The Courier Edition 357 by TKO UK

THE WEATHER

Edition 357

Friday 2nd February 2018

See page 2 for the week’s forecast

British Mum Charged

34-year-old British woman has lost custody of her three-year-old son, after taking 13 hours to report that he had gone missing on Paseo Juan Aparicio in Torrevieja last week. The unnamed Torrevieja resident has lived in Spain for a number of years, with her son having been born in the northern part of the Valencia region in Castellón. A Torrevieja court has charged her with child abandonment, with the youngster now taken into temporary care by Valencian social services. No mention has been made of the child’s father or whether he is in the picture at all. A worker at a fast food outlet in the area spotted the youngster walking on his own at around 8.30 pm on Wednesday January 24th, and called the Torrevieja local police. He was wearing

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3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Townhouse in Cabo Roig, Orihuela Costa Y RT PE E O H PR F T K O EE W

Property ID: 124 - 129,000€ SEE OUR AD ON PAGES 16 & 17 FOR OUR LATEST ADDITIONS pyjamas and walking with socks and no shoes, with no identification on him at all. The boy, after spending a few hours with the police, was taken for a check-up at Torrevieja Hospital (pictured there), whilst his mother returned to Paseo Juan Aparicio at 9.30 pm, where the fast food worker spotted her. She seemed to be looking for something, and the

employee found out that she was indeed the child’s mother. She was told that the local police had taken the youngster and that she should pick him up immediately from the station. Instead, she took another 12 hours to call the Torrevieja police the following morning. They told her to come immediately or else the boy

would be put into a provincial care home, but then another two hours ticked by before she finally arrived to pick him up at 10.30 am. The mother told officers when she finally went to the station, that she had failed to arrive earlier because she knew her child was in safe hands. She said she lost sight of him while they were out with friends.

Body In Ditch Riddle

he Murcia Local Police is trying to find out whether a 39-year-old British woman was deliberately mowed down by a car, or was accidently killed, after she was discovered in an irrigation canal early on Saturday morning. Attempts by paramedics to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was found less than a kilometre away from a burnt out car close to the village of Los Ramos on the RM-301 road between San Javier and Torreagüera. The car owner was arrested and refused to testify before a judge, but was

bailed at the weekend, pending further investigations. The collision is said to have happened shortly before 1.00 am, with the car driver and another person (both Spanish nationals and Murcia residents) being investigated for the crimes of “failing to provide a duty of relief”. At the time of going to press, the identity of the woman has not been disclosed, and the police are working on two possible theories as to what actually happened. One scenario suggests

that that the driver accidently hit the British national, and then when discovering that she was dead, he fled

the scene after setting fire to his vehicle. The other theory was that it was a prearranged crime.

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Friday 2nd February 2018

Go, Mr Mayor!

The Worst Avoided

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Almost 200 San Fulgencio residents have called for the resignation of mayor Carlos Ramírez in a protest outside the Town Hall staged on Monday. The demonstration was organised by the Asociación Vecinal Muna (Muna neighbourhood association) based on the La Marina urbanisation, with participants wanting him to quit after being suspended from public office for eight-and-ahalf years on a charge of prevarication back in the autumn. Ramírez is appealing the verdict, but retains control of

San Fulgencio council, after he left the Partido Popular, with five of his colleagues joining him after they were booted out of the PP. Protestors said that he had come to power on the back of people voting for the PP, but now has no right to be in charge, now that he and his colleagues are no longer members of the party. A statement from the association, aimed at the mayor and his team, said that they “represent a large number of the residents that you are ignorant of, on an urbanisation that you rarely visit."

Kidnap Foiled

Julia

Myra Tel. 618 583 765

Julie

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

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

Saturday night and Sunday morning, when the heavens opened, leaving between 80 and 90 litres of rain per square metre in the space of an hour in some parts of the Comunidad Valenciana and the Murcia region. Winds of up to 40 knots off the ports of Valencia and Sagunto, a few kilometres to the north and which remains shut, were reported, and between 60 and 82 kilometres per hour on land. Nearly double the amount of rain recorded to date in the last four months fell in six or seven hours in some areas according to AEMET. That applied to Alicante-

Elche airport where the rainfall doubled the total amount recorded there since the start of October. Further south, rainfall in the Torrevieja and Orihuela areas was comparatively moderate, but was still welcome for local farmers who have been battling drought conditions. Snow fell in the Sierra de Segura, northwest Murcia, and in the Castellónprovince districts of Els Ports, Alt Maestrat and Baix Maestrat, as well as high points in Alicante Province. The falls in Murcia leaving 1,200 residents without electricity.

Back In Time

Tel. 618 898 034

English and Spanish Tel. 616 332 178

Extreme storms hit the Valencia region on Saturday night and Sunday morning, but the southern part of Alicante Province and the Mar Menor escaped with just heavy rain, rather than the full force of a Gota Fria. Higher parts of Alicante Province around Aitana, Serrella and Montcabrer all got their first dusting of snow during the winter (pictured). The port of Valencia had to be closed for seven hours on Sunday, with state meteorological agency, AEMET, warning people to stay away from seafronts and piers. AEMET counted over 250 bolts of lightning between

The National Police arrested a 73-year-old man for allegedly trying to kidnap an eight-year-old girl on Saturday in Alicante City’s Plaza de Luceros, just weeks after he was arrested on child abuse charges. The man tried to grab the girl when she was looking into a shop window, but luckily several people at the scene intervened to prevent him from taking the child, and they held him until the

police arrived. Incredibly, the man had only been arrested over a fortnight ago for abusing two teenage children that he gave drugs and money to in return, but he was released on bail after declaring in front of a judge. Weapons and sex toys were discovered by the National Police when they searched his caravan on the back of last Saturday’s incident.

Orihuela's 20th Medieval Market will be officially opened this Friday morning (February 2nd) at 11.30 am, and it will run through to Sunday. It is one of the biggest medieval markets in Spain and covers an area of around five kilometres, with over 400 stalls set up in the central area between the Santo Domingo seminary and the Church of Santiago. Exhibitions of falconry and hawking, Castellers (human towers), an Arabic souk, dancing, fire eating, food tasting, equestrian tournaments, arts and crafts work-

shops, weaponry displays and many other activities are part of the programme, which also features concerts this Friday and Saturday night in the Plaza de Villamanuel.

Complementary bus services are also running over the three days to and from Orihuela City linking the Playa Flamenca Town Hall and the Entre Naranjos urbanisation.

THE WEATHER FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

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

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Kirsty DNA Evidence Lost

The family of a woman who fell to her death from a holiday apartment in Benidorm last year have condemned authorities for "serious shortcomings" in

the investigation, as crucial evidence was allegedly discarded. Five British men have been questioned by police after allegations that she

was sexually assaulted after walking into their room by mistake. It has emerged that the pink t-shirt and denim skirt worn by 27-year-old Kirsty

Water Worries

Domestic water bills are set to rise this year in Alicante Province and the Murcia region unless there is a significant increase in rainfall. The warning comes from Mancomunidad de Canales de Taibilla (MCT) which oversees domestic supply in the Segura basin area. Desalinated water supplies are being increased from plants at Torrevieja, San Pedro del Pinatar, and Alicante, accounting for almost two-thirds of what goes through domestic taps, which is costing the MCT more to keep the service going. Local reservoirs as of last week were operating at only 15 percent of capacity, and with warnings of domestic rationing issued at the end of last year, water consumers may also face the double whammy of having to pay more for a reduced

service. No predictions of when a rise may have to be imposed were given by the MCT. In December, La Confederación Hidrográfica del Segura (CHS) ordered municipalities with popula-

Maxwell on the night she died was never tested for DNA and have now been destroyed. In January, investigating judge Ana Isabel Garcia-

Galbis’ decided to accept an appeal by lawyer Luis Miguel Zumaquero which meant the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Alicante, where Kirsty’s autopsy took place, was asked what happened to her clothes and what were the results of any DNA testing. Her family say the investigating authorities have discarded a potentially critical piece of evidence. Kirsty's husband Adam said: "It's very sad and shocking for us as a family - this is another thing that we've been let down by.” Kirsty had been on a hen party with friends when she left her room in the Apartamentos Payma early on April 29th last year. Her family believe she was looking for her friends on the floor above but was disorientated and ended up in a room occupied by five men from Nottingham. They believe that events inside the room led Kirsty to

try to escape and, in the course of doing so, fall to her death. Her family say efforts by the Spanish authorities to piece together Kirsty's final moments have been "negligent and reckless" and they have enlisted the help of former detective David Swindle. Now an independent case reviewer, Mr Swindle told a news conference: "The clothing worn by Kirsty was not tested for DNA and was destroyed by the Spanish forensic pathology department.” "That, in itself, indicates serious shortcomings in the investigation into Kirsty's death." "It's shocking that there has been irretrievable loss of evidence, and also, the lack in empathy towards Kirsty's family.” "From my experience as a senior investigating officer... this is the most important part of an investigation starting with the victim and what the victim was wearing.”

Consul Briefings

tions of over 20 thousand people to review and activate their emergency drought plans to reduce water consumption by 15 percent, as low rainfall levels continue in the Vega Baja and Murcia regions.

Local councils across Alicante Province will be hosting a series of events this month with British Consul Sarah-Jane Morris to talk about Brexit and how this affects UK citizens in Spain. Morris will be visiting the centres in the area with the highest volume of British citizens on the local padrón to talk to residents about any concerns they have around Brexit and to provide an update on the progress of Brexit negotiations and respond to any questions

and concerns. Four meetings will be taking place on February 12th and February 13th at the following venues:ROJALES – Monday, February 12th at Noon. Venue - Capitol Theatre, Calle A.Gonzalez Vergel. TORREVIEJA - Monday, February 12th at 2.00 pm. Venue - Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja, (3rd floor Salon de Plenos) Plaza de la Constitucion.

PILAR DE LA HORADADA - Tuesday, February 13th at 10.00 am. Venue Casa de Cultura, Calle Carretillas 19. SAN FULGENCIO – 13th February at 1pm. Venue - Centro social, Calle Amstadam, Urbanisation La Marina. Entry is free of charge and you don’t’ have to be a resident of the municipality that is staging the meeting for you to come along. There is no pre-booking.

Friday 2nd February 2018

Not Guilty This Time

12 years of legal wrangling over allegations from the Green Party that not enough full plenary meetings of Torrevieja council place in the mid-noughties has come to end. A Torrevieja judge threw out the case led by current Torrevieja mayor José Manuel Dolón against the ex-

civic leader, Pedro Hernandez Mateo, who was freed from jail last year after serving time for corruption. The public prosecutor, in addition to Hernandez Mateo’s solicitor, had called for the ex-mayor to be acquitted after the case was originally thrown out, but the Greens appealed

successfully to the Provincial Court for the case to be reheard in Torrevieja. The wrangle started in 2006 when the Greens filed a complaint with private suit accusing Hernandez Mateo of a crime against citizens rights and calling for him to be disqualified from public office for four years.

Unpleasant Diner

Scoop It Up

Rojales council has produced brochures in four languages to try and reduce the amount dog dirt on the municipality's streets. The leaflets in Spanish, English, German and French were handed out at the Rojales market to raise awareness amongst dog owners on the need to pick up droppings from local roads, parks, and gardens.

Plastic waste bags in special dispensers that can be attached to a dog collar were distributed at the market. The joint initiative between Rojales council, the local police and the animal association of Rojales and Guardamar has been given the title of "Because We Want Rojales Cleaner", with Rojales Health

Councillor, Tatiana Cañizares, stating that the aim of it was to persuade dog owners to do the right thing, rather than just threatening them with fines. The leaflets though, along with the councillor, do point out that fines ranging from 30 euro to 18 thousand euro are on the statute book covering a variety of infractions in regard to dog dirt.

Planks A Lot!

A 34-year-old Spaniard has been arrested by the Guardia Civil in Beniaján in the Murcia region for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in Torrevieja after going to dinner at her home. The man and the woman had made contact with each other via a mobile phone dating app. The woman, a 28-year-old French national, felt dizzy and disorientated during her

meal back in November, and the man told her that it had been caused by alcohol and then had sex with her. Her condition got worse and she asked the man to take her to the doctor but instead told her that he had to leave, and she ended up calling for an ambulance that took her to Torrevieja Hospital. Once in the hospital, she underwent various tests and several amphetamines were

discovered in her body. After two months of inquiries, the Guardia Civil gathered enough evidence to arrest the man, and they discovered various boxes of drugs at his Beniaján home. The man subsequently appeared before a Torrevieja judge, and was refused bail, with additional investigations taking place to see if any other women had been abused in previously reported cases.

Work has begun on replacing deteriorated wooden planks on different sections of the beach walkway at La Mata seafront. Torrevieja's beaches councillor, Javier Manzanares, said that

pedestrians, especially those with reduced mobility, will see an improvement, adding that the state of the walks is down to a lack of maintenance from previous administrations in Torrevieja and across the Valencia region.

Manzanares added that the work was not the ultimate solution to the problem, and that the current council would do everything they can to make things better and to ask for finance from regional bodies for a more permanent fix.

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Cooperative Clampdown

A crackdown by Spain’s Employment ministry has led to over 6,000 people being forced to register as self-employed after their 'invoicing cooperative' schemes were declared illegal. These cooperatives take on people who work for themselves as employees and, instead of members sending out their own invoices as the self-employed are required to do, these would be issued in the name of the cooperative, who also handled all their accounting transactions. This way, members would save money on accountants' fees, be partially protected from non-paying customers, and would be paying their 'stamp' as an employee of the cooperative rather than the fixed self-employed

monthly fee, which starts at €275.01 and is not graded according to earnings. This monthly Social Security fee is a headache for seven in 10 selfemployed workers, according to a recent survey, and the number of sole traders who work cash-in-hand because they cannot afford the fixed amount is difficult to ascertain. Cooperatives, which have been advertising widely in the last few years, appeared to be a solution as membership fees were a percentage of earnings. But employment minister Fátima Báñez says they are not legal and calls them 'a company structure used to commit Social Security fraud'. As a result, her department has removed 6,000

workers from the Social Security's 'general régime', which covers employees, and forced half of these to sign onto the Self-Employed Workers' Special Register (RETA). This means they will have to start paying Social Security, although it is not thought that they have been pursued for back payments, which the work inspectors can legally do for the last four years. Sra Báñez's crackdown has also targeted what is known as 'false selfemployed persons', or those who work for a company fulltime, or whose income is at least 75% from the same firm, but who invoice monthly for their wages and are registered as sole traders instead of having job contracts.

Julio's Brave Stance

Spanish international singing star Julio Iglesias defended two fellow artists and prevented their arrest during General Franco's dictatorship, the grateful victims have just revealed. Singer-songwriter Víctor Manuel, 70, and his actress wife Ana Belén, 66 (both pictured), say they both had 'serious problems' during the General's reign due to n extreme censorship on the arts in place until it was officially abolished on December 1, 1977 by the first president of a newlydemocratic Spain, Adolfo Suárez. Taboo subjects included anything that could be even slightly interpreted as a criticism of the church, the government or the heterosexual nuclear family, or even remotely sexual, and singers, authors, film and theatre directors, actors, painters and anyone else involved could go to jail if they broke the rules. This forced many of them to 'go underground' – members of the public risked their freedom to watch films featuring Marilyn Monroe, or by the controversial director Luis Buñuel, or to listen to

records by Joan Manuel Serrat, the Rolling Stones and Lou Reed, or to read magazines such as Triunfo, whilst some public media, such as Diario Madrid, were ordered to close down. Víctor Manuel says a musical he had composed was being premièred in México, having been banned in Spain because of the censorship, and that he and Ana Belén were accused by the Spanish government of having 'stomped on a national flag'. This, considered an insult to the State and Franco's government, would have been punishable by prison

and it would have been extremely unlikely the couple would have got a fair trial. Julio Iglesias, 74, was on tour in México at the time and spoke to the police, saying the incident 'had never existed'. “Julio has always been great with us difficult moments during the dictatorship,” said Ana Belén. “We had some legal problems, and Julio was one of the few people brave enough to show his face and stand up for us. “We'll always be really grateful to him for that – and also, he's a fantastic artist.”

Friday 2nd February 2018

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Carnival Kick Off

The launch of the 2018 Torrevieja Carnival took place at the city's International Auditorium on Saturday (photo from Objectivo Torrevieja), with the crowning of the Carnival Queen, Cheyenne Heredia Imbernón, as well as the Reina Infantil, María Grau Rodríguez. Events coming up include this Friday evening's 10th National Drag Queen Cala at the International Auditorium, followed by Saturday's day of activities

at the Plaza de Oriente (Ermita) with a wide programme aimed at being fun for all ages. The daytime Carnival parade will be a week on Sunday (February 11th) starting at 4.00 pm from the Plaza de María Asunción, passing through Calle Ramón Gallud and finishing up at Calle Orihuela. The evening parade takes place on Saturday February 17th, beginning at 9.00 pm from the Plaza de María Asunción.

Marathon Blow

Torrevieja’s popular HalfMarathon will not take place as scheduled at the end of the month because no contract has been awarded to a company to run the event, despite the race having a 35 year history, and the date having been advertised for a long time. The Half-Marathon, along with an associated 10 kilometre race, attracts competitors and spectators from around Spain and Europe, and has been regarded as an extremely well run event. The men’s race last year was won by Stuart Spencer from Leicestershire. Sports councillor Víctor Ferrández was forced into confirming the event’s post-

ponement after opposition Partido Popular councillor Luisma Pizana said that no registration details for athletes had been published via the internet. Ferrández said the race would not be staged without an official contract being awarded to run it, but did not expand on why it took so long for him to make a statement on the matter, and what the problems were in the first place. It’s another blow to Torrevieja’s sporting prestige after La Vuelta’s cyclists had to by-pass the city centre in August because the council claimed they could not provide satisfactory levels of policing.

Cost Savers

Orihuela mayor Emilio Bascuñana has attended the official presentation of two new vans that will take road cleaning staff to their shifts on the Orihuela Costa, where he pledged to make improvements to street cleaning services. Transportation of workers stopped being provided in 2009, and led to legal action which forced Orihuela council to pay around 72 thousand euro in expenses per year. Bascuñana blamed the previous political administration for creating the problem,

and with a new five year leasing arrangement, the costs will be slashed to 12 thousand euro per annum, according to the authority. The mayor added that he has asked the street cleaning and urban waste department of Orihuela council to produce a comprehensive survey of what they do in terms of routes, vehicles, and staffing to see what kind of improvements can be made to local street cleaning, which has been a major source of irritation over the years for Orihuela Costa residents.

Friday 2nd February 2018

RAF Centenary

The Royal Air Forces Association Costa Blanca is to celebrate the centenary of the RAF with a special dinner and dance on Thursday April 12th at the La Laguna Hotel and Spa, Dona Pepa, just off the Lemon Tree Road, Quesada. The event is being attended by Association members from the three RAFA branches located in Spain, mem-

bers from Gibraltar and also members from branches in France, as well as from the UK. Entertainment will be provided by the Posh Affair Dance Band, and by Terry Roughen during the Big Band intervals. Free refreshments will be available throughout the entertainment period, which is expected to be between

Charity Boost

10.00 pm and 1.00 am. Any members of the RAF, either serving or retired, and not necessarily RAFA members, who have an interest in attending this special event, should contact the coordinator, Ken Booth via email, rafacbvicechair@gmail.com or phone 966 712 881 for details. Bookings close on Wednesday February 21st.

Melody Makers International and the Orihuela Costa Male Voice Choir came together last Saturday in two concerts staged at the Orihuela Costa Resort Hotel, La Zenia, in aid of the Debra Butterfly Children charity. Around two and a half thousand euros for Debra was raised, with two full houses enjoying a musical mix of classics, light classics and pop. Director Nigel Hopkins revealed that 50 thousand euro had been raised over the decade that the concerts have been staged.

Rascals Appeal

Piping Brilliant The Hondón Valley branch of the Royal British Legion celebrated Burns Night at El Nuevo Valle, in Hondón de los Frailes in grand style last week. MC Ronnie Mannell told members and guests about the life of Scotland’s National Poet, Robert Burns, and then everybody celebrated in a way that Burns would have approved of with plenty of eating, drinking, music, piping and poetry! The haggis was piped in by Tony, which everybody toasted with a “ wee dram “ of whiskey, before tucking into Neeps and Tatties, steak pie, and finally topping off the meal with some Tipsy Laird Trifle. The branch meets on the

third Tuesday of each month and guests are made more than welcome. More details are available on the website:

Performing Duets

ACTS (Actors Community Theatre Society) are in full swing with rehearsals for their production of Peter Quilter’s Duets, which they will be performing at the Benijofar Cultural Centre next month in aid of local charities. The play is a beautifully written quartet of romantic comedies streaked with pathos . with Jonathon and Wendy on a blind date and hoping to find the right one

at last. Barrie isn´t really interested in women but Janet keeps trying. Shelley and Bobbie are on holiday in Spain and drown in cocktails whilst finalising their divorce and Angela is marrying for the third time whilst her brother calls her dress a parachute amidst a barage of bad omens. Duets will be staged on Thursday March 8th through to Saturday March 10th, with curtain up at 7.30 pm.

www.britishlegion.org.uk/ counties/spain-north or by sending an email to secretary.hondonvalley3577@gm ail.com.

