suspect Paul McGann will also very quickly reach their level. Talking of high levels, Blue Planet II (BBC 1, Sunday), all too quickly reaches the final instalment this weekend, and you have to marvel at the fantastic footage that we’ve enjoyed over the last couple of months. To witness sea creatures that you’ve never seen before, has made it another breath-taking experience produced by the

patient BBC team in what has easily become one of the television highlights of the year. At times it was almost like experiencing a sci-fi movie with some of the unusual sea life on display, and Blue Planet II ticked the boxes for being supremely entertaining and informative. I’ve put on a black armband over England’s cricketers trying to defend the Ashes in Australia, and being two-nil down after

Adelaide, the game’s up! On the plus side, the coverage from BT Sport has made a refreshing change from what Sky has served up, when the screen is bombarded with endless captions, including incessant plugs for other programming. BT’s presentation takes us back to what Channel Four did when it took away the rights from the BBC, and shows what might have been had Sky not retained the domestic

rights through to the middle of the next decade. On the plus side, the commentators Alison Mitchell, Geoff Boycott, Michael Vaughan, and Graeme Swann are all doubling up from BBC Radio’s Test Match Special box, and are absolutely on the money. Despite his age, Boycott doesn’t sound like an old fart, but is fully of enthusiasm and honesty, and with the BBC set to return to TV cricket in 2020 with high-

lights and some live action, that quartet (plus Jonathan Agnew from TMS) would be perfect to continue their double roles. The American autumn season has produced the final hit, namely a revival of the old seventies cop show S.W.A.T. It’s another winner for CBS, and comes from Shawn Ryan, who was behind the ground-breaking The Shield and a largely unknown (in the UK) army uncover drama, The Unit. Because it is Ryan, I expected S.W.A.T. to offer something different, but surprisingly, it is mainstream, though full of action and buddy humour. It’s slick and perfect to enjoy over a glass of wine, and I expect a UK pick-up soon. Talking of that, Sky have swooped for SEAL Team to add to it already having The Good Doctor (still outstanding), and with Fox UK having The Orville (it starts next Thursday, and I love it) and The Gifted (the best of the new Marvel shows), that’s your lot for what’s worth watching that’s new from the US autumn schedules.

28 Elsewhere, a text message is significant.

Friday Robert arrives back in the Bistro, doing his best to mask his pain.

Friday At Dale View, a drunken Pete tumbles down the stairs and lies in a heap, unconscious. Ross is shocked when he returns and calls an ambulance for his brother. Meanwhile, Victoria and Adam hope that the social worker hasn’t witnessed a worrying outburst from Pete. Elsewhere, resentful.

SOAPS

Thursday 7th December 2017

Jacob

Also today, Pollard confronts his loss.

Monday Moira and Cain take Isaac to the clinic for a routine check-up. Moira is wracked with guilt when the doctor reveals the baby might have a heart problem. Meanwhile, Adam acts on impulse. Elsewhere, Lisa is fearful.

Tuesday Victoria is worried when she finds Adam making an anonymous call to the police, saying that Ross killed Emma. Later, the police present Ross with a warrant to search the house, but will they find what they are looking for? Meanwhile, Zak refuses a surveyor access to the property as Lisa notices his cough is getting worse.

Wednesday Moira meets Holly’s old drug dealer Simon in a car park, wanting something to help her sleep.

When Zeedan takes delivery of the Bistro meat order, he’s unimpressed at the quality. Robert snaps at him, telling him it’s half the price and he’ll cook with whatever he’s given. Zeedan is shocked by his outburst.

Simon is suspicious, but realises how desperate Moira is and sells her drugs. Will she really take them?

Meanwhile, as David prepares Lily for her nativity play, a downcast Sarah asserts that she hates Christmas. Having taken Meanwhile, Victoria is Harry for a walk, Sarah and Bethany return to plagued with doubt. Number 8. Elsewhere, Arthur and Clearly in a lot of pain, Elliot make a discovery. Robert collapses in the Bistro kitchen. Horrified, Michelle calls an ambulance. Robert also breaks the news to Michelle that he lost every last penny at the casino. How will she react to the revelation? Thursday It’s the day of Shona’s Emma’s funeral and Meanwhile, Harriet takes charge with bombshell blows Sarah’s some final preparations, world apart. knowing that attendance is likely to be low. As Harriet lays out the orders of service in preparation, we see the potential suspects of her murder and there’s a sense that all will be revealed soon… After Emma’s funeral, Laurel is thrown when DS Benton and DC Wilson Monday Robert tries to arrive to take her to the justify his actions to Michelle, saying that he station for questioning. was scared about the Laurel is caught when they operation and he wouldn’t show her an incriminating blame her if she left him. photo. How will she explain She promises that they are herself? in this together. When nobody is looking, Michelle Later, the horrifying truth then breaks the card about Emma's death is machine and says everyfinally revealed. one has to pay by cash. Later, when everyone has gone, Rana and Kate have

what happened all those years ago.

a secret rendezvous but they are interrupted by a dark figure emptying the full till. Kate smashes the intruder over the head with a bottle and the girls escape. Meanwhile, Sinead throws a beauty products party. When Liz quizzes Sinead about her wedding plans, Sinead is evasive and Tracy senses her reluctance to get married. The police call at the Nazir house and question Zeedan about the break-in at the Bistro. Zeedan confirms that he was working in his food van all evening.

Friday Mick invites Aidan into the Queen Vic when he spots him being mugged. As the two men bond, Aidan hints about his shady past and Mick is clearly intrigued. Later on, Aidan tells Phil that Mick might be helpful when it comes to their upcoming job. Will Mick get involved with their dodgy activities?

To his surprise, Rana steps in and makes out that she was with him, giving him a watertight alibi. Zeedan is touched.

Monday Max receives some much-needed good news when he learns that Oscar is visiting for his birthday thanks to Jack. Abi also helps out after receiving an apology from Max. Wednesday Kevin visits Anna and breaks the news that it’s over between them as he needs to put Jack first. Anna is devastated. Later on, Anna prepares to return to prison, but spots an overcoat thrown over the back of a chair. Grabbing it, she puts it on and furtively heads towards an open door. Meanwhile, Chesney tells Sinead that he’s taking her for a romantic dinner at the Bistro. When they arrive, Chesney slips the engagement ring into Sinead’s glass of champagne. Sinead is shocked whilst Daniel watches on, absolutely gutted. After seeing Phelan’s look of triumph when he heard the news about Anna and quizzing him over what really happened between them, Faye has finally seen the villain’s true colours.

Later on, Denise learns about Oscar’s impending visit and takes matters into her own hands. As a result, Max and Abi’s excitement over Oscar doesn’t last for long. Meanwhile, Linda and Mick receive a job offer to run a different pub, but the only problem is the location – as they wouldn’t be able to take the whole family with them. Shirley encourages Mick to go for it, but Aidan has an alternative as he continues to tempt Mick over the dodgy job which could solve his financial issues. Which way will Mick be swayed? Tuesday Ian confronts Willmott-Brown about Kathy’s rape, but WillmottBrown is up to his usual tricks as he tries to cast doubts in Ian’s mind about

Ian tries to stand firm as he continues his confrontation with Willmott-Brown, but will things get out of hand? Meanwhile, Mick appears to have been tempted by Aidan’s offer when he tells his family that they’re staying in London. Thursday Josh asks Lauren to help him expose Willmott-Brown’s true colours. He tries to steal files from his father’s computer, while Lauren attempts to distract Fi and Willmott-Brown from returning to the office too quickly.

With the hospital still recovering from traumatic events, Hanssen takes position at the frontline on AAU. Determined to protect his flock, Hanssen insists that new F1s Nicky and Meena act strictly as observers.

However, when a patient’s unruly child pushes him to breaking point, Hanssen must find a way to accept his new colleagues’ assistance, if not their compassion. But is he already too broken?

Week Days 08:00 Breakfast with Peter Hurst 11:00 Mornings with Dennis Christian - DC, AM to PM 14:00 Afternoons with Alex Trelinski - Alex in the Afternoon. 17:00 Drivetime (AKA Tea Time) with Mark Nolan

Weekends Saturday 09:00 Breakfast with Tim Bridge 12:00 Saturday Afternoons with Paul Norman 15:00 Saturday Sports with Alex Trelinski 18:00 Entertainment Power 20:00 Northern Soul

Sunday 09:00 Breakfast with Tim Bridge 12:00 Soul & Mowtown 14:00 Gary Jackson 16:00 The Retro Chart 18:00 Classic Country

Email: radio@tko.media Facebook: tkospain Phone: 965 50 55 10 Text: 671 33 76 75

Friday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Island Medics 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Claimed and Shamed 12:45 The Sheriffs Are Coming 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Armchair Detectives 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 17:30 Money for Nothing 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Sounds Like Friday Night Dua Lipa plays cohost to a packed finale of the series. 21:00 EastEnders Aidan lets Mick in on his past. 21:30 Still Open All Hours Granville tries to sell some out of date mints with results that get tongues wagging. Also, Mrs Featherstone is still trying to tempt Granville to become her fourth husband, and Eric, Cyril and Mr Newbold try to prove that they are men of adventure. 22:00 Have I Got News for You Paul and Ian are joined by guest host Mel Giedroyc and panellists Hal Cruttenden and Sathnam Sanghera. 22:30 Mrs Brown’s Boys Agnes is determined to have a safe and peaceful Christmas. 23:00 News 23:35 The Graham Norton Show 00:25 The Apprentice 02:25 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:30 News

07:00 An Island Parish: Falklands 07:30 Island Medics 08:15 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 09:00 Anglesey: Island Life 09:30 Caught Red Handed 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live: UK Championship Snooker 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Live: UK Championship Snooker The battle for semi-final places continues with the remaining two quarterfinals being played. Jason Mohammad introduces live coverage from the Barbican Centre. 21:00 Mastermind Quiz 21:30 Only Connect The Dandies and Beaks compete to draw together the connections between “Something’s Got to Give’, `The Athenaeum Portrait, `The Last Tycoon’, and Schubert”s Symphony No 8 . 22:00 The Year in Music 2017 Claudia Winkleman and Clara Amfo look back at the music highlights of 2017, featuring the best albums, biggest artists, and most unforgettable performances. With interviews with Foo Fighters, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, Liam Gallagher, Dua Lipa, Nick Grimshaw, Mistajam, and Jo Whiley. 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight 00:05 Snooker 00:55 Snowfall 02:35 Panorama 03:05 Elizabeth and Philip

BBC One announces adaptation of The Long Song

BBC One have announced a three-part adaptation of Andrea Levy’s epic and award-winning novel about the dying days of slavery in Jamaica. Novelist Andrea Levy, says: “I am particularly happy to have my novel, The Long Song, adapted by Heyday and the BBC. This untold story from Britain's complex past in the Caribbean will be a period drama like no other.” Screenwriter Sarah Williams, says: “I’m thrilled to be adapting Andrea's powerful novel. It’s a cracking good story told from a female point of view and also serves as a tribute to the wit, ingenuity and resilience of generations of British slaves in Jamaica.” Three hundred years of slavery finally came to a chaotic end on the British-ruled Caribbean island in 1838. It

is a shameful and rarelyacknowledged part of British colonial history. And though Abolition may have been the first step on the road to racial equality, it is a very long road and one upon which we still travel today. But far from being a harrowing tale of violence and misery that one might expect from such a history, The Long Song is in fact a story of hope, passion and determination, full of insight and humour. It follows a strong-willed young female slave on a Jamaican plantation in the 19th century. She is a natural survivor, who begins her story as a slave, but ends it as the mother of a gentleman. Told from July’s perspective as she looks back over her life, the tone is funny, defiant and indomitable.

