The Courier Edition 308

THE WEATHER

Edition 308

T

www.thecourier.es

Friday 10th February 2017

PROTECTION DENIED

he Valencian regional government has said that does not plan to put the cancellation of a controversial housing development at Cala Mosca on the Orihuela Costa into its coastal protection plan. The Informacion newspaper reports that the administration is worried about having to shell out a lot of financial compensation to the builder if the project is scrapped.

The report suggests that although the government admits that parts of Cala Mosca are not suitable for development on environmental grounds, it goes on to say that it will be more of a question of amending the building plans, rather than having any legal grounds to force the scrapping of the project.

Meanwhile, a European Parliament committee is to discuss the matter at the end of the month. The Petitions

BY ALEX TRELINSKI committee will review the case on Tuesday February 28th, on the instigation of Marina Albiol of the Izquierda Unida (United Left) group, in Brussels.

The committee has been asked to investigate irregu-

larities in environment impact studies for Cala Mosca if the planned 1,500 homes are given the green light to be built on 460 thousand square metres of urban-designated land. After years of protests and discus-

sion, the project was suspended in 2012.

Marta Guillén of the Cambiemos Orihuela party and Bob Houliston of the CLARO party, will go to Brussels to address the committee.

SATURDAY HORROR F

ive young people died in a collision between two cars on the RMF36 road in the Torre Pacheco area of Murcia late last Saturday night.

Authorities said that the incident happened around midnight between La Palma and Torre Pacheco when a car carrying four men, aged between 19 and 21, crossed onto the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on with a car carrying four young women, aged

between 20 and 24. The road conditions were said by the Guardia Civil to be good at the time.

All of the men were killed in the collision, along with one of the women, while the other three all suffered serious injuries, and were taken to the Santa Lucia Hospital in Cartagena. Three days of official mourning were declared in Torre Pacheco, with hundreds of people attending their funeral on Monday.

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers in the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 16ºC. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain: 40% Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. Low 9ºC. Winds W at 15 to 30 km/h. Winds could occasionally gust over 65 km/h.

See page 2 for the week´s forecast

2

News

Friday 10th February 2017

A Special Day

Market Success

Telephone

966 921 003 Email thecourier@tko.media Website

www.thecourier.es Head Office TKO Towers, Calle Los Arcos 17, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales, 03170

Opening Hours Mon - Fri 11:00 - 15:00

Editor-In-Chief Barry Newlove

Editor Alex Trelinski

Advertising Sales

International World Cancer Day was commemorated at the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre last Sunday, in a special event organised by the cancer charity fundraisers, Maria and The Pink Ladies.

Nearly 1,800 euro was raised on the day which went to AECC Contra El Cancer. A large line up of local entertainers gave their time free of charge for what turned out to be a successful day.

Life Sentence

966 921 003

Thousands of people packed into Orihuela City last weekend for the traditional Medieval Market, which returned to its traditional dates of the first weekend of February. The event was delayed to spring last year amidst controversy, with the council saying that redevelopment work in the area had caused the date change.

Some 250 stalls were spread around the centre of Orihuela, with a variety of live entertainment and

special parades to keep visitors, young and old, interested and enchanted.

Some stalls though had to be closed for a few hours on Sunday due to strong gusts of wind that hit the region, although this does seem to be a common occurance at the event.

Local police unions though were not happy, and accused public safety councillor Mariola Rocamora of breaking a pledge on the number of officers that would be avail-

Butano Blast

sales@tko.media Contact any of our team for details of our rates and current offers:

Myra

able to police the market.

Some 42 officers had been promised by Rocamora, but the unions said that the reality was that between just 10 and 13 agents were available for each shift last weekend, and that resources had to be taken away from other parts of the Orihuela municipality, including the Orihuela Costa. “It was impossible to provide even a minimal service across the whole area during the weekend”, said a union spokesperson.

Weekend Winds

Torrevieja & North Tel. 618 583 765

Jean

Advertising Monday 12:00

A 70-year-old British paedophile, who was hiding out in the Santa Pola area, was jailed on Wednesday for the rest of his life by an Old Bailey judge. Mark Frost was a teacher and scout leader, and toured the world to sexually abuse young boys across four decades.

He was arrested by the Guardia Civil in November and sent back to face justice in the UK. Frost was wanted for a string of sex offences in the UK and Thailand, and had been on the UK Sex Offenders register. Last

Editorial Tuesday 12:00

THE WEATHER FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Orihuela Costa Tel. 618 898 034

Julie English and Spanish Tel. 616 332 178

Patrick English, Spanish, German, Dutch and French.

Tel. 685 901 265

DEADLINES

week in court, Frost admitted a string of historic sex offences dating from the late 1980s to his capture in Thailand in 2013. He managed to escape back to the UK because the Thai authorities had not issued an arrest warrant, with the British police powerless to act.

He left the UK again before he could be captured, but was eventually tracked down to Santa Pola, where he was living with a new identity, until the Guardia arrested him with the help of the UK National Crime agency.

An elderly woman suffered facial burns after a butano gas cyclinder exploded at her La Zenia home last Friday evening. The blast happened at a property on the Villamartín road, which is used as the main link road between the N-332 and the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre.

The incident happened at

around 9.30 pm, with the 84year-old woman found unconscious in the kitchen area of her bungalow, with the blast causing a fire in her property, and shattering items in adjoining homes.

She was taken to Torrevieja Hospital for treatment, with no further details, including her nationality, being declared.

Strong winds battered the Valencia and Murcia regions over the weekend, with gales reaching 163 kilometres an hour in parts of Alicante Province. Over 70 calls were made to emergency services in the Murcia region concerning falling objects, including strips of roofs and walls. In Lorca, part of a roof was ripped off by the winds and blown into a woman who was walking past.

News Thursday 12:00 Stop Press Thursday 18:00 Published by TKO Media & Entertainment S.L. Printed by Localprint S.L Depósito legal A - 188 - 2014 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.

TEMPERATURE

RAINFALL

MAKE SURE YOUR RADIO IS TUNED TO TKO FM ON 90.8 OR 91.9 FOR THE LATEST UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Sign up today...

To have Walter deliver The Courier newspaper to your email inbox each week. thecourier.es/newsletter

News

3

Friday 10th February 2017

Ups And Downs

Low cost Irish air carrier, Ryanair, has said its average fares fell faster than "initially planned" in the final three months of last year, while profits at the airline fell.

Average fares were down by 17 percent and profits fell eight percent to 95m euro. On the other hand, passenger numbers rose by 16 percent to 29 million in the third quarter, and its planes flew at 95 percent capacity.

Ryanair, who run services to and from Alicante-

Elche and San Javier airports, said it was “cautious� about the remainder of the financial year, but that profits would be in line with expectations. Their average fares were 33 euro per passenger in the Octoberto-December period, the third quarter of its financial year.

It said it was increasing capacity and adding new routes and bases at a time when other airlines were also adding capacity, and "accordingly the price environment remains weak".

Ryanair added that uncertainty following the Brexit vote, a weaker sterling and the switch of charter capacity from Turkey, Egypt and North Africa into Spain and Portugal, would "continue to put downward pressure on pricing for the remainder of this year" and next.

Industry experts have reported this week that the news is likely to start a price war with other arilines, resulting in cheaper flights for passengers to and from Spain.

Big Spenders

Foreign tourists in Spain spent some 77.6 billion euro in 2016, up by nine percent from the previous year, according to official figures released by the National Statistics Office.

British tourists spent the largest amount of money in Spain, which reached 16.2 billion euro, a 12.8-percent increase compared with 2015.The British were followed by Germans and French, who spent 11.07 and 6.8 billion euro, respectively.

In December alone, for-

eign tourists spent a staggering 4.5 billion euro, which was up 19.3 percent yearon-year.

In the same month, the average spending per tourist stood at 1,131 euro, while the average daily spend stood at 124 euro.

Spain received a record 75.6 million international tourists in 2016. It is one of the most visited destinations in the world, ranking first in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum.

Quite A Bill

Cox Collision

A 43-year-old man died in a head-on smash between two cars on the Callosa de Segura to Cox road last Friday evening. Three fire engines were called in to help in the rescue operation after the incident happened at 7.30 pm in Cox, with the driver of the other vehicle taken to the Vega Baja hospital.

Poppy Success

Guardia Calling

A Moroccan man living in Albatera got an early-morning visit from the Guardia Civil, and was arrested on suspicion of assaulting and robbing women across the Vega Baja area.

In a series of incidents last September, the 26year-old would threaten his victims with a gun if they did

not hand over their items, and in one case, he tried to sexually assault a woman in the Granadina industrial estate in Callosa de Segura, whilst letting off two gunshots, as she resisted him.

The victim's description led to her to picking out the assailant from a selection of photographs, with the

Moroccan apparently involved in six robberies of women in the Granja de Rocamora area in midSeptember.

A court granted the man bail, but was also given a restraining order in connection with the woman that he is accused of assaulting in Callosa.

A phone sex pest who made more than 13 thousand dirty calls has been arrested by the National Police in Alicante Province.

The 44-year-old Spaniard was detained in Elda last week, and tried to cover up his tracks by blocking his number and using an account registered in the name of a dead person.

Authorities got involved last summer when they got a

complaint from a child that she had got four calls in a fortnight from somebody who had made obscene noises down a phone line.

Other children and women got the unwanted calls, often in the early hours of the morning. Investigators found that the pervert made 13 and a half thousand calls in a 100 days, with one day alone seeing some 426 calls being made.

Just over 165 thousand euro was raised in last year’s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in the Costa Blanca area. The final total was announced at the annual RBL Spain District North conference held in Benidorm.

Nigel Hails stepped down as Chairman of District North (pictured left with District Standard Bearer Eddie Coleman) , and handed over the responsibility to Don Cubbon. The meeting was attended by District President Lloyd Milen, who is British Consul General in Barcelona, as well as by his succesor as Alicante Vice Consul, Sara Munsterhjelm.

4

Bollard Award

Torrevieja mayor, José Manuel Dolón, has been awarded 83 euro in compensation after one of his car tyres was punctured by a bollard on Calle Caballero de Rodas in December 2016.

It was one of a number of incidents in the area which led Dolón, to call for their removal, and indeed that’s what happened when council workers moved in last month.

Dolón will donate his 83 euro to the Torrevieja-based APANEE charity.

Friday 10th February 2017

Cleaning Up

The Murcia government’s environment minister, Adela Martinez-Cachá, officially launched a boat on Monday which will be used to clean up rubbish around the Mar Menor.

The Limpiamar will be

based at the Club Náutico de Los Nietos, and in addition to removing debris and oil pollution, it will also be used to deal with water-based fires, as it has a water cannon with a range of up to 50 metres.

Babylon Reverse

No Hiding Place

Officers from the National Police have arrested a 27-year-old Norwegian man, hiding out in Torrevieja to avoid child rape charges in his native country. The man gained the trust of the 12-year-old

girl’s parents, and repeatedly assaulted her during 2014 and 2015, and was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant.

The National Police were tipped off that he might be staying at his

mother’s Torrevieja home, and they spent a number of days watching the building until he made a rare appearance outdoors, and he was promptly arrested, and taken to the National Court in Madrid.

Banged To Rights

Asylum Demo

Demonstrators staged a protest outside Valencia City's immigration internment centre over the weekend, which also featured a 24hour lock-in, as campaigners called for it to remain shut.

The Zapadores centre has been closed for four months because of an infestation of bed-bugs, but the pressure group CIES No (internment centres no) does not want it to reopen.

Spokeswoman Gema Síscar says it was not fair for asylum-seekers to be shut in prison-like conditions when 'their only crime has been choosing to find a better way of life'.

Flood Work

A million euro is be spent trying to stop the flooding of key Torrevieja roads during storms. The Agamed water company has officially announced a programme of work, with the first project of this latest batch of attempts to fight back water costing 300 thousand euro on a new drainage system on Avenida de Rosa Mazón, between the junction with Avenida Cortes de las Valencianas and the Delfina Viudes roundabout.

Residents complaining about the state of the Babylon beach area of Guardamar, due to neglect and the recent storms, say that they are back to "square one", after a court ruling ordering a clean-up was overturned on appeal last week.

A judge had ordered the

provincial coastal authority to do the work in the light of bad weather in December and last month, but the order was reversed. The anger of the residents increased further with the revelation at the appeal that there no plans for improvement work to take place in the area for at least 18 months.

Double Custody

A British fraudster, who lived in Mazarrón, and made bogus benefit claims has been give two suspended prison sentences, as well being ordered to repay the money he claimed.

The 69-year-old ,Michael Dugdale from Preston, failed to declare that he owned half of a Mazarrón area property when making a claim for Pension Credit in 2007. He also ignored the same information three

years later in a second claim. Thanks to an anonymous tip-off, Department of Work and Pensions fraud teams launched an investigation. Despite saying he did nothing wrong, Dugdale was finally forced to admit committing fraud when presented with property deeds which showed that he owned half of his home in the Murcia region with his ex-partner.

Dugdale stated that his

dire economic situation on his return to the UK from Spain in 2007 had left him no choice but to make a bogus claim for a benefit he knew he was not entitled to.

He pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to two charges of benefit fraud totalling over £35,000 and was given two eight-month suspended prison sentences for each charge and ordered to repay the stolen funds in full, or face jail time.

over 23 thousand euro in expenses using all the facilities the hotels had to offer, and was rumbled by a hotel employee who spotted the man in the area, after he walked out without paying a

sixteen-hundred euro bill.

The illegal spending spree is not the first to hit Barcelona, as last April a 26year-old Portuguese man stayed in 14 hotels in the area “free of charge”.

Dodger Detained Two people accused of being involved in the killing and cutting-up of the body of a 64-year-old Orihuela Costa man, have been remanded into custody by a Torrevieja court. As reported

by The Courier last week, three people were detained in Torrevieja in connection with the case of a dismembered corpse found on an Elche dump site back in the summer.

A Spaniard and a woman of Columbian nationality were taken, after their court appearance, to Fontcalent

prison in Alicante, whilst a third person arrested by the National Police was earlier given police bail on a charge of covering up a crime.

Since the story broke last week, the dead man was now said to be an Orihuela Costa resident as opposed to living in Torrevieja, but he spent a lot of time in the city as he rented out parking spaces. A dispute over that issue allegedly happened at the detained couple's property in the Cura beach area of the city, and that led to events taking a brutal turn.

A 39-year-old Barcelona man, who spent four months living in 17 top class hotels around the Catalan capital without paying anything, has been arrested by the local police. The guest totted up

News

Friday 10th February 2017

Hopeful Talks A 20-minute informal meeting between the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, and her Spanish counterpart, Mariano Rajoy, at last Friday's EU summit in Malta has led to some cautious optimism over the rights of British people living in Spain, once the UK leaves the European Union.

Rajoy said he wanted an “early agreement” on reciprocal rights for migrants once Britain quits the EU. Sources told the El Pais newspaper, which is seen as close to Rajoy's party, the Partido Popular, that the pair agreed on the importance of "not harming the interests of those Spanish and British citizens" living as ex-pats in their respective countries.

A Downing Street spokesman said: - "They discussed reciprocal rights and both agreed it was an

Beach Repairs

Storm damage over the last two months to Santa Pola’s beaches will cost over 144 thousand euro to repair, according to the council.

Cleaning the beaches will amount to most of the expenditure, as well as replacing signs and buoys, in addition to restoring the walkways.

The council hopes to recoup 90 percent of their outlay through regional grants that have been promised to them and other local authorities across the Valencia region.

area it would be good to get an early agreement on once official Brexit negotiations start".

The spokesperson added that the pair “agreed it was important to think about the future relationship as well as the detailed exit arrangement, so we can give greater certainty for people and businesses who want to live and work in each other's countries".

“We are firmly of the opinion that we want this

issue to be one of the issues resolved early and there is some broad agreement amongst some member states, but not all of them."

The spokesperson said Spain had not been one of the countries holding back on a reciprocal rights deal, but refused to say which nations were, though there has been speculation that Germany has been holding out until the formal Brexit talks get going.

Huggers Return

Two Romanians, aged in their mid-twenties, have been “caught in the act” during a “hugging” robbery at a Jávea service station. Plainclothed Guardia Civil agents spotted one of them acting suspiciously, and then witnessed a woman trying to steal a gold ring from an elderly man as she hugged him.

One of the agents went to

arrest the woman, whilst her accomplice nearly ran over another officer as he sped away in his car, only to be captured a few minutes later.

Both Romanians live in Alicante, with authorities saying they have a record of similar crimes right across Alicante Province.

The woman was denied bail by the courts.

Mas Protest

Bad And Good

The number of Spanish people registered as unemployed in January rose by 57,257 people to 3.7 million, according to official figures.

That meant a 1.55 percent rise in those out of work compared to December 2015, according to the ministry of employment and social security.

However, on a year-onyear basis, unemployment fell by 390,524 in January, the ministry said.

Employment secretary, Juan Pablo Riesgo, said that unemployment normally go up in January adding that it was one of the smallest monthly rises seen for many years.

Thousands of supporters filled the streets outside a court in Barcelona on Monday, as the former Catalan president, Artur Mas, went on trial.

He is accused of being involved in the region's unofficial vote for independence held in November 2014, and is accused of serious civil disobedience after the vote went ahead in defiance of Spain's constitutional court

decision.

Prosecutors are calling for him to be disqualified from office for ten years.

It is the first time that a leader of the Catalan government has gone on trial.

The case is being used by pro-independence supporters to galvanise their campaign, and the current government has promised to hold a new vote in September.

5

6

Friday 10th February 2017

7

Friday 10th February 2017

Transport Hope Spain is set to apply for a 308 million euro grant from the European Union to fund up to 44 percent of transport projects, which apparently will be used to fund the 'Mediterranean Corridor' railway line. It's unclear at this stage whether this includes creating a rail link between Alicante and Valencia.

The Madrid government had previously rejected an appeal by the Valencia regional government for transport project funding, and limited interest has been shown in its desire for the AP-7 coastal motorway to be made toll-free to prevent

long-distance traffic, including lorries, from cutting through small towns to avoid the fees. That may or may not change on the basis of the EU grant.

It is expected that the grants will be approved by July this year, and Spain will be required to add half a bil-

lion euro to the amount requested for its own contribution to the projects.

Any EU country, either jointly or separately, can apply for funding each year for transport infrastructure, meaning Spain's request is likely to be approved.

Hotel Impasse Elche council says that they’ve had no reply, two months after they asked for a meeting with the Costas Directorate, over the suspended 11-million-euro project to renovate the Arenales del Sol hotel in Arenales.

The Princesol company was hit last year with an 80 thousand euro fine by the Costas Directorate for doing unauthorised demolition work on the site, with construction suspended in the spring. The company has threatened to scrap the project, which would have seen the building turned into a four-star resort complex,

Paying The Price Spain's Banco Popular has reported 3.5 billion euro of losses in 2016, as opposed to the 105 million euro of profits earned in 2015. According to the bank, the results were lower than expected, as it took heavy impairments for its large portfolio of toxic loans.