The Rascals Show Group has an exciting new show in the works called A Crazy Little Thing Called Love, full of well known songs that are really enjoyable to sing and perform and they are actively recruiting new members to help them with every aspect of the production.

Andante Plans

The newly formed Andante International Choir have started rehearsals for their April concerts, with a feast of classical choral music to learn, enjoy and present to their audiences including Faure’s Requiem, Stanford’s Beati Quorum Via and Vivaldi’s Gloria . Anyone who enjoys this kind of music is very welcome to join Andante at their weekly

rehearsals in Benijofar Church on a Thursday evening from 7.00 pm under the direction of their musical director Karen Blagbrough and accompanist, Nataliya Khomyak. Previous choir singing or an ability to read music is not essential but obviously helpful. For more details send an email to elcvdvecht@gmail.com or phone 966 716 016.

AT YOUR SERVICE

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

Whatever your interest, The Rascals are looking for singers, dancers, back stage helpers or just people who support their work in producing variety shows that raise money for local charities. The Rascals meet on Monday and Thursday

mornings at Sacos Bar, El Limonar, Torrevieja at 11.00 am to rehearse for their shows. Joining The Rascals will enable you to make new friends and will certainly enhance your social life, and just drop into to one of their meetings and say hello.

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End Of The Line

Two Britons have been arrested in the Valencia region following the discovery of millions of euros worth of cocaine and cannabis resin on a coach used to ferry bands on tour around Europe. The pair, described as the coach drivers, were held on a motorway in Sagunto some 30 kilometres north of Valencia City in an operation dubbed Operation Telos. The drugs - 17 kilos of cocaine and 750 kilos of cannabis resin with a street value of more than four million euro according to local officials - were hidden under a bunk bed and inside a

cabinet on the luxury UKplated vehicle. A court has now issued a European Arrest Warrant for the unnamed head of the transport firm which owns the coach. The company has not been identified in the reports. Guardia Civil officers discovered the drugs after stopping the vehicle - which was on route from Malaga to the UK - at toll booths on the AP7 motorway near the town of Sagunto. The two Brits, aged 39 and 59, were handed over to a court in Sagunto and were remanded in custody after

the closed court hearing. The double-decker bus was used by music groups touring Europe and investigators suspect the vehicle was being used as part of an international operation to smuggle drugs into Britain. Juan Carlos Moragues the Madrid government representative in the Valencia region inspected the coach with a local police chief, and congratulated law enforcement officers on their work, adding: 'They have stopped these drugs entering the black market where they could have reached a street value of over four million euro".

Union Campaign

A campaign by one of Spain's largest unions is calling for pensioners to return their letters to the government en masse in protest over only getting an extra 0.25% each year since 2012. The General Workers' Union (UGT) says recipients of the standard letters informing of the 0.25% increase â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the minimum allowed by law â&#x20AC;&#x201C; should tick the box marked 'refused' on the back, where reasons are given for non-delivery, and put the reason as 'the 0.25% rise is rubbish', or a similar expletive which means the same, and return them

unopened or, if it is too late, re-sealed. This forms part of the UGT's 'brown ribbon' campaign, representing the colour of excrement, which is the cleaned-up version of how the union describes the pension rises. In practice, the UGT says, given that the increases are well below inflation, they actually represent a deduction, since pensioners' spending power is less than it was the year before each time they get a rise which is blow the increase in living costs. They say instead of the government's spending

money on sending 'millions of letters' to pensioners, they should be investing the cost of the paper, postage and employee hours in improving retirees' income. If possible, says the UGT, pensioners should give their unopened letters marked 'refused' to their local union office, since then its leaders will deliver them in bulk to the government, but otherwise it will be equally as effective returning them to sender. The union hopes at least a million letters will find their way back to the Social Security department

4 am Bar and Disco in Torrevieja

Busy Bar/Café in La Marina

Ice Cream Cafeteria and Bar in Alicante

The opportunity to buy such a well-known busy bar in Torrevieja does not come around very often. This is a large, fantastic unit in the heart of where it all happens. No competition and with lots of foot traffic plus a 4 am license. Fully sound-proofed. Inside: 250 sq m and 350 sq m outide terrace. Close to the new location of the Friday market.

EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY to purchase the lease of a café/bar/restaurant located on a busy high street in the centre of a Spanish village just 300 metres from the blue flag white sandy beaches nearby. Huge expat clientele throughout the area. East-facing front terrace with outdoor dining and many more covers inside. Fully equipped.

Located in an eye-catching position near to the Alicante Port, this unit with glass-fronted shop window is ideally positioned to catch shoppers, tourists and local residents all year. The business itself, which is still in its infancy, has boasted a good summer’s trade, and could be expanded to sell other goodies such as smoothies etc.

Property ID: 1070 - 210,000€

Property ID: 1054 - 30,000€

Property ID: 1060 - 15,500€

Laundry and Dry Cleaning Business in San Fulgencio

Well-Known Local Golf Bar in Entre Naranjos

Fish and Chip Shop on the Orihuela Costa

This well-established commercial laundry business is up for sale after 20 years running. The whole premises are being offered freehold and consist of the launderette on the upper level and an additional premises on the lower level that is included too. The business is being sold fully furnished with two washers, two dryers and two ironing tables.

Great business opportunity in a golfing area full of European expats. Very busy and popular bar, with good turnover. This popular bar/cafe has a yearlong full programme of events, shows, bingo, quizzes, karaoke, darts, pool, dominoes, and even a skittle alley. The first bar on Entre Naranjos, so known by a lot of people over the years.

This leasehold property is located between two busy Irish bars and a popular shopping centre. It has 104 covers: 32 inside; 40 on the front terrace and 32 at the rear, with the facility to extend. The leasehold is for another three years and can be renewed. If you fancy setting up a good old fish and chip business, here’s your chance.

Property ID: 1048 - 195,000€

Property ID: 1055 - 60,000€

Property ID: 1053 - 39,000€

Family Run Bar/Restaurant in a Popular Tourist Area

American-Style Diner-Bar-Restaurant in Torrevieja

Successful Restaurant in La Zenia

This well-established, well-known family run is fortunate to have a continuous passing trade. The business has made its mark due to its warm friendly welcome and delicious homemade English food. Inside and out, 80 customers can be seated. The premises is fully licensed, plus has free wifi, sound system, BBQ area, covered patio and good parking.

This American-style diner is in a great location in Torrevieja and front line to the sea, bringing good passing trade on a daily basis. The terrace is just a stone’s throw away from the water’s edge giving amazing open views with a cool summer breeze. Recentley refurbished, all furniture and installations are new. Air conditioning and plasma screen.

Successful well-known restaurant located in the most popular area of La Zenia, in front of a large shopping centre. Internal seating for 66 customers and an outstanding terrace space seating 86 customers for al fresco dining. Fully fitted and ready to go. Total area: 207m2. This a great investment opportunity which makes this a must-view.

Property ID: 1022 - 49,500€

Property ID: 2597 - 45,000€

Property ID: 1046 - 125,000€

www.thecourier.es

Transfer or Not to Transfer Your Pension?

Keith Littlewood, International Financial Adviser at Blacktower, Costa Cálida Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd offer Q&A sessions on UK Pensions at their new office suite at San Pedro del Pinatar. Do any of the following apply to you? • You are about to retire or start taking pension benefits and want to know ALL your options? • Do you have a preserved Company Pension Scheme but not yet considering immediate retirement? • Do you have any type Personal Pension and taking benefits already? • Do you have a Personal Pension and not yet started taking benefits? • Do you have several pensions and want to consolidate all of them together? There are many other scenarios that could apply to you, so why not come along and find out what your options are. You could even call me before to see if the session would be worthwhile for your own circumstance. The session will be quite informal over a cup of tea orcoffee, and it would be a great opportunity to find out if exploring your own pension benefits is something that would be worthwhile for you.

120 Avenida Dr. Artero Guirao 2C San Pedo Del Pinatar 30740, Murcia, Spain Tel: 968 187 331

The office suite is located on the main through road of San Pedro del Pinatar, in an office block next to the Ayuntamiento, 5 minutes from the Dos Mares Shopping centre. The full address is 120, Avenida Dr.ArteroGuirao 2C, San Pedro Del Pinatar, 30740, Murcia, Spain. Headed by the Blacktower Regional Manager for the Costa Cálida region – Keith Littlewood, dipPFS, who has over 30 years of experience in assisting clients’ pensions,including 6 years in Spain advising expats on how to best manage their income and investments whilst abroad. You will also have the opportunity to book you own personal appointment with Keith free of charge. We have two planned Q&A sessions on 14 February and 28February. To book your place, please call Keith Littlewood on 657 684 094 or email Keith.littlewood@blacktowerfm.com. You can also visit www.blacktowerfm.com.

the

website

at:

Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC). Licence 00805B and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

Pets

Friday 2nd February 2018

Adoption Corner

Dietary Warnings

CARLO Carlo is a small to medium-sized dog that’s around eight years old who has a very easy-going nature and loves to be near people. He was abandoned and is a very friendly dog, good with people of all ages and mixes well with other dogs. He does have Leishmann’s disease, but fortunately has no health problems from this condition. A foster home would be considered for him, with the K9 charity being resonsible for his vet fees. If you can give him a loving home, please contact the K9 shelter on 600 845 420.

PEGGY Two-year-old Peggy was rescued in a terrible condition after wandering in a village, having been hit by a car. She had to have her leg amputated and is now fully recovered, with three legs proving to be no disadvantage to her! She is quite a dominant dog and would do well to be with another dog of a similar size as she is happy in the company of another dog. For more on Peggy please call PEPA on 650 304 746 or email p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmail.com.

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

RUSTY

Born in the summer of 2016, beautiful Rusty is the last of a litter of six kittens, born in a garden shed. He is a lovely cat, who didn't deserve to be the only one of his siblings still looking for a home. Vaccinated and neutered he will be a great cat for the person wanting to give him a loving home. To arrange to meet Rusty, please call the APAH charity on 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

A group of vets are warning people about the potential risks of feeding dogs and cats raw meat–based diets—not just for the pets, but for their human owners, as well. In a new analysis of 35 commercial raw dog and cat foods, researchers found that 86% of products contained potentially dangerous bacteria. The new study, published in the BMJ’s Vet Record, looked at dog and cat food commercially available in the Netherlands, much of which is available across Europe including the UK and Spain. Raw meat–based pet-food diets (sometimes referred to as RMBDs) have become increasingly popular around the world, the study authors wrote in their paper. “Yet claims of health benefits are not backed by evidence,” they wrote, “and several studies have reported possible risks.” Those risks don’t just apply to the pets themselves, says Paul Overgaauw, a veterinarian and visiting researcher at Utrecht University. Humans can get sick from bacteria and parasites lurking in raw-meat products, too. Most reports of infections being transmitted from pets to owners have been anecdotal, says Overgaauw. “But I can imagine that cross-contamination in the kitchen during preparation of the food, and cleaning of the food bowls—as well as direct contact with infected animals—are the highest risks,” he says. Humans may also be exposed to harmful pathogens when cleaning up an infected animal’s waste or when an infected animal licks its owner’s face or hands. Overgaauw and his colleagues analyzed samples of 35

frozen pet-food products from eight different brands, and they contained raw meat, bones, and animal by-products from beef, duck, chicken, lamb, and horse, along with additional ingredients. E. coli bacteria was found at levels above the threshold for human consumption in 40% of the pet-food products. Two potentially harmful parasites—Sarcocystis cruzi and Toxoplasma gondii—were also detected in 11% and 6% of the products. The former is known to be dangerous to farm animals, while the latter has been linked to illnesses in cats and humans. Despite the relatively low number of products tested in the study, the authors say it’s clear that commercial RMBDs may be contaminated with a variety of pathogens, which can pose a risk to pets and to their owners. Studies have also shown that cats and dogs who eat rawmeat diets are also more likely to become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria than those on conventional diets of dry or canned food, the authors add. Commercial raw-meat pet foods sold in Europe contain “all kinds of meat, organs, and bones, sometimes with vegetables or fruits added,” says Overgaauw. “I think owners like the convenience, and buy these products instead of preparing raw food on their own.” “Every owner may decide what to feed his or her pet,” says Overgaauw, but he does believe that warning labels should be added to products containing raw meat, and that pet owners should be educated about the importance of personal hygiene and proper handling of these foods.

SALLY Sally is a beautiful six-year-old Labrador girl who was found abandoned a few weeks ago. She was very malnourished with old wounds in her legs and with a flea infestation, but is now fully fit and looking for a new home. Sally is very good with other dogs and cats and is negative for Mediterranean diseases. For more details, please phone Pets in Spain on 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com.

YOYO Yoyo came into the care of the SAT kennels two months ago. She had originally been bought for an elderly lady who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease but sadly having a dog was not good for either the owner or for Yoyo. This little miniature pinscher crossbreed is 18 months old, fully vaccinated, micro chipped and spayed. If you would like more information about this lovely little girl then please call the SAT kennels on 966 710 047 or email info@satanimalrescue.com.

www.thecourier.es

Road Switch

Two stretches of toll road in Alicante Province and the Murcia region are to be taken over by the Madrid government on April 1st. The AP-7 in the Murcia region between Cartagena and Vera has been operated

by the Aucosta company for a decade, but the firm went into bankrupcy back in 2013, with users of the motorway few and far between. Ciralsa, who operate the Alicante ring road, also filed bankrupcy proceedings

nearly five years ago, with both companies now being taken over a state-run entity, Seittsa, who will maintain existing contracts and take on all current staff members. The moves come around after a Madrid court verdict.

Ordinary Royals

Spain's royal family has shared a rare glimpse at their life at home in a new video released by the palace showing King Felipe and his wife Queen Letizia getting their daughters, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia, ready for school in the morning. Cameras linger in the foyer of the family's resi-

dence, which is dusted with some Easter flowers, awaiting the busy family as the clip begins. 45-year-old Leitizia and her daughter Sofía are the first to descend the grand staircase. The former journalist hurries down the stairway, ready to give way to her official activity of the day: her meeting with the

Advisory Council of Fundéu BBVA. At her side, Infanta Sofía is impeccably dressed in a Santa María de los Rosales School uniform, her hair styled into a high ponytail. Her father, King Felipe was also a focus of attention this week as he celebrated his 50th birthday on Monday.

Distressed State Elche Local Police have transferred an 80-year-old woman, suffering from Alzheimer’s, back to her home city of Torrevieja, as was spotted in distress. A bus driver in the city spotted her in a disorientated state at a bus stop, and the Swedish national could not speak Spanish, making communication difficult. She had apparently accompanied her husband from Torrevieja to Elche General Hospital for an appointment, and he was taken back home, whilst she remained stranded in the city. Local police officers eventually managed to identify her after extensive

inquiries, and drove her to their colleagues in Torrevieja,

who then accompanied her back home.

Friday 2nd February 2018

Speedy Ruling

A man whose car was caught on camera travelling at 160 kilometres per hour in a 120 kilometre limit zone has escaped losing any points from his licence by refusing to state who the driver was. He could, however be fined up to 900 euro for “non cooperation”, which is three times what he would have been fined for speeding. Although the car was caught on camera by the DGT's Pegasus helicopter, the image was unable to make out who was driving. A Madrid court has ruled that a car-owner cannot be fined or lose licence points if the identity of the driver is not known and it cannot be proven that the owner in

question was in fact at the wheel at the time. This, therefore, protects owners whose cars are stolen or where a qualified mechanic, friend or family member is driving instead. But the owner is obliged to state who was driving if the person in the car was using it with his or her permission. Refusing to identify the driver in the event of a road traffic offence attracts a 900 euro fine, not for breaking motoring laws, but for failing to cooperate with authorities when requested. The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), in these cases, often imposes a 300 euro fine and loss of driving licence points automatically,

because of the high number of 900 euro fines for noncooperation which go unpaid. But doing all of this is illegal, according to a judge in Madrid, since it 'infringes upon the principles of personal responsibility' and violates the right to be considered 'innocent until proven guilty'. As a result, the DGT has been ordered to pay legal costs, but ruling shows that although refusing to admit to having been driving a speeding vehicle means escaping the loss of licence points, it costs three times as much money. This is especially the case where, as often applies, speeding fines are reduced by 50 percent for prompt payment.

End Of An Era

Francisco Nunez Olivera, the world's oldest man, died at his home in Spain on Monday night, just a month after celebrating his 113th birthday. The mayor of Bienvenida, the village in the Badajoz region of south-west Spain, where he lived in his entire life, described it "a pity for the entire village and the whole world". Mr Olivera, who was born

on 13 December 1904, was known locally as "Marchena", a nickname given to him when a child mistook him for the famous Spanish singer, Pepe Marchena. The widower’s daughter Maria Antonia, 82, was understood to have been with him on Monday night when he died, with the funeral taking place the following day.

Francisco became the world’s oldest man after the death of Polish-born Israeli Yisrael Kristal on August 11th. The retired farmer, who fought in the Rif War in the first half of the 1920s between Spain and the Berber tribes of the Rif mountains in Morocco, went out for daily walks alone in his home village until he was 107.

Passenger Register

A Passenger Name Register (PNR) is expected to be in place in Spanish airports before the summer, if the interior ministry meets its self-imposed deadline. The register will allow data from the 250 million or so travellers who enter the country every year to be checked against police records, as part of a new structure in place to fight terrorism. Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido assures that all personnel and IT systems are 'ready and waiting' to start work on the PNR, but a new law allowing it to be used will have to be passed by the central government first. The PNR will rely on the Passenger Information Unit,

part of Spain's Intelligence Centre for Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO), made up of 250 National Police and Guardia Civil officers. Both units will receive data from millions of airline passengers a day after they land in Spain, including their identities, booking date, travel itinerary and method of payment. It is not known how far this will affect residents returning to Spain from holidays. Data will be stored on the system for six months, after which it will be encrypted and, after five years, wiped altogether in compliance with the requirements of the national Data Protection

Agency, which will monitor the system periodically. Zoido says a PNR would have allowed authorities to trace the movements of the infamous Iman from Ripoll in Girona Province, who is said to have been the brains behind the fatal attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils in August, and who was killed before they took place after a house in Tarragona, loaded with explosives, blew up. Once the PNR is in place, it is likely that, at least at first, passport control queues for entering Spain will become longer, although it is hoped that extra border police will be on duty to prevent exceptionally long delays.

www.thecourier.es

Vega Baja Boost

Over 20 million euro is to be invested in improvements to the health service in Alicante Province this year. One point two six million euro is to be spent providing “state of the art” equipment for the Vega Baja Hospital’s operating theatres as part of the package of enhancements. On a visit to the Orihuela facility last month, Valencian President, Ximo Puig promised investments at the hospital. Alicante General Hospital

will get almost three million euro to improve their emergency department, whilst Elche General Hospital has

Pile Up Tragedy

two million euro allocated to totally renovate the fifth floor Internal Medicine department.

Electronic Cops Orihuela local police have 10 new pocket electronic diaries (PDAs) to record details of road accidents and traffic incidents, as well as checking up on motorist and vehicle details. They will be able to access ITV, SUMA, and insurance policy information and to take photographs as well, plus giving motorists a printed out receipt concerning their infraction. The officers also have 35 new walkie-talkie units in their armoury.

Three people were killed and one seriously injured in a four car pile-up on the AP7 motorway in Alicante Province late on Friday night. The incident was on the Alicante-bound carriageway

in the Benissa area, and the accident was caused after a car stopped in the middle of the road. The driver and passenger of a second vehicle halted and went to the assistance of the motorist.

A third car then hit the driver of the original car and a passenger from the second vehicle, who both died, along with the driver of the third vehicle. A fourth car was also subsequently involved.

3 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Townhouse in Cabo Roig, Orihuela Costa

Y RT E OP THE R P F O EEK W

This is a great opportunity to purchase this 3 double bedroom townhouse, located on the famous Cabo Roig strip with all its bars, supermarkets, bus stop and health centre. The house is set in a secure gated complex and has the benefit of a communal swimming pool. The beautiful beach and sea are only five minutes away on foot. This is a privileged setting in which to enjoy your leisure time and it is close to all amenities; the beach is practically on the doorstep and there are three golf courses with 18 holes (the Ramblas, Campoamor and Villamartin) very close by. Visit the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre, which is the largest open shopping centre in Europe with 150 shops and restaurants.

Property ID: 124 - 129,000â&#x201A;Ź

FREE EPC CERTIFICATE All domestic and commercial buildings available to buy or rent must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). List your property for sale on EasyBuyProperties.com and we can arrange a FREE EPC Certificate assessment, saving you money straight away and increasing your chance of selling. Terms and conditions apply, but contact us today to find out more

Properties wanted, all areas. We have clients waiting. 4 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Townhouse in Playa Flamenca

6 Bedroom 3 Bathroom Detached Villa in San Luis AIN

AIN

Fantastic opportunity to purchase this detached villa in San Luis. The villa has 5/6 bedrooms, one at present is being used as an office, 3 bathrooms lounge/dining room, large kitchen, conservatory, large garden area, parking area, private pool and sun terrace.

This lovely townhouse is situated in a pretty private urbanisation with large, green areas and a communal pool. It is very close to the Zenia Boulevard shopping centre. The 4 bedrooms have fitted wardrobes, while one bathroom has a bathtub and the other a shower. There is a nice sun terrace where you can totally relax and soak up the good weather.