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07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Pete spirals out of control. 20:30 Coronation Street Robert snaps at Zeedan upon his return to work. 21:00 Judge Rinder’s Crown Court The return of the iconic 1970s and '80s courtroom drama, now presided over by Judge Robert Rinder, now the court is ready to be sworn in again. This first of two parts hears from the prosecution witnesses as they give evidence against James Byron, a man accused of murdering his wife, while Judge Rinder guides viewers through this complex legal case. Rupert Young and Timothy Bentinck star. 21:30 Coronation Street Michelle is horrified when Robert collapses. 22:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! That jungle crown inches steadily closer to the celebrities as the pressure continues to build in camp. Who has the strength to keep marching to the end? 23:30 News 00:20 Tonight at the London Palladium 01:20 Jackpot247 04:00 Storage Hoarders 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

07:20 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 13:00 News 13:05 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 13:25 Film - A Christmas Wedding Tail 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Lost and Found 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast Jamie and Jimmy feel the force as they're joined in their Southend cafe by veteran Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, hoping to create a menu that can be considered `out of this world' for their childhood hero, aka Luke Skywalker. Jamie becomes the Jedi Master as he teaches Mark to cook perfect Yorkshire pudding and roast beef. There's also a Caesar salad that really pushes the boat out. Meanwhile, Jimmy creates a bespoke seafood feast. Away from the sci-fi action, the boys uncover an innovative way to put some of the UK's food-waste mountain to good uset. 22:00 Gogglebox Britain’s most opinionated and avid TV viewers comment freely on what the box has to offer. 23:00 The Last Leg 00:05 First Dates 01:10 Film Love, Rosie (14) 03:00 Film - A Thousand Words

Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Great Christmas Roast

In this 75-minute Christmas extravaganza, broadcast on 21st December, chefs Gordon and Gino will lay on a spectacular banquet for the heroes of 2017. Working against the clock they’ll be assisted by a number of famous faces as the two teams compete to serve the most impressive festive menu. Charming Maître D Fred will not only be tasked with running the service but he’ll be wrangling the results from our deserving diners, whilst keeping the self assured Brit and the feisty Italian apart. Serving members of the public and the emergency services who bravely risked their lives during tragic events, as they went above the call of duty in 2017, Gordon, Gino and Fred will stop at nothing to ensure they’re treated to the most

exclusive Christmas banquet of all time. The bar is set high, but with competitive personalities thinking each knows best, who will come out on top? And with an overnight trip to France to source the finest tipples factored in, things could easily reach boiling point as they brave the elements and each other, to bring the booze back home for the feast. Gordon said: “I’m looking forward to roasting the chestnuts out of Gino and giving him an absolute stuffing, during our Great Christmas Roast. It’s going to be a lot of fun, but the real prize will be the privilege of cooking a fantastic feast and serving up three stunning courses to some truly deserving diners, who I hope will have an amazing night.”

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 Film - Stealing Christmas 14:25 News 14:30 Neighbours 15:00 Film - A Christmas Promise 16:45 Film - Christmas Under Wraps 18:30 News 19:00 Neighbours 19:30 News 20:00 The Gadget Show The team present a comprehensive guide to the best Christmas tech presents, and show off all the gadgets needed for a brilliant festive experience. Finally, Craig uses tech to create the ultimate Christmas party. 21:00 Brunel: The Man Who Built Britain Brunel was 19 when his father appointed him his assistant and chief engineer on the Thames Tunnel. After a potentially fatal accident during construction, he was recuperating in Bristol when he came up with a design for the Clifton Suspension Bridge. 22:00 Eight Days That Made Rome For new emperor Titus, the spectacular games and events held at the newly opened Colosseum were an opportunity to win over the people and secure his place on the imperial throne, but why did the Romans enjoy seeing such brutality and bloodletting? 23:00 Eight Days That Made Rome 00:05 Nazi Occult 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 05:00 My Mum's Hotter Than Me! 05:45 House Doctor

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:20 Planet’s Got Talent 07:45 Dinner Date 08:35 Emmerdale 09:30 Planet’s Got Talent 10:00 Ellen DeGeneres 10:50 Dinner Date 11:50 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 12:50 Planet’s Got Talent 13:20 Emmerdale 14:25 You’ve Been Framed! 14:50 Ellen DeGeneres 15:45 Jeremy Kyle 19:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Family Guy 23:30 I’m a Celebrity... Extra Camp ITV 3 07:00 Judge Judy 07:20 Coronation Street 08:10 Heartbeat 09:15 Wild at Heart 10:15 Judge Judy 10:40 A Touch of Frost 12:40 Wild at Heart 14:35 Heartbeat 15:40 Coronation Street 16:45 A Touch of Frost 18:55 Heartbeat 19:55 Doc Martin 22:00 Foyle’s War 00:00 Blue Murder ITV 4 07:00 The Chase 08:40 Cash Cowboys 09:35 Pawn Stars 10:30 Ironside 11:35 Quincy, M.E. 12:40 The Sweeney 13:45 The Avengers 14:50 Ironside 15:55 Quincy, M.E. 16:55 The Sweeney 18:00 The Avengers 19:00 Cash Cowboys 20:00 Pawn Stars 21:00 The Chase: Celebrity Special 22:00 Film - For Your Eyes Only (PG) 00:40 Film - The Nutty Professor (12)

Channel 4 to look back at Prince's final year

At the time of his sudden death at the age of 57 in an elevator at his home at Paisley Park, Prince was one of the most successful performers of all time. A gifted composer, singer and instrumentalist, Prince sold more than 100m records in an unrivalled career that spanned musical genres as diverse as pop, blues and soul and garnered him the love and admiration of millions of fans. A new documentary, Prince’s Last Year will examine the last 365 days of his life, following him from a secret gig at The White House to his first ever solo concerts, called the Piano & a Microphone tour. With no backing dancers or theatrics, this was the sound of Prince stripped bare; the simplicity of these performances showed Prince in

reflective mode, all the more poignant in hindsight, as these would be his final shows. While Prince was an artist in complete control of his music, image and his life, in his last year he was also troubled by a long-standing addiction to painkillers, taken to alleviate hip pain from years of performing. It was a secret he kept from even his closest friends and family; the only hint that all was not well came just two weeks before his death when he cancelled a concert in Atlanta, later saying he was feeling ‘a little under the weather.’ With extraordinary access and contributions from CeeLo Green, George Clinton and Rev Al Sharpton, this hour-long documentary will follow the musical and political passions of Prince’s life.

Thursday 7th December 2017

John Noakes: TV Hero

Sunday - BBC One

Saturday - BBC Two Documentary paying tribute to the life and career of John Noakes, the Blue Peter presenter and TV daredevil who died in May this year. Hearing from many of his colleagues and co-workers both in front of and behind the cameras - along with friends and family, the programme sheds light on Noakes reputation as a `man of action', cemented by stunts including climbing Nelson's Column without a harness, achieving a worldrecord breaking five mile free-fall, and risking life and limb on the Cresta Run. The film also illustrates how John

Attenborough and the Giant Elephant

hid his true personality behind his enthusiastic Blue Peter persona, considering himself to be an `ordinary bloke' at heart. Includes contributions by Vicky Noakes,

The naturalist investigates the life of Jumbo, a famous Victorian elephant, supposedly the largest that ever lived. Jumbo arrived in London Zoo in 1865 and was popular with the royal family, but was dangerously unhappy in captivity. In later life, Jumbo would be sold to PT Barnum's circus, becoming a celebrity before dying under mysterious circumJohn's wife of 55 years, for- stances. Attenborough mer co-presenters Valerie examines Jumbo's remains Singleton, Peter Purves and Lesley Judd, and ex-bosses Biddy Baxter and Edward Barnes.

and considers the lives of elephants in the wild to learn

more about the animal's difficult life.

I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

Strictly Come Dancing - Semi-Final Saturday - BBC One Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman host the Strictly Come Dancing live semifinal. For our remaining couples the Glitter Ball trophy is in sight, as the competition reaches its final stages. This week the stakes are raised even higher, as each couple will perform two routines in a bid to impress the judges and the audience at home. They will all perform a Latin and a Ballroom routine as they battle it out to see who will make it to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final and go on to be crowned the Strictly Come Dancing 2017 Champions.

Sunday - ITV Judges Shirley Ballas, Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli will be watching very closely before delivering their verdicts on each dance. The

voting lines open after all the couples have danced twice. Who will the viewers want to see in the Grand Final next weekend, and who will fall at the last hurdle?

Ant and Dec present the final of the 17th series, as the remaining famous faces take on one last round of gruelling challenges in the

Australian jungle. Votes from the audience will decide who is this year's most popular contestant. Once the results are in and the viewers' choice has been revealed, they will be

crowned as this year's King or Queen of the Jungle, before they and their fellow finalists make their escape and begin their long-awaited journey back to the comforts of home.

Saturday TV 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Nigella: At My Table 13:00 Football Focus 14:00 News 14:15 Live: UK Championship Snooker 17:30 Final Score 18:15 Len Goodman’s Partners in Rhyme 18:45 News 19:00 Pointless Celebrities 19:45 Strictly Come Dancing Tess and Claudia host as the competition reaches the semi-final stage. The remaining couples compete for a place in the grand final. 21:20 Michael McIntyre’s Big Show The Saturday night entertainment showcase continues, as celebrity couple and TV presenting duo Marvin and Rochelle Humes both hand over their phones for the show's firstever double Send-to-All. Pop-rock outfit The Vamps perform on-stage, and Michael showcases some of his new material. Plus, an extra in an in-production advert suddenly finds himself under the spotlight as the Unexpected Star of the Show. 22:20 Casualty Elle has a shock in store for Jacob, while Rash questions his future as a doctor after treating an old girlfriend. 23:10 News 23:30 Match of the Day 00:55 The NFL Show 01:25 Film Someone to Watch Over Me (15) 03:05 Weather for the Week Ahead 03:10 News

07:15 Holiday of My Lifetime With Len Goodman 08:00 Nature’s Weirdest Events 08:30 Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature 09:00 Deadly 60 09:30 Show Me What You’re Made Of 10:00 Saturday Mash-Up 12:00 Penguins on a Plane: Great Animal Moves 13:00 Raymond Blanc: How to Cook Well 13:30 Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes 14:00 Demolition: The Wrecking Crew 15:00 Operation Snow Tiger 16:00 Escape to the Continent 17:00 Mastermind 17:30 Live: UK Championship Snooker 18:30 John Noakes: TV Hero 19:10 Blue Peter Confidential 20:00 Live: UK Championship Snooker Coverage of the second semi-final on the 11th day at the Barbican Centre in York, as the prestigious ranking tournament continues. At this stage of last year's event, world number one Mark Selby dominated fellow Englishman Shaun Murphy, winning 6-2 to progress to a final against Ronnie O'Sullivan. Presented by Hazel Irvine, with a commentary team that includes Steve Davis, Ken Doherty, Stephen Hendry and John Parrott. 23:00 QI XL 23:45 Insert Name Here 00:15 Film The Cider House Rules (14) 02:10 Film - Borrowed Time (15) 03:40 This Is BBC Two

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07:00 CITV 10:25 Saturday Morning with James Martin 12:20 Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape 12:45 The Hungry Sailors 13:45 Thunderbirds Are Go 14:10 News 14:20 The X Factor 16:00 Endeavour 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs 19:25 News 19:50 You’ve Been Framed! 20:15 Ninja Warrior UK Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes and Chris Kamara host the second semi-final, as competitors from all over the UK take on TV’s toughest obstacle course in the hope of making it through to the final 15. 21:20 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Ant and Dec present the celebrity survival challenge, as the famous faces' ordeal in the Australian jungle draws close to its conclusion. The pair offer viewers one last chance to catch up with the surviving contestants, all of whom will have their hearts set on being named King of the Jungle. 22:50 Through the Keyhole A special I’m a Celeb-themed episode, as Jimmy Carr, Stacey Solomon, Myleene Klass and Tony Blackburn try to guess the celebrity homeowners’ identities.

07:05 Ultra-Trail CrossCountry Running 07:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:50 Frasier 09:45 The Big Bang Theory 10:40 The Simpsons 12:10 Film - 12 Dates of Christmas (18) 13:55 Come Dine with Me 16:30 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 17:30 Best Laid Plans 18:30 Grand Designs 19:30 News 20:00 Guy Martin’s WWI Tank The presenter builds a working replica of a First World War tank to mark the centenary of the Battle of Cambrai, and takes his tank driving test so he can take his creation on to the streets for Lincoln's Remembrance Day parade. He also delves into the history of the earliest armoured vehicles, the soldiers who crewed them, and the women who built them. 22:00 Film - X-Men: Days of Future Past In a future ravaged by war, the superhero team makes a desperate last stand against a force of deadly robots. Their only hope is to send Wolverine back in time to the 1970s, to join forces with an earlier version of the X-Men and change the events that started the conflict. Superhero adventure sequel, starring Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence.