The bank said it set aside 4.2 billion euro of provisions against bad debts. In addition, the bank's restructuring process had an impact of 370 million euro. It also set aside 229 million euro to deal with the impact of floor causes, while the fiscal reform had an impact of 47 million euro.

Banco Popular chairman Angel Ron, who is leaving his position, said the bank will pay clients back the money from mortgage clauses after analysing each case.

Drag Victor with 100 bedrooms, as well as restaurants, bars, function rooms, and spas which would be open to non-residents.

Elche mayor Carlos Gonzalez says there has been no response from the Directorate since he put in a request for a meeting,

though a council spokesman said that Princesol do actually now have authority from the Directorate for the partial demolition of the old hotel, and only need to go through the formal process of applyingfor a municipal license to do carry out the work required.

Some 10 contenders put on their best frocks for last weekend’s National Drag Queen contest in Torrevieja’s international auditorium, with the winner of the Torrevieja Drag Queen title coming all the way from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Borja Castillo won the vote of the judges as Drag Sethlas, with his Desert Poison routine.

However, he warned that this decision could put the stability of the financial system at risk.

New Spaniards Some 112 thousand foreign residents in Spain have applied to become citizens in the last 15 months, with Moroccans leading the way in applications.

A new-style citizenship exam came into effect in October 2015, involving a 25question test on 'government, legislation and public participation in Spain', weighted at 60 percent of the total marks and on 'Spanish culture, history and society', worth the rest of the total. A decent proficiency in the Spanish language is also required.

The largest applicant groups were 15,279 Moroccans. followed by Colombia, with 8,751 citizenship applications filed, with Bolivia third on 7,880.

8

Friday 10th February 2017

Alzheimer’s Boost

Local musical theatre group Studio32 recently handed over 2,210 euro to the San Fulgencio Alzheimer’s Society, which was raised thanks to their recent production of “A Christmas Carol”.

The show saw a total of 3,500 euro raised for charity, and the Studio 32 chairman Philip Wilson presented a cheque to Benjamin Villena Rodriguez, President of the San Fulgencio Alzheimer’s Society.

Benjamin thanked Studio32 for their continued support of the charity, which provides help in the community to families and individuals dealing with Alzheimer’s.

Philip Wilson said:“Studio32 was set up four years ago to bring high quality full-scale musical theatre to the Costa Blanca, and

through doing so, it enables us to support local charities.

Everyone in the company worked extremely hard to make our last show a great success and I’m very proud of them all. In the last year we’ve raised over 7,500 euro, and we will continue to support AFA San Fulgencio and local good causes in the next 12 months.”

Next for Studio 32 is their summer show, “Mack and Mabel”, which is mix of romance, slapstick comedy, with song and dance numbers – all based on a true story set in the time of silent movies. If you fancy getting involved, the company are always keen to recruit more members, either on stage or behind the scenes. More details are available on the group´s website, which is www.studiothirtytwo.org

Chorale At Campoverde

The chamber choir Chorale, under conductor Christine Eames, recently staged a concert in Campoverde Church under the title of Music In A Quiet Place.

The church was packed with an appreciative audience to enjoy the evening which also featured a trombone solo from Andy Briant.

There was also appropriately a short “quiet” period in the middle of the concert for some thought and personal reflection.

Campoverde Church is planning a programme of musical events during 2017, and they will be publicised on the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/campoverdechurch.

Help Needed

Fulgencio) office which provides food parcels to needy people in the area. AAN are currently feeding 75 families in the area of several nationalities at a cost of around 1,800 euros per month, with HELP donating two thousand euros to them at the end of last year.

Michelle and Carole also visited Cruz Roja in Almoradi who bought two wheelchairs and a defibrillator thanks to a donation from HELP Vega Baja.

If you love spending time with horses, ponies and donkeys, then the Rojalesbased Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre is looking for volunteer groomers, who can regularly spare a few hours a week helping out with the animal care.

Grooming is an essential part of our equine care routine and is also an important socialising and trust-building exercise for horses with psychological issues caused by

previous abuse and neglect.

The Centre will supply you with the brushes and other tools you may need and will work to pair you up with horses suited to your level of experience.

A reasonable level of physical fitness is required, and you must have your own transport to get to the Centre. An on-line application form is available from the Centre website, www.easyhorsecare.net

In Bloom The head florist at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland, John McDonald, will be the special guest of the Torrevieja Flower Club at their monthly meeting next week. John’s demonstration of flower arranging will start at 2.30 pm (a later than normal start time) at the Asturias Restaurant, Punta Prima on Wednesday February 15th.

Guests are more than welcome to come along, and more details are available from Sandra on 966 848 220.

Gratefully Received

Representatives of HELP Vega Baja, which provides help to individuals and families in the area, dropped in recently on two groups that have been boosted by major donations from the non-profit organisation.

HELP Vega Baja President Michelle Masson (pictured second left) and treasurer Carole Jones (pictured left) went to the La Marina urbanisation to visit the AAN (Asociacion de Ayuda al Necesitado de San

Grooming Appeal

The Samaritans in Spain are looking for volunteers to keep their work going in the area.

That might involve listening to people’s problems, or working in their charity show, or perhaps getting involved in some fund-raising.

The Samaritans will be holding an Open Day for potential new volunteers, which will also give people a

chance to learn more about the work that is done.

The event will be on Wednesday February 22nd between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm at the Samaritans centre in the Punta Marina Shopping Centre by the Punta Prima roundabout on the N-332. More details are available on the group´s website, which is www.Samaritansinspain.com

Lunch Donation The Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity picked up a generous donation from the “Ladies Who Lunch” club at their February monthly meeting last week.

Charity fundraiser Tricia Lee received the welcome cheque worth over 500 euro from Janine Williams at Paco’s Restaurant in Rojales.

Friday 10th February 2017

9

10

Friday 10th February 2017

Friday 10th February 2017

11

ADVERTORIAL

Welcome to EURONICS - The Easy Way to Shop As we all know shopping in Spain is simple and easy when you know what you want and where to get it. What is not always easy is the language barrier and the fact that quite often the instructions are usually in most languages except English. Added to this you have the question that if something goes wrong with your appliance , where do you stand with respect to getting it repaired or replaced.

Euronics is an independent electronic appliance store that offers excellent products at reasonable prices partnered with experienced staff giving great service . Debbie Wright and her team in Euronics - The Electrical Shop based at Blue Lagoon seam to have developed the art of great Customer Service. If , as it does happen , something goes wrong with something you have bought from them , they will always do everything possible to resolve the issue.

Sadly some high street shops do not seem to be interested once you have left the building. In Spain there are several small "Service Centers" tucked into the back of beyond where you can take your small appliance and leave it for several weeks while waiting for it to be repaired . Alternatively , if it is a larger appliance such as a washing machine or refrigerator that is playing up, you have to call a central number and they will send an engineer who will probably take a look and then and return a week later with a replacement part. You can rely on the staff of Blue Lagoon to help you with any problem every step of the way.

These days a lot of people enjoy searching online for the option of buying an appliances on the Internet. It is a great tool and is something that can be studied from the comfort of your sofa. As everyone knows, however, online shopping is quite different to buying from a store . The price of goods on www.euronics.es (Once you have followed all the way through the checkout ) is more or less the same as the price of shop, but again it's all about the personal service and after sales.

Customers these days also like to shop around and get the best price they can especially in the current climate where the exchange rate means some expats find they have less money each month. The Blue Lagoon store is always striving to match the price of other shops on thehigh street - All you have to do is show a proof of the price you have seen elsewhere and they will see what they can do.

Recently the Euronics store in Ciudad Quesada closed after three years of trading . Unfortunately the outgoings became high too. Liliana and Tracey have relocated to Blue Lagoon but are hopeful that the team can find a more economical unit in the same area . If any Quesada clients have a problem with anything they have bought from the store, all they have to do is call the number that appears on the invoice and a staff member will help them out . For anyone who lives in the area of Quesada who needs something, all you need to do is ring or email Blue Lagoon and they will advise you on available stock items , no problem at all. Payments can be made by telephone or cash on delivery.

Either way , in theory, you don´t even need to leave the house. And that is why Euronics Is THE EASY WAY TO SHOP EURONICS - THE ELECTRICAL SHOP Calle Pico Lobo 1, Orihuela Costa , 03189 966 188 169/966 188 170 electricateam@hotmail.com Open Monday to Saturday , 10.00 - 18.00

SEE OUR ADVERT ON THE OPPOSITE PAGE.

12

Pets

Friday 10th February 2017

Adoption Corner

Your Very First Cat

SANDY Sandy is an adorable six-month old pup that is looking for a home. He loves to play, have cuddles and has a lovely disposition and is a happy little man. He is currently being fostered with other dogs and a cat, which he gets on well with.

He is not very big at about eight kilos and will not get much bigger. For more on this adorable boy please phone PEPA on 650 304 746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail.com

You want your new pet to lead a happy and contented life, and this means meeting all their behavioural needs, such as play, exercising their claws, and exploration. For the newbie cat person it’s a good idea to start with a cat whose main need is for a lap and love, rather than curtain climbing and aerobic exercise. The purr-fect first cat should be: • Easy going and gentle • Enjoy attention and like people • Have an easy care coat • Be healthy • Be fun to be around

to be sole centre of attention and so fit in well as a loner. They love solving puzzles and playing, and can be trained to take part in agility activities. So for the prospective pet parent, who wants an interactive cat, consider the Somali.

PERSIAN:-This stunning looking cat may be placid and nondestructive, but they also have big characters. They may be quiet but they are intelligent, and will quickly learn tricks when you take the time to teach them. It seems they can even tell the time, with a built in clock that alerts them when it’s supper time. However, be prepared to devote half an hour each day to grooming, as that long luxurious coat knots easily and takes a lot of upkeep.

RESCUE CAT:- Of course it’s the individual’s personality which is the critical factor, so don’t overlook homing an adult rescue cat, with many great rescue charities that we feature in The Courier every week. There are so many advantages to this, not least of which is you get to meet the cat and see if they’re a good fit for you. In addition, the rescue charity sets you up with a healthy animal that is desexed, vaccinated, and up to date with parasite control, which gets the novice owner off to a great start.

Suggested Breeds

KNOW YOU CAT!

MAINE COON:- A physically large cat with an even bigger personality, the Maine Coon has many devoted admirers.

This is one of the largest cat breeds — they are totally into people, adaptable, and get along with just about everyone including other cats and dogs. The downside of this is that they do love company and so aren’t happy when kept as a lone pet when the owner is out all day. Of course the simple answer is to get two kittens so you have a bonded pair!

MANX:- Whilst the Manx is best known for being a cat without a tail, they are also super companions. They are very sociable and like to keep an eye on what’s going on and even chat to you about it. They are an inquisitive breed and always eager to try out new toys and participate in games such as “Fetch!”

SOMALI:- If there’s only room for one fur-friend in your home then the Somali could be the answer. These active cats love

You’ve chosen your ideal cat, and now the rest is up to you.

Understanding the cat’s natural instincts and providing for them is the best way to a contented, well-adjusted feline friend free from behavioural problems.

This means catching up on your cat psychology and knowing that cats have a natural need to claw (so provide plenty of sturdy scratch posts) and prefer privacy in which to toilet (site the litter box in a quiet spot where she won’t be disturbed about her business).

Know that cat’s need mental stimulation so be sure to play with her at least two to three times a day, and provide for her need to climb by providing tall cat towers, if you don’t have plenty of walls in your area!. And last but not least, respect her space and let her come to you. A cornered cat is more likely to scratch and bite.

If you’ve never owned a cat before, you’ll soon wonder how you ever managed without one. Cats do make for great companions and they will change your life for the better.

However, cats are individuals and some breeds are more of a handful than others. If you plan on keeping an indoor cat then a sparky, inquisitive, and mischievous breed such as a Sphynx could mean you bite off more than you can chew.

The Right Temperament

SCRUFF Scruff is an adorable, domesticated, long haired, bobtailed boy. He has some absolutely fabulous markings, as well as being cute and chunky. Scruff loves cuddles and is very affectionate, with a placid nature.

He has been spayed and is now ready to move onto the next stage of his life. If you can offer a forever home for Scruff, please call Alan and Bev at the K9 animal shelter on 600 845 420.

SHEENA Sheena is a beautiful six-month- old mixed breed pup. She is a very loving and responsive, bright happy pup that is used to living in a home with other dogs. Sheena will be medium when fully grown, and is now ready to go to a home of her own. For more on this adorable girl, then call PEPA on 650 304 746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail.com

TEDDY AND MAGGIE

Teddy and Maggie Mae are around three months old, and they were found in a field when they were just three weeks, and they have been cared for in a foster home. Both puppies have had their vaccinations, are good with other dogs and will be medium- size when fully grown. To give them a forever home, please call Pets in Spain on 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

TUX Tux is 11 weeks old and was brought into the SAT kennels with his four siblings, from an unwanted litter. He is a large cross-breed and has had the relevant puppy vaccination, so he can now be adopted. Don’t forget that puppies need a lot of early patience and care! If you would like more information or are interested in Tux, then please contact the SAT kennels on 966710047 or email info@satanimalrescue.com

TYLER Tyler and his brother Kingsley were born just over four years ago in January 2013. Rescued as small puppies, they are medium- sized dogs and still looking for a loving home. Lively and full of energy, they need a home where their new family can give them lots of exercise, or a lot of space to run around in. To arrange to meet the brothers, please call APAH on 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

News

Friday 10th February 2017

Up In Arms

Call 966 843 498 To Reserve Yours

Guardia Civil officers had to be called in to calm down 180 angry passengers who were stuck in a plane at Barcelona airport last Friday.

The Vueling service was due to fly to Marrakech, but did not take off until four and half hours later, with nobody allowed off the aircraft during the delay.

Guardia agents had to

board the plane to calm down the unruly travellers who were unhappy with the way that they were being treated.

Repair and maintenance works on the main runway at El Prat airport, combined with bad weather, had led to several delays and practically every flight was affected, but not to the extent of the

troubled Moroccan-bound flight.

“It gets better by the minute. Four hours stuck and they won't even give us anything to eat – not even a stupid snack,” said one Twitter user. Another said: “Vueling flight 7332 – two hours and 39 minutes on the plane, and we can't even breathe!”

Going Dutch

Low-cost British air carrier Easyjet is to a launch a twice-weekly service

between Alicante-Elche airport and Amsterdam from May 13th. The launch now

means that Easyjet will be running 15 routes out of the facility at El Altet.

13

14

Friday 10th February 2017

Friday 10th February 2017

15

16

Friday 10th February 2017

Homes & Gardens

How to put up a shelf - and feel smug about it The CDs are piled on the floor, the paperbacks are doing an impression of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It's time to put up a shelf and graduate to the top of the DIY class.

Fiddly, a little tricky and a lot easier if you have four hands, this task is a rite of passage for the amateur Handy Andy.

It's tempting to suggest you put up a new shelf in your home just to practise your DIY skills and to have something to show off and say, "I did that!" Here, we'll work through the example of a simple, single shelf with brackets. These same principles and steps apply to putting up a shelving system with long vertical brackets. method that you used to mark the first bracket.

Tools you will need A drill, wood screws, a pencil, hammer and nail for marking up, and a stud detector. You will also need a spirit level. Get a level which works in both orientations and you can use it for a host of jobs around the house.

1. Find the studs To put up a shelf on a plasterboard wall, you will need to find two studs (a stud is the upright wooden support in the wall to which the plasterboard is attached) to anchor your shelf brackets. Use your stud detector to find them, then draw two vertical guides along the lines of the studs.

2. Mark holes for the first bracket Take one of the shelf brackets and hold it up to one of the guide lines at the correct height. Use the spirit level to set it vertical and then mark through the holes with a pencil (or coat hanger wire if the bracket is too thick) to show where you need to make the holes. Add a cross and nail dent to each mark, for more accurate drilling.

3. Drill into the wall

Using a wood drill bit that is one size smaller than your screws, drill as far as the length of a screw (minus the depth of your bracket).

Measure the screw and bracket against the drill bit first and mark the correct depth with tape. Choose the right length of screw to properly anchor the shelf to the stud.

This will be around 20mm more than the depth of plasterboard and bracket. Plasterboard can be anything from 9mm to 13mm, so you will probably need to choose screws upwards of 30mm in length.

6. Drill holes and fix the second bracket.

Screw the second bracket securely into the stud, as before.

7. Put shelf in place and fix with screws, if needed Depending on your bracket design, the shelf may need to be fixed on to the bracket, or it may just balance on top.

4. Screw in the first bracket

8. Check the level again

5. Mark holes for the second bracket

If you have worked carefully through the steps, your shelf should be perfectly level.

Take your shelf and balance it on the first bracket with your spirit level on top. Hold the shelf exactly level, then mark a short line along the underside of the shelf across the line you marked earlier for the second stud. You should now have intersecting lines on your wall, showing the correct spot for the top of the second bracket.

Put the shelf down and pick up the second bracket and spirit level. Place the bracket so that it will support the shelf at the level of the horizontal mark, and repeat the

Notes on solid walls If you are fixing a shelf to a brick or masonry wall, you should follow the same steps as above, though you will not need to worry about the studs.

However, you will need to use plastic wall plugs to make sure the screws are secure. Drill holes to the correct size and depth for the plugs, using a masonry drill bit instead of a wood bit.

Friday 10th February 2017

17

18

Friday 10th February 2017

Caldo verde (Portuguese cabbage soup) Cabbage soup doesn't need to be boring.

Spice it up with smoky chorizo and comforting potatoes INGREDIENTS 2 nice fat onions, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 60ml /2fl oz olive oil 1 chorizo sausage 6 large potatoes 1.5 litres /2 pints 13fl oz good vegetable or chicken stock salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 bay leaves large bunch of greens or cabbage smoked paprika and olive oil, for dressing Method First, drink some port - it helps you get in the mood!

Sweat the onions and garlic in the olive oil until translucent.

Chop the sausage into small chunks and add to the onion.

Sweat the onions and sausage for a few more minutes and then add the diced potatoes. They will absorb all the flavour from the sausage.

Transfer the mixture to a large pan, add the stock, seasoning and bay leaves, and cook until the potatoes are soft.

Meanwhile, very finely chop the cabbage (alternatively, buy a cabbageshredding machine from the market.)

When the potatoes are ready, mash them into the broth to make a thick base.

Blanch the greens in boiling water for one minute to take off any bitterness, drain, then add to the simmering broth.

Add as much cabbage as the broth will support - if you want heavy soup add loads of greens, if lighter, add less.

Simmer for a few minutes.

The soup will go the colour of jade.

Mix the smoked paprika with some olive oil to make a dressing, and swirl this red magic into the vibrant green soup.

Serve with some heavy country bread, and wallow in praise!

Scotch Egg INGREDIENTS 6 pickled eggs 2 tbsp celery salt 60g/2oz plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper 600g/1lb 5oz Cumberland sausages, sausagemeat removed from the skins 100g/3½oz Japanese panko breadcrumbs 1 x 30g packet cheese and onion crisps, crushed 2 free-range eggs, beaten vegetable oil, for deepfrying METHOD Take a pickled egg and roll it in celery salt, then seasoned flour.