Property ID: 501 - 365,000€

Property ID: 018836 - 139,995€

2 Bedroom 1 Bathroom Apartment in Punta Prima

2 Bedroom 1 Bathroom Apartment in Orihuela D

AIN

Extremely well-presented top-floor apartment with large solarium and spacious terrace with open views to the sea. Set in a great central location, just a short stroll to a full range of local amenities and the coast, this well presented apartment includes A/C throughout, electric radiators and glass curtains providing an extra living room or large open terrace.

This is a beautifully presented upper-floor south-facing apartment, comprising: 2 double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, a family bathroom, bright lounge/dining area and a modern fitted kitchen with pantry area, in addition to a large 60m2 roof-top solarium, complete with garden furniture and gazebo, south-facing open front terrace.

Property ID: 0464948 - 84,000€

Property ID: 063388 - 49,950€

2 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Apartment in La Tercia Golf Resort

2 Bedroom 2 Bathroom Apartment in Campoamor

NIN

Luxury 2nd-floor corner apartment in La Tercia Golf. This 2 bedroom 2 bathroom property comes fully furnished, also with white goods & air-con. The property comprises a large living area with a sunny terrace. The property is finished to a very high standard with marble flooring & work tops. Great rental property or holiday apartment at a great price.

This ground-floor apartment with garden and terrace is situated just 600 metres from the beach in Campoamor. It is located in a quiet, residential urbanisation opposite a protected area of dunes and forest. The property is furnished and very well kept, and has 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a semiindependant kitchen and a spacious living room.

Property ID: 062881 - 45,000€

Property ID: 0164210 - 109,000€

Health

Friday 2nd February 2018

One cigarette a day 'increases heart disease and stroke risk' Smokers need to quit cigarettes rather than cut back on them to significantly lower their risk of heart disease and stroke, a large BMJ study suggests. People who smoked even one cigarette a day were still about 50% more likely to develop heart disease and 30% more likely to have a stroke than people who had never smoked, researchers said. They said it showed there was no safe level of smoking for such diseases. But an expert said people who cut down were more likely to stop. Cardiovascular disease, not cancer, is the greatest mortality risk for smoking, causing about 48% of smokingrelated premature deaths. While the percentage of adults in the UK who smoked had been falling, the proportion of people who smoked one to five cigarettes a day had been rising

steadily, researchers said. Their analysis of 141 studies, published in the BMJ, indicates a 20-a-day habit would cause seven heart attacks or strokes in a group of 100 middle-aged people. But if they drastically cut back to one a day it would still cause three heart attacks, the research suggests. The researchers said men who smoked one cigarette a day had about a 48% higher risk of developing coronary heart disease and were 25% more likely to have a stroke than those who had never smoked. For women, it was higher 57% for heart disease and 31% for stroke. Prof Allan Hackshaw at the UCL Cancer Institute at University College London, who led the study, told the BBC: "There's been a trend in quite a few countries for

heavy smokers to cut down, thinking that's perfectly fine, which is the case for things like cancer. "But for these two common disorders, which they're probably more likely to get than cancer, it's not the case. They've got to stop completely." The researchers said it might be expected that

smoking fewer cigarettes would reduce harm in a proportionate way as had been shown in some studies with lung cancer. However, they found that men who smoked one cigarette per day had 46% of the excess risk of heart disease and 41% for stroke compared with those who smoked 20 cigarettes per

day. For women it was 31% of the excess risk of heart disease and 34% for stroke. Prof Hackshaw said the increased risks of cardiovascular illness were over the course of a lifetime but damage could be done in just a few years of smoking. But he said the good news was that those who quit smoking could also quickly reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. Paul Aveyard, professor of behavioural medicine at the University of Oxford, said the "well conducted" study confirmed what epidemiologists had suspected - that light smoking created a "substantial risk for heart disease and stroke". But he said it was wrong to conclude cutting down smoking was useless. "Those who try to cut down with the aid of nicotine, whether from nicotine replacement treatment or an

e-cigarette, are more likely to stop eventually and thus really reduce their risks from smoking," he said. Martin Dockrell, tobacco lead at Public Health England, said: "This study adds to the growing body of evidence which tells us that cutting down to just one cigarette a day still leaves a substantial risk of heart attack and stroke. The best and safest thing you can do is to quit completely for good." Deborah Arnott, chief executive of health charity ASH, said: "It's addiction to nicotine that keeps people smoking but it's the tar in cigarette smoke that does the serious damage. "Vaping is much less harmful, but only if you quit smoking altogether." Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said discouraging people from cutting down smoking could be "counter-productive".

How the sushi boom is fuelling tapeworm infections The good news, said A&E doctor Kenny Bahn, was that the patient who had turned up at the emergency department was not dying. That is about the only happy element of the story Bahn, who works at a hospital in California, went on to tell on This Won’t Hurt a Bit, a medical podcast, about a man who arrived at hospital carrying a plastic bag. Inside the bag, wrapped around the cardboard tube of a toilet roll, was a 1.7-metre (5ft 6in) tapeworm. Bahn measured it once he had unravelled it on the hospital floor. The patient had complained of abdominal pain. During a bout of bloody diarrhoea, reports Bahn, “he says: ‘I look down and I look like there’s a piece of intestine hanging out of me.’ What’s racing through his mind is he thinks he’s dying … He grabs it and he pulls on it and it keeps coming out. ‘What is this long piece of entrail?’ And he picks it up and looks at it and what does it do?” There is a dramatic pause to enhance the horror. “It starts moving.” Bahn said that the tapeworm had probably come from the patient’s daily intake of salmon sashimi. “He told me he was freaked out, but I guess when you think you’re dying because your entrails are shooting out your bottom and you find out it’s not you, but something else, that’s probably a good thing.” The story has attracted attention all over the world,

as these things tend to do, says Peter Olson, a tapeworm expert and a researcher at the Natural History Museum’s life sciences department, “because they’re gross”. The worm, he says, was “almost certainly something called the broad fish tapeworm ... salmon is one of the main ways you would pick it up, if you don’t cook the meat.” The life of the broad fish tapeworm involves more than one host. “A typical life cycle might include a bear that feeds on salmon, then defecates back into the river. The larvae would be passed into the environment and, in the case of an aquatic life cycle like this, it would be eaten by something like a copepod, a little crustacean. When that copepod is eaten by a fish, it would transform into a larval tapeworm and that’s what is being transmitted to a human in this case. That would go to the intestine and grow into this giant

worm.” The tapeworm is a monstrous and impressive creation. It has a segmented body, with male and female reproductive organs in each segment, so it is capable of self-fertilisation. It does not have a head as such – its “head” is only useful for holding on to its host’s gut, rather than for “eating” (it absorbs nutrients through its skin). In many cases, you would not know you were infected. You might spot bits of tapeworm segment in your stool – small, pale, ricelike bits – or experience stomach pain or vomiting. Of the more than 10,000 known species of tapeworm, only a small number can infect humans. The type of tapeworm you might pick up from sushi or undercooked fish is deeply unpleasant, but relatively harmless – although it may cause gastric symptoms and allergic reactions. In rare cases, it can obstruct the intestine (a

worm can reach a length of 15 metres or even 25 metres, according to one scientific paper). It is fairly easily treated with the type of worming tablets given to pets. In those cases, Olson says chillingly, the human is the “final host”. But it is when we are the “intermediate host” that tapeworms can cause significant damage. “The problem is that the larvae don’t grow in the intestine, they move to other parts of the body and in particular to the central nervous system,” says Olson. They can cause cysts in the body, such as in the brain, causing seizures and headaches. In some cases, they can be fatal. The transmission is far more likely to come from faecal contamination, rather than eating undercooked meat, he says. “It’s a huge problem in places such as Central America, where there is a large pork industry and amount of pig farming;

the worse the sanitation conditions, the more likely there is to be transmission,” says Olsen. Tapeworm infection is thought to be a cause of up to one-third of cases of epilepsy in the region. The fox tapeworm, transmitted from fox faeces, is another variety of damaging parasite. However, although it can be found in Europe, it is not found in the UK. People can get it by ingesting it unwittingly. “A child, therefore, might be more likely to end up with those sorts of things.” Could you pick it up from pets? “Again, only through faecal contamination.” Olson recalls a case where a man was thought to have been infected with a parasite by a dog. However, he had HIV and his immune system was weakened. The tapeworm infection “wouldn’t have survived in him if he wasn’t immunocompromised. In most cases, we don’t share the same parasites [as a dog]. But the dog can bring faecal contamination in from the outside.” Another horrible case involved a patient who had HIV and was thought to have cancer. However, biopsies from tumours found that they were not human cancer cells, but cells from a cancerous tapeworm (he died before he could be treated). He had been infected with Hymenolepsis nana, a common tapeworm thought to affect up to 75 million people at any one time. An infection

with this parasite is easily treated, but this case highlights the severe problems it can cause, particularly in areas of the developing world where there are high rates of HIV. These are among the cases that have affected many of the world’s poorest people. Such illnesses could be eradicated with investment in sanitation, education and drug administration – the World Health Organization has added tapeworm infections to its list of major neglected tropical diseases. These are not the rare, horrific-but-fascinating stories of California sushi-eaters becoming host to a parasitic worm. However, doctors have warned that contracting diseases in this way is a risk of which we should become more aware. A case report in the British Medical Journal last March told of a 32-yearold man in Portugal who was admitted to hospital with severe abdominal pain; an endoscopy revealed a parasitic worm was attached to his gut wall and it was removed. It is thought he ingested the parasite while eating sushi. “Owing to changes in food habits, anisakiasis [disease caused by worms from fish, causing symptoms such as pain, vomiting and diarrhoea] is a growing disease in western countries, which should be suspected in patients with a history of ingestion of raw or uncooked fish,” wrote the researchers.

Health

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HOW SAFE IS ASPIRIN? Aspirin has a number of uses in conventional medicine. It is used to reduce fever and for treating pain, especially those related to the nerves such as toothache. Aspirin is also commonly used to treat inflammation, especially arthritis. In conditions such as fever, and for some inflammatory conditions, such as toothache, where aspirin is prescribed for short-term usage, it can be a very beneficial and useful agent. However, in most cases, aspirin is prescribed as a blood thinner. It is therefore prescribed more or less for life. Blood thinners are used to treat the hardening and narrowing of arteries. If left untreated, hardened arteries can cause high blood pressure, heart attacks and

strokes. The reasoning behind using aspirin in such situations is that it helps to keep the blood as thin as possible, so that it is able to pass through the narrowing arteries. There are many things wrong with this approach. For starters, as the blood becomes thinner, there is increased risk of internal bleeding. Many people on aspirin notice that they bruise more easily than they did when they began taking the medicine, a pointer to the risk of internal bleeding. Aspirins are well known to increase the risk of stomach and intestinal bleeding. One study, published in JAMA in 2012, found that taking aspirin increases the risk of bleeding into the brain and guts. Another study, published in the Digestion magazine in 2009, found that 80%

of people studied using aspirin developed injury to the small bowel. One of the biggest problems with aspirin use is that it increases the risk of brain

haemorrhage. This can lead to a person suffering a stroke. In other words, aspirin use will cause the diseases that it is prescribed to prevent. One published

study found that regular aspirin use before the occurrence of a brain haemorrhage is an independent predictor for death. What is even worse is that there is no evidence that aspirin even helps manage the heart diseases for which it is usually prescribed. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005, found that the use of aspirin did not reduce the risk of heart attacks or cardiovascular disease (Paul M Ridker et al). Most heart diseases occur from the hardening and narrowing of arteries caused by plaque deposits, and this plaque can be dissolved with the help of a naturally occurring enzyme called serrapeptase. The sad truth about using aspirin to treat hardening of the arteries is that aspirin does not treat hard-

ening of the arteries, which continues unabated until the arteries become completely occluded and requires the insertion of a stent or widening of the arteries or even worse - heart bypass surgery. Serrapeptase can help dissolve the plaque or keep it at bay. Aspirin should never be taking for prevention of heart disease or other complications arising from hardening of the arteries. The only possible use of aspirin in a heart health context should be after heart bypass surgery to prevent the clots that can develop from the mechanical stents. For A Whole-body diagnostic scan call MedB Clinic – 965 071 745, 999 189 074 or visit www.medb.es for more information

We'll live longer but suffer more ill-health by by 2035, says study Alan Brindell The number of older people who have at least four different medical conditions is set to double by 2035, in a trend that will put huge extra strain on the NHS, researchers warn. Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, dementia and depression will become far

more common as more and more over-65s develop them in their later years, a study at Newcastle University published on Tuesday found. One in three of those diagnosed with four long-term conditions will have dementia, depression or some form

of cognitive impairment, according to academics in the university’s Institute for Ageing. They predict that over the next 20 years there will be “a massive expansion in the number of people suffering from multiple diseases, known as multi-morbidity”.

Those years will see a 179.4% increase in the number of people of pension age being diagnosed with cancer, a 118% rise in those who have diabetes and a big jump, too, in cases of arthritis. “In the population over the age of 85 years all diseases, apart from dementia and depression, will more than double in absolute numbers between 2015 and 2035”, say the researchers. The trend will mean that men and women will suffer from four or more diseases for two-thirds of the extra life expectancy that people can look forward to gaining by 2035 – another 3.6 years for men and 2.9 years for women – the authors estimate. “These findings have enormous implications for how we should consider the structure and resources for the NHS in the future,” said Carol Jagger, professor of epidemiology of ageing at the institute, who led the study. “Multi-morbidity increases the likelihood of hospital

admission and a longer stay, along with a higher rate of readmission, and these factors will continue to contribute to crisis in the NHS”. A large part of the increase in the number of people with four or more medical problems will come from an expected sharp rise in coming years in the number of people living until at least age 85, which Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has warned will increase the NHS’s workload in the future. Jagger and her team also identified another age group whose health outlook is also very gloomy. “More worryingly, our model shows that future young-old adults, aged 65 to 74 years, are more likely to have two or three diseases than in the past. This is due to their higher prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity, which are risk factors for multiple diseases,” added Jagger. The research, part of the MODEM project, has been jointly funded by the Economic and Social

Research Council and the NHS’s research arm, the National Institute for Health Research. Caroline Abrahams, the charity director at Age UK, said: “This research absolutely underlines the importance of getting our health and care services right for older people. The increase in longevity over recent years has been a major achievement, but it also means we need to shift our focus to helping people to stay as well and independent as possible for as long as possible. “As we get older, our health and care needs tend to overlap and become more complex. A more compassionate and intelligent approach to caring for older people must be a priority for us all.” A spokesperson for NHS England said: “This study is further evidence of the need to integrate care, in the way the NHS is now beginning to do, so as to better support the growing number of older people with multiple health problems.”

Food & Drink

Friday 2nd February 2018

Breakfast Hash Bowl

INGREDIENTS 2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes 1–2 tbsp oil 1/4 tsp paprika Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1/2 pkg medium-firm tofu 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tbsp non-dairy milk 1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped 2 tbsp salsa METHOD Boil the potatoes for 10

minutes then drain. Put 1 tablespoonful of oil and the potatoes in a large pan over medium heat. Mash to a chunky texture and spread evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with the paprika and seasoning and cook for approximately 7 to 8 minutes, or until the underside is golden and crispy. Flip and cook over medium-low heat for another 7 to 8 minutes, until crispy, adding another tablespoonful of oil, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover with foil. Re-heat the pan over

medium heat, crumble in the tofu, and add the mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric, nutritional yeast, non-dairy milk, and additional seasoning to taste. Stir well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are nearly soft. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, or until wilted and soft. Spread the tofu scramble on the potato hash and top with the salsa. Serve immediately. Prep: 15 Mins Cook: 30 Mins Serves: 2

Creamy Mexican Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

1 tbsp oil 1 white onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 can sweetcorn 1 can red kidney beans 1 can black-eyed beans 3 large tomatoes, chopped 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp oregano 400 ml vegetable stock Pinch chilli flakes Pinch salt Pinch pepper Juice of 1/2 a lime Coconut cream, optional

Place the oil in a large pan on the hob and leave for a few minutes to heat up. Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic clove and add to the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic until light brown, stirring regularly to prevent sticking and burning. Rinse and drain the sweetcorn, kidney beans, and black-eyed beans. To the onions and garlic, add the sweetcorn, kidney beans, black-eyed beans,

tomatoes, smoked paprika, oregano, vegetable stock, chilli flakes, salt, and pepper and a squeeze of lime juice. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for 40 to 50 minutes. Add more vegetable stock if the soup becomes too thick. Serve with a scoop of coconut cream, if desired, and a squeeze of lime juice. Prep: 10 Mins Cook: 50 Mins Serves: 6

Smoked Mackerel & Leek Hash with Horseradish

Ingredients 250g new potatoes, halved 2 tbsp oil 2 large leeks, thinly sliced 4 eggs 100g peppered smoked mackerel, skin removed 2 tbsp creamed horseradish Method Put the potatoes in a

microwaveable bowl with a splash of water, cover, then cook on high for 5 mins until tender (or steam or simmer them). Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 mins, stirring so they don’t stick, until softened. Tip in the potatoes, turn up the heat and fry for a couple of mins to crisp them up a bit. Flake

through the mackerel. Make four indents in the leek mixture in the pan, crack an egg into each, season, then cover the pan and cook for 6-8 mins until the whites have set and the yolks are runny. Serve the horseradish on the side, with the pan in the middle of the table. Prep: 10 Mins Cook: 20 Mins Serves: 2

Food & Drink

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Food

Friday 2nd February 2018

Chorizo & Pea Risotto

Ingredients

Method

1 tbsp oil 200g chorizo, peeled and chopped 300g arborio risotto rice 2 tbsp vinegar (white wine vinegar if you have it) 1.2l chicken stock (fresh is best), heated until simmering 200g frozen peas 60g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, tip in the chorizo and fry until it is crisp and all the oil has been released. Remove a quarter of the chorizo and set aside. Tip the rice into the pan, stir to coat it in the oil and toast for a min or so, then pour in the vinegar. Once the vinegar has evaporated, add a ladleful of the stock, stir then, once absorbed, add a bit more. Continue doing this for about 20 mins until

most of the stock has been absorbed and the rice has swollen but still has a slight bite. Tip in the peas, parmesan and the remaining stock. Give everything a good stir. Once the cheese has melted, season with black pepper, then divide between bowls, topping each portion with the remaining crisp chorizo and extra grated parmesan. Prep: 5 Mins Cook: 30 Mins Serves: 4

Spanish Chicken Pie

Ingredients

Method

1kg potatoes, chopped 3 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp olive oil 2 onions, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 300g cooked chicken, shredded 140g roasted pepper from a jar, sliced handful Kalamata olives, halved

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 mins until tender. Drain, return to the pan, then mash with some seasoning and 2 tsp of the paprika. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the onions and garlic for a few mins until softened. Stir in the remaining paprika for 1 min, add the tomatoes ,

then, bring to a simmer. Tip into a large ovenproof dish, then stir in the chicken, peppers, olives and some seasoning. Spoon over the mash, then bake for 15 mins until the mash is golden on top and the sauce is bubbling.

Prep: 10 Mins Cook: 30 Mins Serves: 4

Double Ginger Cookies

Ingredients 350g plain flour 1 tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 175g light muscovado sugar 100g butter, chopped 8 pieces of stem ginger, chopped (not too finely), plus thin slices, to decorate (optional) 1 large egg 4 tbsp golden syrup 200g bar dark chocolate, chopped Method Mix the flour, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda, 1/2 tsp salt and sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter to make crumbs. Stir in the

chopped stem ginger. Beat together the egg and syrup, pour into the dry ingredients and stir, then knead with your hands to make a dough. Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a thick sausage about 6cm across, making sure that the ends are straight. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 mins. You can now freeze all or part of the dough for 2 months. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment. Thickly slice each sausage into 12 and put the slices on the baking sheets, spacing them well apart and reshaping any, if necessary,

to make rounds. Bake for 12 mins, then leave to cool for a few mins to harden before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the water isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touching the bottom of the bowl. Dip half of each cookie into the chocolate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you may need to spoon it over when you get to the final few. Decorate with a slice of ginger, if you like, and leave to set. Will keep for 1 week in an airtight container.

Prep: 20 Mins Cook: 12 Mins Makes: 24

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Many of you will already be aware that the Carnival celebrations for 2018 kicked off last weekend with the crowning of the Carnival Queen and the opening speeches. This week, Carnivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main event, which is one not to be missed, is the fabulous Drag Queen Competition. The event will be held this Friday 2 February at the International Auditorium starting at 8.30 pm. If you love outlandish costumes, over-the-top theatrics, music and dance - and not forgetting a little bit of comedy as well - youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll absolutely love this event, which is usually a sell-out each year. Entrants come from all over Spain to participate in this competition, which is hosted by famous Spanish celebrities and judged by esteemed experts. Tickets for the X National Drag Queen Competition are priced at 6 euro.