23:50 News 00:05 Film Shaun of the Dead (18) 01:50 Jackpot247 04:00 00:35 Film - The Drop (14) The Hungry Sailors 04:50 02:35 The Last Leg 03:30 Hollyoaks Omnibus ITV Nightscreen

07:00 Milkshake 11:10 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:45 The Gadget Show 12:40 Cruising with Jane McDonald 12:50 Film - A Perfect Christmas List 14:40 Film - A Nutcracker Christmas 16:20 Film - Nativity 3: Dude Where’s My Donkey? (PG) 18:35 Film - The Family Man A Wall Street banker is magically given the opportunity to find out what his life would have held if he had not walked out on his girlfriend. (PG) 21:00 Santa Makes You Laugh Out Loud Iain Lee narrates a seasonal clip compilation guaranteed to make Santa laugh his Christmas socks off, featuring all of the funniest Christmas videos on the internet. Comedians Zoe Lyons, Ellie Taylor and Marlon Davis are on hand to enjoy all the fun, including side-splitting Santa fails, Christmas dinner disasters, priceless present reactions and the grumpiest dressed-up pets. 22:00 Football Colin Murray introduces highlights from the weekend's games, including Wo l v e r h a m p t o n Wanderers v Sunderland, Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town and Norwich City v Sheffield Wednesday. 23:25 NCIS: New Orleans 01:15 SuperCasino 04:10 Film - The Craigslist Killer

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:50 Emmerdale Omnibus 10:30 Coronation Street Omnibus 13:20 Take Me Out 14:35 Film Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure 16:25 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 17:55 Film - Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang 20:10 Film - The Amazing Spider-Man (PG) 22:50 Family Guy 23:50 I’m a Celebrity... Extra Camp 01:20 American Dad! 02:20 Release the Hounds 03:15 Viral Tap 03:55 Teleshopping ITV 3 07:00 On the Buses 07:25 Film - The Sign of Four (12) 09:30 Murder, She Wrote 11:35 An Avonlea Christmas 13:35 Columbo 15:40 The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes 17:55 Agatha Christie’s Marple 22:00 Grantchester 00:00 Blue Murder 02:05 Wycliffe ITV 4 07:00 Snooker v Darts 07:05 The Protectors 07:30 The Avengers 08:25 The Sweeney 09:25 Motorsport UK 10:30 ITV Racing: The Opening Show 11:30 Football’s Greatest 11:50 Pawn Stars 14:15 ITV Racing: Live from Sandown 17:00 Film - The Dam Busters 19:35 Film - Live and Let Die 22:00 Film Octopussy 00:40 Film Renegades 02:50 Monster Carp 03:50 ITV4 Nightscreen

Sunday TV 07:00 Breakfast 08:35 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 Fern Britton Meets... Barbara Dickson 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:15 Escape to the Country 14:50 Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets 15:50 Lifeline 16:00 Songs of Praise 16:35 Film - Toy Story 17:50 Blue Planet II 18:50 News 19:15 Countryfile 20:15 Strictly Come Dancing Tess and Claudia reveal which four couples will reach the grand final. 21:00 Blue Planet II Uncovering the impact that modern lives are having on ocean creatures, from albatross parents feeding their chicks discarded plastic, to mother dolphins exposing their calves to pollutants through contaminated milk. 22:00 Attenborough and the Giant Elephant David investigates the life story of Jumbo the elephant, the celebrity animal superstar who is said to have inspired the movie “Dumbo”. David joins a team of scientists to unravel the story of Jumbo. 23:00 News 23:30 Match of the Day 2 00:35 Football Show 01:10 Ronny Chieng: International Student 01:40 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:45 News

07:05 Coast 08:05 Gardeners’ World 08:35 The Secret History of the British Garden 09:35 Countryfile 10:30 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:00 Food & Drink 12:30 My Life on a Plate 13:15 MOTD2 Extra 14:00 Live: UK Championship Snooker 18:15 Ski Sunday 19:15 Flog It! 20:00 Live: UK Championship Snooker Coverage of the second session of the final from the Barbican Centre in York, where the first player to reach 10 frames will be crowned champion. Mark Selby held his nerve to win the trophy here last year for the second time, holding off a comeback by Ronnie O'Sullivan to prevail 10-7. At 7-2 ahead the Jester from Leicester seemed set for a comfortable evening, but the Rocket closed the deficit to 8-7, before Selby clinched victory in style with two centuries to cement his place at the top of the world rankings. Presented by Hazel Irvine, with a commentary team that includes Steve Davis, Ken Doherty, Stephen Hendry, John Parrott, Dennis Taylor and Peter Ebdon. 00:00 Employable Me 01:00 Cross Country Championship Athletics 02:05 Film - Headhunters (14) 03:40 Question Time

07:00 CITV 10:25 News 10:30 Best Walks with a View with Julia Bradbury 10:55 The Martin Lewis Money Show 11:25 Save Money: Good Food 12:00 Tipping Point 13:00 Film Junior (PG) 15:05 News 15:15 You’ve Been Framed! 15:45 Midsomer Murders 17:40 The Chase 18:35 How to Spend It Well at Christmas 19:35 News 20:00 Ninja Warrior UK Who will get the chance to conquer Mount Midoriyama and be crowned this year’s Ninja Warrior? 21:00 The Chase: Celebrity Special Hockey star Sam Quek, Basil Brush, presenter Andi Peters and writer Charlie Higson try to pit their wits against one of the country’s finest quiz brains. 22:00 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! They have survived camp life, living with each other and the dreaded Bushtucker Trials, but which of this year’s finalists will be crowned King or Queen of the Jungle?

07:20 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 Paul Hollywood: A Baker’s Life 14:00 Film - Evolution (PG) 16:00 Film - The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (PG) 18:10 The Snowman 18:45 The Snowman and the Snowdog 19:10 News 19:30 Britain’s Wildest Weather Heroic Brits face freak hailstorms, 113mph winds and deadly lightning strikes as they film themselves battling the wildest weather of 2015. 21:00 Coastal Railways with Julie Walters Julie boards the famous Great Western Railway, heading down to Cornwall, where she learns about smugglers and joins the RNLI on a practice run off St Ives.

22:00 Film - The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny, and it’s making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marNews 23:50 riage to the love of his life, 23:35 Diamond Geezers and Sunaina. (PG) Gold Dealers 00:50 The Detectives: Inside the 00:30 Film - Unbroken 02:55 Film Major Crimes Team 01:40 (PG) Jackpot247 04:00 Departure (12) 04:45 Motorsport UK 04:50 ITV Gillette World Sport 05:15 Nightscreen KOTV Boxing Weekly

07:00 Milkshake 11:05 Football 12:30 Film - The Secret Life of Mrs Claus 14:10 Film - Journey Back to Christmas 15:55 Trolls Holiday 16:25 News 16:30 Film - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (PG) 19:45 Film - Need for Speed A street racer is betrayed by a friend, and ends up being framed for causing a death during an illegal contest. Two years later, he is released from prison and returns to the underground racing circuit with revenge in mind. Action adventure based on the video game, starring Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots and Michael Keaton. (PG) 22:00 Film - Chappie Two small-time crooks kidnap the inventor of a highly law-enforceintelligent ment robot. They force him to reprogram the android so it will help them carry out an audacious heist worth $200million, but in doing so, incur the wrath of a ruthless and corrupt general. Sci-fi starring Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman and Dev Patel. (14) 00:20 Film - Resident Evil: 02:05 (18) Afterlife 04:10 SuperCasino Countdown to Murder 05:00 My Mum’s Hotter Than Me!

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:25 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Emmerdale Omnibus 10:10 Coronation Street Omnibus 13:00 Mr Bean 14:00 You’ve Been Framed! 15:00 Take Me Out 16:05 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 17:35 Film - Yogi Bear 19:10 Film - Mr Bean’s Holiday 21:00 Film - The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (PG) 23:05 Family Guy 23:35 I’m a Celebrity... Extra Camp 00:35 Family Guy 01:05 American Dad! 01:35 Film - Carrie (14) ITV 3 07:00 On the Buses 07:25 The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes 09:30 Heartbeat 11:35 Murder, She Wrote 13:45 Columbo 15:45 Film - Ben-Hur (PG) 20:00 Film - The History of Mr. Polly 22:00 Endeavour 00:00 Lewis ITV 4 07:00 The Avengers 08:45 The Sweeney 09:45 The Big Fish Off 10:45 Fishing Impossible 11:50 Pawn Stars 14:05 Film - The Last Sunset (12) 16:20 Film Paranoia (PG) 18:25 Film The Man With the Golden Gun (PG) 21:00 Film - A View to a Kill (PG) 23:40 Film - Species (15) 01:50 Universal Soldier (18)

32 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Island Medics 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Auction 12:45 Fake Britain 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Armchair Detectives 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 17:30 Money for Nothing 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Panorama Lucy Adams meets women living with constant pain after receiving mesh implants to treat incontinence. 21:00 EastEnders Max continues to wreak havoc on his family. 21:30 Would I Lie to You? Rob hosts as team captains Lee and David are joined by Susie Dent, Bob Mortimer, Ore Oduba and Stacey Solomon. 22:00 The Real Marigold on Tour Miriam, Wayne, Bobby and Jan head to Cuba’s capital Havana, where - after being impressed by the pink Cadillacs that pick them up from the airport - they spend their first night learning to dance with the locals. 23:00 News 23:45 Have I Got a Bit More News for You 00:30 Michael McIntyre’s 01:30 The Graham Norton 02:20 Weather 02:25 News

Thursday 7th December 2017

07:00 An Island Parish: Falklands 07:30 Island Medics 08:15 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 09:00 Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 European Cross Country Championship Athletics 15:05 Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip 15:35 Home Away From Home 16:20 32 Brinkburn Street 17:05 The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway 18:05 The Blue Planet 19:00 Celebrity Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Grace Dent and Amol Rajan are the celebs at the wheel, accompanied by Catherine Southon and James Braxton on foraging trip through East Anglia. 21:00 Nigella: At My Table Nigella offers her tips for relaxed entertaining during the festive season, producing dishes including roast duck with orange, soy and ginger, garlic and parmesan mashed potato gratin. 22:00 Employable Me Nancy Doyle helps a blind woman discover her untapped abilities. 23:00 Insert Name Here 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain 02:15 Countryfile 03:10 Blue Planet II 04:10 Holby City

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Moira receives upsetting news. 20:30 Coronation Street Michelle takes a risk to solve Robert’s woes. 21:00 The Martin Lewis Money Show Martin and Angellica Bell help viewers to make the most of their money. Among the topics looked at in this episode are mortgages. 21:30 Coronation Street Fiz and Beth’s feud gets reignited. 22:00 Bancroft DS Bancroft is running an operation against a vicious gang and adopts dubious methods to bring down the brothers who run it. Meanwhile, DS Katherine Stevens is assigned to a cold murder case and finds that there’s more to it than it seems - and that Bancroft has some secrets in her past that may prove difficult to hide. 23:00 News 23:40 Exposure 00:50 Killer Women 01:40 Jackpot247 04:00 Jeremy Kyle 04:55 ITV Nightscreen

07:20 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Jamie’s Cracking Christmas 13:00 News 13:05 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 13:25 Film - The Dog Who Saved Christmas 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Lost and Found 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Paul Hollywood: A Baker’s Life Paul joins the nightshift at the prestigious Chester Grosvenor, the hotel where he got his big break, and bakes exquisite seasonal Danish pastries.

Monday TV 07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 News 12:50 Access 12:55 Film - The Christmas Gift 14:30 Film - The Rooftop Christmas Tree 16:15 Film - A Rose at Christmas 18:00 News 18:35 The Yorkshire Vet 19:30 News 20:00 Weather Terror The only way for Maureen and David to escape the torrential rain of Machu Picchu is across a dilapidated bridge over a raging river. In the Pacific, a 70ft racing yacht is flipped and pinned down.

21:30 Supershoppers Anna and Sabrina examine the price of our most popular coffees in two of the biggest high street chains.

21:00 Police Interceptors The interceptors take on youngsters who cause carnage on our roads and put themselves and others in danger. Spike and dog handler Ian pursue a 20year-old drunk driver into a traveller’s site. Ben goes head-to-head with a speeding boy racer.

22:00 999: What’s Your Emergency? The police are witnessing an increase in young people challenging the authority of the emergency services. With over 88,000 under-18s arrested last year are young people being given too many chances ?

22:00 Concorde By the early 1980s, Concorde was admired the world over. It seemed that it was loved by all, but not by the management of British Airways. They were horrified that it was losing tens of millions a year and knew something must be done.