Divide the sausage meat into six portions. Roll each portion into a patty big enough to wrap around an egg. Wrap the sausage meat around the eggs and roll into a ball shape.

Mix the breadcrumbs with the crisps. Dust the sausage-coated egg in flour, dip in beaten egg and then roll in the bread-

crumb mixture.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or a deep-sided, heavy-bottomed pan to 160C, or until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns

golden-brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not over-fill the pan or leave unattended).

Fry the eggs for about 810 minutes until goldenbrown.

Alternatively, shallow fry, turning occasionally, until cooked through.

Food & Drink

Food & Drink

19

Friday 10th February 2017

The Ultimate Fish Pie INGREDIENTS For the potato topping 1.5kg / 3lb 5oz potatoes (such as King Edwards, Maris Piper or Estima) salt and white pepper butter, to taste 100g / 3.5oz grated gruyere cheese For the poaching broth 1 litre / 1 pint 15fl oz fish stock 4 tbsp dry vermouth 1 onion, roughly chopped 1 small bulb of fennel, cored and chopped 1 small carrot, chopped 1 small stick of celery, chopped 1 bay leaf pinch saffron For the fish 750g / 1lb 10oz white fish (such as haddock, hake, sea bass or halibut) 250g / 9oz smoked haddock 200g / 7oz salmon 120g / 4oz raw prawns For the parsley sauce 75g / 2.5oz unsalted butter 75g / 2.5oz plain flour 150ml / 5fl oz full-fat milk large handful parsley, finely chopped 150ml / 5fl oz double cream salt and white pepper To assemble the pie butter, to grease the dish 125g / 4.5oz leaf spinach 4 hard-boiled eggs 25g / 1oz ciabatta crumbs 25g / 1oz grated parmesan cheese

METHOD For the potato topping, place the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

Drain the potatoes well and mash them with a potato masher or ricer along with salt, white pepper and butter, to taste.

Stir in the gruyere and set aside the potatoes, keeping them warm.

For the poaching broth, place the fish stock, vermouth, onion, fennel, carrot, celery, bay leaf and saffron in a large pan and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.

For the fish, place the white fish, smoked haddock, salmon and prawns into the broth and poach for three minutes. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the fish from the pan and set aside.

Pour the broth through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Bring the broth back to the boil and simmer until reduced by half.

For the parsley sauce, heat the butter and flour together in a pan over a low heat, stirring to make a paste.

Add the reduced broth a ladleful at a time and keep whisking

until smooth. Add the milk and the parsley, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for ten minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

To finish the sauce, add the double cream to the pan and season, to taste, with salt and white pepper.

To assemble the pie, butter a casserole dish generously and flake the set-aside fish, discarding any skin and bones. Lay the fish in the casserole dish and pour about half of the parsley sauce on top (reserve the remainder of the sauce to use as a pouring sauce on the finished pie).

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the spinach to the pan. Blanch for a minute until the spinach has wilted. Drain well.

Slice the hard-boiled eggs and lay on top of the fish, followed by the blanched spinach.

Cover with the mashed potatoes.

In a small bowl, mix together the ciabatta crumbs and the parmesan. Sprinkle the cheese breadcrumbs on top of the pie.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown. Reheat the parsley sauce and serve the pie hot with the remaining parsley sauce poured over.

20

Friday 10th February 2017

Food & Drink

Saffron bundt cake with pears

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

30g breadcrumbs 50g butter 100ml whole milk ½g ground saffron 2 large or 3 small pears a little lemon juice 325g caster sugar 4 eggs 300g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp of salt 50g Greek yogurt icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

Grease a 25cm bundt pan or ring pan and dust it with the breadcrumbs, tipping out the excess.

Melt the butter and add the milk and ground saffron. Stir to combine and set aside to infuse.

Peel and core the pears and cut into bite-sized chunks. Add a dash of lemon juice, stir and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until thick, light and fluffy using a balloon whisk or a hand-held electric whisk.

Mix the remaining dry ingredients together and sift into the egg mixture. Fold in until incorporated.

Add the Greek yogurt and saffron-milk mixture and fold gently until completely combined.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Add the pieces of pear – these will sink down during baking.

Bake for around 30–35 minutes in the preheated oven or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan before turning out onto a serving tray. Dust with icing sugar and serve, sliced, with a good dollop of whipped cream.

Food & Drink

Friday 10th February 2017

21

22

Health

Friday 10th February 2017

Ibuprofen 'barely better than placebo' at treating back pain "Widely used anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen have little more benefit than a placebo when it comes to treating back pain," recent reports say.

This is based on a study looking at more than 6,000 people with back pain, comparing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with a placebo ("dummy" medicine).

While NSAIDs were found to reduce pain and make moving and doing daily activities easier, the difference compared to a placebo was not large enough for the researchers to consider it important. Also, people taking

NSAIDs were at greater risk of gastrointestinal problems compared with those taking a placebo.

This was a good piece of research that looked at a number of high-quality studies to reach the conclusion that, generally-speaking, NSAIDs aren't that effective for back pain.

However, this research doesn't mean NSAIDs don't work at all for back pain and shouldn't be used. It's possible that some people will still benefit from them, with the study suggesting that around one in six people taking NSAIDs – rather than placebo – experience a significant

reduction in pain.

Back pain usually gets better by itself after a few weeks but it might be a good idea to seek help if your pain is continuing for longer than this, is getting worse, or is stopping you doing your daily activities. Discuss the treatment options with your doctor.

NSAIDs are currently recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment option for lower back pain, alongside other approaches such as staying active, group exercise classes and manual therapy, such as chiropractic.

Long-term vaping 'far safer than smoking' says 'landmark' study "Vaping has been endorsed by health experts after the first long-term study of its effects in ex-smokers," ITV News reports.

E-cigarettes contain nicotine but not many of the harmful substances produced by smoking tobacco, such as tar or carbon monoxide.

However, there has been debate about exactly how safe their long-term use is.

The study, involving 181 smokers or ex-smokers, has been described as "landmark" as it is thought to be the first (or at least one of the first) looking at long-term vaping outcomes in "real

world" users. Previous studies of this kind have mainly relied on laboratory equipment, or animal research, to estimate the long-term effects of e-cigarettes.

The volunteers completed questionnaires and provided breath, saliva and urine samples. The researchers found significantly lower levels of toxic chemicals and cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) in the samples of those of former smokers who had been using e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) compared to current smokers.

Another noted result is that

current smokers who may be trying to reduce their risk of harm by switching between e-cigarettes and normal cigarettes may be saving money, but doing little for their health. "Combination users" still had very high levels of toxins and carcinogens This study provides evidence that e-cigarettes and NRT can reduce harm to smokers by reducing exposure to toxic chemicals. The evidence would also seem to support Public Health England’s 2015 report that “E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than tobacco”.

Health

23

Friday 10th February 2017

What Causes Grey Hair?

In many societies, grey hair signifies maturity, wisdom, and experience. In popular culture, grey hair is considered fashionable. But grey hair can also point to nutrient deficiencies, severe stress or even chronic illnesses. Grey hair can also be distressful for people of a younger age.

Hair grows out of pits in the scalp called hair follicles, and these pits contain two types of cells - keratocytes which produce hair strands, and melanocytes which add colour to hair. Hair grows when dead keratocytes are pushed out from the pits and along the way melanocytes add pigments to provide hair colour.

The keratocytes that produce hair strands live all through life, but the melanocytes that provide colour to hair start to die off much sooner, leaving the hair strands grey.

Melanocytes are also very sensitive cells easily damaged by chemicals that come in contact with hair from shampoos, hair colour, hair dye and other hair products.

Stress is also one of the leading causes of grey hair.

There are many accounts of the hair turning grey very quickly on receiving stressful new. Stress damages the body by promoting the production of toxins called free radicals which

interferes with blood flow and deprives the hair of essential nutrients that prevent grey hair.

The lack of some minerals will cause grey hair. Copper is a vital part of the pigments that add colour to hair and studies show that people with early greying of the hair have low copper levels. Copper rich foods include cashew nuts, dried beans, chickpeas, lentils shiitake mushroom, oysters, dried prunes, avocados, and chocolate.

Deficiencies of the B Vitamins is also a primary cause of grey hair. Folic acid (Vitamin B9) promotes the production of the proteins required for making hair. PABA (Para amino benzoic acid) also called Vitamin Bx, is an essential nutrient for hair growth. Foods that contain PABA are often claimed to prevent and reverse grey hair and include brewer's yeast, molasses and organ meat. Other B vitamins that are also crucial for maintaining hair colour are vitamins B5, B6, and B9. Foods that contain the most B complex vitamins are yeast, nuts, liver, broccoli, Spinach, Brussel Sprouts. flood the body destroying the delicate cells that produce pigments - the melanocytes and causing premature grey hair.

Stress also generates tension in the scalp and skin, which

Call 965071745 For A Whole Body Diagnostic Scan

'Breakthrough in communication for patients with severe MND', study claims "Mind-reading machine allows people with 'locked-in' syndrome to communicate," reports the Mail Online.

The report is based on a study that aimed to communicate with four patients unable to speak, move or blink due to a severe form of motor neurone disease (MND).

The patients were able to give "yes" or "no" answers to a series of questions via a computer, which interpreted their brain signals.

They were given statements such as "your husband's name is Joachim" or "Berlin is the capital of France" and told to think either "yes" or "no" in response.

They wore head caps fitted with sensors which measured changes to blood oxygen levels in the brain to work

out if their answer was a "yes" or a "no".

Towards the end of the study, researchers asked open questions such as whether patients were in pain, and whether they felt positively about their quality of life.

In line with previous studies of people who knew they would become completely paralysed and chose to be on ventilators, they said that they did feel positive.

Researchers say the system correctly relayed what the patients were thinking 70% of the time.

The patients, aged between 24 and 76, all had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common type of MND. The average life expectancy of someone with ALS is

from two to five years after symptoms first appear.

The patients were at different stages of Completely Locked-in State (CLIS), a condition where the patient can think and has emotions but is completely paralysed.

They had lost all eye movement and the ability to communicate with their families – some for several years.

They were receiving round-the-clock care at home, with artificial breathing and feeding tubes.

This small experiment raises the possibility of meaningful communication for people with this type of condition.

However, it is a tiny study and the findings may not be applicable to people with other causes of CLIS, such as stroke.

24

Fashion

Friday 10th February 2017

Star-Loved Lingerie for Valentine's Day

Celeb Fan: Heidi Klum Who better to design lingerie than a model whose made a career out of wearing it! Heidi told PeopleStyle she thinks about her boyfriend during sexy lingerie shoots for her line.

Celeb Fans: Kourtney Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Lawrence Kourtney would probably wear this sheer onesie with a pair of leather pants, and considering the price, it deserves to be seen.

Celeb Fans: Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, Sienna Miller The brand's lingerie works in and out of the bedroom. Just ask Rihanna who is a huge fan of this velvet bodysuit no matter the time of day.

Celeb Fans: Naomi Campbell, Emily Ratajkowski Both models have collaborated with the British lingerie line in the past, and also happen to share a similar philosophy: Silk slip dresses never go out of style.

Celeb Fans: Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Hill Fun fact: This bra and underwear duo is named after Kendall, so of course it's super-sexy.

Celeb Fans: Ashley Graham, Jordyn Woods Graham designed a capsule Valentine's Day collection for the brand, featuring magenta-and-black leopard lace pieces to "make you feel confident and sexy all night long."

Travel

Friday 10th February 2017

25

The Santa Bárbara Castle of Alicante

By Adriana Pavlikova The southeast region of Spain has so many interesting places to visit and a day out with family or friends need not cost the earth.

times. Each time that repairs were carried out other important works and reformations were included, where extra rooms, walls, and outbuildings were added.

In our local sightseeing guide Loving Life offers its readers details and interesting facts about some of our favourite tourist hotspots, plus other hidden gems in the area that are not so well known.

Today, many of the typical features of a traditional castle and more are still present and can be seen on visiting Santa Bárbara. The visitor is able to enter the dungeon and former prison, as well as other long-standing buildings such as the Quarter of Phillip II, the Engineer’s Barracks, the chapel ruins, the Hall of Nobles (former hospital) and the Bastions of the King and Queen.

Why don’t you visit Alicante’s Santa Bárbara Castle and let us know how you got on? We’re sure you’ll enjoy a great day out.

Sitting 166m high, atop the Benacantil Mountain, the majestic castle of Santa Bárbara has long been a symbol for the coastal city of Alicante. The centuries-old fortress, built during the reign of the Moors, overlooks the whole of the city and port area, and is encircled by a picturesque expanse of pine tree forest.

The castle area is made up of three different levels with the ‘torreta’ or turret at the top, which is enclosed within medieval walls and houses the old keep and some vaults that date back to the 11th and 13th centuries.

Today, the castle serves not only as the city’s main tourist attraction, receiving approximately 280,000 visitors a year, but also as a centre for music and art. Art exhibitions by local, national, and European artists and sculptors are held throughout the year and music concerts are performed within the castle grounds mainly at weekends during the summer months.

Entrance to the castle of Santa Bárbara is free and can be accessed through a number of routes. For those who don’t like to or cannot manage a fairly steep climb and numerous steps, entrance is gained by a lift that takes you up to the castle. The lift is situated on the Avenida Jovellanos, which is located opposite Alicante’s Postiguet Beach, and is reached after walking through a 205m tunnel that has been dug through the side of the rock. There is a small charge of 2,40 euro to travel up in the lift.

Over the centuries the castle has suffered several attacks and bombardments and has had to be repaired numerous

The castle can also be reached by car and parking is available.

Other facilities for the visitor include toilets, ramps for wheelchairs, two cafeterias and outside seating areas.

The Santa Bárbara Castle is open daily from 09.00h until 19.00h during the winter (Oct – Mar) and from 10.00h to 20.00h during the summer (Apr – Sept).

26

Friday 10th February, 2017

CARMEN DEL CAMPILLO A MOORISH EXPERIENCE

Did you know that deep in the midst of the concrete mass of whitewashed walls and maze-like urbanisations that has become the Costa Blanca there exists a peaceful sanctuary, bursting with greenery and nature, with only the sounds of gentle music and running water for company?

Well, the Moorish teahouse, Carmen del Campillo, on the outskirts of Crevillente is exactly that ………. and much more.

Tucked away amidst fields and grassland, Carmen del Campillo is located by driving through windy country roads and narrow tracks. Once close by it is signposted, but the arrows are small and easy to miss.

Upon arrival visitors enter through a main gate that is kept locked and opened by a member of staff after ringing the bell.

You can have a look around and explore the area and then sit down with a refreshing drink, or perhaps relax with a pot of tea and walk around afterwards.

The site consists of one large building constructed in an Arabic style, of several floors, with numerous offshoots stemming from the main room, branching out in every direction. There are private little cave-like underground spaces simply decorated with brightly coloured rugs and tapestries, as well as tiny attic rooms tucked away at the top of the building. All of these are open to the public and available to sit, relax and drink tea.

The style is rustic and traditional and has a very homely feel.

There is also an outside area where the public can choose to rest that is filled with huge trees, fountains and exotic shrubs.

Both the outside and inside areas are absolutely stunning and evoke serenity, peace and stillness. An hour at Carmen del Campillo can easily turn into four without realising how much time has passed!

The speciality of this place is the tea. It is made with fruit and spices and served in elegant and elaborate brass teapots.

There are more than 60 flavours to choose from and both hot and cold teas are available. Other soft drinks can be purchased but no alcohol is served at all.

Carmen del Campillo is hidden away and is quite difficult to find, however there is a small map on their website that offers directions. It is advisable to check this out before trying to make your way up there.

The teahouse is only open in the afternoons, from 6pm in July – September and from 4pm during the rest of the year. From October – June it is closed on Monday and Tuesday, whilst during the summer months you can visit daily.

For further details please visit www.carmendelcampillo.com

Events Calendar Friday 10 to Sunday 12 February, 2017 Alicante Caravan Show, IFA Alicante.

Sunday 12 February, 2017 Rojales Amor Fino, voice and piano concert, Centro Cultural de Ciudad Quesada.

Sunday 19 February, 2017 Rojales Coral Bella Torrevieja, voice and piano concert, Centro Cultural de Ciudad Quesada.

Torrevieja Carnival Procession.

Saturday 25 February, 2017 Torrevieja Night Carnival Procession.

Rojales Carnival 2017.

Saturday 4 to Monday 6 March, 2017 Alicante Health, Hair and Beauty Show, IFA Alicante.

Friday 17 March, 2017 Orihuela Costa St Patrick´s Day Parade, Cabo Roig.

Saturday 18 March, 2017 Torrevieja Classical Concert.

International Auditorium.

Rossini, Mozart and Beethoven classical concert by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Torrevieja.

Thursday 13 to Monday 17 April, 2017 Santa Pola Medieval Market with special Dark Dragon.

Sunday 16 April, 2017 Easter Sunday Saturday 15 to Thursday 27 April, 2017 Los Alcázares International sailing competition, Clase Laser 4.7, at the Centro de Tecnificación Deportiva.

22 April, 2017 Torrevieja Classical Concert

Valencia Country House, a Bed&Breakfast 14 kilometres away from the town centre Valencia Country House is a beautiful Bed&Breakfast located in the peaceful Las Colinas de San Antonio area, 14 kilometres away from the centre of Valencia. You are bound to be surprised by its tasteful decoration, its comfortable rooms and its splendid location. All options will be within your reach: the activity and entertainment offered by the big city or the peace and quite of this area in San Antonio de Benagéber.

The Bed&Breakfast offers the highest standards of quality and comfort, very competitive rates, and bright and welcoming rooms in a calm environment where you can enjoy nature to the fullest, with plenty of services to make your stay unforgettable.

Valencia Country House 647 80 21 43 valenciacountryhouse@gmail.com www.valenciacountryhouse.com

27

Friday 10th February 2017

TRELI ON THE TELLY WITH ALEX TRELINSKI

I can’t believe that it’s nearly nine years since the “kidnapping” of little Shannon Matthews hit the national headlines, with her community in Dewsbury in Yorkshire rallying round to try and find her. It was of course a story with a massive sting in the tail, and it made for some great viewing on Tuesday night with BBC 1’s The Moorside, which concludes next week.

Writen by Neil McKay, who penned the excellent Appropriate Adult about Fred and Rose West, you could smell the atmosphere in a blistering hour that at times almost seemed like a documentary. The community spirit in trying to find Shannon and the inpromptu leader Julie Bushby, played by the always superlative Sheridan Smith, was clear for all to see in what for me is one of the best new UK dramas of 2017. Gemma Whelan, best known for playing Yara in Game of Thrones, also gets big plaudits for playing Shannon’s mum, Karen, who was a highly complex character to put it mildly. The Moorside is

True Community Spirit

not a simple slag-off of Shannon’s “kidnappers”, but a celebration of good people who care, and I recommend you to try and catch this excellent piece of work. One slight complaint, and in a positive vein:- Since we are only talking of two hours, why wasn’t The Moorside scheduled on successive evenings (I noticed live FA Cup football on Wednesday night as a possible reason), or even boldly shown as a two-hour feature?