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Tea Time on TKO on Tour This week, TKO´s Tea Time is going on Tour! Mark Nolan is off on his travels and will be taking you along for the ride, visiting a number of interesting tourist locations on the way. In a simulcast with our Facebook page, TKO Spain, the show will be broadcast from these towns every day, with a visit to some of the most popular locations. Starting off on Monday, you will be in Barcelona, home to such treasures as the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi Museum, and much more, so you will be taken along to visit some of these locations, on radio, and on social media. If you haven´t already, make sure your radio is tuned to 91.9fm, although you can listen online at tko.fm, and remember to follow the journey on Facebook, TKO Spain. Tea Time on Tour begins at 5pm sharp. Make sure you check in early and join Alex Trelinski from 2, or Tim Bridge from 12, or, even better, start your day with Dennis Christian from 8, for a full and fun packed radio experience.

Local Markets Friday Albatera, Almoines, Banyeres, Benejuzar, Beniarres, Benidoleig, Crevillente, Daimus, Denia (Rastro), El Verger, Finestrat, Gata de Gorgos, Granja de Rocamora, L’ Alfas del Pi, Monforte del Cid, Monstesinos, Moraira, Muro de Alcoi, Oliva, Onil, Petrer, Pilar de la Horadada, Playa de Daimus (summer evenings), Rafol d’ Almunia, Sella, Tibi, Torrevieja, Villalonga. Saturday Alcoi, Alicante, Almoradi, Alqueria, Banyeres, Bellreguard, Benifairo, Benissa, Callosa d’En Sarria, Calpe, Castalla, Castell de Castells, Catral, Elche, Elda , La Font d’En Carros, La Romana, Gaianes, Hondon de las Nieves, Novelda, Ondara, Pedreguer, Tavernes de la Valdigna (summer evenings), San Vicente del Raspeig, Salinas, Relleu, Santa Pola, Xalo (Jalon) Rastro Sunday Benidorm, Elche, La Nucia, Campoverde, Algorfa, La Marina, Zoco, Almoradí street market, Lemon Tree Road, Mil Palmeras. Monday Agres, Callosa d’En Sarria, Cox, Denia, Elche, Formentera, Granja de Rocamora, Ibi, La Nucia, Llocnou de Sant Jeroni, Parcent, Petrer, Penaguila, Playa de Miramar (summer evenings), Monover, Real de Gandia, San Pedro del Pinatar, Santa Pola, Sax, Torremendo, Xeraco Tuesday Alicante (Rastro), Aspe, Altea, Barx, Bellreguard, Benijofar, Campo de Mirra, Castalla, Elda, Orihuela, Palma de Gandia, Piles, Playa de Piles (summer evenings), Rafelcofer, Relleu, San Fulgencio, Sella, Tibi, Villalonga, Xalo(Jalon), Xeresa Wednesday Ador, Albatera, Alcoi, Alqueries, Almoines, Banyeres, Barx, Benjema, Beniaries, Benidorm, Benilloba, Benitatxell, Biar, Callosa de Segura, Calpe (Rastro), El Campello, Elda, Guardamar del Segura, La Font d’en Carros, La Mata, Muchamiel, Monforte del Cid, Novelda, Orba, Ondara, Petrer, Polop, Potries, Rotova, San Miguel de Salinas, Sella, Teulada Thursday Agost, Agres, Albatera, Alguena, Alicante, Aspe, Benidoleig, Campoamor near Cabo Roig medical centre, Cocentaina, Hondon de los Frailes, Llocnou de Sant Jeroni, Pego, Playe de Bellreguard (summer evenings), Rafelcofer, Rojales, Tavernes de Valldigna, Villajoyosa, Xabia (Javia), Xixona (Jijona)

The What's On Guide is brought to you by Silverstones Bar & Bistro The Costa Blanca’s first motorsport themed bar and restaurant is opening in March in Montebello, near Quesada. Silverstones Bar and Bistro is offering a fine-dining experience with quality food, wine and service. Come and join them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The What's on Guide is brought to you by Silverstone´s Bar and Bistro, the restaurant we have all been waitin for. Silverstones Bar and Bistro, Montebello, just off Junction 745 on the AP7. Contact them on 965 720 140 or silverstonesbarbistro.com or find them on Facebook. Until Sunday 11 February, 2018 Torrevieja Charity Art Exhibition at the Virgen del Carmen Centre Living in Africa Until Sunday 25 February, 2018 Rojales Art exhibition by Ana Carillo at the Caves - Sala Mengolero Torrevieja Art Exhibition by Jaume Marzal called Glances and People. Virgen del Carmen Until Saturday 3 February, 2018 Pilar de la Horadada Exhibition of the winning photos from the VII Photographic Rally 2017 Friday 2 - Sunday 4 February, 2018 Orihuela Annual Medieval Market - one of the largest in Spain Friday 2 February, 2018 Orihuela Costa Fashion Show at 12 pm in La Zenia Alicante Symphonic Orchestra of Alicante concert at the Auditorio de la Diputación Torrevieja X Drag Queen Competition 21.30h at the International Auditorium Saturday 3 February, 2018 Orihuela Costa World Cancer Day Charity Event at the Boulevard Orihuela Play “Obra de Dios” at the Teatro Circo Torrevieja II Carnival Day - paella, face painting, kids entertainment 13h Plaza de la Ermita Sunday 4 February, 2018 Orihuela Unión Lírica Orcelitana concert for Carnival - Cuban and African music at the Teatro Circo Atanasio Díe Marín Orihuela Costa Winter Gift Fair - 12 pm - 5.30 pm at Villamartin Plaza Wednesday 7 February, 2018 Orihuela Costa INAUGURATION OF PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION "Paisaje Urbano, Vega Baja del Segura" Spanish wine and a tapa, offered by the Café of the Civic Centre 'Alameda del Mar' Thursday 8 - Sunday 11 February, 2018 Alicante Michaell Jackson’s - live concert to the King of Pop at the Teatro Principal Saturday 10 February Orihuela Costa Carnival Party in the Civic Centre Cafetería, Playa Flamenca 1pm Sunday 11 February, 2018 Aguilas First Great Carnival Parade from 18h Torrevieja Carnival Parade from 4 pm Monday 12 February, 2018 Rojales Open Meeting on Brexit Negotiations 12 pm at the Teatro Cívico by British Consul for Alicante Province

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

tional church. Sunday services 11am. Children's church 11am.. For more information lease Telephone today: 966 799 273 or 660 127 276. QUIZ MASTER Experienced quiz-master /question setter with personality. If you would like a quiz master that is entertaining, and is available to host quiz nights in local bars. Tel: 664 838 581. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES VENDING ROUTE Good monthly cash income. Financing available. 697 834 934 FOR SALE DUE TO RETIREMENT New and Used Furniture Business, well known, repeat business from regular clientele. Trading for over 10 years. Only serious applicants need apply. For more information Tel: 620 582 063 SERVICES STRUCTURAL SURVEYS Mark Paddon BSC Hons Building Surveying MCIOB. CAAT. Buyerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and defect reports. Tele. 653 733 066 www.surveryorspain.com

der Remin e here. tis Adver 003 6 921 6 9 l l a C

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TRELI ON THE TELLY WITH ALEX TRELINSKI

There’s a buzz about a new drama called Counterpart which has just started airing on the US channel, Starz (the same outlet that has brought us the mega international hit Outlander), and I have to say that based on the first two episodes, that buzz is deserved. If I tell you that JK Simmons is the star of this drama, you just know that you are in for something special, as he plays somebody who works in a weird looking agency based in Berlin, who then discovers that his employers are actually guarding a portal linking into a parallel dimension. The first episode sees Simmons meet his alterego, who is a very different kettle of fish in this Cold War-style spy caper, which is crammed full of British acting talent like Olivia Williams, Stephen Rea, and Harry Lloyd. But it is Simmons, who won an Oscar for his role in the music school movie Whiplash three years ago, that is the focal point of it all, and you get for the price of one from him.

Two For The Price Of One

It’s not easy to explain Counterpart or to convey the Berlin atmosphere, so just check it out yourself in the knowledge that this drama is brilliant, and Starz rightly ordered two series from the start. It’s also good to see Simmons have a starring role and I suspect that Emmy nominations will be beckoning for both him and the actual show. I really wanted to hate the new Saturday night BBC-1 singing show All Together Now but there was something that did keep me watching for the full hour last weekend. It’s certainly miles better than the awful

Wedding Day Winners, but I suppose the old Test Card would offer more entertainment value than WDW! Rob Beckett also pops up to host this search for a new signing star and is far more comfortable in this compared to WDW. Essentially, you get 100 musical experts from different backgrounds sitting in boxes akin to Celebrity Squares and the start of The Muppet Show to vote on the different acts. Of course you get your grumpy judges and friendly judges, with Geri Halliwell-Horner as the voice of experience in the middle. One tabloid news-

paper described All Together Now as “atrociously awful”, which I think is a bit unfair, but due to Wedding Day Winners lowering the bar deep into the ground as to what constitutes decent Saturday night entertainment, perhaps I’m getting a wee bit too generous in my old age! The end is in sight at last for Pat Phelan on Coronation Street with the news that we will be coming to end of this storyline in the next few months:- probably on Britain’s Got Talent week in May! There’s been nothing wrong with the plot, but my gripe has been that it

has simply dragged on for too long at the expense of other storylines on the Street. If I read the phrase, “… .it’s not The Night Manager” applied to McMafia, I’ll scream. We’ve two instalments left of this excellent Sunday night thriller on BBC-1, and quite rightly it’s nothing like The Night Manager! Yes, you’ve had to use your brain cells to follow the plot as it beautifully and slowly built up the layers over a number of weeks, and that does have me worried about what people want out of TV drama (Counterpart is a slow burner as well). Drama should challenge like the great Kiri, which ended on Channel Four this week, as well as crediting viewers with a modicum of intelligence. Heaven preserve us from an endless diet of low budget police and medical procedurals that are neatly wrapped up in one episode Talking of medical shows, there’s an enjoyable new US drama called The Resident, which premiered on Fox in the States a few weeks ago. Traditional ele-

ments are there from all the hospital dramas on both sides of the Atlantic, but we have a neat twist as Matt Czuchry (remember him as lawyer Cary in The Good Wife) plays likeable but cocky resident Conrad Hawkins in an Atlanta hospital. Hawkins takes new doctors under his wing and gives them a rough ride to get the best out of them(we’ve seen that before in ER from episode with a young Noah Wyle), but we also have him involved in a running battle with the hospital’s top medic played by Bruce Greenwood, who despite his reputation, seems to have totally lost it in the operating theatre. The first episode sees one of his patients die on the table and everybody has to cover it up, and Hawkins wants him out, as we see the nasty and manipulative nature of Greenwood’s character. Their confrontations are the highlights of what is certainly an above average medical show that has a bit of an attitude about it.

SOAPS

Friday 2nd February 2018 her affair. When Zeedan reveals her lover is a woman, her parents are stunned, but Zeedan is shocked by their next move.

Friday Jimmy and Nicola justify their actions. Meanwhile, Lachlan jumps to conclusions. Elsewhere, Graham has concerns.

Monday Rebecca finally wakes up from her coma, leaving Lachlan worried that the truth will come out. Lachlan is relieved when Rebecca says that she can only remember being in the car and not the actual crash. However, Rebecca later wakes up and starts shouting at Lachlan how she knows what he did and will tell everyone. Meanwhile, Dr Cavanagh tells Jimmy he’s got high blood pressure and needs to change his lifestyle or he’s at risk of serious ill-

Wednesday Cain buys cocaine from Simon and offers him more money to plant drugs at Joe’s party. Simon agrees, but Graham is secretly watching. Is Cain’s scheming now under threat? Meanwhile, Lisa is annoyed to find Zak and Sam trying to rebuild the wall, which then collapses on touch. Lisa tells Zak to accept they’ve lost. Elsewhere, Lachlan fears the worst.

Thursday Debbie approaches Simon and asks him to mess Joe up in exchange for the money. At the same time, over at Home Farm, Joe fires a seething Ross for being in league with Debbie. Ross storms out, grabbing some car keys in the hall as he does so. Outside Dale View, Ross gets out of the stolen car. Simon – mistaking him for Joe – runs up and throws acid in his face, leaving Ross screaming in pain. Meanwhile, Daz tries to play peacemaker.

ness. Will he admit this to Nicola? Elsewhere, Cain is suspicious. Tuesday (Hour-long) Rebecca heads to Home Farm, where she meets Joe Tate and tries to remember the crash. Robert and Lachlan take Rebecca back to the hospital, but is Lachlan’s secret still under threat? Meanwhile, Charity confronts some uncomfortable truths. Elsewhere, Harriet feels determined.

Ross is in agony after the acid attack. Meanwhile, Daz wants Gabby on side. Gabby asks Daz to secretly buy her wine and says she’ll pretend to like him in front of Bernice if he does. Elsewhere, Zak is touched when he arrives to find villagers helping to rebuild Wishing Well. But who’s behind the kind act?

Friday Carla is nervous knowing that Aidan and Kate are going for their initial tests to see if they can be a donor. Bored, she invites herself back to Daniel’s flat after hearing that Sinead knocked him back. Peter watches as Carla enters the flat. Once inside, she is flirtatious and a smitten Daniel gets more than he bargained for! Meanwhile, Robert follows Zeedan into Number 6 and apologises for failing to tell him about Rana’s affair. Zeedan pulls out a bottle of whisky. Grimacing, he knocks back a glass and is clearly on a mission to drown his sorrows. Sinead heads round to Daniel’s to tell him she wants to try again, but is stunned to see him kissing Carla on the doorstep. Devastated, Sinead tells Beth, who confronts the pair in The Rovers. This exchange takes place in front of a shocked Peter, who quietly seethes with envy. Meanwhile, Robert tries to stop Zeedan from drinking, but he continues to down whiskey. As he stumbles out of the house, Rana and Robert try to get him back inside and he accuses Rana of never loving him.

Monday Rana and Imran go round to the house, where they find a hungover Zeedan. Rana is shocked to get a text from her parents saying they are coming round. To her horror, Zeedan hands round glasses of whiskey and forces her to confess about

Zeedan tells Rana about her parents’ proposition and she is horrified he is even considering it. When Imran tells Rana that she should seriously consider it or face being an outcast, she doesn’t know what to do. Will she accept?

Wednesday Carla collapses in the Rovers! Peter thinks she’s drunk but is horrified when Roy reveals the truth. Elsewhere, Chesney overhears Hugo and Henry discussing that they are only going out with the girls for a bet. He decides Gemma should know the truth. As the family gather round Carla’s hospital bed, Johnny is shocked to have been kept in the dark. Johnny is also stunned and grateful to discover that Aidan is planning to donate a kidney to his sister. Meanwhile, Yasmeen points out to Zeedan that cashing in on Rana’s affair is not going to make him happy in the long run. Elsewhere, Phelan tells Steph that if she finds Andy, to put him in touch with him as they have unfinished business. Phelan is also suspicious of Nicola’s bid to stop him coming into her flat for a coffee.

Friday Mel is facing fresh pressure from Ciara to solve the mystery of the missing money. Trying a new tactic, Mel meets up with Louise and tries to get as much information from her as possible. Mel even tricks Louise into inviting her back to the Mitchell house, where she takes the opportunity to snoop around. Will Mel be rumbled when Sharon catches her at the house? Meanwhile, Phil is determined to contact Ben and seeks answers from Jay. Monday Mel’s situation finally seems to be improving as she gets closer than ever to being reunited with her son Hunter. Meanwhile, Pam Coker pays a return visit to Walford, but she has a bone to pick with Billy. When Pam demands answers and Billy can’t explain, she decides to fire him and makes Jay the temporary manager of the funeral parlour in his place. Elsewhere, Mariam is concerned after hearing that Daisy’s new adoptive parents are struggling, so she decides to call the social worker.

Wednesday Mel’s dreams come true when she’s finally reunited with Hunter. Sadly, Mel’s good mood doesn’t last for long, as she’s taken aback when Hunter discovers the truth about his father. How will Mel explain herself?

Meanwhile, Tina consoles Billy now that he’s lost his job at the funeral parlour. Billy decides to tell Honey the bad news, but the truth that he slept with Tina also comes out! Elsewhere, Karen’s extra ironing service descends into chaos when she mixes up everyone’s clothes. Thursday Now that Hunter knows the truth about his father Steve Owen, a stressed-out Mel deals with the aftermath. Later on, Mel finds Hunter at his grandmother’s grave. Meanwhile, Honey is already dealing with the revelation of Billy’s infidelity, but he’s also forced to confess that he’s lost his job. Can Billy and Honey find any way to get back on track?

Hanssen steps down as CEO, with Serena agreeing to take over temporarily.

When Ric is admitted to Holby, Serena treat the injuries he sustained in prison. Distressed by Ric's situation, Serena investigates what happened the day Elaine Warren died. Meanwhile, Oliver's physiotherapy is cut short when his therapist collapses, triggering his surgical instincts. As he attempts to diagnose her, Dom, Lofty and Roxanna try to temper his expectations. Oliver starts to wonder if he can still be a doctor.

Week Days 08:00 Breakfast to Brunch with Dennis Christian 12:00 Tim´s Lunchbox with Tim Bridge 14:00 Afternoons with Alex Trelinski - Alex in the Afternoon. 17:00 Drivetime (AKA Tea Time) with Mark Nolan

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

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

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

Friday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Food: Truth or Scare 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 A1: Britain’s Longest Road 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 Showdown 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 08:15 Food: Truth or Scare 09:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live: Davis Cup Tennis 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:55 This Wild Life 17:25 The Hunt 18:25 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys

20:30 A Question of Sport Sue Barker hosts a Premier League edition of the sports quiz. Joining captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell are Dion Dublin, Graeme Le Saux, Darren Bent and Alex Scott.

20:00 Big Dreams Small Spaces Monty Don meets two sets of gardeners who are desperate for his help and advice so as to turn their outside spaces into dream gardens.

21:00 EastEnders Mel takes advantage of Louise but is stopped by Sharon.

21:30 A Vicar’s Life In the Black Mountains of south Wales, vicar Nicholas Lowton hopes that the young couple getting married in his church - and their congregation - will be touched by the experience. In Breinton, the Rev Ruth Hulse believes that if people aren't coming to church, the church must come to them. Narrated by Jan Ravens.

21:30 Room 101 Jimmy Carr, Steven Moffat and Rochelle Humes compete to have their pet hates to Room 101. 22:00 Requiem Cellist Matilda Gray’s world is turned upside down when her mother inexplicably commits suicide. The griefstricken musician finds a box of items on her mother’s bed relating to a young girl who went missing 23 years earlier, so goes to see whether her mother’s death could be related to the case. 23:00 News 23:35 Graham Norton 00:25 Witless 00:55 The Celebrity Voicemail Show 01:15 Weather 01:20 News

20:00 Emmerdale Jimmy and Nicola justify their actions. 20:30 Coronation Street Carla seeks a fun diversion to occupy her mind. 21:00 River Monsters After a mystery sea monster washes up on a UK beach, extreme angler Jeremy Wade sets off on a journey to unmask this beast and find out whether it poses any threat to humans. His journey takes him to London, where he digs for clues among celebrated naturalist Charles Darwin's historic specimens, to the frozen waters of Greenland.

21:30 Coronation Street Amy causes panic among her family.

22:00 Nigel Slater’s Middle East Nigel Slater begins a Middle Eastern food adventure in Lebanon, a cuisine that has travelled the globe, but whose heart remains at home.

22:00 Lethal Weapon When Murtaugh and Riggs respond to a robbery that took place 20,000 feet in the air, the investigation turns into an ongoing hunt for an unreliable father whose daughter is their main witness.

22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Lee Mack and Victoria Coren Mitchell take on Alan Carr and Dane Baptiste. Sam Simmons is in Dictionary Corner with Susie, and Rachel is in charge of the letters and numbers.

23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight 00:05 Film - Calvary (14) 01:40 Panorama 02:10 Inside Out 02:40 Inside the Factory 03:40 This Is BBC Two

23:00 News 23:45 Through the Keyhole 00:45 Take Me Out 01:45 Jackpot247 04:00 Alphabetical 04:50 ITV Nightscreen

23:00 The Last Leg 00:05 First Dates Hotel 01:10 Film - This Is 40 (14) 03:30 Kiri 04:25 The Lie Detective 05:05 Coast vs Country

A hoste of guests joineth the third series of Upstart Crow

Welcome my lords, ladies and groundlings to the third series of Ben Elton's televisual comedie which starreth David Mitchell in a tale based on the life of William Shakespeare, genius, family man and highly-strung baldy-boots as he struggleth to be all at once a father, a husband, a commuter and the greatest literary genius of all time. Filming hath this week begun on the BBC II comedie and especial guest appearances throughout the series includeth Kenneth Branagh as a mysterious stranger and Lily Cole as Ephie in the Christmas special which aireth next December. The series overbrims with guest appear-

21:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast Portly actor and comedian Johnny Vegas arrives at Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty's celebrated cafe on Southend Pier for a little lesson from Jamie on how to flambe the perfect steak. Jamie also prepares a somewhat less conventional dish in the shape of cannelloni featuring veal and nettles. Meanwhile, cohost Jimmy builds a beer pump in the hope of serving the best possible draught.