23:00 First Dates 00:05 Don’t Tell the Bride 01:05 One Born Every Minute 02:05 Film - The Rewrite (12) 03:55 Can We Live with Robots?

23:00 Concorde Air Disaster 00:00 The KKK: Behind the Mask 01:00 Traffic Cops 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors

07:20 Planet’s Got Talent 07:45 Dinner Date 08:35 Emmerdale 09:00 Coronation Street 10:00 Ellen DeGeneres 10:50 Dinner Date 11:50 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 13:20 Emmerdale 13:50 Coronation Street 14:50 Ellen DeGeneres 15:40 Jeremy Kyle 18:55 I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 20:30 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Ghosted 23:00 American Dad! ITV 3 07:00 Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 08:55 An Avonlea Christmas 10:55 Judge Judy 11:20 A Touch of Frost 13:35 The Royal 14:35 Heartbeat 15:40 Coronation Street 16:45 A Touch of Frost 18:45 Heartbeat 19:50 Murder, She Wrote 20:50 Film Mamma Mia! (PG) 23:00 The Widower 00:05 A Touch of Frost ITV 4 07:00 The Chase 08:40 Cash Cowboys 09:35 Pawn Stars 10:35 Ironside 11:40 Quincy, M.E. 12:50 The Sweeney 13:50 The Avengers 14:55 Ironside 16:00 Quincy, M.E. 17:00 The Sweeney 18:00 The Avengers 19:05 Cash Cowboys 20:05 Pawn Stars 21:00 River Monsters 22:00 Film - The Spy Who Loved Me (PG)

Tuesday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Island Medics 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Auction 12:45 Fake Britain 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Armchair Detectives 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 17:30 Money for Nothing 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders Ian comes face to face with James Willmott-Brown. 21:00 Holby City With the merger bringing new F1s Nicky and Meena to Holby, Hanssen wants to protect his staff more than ever. But is his “observe-only” approach really shielding them? 22:00 The A Word Rebecca has been helping to organise the Millcross Primary End of Year Show, where some of Joe's old classmates will perform. Though he no longer goes to Millcross, Rebecca decides Joe should be included. The news that he'll be taking part provokes a mixed response, with some people aware that Joe was always the kid who didn't fit in. 23:00 News 23:45 Sports Personality of the Year 2017 00:45 Life and Death Row 01:45 Weather 01:50 News

07:00 Flog It!: Trade Secrets 07:30 Island Medics 08:15 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 09:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Coast 15:00 Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip 15:30 Home Away From Home 16:15 32 Brinkburn Street 17:00 The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway 18:05 The Blue Planet 19:00 Celebrity Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

20:30 Save Money: Good Food Susanna Reid and Matt Tebbutt meet the Dhillons, who they teach to stop binning leftovers and use them to create 20:00 Celebrity Antiques tasty new meals. Plus red Road Trip Tim Vine and wine is put to the taste Ricky Grover search for test. profitable antiques in 21:00 How to Spend It southeast Scotland. Well at Christmas Phil 21:00 MasterChef: The and his guests offer hints Professionals The on food, drink and decoraremaining eight chefs face tion for the big day. a double-headed challenge Rosemary Shrager and in the kitchen. They must Phillip put a so-called concreate a dish dedicated to venient Christmas to the someone who has inspired test by sampling festive them in life, whether that’s dinner in a box. Plus, Joe a professional, a family Pasquale reveals all there is to know about crackers. member or a loved one. 22:00 Rick Stein’s Road to Mexico Rick Stein’s latest culinary travels take him through Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca for Mexico’s most iconic dish and drink Mole and Mezcal.

22:00 Bancroft Bancroft helps Katherine and Anya with the Fraser case, but they are struggling to find any forensic evidence. Katherine and Joe’s relationship progresses.

23:00 Motherland 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 NFL This Week 01:05 This World 02:05 The Apprentice 03:05 Stalkers

23:00 News 23:45 Lethal Weapon 01:30 Jackpot247 04:00 Loose Women 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

07:20 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Jamie’s Night Before Christmas 13:00 News 13:05 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 13:25 Film - The Dog Who Saved Christmas 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Lost and Found 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Food Unwrapped Jimmy, Kate, Matt and Dr Helen reveal surprises behind festive food. Jimmy visits north-west America to check out the latest nonmeat treat for Christmas day - tofurkey, and Matt searches for the best accompaniment to real turkey.

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 News 12:50 Film - Window Wonderland 14:30 Film Merry Ex-Mas (PG) 16:15 Film - The Mistletoe Promise 18:00 News 18:35 The Yorkshire Vet 19:30 News 20:00 Meet the Hedgehogs Steve Backshall meets the residents of Amazing Grace Rescue Centre in Surrey, helps healed hogs back into the wild, finds ways to hog-proof your garden, and tracks the last known colony of wild hedgehogs in London. 21:00 Jo Brand’s Cats & Kittens Jo meets two black rescue cats that have bagged themselves a potential new owner and she gives a hearing test to four blue-eyed white kittens.

22:00 The World’s Most Expensive Presents Cameras follow craftsmen and women producing lavish gifts with price tags to match, including a 24-carat gold-plated bike worth £250,000. There's also a look at the dog owner who wants to impress guests at a party, so they dress their pet in a £40,000 ball gown.

22:00 Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild Ben Fogle revisits people living offgrid to see how their lives have progressed. Ben catches up with a former businessman named Dave who was threatened with eviction from his paradise island off the coast of Australia.

23:00 Finding Me a Family 00:05 Gogglebox 01:10 The Great Songwriters 02:05 The Supervet 03:00 Posh Pawn 03:55 Grand Designs Australia

23:00 Britain’s Favourite Christmas Hits 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Concorde 05:00 My Mum’s Hotter Than Me! 05:45 House Doctor

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:20 Planet’s Got Talent 07:45 Dinner Date 08:35 Emmerdale 09:00 Coronation Street 10:00 Ellen DeGeneres 10:50 Dinner Date 11:50 Britain’s Got Talent 12:50 Planet’s Got Talent 13:20 Emmerdale 13:50 Coronation Street 14:50 Ellen DeGeneres 15:40 Jeremy Kyle 18:55 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Through the Keyhole 23:00 Family Guy ITV 3 07:20 Coronation Stree 08:10 Heartbeat 09:15 The Royal 10:15 Judge Judy 11:35 A Touch of Frost 13:35 The Royal 14:40 Heartbeat 15:40 Coronation Street 18:50 Heartbeat 19:55 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Agatha Christie’s Marple 23:00 The Widower ITV 4 07:00 The Chase 08:35 Cash Cowboys 09:30 Pawn Stars 10:30 Ironside 11:35 Quincy, M.E. 12:35 The Sweeney 13:40 The Avengers 14:45 Ironside 15:50 Quincy, M.E. 16:55 The Sweeney 18:00 The Professionals 19:00 Cash Cowboys 20:00 Pawn Stars 21:00 The Chase: Celebrity Special 22:00 Film - Moonraker (PG)

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Thursday 7th December 2017

Wednesday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Island Medics 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Auction 12:45 Fake Britain 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Armchair Detectives 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 17:30 Money for Nothing 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets In the final episode Mary visits Goodwood House, home to the March family, famous for their iconic horse racing and motoring events. She is taken on a thrilling lap of Goodwood motor circuit by Lord March, before attending one of his infamous dinner parties where 300 guests dine in style in splendid state rooms. Mary also learns more about the Estate's organic farm, before preparing a Coq-auVin and a four tier cake for a cricket tea set in one of the oldest cricket clubs in the world. 22:00 The Apprentice The final candidates are joined by some of Lord Sugar’s closest associates who put them through their paces in the toughest of interviews. Each candidate goes head to head with a business heavyweight and attempts to prove their worth. 23:00 News 23:45 Match of the Day 01:25 Junior Doctors: Blood, Sweat and Tears 01:55 Weather Ahead 02:00 News

07:00 Flog It!: Trade Secrets 07:30 Island Medics 08:15 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 09:00 Nigella: At My Table 09:30 Anglesey: Island Life 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 New 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Lifeline 14:10 Coast 15:05 Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip 15:35 Home Away From Home 16:20 32 Brinkburn Street 17:05 The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway 18:05 The Blue Planet 19:00 Celebrity Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Felicity Montagu and Clare Holman navigate their way around the Midlands and uncover an exceptional lampshade. 21:00 MasterChef: The Professionals The first three remaining semi-finalists battle it out for a place in Finals Week. They are sent to work alongside an inspirational self-taught chef for two days where they must take responsibility for one dish from a tasting menu.

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07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Victoria is plagued with doubt. 20:30 Coronation Street Chesney’s romantic gesture for Sinead dismays Daniel. 21:00 Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape Gino D’Acampo continues his journey in the rugged and wild region that is Calabria, where the landscape is as breathtaking as the powerhouse ingredients it produces. 21:30 Coronation Street Daniel makes Chesney feel sick to his stomach.

22:00 Peaky Blinders Tommy finds himself engaged in bloody battle with Luca and his gang. The family gather to find out what happened, but Lizzie has greater news.

22:00 Bancroft Bancroft receives a startling blast from the past that brings events from 1990 back to the surface. Katherine wrestles with twists and turns of the new information she is uncovering, and is faced with a chilling truth. Bancroft secures Zaheera in safe accommodation and Daanish fulfils his part of the deal. Anya makes a surprising visit to an old friend.

23:00 The Apprentice: You’re Fired 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Employable Me 01:15 Rick Stein 02:15 Extreme Wives with Kate Humble

23:00 News 23:40 Exposure 00:45 Parking Wars 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 May the Best House Win 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

07:20 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Jamie’s Christmas With Bells On 13:00 News 13:05 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 13:25 Film - The Dog Who Saved the Holidays (PG) 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Lost and Found 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Handmade Kirstie’s Christmas 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 The Secret Life of the Zoo There are only around 50 Javan green magpies left in the world, and two of them live at Chester Zoo. Keepers are desperate to breed youngster Permata with older female Metina, but the problem is that he still has his juvenile blue feathers. 22:00 The Channel: The World’s Busiest Waterway Following the work of Dave, manager of the Nemo Project, a multimillion-pound electricity cable being laid between Britain and Belgium, as he attempts to stick to the schedule to avoid delays which could cost a six-figure sum. Meanwhile, the project has pushed Steve out of his fishing grounds 23:00 Vanished by the Lake 00:00 999: What’s Your Emergency? 01:05 Poker 02:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 02:55 One Born Every Minute 03:50 Grand Designs Australia

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 News 12:50 Access 13:00 Film - Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas (PG) 14:30 Film - Season’s Greetings 16:15 Film Murder, She Baked: A Christmas Pudding Mystery (14) 18:00 News 18:35 The Yorkshire Vet 19:30 News 20:00 Police Interceptors The interceptors take on youngsters who cause carnage on our roads and put themselves and others in danger. Spike and dog handler Ian pursue a 20year-old drunk driver into a traveller’s site. Ben goes head-to-head with a speeding boy racer. 21:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors Patients include regular Michael who is due to have his toe amputated, Donovan who is stressed from caring for his wife, Richard whose blood test doubles as an alcohol test, and Janet who fell off her high heels. 22:00 Harrogate: A Yorkshire Christmas The great and good of Harrogate as they prepare for the town’s annual Christmas windows competition. More than fifty shops pull out all the stops to put on the best window display possible and wow the crowds. 23:00 Greatest Christmas TV Moments of All Time 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild 05:00 World’s Most Pampered Pets

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:20 Planet’s Got Talent 07:45 Dinner Date 08:35 Emmerdale 09:00 The Cube 10:00 Ellen DeGeneres 10:50 Dinner Date 11:50 Britain’s Got Talent 12:50 Planet’s Got Talent 13:20 Emmerdale 13:50 You’ve Been Framed! 14:50 Ellen DeGeneres 15:40 Jeremy Kyle 18:55 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Film - The Hangover Part II (18) 00:05 Family Guy 02:00 American Dad! ITV 3 07:00 Judge Judy 07:20 Coronation Street 08:15 Heartbeat 09:15 The Royal 10:20 Judge Judy 13:40 The Royal 14:40 Heartbeat 15:40 Coronation Street 18:50 Heartbeat 19:55 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Foyle’s War 23:00 The Widower 00:05 Appropriate Adult 01:35 Lucan 02:50 Judge Judy ITV 4 07:00 The Chase 08:40 Cash Cowboys 09:30 Pawn Stars 10:30 Ironside 11:35 Quincy, M.E. 12:40 The Sweeney 13:45 The Professionals 14:50 Ironside 15:55 Quincy, M.E. 17:00 The Sweeney 18:00 The Professionals 19:00 The Darts Show 20:05 Pawn Stars 21:00 Devon and Cornwall Cops 22:00 Film - For Your Eyes Only (PG) 00:45 Film Renegades (15) 02:55 Ax Men

36 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Island Medics 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:30 Grenfell Tower Memorial Service 13:00 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Armchair Detectives 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 17:30 Money for Nothing 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders Josh takes matters into his own hands. 21:00 The Apprentice A look back at the candidates who fell before the final hurdle, and the tasks that took them to the brink. With the help of unseen boardroom insights, Lord Sugar looks through the best and the worst decisions made by the candidates. 22:00 Love, Lies & Records After Rob's surprise proposal, Kate finally has everything she thought she wanted - but in the cold light of morning, she is not so sure. As she struggles to choose between her heart and her head, she is caught off-guard when Rick's partner Olivia turns up to confronts her. But what does she want? As if things could not get any worse, at work she is shocked to discover the real reason. News 23:45 23:00 Question Time 00:45 This Week 01:30 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:35 News

Thursday 7th December 2017

07:00 Flog It!: Trade Secrets 07:30 Island Medics 08:15 The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 09:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 11:30 Street Auction 12:15 Fake Britain 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Coast 15:00 Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip 15:30 Home Away From Home 16:15 32 Brinkburn Street 17:05 The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway: The Final Countdown 18:05 The Blue Planet 19:00 Celebrity Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two

20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip Blue Peter’s Valerie Singleton and Diane Louise Jordan pair up with Paul Laidlaw and Phil Serrell as they compete to find the most profitable antiques.