Mix up elements of Holby City with Call The Midwife, and set it in an overseas location, and hey presto!

You have a new Sunday night hit in the shape of The Good Karma Hospital.

There’s nothing really original about this ITV drama, but so what? It all still works in this story of a young British doctor who splits up with her boyfriend and wants to get away from it all, and so goes to work in India in a plush hospital, only to be assigned to a somewhat more rundown and basic facility instead. ITV bosses say they want more “feelgood” drama in their portfo-

lio, and I think they’ve got it here, led by Amanda Redman, as she dominates the cast in her role as the “de facto” boss at the Good Karma. Don’t expect anything radical or groundbreaking in what really is soap-stuff shot on location in Sri Lanka, doubling up as India. There’s nothing wrong in that and I think Good Karma will be around for a year or two. By the way, production company Tiger Aspect must be the people to work for if you like going abroad as they have Fortitude (Iceland) and Benidorm (errr..Benidorm) amongst the shows they do!

I love a good mystery, and I’m not talking Midsomer Murders here! I just want to know why Still Open Hours, which mercifully finished last Sunday on BBC 1, is piling in millions of viewers like there is no tomorrow? I watched the pilot over two years ago, and I thought it was awful. I checked it out again for the first time on Sunday, and I all I saw was a fine cast mouthing drivel that was written by Roy Clarke for them to recite,

backed up by a dreadfully loud canned laughter track that is meant to con you into believing that something funny is going on. It makes Clarke’s old show Last of the Summer Wine akin to Shakespearean sonnets, so why are people watching this load of cobblers?

If you want a good laugh, then check out the second

run of Tracey Ullman’s sketch show, back on BBC 1 on a Friday night.

Her impressions and characters are wicked, and I loved Maggie Smith visiting Judi Dench in a police station jail. Lessons have been learnt from the first series, where some sketches went on too long and were not funny, and so there is more

pace this time round, and some new characters including a power-crazy SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

Helen Flanagan returned for a short run on Coronation Street this week, giving us all hope that we could become professional actors and actresses. She’s even worse than before!

28

Friday A difficult day arrives as Laurel, Sandy and Gabby see Ashley leave home to be admitted to residential care.

Back at home, Laurel struggles to be without her husband. How will she cope?

Meanwhile, the mystery woman’s arrival has led to divided opinions. With some people now warming to her, Moira tells her that she can stay at Butlers.

Elsewhere, Finn feels guilty about Aaron’s current troubles and apologises to him. Aaron and Robert argue over the current drama but end up making up when Chas intervenes.

Monday It’s a big day for Paddy for two reasons – not only does Rhona receive her decree absolute papers, it’s also the one-year anniversary of Tess’s death.

When Paddy and Rhona end up having a drunken heart-to-heart at The Woolpack about the end of their relationship, it leads to them sharing a kiss.

Meanwhile, Finn begs Kasim for another chance but is left frustrated when he’s not interested. Finn decides to get his revenge by breaking in and trashing Kasim’s bedroom. When Finn’s brothers track him down, will he admit to his latest bad behaviour?

Tuesday When Finn tells Tracy about his destructive actions yesterday, they bothy break back into the house to fix the damage.

Emma also tries to help out when she realises that her son is up to something, but trouble seems to be on the cards when Kasim returns home unexpectedly.

SOAPS

Friday 10th February 2017 Meanwhile, Rhona tries to get her relationship with Pierce back on track by encouraging him to propose to her again. When he does, Rhona is excited to accept – but will she Friday Following her unexalso come clean about her pected tryst with Daniel, Sinead realises she needs kiss with Paddy? to talk to Chesney. Later, Wednesday Finn pays the when Daniel discovers that price for his recent crazy Adam is cheating at his behaviour when police offi- legal exams, he sees a cers arrive in the village to way of getting back at him. take him down to the sta- Is Daniel playing with fire by winding up Adam? tion.

Meanwhile, determined to save the business, Kevin takes on too much work.

Rosie and Sophie ponder over their options. When Rosie finds out from Sally that Tim has an allotment, she forms a plan.

Clutching the biscuit tin, Later, someone sets fire to Rosie drags Sophie to the one of the Bartons’ taxis allotment and suggests and it’s not long before the they bury the drugs there. police find a hoodie belonging to Kasim close Chesney is devastated to by. Ross suspects that the find out about Daniel and firestarter was actually Sinead and seeks his Finn himself, but is he revenge, but he hasn’t bargained for Daniel’s darker right? side.

Thursday Lisa’s birthday at The Woolpack ends in disaster.

Meanwhile, when Kasim protests his innocence, even Finn can tell that he’s telling the truth. However, the police soon suggest that Finn set fire to the cab himself. How will the rest of the Bartons react?

Elsewhere, Vanessa and Rhona misinterpret Pearl’s secretive behaviour and suspect that she’s gambling again. How will they react to the truth?

Monday Daniel and Adam both entertain their lady friends at the flat, but Sinead feels Daniel might be moving too fast when he asks her to move in.

Out on the streets as Chesney is refusing to let her stay at Number 5, what will Sinead decide?

When Zak puts his foot in it in front of the social worker, she decides to ask Kerry and Dan to take Kyle full time.Kerry is delighted over the news, but could Later, Ken has arranged a everything still change? meeting for Daniel with an Meanwhile, Harriet finds old friend who lectures on Emma in the church and the course Daniel is applygives her a lifeline. ing for, but is Daniel about to put love before his eduElsewhere, Carly speaks cation? to Vanessa about recent developments.

Adam quizzes Rosie about

Also today, Jack has a request that leaves Billy and Jay stunned.

the drugs. Oblivious to his intentions, she tells him everything.

Wednesday When Rosie overhears Brian complaining that someone dug over the allotments in the night, she realises with horror that it must have been Adam. Rosie confesses to Sophie how she told Adam about the drugs and suspects he’s stolen them.

Sophie listens in disbelief.

Later, Adam confides in Todd and suggests they set up in business together - how will Todd react?

Adam also warns Rosie and Sophie that if anyone comes looking for the drugs, he’ll pin the whole thing on them.

Meanwhile, having taken Sarah’s advice and filmed a new video using her phone, Bethany is gutted to find out from Faye that she’s being lambasted online as it’s substandard compared to her earlier efforts. When Bethany explains to Sarah how her phone video was a total flop, Sarah urges her to return to the salon and make another professional one instead.

Thursday Bethany sets off for school, clearly in a good mood, Sarah tells Gary that making videos with her mate Mel seems to be doing her the world of good. Soon afterwards, Nathan approaches Bethany at the school gates. Kissing her tenderly, he invites her to the salon at lunchtime to make another video. Bethany is thrilled.

On Nathan’s instructions, Mel continues to flood the internet with negative comments about Bethany’s last video attempt. In the salon, Mel sets to work on Bethany’s make-up and Nathan admires the necklace he bought her.

However, they’re interrupted by the police, who arrest Nathan on suspicion of the abduction of Annabel Adams.

Friday Whitney’s plans for a night out suffer a setback when Lee’s friend Beanbag cancels. Not giving up so easily, Whitney urges Beanbag to change his mind and they all end up going to The Vic. It’s not long before Whitney comes up with another unexpected idea to help Lee, but what will his reaction be?

Thursday Michelle is happy after the week’s events, but not for long as she starts to struggle with her situation.

Meanwhile, Michelle tries to help Bex to fix her friendship with Louise.

Later, Michelle attends an interview for a job as a teacher. Will she be successful?

Elsewhere, Denise is annoyed when the students next door throw a party.

Monday With her relationship at breaking point, Whitney confides in Lauren, while Lee speaks to Mick.

Meanwhile, Michelle is disappointed when she arranges to meet an old friend and he doesn’t turn up as planned. Jay invites Michelle to join him at Ben for a drink instead.

Meanwhile, Shirley and Johnny approach Konrad, the owner of a local store, for help as they make plans for Polish Night at the Queen Vic. Elsewhere, Shakil finally decides to talk to Bex, but he regrets it when he finds her with Travis. Madison and Alexandra also stir up trouble between Bex and Louise, prompting Louise to confront Bex for going after Travis.

Elsewhere, Jay is struggling after hearing the results of Roxy’s medical report.

Tuesday Whitney and Lee head out for a romantic Valentine’s Day meal, but it could be make or break time for their relationship.

Which way will it go?

At the same time, Mick and Shirley discuss the Lee and Whitney situation.

Meanwhile, Michelle receives a surprise Valentine’s Day card - but that’s not the only shock she receives today...

Elsewhere, Bex gets a Valentine’s Day card from Shakil and finds a special way to reveal her feelings in return.

Will Jac finally acknowledge her feelings for Matteo or will she revert to type? Bernie sees through Serena’s attempts to keep everything normal, but will it make or break them? Raf is determined to keep it professional when Kim reaches out for help.

Friday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Food: Truth or Scare 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Oxford Street Revealed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 I Escaped to the Country 16:45 Royal Recipes 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport Regular captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell lead their teams of sports stars through the quiz.

21:00 EastEnders The pressure builds for one Walford couple 21:30 Room 101 Joe Lycett, Ricky Wilson and Zoe Lyons compete to have their pet hates and peeves consigned to Room 101. Topics include new towels, escalators and the bartender at the local pub.

22:00 Not Going Out Lee and Lucy play “Hot Tub Fantasy Date” with Anna and Toby and end up in hot water.

22:30 Tracey Ullman’s Show Comedy sketches include the return of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who sets out shopping for cut-price animal print leggings - or jodhpurs as she prefers to call them.

23:00 News 23:35 The Graham Norton Show 00:25 Uncle 00:55 Film Blood Diamond (14) 03:10 Weather 03:15 News

07:00 Flog It!: Trade Secrets 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 Royal Recipes 09:00 School Swap: Korea Style 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Cash in the Attic 14:25 Beat the Brain 14:55 Landward 15:25 Italy Unpacked 16:25 Tropic of Capricorn 17:25 A Place to Call Home 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 Big Dreams Small Spaces Monty comes to the rescue of two couples in need of help transforming their rubble filled back gardens into havens of peace and tranquillity. They are in serious need of help and advice but can Monty set them on the right track?

21:00 Mastermind Quiz 21:30 Only Connect Two losing teams return for a last chance to make it to the quarter-finals.

22:00 Birds of Paradise: The Ultimate Quest The terrain is getting even tougher as Frank and Benedict make an epic journey into the highlands, crossing through two tribal territories.

However, Frank’s old injuries return to haunt him and the expedition hangs on a knife edge.

23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight 00:05 Further Back In Time for Dinner 01:05 Francis Bacon: A Brush With Violence 02:25 The Cult Next Door 03:25 The War on Loan Sharks

29

Friday 10th February 2017

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 James Martin’s French Adventure 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale There is a change for Ashley.

20:30 Coronation Street Is Daniel playing with fire?

21:00 The Cruise: Sailing the Mediterranean As the passengers and the Royal Princess continue on the journey around the Mediterranean, one member of the crew is coming to the end of hers. After 11 years at sea, dance captain Eleanor has decided the time has come to hang up her dancing shoes.

21:30 Coronation Street Chesney takes the fight to Daniel.

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of QueensTV 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 News 13:05 Four in a Bed 15:10 Countdown 16:00 A New Life in the Sun 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast Jamie Oliver teaches guest Martin Clunes how to cook a paella, just like the ones the Doc Martin actor enjoyed on holiday with his father as a youngster.

Jamie also cooks the most beautiful lamb rack and potato al forno, while cohost Jimmy Doherty turns plants into root beer and countryside cocktails. This week’s food fight concerns sustainable fish.

22:00 Piers Morgan’s Life Stories Piers invites actor Nigel Havers to look back on a 50-year career.

The star of Coronation Street, The Charmer and Chariots of Fire speaks candidly about being caught in an emotional tug of war between his wife and his lover.

22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Jimmy Carr hosts the comedy panel show's version of the words-and-numbers quiz, as Jon Richardson and David Mitchell take on guest captain Joe Wilkinson and Roisin Conaty. Tom Allen joins Countdown's resident lexicographer Susie Dent in Dictionary Corner and Rachel Riley looks after the numbers and letters.

23:00 News 23:40 Fishing Impossible 00:10 The Wine Show 01:10 Jackpot247 04:00 Freeze Out 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

23:00 The Last Leg 00:05 The Fake News Show 00:40 First Dates Hotel 01:40 Virtually Famous 02:25 Film - Sinister (14) 04:10 No Offence

Welcome to Hull - UK City of Culture 2017 Saturday - BBC Two Comedian Lucy Beaumont comes home to Hull, for new BBC documentary exploring the UK’s City of Culture 2017.

Hull-born comedian Lucy Beaumont takes a look at the cultural treats taking place in her home city during City of Culture 2017, and asks what legacy the year-long event will leave for the city.

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 Cowboy Builders and Bodge Jobs 13:10 News 13:15 Benefit House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:20 NCIS 16:20 Film - A Teacher’s Obsession 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild The winter is mild and wet, which is good news for some but bad news for others. Red deer are forced to higher ground, salmon have gone six months without food, mountain hares turn a conspicuous white, and squirrels kick their own young out of the nest.

21:00 Celebrity Carry On Barging Setting off from Bath, the stars struggle to find their canal legs, but once they do, visits to local vineyards and a performance from the Avoncliff singers await.

22:00 Cruising With Jane McDonald Sailing with the masses on the MSC Divina is a novelty for Jane, but the ship’s Caribbean calling points bring back fond memories. She seeks solace in the oldest Baptist Church on the Bahamas, and swims with sharks off the island of St Martin.

23:00 When Live TV Goes Horribly Wrong 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Britain’s Biggest Heists 05:00 The Cars That Made Britain Great 05:45 House Doctor

07:00 You’ve Been Framed! 07:25 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 08:15 Ellen DeGeneres 09:00 Emmerdale 10:00 You’ve Been Framed! 10:35 Psych 11:25 Scorpion 12:25 Who’s Doing the Dishes?

13:25 Emmerdale 14:30 You’ve Been Framed!

15:00 Ellen DeGeneres 15:50 Jeremy Kyle 18:00 Judge Rinder 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Film - Run, Fatboy, Run (14)

ITV 3 07:00 In Loving Memory 07:25 Heartbeat+ 08:25 Where the Heart Is 09:30 The Royal 10:35 Judge Judy 11:55 Inspector Morse 14:05 Heartbeat 15:05 The Royal 16:10 Where the Heart Is 17:20 In Loving Memory 17:50 Rising Damp 18:20 On the Buses 18:55 Heartbeat 19:55 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Doc Martin 22:00 Agatha Christie’s Marple

ITV 4 07:00 Sporting Funnies 07:10 Gunsmoke 08:15 The Saint 09:20 Quincy, M.E. 10:25 The Professionals 11:25 Ironside 12:35 Gunsmoke 13:45 Live: World Grand Prix Snooker 18:15 Storage Wars Texas 19:45 Live: World Grand Prix Snooker

Piers Morgan’s Life Stories

Best known for her BBC Radio 4 comedy To Hull And Back, Lucy takes viewers on a whistle-stop tour of her home city, from the Old Town to the marina, as she explores what makes the city unique.

She talks to key figures in this historic year for Hull, including actress Maureen Lipman and writer Richard Bean, and discovers the rich culture that comes alive in Hull.

Lucy explores the legacy of Hull’s foremost cultural figure - the poet Philip Larkin, who helped put Hull on the map - and discovers the more avant-garde side of the city with the performance artist Cosey Fanni Tutti, who invented industrial music with the band Throbbing Gristle.

Lucy visits local Ferens art gallery, which will host the Turner Prize this year, to see some of the masterpieces from its permanent collection and the exciting artworks on loan this year, including Francis Bacon’s series of paintings known as The Screaming Popes and Spencer Tunick’s iconic mass nude photograph taken in Hull last year.

Friday - ITV The documentary also finds out how smaller communities are engaging with City of Culture 2017 as Lucy follows an arts project in which residents are creating a light spectacle, with their high rise blocks being lit up at night in bright colours inspired by maritime flags - a nod to the city’s long heritage as a fishing port.

Let It Shine Saturday - BBC One In the first of the Let It Shine live shows, our five newly created bands take to the stage for the very first time. In five performances the bands go head to head as they seek to impress the audience at home and the judges, Gary Barlow, Dannii Minogue, Martin Kemp - and our latest guest judge.

The show opens in style, with a spectacular group performance. After the five band performances, hosts Graham Norton and Mel Giedroyc open the voting lines so the public can choose their favourite band.

Nigel Havers joins Piers Morgan to look back on his 50 year career as one of Britain’s best-loved actors on stage and screen.

Nigel Allan Havers, Born: November 6, 1951 in Edmonton, London, is an English actor. He played Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire, earning a BAFTA nomination for the role and Dr Tom Latimer in the British TV comedy series Don't Wait Up. The star of Coronation Street, The Charmer and Chariots of Fire speaks candidly about being caught in an emotional tug of war, between his wife and his lover and how it led him to contemplate taking his own life.

He talks about his most famous fan, Princess Diana, his stint as a nude model and how his dashing good looks, charisma and cut glass accent have helped him to be a success with ladies both on and off screen.

30

Friday 10th February 2017

Mafia Women with Trevor McDonald Thursday - ITV In this brand new 2 x 60 minute ITV series, Trevor McDonald meets the mafia wives, girlfriends and daughters who now share their stories with the veteran journalist and broadcaster.

Many of these women have never spoken before. Yet, over a six-week journey, Trevor unpicks their stories, uncovering a fresh and penetrating perspective on what it means to live amongst the money, violence, glamour and treachery of the Mob. Trevor spends time with Linda Scarpa, daughter of notorious hit man, Greg Scarpa Snr. Linda mourns both her father and brother, who was “rubbed out� in a hit on a south Brooklyn street, and tells Trevor an incredible story of how, on one life-changing day, she and her infant son were directly caught up in the terrifying crossfire of an all-out mob war.

In a tense, emotional encounter, Trevor meets Toni Marie, the first wife of Gambino Captain Mikey 'Scars'. Toni Marie still feels the pain of the double betrayal she felt at the hands of her husband, who both broke the oath of Omerta to testify against his Mob brothers.

And in a gripping encounter, Trevor speaks to a former captain of the Colombo family, Anthony Russo, who, after eventually cooperating with the authorities for the sake of his family is starting over, but his new girlfriend knew nothing of the Mafia and the life Anthony once led.

The Real Marigold Hotel The hit travel documentary series, The Real Marigold Hotel, returns on Wednesday for a brand new Indian adventure, this time on BBC One. Starring a delightful new cast of well-known senior citizens - entertainer Lionel Blair, actress Amanda Barrie, snooker champion Dennis Taylor, TV personality Rustie Lee, Doctor Miriam Stoppard, presenter Bill Oddie, singer Sheila Ferguson and actor Paul Nicholas.

Embarking on a journey of a lifetime, this new four-part series sees the group travel thousands of miles to make a new home in Kochi, a city in the southwest Indian state Kerala. Inspired by, but otherwise unrelated to the blockbuster film, the series documents the authentic experience of the eight characters living out their golden years, to test whether they can set up a more rewarding retirement than in the UK. As they adjust to life in India and to living together, initially the group members all have different opinions on their new surroundings.