21:00 Mastermind Quiz.

ances from mummers such as Adrian Edmondson, Montserat Lombard, Nigel Planer, Beattie Edmondson, and Ben Miller. The regular players all returneth as before, with Harry Enfield as Will’s father, John Shakespeare; Paula Wilcox as Will’s mother, Mary; Liza Tarbuck as Will’s wife Anne; Helen Monks as their daughter Susanna; Gemma Whelan as Kate; Rob Rouse as Bottom; Mark Heap as Will’s nemesis Robert Greene; Dominic Coleman as Condell; Steve Speirs as Burbage; Jocelyn Jee Esien as Lucy; Tim Downie as Kit Marlowe and Spencer Jones as Kempe. Upstart Crow will return to BBC II later this year.

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Return of The Real Full Monty on ITV

One of the biggest and boldest TV hits of last year, which saw a group of celebrity men bare all to the delight of millions of ITV viewers, is coming back for a brand new full frontal extravaganza. In the Real Full Monty, the troupe’s balls out commitment to raising awareness of men’s cancers in which famous names including Alexander Armstrong, Ashley Banjo, Harry Judd, Matthew Wolfenden, Wayne Sleep and Elliot Wright performed the iconic strip tease from 1990s cinema classic The Full Monty, thrilled theatre audiences in Sheffield and at the London Palladium and produced some unforgettable TV moments. Now, ITV is announcing its return in 2018, which will see a fresh set of stars learn

a new super-sized version of the sexy routine from scratch before stripping fully nude for the nation in a brand new 90 minute show. Once again, Alexander Armstrong and Ashley Banjo and will lead this ITV special. Dance supremo Ashley will marshal the band of famous novices through their moves, whipping them into shape to perform a frenzyinducing striptease. Offering inspirational support and guidance will be Alexander, who famously kicked off the lead in to last year’s show by having his own testicles checked by Dr Chris Steele live on ITV’s This Morning show, to demonstrate to men the importance of overcoming inhibitions to make sure vital, regular health monitoring is done.

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 The Hotel Inspector 13:10 News 13:15 Cowboy Builders 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film - My Daughter is Innocent 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 The Wine Show James Purefoy and Mathew Goode explore the wines of Burgundy, spending time with local experts before taking a test. Joe Fattorini competes in the Medoc Marathon, a crazy race designed neither for the faint-hearted nor the teetotal, before taking a trip to Canada with Amelia Singer. Matthew Rhys looks at ancient and modern wine gadgets in London. 21:00 Celebrity 5 Go Barging Tom, Diarmuid, Tessa, Tony and Penny go narrow boating along two of France’s best-loved waterways, the River Lot and the Canal du Midi. 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother The moment of truth has arrived as Emma Willis whittles the remaining housemates down one by one and talks to them about their time on the show. 23:00 Will & Grace 23:30 Celebrity Big Brother 00:05 Celebrity BB’s Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Celebrity Big Brother 05:30 Cruising with Jane McDonald

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:55 Dress to Impress 08:45 Emmerdale 09:50 You’ve Been Framed! 10:25 Ellen DeGeneres 11:10 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 12:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 Emmerdale 14:15 You’ve Been Framed! 14:45 Ellen DeGeneres 15:35 Jeremy Kyle 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Film - American Pie: The Wedding (18) 00:00 Family Guy 01:00 American Dad! ITV 3 07:00 Classic Coronation Street 07:50 Heartbeat 08:55 The Royal 09:55 Judge Judy 11:15 The Darling Buds of May 13:35 The Royal 14:35 Heartbeat 15:40 Classic Coronation Street 16:50 On the Buses 17:50 Rising Damp 18:20 George and Mildred 18:55 Heartbeat 19:55 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Rosemary and Thyme 23:00 Foyle’s War 01:00 Inspector Morse ITV 4 07:00 The Chase 07:50 Pawn Stars 08:30 Ironside 09:25 Quincy, M.E. 10:25 Minder 11:35 The Sweeney 12:40 The Professionals 13:45 Ironside 14:50 Quincy, M.E. 15:55 Minder 17:00 The Sweeney 18:00 The Professionals 19:05 The Car Chasers 20:05 Pawn Stars 21:00 Hornblower 23:05 Film Exit Wounds (18) 01:10 Green Street (15)

Contenders for Sport Relief’s Celebrity Boxing 2018

Four fearless celebrities are set to face their toughest challenge yet as Celebrity Boxing for Sport Relief returns to BBC One. Live on stage at last week’s National Television Awards, Freddie Flintoff announced that ex-footballer Wayne Bridge will go head to head with television personality Spencer Matthews whilst singer and actress Hannah Spearritt will get inside the ring with The Saturdays star Vanessa White. After putting themselves through a gruelling training programme, the stars will battle it out on BBC One during Sport Relief’s Night of TV taking place Friday 23 March. Colin Hopkins, BBC Executive Producer, Sport Relief 2018 says: ”Sport Relief is synonymous for encouraging well known faces to step out of their

comfort zones - and Celebrity Boxing is one of the toughest challenges we have taking place this year. The four celebrities deserve a huge amount of respect for their dedication and commitment in preparing for their fights, and in turn for helping to raise money for such a fantastic cause. It’s going to be a very exciting night and I can’t wait to see the boxers in the ring!” Flintoff also announced that he and Davina McCall will join previously announced Gary Lineker in the presenting line-up for this year’s Sport Relief Night of TV which sees some of the BBC’s best-loved programmes and nation’s favourite faces encouraging people to raise money for worthwhile charities by getting active in the most imaginative, surprising and entertaining ways.

Friday 2nd February 2018

All Together Now

Live Six Nations Rugby Union Sunday - ITV

Saturday - BBC One In this second episode, there's something for everyone as a whole range of acts attempt to impress The 100. There are recent hits including Sam Smith's Stay With Me and Walk the Moon's Shut Up and Dance. We see three very different duos take on three very different songs: the classic Sinatra standard That's Life, Clean Bandit's Rather Be, and a truly memorable interpretation of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit that has to be seen to be believed. At the other end of the musical spectrum, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a

beautiful rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, whilst another performer hopes for a fairy tale ending singing How Far I'll Go from the Disney movie Moana. The

Italy v England - Coverage of the match from the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, where the first round of fixtures is brought to a conclusion. The sides experienced greatly contrasting fortunes in last year's championship, with Italy losing all five of their matches for the second year running, and England retaining the title. Despite the differing fortunes of the sides, 100 know all the songs but Italy gave the champions a scare at they have no idea who is performing them or how the acts have interpreted the songs, so there will be surSunday -â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;ITV prises aplenty.

Film - Suffragette

Saturday - Channel 4 A woman joins a campaign to gain the right to vote in 1912. She and her allies find their peaceful protests accomplishing little in the face of an

unwavering state, so resort to increasingly violent measures, risking everything they have in the pursuit of political justice. Period drama, starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne-Marie Duff and Meryl Streep.

Twickenham last term by taking a 10-5 halftime lead, but Eddie Jones' men eventually prevailed 36-15.

Endeavour

Past and present collide in Oxford, as the auction of a priceless Faberge Egg gets underway at Lonsdale College. It soon attracts the attention of an infamous international thief - and consequently the newly christened Thames Valley Constabulary as Endeavour investigates a failed burglary attempt. However, they soon have a bigger case to solve, as the gruesome death of a known gangster threatens to expose the growing threat of underworld Oxford. But when a Lonsdale don connected to the auction is murdered in a similarly grisly way, Endeavour begins to suspect the seemingly separate cases may be somehow connected. When the organ-

iser of the auction also meets a bloodthirsty end, he's convinced. The hunt is underway to find a ruthless and violent serial killer, and track down the next victim before it's too late.

Meanwhile, newly-promoted Endeavour struggles with his role as he's forced to mentor young detective constable George Fancy, and a surprise reappearance opens up old wounds.

Saturday TV 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Mary Berry Everyday 13:00 Football Focus 14:00 News 14:15 Six Nations Preview 14:45 Six Nations Rugby Union: Wales v Scotland 17:15 Six Nations Rugby Union: France v Ireland 20:00 News 20:15 All Together Now The musical talent show continues, as Rob Beckett invites more singers to step on-stage for a chance to win a £50,000 cash prize. Facing a 100-strong panel of judges, the stars must not only deliver the performance of a lifetime, but also encourage the panellists to join in too. 21:20 Casualty Alicia takes matters into her own hands when queuing ambulances put patients in danger.

07:10 The Wonder of Animals 07:40 Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature 08:10 The Pets Factor 08:30 Matilda and The Ramsay Bunch 09:00 The Dengineers 09:30 Deadly Top 10 10:00 Robot Wars 12:00 Homes Under the Hammer 13:00 Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure 14:00 Live: Davis Cup Tennis 16:30 Nigel Slater’s Middle East 17:30 Final Score 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Hugh’s Wild West 20:00 A House Through Time David Olusoga traces the history of the house in Liverpool from 1945 to the present day. 21:00 Dad’s Army The chief warden puts Mainwaring in court after a light is left burning in the church hall.

22:10 News 22:30 Hard Sun A jogger is murdered and brutalised in his home, and when Renko realises the victim is a man from her past, she realises his death has dire personal implications for both her and Daniel. Armed with knowledge of Renko's traumatic history, Hicks understands the significance of the man's death, he once again finds himself at odds with her. 23:30 Match of the Day 00:55 The NFL Show 01:25 Film Ill Manors (18) 03:20 Weather 03:25 News

21:30 Grand Tours of Scotland’s Lochs Paul embarks on a grand tour from Lairg on Loch Shin to Lochinver. 22:45 Live at the Apollo Sara Pascoe plays host in this show recorded before a packed house at London's Hammersmith Apollo, warming up the audience and then introducing routines by Larry Dean and Gary Delaney. 23:30 Film - The Talented Mr Ripley (14) 01:40 Film Albatross (15) 03:05 This Is BBC Two

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07:00 CITV 10:25 News 10:30 James Martin’s Saturday Morning 12:20 Dancing on Ice 14:20 ITV News 14:30 Film - Evan Almighty 16:15 Catchphrase 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 19:15 You’ve Been Framed!

07:15 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 11:25 The Big Bang Theory 12:55 The Simpsons 14:25 Come Dine with Me 15:25 Coast vs Country 16:25 A Place in the Sun: Summer Sun 17:30 The Secret Life of Zoo 18:35 The 19:40 Take Me Out The the Love Lift serves up an Supervet 19:30 News Englishman, an Irishman, a Great Canal Scotsman and a 20:00 Welshman. Law clerk Journeys Timothy and Harrison from Leeds, hote- Prunella explore the landof north-west lier Glenn from Dublin, per- scape sonal trainer Jack from Portugal as they embark on Edinburgh, and DJ Lloyd a voyage down the Rio from Swansea. There’s Douro. It's a journey that also a chance to discover if combines two of their love blossomed between favourite things - water and wine. the previous couples.

07:00 Milkshake 11:05 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:40 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 12:05 Police Interceptors 14:00 The A-Team 16:00 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 18:00 Rich House, Poor House 18:55 News 19:00 The Wonderful World of Puppies 20:00 Greatest Ever Celebrity Wind Ups Ant and Dec get in Peter Andre’s ear, Justin Timberlake is visited by the bailiffs and two “Made in Chelsea” stars drive each other mad!

21:00 Village of the Year with Penelope Keith Five villages from the South East Zone heats go headto-head for a spot in the grand final. Will it be the buildings, scenery or good old British eccentricity that wins the day?

21:00 Blind Date Paul O'Grady turns matchmaker one final time, as he gives another collection of singletons a chance to find love. This time, a white witch from Preston seeks to cast her spell on three eligible bachelors, and former military man Dean from Wiltshire sets out to find his dream girl.

22:30 Through the Keyhole The panel includes Shane Richie, Rachel Riley, and Alex James.

22:00 Film - Suffragette In late 19th and early 20th century, the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal state in the quest for equal rights.

22:00 Football Colin Murray introduces highlights from the weekend's games, including Wo l v e r h a m p t o n Wanderers v Sheffield United, Aston Villa v Burton Albion and Leeds United v Cardiff City at Cardiff City Stadium.

23:30 News 23:45 Film Lethal Weapon (18) 01:40 04:00 Jackpot247 Babushka

00:10 Film - About Time (14) 02:20 The Last Leg 03:15 Hollyoaks Omnibus 05:20 Coast vs Country

23:25 The X-Files 01:10 SuperCasino 04:10 Film Vampire Academy (PG) 05:45 House Doctor

07:00 CITV 10:25 News 10:30 River Monsters 11:00 Peston on Sunday 12:00 The Martin Lewis Money Show 12:30 The Voice UK 14:00 News 14:10 Britain’s Brightest Family 14:40 The Cruise: Return to the Mediterranean 15:15 6 Nations Live: Italy v England 18:30 News

07:10 Kirstie’s Vintage Gems 07:15 The King of Queens 08:05 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 14:35 The Simpsons 15:35 Film - Never Been Kissed (PG) 17:40 Film - Shark Tale 19:30 News

07:00 Milkshake 11:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:35 Football 13:00 Police Interceptors 14:55 Film - Johnny English Reborn (PG) 16:55 News 17:00 Film The Last Airbender (PG)

21:00 The Voice UK The Blind Auditions enter their fifth week, as Will.i.am, Jennifer, Olly and Tom reassemble to assess the singing skills of more would-be stars. Emma ushers the contestants onstage where, yet again, the coaches must decide whether they would back each performer based on the power of their voice, rather than appearance.

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:25 Emmerdale Omnibus 10:05 Coronation Street Omnibus 13:00 Take Me Out 14:15 You’ve Been Framed! 15:20 Film - Yogi Bear 17:00 Film - Mr Bean’s Holiday 18:45 Film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (PG) 22:00 Film 22 Jump Street (14) 00:15 Family Guy 01:15 American Dad! 02:10 Release the Hounds 03:05 The Ibiza Weekender ITV 3 07:00 Murder, She Wrote 09:50 Lewis 11:50 Foyle’s War 15:55 Columbo 17:55 Midsomer Murders 19:55 Midsomer Murders 22:00 Midsomer Murders 00:00 Foyle’s War 02:00 On the Buses 02:25 On the Buses ITV 4 07:00 The Protectors 07:25 The Professionals 08:20 The Professionals 09:25 The Professionals 10:30 ITV Racing 11:30 Barcelona’s European Glory 11:40 Pawn Stars 12:05 Pawn Stars 12:30 Pawn Stars 13:00 Pawn Stars 13:30 Pawn Stars 14:00 Pawn Stars 14:30 ITV Racing: Live from Sandown 17:00 Film Smokey and the Bandit (PG) 18:50 Storage Wars 19:15 Storage Wars 19:45 Live: World Super Series Boxing 00:30 Film - Pale Rider (15)

Sunday TV 07:00 Breakfast 08:35 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 The Truth About Getting Fit 15:15 Wonders of the Moon 16:15 Escape to the Country 16:45 Songs of Praise 17:20 Film - The Proposal (12) 19:05 News

07:05 Coast 07:35 The NFL Show 08:05 Gardeners’ World 08:35 Countryfile 09:30 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 11:00 Live: Davis Cup Tennis 14:00 Close Calls: On Camera 14:30 Talking Pictures 15:10 Film - Jane Eyre (PG) 16:45 The Crane Gang 17:45 Elise Christie: In From the Cold 18:15 Ski Sunday 19:00 Six Nations 19:30 Countryfile Winter Rugby Special Matt meets a Dorset man championing 20:00 New York: local winter produce, Anita America’s Busiest City discovers the therapeutic Anita, Ade and Ant try combenefit of making jewellery muting New York-style, on and Steve learns to drive a the iconic Staten Island team of huskies ferry, the subway and citibikes. 20:30 Still Open All Hours Granville and Gastric plan 21:00 Yellowstone: to persuade Madge and Wildest Winter to Blazing Mavis to stay by treating Summer It is summer and them to a romantic evening the Yellowstone beavers in a fancy restaurant. have a new challenge. 21:00 Call the Midwife A 22:00 Dragons’ Den The pregnant mother hears a Dragons assess the potendevastating diagnosis. tial of a range of story books intended to help chil22:00 McMafia Vadim is dren learn languages, skin convinced to broker peace care products and a soluin Istanbul. Alex learns the tion to pain caused by haldreadful price of his ter neck straps. actions, and Dmitri makes a decision that endangers 23:00 The Mash Report them all. 23:30 Insert Name Here 00:00 Cleverman 00:55 Six Nations 23:00 News 23:30 Match of Women’s the Day 2 00:15 Super Rugby 01:25 Film - Yves Bowl Lii 04:50 Weather for Saint Laurent (15) 03:05 the Week Ahead 04:55 Question Time 04:05 Holby City 05:05 This Is BBC Two News

19:00 Dancing on Ice Phillip and Holly present the next stage as the contest reaches the halfway point, with nine celebrities still in the running to be crowned this year's champion. However, they still need to impress judges with their talents to avoid the skate-off. 21:00 Endeavour Newly promoted DS Morse investigates when a famous international thief tries to steal a Faberge egg from an auction. The case leads to the gruesome murders of an academic and a gangster, and Morse is convinced the deaths are the work of the same man. As he struggles with his new responsibilities, he finds himself forced to mentor a younger partner. 23:00 News 23:15 Peston on Sunday 00:15 Next of Kin 01:15 Great Art 02:05 Jackpot247 04:00 Take on the Twisters

20:00 Posh Pawn An aspiring fitness guru takes James on a ride around London in a supercar. Plus, a helmet that belonged to land speed record breaker Donald Campbell, and more. 21:00 The Biggest Little Railway in the World It’s the last stage of the tiny train’s epic journey. She’s in bad shape and still has to face bad weather, rocky terrain and the steepest part of the route. 22:00 SAS: Who Dares Wins The SAS training challenge reaches its final stage, with only seven of the 25 recruits still standing. Those who have made it this far face the most gruelling test of their physical and mental resilience so far. 23:00 The Mafia Detective 00:15 Film - Elizabeth (15) 02:25 The World’s Most Expensive Food 03:20 The Supervet

19:00 Film - Bulletproof Monk An ageless Tibetan monk is tasked with guarding the mystical Scroll of the Ultimate from modernday Nazis. He rescued the Scroll from their clutches in 1943, denying them victory in the war, but the fascists still want it so the Third Reich can rise again. Now in modern-day New York, the monk seeks an apprentice and finds one in the unlikely guise of Kar, a pickpocket. 21:00 Film - Batman Begins In the wake of his parents’ murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength and intellect to fight sinister forces. 23:50 Film - The Punisher (15) 05 The X-Files 03:40 SuperCasino 05:00 Get Your Tatts Out: Kavos Ink

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:15 Emmerdale Omnibus 09:50 Coronation Street Omnibus 12:40 Take Me Out 14:00 The Voice UK 15:30 Film Beethoven 17:10 Film Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore 18:55 Film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (PG) 22:00 The Ibiza Weekender 23:00 Family Guy 00:30 American Dad! ITV 3 07:00 Murder, She Wrote 08:50 Heartbeat 10:50 Columbo 12:50 Lewis 14:50 A Touch of Frost 16:50 Inspector Morse 19:00 Agatha Christie’s Marple 21:00 Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs 22:00 Tonight at the London Palladium 23:00 Birds of a Feather 23:30 Birds of a Feather 00:00 Film - The Constant Gardener (14) ITV 4 07:25 The Sweeney 08:20 The Car Chasers 11:15 Storage Wars 12:10 Pawn Stars 14:00 Film - Lonely Are the Brave (PG) 16:15 Film - Smokey and the Bandit (PG) 18:05 Film Thunderball (PG) 20:50 Hornblower 23:00 Film Source Code (PG) 00:55 Film - The Gauntlet (18)

Friday 2nd February 2018

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 A1: Britain’s Longest Road 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors15:15 Moving On 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under 08:15 Food: Truth or Scare 09:00 Antiques Roadshow 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Women’s Six Nations Rugby 14:30 Coast 15:00 Monty Halls’ Great Escape 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:50 This Wild Life 17:20 The Hunt 18:20 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys

21:00 EastEnders Mel gets closer than ever to being reunited with her son.

20:00 Big Dreams Small Spaces In Teddington, Jennifer enlists the help of her sisters to create an Italian-themed garden in memory of their parents.

21:00 The Martin Lewis Money Show Martin reveals how people could still make a claim and be owed thousands despite not being mis-sold PPI in the first place.

21:00 Only Connect Round three sees the return of the Eco-Warriors and the Inquisitors.

21:30 Coronation Street Chesney alerts Gemma to Henry’s true motives.

21:30 Panorama The programme tells the story of a British woman who is back in the UK after living with so-called Islamic State in Syria for more than two years before managing to escape with the help of her mother.

21:30 University Challenge Quiz.

22:00 Silent Witness Nikki, Jack, Thomas and Clarissa are just settling down for their respective Christmas Day celebrations when they are called in to investigate a shooting spree at an enormous property owned by Andy McMorris, the CEO of a haulage company.

22:00 Horizon Film made over four years documenting Richard Gary’s remarkable recovery from a brain haemorrhage. An insight into the physical, psychological and emotional process of relearning how to live after a brain injury.

23:00 News 23:45 Have I Got Old News for You 00:15 The Graham Norton Show 01:05 Weather 01:10 News

23:00 Two Doors Down 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 NFL This Week 01:05 Odyssey 01:45 Countryfile 02:45 Big Cats 03:45 This Is BBC Two

20:00 Lachlan

Emmerdale on edge.

20:30 Coronation Street Zeedan reveals Rana’s betrayal to her parents.