21:00 Emmerdale The horrifying truth finally emerges.

21:00 MasterChef: The Professionals It’s the last Semi Final and three of the remaining chefs are in close competition for a place in Finals Week. 22:00 Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain The documentary investigates the deadly impact of an incendiary bomb that set fire to St Peter's Church in the historic heart of Bristol on the night of November 24, 1940. 23:00 Live at the Apollo 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 The Year in Music 2017 01:15 Employable Me 02:15 Expedition Volcano 03:15 This Is BBC Two

20:00 Emmerdale Moira faces a stark choice. 20:30 Tonight Investigating the scandal of a rogue surgeon who performed botched operations on more than 1,000 women for nearly two decades before being brought to justice.

21:30 Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs Paul has his work cut out at Battersea when he helps to train an overexcited beagle who might just be the world's worst sniffer dog. He also meets a toy poodle and a pug who came in to Battersea as a pair but could be better off finding new homes separately, and a cockapoo who might end up 22:00 Bancroft Katherine and Anya make a determined push to get to the bottom of the Laura Fraser case once and for all. Bancroft is forced to reveal secrets about her past. 23:00 News 23:40 Birds of a Feather 00:40 London Palladium 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight 04:25 ITV Nightscreen

Thursday TV

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 News 12:50 Film - The Perfect Holiday 14:35 Film - My Christmas Dream 16:20 Film - An Unexpected Christmas 18:00 News 18:35 The Yorkshire Vet 19:30 News

21:00 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces George and Will Hardie head for Norway, a country with some of the harshest weather on Earth, visiting ingenious builds including a snow hotel, an epic mountain home, a converted oil silo, and a geodesic aluminium dome.

21:00 Gypsy Kids: Our Secret World It is a Christmas to remember for twins Johnny and Abraham and their cousin Jack Joe. They are helping their uncle Tony with his entrance to a Christmas cage fight. Meanwhile eight-year-old Margaret has an extra special Christmas present.

22:00 The Crystal Maze Celebrity Christmas Special Richard Ayoade hosts this reboot of the popular 1990s game show, guiding five contestants through the Aztec, Medieval, Industrial and Future zones, where they play a range of skill, mystery, physical and mental challenges to win the allimportant crystals. With Nicola Adams, Ellie Simmonds, Olllie Locke, Mollie King and Tom Davis. 23:00 Extraordinary Teens: School of Life and Deaf 00:00 Naked Attraction 01:00 Random Acts 01:35 Catching a Killer 02:50 The Supervet 03:45 Finding Me a Family

20:00 UK’s Strongest Man Eight two-man teams from around the world come together at Northwood Stadium in Stoke to battle it out for the world title.

22:00 Harrogate: A Yorkshire Christmas Second of two programmes about a contest to win best Christmas shop window in the North Yorkshire town. Last year's winner Sandi is racing against time to improve the design of her dance shop window after advice from her father, while upmarket gift boutique owner Georgina wakes up in the middle of the night and decides she needs to change her design just hours before judging day. 23:00 My Crazy Christmas Obsession 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:20 Planet’s Got Talent 07:45 Dinner Date 08:35 Emmerdale 09:00 Coronation Street 10:00 Ellen DeGeneres 10:50 Dinner Date 11:50 Britain’s Got Talent 12:50 Planet’s Got Talent 13:20 Emmerdale 13:50 Coronation Street 14:50 Ellen DeGeneres 15:40 Jeremy Kyle 18:55 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Through the Keyhole 23:00 Celebrity Juice 00:00 Family Guy ITV 3 07:00 Judge Judy 07:20 Coronation Street 08:15 Heartbeat 09:20 The Royal 10:20 Judge Judy 13:35 The Royal 14:40 Heartbeat 15:40 Coronation Street 18:50 Heartbeat 19:55 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs 22:00 Tommy Cooper Forever 23:00 Film - Hattie 00:50 Lewis ITV 4 07:00 Sporting Funnies 07:10 The Chase 08:45 The Darts Show 09:40 Pawn Stars 10:35 Ironside 11:40 Quincy, M.E. 12:45 The Sweeney 13:50 The Professionals 14:50 Ironside 15:55 Quincy, M.E. 17:00 The Sweeney 18:00 The Professionals 19:00 Cash Cowboys 20:00 Pawn Stars 21:00 River Monsters 22:05 Film - Octopussy (PG) 00:45 Species (15) 02:55 The Professionals

Home Computing

www.thecourier.es

RICHARD CAVENDER

BlueMoon Solutions www.bluemoonsolutions.es

BlueMoon Solutions is the computer and IT services company on the Costa Blanca. BlueMoon Solutions comes to you at home or at work. Their personal service covers from Alicante to Pilar de la Horadada.

Richard moved to Spain ten years ago having left his management background behind in the UK and decided to use his IT skills to help home users and small businesses with their PC problems. Now a relaxed 'computer man' he is out and about in the Spanish sun every day, making house and shop calls and using his vast experience and qualifications to sort out the problem there and then. Computers are his hobby as well as his work so don’t be surprised to get an answer to your email in the early hours!

ADVICE: Lynn wanted to know how to turn off the Junk Mail ADVICE: Peter and his wife were unlucky enough to have processing in Thunderbird. their iPad stolen, is there anything they can do?

Q A

Hi Richard, I have just set up a new email account in Thunderbird and very frustratingly all of my emails are going into the Junk Email folder. Is there any way that I can turn off this not very helpful function? Hi Lynn, yes there is, you should do the following… 1. 2. 3. 4.

Launch Thunderbird Click Tools then Account Settings Click the email account in question Click Junk Settings and Uncheck the box

Email: office@bluemoonsolutions.es Mobile: 655 044 970

Hi Richard, when at Alicante Airport on Wednesday my wife’s handbag was stolen, passports, money, jewlery etc. Her iPad was also in the bag. We recalled that when you set it up for her, you mentioned a tracking device, is this correct?

Hi Peter, yes, when we set up your iPad, we configured iCloud so that your iPad is tracked whenever it connects to the Internet. In order to check whether its available or not, you need to do the following…

Find a computer and navigate to www.icloud.com

Click on the Sign In button and enter your iTunes username and pass word and click on the arrow to sign in

Once signed in, you can click on the “Find My iPhone” button and you will be directed to a screen that shows the location of your iPad (if its on line).

If its not online, then you have a number of options including “lock” to stop your iPad from being easily used and “Erase iPad” which will clear your personal data from the device, there is also an option on there to send an email when the device comes online.

Website:www.bluemoonsolutions.es NEW: Tel: 965 987 032

Don’t forget, you can follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/bluemoonsolutionsspain/ Alternatively, why don’t you sign up for my newsletter. You can do this by going to:www.bluemoonsolutions.es/newsletter.

FILL IT IN

CODE CRACKER

Fit the words into the boxes.

Code Cracker is a crossword puzzle with no clues; instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number.

DOUBLE CROSS-WORD Solve the Double Cross-Word puzzle using either the standard or cryptic clues, the answers are exactly the same.

2 letter words As Hi It Us 3 letter words Ale All Ant Ape Are Art Day Ens Get Had Has Lay Loy Nor

Oar Oft Ore Pan Par Pea Ply Rag Rat Sap Sir Spa Tea Ten Tut Use 4 letter words Aloe Area Arts

Cast Cons Cosh Dais Earl Fees Free Hays Isle Lees Leis Lens List Lure Oats Para Pass Sale Sane Scam

Cryptic Clues Across

Down

1 Traditional stories involving confused, shy and heartless Maoist (5) 4 Vehicle with black on, soot? (6) 9 Violent behaviour with sheep call (7) 10 Set up stall (5) 11 The kicker, is he so confused? (4) 12 Old-timer set on a pedestal (7) 13 Some wine tasters are remaining (3) 14 Disgusting evil doctor (4) 16 Found irritable in a hired gyroscope (4) 18 Ask one for an offer (3) 20 Increase general confusion (7) 21 Shout about everything (4) 24 Army divisions ruined Tunis (5) 25 It is a chore to put out this type of cigar (7) 26 Listen around, then join up (6) 27 Get rid of the trench (5)

1 Gold found in mass quagmire (6) 2 Part time worker has nothing like the rhythm (5) 3 Behind defense attorney’s disclosure (4) 5 Agreed, it’s like it was posted to the editor (8) 6 Winning or getting a hammering (7) 7 Signify agreement, and you’ll reportedly get growth (6) 8 Stale concoction is the bare minimum (5) 13 Nothing nurse is preparing for a mild mental disorder (8) 15 Malice shown when Shakespeare wasn’t at his best, perhaps (3,4) 17 Take exception to the East, otherwise prim (6) 18 A seat for the judiciary (5) 19 Grasp a number of eggs (6) 22 Legend on the move (5) 23 Legal document of French journalist (4)

Scan Sear Semi Sire Sold Sore Span Suds Tent Trug Yeti 5 letter words Aloes Aorta Cease Crane Hasty Nerds Panda Peace

Saint Sales Stoat Upset 6 letter words Append Dressy Forget Harass Parish Settee 7 letter words Lattice Seaside 8 letter words Secluded Trotters

Standard Clues Across 1 Fables (5) 4 Chemical element (6) 9 Run riot (7) 10 Endure (5) 11 Foot covering (4) 12 Timepiece (7) 13 Mesh (3) 14 Disgusting (4) 16 Nervy (4) 18 Offer (3) 20 Make bigger (7) 21 Cry (4) 24 Items (5) 25 Type of cigar (7) 26 Join up (6) 27 Trench (5) Down 1 Quagmire (6) 2 Rhythm (5) 3 Chair (4) 5 Agreed (8) 6 Thumping (7) 7 Small swelling (6) 8 Smallest (5) 13 Psychological disorder (8) 15 Hostility (3,4) 17 Overmodest (6) 18 Long seat (5) 19 Cling to (6) 22 Walking (5) 23 Document (4)