Rustie and Miriam seem charmed by their first days here, while Paul, Bill and Dennis rise to the challenge with humour and classic one-liners. However Lionel, the oldest member of the group at 87, finds dealing with the realities of living in India unsettling, with animals in the street and piles of rubbish that can distract from the beauty.

Sheila, who is used to living on her own, is keen to make sure she gets what she wants out of the trip. Paul takes her to try out an Ayurvedic massage which she finds profoundly calming and it triggers a positive shift in how Sheila feels about the whole experience.

Next, the group travel on traditional houseboats through the world famous backwaters, gliding along the vast waterways that crisscross through the villages and jungles. Leaving all of them charmed by India’s natural beauty and serenity, it marks a turning point for Lionel, who likens the magical setting to "the garden of Eden".

A party to meet the neighbours rounds off their first week, as several members of the group put on a performance for their new friends and everyone takes time to reflect on their time in India so far.

Pictured: Amanda Barrie, Paul Nicholas, Bill Oddie, Lionel Blair, Dr Miriam Stoppard, Rustie Lee, Dennis Taylor, Sheila Ferguson

Saturday TV 07:30 Film - Magic Town (U). 09:10 Film - The Lavender Hill Mob (U).

10:30 Coast. 11:00 Britain’s Secret Seas. 12:00 Homes Under the Hammer. 13:00 A Cook Abroad. 14:00 Film - Quo Vadis (PG). 16:45 Flog It. 17:30 Final Score.

18:30 Mastermind. 19:00 University Challenge. 19:30 19:55 Let it Shine. The Only Connect. remaining contestants have been put into five bands 20:00 Welcome to Hull and must now perform live City of Culture 2017. HullLucy comedian for the first time, with view- born ers able to vote for their Beaumont looks at the cultural treats that will be takfavourites. ing place in her home town 20:55 Casualty. Connie’s - and whether being City of crusade reaches its pinna- Culture will transform Hull cle at Elle’s hearing. Robyn forever. questions whether she is fit 20:30 George III - The to be a mother.

Genius of The Mad King.

21:45 Let it Shine - The After 200 years under lock Results. The results of the and key, all the personal viewer vote are revealed, papers of George III are and three of the bands are seeing the light of day for guaranteed a place in the the first time and Robert next show. The two bottom Hardman uses these docubands must sing again, this ments to shed new light on time to impress the judges - Britain’s longest-reigning king. but there is a twist.

07:00 Breakfast. 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live.

12:30 The Best Dishes Ever. 13:00 Football Focus.

14:00 News. 14:15 Nitro Athletics. 15:00 Bargain Hunt. 15:30 Film - Shrek 2 (U). 16:55 News. 17:15 Six Nations Rugby Union: Wales v England.

22:15 Taboo. As James Delaney’s trading plans start to unravel, a family revelation drives him into dark and haunted places, both real and emotional. As James reacts to this upsurge of chaos, things take a dire turn.

23:15 News. 23:30 Match of the Day. 00:55 This Country. 01:20 Film Passion (15).

03:00 Weather for the Week Ahead. 03:05 News.

21:30 Dad’s Army. The crew use their rifles and their wits to compete for the honour of guarding a VIP. 22:00 Terry Pratchett Back in Black. Poignant and humorous film telling the story of the hugely popular author Terry Pratchett 22:50 QI XL. 23:35 Film Behind the Candelabra (15). 01:30 Film - A Royal Affair (15). 03:40 This is BBC Two.

31

Friday 10th February 2017

07:00 CITV 09:30 Bear Grylls Survival School 10:05 Adventure Time 10:25 Alphabetical 11:25 Guess This House 12:25 River Monsters 12:55 News 13:00 Dance Dance Dance 14:30 Live: Six Nations Rugby - Italy v Ireland. 17:30 Tipping Point 18:30 News 19:00 You’ve Been Framed!

07:20 The King of Queens 08:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 10:25 The Big Bang Theory 11:50 The Simpsons 12:55 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 13:55 Come Dine with Me 16:30 A Place in the Sun: Summer Sun 17:35 Location, Location, Location 18:35 Grand Designs 19:30 News

20:00 Ninja Warrior UK Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes and Chris Kamara host the assault course game show. Who will manage to conquer Mount Midoriyama and be crowned the UK’s next Ninja Warrior?

20:00 Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages Penelope travels coast to coast across the stunning Welsh peninsula of Pembrokeshire. She visits Manorbier, with its tea shops and connections to both Virginia Woolf and Narnia. Then it’s the water21:00 The Voice UK It is side villages of the Cleddau the penultimate week of Estuary. blind auditions as more hopefuls try to impress 21:00 Great Canal coaches will.i.am, Jennifer Journeys Timothy West Hudson, Gavin Rossdale and Prunella Scales take a and Sir Tom Jones. trip to Bristol, where Timothy is soon to play 22:20 Through the King Lear at the Old Vic Keyhole Keith Lemon theatre. They both revisit invade the houses of three the Devon homes they more mystery celebrities, spent their childhoods in poking around their pos- during the Second World sessions for clues as to War and board a replica of their identities. Back in the a 15th-century tall ship and studio, actress Fay Ripley, a paddle steamer.

Sex Box host Steve Jones, and singer and Ninja 22:00 Film - 2 Guns In the Warrior UK presenter dark about each other’s Rochelle Humes form the true identity, two undercovpanel, aiming to guess er agents from competing each home’s famous bureaus go on the run owner. together after an attempt to infiltrate a drug cartel goes 23:20 News 23:35 Film - haywire. (14) The Bourne Ultimatum (14) 01:40 Jackpot247 04:00 00:10 Film - Riddick (18) Who’s Doing the Dishes? 02:15 The Last Leg 03:10 04:50 ITV Nightscreen Hollyoaks Omnibus

07:00 Milkshake 10:55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:25 Access 11:30 Police Interceptors: Unleashed 12:00 Police Interceptors 14:00 Benefits 15:00 Benefits 16:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 17:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 18:00 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 19:00 Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away 20:00 NCIS: Los Angeles A botched assignment forces Hetty to fire Deeks and send him back to the LAPD. Meanwhile, an awkward goodbye between Kensi and Deeks leaves her with unexpected emotions for her old partner.

21:00 NCIS When a petty officer’s murder matches the M.O. of a local serial killer, the NCIS team must determine if this is the killer’s latest victim or the work of a copycat.

21:55 News 22:00 Football Highlights from the weekend’s games including Brighton & Hove Albion v Burton Albion, Leeds United v Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United.

23:30 World’s Biggest Diamond Heist 00:30 Police Interceptors: Unleashed 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Film Against All Flags (U)

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:15 Emmerdale Omnibus 09:45 Coronation Street Omnibus 12:15 Ninja Warrior UK 13:15 Take Me Out 14:35 You’ve Been Framed! 15:10 Film Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium 17:00 Film Snow Dogs 19:05 Film Evan Almighty 21:00 Scorpion 22:00 Film Shaun of the Dead (18)

ITV 3 07:00 On the Buses 07:25 Murder, She Wrote 10:25 The Return of Sherlock Holmes 12:40 Film Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (PG) 14:45 Agatha Christie’s Marple 16:55 Lewis 18:55 Midsomer Murders 21:00 Doc Martin 22:00 Midsomer Murders

ITV 4 07:00 The Professionals 09:00 Quincy, M.E. 10:00 Bundesliga Football Highlights 11:00 ITV Racing 12:05 The Professionals 13:05 Storage Wars Texas 14:05 Storage WarsPG 14:30 Live: ITV Racing Live: Newbury 17:00 Film Every Which Way But Loose (12) 19:10 Storage Wars 19:45 Live: World Grand Prix Snooker

Sunday TV 07:00 The A to Z of TV Gardening 07:45 Big Dreams Small Spaces 08:45 An Island Parish 09:15 The Edible Garden 09:45 Countryfile 10:45 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:15 Nigel Slater’s Dish of the Day 12:45 Nigellissima 13:15 MOTD2 Extra 14:00 Nitro Athletics 15:00 Film - The Winslow Boy 16:40 Money for Nothing 17:10 Flog It! 20:00 Countryfile Ellie is in 18:00 Ski Sunday 18:45 Scotland on a winter wildlife Film - Catch Me if You Can safari. The Cairngorms (PG) National Park is home to 25 per cent of Britain’s threat- 21:00 Dragons’ Den The ened wildlife species, and Dragons are pitched efferEllie hopes to spot some of vescent wheatgrass them, including the elusive tablets, customised in-ear mountain hare. headphones and a dapper teacher seeks investment 21:00 Call the Midwife An in his online male grooming expectant mother with business. financial struggles enters into a painful arrangement 22:00 Special Forces: with her cousin.

Ultimate Hell Week After being tested by two former 22:00 The British special forces experts the Academy Film Awards 22 have become 16, and Stephen Fry hosts the now they are going to face British Academy Film some of the toughest physchallenges yet.

Awards live from the Royal ical Albert Hall in London.

23:00 Match of the Day 2 00:00 Live at the Apollo 00:00 News 00:30 00:45 Women’s Six Nations American High School Rugby 01:15 Film - All 01:10 Celebrity Apprentice Good Things (15) 02:50 USA 02:35 Weather for the Question Time 03:50 Holby Week Ahead 02:40 News City 04:50 This Is BBC Two

07:00 Breakfast 08:30 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:15 Spy in the Wild 15:15 Live: Six Nations Rugby France v Scotland. 18:00 Songs of Praise 18:35 News 19:00 The Big Painting Challenge

07:00 CITV 10:25 News 10:30 Countrywise 11:00 Peston on Sunday 12:00 Gino’s Italian Escape: Hidden Italy 12:30 Chopping Block 13:30 News 13:40 Film - Murder on the Orient Express (PG) 16:05 All Star Family Fortunes 16:50 Ninja Warrior UK 17:50 The Voice UK 19:00 News 19:30 Dance Dance Dance Just two contestants and their dance partners remain in the running, and they will have to undergo a gruelling rehearsal process before trying to impress judges.

07:15 The King of Queens 08:05 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 The Simpsons 14:30 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces 15:35 A Place in the Sun: Summer Sun 16:40 Location, Location, Location 17:45 News 18:15 Film - Mrs Doubtfire Daniel Hillard is an amusing and caring father but after a disastrous birthday party for his son, Daniel’s wife Miranda draws the line and files a divorce. When Miranda puts out an ad for a housekeeper, Daniel takes it upon himself to make a disguise Mrs Doubtfire. (PG)

21:00 Lion Country: Night and Day The prides clash when they find that their ter- 20:30 The Jump The contestants’ second challenge ritories are overlapping. is to compete in snowcross, 22:00 The Good Karma an event that requires them Hospital Ruby gets to grips to race downhill on snow with her challenging new skates across a winding routine working at the course littered with turns, under-resourced and over- jumps and obstacles. worked hospital, but tension mounts when she 22:00 Homeland Carrie begins to question Gabriel’s handles her client, while Saul’s trip takes a turn and professional conduct.

Quinn investigates.

23:00 News 23:20 Six Nations Rugby 00:20 Aviva 23:05 8 Out of 10 Cats Premiership Rugby 01:15 Does Countdown 00:00 Jackpot247 04:00 Film - 127 Hours (14) 01:50 Chopping Block 04:50 ITV How to Get Fit Fast 02:40 I Do at 92 Nightscreen

07:00 Milkshake 10:55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:30 Football 12:50 Police Interceptors: Unleashed 13:15 Police Interceptors 16:10 Film The Medallion (14) 18:00 Film - The Last Airbender (PG) 20:00 Magic Makes You Laugh Out Loud Clip show featuring the best and most hilarious antics of magic tricks going horribly wrong.

20:55 News 21:00 Benefits The stark stories of three people barely getting by on benefits in rural parts of Britain.

Autopsy 22:00 Documentary in which forensic physician Dr Payne-James Jason pieces together the last days of singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, who died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.

23:00 Most Shocking Moments in Pop 2 02:00 04:10 SuperCasino Secrets Of The National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh Most World’s 05:00 Pampered Pets

07:25 Emmerdale 10:10 Coronation Street 12:40 The Voice UK 14:00 2Awesome 14:05 Guidance 14:40 Fame High 15:00 Third Wheel 15:30 LA Story 15:50 Film - The Princess Diaries 2 18:10 Film - The Haunted Mansion (PG) 20:00 Film Coyote Ugly (PG) 22:00 The Ibiza Weekender 23:00 Family Guy

07:25 Murder, She Wrote 09:25 Heartbeat 11:35 Sherlock Holmes 13:55 Columbo 15:55 Film Carry on Matron (PG) 17:45 Wycliffe 18:55 This Time Next Year 20:00 Midsomer Murders 22:00 Tonight at the London Palladium 23:00 Birds of a Feather 23:30 Joanna Lumley: The Search for Noah’s Ark ITV 4 08:00 Rugby 08:35 The Professionals 09:35 Ironside 10:40 Quincy, M.E. 11:40 The Saint 12:45 Shed & Buried 13:45 Live: World Grand Prix Snooker 18:15 Storage Wars 18:40 Mavericks 19:45 Live: World Grand Prix Snooker

32 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Oxford Street Revealed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders Whitney and Lee’s relationship reaches breaking point.

21:30 Panorama An undercover investigation reveals the reality of life behind bars in Britain’s crisis-hit prison system.

Footage recorded by a reporter also working as an officer at a Category C adult prison shows how inmates are effectively running the prison.

22:00 New Tricks The detectives investigate the murder of an East German immigrant, but all they have to go on are his mysterious final words, which translate as `blue flower’. As they piece together his remarkable story, Sandra tries to gain the trust of his estranged daughter.

23:00 News 23:45 Have I Got a Bit More News for You 00:30 Graham Norton 01:15 Weather 01:20 News

Friday 10th February 2017

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 Royal Recipes 09:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 14:00 Women’s Six Nations Rugby 14:30 Beat the Brain 15:00 Landward 15:30 Italy Unpacked 16:30 The Blue Planet 17:20 A Place to Call Home 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys

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 James Martin’s French Adventure 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News

20:00 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Philip and David compete to see who can make the most profit from buying abroad and selling back in Blighty.

21:00 The Martin Lewis Money Show Martin Lewis and Saira Khan look at the best possible mobile phone deals to be had.

21:00 University Challenge Quiz 21:30 An Island Parish Chef Ken Vanterpool is trying to feed the crowds at Anguilla’s most popular barbecue.

22:00 SAS: Rogue Warriors Ben Macintyre examines how continued success for the unit could only be achieved with ever more dangerous and ambitious missions.

23:00 Cradle to Grave 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Hospital 01:15 Sicily: Wonder of the Med 02:15 Countryfile 03:10 Who Do You Think You Are?

20:00 Emmerdale Paddy and Rhona face change.

20:30 Coronation Street Adam muscles in as Rosie asks for help.

21:30 Coronation Street Adam digs for victory.

22:00 The Halcyon Garland asks Emma to take over running the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the hotel, while Betsey catches the eyes of a handsome man in the bar - who is most insistent they go for a drink. Meanwhile, Adil tries to break ties with Lucian after giving him more information gleaned from Toby’s briefcase and the situation takes a serious turn when MI5 officers arrive at the Halcyon.

23:00 News 00:45 Through the Keyhole 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Jeremy Kyle 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:05 Frasier 11:05 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 13:00 News 13:05 A New Life in the Sun 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Dispatches With councils across England and Wales struggling to meet the demand for emergency housing, Dispatches goes undercover to investigate the impact on homeless women attempting to get off the streets.

21:30 Food Unwrapped Jimmy finds out if prunes can help the team stay regular.

22:00 First Dates It’s Valentine’s Day in the First Dates restaurant, where more lovebirds are hoping that Cupid will bless their blind dates. Among them are Coiffured PA Azedeh, e-tech boffin and lover-oflife Ollie, Comedian Vince and retired NHS councillor Elaine.

00:05 My Millionaire Dads and Me 01:10 Parenting for Idiots 02:05 60 Days in Jail 02:55 There’s Something About Romcoms

Monday TV 07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film False Pretenses 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 FIA World Rally Championship John Desborough presents highlights from the second round of the World Rally Championship 2017.

21:00 Winter Road Rescue In Glasgow, patrolman Mark rushes to help three young lads who have come off a dangerous slip road, and on the M6 Jason arrives at the scene of a rush hour accident involving a mother and her baby daughter.

22:00 The Railways That Built Britain, with Chris Tarrant Starting in the cab of Puffing Billy, the world’s oldest surviving steam locomotive, Chris looks at the lives of two leading railway pioneers and the navvies who dug the tunnels and laid the tracks.

23:00 Film - The Legend of Hercules (12) 00:55 Beware: Grand Theft Britain 01:50 Police Interceptors: Unleashed 02:15 SuperCasino 04:10 The Yorkshire Vet

08:15 Ellen DeGeneres 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 Coronation Street 10:35 Psych 11:25 Scorpion 12:25 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 13:25 Emmerdale 13:55 Coronation Street 15:00 Ellen DeGeneres 15:50 Jeremy Kyle 18:00 Judge Rinder 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 The Great Indoors 23:00 American Dad! ITV 3 08:25 Where the Heart Is 09:25 The Royal 10:30 Judge Judy 11:50 Inspector Morse 14:05 Heartbeat 15:05 The Royal 16:10 Where the Heart Is 17:15 In Loving Memory 17:50 Rising Damp 18:20 On the Buses 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Doc Martin 22:00 Long Lost Family 23:00 The Bletchley Circle ITV 4 08:50 Quincy, M.E. 09:50 The Professionals 10:50 Ironside 11:55 Gunsmoke 13:00 Storage Wars Texas 13:55 Storage Wars 14:50 Quincy, M.E. 15:55 Ironside 16:55 The Professionals 18:00 The Saint 19:00 Storage Wars Texas 20:00 Aviva Premiership Rugby 21:00 Parking Wars 22:00 Film Exit Wounds (18)

Tuesday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Oxford Street Revealed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 09:00 Great British Menu 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 14:00 Coast 14:15 The Super League Show 15:00 Landward 15:30 Italy Unpacked 16:30 The Blue Planet 17:20 A Place to Call Home 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys

20:30 EastEnders It’s Valentine’s Day in Albert Square and one Walford couple try to look to the future.

20:00 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Phil Serrell and David Harper compete for antiques at a car boot sale in Chesterfield.

21:00 Holby City Will Jac finally acknowledge her feelings for Matteo, or will she revert to type?

22:00 The Moorside Following the discovery of Shannon Matthews, the police and the community attempt to discover the truth behind her disappearance. Karen Matthews sticks to her story - flatly denying any involvement in her child’s abduction.

Suspicions deepen further until her friends Julie and Natalie set about discovering the whole shocking truth about Shannon’s disappearance.

23:00 News 23:45 Film Pretty Woman (15) 01:40 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:45 News

21:00 Further Back In Time for Dinner The family discover a surprising decade of progress and optimism as they journey through the 1930s.

22:00 Andrew Marr: My Brain and Me After suffering a life-threatening stroke four years ago, the broadcaster and political journalist, Andrew Marr, quickly regained his ability to speak and was able to resume work.