22:00 Next of Kin While Danny is holed up in a London flat with the rest of the terror cell waiting for further instructions, the entire police operation is compromised when Mona's brother Omar tries to intervene and Danny is forced to take extreme measures to slow down the terror plot. 23:00 News 23:45 Death Row 2018 with Trevor McDonald 00:45 Killer Women with Piers Morgan 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Jeremy Kyle 04:55 ITV Nightscreen

07:00 Countdown 07:45 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Posh Pawn 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Village of the Year with Penelope Keith 17:00 A Place in the Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Extreme Cake Makers 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 How to Lose Weight Well John and Mark want to shed the pounds for a fancy getaway to Florida. Xand also investigates why alcohol is so harmful to our waistlines. 22:00 The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? The murder of two-year-old James Bulger in February 1993 by two 10-year-olds is a crime that continues to have an impact on British life. In this documentary, key individuals involved in the trial are brought together for the first time in 25 years to debate whether justice was truly served. 23:00 First Dates Hotel 00:05 Derry Girls 00:40 Hunted 01:40 SAS: Who Dares Wins 02:35 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 03:25 How to Lose Weight Well 04:20 The Lie Detective

Monday TV 07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 Cowboy Builders 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film - Killer Assistant 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 Rugby Mark Durden-Smith and David Flatman present all the best action from the fourth round of this season’s Anglo-Welsh Cup. Fixtures include Leicester Tigers’ visit to the Ricoh Arena to take on Wasps. 21:00 Police Interceptors Jacko is hot on the heels of a speeding Mazda, while sparks also fly as the interceptors raid a cannabis farm. Spike and Richie pursue a suspected drug dealer, and canine cop Shadow sniffs out stolen goods. 22:00 The X-Files Mulder and Scully learn that they aren’t the only ones desperately searching for their long-lost son, William. 23:00 Film - The Silence of the Lambs (15) 01:25 Traffic Cops 02:15 SuperCasino 04:10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 05:00 Get Your Tatts Out: Kavos Ink 05:45 House Doctor 06:10 Great Artists 06:35 Housebusters

07:55 Dress to Impress 08:45 Emmerdale 09:20 Coronation Street 10:25 Ellen DeGeneres 11:10 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 12:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:45 Ellen DeGeneres 15:35 Jeremy Kyle 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Family Guy 23:00 American Dad! ITV 3 07:00 Classic Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 08:55 The Royal 10:00 Judge Judy 11:20 The Darling Buds of May 12:35 Love Your Garden 13:35 The Royal 14:40 Heartbeat 15:40 Classic Coronation Street 16:50 On the Buses 17:50 Rising Damp 18:25 George and Mildred 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Lewis 23:00 Foyle’s War ITV 4 07:45 Pawn Stars 08:30 Ironside 09:25 Quincy, M.E. 10:25 Minder 11:30 The Sweeney 12:40 The Professionals 13:45 Ironside 14:50 Quincy, M.E. 15:50 Minder 16:50 The Sweeney 17:55 The Professionals 19:00 The Car Chasers 20:00 Pawn Stars 20:55 River Monsters 23:00 Film - Green Zone

Tuesday TV 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 A1: Britain’s Longest Road 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Moving On 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Match of the Day Live: The FA Cup Swansea City v Notts County Coverage of the fourth-round replay. The Swans required a replay in the previous round to overcome Wolverhampton Wanderers, which they eventually managed via a 2-1 win in front of their own fans, something they will be looking to emulate this evening. For the Magpies, this match is a just reward for their performance in the second half of the original encounter at Meadow Lane, which saw them equalise through veteran striker Jon Stead, and set up tonight’s replay, the winners of which will progress to a fifth-round contest away to Sheffield Wednesday. 23:00 News 23:45 A Question of Sport 00:15 Shane: For the Love of the Game 01:15 Weather For The Week Ahead 01:20 News

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under 08:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 09:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 The Super League Show 14:45 Coast 15:00 Monty Halls’ Great Hebridean Escape 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:50 This Wild Life 17:20 The Hunt 18:20 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 Big Dreams Small Spaces A truck driver from Wakefield with a passion for flowers wants to create a perfect outside space for his girlfriend. 21:00 Back in Time for Tea The Ellis family begin their time travelling adventure in 1918. The war is over but life for northern workers is tough. The family’s spacious modern house has been cut in half and they are shocked to be living in a two up, two down with an outside toilet. 22:00 Flatpack Empire An insight into how IKEA are starting to open up their design headquarters to outside influences. 23:00 Inside No. 9 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Mum 00:40 Mum 01:10 Mum 01:40 Stealing Van Gogh 02:40 A House Through Time

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Charity confronts some uncomfortable truths. 21:00 What Would Your Kid Do? Children are filmed in a school specially rigged with hidden cameras. In the studio, host Jason Manford challenges parents to predict what their child will do in each situation, providing an insight into the developing minds of five to seven year-olds. The family with the most correct predictions goes through to the final. And the kids choose the prizes. 22:00 Next of Kin Barnes and the counterterrorism unit must race to foil the imminent attacks, but the challenge they face becomes increasingly complicated, as they realise Mona and Danny are still trapped at the heart of the terror cell and their lives are in grave danger. 23:00 News 23:45 Girlfriends 00:45 Tonight at the London Palladium 01:35 Jackpot247

07:00 Countdown 07:45 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Posh Pawn 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Village of the Year with Penelope Keith 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Extreme Cake Makers 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds Returning favourites Eva, Jet, Miylah and Zaina are joined by a fresh cast of new girls, while child development experts Dr Elizabeth Kilbey and Laverne Antrobus watch the drama unfold and provide insight into the girls’ behaviour. 22:00 24 Hours in A&E Leon, who’s 36, is airlifted to St George’s after being involved in a head-on collision with a car. Graham, who’s 37, has collided with another player while playing rugby and has lost feeling in his arms and legs. 23:00 Clare Balding’s Secrets of a Suffragette 00:05 Before We Die 01:20 The 2,000,000 Calorie Buffet 02:15 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 03:05 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 Cowboy Builders 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film - The Devil’s Teardrop 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 Secrets Of The National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh Alan pieces together the incredible rags-to-riches story of Thomas Legh, owner of Lyme Hall in Cheshire. 21:00 QE2: The World’s Greatest Cruise Ship One of the grandest vessels to ever set sail was the Queen Elizabeth 2. She very nearly didn’t come into existence at all as strikes and looting blighted her creation. Then on her naming day, Her Majesty the Queen had a surprise for everyone. 22:00 Elizabeth: Our Queen Elizabeth’s early years are explored, from the day she learned she would eventually be Queen to her studies with the Provost of Eton and the tour of Kenya during which her father George VI died. 23:00 Ben Fogle: Return to the Wild 00:05 Paddington Station 24/7 01:05 Extreme Railway Journeys 02:00 SuperCasino

07:55 Dress to Impress 08:45 Emmerdale 09:20 Coronation Street 10:25 Ellen DeGeneres 11:10 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 12:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:45 Ellen DeGeneres 15:35 Jeremy Kyle 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Film - American Pie: The Wedding (18) ITV 3 07:55 Heartbeat 09:00 The Royal 09:55 Judge Judy 11:25 Griff’s Great Britain 12:30 Love Your Garden 13:30 The Royal 14:35 Heartbeat 15:40 Classic Coronation Street 16:45 On the Buses 17:50 Rising Damp 18:25 George and Mildred 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 Foyle’s War ITV 4 07:50 Pawn Stars 08:30 Ironside 09:30 Quincy, M.E. 10:30 Minder 11:40 The Sweeney 12:50 The Professionals 13:50 Ironside 14:50 Quincy, M.E. 15:55 Minder 17:00 The Sweeney 18:00 The Professionals 19:05 The Car Chasers 20:05 Pawn Stars 21:00 The Chase: Celebrity Special 22:00 Britain’s Busiest Airport

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Friday 2nd February 2018

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

Getting Started We will remove the pain and hassle of starting up your own estate agency by setting the all-important website that will market your business. The costs are cut, and you don’t need any experience of running an agency or experience of sales. We can do that for you, but you will need to promote your website and of course to generate new opportunities.

What You Get:• • • • • • • • •

Your Own Domain Name A Find A Spanish Property Dynamic and Responsive Website with YOUR Contact Details, Ready to Go. 100´s of Properties, Growing Daily, Including New Builds, Resales, Renovation Projects and Deals. Automatic Targeted News Stories and Articles for YOUR Website Free Social Media Content For YOUR Use Business Promotion Pack - Business Cards, Flyers, etc Discount Newspaper and Radio Advertising Full Training and Support Package Plus MANY Other Optional Extras

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

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

Wednesday TV 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 09:00 See Hear 09:30 Great British Railway Journeys 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Coast 15:00 Monty Halls’ Great Hebridean Escape 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:50 This Wild Life 17:20 New Zealand: Earth’s Mythical Islands 18:20 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad 20:30 EastEnders Things Journeys start to look up for Mel, but 20:00 Wild Cameramen at for how long? Work Gordon Buchanan 21:00 Holby City Hanssen and Mark Smith reveal how steps down as CEO, with the wildlife tracking skills Serena agreeing to take they learned at home in over temporarily. When Ric Scotland enabled them to is admitted to Holby, film some of the natural most intimate Serena and Donna treat world’s the injuries he sustained in moments. prison. 20:30 Eurovision: You Decide 2018 Join Eurovision superfan Mel Giedroyc, and winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, Måns Zelmerlöw live from the world-famous Brighton Dome.

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 A1: Britain’s Longest Road 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Moving On 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show

22:00 Silent Witness With the conclusion of a challenging Christmas, the team are reunited with their families. Nikki learns that her colleagues have bought her an open return to see Matt. 23:00 News 23:45 Islam, Women and Me 00:25 The Truth About Sleep 01:25 Stacey Dooley Investigates 02:20 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:25 News

22:00 The New Builds Are Coming: Battle in the Countryside Richard Macer meets the architects and developers who are changing the face of rural Britain, the people trying to create a sense of community from scratch. 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Flatpack Empire 01:15 House of Saud 02:15 See Hear 02:45 Surgeons 03:45 Hairy Bikers’ 04:45 This Is BBC Two

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07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Cain faces a difficult dilemma. 20:30 Coronation Street Carla finds a match for her kidney transplant. 21:00 Britain’s Brightest Family A battle between the Barker family from Wales and the Sheth family from London as both families attempt to make it to the quarterfinals of the knockout quiz tournament. 21:30 Coronation Street Johnny comes to terms with Carla’s illness. 22:00 Girlfriends Linda, Sue and Gail arrive in Spain to identify Micky’s body. Following Linda’s confession that she wanted her husband dead, Sue and Gail are astonished to learn that she’s been keeping the truth about their relationship a secret for all these years. As memories of the fateful night on the cruise ship flood back to haunt Linda, her friends are shocked to discover that there's more than one secret that she's been keeping from them. 23:00 News 23:45 Britain’s Busiest Airport 00:45 Holiday Horrors 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Tenable

07:00 Countdown 07:45 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Posh Pawn 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Village of the Year with Penelope Keith 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Extreme Cake Makers 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer meet a family in Windsor who are torn between renovating their four bed detached home or selling up and moving on. 22:00 My Millionaire Migrant Boss Liverpoolbased Palestinian and multi-millionaire Marwan Koukash offers four unemployed people a unique opportunity - a two week work trial, overseen and mentored by him. Can the British workers prove they have the right ethic and attitude to be offered a job at the end of the placement? 23:00 999: What’s Your Emergency? 00:05 The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done? 01:05 European Tour Poker 02:00 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 02:55 Film Pusher (18) 04:25 Location, Location, Location 05:20 Coast vs Country

07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 Cowboy Builders 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film - Midnight Stallion 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 Police Interceptors Jacko is hot on the heels of a speeding Mazda, while sparks also fly as the interceptors raid a cannabis farm. Spike and Richie pursue a suspected drug dealer, and canine cop Shadow sniffs out stolen goods. 21:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors Cases include a new mum worried about passing on thrush in her breast to her baby, a woman seeking genetic testing due to a family history of breast cancer, and a little girl who has been acting strangely since incurring a neck injury. 22:00 Peyton and Polizzi’s Restaurant Rescue Alex and brotherin-law Oliver visit Bedford restaurant Riobello, which is up against tough competition. Can Alex help owners Giovani and Amanda find a USP to win over the town’s 10,000-strong Italian community? 23:00 Frozen- From Dusk Till Dawn 00:05 Balmoral: A Hidden History 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Secrets Of The National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:55 Dress to Impress 08:45 Emmerdale 09:50 You’ve Been Framed! 10:25 Ellen DeGeneres 11:10 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 12:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 Emmerdale 14:15 You’ve Been Framed! 14:45 Ellen DeGeneres 15:35 Jeremy Kyle 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Film - The Hangover Part II (18) 00:10 Family Guy 01:05 American Dad! ITV 3 07:00 Classic Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 09:00 The Royal 10:05 Judge Judy 11:25 Griff’s Great Britain 12:30 Love Your Garden 13:35 The Royal 14:35 Heartbeat 15:40 Classic Coronation Street 16:45 On the Buses 17:50 Rising Damp 18:25 George and Mildred 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Endeavour 23:00 Foyle’s War 01:00 Inspector Morse ITV 4 07:00 The Chase 07:50 Pawn Stars 08:30 Ironside 09:30 Quincy, M.E. 10:35 Minder 11:40 The Sweeney 12:50 The Professionals 13:50 Ironside 14:55 Quincy, M.E. 16:00 Minder 17:05 The Sweeney 18:05 The Professionals 19:10 Counting Cars 20:05 Pawn Stars 21:00 Snowflake 22:00 Tango & Cash (15) 00:05 Lethal Weapon

36 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 A1: Britain’s Longest Road 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Moving On 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Farmers’ Country Showdown 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders Mel is faced with a difficult situation threatening to tear her family apart. 21:00 Animals with Cameras Gordon Buchanan and a team of scientists learn more about various species through the use of animal bodycams. In Namibia, they help conservationist Marlice van Vuuren find out whether the three orphaned cheetahs she has raised have developed the skills needed to hunt for themselves in the wild, with close-up footage revealing how the cats choose their prey. 22:00 Death in Paradise The leader of a spiritual retreat is found strangled en route to the contemplation garden, giving Jack plenty to think about as he tries to figure out which member of the group was responsible. 23:00 News 23:45 Question Time 00:45 This Week 01:30 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:35 News

Friday 2nd February 2018

07:00 My Life in Books 07:30 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:15 Countryfile Winter Diaries 09:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Monty Halls’ Great Hebridean Escape 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:45 This Wild Life 17:15 New Zealand: Earth’s Mythical Islands 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 Winter Olympic Games Clare Balding and guests look ahead to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. 30 years after nearby Seoul hosted the summer Games in 1988, the 23rd Winter Olympics kick off in South Korea on Friday. 21:00 Hairy Bikers’ M e d i t e r r a n e a n Adventure The bikers are travelling from Valencia to Torremolinos in the footsteps of the Moors. 22:00 Trouble at the Zoo South Lakes Safari Zoo hit the headlines when it was revealed that almost five hundred animals had died there in under four years. David Gill, who’d been at its helm since it opened in 1994, was denied a new license to run the park. 23:00 The Mash Report 23:30 Newsnight 00:15 Dragons’ Den 01:15 The Truth About Getting Fit 02:15 Wonders of the Moon 03:15 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 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 News 20:00 Emmerdale Daz tries to play peacemaker. 20:30 Tonight Government ministers say they are investing in the transport infrastructure, but with no end in sight for millions of travellers facing miserable journeys, what is the real solution? 21:00 Graham action.

Emmerdale springs into

21:30 The Cruise: Return to the Mediterranean It’s turnaround day, and Royal Princess is docked in Barcelona, Europe’s busiest cruise terminal. The crew must board 120 tonnes of food and drink and 4,000 new passengers for the next weeklong cruise around the Med. 22:00 James Bulger: A Mother’s Story Trevor McDonald visits Liverpool to re-examine a crime that, 25 years on, continues to raise many troubling questions, including what drove Jon Venables and Robert Thompson to commit such a horrific act. 23:00 News 23:45 Car Wars 00:45 Lethal Weapon 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight

07:00 Countdown 07:45 3rd Rock From the Sun 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 11:05 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Posh Pawnbrokers 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Village of the Year with Penelope Keith 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Extreme Cake Makers 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 News 21:00 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces George meets Dai Saunders, who plans to lure his children away from their gadgets by getting them to help build a camouflaged crafting workshop at the end of the garden. In Derbyshire, 14year-old architect Fran is using her savings to create a hangout den in an old horsebox, and in Tokyo George finds a tiny house that turns out to be pretty big. 22:00 Hunted There’s just a few days left. Singing milkmen Dan and Joe livestream their gig to HQ, unaware of how close the hunters are. Alex is spotted on CCTV throwing away some key info. 23:00 Derry Girls 23:35 24 Hours in A&E 00:35 ShutIns: Britain’s Fattest Woman 01:35 One Born Every Minute 02:30 The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds 03:25 How to Lose Weight Well 04:15 Location, Location, Location

Thursday TV 07:00 Milkshake 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 13:10 News 13:15 Cowboy Builders 14:10 Access 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Film Abducted: The Carlina White Story 18:00 News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 News 20:00 The Wonderful World of Puppies The canine development documentary continues by exploring how puppies use their key senses - smell, touch, sight and hearing to absorb information about their new surroundings, and crucially, make a start on broadening their horizons. 21:00 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun Chris and Gary have found the perfect apartment, and now Chris has an important question to ask his boyfriend. Retirees Ann and Mark make the most of Benidorm’s camping scene. 22:00 Dale Winton’s Florida Fly Drive Dale explores the sunshine state of Florida, his favourite place in America. He first came to Florida in the 1970’s and it was Walt Disney World that was the attraction. 23:00 The Special Needs Employment Agency 00:05 Elizabeth: Our Queen 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 The X-Files 05:00 Get Your Tatts Out: Kavos Ink

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:55 Dress to Impress 08:45 Emmerdale 09:20 Coronation Street 10:25 Ellen DeGeneres 11:10 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 12:10 Dress to Impress 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:45 Ellen DeGeneres 15:40 Jeremy Kyle 19:00 Take Me Out 20:30 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Superstore 22:00 Release the Hounds 23:00 CelebAbility 23:50 Family Guy 00:45 American Dad! 01:35 Two and a Half Men ITV 3 07:00 Classic Coronation Street 07:55 Heartbeat 09:00 The Royal 10:00 Judge Judy 11:25 Griff’s Great Britain 12:30 Love Your Garden 13:30 The Royal 14:35 Heartbeat 15:40 Classic Coronation Street 16:45 On the Buses 17:50 Rising Damp 18:20 George and Mildred 18:55 Heartbeat 20:00 Murder, She Wrote 21:00 Agatha Christie’s Marple 23:00 Film - My Boy Jack (15) 01:00 Inspector Morse ITV 4 07:50 Pawn Stars 08:30 Ironside 09:30 Quincy, M.E. 10:35 Minder 11:40 The Sweeney 12:45 Live: Shoot-Out Snooker 18:30 Counting Cars 19:25 Hattrick Heroes 19:45 Live: Shoot-Out Snooker 23:45 Film - Exit Wounds (18) 01:50 Minder 02:55 The Sweeney

BBC renews Premier League highlights to Coronation Street is getting a Co-op and 2021/22 a Costa Coffee

The BBC will remain the free-to-air home for football after announcing it will continue to show Premier League TV highlights for a further three years. Last season the BBC’s Premier League football programming was watched by 37m people and there were a further 40m requests for these shows on BBC iPlayer - confirming the BBC as the number one choice for football fans wanting a comprehensive round up of Premier League action. As well as Match Of The Day, the new deal covers the weekend programming of the Sunday morning Match Of The Day repeat, MOTD2, Football Focus, plus midweek magazine show The Premier League Show

through to and including the 2021/22 season. Barbara Slater, Director, BBC Sport, says: “To keep Premier League highlights on the BBC is testament to the continued success and popularity of Match Of The Day. Our longstanding partnership with the Premier League continues to flourish and evolve as seen with the recently launched Super Movers initiative. The new deal strengthens that relationship even further and ensures the nation's favourite sport will continue to be seen by the widest possible audience." Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, says: “To secure the Premier League highlights for another three years is fantastic news for

football fans all over the UK and ensures the BBC remains the free to air home with the iconic Match of the Day at the heart of all the action.” 58 percent of the Premier League’s UK reach in 2016/17 was delivered solely by the BBC The highest five minute peak audience to Match Of The Day so far this season is 5m MOTD was watched by 32m people in 2016/17 MOTD and MOTD2 are watched by over 7m every weekend

Coronation Street fans will be seeing a Co-op and Costa Coffee open on the cobbles later this year. ITV made the announcement on Tuesday, confirming that it has agreed two significant new partnerships with both brands for the first time ever. The Co-op and Costa Coffee stores will be open for business from Spring 2018 and are part of the extended Weatherfield set. Both facades will be fully branded, with other assets such as posters, bags and cups integrated across the iconic soap. The new agreements also include digital and brandlicensing aspects for both companies, enabling them to use Coronation Street

assets and extend the partnership off-air. While the exciting news has only come to light this week, the show already seems to be sowing the seeds for the stores being seen on screen for the first time, with Co-op bags and Costa cups being featured in recent episodes. ITV Sales Director Mark

Trinder said: "The expansion of the Coronation Street set has given us a great opportunity to feature branded shop facades as more of Weatherfield is opened up to viewers. "Incorporating product placement on this scale is something we have wanted to do for some time and we're delighted with this exciting opportunity. "We've worked really closely with the Coronation Street team to make sure we've got a great brand fit for Co-op and Costa Coffee with the nation's favourite soap while still ensuring editorial integrity." Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8.30pm and 9.30pm on ITV.