Quiz Word

Across 1 What name is given to the angular distance between an imaginary line around a heavenly body parallel to its equator and the equator itself? (8) 7 What name is applied to a natural stream of water smaller than a river and often a tributary of a river? (5) 8 Capital city of Mongolia? (4,5) 9 By what nickname is someone called Henry often known? (3) 10 The name of which flatfish is also the name given to the underside of the foot? (4) 11 What name was given to the collection of Zoroastrian texts gathered during the fourth and sixth centuries? (6) 13 According to the Bible, what was the name of the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed? (6) 14 Which medical publication takes its name from a surgical knife with a pointed double-edged blade? (6) 17 Plant known as the 'love apple'? (6) 18 Usually portrayed as a winged youth with bow and arrows, what was the

name of the Greek god of love? (4) 20 What name is given to a profound emotion inspired by a deity? (3) 22 What name is given to the northernmost point of the Earth's axis? (5,4) 23 Rodrigo Diáz de Vivar was the real name of which 11th century Spanish warrior hero? (2,3) 24 See 12 Down Down 1/5 Which soldier and statesman was the first premier of the Union of South Africa (1910-19)? (5,5) 2 What name is given to a fishing boat that uses a dragnet to catch fish? (7) 3 Which type of jug or mug is in the form of a stout man wearing a three-cornered hat? (4) 4 In grammar, which category of nouns serve as the indirect object of a verb (6) 5 See 1 6 By what name is a small metal frying pan with a long-handle known as in the US? (7) 7 What was the surname of the actor who played James Bond in the films Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The

QUICKIE Across

Down

1 Opens a fastener (6) 4 Bother repeatedly (6) 9 Dramatic scene (7) 10 Fragrance (5) 11 Accepted practice (5) 12 Larval frog (7) 13 Noisy spirit (11) 18 Dampen (7) 20 Latin American dance (5) 22 Foreign-born (5) 23 Pledge (7) 24 Affectionate (6) 25 Make right (6)

1 False (6) 2 Striped animal (5) 3 Gift (7) 5 Confer an honour (5) 6 Romantic (7) 7 Climbs up (6) 8 Street urchin (11) 14 Sentiment (7) 15 Surround completely (7) 16 Affect (6) 17 In the recent past (6) 19 Become tight (5) 21 Sound of any kind (5)

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

Improve your Spanish - Clues in Spanish, answer in English or vice versa. Across Down 1 Three (4) 3 Garbanzo (8) 9 German (f) (7) 10 Long (in size) (5) 11 Now (at this time, immediately) (5) 12 Trono (asiento) (6) 14 Manzanas (6) 16 Enormous (6) 19 Al lado de (4,2) 21 Tiger (5) 24 Exilio (5) 25 Creamy (taste, texture) (7) 26 Disaster (8) 27 Parrot (4)

Fill It In

Sudoku

1 To work (8) 2 January (5) 4 Corazones (6) 5 Heat (warmth) (5) 6 Compañero (en pareja) (7) 7 Years (4) 8 Daño (a algo) (6) 13 Telephone (8) 15 Prizes (in competition, lottery) (7) 17 Nuez moscada (6) 18 To snore (6) 20 Árboles (5) 22 Balloon (5) 23 Cabeza (de persona) (4)

World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day? (7) 12/24 Which American author created the tough private eye Philip Marlowe? (7,8) 13 What name is given to optical illusions in which atmospheric refraction by a layer of hot air distorts or inverts reflections of distant objects? (7) 15 Lewis who was the British writer and mathematician who wrote the children’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the sequel, Through the Looking-Glass? (7) 16 Which complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants is used in adhesives and as fillers and stiffeners for paper and textiles? (6) 17 Which freshwater dace-like game fish of Europe and western Asia is noted for its ability to survive outside water? (5) 19 The name of which long pointed weapon is also applied to the tip and stem of asparagus or broccoli? (5) 21 What name is given to the protruding part of the lower jaw? (4)

SUDOKU

Last Week’s Solutions Quizword Across: 1 Poseidon, 8 Anglicise, 9 Eva, 10 Hour, 11 Berlin, 13 Pedant, 14 Icarus, 17 Spider, 18 Isis, 20 Art, 22 Nectarine, 23 Sachs, 24 Voltaire. Down: 1 Plath, 2/7A Sigmund Freud, 3 Ibid, 4 Oliver, 5 Yemen, 6 Edwards, 7 Fetlock, 12 Indians, 13 Picasso, 15 Rossini, 16 Velcro, 17 Stock, 19 Sieve, 21 Kant. Double Crossword Across: 1 Desires, 5 Scope, 8 Twaddle, 9 Cater, 10 Ditto, 11 Cushion, 12 Sacred, 14 Causes, 17 Lasagne, 19 Music, 22 Crisp, 23 Rattier, 24 Sorry, 25 Springs. Down: 1 Dated, 2 Start, 3 Red rose, 4 Sketch, 5 Socks, 6 Obtains, 7 Errands, 12 Selects, 13 Cashier, 15 Ammeter, 16 Beards, 18 Guppy, 20 Scion, 21 Carps. Quickie Across: 1 Genesis, 5 Amass, 8 Darling, 9 Error, 10 Yield, 11 Abandon, 12 Musket, 14 Adhere, 17 Shampoo, 19 Plant, 22 Agile, 23 Swollen, 24 Abate, 25 Liaison.

Span - Eng

Down: 1 Giddy, 2 Nurse, 3 Swindle, 4 Signal, 5 Arena, 6 Abridge, 7 Strange, 12 Mascara, 13 Stamina, 15 Diploma, 16 Fossil, 18 Piece, 20 Atlas, 21 Tenon.

Code Cracker

Thursday 7th December 2017

ALL-NEW 2018 JEEP® WRANGLER: THE MOST CAPABLE SUV EVER DEBUTS AT THE LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW

The most capable SUV ever

The all new Jeep® Wrangler – the most capable SUV ever – made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week, building on its legendary history with an unmatched combination of off-road capability, authentic Jeep design, open-air freedom, superior on- and off-road dynamics, and a host of innovative safety and advanced technology features. The all-new Jeep Wrangler delivers unmatched off-road capability courtesy of specific technical features including two advanced 4x4 systems, new Selec-Trac full-time twospeed transfer case, Tru-Lock electric front- and rear-axle lockers, Trac-Lok limited-slip differential and the electronic sway-bar disconnect. The Wrangler's unique exterior design includes an instantly recognizable keystoneshaped grille, iconic round headlamps and square taillamps, improved aerodynamics, a convenient fold-down windshield, even more open-air freedom, and dozens of different door, top and windshield combinations.

The new car’s interior combines authentic styling, precision craftsmanship and highquality materials that result in improved versatility and comfort for drivers and passengers. The all-new Jeep Wrangler is loaded with more advanced technology features than ever before and offers three new Uconnect systems (Uconnect 5-, 7- and 8.4NAV), delivering communication, entertainment and navigation features. These new, fourth-generation Uconnect systems include a full-colour LED instrument cluster, the choice of 5.0, 7.0- or 8.4-inch touchscreens with pinch-and-zoom capability, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features. Safety and security were paramount in the development of the new generation of Jeep Wrangler, which offers more than 75 available active and passive safety and security features.

SEAT TO BUILD THE TALLEST AUTOMATED WAREHOUSE IN SPAIN

SEAT continues with its commitment to making the Martorell factory a benchmark of Industry 4.0 with the construction of a new, automated logistics centre, providing storage for parts and components and equipped with smart technology to make its operation completely automated. With a total capacity for 119,000 boxes and a maximum height of 43.7 metres, it will be the tallest logistics warehouse in Spain. Construction work on this facility, which will become the pillar of SEAT’s Logistics Centre at the Martorell factory, is scheduled to conclude in the last quarter of 2018. According to SEAT Vice-President for Production Dr. Andreas Tostmann, “the creation of this wholly automated logistics centre once again demonstrates that SEAT is a benchmark company in every area of Industry 4.0”. “With this project we are taking a qualitative leap forward in our service capacity and our vision of achieving logistics management excellence by increasing efficiency in the manufacturing process of our vehicles”, he added.

SEAT’s new warehouse will have a total surface area of 5,700 m2 divided into two facilities. In the first one, with a height of 43.7 metres, up to 500 containers will be shifted every hour. It will have a capacity for 24,000 containers stored in seven aisles. The second, at 21 metres high, will feature five aisles for storing more than 95,000 boxes, where 1,100 will get shifted every hour. This new facility represents another breakthrough in the logistics processes at the Martorell factory, which in recent months have received several awards. Just recently, SEAT won the Manufacturing Excellence 2017 award in the category of Logistics and Logistics Network Management. The judging panel of this award, which is considered one of the major events in the industrial sector, was particularly impressed by the factory’s excellent performance in supplier management and internal logistics. Likewise, last June the Barcelona International Logistics Exhibition recognised SEAT for the efficiency and technological innovation of the SEAT Easy Smart Logistics project.

The 2018 dates for the fourth edition of the popular Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA), staged at the famous banked Linas-Montlhéry circuit near Paris, are now confirmed as 28-30 September 2018 Due to the huge success of late September’s 2017 LGHA, for 2018 an extra day (Friday 28 September) will be added to the event to meet popular demand To preview some of the many attractions due to be in action on the banking at the 2018 LGHA, a special display of original record-breaking cars that set speed and endurance records at Montlhéry will form a fascinating LGHA display at the 2018 Retromobile, Paris, from 7 to 11 February Record-breaking Montlhéry cars already confirmed for the special 2018 LGHA Retromobile display include the 1927 Voisin 8-litre 24-hour speed record breaker, the famous 1933 Citroen 8CV ‘Petite Rosalie’ endurance car, Peugeot’s unique 1965 single-seater 404 Diesel and the 1952 Simca Aronde 9 record model. The 2018 LGHA at Montlhéry will be held just days before next year’s bi-annual Paris Motor Show open its doors, giving motoring enthusiasts even more reasons to visit the event in 2018 The 2018 LGHA promises countless competition cars, motorcycles, supercars and car club participants in action on the Montlhéry banking, including Group B rally weapons taking to the track up until 10pm at night Official video highlights of the 2017 LGHA now available to view and share on the LGHA website, as are tickets to the three-day 2018 event

Due to the phenomenal success last September of the third edition of Les Grandes Heures Automobiles (LGHA), held at the celebrated Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, near Paris, for 2018 an extra day (Friday 28 September) will be added to the event. This will enable motor sport and classic car enthusiasts the opportunity to savour the LGHA’s unique atmosphere for even longer. Next year’s LGHA dates are now also confirmed, with the event running from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 September, just a few days before the bi-annual Paris Mondial de l’Automobile motor show opens its doors only a few miles away from Montlhéry. Ahead of next September’s three-day LGHA, the many international visitors to February’s Retromobile, held at the Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris from 7 to 11 February 2018, will once again get a taster of what to look forward to at the 2018 LGHA, with a special LGHA feature display of famous Montlhéry speed and endurance record breaking cars in the spotlight on the exhibition bridge, linking Retromobile Halls 1 and 2.2. This LGHA Montlhéry record breakers feature display at the 2018 Retromobile will include the 1927 Voisin 24-hour speed record 8-Liitre monster, the 1933 Citroen 8CV ‘Petite Rosalie’ that covered 300,000 kilometres non-stop over 120,000 laps of the Linas-Montlhéry banking at an average speed on 93 km/h (53 mph), the standard production 1952 Simca Aronde 9 that broke an number of international endurance records, plus the unique 1965 Peugeot 404 Diesel single-seater that covered 5,000 km in 31 hours at an average speed of 100 mph.

2018 DATES AND RETROMOBILE DISPLAY CONFIRMED AS LES GRANDES HEURES AUTOMOBILES (LGHA) EXTENDS TO THREE DAYS NEXT YEAR FANCY GETTING YOUR HANDS ON THIS GOLD ROLLS-ROYCE? YOU’LL NEED TO GET YOUR BITCOINS OUT Auto Trader discover the UK’s first car for sale using digital currency Got some Bitcoins burning a hole in your digital wallet? You can now pick up this rare Rolls-Royce Ghost that’s currently on the market with Auto Trader at an asking price of £117,995 – but only if you’re prepared to pay using the popular form of digital currency. The lavish gold vehicle, which is being sold through a private seller on Auto Trader, comes complete with 360 degree overhead camera system, active cruise control, automatic breaking, free view television and claims to be the only Rolls-Royce on the market with a rear refrigerator and champagne flutes. Powered by a 6.6-litre engine, the vehicle boasts eye-catching gold bodywork an extravagant interior and features 007 within its number plate; making it the perfect car for a Royal wedding. But if Prince Harry, or in fact anyone interested, want to snap up the car, you’ll need to get your cryptocurrency out, as the owner of the vehicle is trading solely in Bitcoin; making it a UK first for Auto Trader and an interesting move for the online car selling business over-

all. Speaking about his choice to trade in such a niche way, the vehicles owner, based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said: “Why not trade in Bitcoin? I treat it in exactly the same way as normal currency these days. It’s safe, convenient and incredibly valuable right now so, to me, it makes sense to trade my car this way. It’s the future”. Auto Trader Editorial Director, Erin Baker, said: With the meteoric rise in popularity and value of Bitcoin in recent years, it comes as no surprise that sellers are now attempting to trade this way, it’s a huge trend and currently holds a high value. That said, Auto Trader won’t be releasing a ‘search by Bitcoin’ function anytime soon. Our focus is very much on our ‘search by monthly payment’ product that launches next month for car buyers.”