23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week 01:15 SAS: Rogue Warriors 02:15 Our Dancing Town 03:15 Francis Bacon: A Brush With Violence 04:35 This Is BBC Two

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 Lunchtime 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 James Martin’s French Adventure 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Finn makes amends.

20:30 Save Money: Good Health Dr Ranj Singh looks at a revolutionary new way to get better sleep and also shares his top money saving tips for off-the-shelf children’s medicine.

21:00 Tales from the Coast with Robson Green The actor travels to the wild and remote coastline of the Outer Hebrides and discovers how an unpredictable climate has given these islands an identity and way of life of their own.

22:00 Secret Life of Dogs How and why dogs have become such good working companions, including Midge, the first police world’s Chihuahua, and Joey, a sheepdog from the Cotswolds.

23:00 News 23:40 The Chase 00:40 The Investigator: A British Crime Story 01:30 Jackpot247 04:00 Loose Women

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:05 Frasier 11:05 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 13:00 News 13:05 A New Life in the Sun 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Super Slimmers: Did They Really Keep the Weight Off? Meet six extraordinary weight loss champions, who lost 80 stone between them, to find out what happened to them next. After they collected their prizes and the press photographers left, did they manage to keep the weight off?

22:00 24 Hours in A&E Valerie, who’s 63, is rushed to St George’s after falling from a horse. Doctors are concerned about potential spinal and head injuries, and she’s whisked off for an emergency CT scan.

23:00 The Great British Skinny Dip 00:05 This Is Us 01:00 My Granny the Escort 01:55 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:25 Gillette World SportG 02:50 Ramsay’s Hotel Hell 03:40 Heston’s Recipe for Romance

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS: Los Angeles 16:15 Film - Family Secrets 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 Winter Road Rescue In Glasgow, Mark rushes to help three young lads who have come off a dangerous slip road, and on the M6 Highways England Jason arrives at the scene of a rush hour accident involving a mother and her baby daughter.

21:00 Inside Windsor Castle A look at recent events in the castle, from the fire that started in the in 1992, through to the Queen’s 90th birthday; 22:00 Secrets Of The National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh Alan reveals some surprising facts about Beatrix Potter, Oz visits a nursery housing some of our rarest plants, Jon visits a time capsule in Gloucestershire and Suzannah travels to Blakeney Point.

23:00 Celebrity Carry On Barging 00:05 Extraordinary People 01:05 The Great British Benefits Handout Changed My Life 02:00 SuperCasino

08:15 Ellen DeGeneres 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 Coronation Street 10:35 Psych 11:25 Scorpion 12:25 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 13:25 Emmerdale 13:55 Coronation Street 15:00 Ellen DeGeneres 15:50 Jeremy Kyle 18:00 Judge Rinder 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Hell’s Kitchen USA 23:00 Celebrity Juice 23:50 Family Guy ITV 3 08:25 Where the Heart Is 09:25 The Royal 10:25 Judge Judy 11:50 Inspector Morse 14:05 Heartbeat 15:05 The Royal 16:10 Where the Heart Is 17:15 In Loving Memory 17:55 Rising Damp 18:20 On the Buses 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 Wycliffe ITV 4 08:50 Quincy, M.E. 09:50 The Professionals 10:50 Ironside 11:55 Gunsmoke 13:00 Storage Wars Texas 13:55 Storage Wars 14:25 The Car Chasers 14:55 Hogan’s Heroes 16:00 Ironside 17:00 The Professionals 18:00 The Saint 19:05 Storage Wars Texas 20:00 Pawn Stars 21:00 The Chase 22:00 Benidorm 23:00 Film - Out for Justice (18)

Friday 10th February 2017

33

34

Friday 10th February 2017

Wednesday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Oxford Street Revealed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 Who Do You Think You Are? Warwick Davis owes his big break aged 11 to his paternal grandmother Edith. Warwick takes a non-judgemental approach as he researches the family line stretching back from Edith, finding humanity and humour in some uncomfortable stories.

22:00 The Real Marigold Hotel Eight celebrities embark on an experimental adventure to India, to test whether they can set up a more rewarding retirement than in the UK. Lionel Blair, Bill Oddie, Amanda Barrie, Dennis Taylor, Rustie Lee, Miriam Stoppard, Sheila Ferguson and Paul Nicholas take over a 16thcentury mansion in the heart of Old Kochi. Sheila, used to living on her own, is keen to make sure she gets what she wants out of the experience, but Lionel finds dealing with the realities of living in India unsettling.

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 09:00 The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 14:00 Countryfile 14:25 Beat the Brain 14:55 Landward 15:25 Wild Shepherdess with Kate Humble 16:25 The Blue Planet 17:25 A Place to Call Home 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 The Hairy Bikers’ Chicken and Egg The lads discover how and when chickens first came to the UK and why they have become so popular, not just for food but also as pets.

21:00 Trust Me I’m a Doctor Medical journalist Michael Mosley and a team of doctors offer advice on health, using their expertise and the latest research to investigate the truth behind various claims about wellbeing made in the media.

22:00 Hospital At Hammersmith Hospital, 31year-old Jennifer is taking part in a ground-breaking scheme to overcome the five year wait on the deceased kidney donor list.

Jennifer is a live donor and will save her husband Elliot’s life by donating her left kidney.

23:00 Common Sense 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 23:00 News 23:45 A Dragons’ Den 01:15 Question of Sport 00:15 George III: The Genius of Film 2017 00:45 The Big the Mad King 02:15 Royal Painting Challenge 01:45 Recipes 03:00 This Is BBC Two Weather 01:50 News

35

Friday 10th February 2017

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 James Martin’s French Adventure 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale The Bartons receive some bad news.

20:30 Coronation Street Adam tries to recruit Todd.

21:00 Midsomer Murders The annual harvest fair and the daredevil riders of the Wall of Death arrive in the Midsomer village of Whitcombe Mallet. But when the owner of an equestrian centre is trampled by his horse, DCI Barnaby and DS Nelson, along with the expertise of forensic pathologist Kam Karimore, must unravel a complex feud from the past. However, nothing is as it seems, and they are in a race against time as they work to solve the case. Detective drama, starring Neil Dudgeon, Gwilym Lee, Manjinder Virk and Fiona Dolman.

23:00 News 23:40 UEFA Champions League Football 00:40 It’s Not Rocket Science 01:30 Jackpot247 04:00 1000 Heartbeats 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:05 Frasier 11:05 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 13:00 News 13:05 A New Life in the Sun 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Location, Location, Location IKirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer go house-hunting in Hertfordshire, with Phil searching for properties for Rich and Bethan, who have lost out on two homes already. Meanwhile, Kirstie helps Chicago-born Lauren and her husband Paul come to terms with the smaller scale of British properties.

22:00 No Offence With Deering, Dinah and Joy's friendship in jeopardy and Donna Calvert missing, the race is on to prevent the Attahs' escape, but their efforts to finally catch them puts the whole team's lives at stake. The final showdown sees Deering deconstructing Nora's family whilst trying to repair the fractures in her own.

23:00 Four Rooms with Sarah Beeny 00:05 The Mega Brothel 01:10 Walking The Nile 02:05 The Secret Life of... 03:00 Film - What Maisie Knew (15) 04:40 Dispatches

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 The Great British Benefits Handout Changed My Life 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film - Killer Collector 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 A New Life in Oz Ex-army dad Michael Richardson wants to turn his hobby, vegan body building, into a career down under. His physiotherapist wife is on board, but with some serious cash-flow problems, compromise for the couple seems inevitable.

21:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors - Nurse Julie Swinburne treats a boy who has recently returned from Thailand who she suspects has caught rabies after being bitten by a monkey, and Dr Peter James has to use all of his experience to placate an epileptic patient who is incensed that her medication has been changed without her knowledge.

22:00 Climbing The Property Ladder Best friends Chris and Liz hope to make £19,000 on their renovation project, but is their four-week schedule too ambitious?

23:00 Extraordinary People 00:05 Autopsy 01:05 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 02:00 SuperCasino

08:15 Ellen DeGeneres 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 The Cube 10:35 Psych 11:25 Scorpion 12:25 Who’s Doing the Dishes?

13:25 Emmerdale 13:55 You’ve Been Framed!

15:00 Ellen DeGeneres 15:50 Jeremy Kyle 18:00 Judge Rinder 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Through the Keyhole 23:00 Plebs 23:30 Family Guy ITV 3 07:25 Heartbeat 08:25 Where the Heart Is 09:25 The Royal 10:25 Judge Judy 11:50 Inspector Morse 14:05 Heartbeat 15:05 The Royal 16:10 Where the Heart Is 17:15 In Loving Memory 17:50 Rising Damp 18:20 On the Buses 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs 22:00 Secrets of Growing Up 23:00 Wycliffe ITV 4 07:00 Gunsmoke 07:55 The Saint 08:45 Hogan’s Heroes 09:20 Hogan’s Heroes 09:50 The Professionals 10:50 Ironside 11:55 Gunsmoke 13:00 Storage Wars Texas 13:55 Pawn Stars 14:50 Hogan’s Heroes 15:55 Ironside 17:00 The Professionals 18:00 The Saint 19:05 Storage Wars Texas 20:00 Pawn Stars 21:00 River Monsters 22:00 Caught on Camera 23:00 Film - Above the Law

966 843 498

36 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Oxford Street Revealed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders Michelle struggles with her situation and tries to plan for her future.

21:30 June Brown at 90: A Walford Legend The EastEnders actress looks back on her life and career in a special programme to mark her 90th birthday.

She touches on the reasons she believes she was cast as Dot Cotton - a role she has played since 1985 - how in the early days a fellow cast member saw her as a rival, and the opportunities the soap has given her - from Bafta nominations to appearing on stage in Calendar Girls.

22:00 Death in Paradise Another mystery for the cops on the Caribbean island it seems half the residents are killers-inwaiting. When a tourist claims to alibi a woman convicted for murder seven years ago, the team are forced to reopen the case.

23:00 News 23:45 Question Time 00:45 Film Up in the Air (14) 02:30 Weather 02:35 News

Friday 10th February 2017

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 The Farmers’ Country 09:00 An Island Parish 09:30 Great British Railway Journeys 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 14:00 Cash in the Attic 14:30 Beat the Brain 15:00 Landward 15:30 Wild Shepherdess with Kate Humble 16:30 The Blue Planet 17:25 A Place to Call Home 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 The Hairy Bikers’ Chicken and Egg Si and Dave are determined to find out why French chickens are heralded as the poshest birds on the planet. They start their investigations in Lyon, arguably the home of modern French gastronomy, to discover the secrets behind haute cuisine.

21:00 The Great Pottery Throw Down It’s week three and the eight remaining potters must master the art of Japanese style ceramics.

22:00 This World A shocking look at Russian football firms, from the violent thugs who terrorised Marseille to the next generation preparing for the 2018 World Cupby arranging brutal forest fights.

23:00 Live at the Apollo 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Andrew Marr: My Brain and Me 01:15 Panorama 01:45 Spy in the Wild 02:45 Operation People Power 03:30 This Is BBC Two

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 James Martin’s French Adventure 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Lisa and Zak face an uncertain future.

20:30 Tonight Adam Shaw investigates why the millennial generation are experiencing money troubles and their parents are having to pick up the tab.

Many of Britain’s young adults are in the grip of a cash crisis with an unpredictable job market, rising house prices and student debt making it harder than ever to become financially independent.

21:00 Emmerdale The Dingles face the fallout.

21:30 Coronation Street Bethany has good reason to fear Nathan.

22:00 Mafia Women with Trevor McDonald In Staten Island, New York, Trevor meets Linda, the daughter of Greg Scarpa one of the Mafia’s deadliest and most powerful figures. Despite his reputation for violence, Scarpa was also a loving father to Linda, and this contradiction between family man and killer affects her to this day.

23:00 News 00:40 Tipping Point 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight 04:25 ITV Nightscreen

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:05 Frasier 11:05 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 13:00 News 13:05 A New Life in the Sun 14:05 Find It, Fix It, Flog It 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 The Supervet Professor Noel Fitzpatrick pulls out all the stops to give a rescue West Highland puppy called Rodney two bionic feet and a new lease of life. Nell, a young husky collie, is brought to the practice with a damaged pelvis after being hit by a car.

22:00 Escape to the Wild Jimmy travels to Uganda in the heart of Africa where he meets a couple from Aberdeen who used their life savings to buy a threeacre plot of land near the banks of the River Nile.

Now they have their own working farm, but as they fight to save their land against the encroaching river and keep their fivemonth-old son safe from the various animals and tropical diseases that inhabit the region, Jimmy asks whether it was all worth it.

23:00 Parenting for Idiots 00:00 24 Hours in A&E 01:00 The Great British Skinny Dip 02:00 Ramsay’s Hotel Hell 02:50 Super Slimmers

Thursday TV 07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 Benefits 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:20 NCIS 16:20 Film Dangerous Company 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords A retired secretary has to visit her tenant in prison in order to retake possession of her buy-to-let flat, and in Manchester a mother looks to housing charity shelter for help when she believes the property she is renting is making her kids ill.

21:00 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Single mum Vicky is launching her own bar. Vikki, owner of Hepburn’s Hair Salon, has become co-owner of Frash Radio Spain. Antony trials his aqua-aerobics classes with the expats. Self-made man Wayne has a “fetish for skips.”

22:00 The Great British Benefits Handout Changed My Life Did It Work? Revisiting the families from the first series to see how they are faring one year later. Scott and Leanne are setting up their own zoo, Tony and Diane have become internet sensations, and Rachel is embarking on an exciting new career.

23:00 When Kids Kill 00:05 Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Cruising With Jane McDonald

08:15 Ellen DeGeneres 09:00 Emmerdale 09:30 Coronation Street 10:00 You’ve Been Framed!

10:35 Psych 11:25 Scorpion 12:25 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 13:25 Emmerdale 13:55 Coronation Street 14:30 You’ve Been Framed!

15:00 Ellen DeGeneres 15:50 Jeremy Kyle 18:00 Judge Rinder 19:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Release the Hounds 23:00 Family Guy ITV 3 08:25 Where the Heart Is 09:25 The Royal 10:25 Judge Judy 11:50 Inspector Morse 14:05 Heartbeat 15:10 The Royal 16:15 Where the Heart Is 17:20 In Loving Memory 17:55 Rising Damp 18:20 On the Buses 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Heartbeat 22:00 Ruth Rendell’s Thirteen Steps Down ITV 4 08:45 Hogan’s Heroes 09:20 Hogan’s Heroes 09:50 The Professionals 10:50 Ironside 11:55 Gunsmoke 13:00 Storage Wars Texas 14:00 Pawn Stars 14:55 Hogan’s Heroes 15:55 Ironside 17:00 The Professionals 18:00 The Saint 19:05 Storage Wars Texas 20:00 Pawn Stars 21:00 River Monsters 22:05 Film Conan the Destroyer (15)

Friday 10th February 2017

37

38

Friday 10th February 2017

CODE CRACKER

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. In this week's puzzle, 9 represents X and 18 represents M, when these letters have been entered throughout the puzzle, you should have enough information to start guessing words and discovering other letters.

QUICKIE

In this week’s Quickie crossword, all the answers are ANAGRAMS of the clue words: Across 1 Tempuras (8) 7 Taser (5) 8 Reduction (9) 9 Its (3) 10 Nips (4) 11 Centre (6) 13 Design (6) 14 Traded (6) 17 Bleats (6) 18 Send (4) 20 War (3) 22 Enlisting (9) 23 Sales (5) 24 Pro resin (8)

Down 1 Tunis (5) 2 Testing (7) 3 Moor (4) 4 Medusa (6) 5 Waits (5) 6 Red cent (7) 7 Reveals (7) 12 Dilates (7) 13 Insures (7) 15 Intones (7) 16 Closer (6) 17 Wears (5) 19 Argus (5) 21 Gels (4)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Itch, 3 Cassette, 9 Seaport, 10 Lease, 11 Asset, 12 Stolid, 14 Castle, 16 Adhere, 19 Alumna, 21 Miser, 24 Adept, 25 Onerous, 26 Asterisk, 27 Lees.

Down: 1 Instance, 2 Claps, 4 Artist, 5 Salvo, 6 Teatime, 7 Ewer, 8 Hostel, 13 Neurosis, 15 Salient, 17 Damsel, 18 Patois, 20 Motor, 22 Stoke, 23 Saga.

FILL IT IN

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

CRYTPIC CLUES Across 1 A lair in an Arabian seaport (4) 3 Many a caper the Parisian concluded in song (8) 9 Beginner with a gun (7) 10 Loses one’s temper when shown photographs (5) 11 Support for fifty on the boundary (5) 12 Change pieces (6) 14 Songbird’s medical condition (6) 16 Take out permit to be in the Scottish river (6) 19 Peg enabling big drinker to swallow big eater (6) 21 I sit in a divan in capital city (5) 24 To be former partner is Middle Eastern (5) 25 Call worker to perform in a great show (7) 26 Diana’s little bloomer causes a catastrophe (8) 27 Deliver germ, reportedly (4)

Down 1 A sailor, Spanish sun, mid-January, end of August, end of June, it’s perfect (8) 2 Iceland, I see, is out to find such a beast (5) 4 Stop up-and-coming painter getting a break (6) 5 Sample some of the pasta’s texture (5) 6 Poison, i.e. candy concoction (7) 7 Ceases to have comfort (4) 8 The remaining ones from ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ (6) 13 Pear tree chopped down for jousting (8) 15 Fixes rapiers (7) 17 A dozen signalmen hold one flag (6) 18 Secure an ingredient of primary importance (6) 20 Stage is set for the computer entrepreneur (5) 22 Confused male figurehead is a sweetie (5) 23 Fellow expected back during sustained enmity (4)

STANDARD CLUES

Down 1 Complete (8) 2 Type of antelope (5) 4 Take into custody (6) 5 Flavour (5) 6 Type of poison (7) 7 Effortlessness (4) 8 Those not specified (6) 13 Banter (8) 15 Mends (7) 17 Flag (6) 18 Paper fastener (6) 20 Entrances (5) 22 Fire (5) 23 Dispute (4)

Across 1 City in Yemen (4) 3 Hymn (8) 9 First course (7) 10 Breaks (5) 11 Projection (5) 12 Coinage (6) 14 Songbird (6) 16 Erase (6) 19 Valve (6) 21 National capital (5) 24 Live (5) 25 Parade (7) 26 Tragedy (8) 27 Yield (4)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Stipend, 5 Shade, 8 Tiers, 9 Agitate, 10 Rigmarole, 12 Ate, 13 Teased, 14 Mascot, 17 Rip, 18 Shoe trees, 20 Inspire, 21 Cocoa, 23 Ensue, 24 Sheathe.

Down: 1 Sitar, 2 Ice, 3 Ensnare, 4 Dragon, 5 Spice, 6 Avalanche, 7 Element, 11 Goalposts, 13 Termite, 15 Article, 16 Hovels, 18 Smile, 19 Stake, 22 Cut.

Scribble Pad

Fit the words into the boxes.

3 letter words

Son

Beset

Saucy

Ace

Sty

Blini

Terce

Ail

Tee

Bonce

6 letter words

BBC

Try

Claim

Botany

Ess

Use

Cokes

Hereto

Etc

4 letter words

Cross

Insist

Goo

Deny

Donor

Island

Hit

Harm

Evens

Series

Ice

Talc

Glean

Tether

Hence

7 letter words

Loo

Yens

Nor

5 letter words

Litre

Rethink

Res

Aisle

Loose

Sardine

Sag

Anger

Ovate

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

Improve your Spanish - clues in Spanish, answers in English or vice versa.

Across 1 Cubos (baldes) (7) 5 Noveno (5) 8 Income (from property) (5) 9 Más joven (7) 10 Pulpos (9) 12 Té (3) 13 Espacios (6) 14 Gypsy (6) 17 Autobús (3) 18 Hombros (9) 20 Cursiva (tipografía) (7) 21 Humo (5) 23 Oats (5) 24 Alga (7)

Down 1 Boat (embarcación) (5) 2 With (3) 3 Ejemplo (7) 4 El más tímido (6) 5 Nombre (lingüística) (5) 6 Pesadilla (9) 7 Brother (7) 11 Traducir (9) 13 Niece (7) 15 Church (7) 16 Moses (6) 18 Switzerland (5) 19 Velocidad (general) (5) 22 Un (3)

Across 1 What title is given to the person established as pope in opposition to one held by others to be canonically chosen?

(8) 7/4 Which fortified Inca town in the Peruvian Andes, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for its dramatic position, perched high on a steep-sided ridge? (5,6) 8 What name is given to a severe abscess or multiple boil in the skin, typically infected with staphylococcus bacteria?

(9) 9 Enola Gay and Maid of Orleans were both UK Top 10 hits for which 80s group (abbreviation)? (3) 10 Which fine grained mineral has a soft soapy feel and consists of hydrated magnesium silicate? (4) 11 What name is given to a drink taken after another of a different kind, typically a strong alcoholic drink after a weaker one? (6) 13 What name is given to the remains, or an impression, of a plant or animal that existed in a past geological age and that has been excavated from the soil? (6) 14 See 3 Down 17 What name is given to a space entirely devoid of matter?

(6) 18 What was the name of the Dutch and Huguenot population that settled in southern Africa in the late 17th century?

(4) 20 Which playing card with a single spot on it is ranked as the highest card in its suit in most card games? (3) 22 Which process involves detecting and removing concealed microphones from an area? (9) 23 What is the name of the contract granting use or occupa-

Quiz Word

tion of property during a specified time for a specified payment? (5) 24 What name is normally applied to the computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange? (8)

Down 1 On which racecourse is the Gold Cup run? (5) 2 Which US group’s UK hit singles include She’d Rather Be With Me and Elenore? (7) 3/14 In 1775, which American patriot rode from Boston to Lexington to warn fellow revolutionaries of the approach of British troops? (4,6) 4 See 7 Across 5 If someone was described as a thespian, what would be their calling? (5) 6 What name was given to a 19th century English workman who destroyed labour-saving machinery that he thought would cause unemployment? (7) 7 Rubeola is the medical term for which infectious viral disease? (7) 12 What is the US equivalent of the British post code? (3,4) 13 Which word that means easily broken into small fragments or reduced to powder is derived from the Latin for ‘to crumble’? (7) 15 What name is given to someone who attends the famous public school for boys in Berkshire, founded in 1440? (7) 16 Also referred to as a ‘pagri’, which Sikh man’s headdress consists of a long length of cotton or silk wound round a cap or the head? (6) 17 Which word describes a strict vegetarian who eats no animal or dairy products at all? (5) 19 Whose Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases was first published in 1852? (5) 21 What old name for malaria or some other illness involving fever and shivering comes from the Latin for ‘acute (fever)’?

(4)

Spot the Difference

SUDOKU

SPORTS QUIZ 1. How many times in succession did Bjorn Borg win the Men's Tennis Singles at Wimbledon?

2. How many players are there in an Australian Rules football team?

3. At which ski resort would you see the Cresta Run? 4. Which footballer’s autobiography is titled The Good The Bad and the Bubbly?

5. Which team was Liverpool playing in the 1985 European Cup Final when the Heysel stadium disaster happened, banning all English clubs from European Football for 6 years?

6. Which footballer was also known as 'The Divine Ponytail'?

1. 5 2. 18 3. St. Moritz 4. George Best 5. Juventus 6.

Roberto Baggio

ANSWERS

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Wordsolution Across:1/7 Jonathan Swift, 8 Hyperbola, 9/20 Ice Age, 10 Data, 11 Raffia, 13 Shalom, 14 Hotpot, 17 Budget, 22 Autopsies, 23 Log on, 24 Nebraska.

Down: 1 Jihad, 2 Naphtha, 3 Tara, 4 Anorak, 5 Tibia, 6 Atheist, 7 Saffron, 12/18 Gordian knot, 13 St Paul’s, 15 Pinkies, 16 Bertie, 17 Beige, 19 Tosca, 21 Spur.

Soduko

Span - Eng

Quizword

Fill It In

Business Board

Advertise your business here - Call 966 921 003

DS

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 Insurance Sales - The EasyCover Group have a full time vacancy available in their Torrevieja / La Zenia offices. You must have previous sales experience and have lived locally for at least 5 years. A full time contract is offered to the right candidate. Send your CV and enquiries by email to martin@easyoption.com Kleeneze has now arrived in Spain and we are seeking Independent Distributors in all areas. Contact Claire on 661 856 014 or claire.twigg@hotmail.com TELITEC are looking for a qualified internet TV installation expert, 40hr week and full contract, vehicle provided, experience essential. Telephone 965 743 473.

Radio Sales - RADIO COSTA MEDIA needs selfemployed salesperson for Torrevieja & surrounding areas. Call 685 901 265 or please email info@radiocosta.eu Got a vacancy? Advertise it here, on TKO Radio, Facebook and the internet for just 20€, call 966 921 003.

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-denominational 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.

ADVERTISE HERE Got something to say or something to sell, advertise here for a fiver. A twentyword advert for just 5€ Need more space, not a problem, how about 50 words for 10€ per week. For more information call into The Courier offices in Quesada, telephone 966 921 003, or email us at thecourier@tko.media and we will tell you all about it.

42

Friday 10th February 2017

Technology

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 process- ADVICE: Ellis wanted to know how to get UK TV on her Mac. ing in Thunderbird

Q A

Q

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?

Good afternoon Richard, I have a MacBook Pro and wish to use BBC and ITV player through Get I player Automater. Every time I attempt to download a TV programme I get a message saying use a proxy server. Can you recommend a safe and reliable proxy server that could be used?

Hi Lynn, yes there is, you should do the following…

Hi Ellis, I can't recommend a safe proxy server as by their very nature they are not "safe", however there is a good service from a company called my-privatenetwork.co.uk that I use and they provide a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to fool UK websites into thinking that your computer is in the UK, they offer this service for both PC and Mac users and as long as you have a decent broadband connection it works just fine.

1.

2.

3.

4.

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

A

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

Motoring

43

Friday 10th February 2017

FULL SQUAD OF FORD GTS TO COMPETE AT 2017 LE MANS 24 HOURS The ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) have announced that the full squad of four Ford GTs will compete at the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours, one year on from the marque’s triumphant return to the endurance race that everyone wants to win.

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team’s 2016 victory came 50 years after an historic 1-2-3 finish for Ford at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Ford also won the race in 1967 when Dan Gurney (US) and A. J. Foyt (US) piloted the Ford GT40 to victory, giving the team another target to hit this time around.

“When we came to Le Mans last year there was a lot of pressure on the team to deliver a win to commemorate the Ford GT40 1-2-3 finish in 1966,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president of Global Product Development and chief technical officer, Ford Motor Company. “It was fantastic to win but we will not rest on our laurels. We return to Le Mans in June with another year of experience racing the Ford GT behind us, seven wins including the

2016 Le Mans 24 Hours and the 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona, and we can’t wait to compete again at this incredible event.”

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team will again field a strong team of drivers to defend its 2016 LM GTE Pro class win.

New to the team for 2017 is young Brazilian, Luís Felipe "Pipo" Derani, who will join Andy Priaulx (GB) and Harry Tincknell (GB) in the #67 Ford GT for the FIA World Endurance Championship races at Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans. The 23 year-old came to Ford’s attention in 2016 when he won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours on his debut, marking himself as one to watch.

The winners of last weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, Joey Hand (US), Dirk Müller (GER) and Sébastien Bourdais (FRA) will defend their historic 2016 Le Mans victory in the #68 Ford GT. The sublime squad proved with their two 24-hour victories that they are very hard to beat.

The #66 Ford GT will keep the regular rapid line up of

Stefan Mücke (GER) and Olivier Pla (FRA) in the FIA WEC, and they will again be joined by Billy Johnson (US) for the Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans races.

In the #69 Ford GT the top squad of Ryan Briscoe

(AUS), Richard Westbrook (GB) and Scott Dixon (NZ) will be looking to improve on their third place Le Mans podium finish of 2016.

“We are really looking forward to getting back to Le Mans with the Ford GT this

year,” said Chip Ganassi, Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team owner. “Although we came home with the win last year, I think we also learned a great deal about that race, the Ford GT and what it takes to compete for the win.

I feel like we will be even better prepared this time around. In addition, we will also once again take four cars and 12 of the best racing drivers in the world so I can’t wait to get back there and defend our title.”

44

Friday 10th February 2017

Golf Goes Hi-Tech!

These days there are a wealth of free apps (software applications) to save you shots, improve your golf game or even give you a rules decision, which you can just have on your phone or tablet, and now golfers wanting to a book a round on a Spanish course can now do so at a number of locations around the country via a new phone app, called EuroGolf.

The app is the brainchild of 19year-old James Ivory, a British golf teaching professional based on the Costa Blanca at the Oliva Nova Golf Resort. EuroGolf enables players to book tee times online throughout mainland Spain, Canary and Balearic Islands for the first time.

Green fees can be paid via a new, secure platform. For maximum protection, the app is the first in Spain to use Applepay, where a thumb print is required to authorise payment.

So if you fancy a round of golf, you can now plan and book from the comfort of your own home either by choosing the course by name or destination. Or, if you fancy a spontaneous round, EuroGolf allows golfers to find any golf course within a 500-mile

Sergio On Song

Spain's Sergio Garcia completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Dubai Desert Classic last weekend for his first European Tour title in more than three years.

The 37-year-old carded a bogey-free three-under-par 69 to finish on 19 under, three shots ahead of Open champion Henrik Stenson.

"Hopefully it will be the beginning of a great year," Garcia said. The victory at the Emirates Golf Club has moved Garcia back into the top 10 in the world rankings, from his previous position of 15th. "It was tough," said Garcia, who claimed his first win since the 2014 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters and his 12th career European Tour title.

"Even without playing his best, he [Stenson] is still always there. I am very happy with the way I played and the way I handled key moments.

"I stayed aggressive and positive. To be back inside the world's top 10 is great."

radius using its GPS, providing detailed information on the venue, including maps and directions in four languages (English, Spanish, German and French).

There are more than 100 Spanish courses to choose from, with more expected to be added in the near future. If all goes to plan, Portuguese courses will be added during 2017.

To showcase the qualities of the app, a golfer downloaded it in the Czech Republic, travelled to Spain, used the app at 11.30pm and the next day he was on a course in Andalucia.

A loyalty scheme is also being introduced where each booking will gain points, which can be shared with others in a group, and can be used to receive a discount on future bookings.

Creator James Ivory said:- “I thought there was a need to modernise the way we book golf.

Everything is done online these days, so why not book your tee times? It’s taken 15 months to complete and we are always looking for ways to make it better and make it easier for the end user.”

Apps are big nowadays in golf, and the “range-finder” and GPS

technology market has become a boom area in golf over the past five years, with companies bringing out range-finding laser technologies, GPS mapping and measuring devices built into wrist watches, handheld and clip-on units that can speak to you to tell you how far you are from the flag.

You might be thinking “why on earth do I need an app to mark a scorecard?” – I’ve got a pencil, pocket and a scorecard! There are several benefits to using a scorecard app that make using one worth the trouble of launching the app and tapping the screen in between shots while you are on the links.

Once upon a time the R&A used to print thousands of free copies of the rules of golf and send them out to golf clubs across the UK. Concern for the environment aside, that’s one hefty printing bill and given this is the digital age, the governing body for golf everywhere outside the U.S.A has brought out its own rules app. Golf really has embraced the digital age, all with the aim of improving your round on the course. Try them out!

Marathon Launch

This Sunday’s Orihuela Half-Marathon is expected to see over two thousand athletes trampling around Orihuela City in the 19th staging of the event, which has been organised by the Club Atletismo Tragamillas.

The event was officially launced at a news conference on Monday.

The record-breaking number of participants will be getting to grips with a new course this year which is totally based in the city as opposed to going out to

some adjacent villages.

There will be 12 different male, and 10 female categories, with an eight kilometre novice race for new runners or for people who don’t fancy the stretch of a halfmarathon.

Around 350 atheletes are expected to do battle in the major race, with an eye on the record set back in 2005, of one hour, two minutes, and 44 seconds for the circuit. The race starts at 10.30 am from the Glorieta Gabriel Miró.

Local Rugby

The big local clash last weekend in the Murcia Federation FERRMUR league men’s division, saw ITV Vega Baja Orihuela(pictured in yellow and black) run out as easy home victors, 30 points to 3, over the combined San Javier Squalos/Totana side.

In the under-18 Cadetes league, ITV Vega Baja Orihuela lost a high-scoring clash with CR Cartagena by 29 points to 47.

Sport

Sport

45

Friday 10th February 2017

Escape Is On

Routine Stuff

RECAMBIOS COLON 0 CD ALMORADI 2

CD THADER 2 FB REDOVAN CF 0

The faces of the Almoradi players pictured in the dressing room last Sunday after their victory at Recambios Colón said it all.

A side that looked an oddson favourite for relegation from the Valencian third division had just recorded two consecutives victories that lifted them a point above local rivals CD Torrevieja, who did not play last weekend. The wins have now opened up the chance of a great escape, as they are only three points adrift from safety.

There is still plenty of work to be done, as Almoradi stand third from bottom in the table, but after a run of 15 matches without victory and a season that seemed to be sliding into oblivion, Almoradi have looked a completely different side in their last two outings. The new signings brought in by recentlyappointed manager Joserra

appear to be blending in well with the established players.

Defender Javier Pinteño, signed from Jumilla, made his debut on Sunday, whilst other new signings David and Domingo came on as subsitutes late in the match.

Another boost for Almoradi was to return to the starting line up of striker Fran Ortiz, who had missed the last few weeks of action due to injury.

Like the previous weekend, when Almoradi thrashed Almazora, they took early control of the match, and deservedly took the lead when Manu converted a penalty on the halfhour mark. Recambios Colón are known as a tricky side to beat, but they offered little in the form of first-half creativity with keeper Sergio Moya not having the busiest of the days in the Almoradi goal.

The home side had more

of the ball in the second period when the strongwind favoured them, but Almoradi defended well, and in truth there were few alarms. The visitors picked up their second through Saul in the 83rd minute, and the final margin could have been greater for Almoradi in the last few minutes, with the Recambios Colón keeper, Coronado, keeping the forwards at bay.

Almoradi now entertain Crevillente this Sunday morning with an 11.30 am kick-off, with their visitors surprisingly defeated onenil at home to Borriol last weekend to put a dent into their chances of getting into the play-off’s. Orihuela are seven points off the play-off zone pace, as they fell onenil to Elche Ilicitano, who now go to the runaway leaders Olimpic, whilst Orihuela at home to Almazora.

Thader backed up last weekend’s excellent win over Benidorm with another three points at home to Redovan last Sunday, that has them four points in the Preferente Group behind third-placed Hercules B(who could only draw at bottom

side Altea), and with Wednesday’s match at home to Albatera to come(details on page 46).

It was pretty much all Thader early on and Noah opened the Rojales-based side’s account on 23 minutes, before Rubén Sanz

made it two-nil, with a fine goal some 10 minutes later.

Despite some Redovan subsitututions, the visitors didn’t really trouble Thader, who had opportunities for more goals, but twice the ball clattered against the woodwork.

La Volta Victor

Brilliant Beth

Palma in Mallorca hosted the Spanish Masters Open Winter Swimming Championships in a 25 metre pool last weekend, and it attracted a record number of competitors, plus success for four local swimmers from Club Natacion Elche.

Between them, they bagged an impressive haul of seven medals, including five golds, all for Beth Altabas (pictured left)!

Beth took gold in the 400m freestyle (70+ category) on the first day, and then she followed that up the next day with three golds in the 800m, 200m, and 50m freestyle events.

Vicki Connolly (pictured right) also took home a bronze medal for her 800m freestyle (50+ categories) race.

Sunday’s final day of racing saw Javier Sanchez won silver in the 50m

breaststroke event in the 30-34yrs category and Beth Altabas completed her medal haul with a final gold in the 100m freestyle event.

With only four swimmers representing CN Elche, the club managed to achieve 45th place out of 118 in the female section and the club overall got an excellent ranking of 68th out 166 clubs, with their small team!

Nairo Quintana made the perfect start to the cycling season as the Movistar rider survived everything the elements could throw at him to win the 2017 Tour (La Volta) of Valencia race last Sunday in Valencia City.

Frenchman Bryan Coquard claimed the shortened fifth and final 49.5-kilometre stage around Valencia ahead of compatriot Nacer Bouhanni and Dutchman Coen Vermeltfoort in 1 hour 1 minute 23 seconds.

In strong winds that curtailed the stage, Colombian Quintana finished safely among the peloton to stay

13 seconds ahead of Belgian Ben Hermans with his BMC Racing teammate Manuel Senni in third 19 seconds further adrift.

After winning the Vuelta a Espana last year, Quintana is targeting a Giro d'ItaliaTour de France double and showed fine early season form in storming to victory in Saturday's fourth stage to move to the head of the standings.

Movistar had a difficult start in last week’s opening team time trial around the Orihuela Costa, as they lost over a minute to BMC. However, Quintana was in a class of his own on the

long and winding category one climb to win Saturday's queen stage on his 27th birthday.

"After so many months without competing, the team time trial was a hard day and with the differences the others made we even thought it would be difficult to get in the lead," added Quintana.

"Saturday was perhaps the easiest day because I got to the final climb very fresh thanks to the work of the team and was able to finish it off well."

Defending champion Wout Poels was 52 seconds back on Quintana in fourth for Team Sky.

46

Rotation Working

Sport

Friday 10th February 2017

Night Of Drama

Pointless Journey

BARCELONA 1 ATLETICO MADRID 1 (AGG 3-2) BARCELONA 3 ATHLETIC BILBAO 0 Barcelona closed the gap on La Liga leaders Real Madrid to just one point thanks to last weekend’s victory over Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou. Paco Alcacer, Lionel Messi and Aleix Vidal were all on target as Luis Enrique's side sealed what was eventually a comfortable win, but they had to survive a few early scares along the way.