Home Computing

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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: Mike was having problems getting his laptop to ADVICE: Sam wanted to know more about the Chromecast we reviewed in our newsletter connect to wifi

Hi Richard, sorry to bother you but my laptop has decided to play silly sods. It is an ASUS A54C about 3 years old. It appears to not want to play at wifi which it has done perfectly well up until yesterday. Don’t know what fatal selection of keys I pressed or what. It tells me I need to plug in a cable to connect with the router and that it has no wifi capability. I use the desktop as the main machine but the laptop is a good backup. Any ideas? Mike

Hi Mike, according to the manual for your laptop the buttons Fn and F2 should enable (or disable) your wifi. Let me know how you get on.

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

Hi Richard, I have just read about the Chromecast on your latest newsletter and it looks good. I was thinking of getting one for my daughter to start with as we are buying her a TV. She loves watching Youtube videos on her iPod, can she view these for free? Thanks Sam A. Hi Sam, yep with this connected to her TV she will be able to Chromecast anything from YouTube on her iPad straight onto the TV.

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

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

FILL IT IN

CODE CRACKER

Fit the words into the boxes.

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

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

3 letter words Bee Cap Ebb Era Has Icy Lie Old Ply Red Rid Sin Sly Son Sub Two 4 letter words

Acre Alee Anon Aria Bole Cobs Cool Cred Echo Elan Elks Eves Hare Hats Ibis Iced Knee Less

Cryptic Across 1 It sounds as though father trades in small packages (7) 5 Currency of a type so seldom seen nowadays (5) 8 Horseman gets a written recommendation in addition (5) 9 It’s nicer as it turns into poison (7) 10 Made a lens for the show? (9) 12 Find a farm animal in the sewer (3) 13 Of very rare occurrence in the middle of Madagascar cemetery (6) 14 Troubles seem to start with tender touch (6) 17 Biblical character from Belize (3) 18 I left foolish apologists for net support (9) 20 Messy, idle rat followed behind (7) 21 Cancel every year, lacking answer (5) 23 Thinks about cold chops (5) 24 Flower gathered in small numbers for example? Yes, in the past (7)

Lobe Mass Odds Oral Pert Pies Rare Real Rent Rile Ropy Sale Seed Sent Sirs Skit Stir Tapa

Clues Down 1 Harbours sweet wines (5) 2 Back five hundred or some fishing gear (3) 3 Fickle Eric acquires unusual art (7) 4 Spiritualist meeting Irishman before church (6) 5 Spread mangled tapes (5) 6 Crumbling Essen, less unconscious (9) 7 Mischievously cheat on board for packets (7) 11 Get rid of a Crete aid mysteriously (9) 13 The ICC step wrongfully on the doubting Thomas (7) 15 A paper’s mistake crops up (7) 16 A let-off? You can say that again (6) 18 A leg’s easily broken in such winds (5) 19 Moody carriage (5) 22 Go on, old horse! (3)

Tore Weds 5 letter words Arose Bairn Blast Boots Class Close Coney Eerie Irony Korea Lined Loath Oared Orate Pares

Sense Sleds Sober Stamp Threw Tonal Weave 6 letter words Footed Health Horsed Sunset 8 letter words Benchers Bonemeal Mantissa Selfless

Standard Clues Across 1 Packets (7) 5 Latin American monetary unit (5) 8 Horseman (5) 9 Chemical element (7) 10 Performance (9) 12 Sheep (3) 13 Uncommon (6) 14 Stroke (6) 17 Biblical priest (3) 18 Uprights (9) 20 Chased (7) 21 Nullify (5) 23 Gnaws (5) 24 Bouquet (7) Down 1 Harbours (5) 2 Shaft (3) 3 Changeable (7) 4 Spiritualist’s event (6) 5 Glue (5) 6 Unconscious (9) 7 Bags (7) 11 Eliminate (9) 13 Doubter (7) 15 Seems (7) 16 Forgive (6) 18 Winds (5) 19 Brooding (5) 22 Scold (3)

Quiz Word

Across 1/5 US playwright best known for his 1949 play Death of a Salesman? (6,6) 10 Name of card game, also the name given to a float supporting a seaplane? (7) 11 What name is given to a performance of music or dance especially by soloists? (7) 12 In physics, name given to a compound that exists in forms having different arrangements of atoms but the same molecular weight? (6) 15 Which sea, an arm of the Med between Greece and Turkey, was a main trade route for the ancient civilisations of Crete and Greece and Rome and Persia? (6) 16 Record label originally formed in 1960 by Frank Sinatra in order to allow more artistic freedom for his own recordings? (7) 17 Plumbing fixture which also means to fall or drop to a lower place or level? (4) 18/19 Which former world number one tennis player won a record 14 Grand Slam men’s singles titles, including Wimbledon a record seven times, the US Open five times and the Australian Open twice? (4,7) 20 Gothic, horseshoe, lancet and Tudor- all types of which masonry construction? (4) 22 Surname of 17th/18th C English architect who designed 50+ London churches, including St Paul’s Cathedral? (4) 25 Boolean and linear are both types of which branch of mathematics? (7) 27 Surname of American actress remembered mostly for being the comic foil to Groucho Marx in seven of the Marx Brothers movies? (6) 28 An American football team is allowed

how many players on the field at one time during play? (6) 31 Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was the real name of which 17thC French actor and playwright? (7) 32 Slippery When Wet, Keep The Faith and New Jersey are all best selling albums by which American rock band? (3,4) 33 In The Canterbury Tales, name of the inn in Southwark where a group of about 30 pilgrims gathered to engage in a storytelling contest? (6) 34 Often used to describe plants, hairstyles or cuisine, which word means ‘strikingly strange or unusual’? (6) Down 2 Which city, located in the south near the Irrawaddy River delta, is the capital and largest city of Myanmar? (7) 3 What surname is shared by the 31st president of the United States and the director of the FBI from 1924 to 1972? (6) 4 Basic currency unit in South Africa? (4) 5 What name is applied to a female horse or other equine animal especially when fully mature or of breeding age? (4) 6 Oval tropical fruit, native to southern China and nearby, strawberry red in colour and about 25 mm in diameter? (6) 7 Which American hard rock band’s biggest hit single was the 1991 ‘power ballad’ More Than Words? (7) 8 In acrobatics, movement involving extending legs at right angles to the trunks, one in front and the other in back? (6) 9 In machinery, what name is given to a rib or rim for strength, for guiding, or for attach-

QUICKIE Across

Down

1 Tribal healer (6) 4 Only one of its kind (6) 9 One more (7) 10 Finish (5) 11 Disgrace (5) 12 Playhouse (7) 13 Wilderness (11) 18 Voluntarily refrain (7) 20 Past its prime (5) 22 Upper body (5) 23 Germ-free (7) 24 Respite (6) 25 Fraudulence (6)

1 Thin (6) 2 Odour (5) 3 Accomplish (7) 5 Recess (5) 6 Foursome (7) 7 XI (6) 8 Central character (11) 14 Nose part (7) 15 Indecent (7) 16 Exchange goods (6) 17 Imperfection (6) 19 Higher up (5) 21 Endure (5)

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

Improve your Spanish - Clues in Spanish, answer in English or vice versa. Across 1 Unloading (8) 5 Plano (llano) (4) 9 Zanahorias (7) 10 Spider (5) 11 Love (between people) (4) 12 Regime (7) 15 Cantante (6) 16 Blouses (6) 19 Street lamps (7) 21 Tía (4) 24 Aceituna (5) 25 Third (f) (7) 26 Plomo (metal) (4) 27 Promesas (ofrecimiento) (8)

Fill It In

Sudoku

Down 1 To have a shower (8) 2 Solomillo (7) 3 Átomo (4) 4 Evangelio (6) 6 Key (door, car) (5) 7 Equipo (4) 8 Aisle (aeroplane, theatre, plane, supermarket) (7) 13 Clocks (7) 14 Ceniceros (8) 17 Platillos (para tazas) (7) 18 To feel (emotion, sensation, pain) (6) 20 Friend (f) (5) 22 Divieso (médico) (4) 23 De (relación) (4)

ment to another object? (6) 13 Vehicle manufacturer of models called Clio, Mégane, Scénic and Twingo? (7) 14 In many religions, name given to someone who speaks by divine inspiration or who is an interpreter of the will of God? (7) 15 Stage surname adopted by American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor Frederick Austerlitz, born May 10, 1899? (7) 20 Which fictional ‘family’ consisted of Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester and Grandmama? (6) 21 First name of Duchess of Cornwall? (7) 23 Pasta, commonly rectangular or circular in shape, is comprised of a filling, commonly though not always meat based, sealed between two layers of pasta dough. (7) 24 In the Roman Catholic Church, what name is given to a diplomatic representative of the Pope having ambassadorial status? (6) 25 What forename connects actress Lansbury and German chancellor Merkel? (6) 26 What is the surname of the Spanish Formula One racing driver who won the World Drivers’ Championship in 2005 and 2006? (6) 29 What name is given to a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it? (4) 30 Derived from the French for ‘high wood’, which double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family is a descendant of the shawm? (4)

SUDOKU

Last Week’s Solutions Quizword Across: 1 Fourmost, 7 Emery, 8 Cervantes, 9 Ohm, 10 Sage, 11 Detour, 13/16 Mother Teresa, 14 Siding, 17 Setter, 18 Jaws, 20 Tit, 22 Grenadine, 23 Grieg, 24 Max Ernst. Down: 1 Focus, 2 Upright, 3 Mead, 4 Settee, 5 Tenor, 6 Wyoming, 7 Estonia, 12 Nest egg, 13 Montage, 15 Italian, 17 Stein, 19 Sweet, 21 Hare. Double Crossword Across: 1 Glasses, 5 Sheet, 8 Epaulet, 9 Iliad, 10 Samba, 11 Pothole, 12 Coster, 14 Forest, 17 Charger, 19 Sacks, 22 Prune, 23 Squirts, 24 Trend, 25 Stetson. Down: 1 Guess, 2 Alarm, 3 Salvage, 4 Sit-ups, 5 Saint, 6 Epitome, 7 Tidiest, 12 Cockpit, 13 Statute, 15 Obscure, 16 Arises, 18 Greed, 20 Carps, 21 Susan. Quickie Across: 1 Packet, 4 Scream, 9 Triceps, 10 Alter, 11 Tibia, 12 Austere, 13 Fleet Street, 18 Home run, 20 Piece, 22 Stain, 23 Thistle, 24 Loosen, 25 Damage.

Span - Eng

Down: 1 Petite, 2 Climb, 3 Elevate, 5 Chaos, 6 Extreme, 7 Merger, 8 Assassinate, 14 Lumbago, 15 Replica, 16 Chisel, 17 Delete, 19 Range, 21 Extra.

Code Cracker

Friday 2nd February 2018

Ford Performance Time Trials Ford Performance models battle for victory around the Motorland race circuit

It’s the ultimate track showdown: Eight models from the Ford Performance global lineup on a circuit together for the very first time, pushed to their limits by the Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team drivers. In a new video from Ford Performance, filmed at the Motorland race circuit near Barcelona, Spain, the Ford F-150 Raptor; Fiesta ST, all-new Fiesta ST, Focus RS, new Mustang GT, Mustang GT350R, Ford GT road car and Ford GT race car go head-to-head in a staggered time trial around one lap of the 5.345 km circuit. The sequence was filmed in partnership with Castrol Edge during a tight four-hour window, during which all eight Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team drivers took time-out from a pre-season Ford GT race car tyre test to shoot. Andy Priaulx, Harry Tincknell, Olivier Pla and Stefan Mücke from the World Endurance Championship, and Dirk Müller, Joey Hand, Richard Westbrook and Ryan Briscoe from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, each took the wheel of a Ford

Performance model – setting off at intervals and culminating in an eight-way battle through the final bends and finish straight. The time trial was the first and probably only chance to find out if a Fiesta ST could beat a Le Mans-winning Ford GT race car. The showdown was filmed using three camera crews, a drone and 16 GoPro cameras. Wheel-to-wheel action was captured using a custom-built Ford Fiesta ST camera tracking vehicle in ultra-high-definition 4K resolution. From extra special pickup trucks to Le Mans-winning thoroughbred race cars, Ford Performance vehicles offer unique characters, but share sophisticated driving technologies to deliver exceptional fun to drive experiences. All but two of the cars feature Ford’s EcoBoost engines, from the smallest 3‑cylinder 1.5-litre EcoBoost in the all-new Fiesta ST right up to the 3.5-litre twin turbo EcoBoost in the F-150 Raptor, road-going Ford GT and Ford GT race car.

A JAGUAR FIT FOR A PRINCESS!

A notable Jaguar XJ-S Cabriolet with royal connections will be one of a record number of stunning retro cars from the halcyon heydays of motoring appearing at the London Classic Car Show at ExCeL London (15-18 February). While many of the 700+ wonderful automotive icons on display will have their own incredible histories, few if any will have better stories to tell than this totally one-off 150mph Jaguar – a sportscar which was fashioned especially for Diana, Princess of Wales. Dating back to 1983 this famous XJ-SC was not only one of the most photographed cars of its era but was also totally unique, built to the Princess’ own bespoke specification. While the other 5,012 cabriolets created in Coventry between 1983 and 1988 were all hedonistic two-seater speed-

sters, this stately XJ-SC (reg E763KYX) was uniquely fitted with two small rear seats just so the young Princes William and Harry could ride along with their mother and her bodyguard. It is generally accepted that the Princess enjoyed driving her custommade Jag so much that her protection officer was often relegated to the front passenger seat! Additionally, the V12 powered regal cabriolet features an individually made, and permanently fixed, rear hard top to ensure that the two Princes could not strike their heads on the solid targa roof bar in the event of an accident. Also, unlike any other XJS, the once royal roadster is fitted with personalised leather and Harris Tweed seat trims, chosen by Princess Diana. The Princess was regularly seen driving this majestic model from 1987 to 1991.

VOLVO XC40 RIDES STRONG ORDER NUMBERS TOWARDS CHINA LAUNCH Volvo Cars’ first entry into the small premium SUV segment is proving popular among car buyers, with global XC40 orders already exceeding 20,000 units. Delivery of cars to dealers started earlier this month. Following its successful introduction to European and American customers, the XC40 will be launched in China, the world’s largest car market, at the Beijing Auto Show this spring. Well received by customers, the XC40 has also attracted acclaim from media around the globe. Volvo’s new small SUV is one of seven shortlisted for the 2018 European Car of the Year, the winner of which will be announced in March. This week, the XC40 was awarded the prestigious Car of the Year award by leading UK automotive publication What Car?. “With the XC40, we enter the fastest-growing segment in the industry,” said Björn Annwall, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Brand and Retail at Volvo Cars. “The XC40 completes our global SUV line-up, bringing the award-winning safety, connectivity and infotainment technologies known from our larger cars to the small SUV segment. These latest figures show that our customers clearly like what they see.” The arrival of the XC40 means that, for the first time, Volvo Cars has three new globally available SUVs in what is the fastest-growing segment of the automotive market,

paving the way for further growth in sales and profitability. The XC40 is the first model on Volvo Cars’ new compact modular vehicle architecture (CMA), which will underpin all upcoming cars in the 40 series, including fully electrified vehicles. Co-developed within Geely, CMA provides the company with the necessary economies of scale for this segment. The XC40 is also the first Volvo to come with a car-sharing feature, enabled via Volvo’s digital key technology and its Volvo On Call connected services platform. XC40 owners can simply share their car with family and friends without having to hand over a physical key.* Today, Volvo Cars also launches its global marketing campaign around the XC40. The campaign features a new version of the famous ‘My Favourite Things’ song from the classic musical and film The Sound of Music. The campaign version was recorded by Swedish artist Jennie Abrahamson and was released on Spotify just prior to the campaign launch. The song and updated context underline Volvo Cars’ approach to challenging the traditional car ownership model. Volvo Cars launches the XC40 marketing campaign in Europe with the campaign film debut on Swedish commercial television channel TV4 at 20:25 today, Friday 26 January.

MAZDA DEALER PROFITABILITY GROWS IN 2017 Mazda dealers across the UK have increased their average profitability by 38 per cent year-on-year, while 2017 also saw the network achieve a Mazda return on sales percentage (ROS) of 1.4 per cent - compared to 1.0 per cent in 2016. “I’m delighted at the performance of our dealer network and their success in 2017, particularly when you consider this business achievement comes at a time of reducing retail sales across the whole UK car market and wavering consumer confidence in the face of challenges like Brexit and potential economic uncertainty,” commented Peter Allibon, Sales Director Mazda Motors UK. Adding, “this success comes from the hard work and dedication we see across our network to deliver an excellent customer experience, it’s also a reflection of improved new car margins and service departments benefiting from an increased vehicle parc. Even better, with our latest SKYACTIV technology generation cars now arriving in large numbers into the used marketplace, dealers are also profiting from strong used car performance.” In addition to 2017 seeing strong dealer profitability across the network, it’s also worth noting that the top 25 per cent of Mazda dealers in the UK achieved a 3.33 per cent ROS, while the summer 2017 National Franchise Dealer Association (NFDA) survey ranked Mazda in fifth place out of 29 manufacturers. Commenting on the results, Brett Hague, Head of Network Strategy at Mazda UK said, “our strategy to be the franchise of choice is focused on practical and right sized facilities that deliver a return on investment for our dealer partners. We also work hard to ensure we are easy to do business with and clearly our stylish, good to drive and efficient model range plays a big part in the success story.” Adding, “the investment by our dealer partners in our latest corporate identity over the last few years means we have an attractive, premium and modern retailer network that delivers an outstanding consumer experience to Mazda customers. I’m also pleased that 2018 will see a number of brand new Mazda dealerships being built by our dealer partners, and I’ve no doubt that our network’s excellent profitability results are a key factor in this continued investment in the Mazda brand.”

NEW MOTOGP REPLICA GSX-R1000 UNVEILED BY SUZUKI MotoGP technology and knowhow also extends to a full suite of electronics found on the GSX-R1000

Suzuki has unveiled its new MotoGP livery for the 2018 season, and with it a new replica paint scheme for its award-winning GSX-R1000R and GSX-R1000. Unveiled at a preseason MotoGP test at Sepang, Malaysia, the new livery is an evolution of the eye-catching blue with bold Suzuki wording, but for 2018 introduces the use of a stealthy black to the usual yellow details, and is available on both the GSX-R1000R and GSX-R1000. Similarities between the production machines and the GSX-RR racers that will be piloted by Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins in 2018 are not limited to paint schemes, with the GSX-R1000 inheriting the same VVT technology as the MotoGP prototype, to ensure it produces strong low-down torque and midrange, without sacrificing top-end power, along with other elements including a finger-follower valve train and stacked intake funnels. MotoGP technology and knowhow also extends to a full suite of electronics found on the GSX-R1000R, which comprises of a 10-stage, lean angle-sensitive traction control system and launch control, plus cornering ABS and a bi-directional quickshifter and auto-blipper.

Sport

Friday 2nd February 2018

Nicklaus On Tiger

Tiger Woods might be on the wrong side of 40, but it is his injury history and not his age that is the main question mark hanging over his prospects of success, says Jack Nicklaus. Referring to Woods' comeback from a lengthy injury lay-off at the Farmers Insurance Open last weekend, the holder of a record 18 Majors said:- "First time back, tied-23rd, that's pretty good. And as fit as he is, he's probably got another 10 years to play competitive golf.” "As you get older the more you understand what happens on the golf course and what it takes to win and Tiger's certainly at that age.” "But it's whether he can do that any more, whether his body after all those operations can hold together." Nicklaus, 78, won three Majors after turning 40 (the last in 1986 at the age of 46) with 24 years between his first and last Major wins, but had the good fortune of staying injury-free across his career, making 154 consecutive Major starts from 1957 to 1998. Woods, on the other hand, has undergone four back operations since 2014 with the latest being spinal fusion surgery in April last year. The 42-year-old, who has 14 Majors, has made no secret of his desire to eclipse Nicklaus' haul, but has not made

Orihuela Defeat

A Córdoba try was the only score on the board for ITV Orihuela Vega Baja as they lost by 35 points to 5 to XV Murcia last weekend in their Murcia Federation FERRMUR league match played at the Universidad Miguel Hernández ground in Orihuela. The visitors were always in control and lead 22-nil at

half-time, with Orihuela’s next match coming a week on Saturday against the Mar Menor Squalos, which will also be played at home with a 5.30 pm kick-off. At the moment, Orihuela are fourth in the table with 20 points, some 14 points behind the league leaders Cartagena University (CRUC).

any inroads since winning the US Open in 2008. "That last one he had was probably the most difficult of his operations and until he can trust himself and his body, he'll have a hard time trusting his golf game," said Nicklaus. "He's also got a lot of competition. There are a lot of good players out there today. Rory (McIlroy), Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth. They're all good." Nicklaus added that his own experiences make him, if anything, less willing to comment on where Woods' latest comeback might lead: "Whatever somebody's opinion is, it doesn't make any difference because it's what you do that matters." Pointing to his last Major victory at the Masters in 1986, he said: "I was basically done playing seriously by the time I was about 40 and then '86 came along and I just had a pretty good week and played very well." "Once you get into contention, your mind and body remember how to play," added Nicklaus, who had gone six years without a Major win before his 1986 Masters triumph. "I can't honestly say I just turned on a switch to do it. You work at it and you try but it just happens. So as to what Tiger might do, who knows?"