MINI CONVERTIBLE IS 2018 CARBUYER CONVERTIBLE OF THE YEAR MINI Convertible wins ‘Best Convertible 2018’ at the Carbuyer Best Car Awards. Judges praise unique character, handling, interior and infotainment features.

The UK’s top selling convertible has today received the ‘Best Convertible 2018’ award judged by industry experts at Carbuyer. The award was presented to MINI this morning at the Carbuyer Best Car Awards in London, with judges praising the car’s unique character, trademark handling, interior and value for money. Winners in each category at the annual Carbuyer Awards are chosen by members of the dedicated Carbuyer road-test team, who evaluate each vehicle on running costs, comfort, practicality, reliability and safety, as well as performance, efficiency, price, value for money and optional extras. Speaking at the awards, Stuart Milne, Editor, Carbuyer said: “Convertibles are all about putting a smile on your face and none are quite as capable as the MINI Convertible. It retains all that’s great about the MINI Hatch, including its trademark gokart handling, but adds that all-important open-top fun factor. Whatever engine is under the bonnet, the MINI Convertible oozes character. It boast a great interior, a superb infotainment system and countless customisation options too. And that’s why it’s our Best Convertible for 2018.” The MINI Convertible features a striking design and unique features to make opentopped driving even more dynamic, stylish and practical. The fully electric roof deploys in just 18 seconds and it remains the only premium soft-top four-seater convertible in the small car segment. The UK continues to be the largest market worldwide for the MINI Convertible, and it is the best-selling convertible in the country. The MINI Convertible is offered with a high level of standard equipment across the range, which includes MINI Visual Boost Radio with a 6.5-inch infotainment screen, MINI Connected, Bluetooth connectivity with USB audio, Rear Parking Distance Control and a Reversing Camera. Smart design and interior packaging means luggage volume is 215 litres with the roof closed and 160 litres with it folded down. On the road UK pricing starts from £19,265 for the MINI Cooper Convertible. For further information on the MINI Convertible range, please visit www.mini.co.uk/convertible.

Sport

Thursday 7th December 2017

The Rickie And Tiger Show

Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods both had cause for celebration on Sunday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Fowler rallied from a seven-shot deficit by starting his final round with seven straight birdies at Albany Golf Club and closing with an 11-under 61 for a four-shot victory over Charley Hoffman. It was the second victory of the year for Fowler, and the second time he has ended a year with multiple victories worldwide. “Finally just kind of got everything to piece together,” said Fowler, who moves to No. 7 in the world. In a week that began with so much curiosity over how Woods would perform, he had his best result in four years. More than his score, he looked just as strong at end, including a vicious recoil on a 2-iron he hit from 265 yards on the third hole that ran through the green. Playing for the first time in 10 months while recovering from fusion surgery on his lower back — his fourth back surgery in three years — Woods shot another 31 on the front nine, closed with back-to-back bogeys and shot a 68.

He tied for ninth in the 18-man field, his best result since a playoff loss at this holiday event in 2013 at Sherwood Country Club in California. “I'm excited,” Woods said. “This is the way I've been playing at home.” He still finished 10 shots behind Fowler. Then again, Fowler didn't give anyone much of a chance. Southport’s Tommy Fleetwood, the Race to Dubai winner had a wedding date in the Bahamas to look forward to (on the Tuesday!) and he closed with a 67 and tied for third with Jordan Spieth (69), who has not finished out of the top 10 since the PGA Championship. A year ago, Woods returned from a 15-month hiatus from back surgeries and showed flashes of his old self, particularly when he shot 65 in the second round and ended the week with 24 birdies. Woods said nothing about his health that week, though his back couldn't withstand the rough at Torrey Pines and the 16hour flight to Dubai. He withdrew after one round at Dubai with back spasm and had the fusion surgery in April.

Sergio’s FootGolf Demo He rolls the ball across the green, watching it trickle slowly towards the hole... As it slips painstakingly wide, the onlookers gasp in disbelief. Spain’s Sergio Garcia has measured up thousands of putts in his distinguished golf career, but none quite like this one. Instead of a golf club, he plays with his feet; the hole he's aiming at isn't a tiny speck on the green, but a gaping, 21-inch cup. This isn't regular golf, but a hybrid version of the game - FootGolf. Garcia, who won his first golf major at the US Masters earlier this year, recently swapped hands for feet and swinging for kicking as he took to the greens for a game of FootGolf -- an established offshoot of golf in its traditional form. Players kick a football around a regular course with the aim of passing the ball into a large hole in as few "shots" as possible. It has caught on quickly

over the past decade. Garcia is one of many thousands to try his hand at this modern take on golf. The sport has been played formally since 2006, and has enjoyed substantial success over the past 11 years, including the first official tournament 10 years ago in 2008, a World Cup which debuted in Hungary in 2012, and a World Tour which visits countries such as Mexico, Morocco and Australia. The Federation for International FootGolf, established in 2012, now has 36 member nations; 100,000 people are believed to play the game worldwide. A big Real Madrid fan and president of his hometown club, CF Borriol, in the Valencia region, Garcia is no stranger to a football pitch, and has turned out for Borriol in the past. Therefore, he had no qualms in being the perfect player to demonstrate the increasingly popular new sport in America this week.

Sport

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Second Best Torry

Comfortable Victory

HERCULES B 3 CD TORREVIEJA 0 CD Torrevieja went down to their biggest defeat of the season away to the leaders Hercules, who themselves have had recent problems, having lost their last two matches. Torry have tended to play better against the teams higher in the Preferente Group Four table, but they went into this tough clash without some of their key players, namely strikers Manu and Marwane, who were out due to injury. On the back of a poor performance against Calpe

(who produced a shock win over second-placed Villajoyosa at the weekend), Torry kept a clean sheet in the first half, but Hercules were clearly the better side producing most of the best chances. David Ibarra put Hercules ahead shortly after the interval, and when Borja was dismissed for a second yellow card on the hour mark, Torry were right up against it, and they had little to offer in terms of goal-scoring opportunities. Goals late in the match

from Tari in the 81st minute, and from Pedja in the 87th minute secured the Hercules victory, but Torry remain third in the table after Jove Espanol could only draw at Elda. The top of the table sees Hercules on 30 points, followed by Villajoyosa on 27, and Torrevieja on 26, with the top three sides getting a spring slot in the play-offs. It’s another big match to come for Torry this Sunday as Villajoyosa come to the Vicente Garcia stadium, with a 5.00 pm kick-off.

Almoradi Home Woes

CD ALMORADI 2 FB REDOVAN 3 A last-minute Guille penalty gave Redován (pictured below) the three points and local bragging rights on the back of this local clash, which has seen Almoradi lose their second successive home match under new coach Coco. Injuries and suspensions meant that Almoraid were without five regular players, whilst top scorer Hucha has left the club for Intercity San

Joan d'Alacant in group eight of the Primera Regional. Guille put the visitors ahead in the 18th minute of what proved to be a keenly fought match, with Ivan equalising in the 48th minute. A Saul penalty put Almoradi into the driving seat eight minutes later, but as Almoradi appeared to be heading towards a win,

everything went wrong in the last five minutes, as Edu made things all-square in the 85th minute, before Guille struck with the spot kick at the death. Almoradi are languishing in 17th spot in the Preferente Group Four table, and they hope to continue with their better away form this Sunday, with a tough match at fourthplaced Jove Espanol.

PETRELENSE 0 CD THADER 3 After drawing with Callosa the previous weekend, Thader produced the goods away at struggling Petrelense last Saturday to move themselves up to 10th place in a very crowded Preferente Group Four midtable. After 10 minutes, Thader went ahead with Petrelense

defender Pomares deflecting the ball past his keeper, but the home side were competitive until a counterattack before the interval saw Dani Lucas double the visitor’s advantage. Clear scoring chances were at a premium in the second half, but Thader looked in control, and when

Rubén made it three-nil with a quarter of an hour remaining, the points were safely bagged for the Rojalesbased side. They now face an interesting match at Calpe this Sunday afternoon, with the side getting a draw at Torrevieja, and a shock win at Villajoyosa.

Hat Trick Vaz Monte forward Vaz got another hat-trick on Sunday against a struggling CD Cox outfit, but he once again missed a penalty, which is proving to be a problem for Monte this season as four spot-kicks have gone abegging. The win was expected after the defeat at Dolores, but of concern for Monte besides another penalty miss, were some defensive lapses that allowed Cox to be competitive in a match that they should have been shut out of earlier on. Monte are now seventh in

CD MONTESINOS 7 CD COX 3 the Primera Regional Group Eight table, and are away this weekend to another

team who are struggling like Cox, in the shape of Callosa Deportiva B.

Playas Youngsters

The Alevin team (pictured above) of the Escuela Racing Playas de Orihuela recorded an impressive sixone victory over Oriol over the weekend. Playas went in leading two-one at the interval, before dominating the sec-

ond half for their deserved win, which featured an Alejandro hat-trick. Elsewhere, there was a double win at Almoradi, with the Infantil team running out eight-nil victors, whilst the Cadet side won three-nil. The Prebenjamin side

were beaten eight-nil at home by Montesinos, whilst the Benjamin team won four-two at La Murada. More details and information on Escuela Racing Playas de Orihuela are available by looking them up on Facebook.

Sport

Thursday 7th December 2017

Spoils Shared

Ramos Sees Red

Squandered Chances

BARCELONA 2 CELTA VIGO 2

Lionel Messi scored his first goal in six matches as Barcelona were held to an entertaining draw against Celta Vigo at the Nou Camp last Saturday. The visitors took an unlikely 20th-minute lead as Iago Aspas netted from a rebound, but Messi (22) equalised less than two minutes later. Suarez (62) gave the home side the lead just past the hour as he coolly slotted past Ruben Blanco, however, there was a sting in the tail for the league leaders as Maxi Gomez (70) slammed home eight minutes later to ensure the points were shared. The draw leaves Barcelona five points clear of Valencia in second, who surprisingly lost to Getafe, with Barca away to sixth-placed Villarreal on Sunday.

ATHLETIC BILBAO 0 REAL MADRID 0

LLEIDA 1 ELCHE 1

Real Madrid missed the chance to cut the gap on Barcelona at the top of La Liga as Athletic Bilbao held the champions to a goalless draw at San Mames on Saturday evening. Karim Benzema struck the post early in a game that Real struggled to stamp their authority on, with Zinedine Zidane's side looking devoid of ideas on a cold night in the Basque Country. Cristiano Ronaldo came closest to winning it for the visitors when he hit the woodwork with a fine volley midway through the second half, but any hope Real had of taking advantage of Barca's dropped points earlier in the day were dashed when Sergio Ramos was red carded for an elbow in the face of Aritz Aduriz. The result leaves Real in fourth place, still trailing Barca by eight points, and they entertain Sevilla this Saturday afternoon (4.15 pm kick-off).

Two matches in charge for new Elche coach Josico has seen a couple of draws, who was left rueing a string of missed opportunities for the Ilicitanos to have bagged all three points on Sunday. “With a little more luck we could have won,” said Josico, but with the massive derby clash to come in Alicante against Hercules this Sunday (6.00 pm kick-off) at the Estadio Rico Pérez, a defeat to Elche’s deadly rivals will leave fans wondering whether the sacking of coach Vicente Mir has had a positive effect on the side, as they have dropped from second place in the Segunda Division B standings. The bottom line is that Mir was shown the door with Elche second in the table, but now they occupy fourth position(the last of the play-off slots), with Ontinyent also on 27 points, and Hercules two points behind them. Sunday’s match saw Elche start positively with Verdú scoring in the eighth minute, but they then let the home side control the game, with Javi López levelling up early into the second half. Elche though responded positively towards the end and created plenty of chances, as they looked far more likely to be the victors, but they need more consistancy over the full 90 minutes.

Straight Forward Ronaldo Defended

Third Division News

BARCELONA 2 SPORTING LISBON 0 Former Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu scored a late own goal against his old club as Barca cruised from Group D of the Champions League into the knockout stage on Tuesday night. Barca had drawn their previous two Champions League games 0-0 but Paco Alcacer's glancing header and Mathieu's misdirected clearance secured victory. Lionel Messi started on the bench for the second successive Champions League for Barca. Messi came on moments after Alcacer's 59th-minute goal put the hosts ahead. Earlier, Luis Suarez was denied by Rui Patricio's leg after getting the better of former Liverpool team-mate Sebastian Coates. Sporting's best chance fell to Dutch striker Bas Dost, whose first-time shot from close range was brilliantly kept out by Jasper Cillessen. "We try to do things as well as we can," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde afterwards. "Sometimes we play wonderfully and sometimes less so." Barcelona will be seeded when the draw for the knockout stage takes place next Monday at Uefa headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Cristiano Ronaldo deserves more respect despite enduring his worst domestic campaign in Spain, says Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. The 32-year-old forward will equal Lionel Messi's record of being named the best player in the world five times if, as expected, he picks up the Ballon d'Or award later today. Ronaldo fired Real Madrid to Champions League glory with hat-tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid in the quarter and semi-finals and a double in the 4-1 win over Juventus in the final. But after just two goals in 10 La Liga games Ronaldo came under criticism from the Spanish media following Real's goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday (see above). "I think Cristiano deserves more respect because he is such a great player that when things don't quite go his way everyone has something to say about him," Zidane said. "The club and the fans who love Cristiano Ronaldo know what he is doing. Just last season he had a phenomenal campaign. We are halfway through the season, we still have six months left of the season. Six months is a very long time for Cristiano." Ronaldo has lived up to his high standards in the Champions League in which he is the top scorer with eight goals from five games and on course become the top marksman in Europe's elite competition for a sixth straight year. "For me he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or because he's had an incredible year," Real midfielder Mateo Kovacic said. "I'm very happy for him, the Ballon d'Or means a lot to him and to us although the most important thing is that we win together as a team.”

The Bank Holiday season saw Orihuela play a couple of Valencia regional third division matches in four days, with the team remaining in second place in the table. On Saturday, they beat Rayo Ibense (pictured) four-one, with Brian, José Carlos, Nico and Antonio all on target. Tuesday’s match saw Orihuela pick up an excellent away point in a one-all result at Eldense, with Brian getting the Orihuela goal in the 25th minute. The team then battled away with ten men after Fleki was sent-off for a second yellow card five minutes before the interval. Crevillente’s recent good run continued at the weekend as they won two-one at Bunol (pictured below), and were scheduled to entertain relegation-threatened Paterna last night, as The Courier went to press. Elche Ilicitano got a much-needed three-one win over Villarreal at the weekend, but had the same score against them, thanks to Roda on Tuesday.

Mireia On Top

Swimming champion Mireia Belmonte has been voted Spain’s top sportswoman in the past 50 years at an awards ceremony in Madrid. The sporting bash celebrated Spain’s sporting heroes as AS newspaper celebrated its 50th anniversary where readers voted on athletes who have changed the face of Spanish sport. The 27-year-old, known as the ‘first woman from Spain ever to claim Olympic gold in swimming’, collected the award with fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal who was voted best male and Sebastian Coe, the architect of the 2012 London Olympics, who won the lifetime achievement award. The award ceremony was presided over by the King and Queen of Spain. Speaking at the ceremony she said: “I am very excited to receive this award and the fact that I have been chosen is very special and an honour. The four-time Olympic gold medalist said she has ‘fulfilled the dream’ of being world champion and will focus her efforts to ‘beat’ Europe’s 50-metre pool record for butterfly. “I have fulfilled my dream of being a world champion and now I’m going for the European record,” she added. Belmonte will be competing at the inaugural multi-sport 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, an 11-day celebration of European sport.

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Surprise Move

Barcelona face an unexpected transfer dilemma with reports in Spain claiming Javier Mascherano had asked to leave the club in January before Samuel Umtiti suffered a serious hamstring injury during the weekend's 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo. Mundo Deportivo claims on its Monday front cover that the La Liga giants will try to convince Mascherano to stay as the Argentina international could have the chance to recover his first-team role in the coming games, with the Catalans visiting Real Madrid for the first El Clasico of the La Liga campaign on 23 December. However, the publication says that Barcelona are already planning for life without the Argentine with Colombia international Yerri Mina having re-emerged as an option to replace Mascherano for the secondhalf of the season. Ernesto Valverde has reiterated in recent weeks that that Barcelona would not sign a new centre-back in January unless one of his current defenders departs or suffers a long-term injury. The Barca coach had been satisfied with his options with Mascherano and Thomas Vermaelen serving as back-ups for Gerard Pique and Umtiti. Barcelona were therefore expected to focus their attention this January on bolstering their midfield with a new playmaker following their unsuccessful attempts to sigh Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool during the summer transfer window. Mundo Deportivo insist that the Liverpool ace remains a top priority for Valverde while recent reports have claimed that the Catalans are also considering Gremio starlet Arthur as an alternative. But Barcelona may need to change their plans following latest developments regarding Umtiti and Mascherano. The French international has been ruled out for at least eight weeks due to a hamstring injury, meaning that he will miss the upcoming trip to Real Madrid and all the fixtures in January. Hours after Barcelona confirmed Umtiti's blow, it emerged that Mascherano had already asked the club to leave the Nou Camp once the transfer window reopens in January. Last week, the Argentina international admitted that his days at Barcelona were coming to and end amid suggestions that he was set to leave the club in the summer.

FIXTURES Friday 8 December English Football League - Championship 20:45 Sheffield United V. Bristol City Scottish Premiership 20:45 Dundee V. Aberdeen Saturday 9 December English Premier League West Ham United V. Chelse 13:30 16:00 Burnley V. Watford 16:00 Crystal Palace V. Bournemouth 16:00 Huddersfield Town V. Brighton and Hove Albion 16:00 Swansea City V. West Bromwich Albion 16:00 Tottenham Hotspur V. Stoke City 18:30 Newcastle United V. Leicester City English Football League - Championship 16:00 Aston Villa V. Millwall 16:00 Barnsley V. Derby County 16:00 Burton Albion V. Preston North End 16:00 Fulham V. Birmingham City 16:00 Hull City V. Brentford 16:00 Middlesbrough V. Ipswich Town 16:00 Nottingham Forest V. Bolton Wanderers 16:00 Queens Park Rangers V. Leeds United 16:00 Wolverhampton Wanderers V. Sunderland 18:30 Norwich City V. Sheffield Wednesday English Football League - League One 16:00 Blackpool V. Rotherham United 16:00 Bradford City V. Rochdale 16:00 Bristol Rovers V. Southend United 16:00 Bury V. AFC Wimbledon 16:00 Charlton Athletic V. Portsmouth 16:00 MK Dons V. Shrewsbury Town 16:00 Oldham Athletic V. Northampton Town 16:00 Oxford United V. Doncaster Rovers 16:00 Peterborough United V. Blackburn Rovers 16:00 Plymouth Argyle V. Gillingham 16:00 Walsall V. Scunthorpe United 16:00 Wigan Athletic V. Fleetwood Town English Football League - League Two 16:00 Accrington Stanley V. Swindon Town 16:00 Cheltenham Town V. Crewe Alexandra 16:00 Chesterfield V. Barnet 16:00 Colchester United V. Exeter City 16:00 Crawley Town V. Mansfield Town 16:00 Grimsby Town V. Forest Green Rovers 16:00 Luton Town V. Notts County 16:00 Morecambe V. Coventry City 16:00 Newport County V. Carlisle United 16:00 Port Vale V. Cambridge United 16:00 Stevenage V. Wycombe Wanderers 16:00 Yeovil Town V. Lincoln City Scottish Premiership 16:00 Hamilton Academical V. St. Johnstone 16:00 Heart of Midlothian V. Motherwell 16:00 Kilmarnock V. Partick Thistle 16:00 Rangers V. Ross County Scottish Championship 16:00 Brechin City V. St. Mirren 16:00 Dumbarton V. Livingston 16:00 Dunfermline Athletic V. Queen of the South 16:00 Inverness Caledonian Thistle V. Falkirk 16:00 Morton V. Dundee United Scottish League One 16:00 Albion Rovers V. Arbroath 16:00 Ayr United V. Queen's Park 16:00 East Fife V. Stranraer 16:00 Forfar Athletic V. Alloa Athletic Scottish League Two 16:00 Elgin City V. Edinburgh City 16:00 Montrose V. Berwick Rangers 16:00 Peterhead V. Clyde 16:00 Stenhousemuir V. Annan Athletic 16:00 Stirling Albion V. Cowdenbeath Sunday 10 December English Premier League Southampton V. Arsenal 13:00 15:15 Liverpool V. Everton 17:30 Manchester United V. Manchester City Scottish Premiership 13:30 Hibernian V. Celtic Scottish League One 17:10 Airdrieonians V. Raith Rovers Monday 11 December English Football League - Championship Reading V. Cardiff City 21:00 Tuesday 12 December English Premier League Burnley V. Stoke City 20:45 21:00 Crystal Palace V. Watford 21:00 Huddersfield Town V. Chelsea English FA Cup 20:45 Carlisle United V. Gillingham

Information correct at time of publication but subject to change at short notice.

Sport

SERENA ENTERS

JOSE’S GUARDIOLA BLAST Serena Williams has entered the Australian Open in January, tournament director Craig Tiley has said. The 36-year-old won this year's event in Melbourne while in the early weeks of pregnancy and gave birth to a daughter in September. Tiley said the 23-time Grand Slam winner is "very likely" to return to tennis in Melbourne. "She's got her visa, she's entered, she's practising," he said. "There's no question she'll be ready in our view."

KONTA’S CHOICE

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has suggested rival coach Pep Guardiola isn’t telling the truth in making David Silva a doubt for Manchester City ahead of the big Premier League derby this Sunday (Old Trafford, 5.30 pm kick-off) in the battle of the top two teams. Guardiola said Silva was injured against West Ham on Sunday and that “I don’t know if he is able to play on Sunday” against United, as he turned up the verbal heat in memories of their clashes when they ran Real Madrid and Barcelona. Mourinho is wary of believing Guardiola, given that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ruled Alexandre Lacazette out of last weekend’s match against United only to start the striker. “Our opponents have all these issues. They have a big

issue but, in the end, everybody is ready to play,” Mourinho said after United’s 2-1 win over CSKA Moscow in the Champions League. “They have phenomenal organizations. We are a bit more humble. “When we have a problem, we have a problem. When players are injured, they are injured. I tell you the truth.” Moments later, Mourinho told reporters Eric Bailly would miss the derby through injury, that Phil Jones, Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic could return, and that Nemanja Matic “is injured but will play for sure. I am telling the truth.” “No stories of Lacazette, David Silva,” Mourinho added as he walked out of the room. Guardiola was asked by reporters for further clarification on the nature of Silva’s injury but was unwilling to elaborate. “Hopefully he can be fit for Sunday,” Guardiola said.

TIME FOR A CHANGE

British number one Johanna Konta has confirmed that Michael Joyce will be her new coach. Joyce reached a high of 64th in the world as a player, and spent six years as part of Maria Sharapova's team. He worked with Victoria Azarenka in 2017. Konta, who has not played since October because of a foot injury, climbed as high as fourth in the world in 2017.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting says England must make significant changes to their batting order if they are to compete in the remaining three Tests of the Ashes series. England lost the second Test by 120 runs yesterday to go 2-nil down in the series after being blown away by Australia’s rampant bowling attack in less than 23 overs on day five. Entering the day at 4-176 and needing a further 178 to win, England lost overnight batsmen captain Joe Root and night-watchman Chris Wakes in the space of the three overs before the tail collapsed and the tourists were all out for 233. England’s misfiring batting unit has now been bowled out for scores of 302, 196, 227 and 233 in the Ashes, and

Ponting says a batting-order reshuffle must take place if they are to put up a fight for the rest of series, which resumes in Perth eight days’ time. "I think they’ll make a lot of changes for the next Test,” said Ponting. "They have to, because what they’ve done so far has not been competitive. "Joe (Root) has a lot to think about and so does (coach) Trevor Bayliss and just a lot of their players. "They’ve got to have a good look at themselves and work out how to be competitive in this series.” However, England coach Trevor Bayliss confirmed after play there will be no changes in personnel to England’s Test squad, saying “there is no real need to panic”. The third test starts in Perth in a week’s time.