They now sit second in the table trailing Madrid by a solitary point, although their arch rival has two games in hand, with their Sunday fixture postponed due to safety concerns because of damage to the Celta Vigo statement caused by the weekend’s strong winds.

Barca coach Luis Enrique maintained his policy of heavily rotating his players, with league and cup commitments soon to be added to by the return of the Champions League.

"First and foremost, it is important to realise that to reach our three objectives we need the whole squad," said Enrique.

"Today a lot of players who haven't had a lot of minutes took part and showed what they can do."

With Luis Suarez watching on from the bench, Paco Alcacer netted his first league goal for Barca since a 30 million euro move from Valencia in August.

Lionel Messi added a second and was eventually substituted with 25 minutes to play, giving him a rare rest before Tuesday’s Copa del Rey clash with Atletico Madrid, while Aleix Vidal slotted a fine third to complete the scoring.

"We were able to give a rest to some because, without that, it is impossible to compete at 100 percent with all the games we have coming up," added Enrique.

Barcelona’s next La Liga match seems them go to mid-table Alaves tomorrow afternoon (Saturday).

Luis Suarez was sent off as Barcelona made the final of the Copa del Rey after beating Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate following a thrilling semi-final, second leg at the Nou Camp on Tuesday evening.

The game saw three red cards, two goals, one missed penalty as well as two disallowed goals, but with a 1-1 draw on the night, it was the current holders of the trophy who made the final on May 27th.

Suarez, who was dismissed late on for two quick fire yellow cards, gave Barcelona the lead with two minutes of the first half to play, with the hosts going down to 10 men some 12 minutes after the restart, with a second yellow card for Sergi Roberto before Atletico's Yannick Ferreira Carrasco followed suit not long after.

Kevin Gameiro missed the chance to get Atletico level on the evening after missing an 80th-minute penalty, but atoned for his mistake two minutes later as he slotted past Jasper Cillessen.

And the topsy-turvy semi-final was capped off as Suarez was given his marching orders on the stroke of the 90th minute, but Atletico could not make their extra man count as Barca hung on to make the Copa del Rey final.

Afterwards Suarez - sent off for the first time in three years at Barca - claimed a stray elbow on Koke as the game entered stoppage time was not even a foul.

"It makes me laugh because it was like he [the referee] wanted to do it," Suarez told Gol Television. "We need to see if we can appeal the second yellow because it isn't even a foul, but we already know how these things go. That is why I am so angry because it was absolutely nothing. The first yellow was also for the first foul I committed in the game, but you could see it coming."

TENERIFE 2 ELCHE 0 Two goals either side of the interval from Tenerife forward Amath sealed Elche’s fate in their trip to the Canary Islands on Saturday, plus Pelegrín got his marching orders for a hard tackle on the Senegalese striker with 20 minutes remaining.

Yet again Elche failed to get two consecutive victories this season, and it means that they are placed five points outside the Segunda division play-off zone, whilst they are five points above the relegation area.

Unsurprisingly the home side dominated the early proceedings, but the Ilicitanos defence held firm until they failed to clear in the 35th minute, and Amath penalised the visitors by opening the scoring with a low shot.

Elche’s best chance of the match came just four minutes into the second half, when veteran striker Nino produced a great strike which was pushed round by Tenerife keeper, Dani Hernández. Within seconds, Elche were two-down, as at the other end, a poor clearance from Fabián allowed Amath in to put Tenerife in control.

The task got harder for the Ilicitanos when Pelegrín was sent off for his rash tackle, and though Hervía had a late chance with a header, the die was cast for Elche, who this Sunday afternoon have as close as they can get to a local derby, as they entertain UCAM Murcia.

Monte’s Return

Big Torry Changes

War Of Words

Real Madrid have angrily refuted suggestions they wanted to disregard security measures following the postponement of their La Liga fixture against Celta Vigo, blasting contentious recent comments made by the Mayor of Vigo as “inappropriate” and “totally inaccurate”.

The La Liga leaders were due to play Celta Vigo on Sunday evening, but Abel Caballero, the Mayor of Vigo, made the decision to postpone the match after storms left the stadium unsafe.

Winds exceeding 140 kilometres per hour dislodged pieces of the roof at the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos (safety work pictured), with Caballero claiming the stadium was in no fit state to accommodate supporters.

Sources close to Real Madrid said that they did not initially accept the decision, claiming that the club was desperate to play the game to avoid fixture congestion later in the season.

Instead, it was suggested that Madrid could send experts to fix the stadium, or that the game could be moved to a neutral venue. Those offers were not accepted by Celta Vigo, with the match now rescheduled to be played at a later date.

Caballero addressed Real Madrid’s reaction to his decision when he spoke to various media outlets on Monday morning.

He mocked the proposed plans to fix the stadium in time for the match, describing them as “crazy”, and saying that he would have “laughed openly” had such a course of action been put to him directly.

Madrid reacted to Caballero’s comments with a strongly worded statement, which accused the Mayor of providing journalists with “inaccurate” facts. "Not only are the mayor's comments inappropriate, they are also totally inaccurate, because at no point in time did Real Madrid question the security measures in place at Balaidos."

Despite worries of a fixture pile-up for Real, they should be able to ring the changes for tomorrow evening’s match at bottom club Osasuna.

Seven players have left CD Torrevieja, with six joining the club in the battle against relegation from the Valencian third division, in a busy period for the club over the last fortnight or so. With relegation rivals Almoradi winning their last two matches (see page 45), Torry have to start getting points immediately, beginning with Sunday’s match at Novelda which kicks-off at 5.00 pm The last of Torry’s signings before the transfer window closed last week was the 21year-old Algerian defender Walid Bouraoui "Walid", who comes from the Algerian club, USM Blida. 19 year-old midfielder Nica has signed from AD Alcorcón B. after moving to Spain some three years ago from Guinea Bissau, and having spent time in the junior ranks of Atletico Madrid.

23-year-old Lorca-born centre-half Javi Meca(pictured) has joined from CF Lorca Deportivo, whilst 23year-old Borja Mir has signed from Novelda CF, with the local striker from Elche having played for sides at different levels across the Valencian

region.

Talking of Elche, 20-year forward Molina has come to Torrevieja on loan until the rest of the season, having scored twice this season for Elche Ilicitano, whilst in midfield, 29-year-old Catalan defender, Sergio Durán, has signed for the club, coming from CF Vilanova i la Geltrú.

The seven players that have left are Nico, Parajón, Robles, Buza, Lucas, Diaby and Illyes. Goalkeeper Nico never made a first team appearance, and that also applied to the forward, Parajón. Fellow striker Robles made six starts for Torrevieja, whilst midfielder Buza made 10 appearances, seven of which were from the start.

Lucas, the goalkeeper, played in the match against Villarreal CF C, but a shoulder injury led to him being released. Ilyes, the striker, had played two matches, and defensive midfielder Diaby, made three outings, with the club having to let them go so that new additions could be potentially made before the closure of the transfer window.

CD Montesinos return to Segunda Valencia Group 16 action on Sunday morning at the Torrevieja Sports Stadium away to seventh-placed CF Racing Playas de Orihuela A, with an 11.00 am kick-off. Monte have dropped to fourth in the table, after Callosa Deportivo got a draw last weekend at CFP Orihuela to go above them in the standings.

Monte go into this Sunday’s match at CF Racing on the back of draws with fellow-promotion contenders Benijofar and Murada(squad picture taken there), with Murada four points clear of them at the top, with Benijofar second, though they suffered a four-two home defeat at the hands of RP Orihuela last weekend.

Last Gasp Point

CD THADER 2 ALBATERA CF 2 A Rubén Sanz penalty two minutes into added time gave Thader a share of the spoils on Wednesday night, after they dominated large portions of the game though the Albatera defence proved a tough nut to crack, especially with their keeper Javi Tur in good form. The home side dominated the first half, but May put Albatera ahead in the 27th minute with one of their few opportunities, whilst Dani Lucas had the best chance to level up matters for Thader, who then laid seige on the Albatera goal early in the second half. Noé got the deserved equaliser on the hour mark, before Ángel put the visitors back in front with 12 minutes remaining. Thader were heading towards defeat until Rubén Sanz got the late spot kick and a point, with the Rojales side now at home to Benferri this Sunday morning with an 11.30 am kick-off.

Sport

Door Open

47

Friday 10th February 2017

Forward Thoughts

FIXTURES Friday 10th February 2017 SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP 20:45 Sheffield Wednesday v Birmingham City SKY BET LEAGUE TWO 20:45 Newport County v Doncaster Rover

Spain’s national manager Julen Lopetegui has not "closed the door" on Iker Casillas' international career.

Casillas - Spain's record cap holder with 167 - has not been selected since Lopetegui succeeded Vicente del Bosque after Euro 2016.

The 35-year-old Porto keeper is still hopeful of featuring at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and his recent club form has been encouraging.

Lopetegui coached Casillas at Estadio do Dragao prior to his Spain appointment and says the door remains open for the former Real Madrid man.

"It's true that we had a conversation between two friends. He was a player of mine [at Porto] and I understood that I needed to speak to him," Lopetegui told Antena 3 TV. "I told him my decision [not to call him up] but I haven't closed the door on him or anyone else."

History Makers

Alaves reached the Copa del Rey final for the first time in their 96-year history as Edgar Mendez's 83rd-minute strike saw off Celta Vigo 1-0 in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday to take the Basque side through 1-0 on aggregate.

Mauricio Pellegrino's side will play Barcelona in the May final after Luis Enrique's side beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday (see opposite page).

Celta had conquered Real Madrid in the quarter-finals but never really got going at a packed Mendizorrotza Stadium that was rocking for Alaves' biggest game since their 5-4 defeat by Liverpool in the 2001 UEFA Cup final.

The breakthrough came with the aid of two headers, one from Deyverson and the other from Victor Camarasa which allowed Mendez to race into the area and lift the ball over Sergio Alvarez and into the net.

Valencia Date

Real Madrid's postponed La Liga game at Valencia has been rescheduled and will now be played on Wednesday February 22nd The 16th round encounter - which will take place at the Mestalla Stadium - was originally scheduled to be played in December but was moved due to Real's participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament that Zinedine Zidane's men went on to win.

The trip to Valencia will add to an already busy calendar for the La Liga leaders, who will play eight games in the space of 25 days, including their Champions League last 16 twolegged tie against Napoli.

Atletico Madrid's president has dismissed reports linking Antoine Griezmann with Manchester United, joking that the Premier League club are a "small team".

United are said to be interested in signing the Atletico Madrid forward should he become available in the summer, with the club reportedly willing to meet his 100 million euro release clause.

The 25-year-old sees his contract run out at Atletico in 2021 after signing an extension in the summer. But that hasn't stopped speculation, and Atletico president Enrique Cerezo has quashed any rumours that Griezmann could be leaving the club at any point soon.

"Manchester United?" Cerezo said when asked about Griezmann's potential exit by reporters, before jokingly adding: "Small team.

"I believe in the contracts that people sign, that goes for [Diego] Simeone and Griezmann."

In an interview with the COPE radio station this week, Cerezo has reiterated his desire to keep Griezmann at the club.

"Every time I see Antoine I give him a hug," he said.

"Antoine is a fantastic player and loves life at Atletico."

Griezmann has 15 goals this season in 31 appearances for Atletico this season, and starred for France at Euro 2016.

Meanwhile, Cerezo has quashed rumours that Atletico could launch bids to bring Diego Costa or Sergio Aguero back to the club, should their transfer ban get overturned.

Aguero has been dropped by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola for Gabriel Jesus in City's last two outings and hinted an exit was looming at the end of the season after Sunday's win over Swansea City.

Despite scoring 102 times in a five-year spell at Atletico before joining City in 2011, Cerezo criticised the Argentine for leaving the club on bad terms.

"If he had left in a normal and cordial manner then there would have been no problem, but I don't know what happened to him," said Cerezo. "He left on very bad terms rather than as a hero."

By contrast, Cerezo has consistently stated Atletico's desire to bring back Costa, who fired them to the Liga title in 2013/14.

Chelsea rejected both parties' wish for a reunion last summer and Costa has gone on to become a huge part of Antonio Conte's side's march towards the Premier League title, with 15 goals this season.

However, there are doubts about his future at Stamford Bridge amid reports of a falling-out with Conte last month and reported interest from China.

"He is at a great club. They say he is going to China, but I don't see Chelsea letting him go," Cerezo added.

Any transfer activity for Atletico in the summer window depends on the club winning their appeal against a FIFA-imposed transfer ban for unlawful signing of foreign minors.

Atletico have already served one of the two transfer-window bans and, having seen cross-city rivals Real Madrid get a similar ban reduced to one window, Cerezo is hopeful the Court of Arbitration for Sport will grant them a similar ruling.

PREMIER LEAGUE 13:30 Arsenal v Hull City 16:00 Manchester United v Watford 16:00 Middlesbrough v Everton 16:00 Stoke City v Crystal Palace 16:00 Sunderland v Southampton 16:00 West Ham United v West Bromwich Albion 18:30 Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP 16:00 Aston Villa v Ipswich Town 16:00 Brighton & Hove Albion v Burton Albion 16:00 Derby County v Bristol City 16:00 Fulham v Wigan Athletic 16:00 Leeds United v Cardiff City 16:00 Norwich City v Nottingham Forest 16:00 Preston North End v Brentford 16:00 Queens Park Rangers v Huddersfield Town 16:00 Reading v Barnsley 16:00 Rotherham United v Blackburn Rovers 18:30 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP 16:00 Dundee v Kilmarnock SKY BET LEAGUE ONE 16:00 AFC Wimbledon v Charlton Athletic 16:00 Bolton Wanderers v Walsall 16:00 Bristol Rovers v Bradford City 16:00 Bury v Swindon Town 16:00 Fleetwood Town v Rochdale 16:00 Gillingham v Port Vale 16:00 Millwall v Southend United 16:00 Northampton Town v Chesterfield 16:00 Oldham Athletic v Coventry City 16:00 Oxford United v Milton Keynes Dons 16:00 Peterborough United v Sheffield United 16:00 Scunthorpe United v Shrewsbury Town SKY BET LEAGUE TWO 16:00 Carlisle United v Blackpool 16:00 Colchester United v Barnet 16:00 Crewe Alexandra v Grimsby Town 16:00 Luton Town v Crawley Town 16:00 Mansfield Town v Hartlepool United 16:00 Morecambe v Cambridge United 16:00 Notts County v Cheltenham Town 16:00 Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City 16:00 Portsmouth v Accrington Stanley 16:00 Stevenage v Wycombe Wanderers 16:00 Yeovil Town v Leyton Orient LADBROKES SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP 16:00 Falkirk v Dundee United LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE 16:00 Brechin City v Airdrieonians 16:00 Livingston v Stranraer 16:00 Peterhead v Albion Rovers 16:00 Stenhousemuir v Queen's Park LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO 16:00 Annan Athletic v Edinburgh City 16:00 Forfar Athletic v Elgin City 16:00 Montrose v Arbroath 16:00 Stirling Albion v Berwick Rangers Sunday 12th February 2017 PREMIER LEAGUE 14:30 Burnley v Chelsea 17:00 Swansea City v Leicester City Monday 13th February 2017 PREMIER LEAGUE 21:00 Bournemouth v Manchester City Tuesday 14th February 2017 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16 20:45 Benfica v Borussia Dortmund 20:45 Paris Saint Germain v Barcelona SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP 20:45 Aston Villa v Barnsley 20:45 Brighton & Hove Albion v Ipswich Town 20:45 Derby County v Cardiff City 20:45 Fulham v Nottingham Forest 20:45 Leeds United v Bristol City 20:45 Norwich City v Newcastle United 20:45 Preston North End v Birmingham City 20:45 Rotherham United v Huddersfield Town 20:45 Sheffield Wednesday v Blackburn Rovers 20:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Wigan Athletic 21:00 Reading v Brentford

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

Saturday 11th February 2017

KONT A CONQUERS

Victory against Turkey today for Britain’s women in the Federation Cup would guarantee a spot in Saturday’s promotion play-offs.

Heather Watson and Johanna Konta won their singles matches yesterday to give Great Britain a win over Latvia in Estonia.

World number 10 Konta wrapped up the victory with a 6-2 6-3 win over 35th-ranked Jelena Ostapenko, whilst earlier Watson, the world number 72, beat 307th-ranked Diana Marcinkevica in just over an hour.

JACK’S THE LAD!

Harlequins' Jack Clifford will make just his second start for England in Saturday's Six Nations match with Wales in Cardiff (kickoff 5.50 pm, live on BBC 1) in one of two changes made by coach Eddie Jones.

Clifford, 23, replaces Tom Wood on the open-side flank and Jack Nowell comes in for Jonny May on the wing - with May and Wood named among the replacements.

Clifford has yet to start a Six Nations game but Eddie Jones said he "deserves a starting role".

"We're looking forward to him making an impact in our back-row play," he added.

Clifford forms part of an inexperienced back row - the Harlequins man, Maro Itoje and Nathan Hughes have 20 caps between them, while Wales' likely flankers Sam Warburton and Justin Tipuric have 70 and 47 caps respectively.

"He is a hard-working, young player," Jones added.

"He has got a good record against Wales, he had a superb game against them in May, he knows what he is going to expect and we're looking forward to him making an impact in our back-row play.

"Playing Wales in Cardiff is one of the biggest games in world rugby and we're excited," Jones added. "These are the games you want to be part of as a player and coach.

"We don't need extra motivation this week; we play Test rugby because we want to be the best for England. Every game is important for us and our supporters, and Wales is our next game so it's the most important."

England won a tough opener against France last weekend, whilst Wales got their expected win away to Italy. Before the Cardiff clash, Italy entertain Ireland (3.25 pm kick-off, live on ITV), whilst Scotland, who beat Ireland in a thriller at Murrayfield, travel to Paris on Sunday to take on France in a 4.00 pm kick-off (live on BBC 1).

WENGER ON THE RACK

Three matches stand out in the Premier League this weekend(writes ALEX TRELINSKI), with Arsenal trying to avoid a third consecutive defeat in the Saturday early kick-off(1.30) at home to Hull City, who have kept clean sheets for their last two matches, but haven’t won in 11 away league games! Will the Tigers roar in their relegation battle, or will Arsenal returning to winning ways as the vultures are circling around Arsene Wenger for the countless time?

The late-kick off(6.30 pm) sees off-the boil Liverpool entertain Tottenham with the Klopp Kop wondering what’s happening as the Reds Premier hopes have fizzled away like a quickly deflated balloon, as they haven’t won in their last five league matches, plus some cup calamities into the bargain. Spurs in contrast are fizzing with 23 points taken of the last 30 available, but are still a massive nine points behind runaway leaders Chelsea(away to Burnley on Sunday).

After their FA Cup replay win over East Midland rivals Derby County, it’s back to the real business for Leicester City on Sunday, with a massive relegation six-pointer at improving Swansea led by shrewd new boss Paul Clement.

Claudio Ranieri got the infamous public vote of confidence from the Foxes owners in the week after four straight league defeats, and with Leicester just a point above the relegation fray, defeat in South Wales will send serious jitters around the Foxes camp.