Squalos Victory

The Mar Menor Squalos recorded a 41 points to 33 home victory over Rugby Lorca in their latest Murcia Federation FERRMUR league match played at the weekend. The match played at San Javier saw the Squalos look the better side in the first half as they quickly got the whip

hand, but the second half was a much closer affair with Lorca giving as good as they got, but the Squalos managed to hang on to get a deserved victory. The result sees them just a point behind ITV Orihuela Vega Baja in the table (see left), who they go to next for an anticipated local clash.

Playas Youngsters

The latest set of matches for the Escuela Racing Playas De Orihuela youth team (pictured) saw them move closer to the top of their league after an eightone thrashing of rivals Montesinos. The Playas team were two-nil up at half-time, but when Montesinos pulled one back shortly after the restart, it looked set to be a close contest, but then Playas ran away with it. With leaders Ariel only managing a draw, Playas are now in second spot, only three points behind them.

In the other results, the Cadetes lost three-nil to Callosa; the Infantail Federado side beat Callosa seven-nil, and the Femenino Infantil Cadete team ran out four-one victors over SPA Alicante. The Infantil Brave side beat Guardamar three-one; the Alevins won four-three over Mil Palmeras; the Benjamin eleven were victorious six-one against Almoradi; the Prebenjamin team drew two-two with San Fulgencio; and the Querubines defeated Formentera two-nil.

Sport

www.thecourier.es

Five On The Trot

Welcome Relief

CD ALMORADI 2 UD ILICITANA 1 MONFORTE CF 1 CD THADER 2 Thader racked up their fifth consecutive league win on Saturday to put them just a point off the Preferente Group Four play-off zone, but they had to work hard for it. Despite being second from bottom in the table, Monforte showed good form the previous weekend by getting a draw at third-

placed Villajoyosa. Nevertheless, Thader were the better side in the first half creating the better chances, though unable to capitalise until May put them ahead in the 35th minute. Monforte were better than Thader in the second period, but it took some fine individual skills for Gonza to level up matters with 13 minutes

remaining. Rubén though put the Rojales-based side back in front three minutes later from the penalty spot, and secured the victory. Thader will feel confidant of making it six victories on the bounce this Sunday morning when they entertain fourth-bottom Pinoso, with an 11.30 am kick-off.

Almoradi gave themselves some useful breathing space as they got a much-needed victory to give themselves a useful buffer up from the Preferente Group Four relegation zone. This was a good result for the home side against a team looking for a play-off spot and who went on the offensive early on troubling

Almoradi keeper Manzanares. It was against the run of play that Pedro Juan gave the Almoradi the lead in the 28th minute, and that’s the way it stayed until half-time. Ilicitana were quickly back into matters through Juan in the 50th minute, but Jorge came on as a substitute for Polo in the 58th minute, and

just two minutes later he had put Almoradi back ahead. Attempts to level up for Ilicitana came to nothing, and Almoradi held on for the three very useful points that put them in 14th place with 22 points, and a local derby to come this weekend away to third-bottom Benferri, who just have 15 points to their name.

Well Earned Win

CD MONTESINOS 2 ATLETICO CATRAL 0

Floundering Torry

ALICANTE UNIVERSITY 2 CD TORREVIEJA 0 CD Torrevieja finished off January without a win, and victory has not been achieved in Preferente Group Four since midNovember in a shocking run of from which has seen them hit mid-table away from the giddy heights of second place. Two goals in the 71st and

79th minute from Romero gave Alicante victory after a largely even first half in a match which saw new signing 29-year-old Calderon (ex-Novelda) make his debut for Torry, who missed key players through suspension. Torry are now in the bottom half of the table in 10th

position with 29 points, and they now entertain a mediocre Orihuela B side this Sunday afternoon with a 4.30 pm kick-off, as the season continues to disappear for Torry like a deflating balloon. Defender Verdu incidentally has been released from his contract with Torrevieja.

Two goals from Vaz gave Montesinos their first victory of 2018 in the Valencia Primera Regional Group Eight, after three defeats and a draw. Atletico Catral CF are having a good season, and were third in the table ahead of Sunday’s match, and arrived at the Campo Municipal in Los Montesinos looking to make up ground on the two sides above them. However, after a very determined performance from a resurgent Monte side, the visitors left empty handed and dropped down to fifth position, with Monte

just two slots behind. Monte showed much fight than of late, and came out fired up and not giving their opponents a chance to settle. They fought for every ball, they chased and refused to lose another game. It was one of the side’s better performances of the season against one of the division’s better sides who, on the day, were made to look very average. The Vaz goals came in each half, the first a leaping header at the far post and the second a quick breakaway to round the keeper to slot the ball home.

It also has to be said that Vaz “missed” two one-onones during the game as well as hitting the post! Monte keeper Dani though won the Man of the Match award, as he pulled off a couple of excellent saves, marshalled his defence with authority and looked comfortable all through the game. He was presented with his prize after the game by David Winder from the club’s golf partners, Torregolf.eu Monte travel to Hondon de la Nieves tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) for a 4.00 pm kick-off.

Friday 2nd February 2018

Sport

Saviour Messi

Penalty Relief

Feeble Elche Fail

BARCELONA 2 ALAVES 1

VALENCIA 1 REAL MADRID 4

CF PERALADA 1 ELCHE 0

Lionel Messi scored a late free-kick as Barcelona staged a second-half comeback to defeat Alaves in Philippe Coutinho's full debut at the Nou Camp on Sunday. Messi's goal completed a fine turnaround for the league leaders after John Guidetti had given the visitors a shock first-half lead from a fine counter-attacking move. Coutinho was substituted midway through the second half, and minutes later Luis Suarez equalised from Andres Iniesta's cross to break Alaves' resolve. The win keeps Barca's 11-point lead at the top of La Liga, and they go to Espanyol on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two first-half penalties last Saturday as Real Madrid beat Valencia at the Mestalla to relieve the pressure on coach Zinedine Zidane. Ronaldo made no mistake from 12 yards, on 16 and 38 minutes, after Martin Montoya had been penalised for fouling the Portuguese forward and then Karim Benzema (pictured below). Santi Mina brought Valencia back into it after the break before late strikes from Marcelo and Toni Kroos put a gloss on the scoreline to hand Real a morale-boosting victory. Valencia are third in La Liga, just two points ahead of Real, while Zidane's men have a game in hand, and now go to struggling Levante tomorrow evening (Saturday).

It was perhaps too much in the general sphere of things to ask the Ilicitanos to record three straight league wins after what has been going on in recent months, and they duly faltered at struggling Peralada on Sunday. All the old unwanted elements were there with the home side scoring in the first minute through Iu Ranera, and then Peralada had a man sent off on the half-hour mark, and Elche were incapable of capitalising. Provencio was sent off in the 68th minute for a second yellow card, and the last six minutes saw Peralada down to nine men, as another player got red-carded. The match saw Elche fail to turn the screw anytime with coach Josico telling the media afterwards that the “result meant the side had taken an important step back and the early goal changed everything”. That was despite there being 89 minutes plus two added periods of time remaining, as a serious of old excuses were trotted out. Josico said the team had four or five clear scoring chances, but it wasn’t to be, though Elche remain third in Segunda Division B, and now entertain another relegation-threatened side this Sunday in the shape of second-bottom SCR Pena Deporiva.

Pique’s Plan

Ronaldo’s List

Third Division News

Gerard Pique hopes to see out his playing days at Barcelona after signing a contract extension that ties him to the club until the summer of 2022. The Spain international will be 35 when his new deal ends and insists he only ever saw his future at the Nou Camp, saying it is "Barca or nothing". Having come up through the youth ranks with Barcelona, Pique returned to his hometown club in 2008 after four years on Manchester United's books and in the last decade has won 24 titles with the La Liga leaders. "I'm very happy to have renewed my contract and I hope it will not be the last," the Spain international said. "If I complete my contract I will have been at Barca for 14 years, plus another six or seven in the youth teams.” "I've been a socio [member] since I was born, Barca feels like home, it's the club of my life." Pique's new deal includes a buyout clause of 500m euros, but that is academic to a player who never wants to leave. "I always felt that I was going to stay and I never thought about anything else," he added. "And I hope to stay for life.” "Obviously I've thought about my family and my kids, who don't want to move. But in the career I've had here, we've almost always won something and we've competed until the end. And I hope we continue being competitive until I retire.” "I'm not interested in playing for another team. If I wasn't wearing the Barca shirt, I would have given up. I play football because I play for Barca. It's Barca or nothing."

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly told Real Madrid the four players he wants the club to sign in the summer transfer window. Real are expected to be subject to a major overhaul this season, particularly with club president Florentino Perez publicly venting his anger at their woeful La Liga title defence. The La Liga champions are currently 19 points behind bitter rivals Barcelona and are battling for a Champions League spot after a poor season domestically so far. Boss Zinedine Zidane looks a certainty to be axed in the summer and according to Diario Gol, Ronaldo has urged the club to sign a quartet of players he believes will make them La Liga title contenders again. Manchester United stopper David De Gea is first up, while Ronaldo also wants two of Marquinhos, David Alaba or Leonardo Bonucci to boost Real’s back line. The Portuguese superstar is, however, said to be against the addition of either Neymar or Harry Kane and would instead prefer to see his fellow countryman Goncalo Guedes, who has impressed at Valencia, boost Real’s attacking ranks. There has been growing speculation Ronaldo could be seeking to leave the Bernabeu in the summer. He wants to be rewarded with a new contract at Real to put him on the same wages as Lionel Messi having steered the club to La Liga and Champions League glory last season. But Florentino Perez is yet to yield to Ronaldo’s demands, which could lead the Portugal international to leaving at the end of the season. However, the 31-year-old could perform a U-turn on his decision to leave should Real listen to his advice on transfer targets.

Orihuela missed out on the chance to go top of the Valencia Third Division as they were held to a one-all draw at home by CD Olimpic, whilst leaders Levante suffered a shock three-one defeat at Paterna. It means both sides have 51 points, two points ahead of Castellón. The two goals in Sunday’s match came in the first nine minutes with Iván putting Orihuela ahead in the third minute (celebrations pictured), with play-off chasing Olimpic levelling up six minutes later. Orihuela go to mid-table Novelda this Sunday. Inconsistent Crevillente delivered the goods at home with a fine two-one over CD Eldense, and are now 11th in the table, with a tough trip to come to Castellón on Sunday. Elche Ilicitano continue to hover above the relegation zone, and would have been disappointed to have been held to a oneall scoreline by the team just above them, Paiporta. They’re away to mid-table Silla on Sunday.

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Busy Alonso

Jorge’s Record

Spain’s Fernando Alonso will race at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2018 and 2019 as part of a deal that will see him contest all but one World Endurance Championship race for Toyota this season. McLaren announced the news, saying Alonso's Formula 1 commitments remained "their shared top priority". He will miss October's WEC round at Fuji as it clashes with the US GP. Alonso, 36, said he hoped to realise his ambition of winning Le Mans. The two-time F1 champion has set himself the target of winning motorsport's so-called 'triple crown' of Monaco Grand Prix, which he has won twice, Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500. Only Graham Hill has achieved the feat so far. He competed at Indy in 2017 and was running competitively when his engine failed in the closing stages of the race. Alonso said: "We tried for Indy last year, came close, but just missed out. This year, I have the chance, thanks to McLaren, to race for the win at Le Mans.” "It is a big challenge - much can go wrong - but I am ready, prepared and looking forward to the fight." Alonso is committed to racing for Toyota throughout what is known as the 2018-19 'super-season' as long as the races do not clash with grands prix. It begins with the Spa Six Hours on 5 May and includes both the 2018 and 2019 Le Mans races. This season is effectively a transition to a new WEC format where the championship begins in the summer and ends at Le Mans. In 2018, only the Japanese WEC race clashes with a grand prix. At the end of the 2018-19 season, there are three races next year - at Sebring on 16/17 March, Spa in Belgium on 4 May and Le Mans on 15/16 June. The 2019 F1 calendar will not be published until late this year but there are unlikely to be any clashes. That means Alonso has at least two chances to win Le Mans with Toyota. His McLaren contract is for one year with options to continue with the team beyond that. "My deal to race in WEC was only made possible through the good understanding and strong relationship I have with McLaren, and I'm very happy that they listened and understood what this means to me," Alonso added. "In no way will this challenge take away from my main target of Formula 1 with McLaren.” "In 2018, my aim is to be competitive at every grand prix, and I feel sure that we are closer to achieving that."

Spanish twice-world champion MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo completed the fastest lap in the history of the sport during training sessions this week in Sepang, Malaysia. The Ducati rider whipped round the circuit in less than two minutes – one minute, 58.83 seconds, in fact – the fastest anyone has ever gone around the Sepang track since it was built. He has beaten the previous world record set by his compatriot, four-times champion Marc Márquez, 24, who belted round in one minute, 58.867 in 2015 – beating another Spaniard, Dani Pedrosa, who set an earlier record that same year of one minute, 59.053 seconds during a qualifier in Sepang which, naturally, netted him pole. Mallorca-born Lorenzo, Lleida-born Márquez and Madrid-based Pedrosa (both Repsol Honda) have traditionally been the top three Spanish riders in recent years, although last season saw their fellow countryman Maverick Viñales come into his own: a relative newcomer until 2017, he nevertheless completed the fastest round in Sepang on Monday, a day before Lorenzo smashed the record, on what was the second day of pre-season test rounds. Viñales, from Girona, was not far off Pedrosa's 2015 record on Monday, when he whipped round in one minute and 59.355 seconds. Márquez, who became the youngest rider to win a world championship in his rookie year in 2013 aged just 20 – something he repeated the next two consecutive years – is defending champion this season, having soared to the top of the standings in 2017. If any riders are likely to be in with a chance of toppling the him from his throne, Pedrosa, Lorenzo, Italian veteran Valentino Rossi, and possibly even Viñales would be the ones to watch.

FIXTURES Friday 2 February English Football League - Championship 21:00 Bolton Wanderers V. Bristol City Saturday 3 February English Premier League 13:30 Burnley V. Manchester City 16:00 Bournemouth V. Stoke City 16:00 Brighton and Hove Albion V. West Ham United 16:00 Leicester City V. Swansea City 16:00 Manchester United V. Huddersfield Town 16:00 West Bromwich Albion V. Southampton 18:30 Arsenal V. Everton English Football League - Championship 16:00 Aston Villa V. Burton Albion 16:00 Derby County V. Brentford 16:00 Fulham V. Nottingham Forest 16:00 Leeds United V. Cardiff City 16:00 Norwich City V. Middlesbrough 16:00 Preston North End V. Hull City 16:00 Queens Park Rangers V. Barnsley 16:00 Reading V. Millwall 16:00 Sheffield Wednesday V. Birmingham City 16:00 Sunderland V. Ipswich Town 18:30 Wolverhampton Wanderers V. Sheffield United English Football League - League One 16:00 Bristol Rovers V. Shrewsbury Town 16:00 Bury V. Blackpool 16:00 Charlton Athletic V. Oxford United 16:00 Fleetwood Town V. Scunthorpe United 16:00 Northampton Town V. Rochdale 16:00 Oldham Athletic V. Bradford City 16:00 Peterborough United V. Southend United 16:00 Plymouth Argyle V. Blackburn Rovers 16:00 Portsmouth V. Doncaster Rovers 16:00 Rotherham United V. AFC Wimbledon 16:00 Walsall V. MK Dons 16:00 Wigan Athletic V. Gillingham English Football League - League Two 16:00 Accrington Stanley V. Stevenage 16:00 Chesterfield V. Crawley Town 16:00 Colchester United V. Newport County 16:00 Forest Green Rovers V. Coventry City 16:00 Grimsby Town V. Cheltenham Town 16:00 Lincoln City V. Swindon Town 16:00 Luton Town V. Exeter City 16:00 Mansfield Town V. Barnet 16:00 Notts County V. Crewe Alexandra 16:00 Port Vale V. Morecambe 16:00 Wycombe Wanderers V. Carlisle United 16:00 Yeovil Town V. Cambridge United Scottish Premiership 13:30 Kilmarnock V. Celtic 16:00 Aberdeen V. Hamilton Academical 16:00 Dundee V. Ross County 16:00 Heart of Midlothian V. St. Johnstone 16:00 Motherwell V. Partick Thistle 16:00 Rangers V. Hibernian Scottish Championship 16:00 Dumbarton V. Brechin City 16:00 Falkirk V. Livingston 16:00 Inverness Caledonian Thistle V. Dundee United 16:00 Morton V. Dunfermline Athletic 16:00 St. Mirren V. Queen of the South Scottish League One 16:00 Arbroath V. Albion Rovers 16:00 Ayr United V. Alloa Athletic 16:00 Forfar Athletic V. Airdrieonians 16:00 Queen’s Park V. Raith Rovers 16:00 Stranraer V. East Fife Scottish League Two 16:00 Annan Athletic V. Cowdenbeath 16:00 Clyde V. Edinburgh City 16:00 Peterhead V. Montrose 16:00 Stenhousemuir V. Berwick Rangers 16:00 Stirling Albion V. Elgin City Sunday 4 February English Premier League 15:15 Crystal Palace V. Newcastle United 17:30 Liverpool V. Tottenham Hotspur Monday 5 February English Premier League 21:00 Watford V. Chelsea Tuesday 6 February English FA Cup 20:45 Birmingham City V. Huddersfield Town 20:45 Rochdale V. Millwall 21:05 Swansea City V. Notts County

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

Sport

DOPE BLOW SIX NATIONS OPENERS

A decision to overturn the Olympic life bans of 28 Russian athletes "may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping", says the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) overturned the IOC suspensions - for doping at the 2014 Winter Olympics - partially upholding 11 other appeals. Cas said that in 28 cases evidence was "insufficient" to prove doping. The IOC said it would consider its own appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

FOOLISH HAMMER

West Ham have suspended director of player recruitment Tony Henry over claims he said the club would not sign any more African players. The Daily Mail reported that Henry said African players "cause mayhem" when they are not in the team. In a statement, West Ham said they will not tolerate any type of discrimination and have "therefore, acted swiftly due to the serious nature of these claims". Henry has been suspended pending "a full and thorough investigation".

The 2018 Six Nations championship kicks off this weekend, with history on the line. Eddie Jones’s England are seeking a remarkable hat-trick a titles, a feat not achieved by any nation outright since 1883, while Scotland are chasing a first Championship since 1999, Ireland desperate for a return to silverware, Wales after an unlikely title challenge, France a fresh start and Italy will settle for a scalp or three. The previous six years have seen three nations go back-to-back, with Wales winning in 2012 and 2013, Ireland in 2014 and 2015 and England in 2016 and 2017, but not since before the turn of the 20th century has anyone taken the elusive hattrick. Exeter loose-head prop Alec Hepburn is set to make his England debut in Sunday's Six Nations match against Italy in Rome. Hepburn, 24, is one of 25 players retained, and injuries and suspensions mean he is likely to be on the bench. Worcester wing Josh Adams will make his Wales debut against Scotland as the 2018 Six Nations gets underway with the first match in Cardiff tomorrow. Fly-half Rhys Patchell is one of 10 Scarlets in the starting XV, six of them in the backs with 22-year-old Adams the exception. Newcastle Falcons' Chris Harris will make his first start for Scotland after being named at outside centre for the Wales clash. Coach Gregor Townsend has made six changes from the side that faced Australia in November. Former international fly-half Tony Ward says a win for Ireland against France in Paris tomorrow is key to their hopes of winning the Six Nations title. An opening day defeat by Scotland last year proved crucial to Ireland having to finish second behind England. "For Joe Schmidt it will be a case of getting a win above everything else. "I think he'll go with the tried and trusted, stick with the players who have served him in the past and just try to eke out a result," said Ward.

FINGERS CROSSED

Australian Open semi-finalist Kyle Edmund still intends to play in Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against Spain today at the Club de Tenis Puente Romano in Marbella. The first rubber is scheduled to start at 11.00 am. The 23-year-old struggled with a minor hip problem during his semi-final defeat by Marin Cilic, a result that halted his stunning run in Melbourne. But the world No 26 still hopes to lead Britain’s team and said: “Since arriving in Marbella on Monday I have been doing my best to get match-ready for the tie. My intention

is to play as I love Davis Cup and representing my country. My body has a few niggles and the transition from any surface to clay is not an easy one.” “Things are improving and I’m taking a day at a time at the moment. I wanted to keep you informed of the latest news and thanks to everyone for all the support.” If Edmund decides he is not fit enough to play in the firstround tie on his favourite surface of clay, Britain will find themselves taking on Spain with two players outside the top 100 in Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady.