The Courier week 102 by TKO UK

Edition 102

www.thecourier.es

Friday, February 1, 2013

THE HAND OF FIGHT The pain game: Jordan at home this week

Jordan’s agony adds to pressure for new school THEY warned it was an accident waiting to happen…now it has. As more than 200 protestors staged a sitin protest calling for a new school to replace the crumbling Principe de Espana premises in Rojales, a six-year-old pupil was recovering after emergency treatment at Torrevieja Hospital. Jordan El Ghilani-Fryatt badly dislocated his thumb when he tripped and fell on the broken floor of the school gymnasium. He has since been off school, unable to use his right hand. His writing hand remains immobilised in a metal cast and his mother Samantha says he is ‘’feeling sorry for himself. He just wants to get back to school’’. Yet on a wider front, Jordan’s injury has struck a new blow for the mounting campaign against Valencian intransigence. The accident, along with last Friday’s mass sit-in, has put extra pressure on the regional decision-makers, who are reluctant

DONNA GEE reports to give assurances on the funding and building of a new facility for Principe de Espana’s 500-plus pupils. Says concerned parent Rachel King, who predicted a mishap like Jordan’s in last week’s Courier, told me: “The sit-in was very well attended. Over 200 people came to show their support - not just concerned parents but also grandparents, babes-in-arms, teachers, students, council officials including the Mayor.’’ Pupils wore safety helmets to emphasise the danger presented by the “horrific state’’ of the school. Among the problems are general dampness, cracked and crumbling supporting beams, sub-standard electrics and sewerage rising into the playground. Meanwhile, Samantha and her Moroccanborn husband Yussef – whose eight-yearold daughter Aaliayah also attends the

Turn to Page 2

Courts call for papers in probe into fiesta contracts ORIHUELA Courts have instructed San Fulgencio’s PP Council to submit all files and records regarding the allocation of contracts for fiestas in La Marina Urbanisation during the summers of 2011 and 2012. They have also asked for documents relating to payments for these fiestas. Concerns over the contracts were initially brought to light by English opposition Councillors Brian Deacon (PSOE) and Mark Lewis (APSFU). It led to an investigation by the AntiCorruption Prosecutor and the findings were filed in court, resulting in the pending audit. The Council members implicated include the Mayor, Carlos Ramírez, and Councillors Pascual Sempere, Pedro González, Concepción Castell and Jeffrey Witold Wiszniewski. Allegations relate to documented evidence of services that are believed to have been hired prior to the official adjudication and allocation of contracts.

Our latest edition is always online at www.thecourier.es

Friday, February 1, 2013

Are you a snapper? Do you have a great photo? Send it to design@thecourier.es and if we think it is good enough we will publish it as our Picture of the Week TELEPHONE

96 692 1003 679 096 309

The windmill in Lo Pagan, looking in a bit of a sorry state. Photo by Rob Barnes

965 99 66 66 E-MAIL office@thecourier.es WEB www.thecourier.es HEAD OFFICE Calle Luis Canovas Martinez 1. Urb Aguas Nuevas, Torrevieja 03183, ALICANTE PHONE: 96 692 1003 Email: office@thecourier.es OPENING HOURS Mon - Fri 1030 to 1730 CONSULTANT EDITOR Donna Gee ADVERTISING SALES 966 921 003 office@thecourier.es TELESALES 966 921 003 679 096 309 Sally Los Alcazares, San Javier 618 391 491 Myra Quesada, Rojales, Torrevieja, San Miguel Tel. 618 583 765 Jean La Zenia, Playa Flamenca, Cabo Roig Tel. 618 898 034 Janine 616 332 178 Patrick International Rep 5 Languages Tel 685 901 265

Picture of the Week

JUNGLE DRUMS

Hand of fight From Page One school - are fuming at what Samantha described as the ‘’absolutely disgusting’’ attitude of school officials following Jordan’s accident. There is, however, one piece of

good news. The Mayor has reportedly secured a meeting with the Valencian authorities on February 20 – but no confirmation has yet been given by the regional government that a new school will actually be built.

Writers Donna Gee Sally Bengtsson Jeanette Erath Alex Trelinski Dave Silver Tony Mayes Heidi Wardman John McGregor

A HEAD START: Safety helmets press home the message at last Friday’s sit-in. Above left: Jordan El Ghilani-Fryatt checks the damaged gymnasium floor where he tripped and (above right) recovering in Torrevieja Hospital after his surgery

Affiliations

Publication Published by Rainbow Media, S.L. Printed by Localprint S.L Depósito legal A - 132 - 2011 The Courier, its publishers, members of staff and its agents do not accept responsibility for 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 non-appearance 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.

Tax probe targets Quesada family

THE Quesada family was left to defend its empire this week, after Tax Inspectors raised suspicions of tax evasion. Tax Inspectors in Rojales made around half a dozen searches of corporate offices and properties relating to the development and construction project that Justo Quesada established around the family’s name-

sake, Ciudad Quesada, in 1972. The raids also extended to the prestigious La Marquesa Golf Course owned by the Quesada group. The Quesada family, which once employed 500 direct and indirect workers, has suffered badly in the face of the housing crisis, but continues to operate on a more modest basis. Many

of the group's multi-faceted companies allegedly have no connection with each other. The investigation was launched after alleged irregularities were unveiled in the Company’s accounts over several fiscal years, including 2008, 2009 and 2010. Inspectors reported that the registered company, Justo Quesada QSD Group SL,

Friday Partly sunny High 20° Low 10° Chance of rain 0% Monday Sunny High 18° Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

Tuesday Sunny High 19° Low 7° Chance of rain 0%

had been submitting false invoices, which has led to the Treasury pushing the Orihuela Court to approve its enquiry concerning fraud and tax evasion. The tax inspectors, supported by members of the Guardia Civil, searched through all of the family’s electronic files, as well as a cabinet filled with paperwork. The family had no

Saturday Sunny High 18° Low 5° Chance of rain 0% Wednesday Sunny High 18° Low 5° Chance of rain 0%

choice but to cooperate with the investigation, which is ongoing.

Sunday Sunny High 15° Low 5° Chance of rain 0% Thursday Sunny High 15° Lo 4° Chance of rain 0%

Friday, February 1, 2013

No-pay tenants are making my life hell! HELPLESS DEBORAH COUNTS THE COST AS ONE-SIDED LAWS BLOCK EVICTION ORDER By DONNA GEE A LA MARINA brother and sister’s decision to rent out their late father’s nearby home, pictured right, has turned into the ultimate nightmare. And amazingly, the efforts of Deborah Baker and Malcolm Cashmore to evict a Latvian family who have stopped paying rent may well land the expat siblings in the dock themselves. Deborah opened her heart to The Courier about a chain of events that are becoming ever more complicated and have already cost her and Malcolm, a retired fireman, more than 2,000 euros. And her message to the expat community is: “Make sure you really look at who you rent to. Take a HUGE deposit and get references – or just let to people you know personally. “My brother and I are hoping that what happened to us will help prevent it happening to other people who are thinking of renting out their property. It is an extremely stressful and frustrating thing to happen to anyone, and we know it has happened to many unsuspecting victims.’’ Deborah and Malcolm’s problems began when they rented out their late father’s property on urb. La Marina to a Latvian couple with two children. The tenancy agreement was in the woman’s name only. “We naively did not put the electric and water into the tenant’s name,’’ Deborah admitted. “After two months they stopped paying the rent and January has been the fifth month they have not paid.’’ The question is, what can the property owner do under Spanish law to get the tenant out? The answer, says Deborah, is precious little. She points to a string of facts which have frustrated her so much that she has contemplated packing up the sunshine life and going back to England . FACT 1: Regardless of the terms of the Tenancy contract, if the property is your tenants’ only residence they have the legal right to remain there for three years (previously five years). FACT 2: When the tenant stops paying rent, electric and water, you CANNOT cut off the electric or water, nor tamper with it in anyway.

LIFE IN SPAIN The Spanish Government is taking q steps to reduce the number of families evicted from their homes, by imposing new lending laws to banks. Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said urgent measures are required to protect home owners who get into debt. He recommended lowering interest rates applied to mortgage and the maximum stretch of any mortgage would be up to 30 years. “We need to enforce sensible regulations in light of the dramatic situation facing many Spanish families,’’ he said.

A 25-year-old construction worker died in Torrevieja Hospital following an accident at a redevelopment project in Nueva Torrevieja. The incident took place in Calle Salinero, when a colleague was operating excavation machinery and accidentally hit the young employee. He was rushed to hospital with several broken ribs and internal injuries - but died on the operating table. Investigations are proceeding.

FACT 3: You cannot change the locks. FACT 4: If you threaten the tenants with any of the above, they can go to the Police and you will be charged with coercion and be forced to appear in court. “This happened to us,’’ said Deborah, “although the allegations were a complete fabrication and were made by them knowing they would return to Latvia before the court hearing.’’ FACT 5: The Law states “the tenants have the right to the legitimate enjoyment of the dwelling” regardless of whether they are paying the rent or bills. ‘’What a laugh!’’ says Deborah. “The only thing you can do is start eviction proceedings against them. This currently takes around six months at Orihuela Court and costs around €900. FACT 6: If you cannot pay the electric and water due to lack of funds, the Water Authority take six months before cutting you off. The electric is a little quicker but normally about three months because bills are bimonthly. “You will end up paying the bills eventually anyway and the only way to recoup the money is by chasing the tenants through the courts,’’ says Deborah, “That’s assuming they have not left the country.’’ In Deborah and Malcolm’s case, the woman tenant and the two children returned to Latvia, leaving the man the property. “He was not on the tenancy agreement,’’

revealed Deborah. “We did not even know his proper name. Still we could not do ANYTHING. “We visited the Guardia Civil and the only action we could take was to put a denuncia against the Latvian man. Waste of time. “All this time we had to pay electric and water, while he was seen almost every night in the local bars getting drunk and smoking.’’ Later, the desperate siblings learnt that the Latvian man had gone home too, and had given the keys of the La Marina property to two other Eastern Europeans for them to live there. “We had no idea who they were,’’ added Deborah. “Still we could not do ANYTHING. Squatters (okupas) have the same protection - you must have an eviction order. “They can enter and leave the property as they wish, and take anything out of the property.’’ The final fact is that Deborah and Malcolm could not even enter the property to check if anything was missing. “And this law is supposed to be protecting law-abiding citizens!’’ says Deborah. The message to other homeowners planning long-term rental to strangers is clear. Make sure you have a good solicitor and know exactly where you stand before signing anything. Otherwise you, like Deborah and Malcolm, will be given, in their words, ‘‘a very expensive lesson.’’

The Virgen del Camino School in Orihuela remained closed for three days last week due to high winds. The Department for Education made the call to evacuate the prefabricated buildings, which serve as classrooms for the 43 children registered there. Although repairs have now been carried out, neither parents nor the City Council are happy for the children to return, claiming that the building is still unsafe, and asking for written confirmation by the Department for Education that there is no danger.

Following public outcry caused by a video which showed images of the poor treatment of immigrants by officials at the Foreign Residents Office in Alicante, the Government has finally announced the introduction of an appointments system. The system will enable residents to make appointments on-line, eliminating the need to queue at all hours of the day and night. Meanwhile, the Government SubDelegate, Alberto Martínez, said an investigation will be launched to analyse allegations made against certain police officers and civil servants based at the office.

Young people who set up as selfemployed workers are to be given a reduction of 50 euros for their Social Security payments during the first six months. This is one of the strategies included in the Government’s Youth Development and Employment scheme. Male applicants under the age of 30 and women under 35 will benefit from the 30% discount for two full years. The strategy also offers the opportunity for those who are already involved in a struggling project to start afresh, with certain incentives available to help boost their business.

Friday, February 1, 2013

€600,000 tax grab hits satellite TV boss By HEIDI WARDMAN The Tax Office has seized €600,000 of assets from TV broadcasters Torre Satelit for non-payment of Social Security fines. The Treasury has targeted the company owned by Pilar de la Horadada Councillor Josefa Meroño, seizing property and business assets registered to her name as compensation for thousands of euros worth of outstanding fines. The Regional Tax Office in Cartagena commenced court proceedings against Murcia-registered Torre Satelit TV last February, making two separate claims against Meroño’s business and personal assets. The Councillor was given prior notification of the consequences of continued non-payment of income taxes, and informed that

additional penalties would be applied if the fines were not paid within the given timescale. However, having received no response, the tax office proceeded with the imposition of fines for two fiscal years, 2010 and 2011, at identical sums of €288,000 euros per year. Meroño was also charged with default penalties of €357 and interest reaching €25,466. To recuperate these debts, the Tax Office has acted against several properties registered to Meroño, including four garages in a desirable Torrevieja urbanisation. However, their value fell short of the outstanding debt, so the authorities swooped on additional assets belonging to Torre Satelit. According to reports, the Pilar Councillor has in the past been at the centre of several controversies concerning irregularities between her business and council position.

ESCAPE FROM THE TRAGIC EXCLUSIVE ROUNDABOUT BY TONY MAYES NINE out of every ten girls you see soliciting on roundabouts here in the Costas are there against their will - trafficked by gangs who have brought them thousands of miles from their home countries simply to earn money for them. Here in Torrevieja a group of Christians have been working for months to befriend the abused girls, earn their trust and help them in any way they can. The help group was launched within the International Christian Assembly church last year but has expanded to include other churches in the area. And since November teams of helpers have been going out to the roundabouts to meet the girls, offering them friendship, some practical help, and, most importantly, reassurance that someone loves them and does not simply want to abuse them. Worryingly, many of the girls are seen only once or twice and then disappear, to be replaced by others. What has happened to the missing girls no-one seems to know. Some of the girls are young teenagers, frightened into submission amid threats to themselves and their families. They feel unwanted, and totally helpless, controlled by the gangs.So far about 60 girls have been given comfort and help, and shown that God loves them and will care for them. The help group plans to expand its work over the coming months.Here, their leader (we will call her Maggie, to save her from possible reprisals from the prostitution gangs) writes about her experiences so far. DISCOUNT! Discount! Never a better bargain - don't miss this opportunity. January is the month for the famous "rebajas". Recently, my daughter bargained a purchase down from 30 euros to 15 and was ecstatic. We all love finding a sale when looking for an item. But what if that item were a human life? What if the buying and selling involved victimising a young lady who has been "broken" for sexual purposes by ruthless mafias who have purchased her for their profit? Young ladies who are "legally" raped 10 to 12 times a day for the pleasure of their client? This is the plight of the ladies whom we see daily in Spain on our roundabouts and alongside our roadways. "There is not a single one of us who wants to be out here," said one of these ladies from Eastern Europe right here in Torrevieja. The plight of these women who are prostituted amounts to human slavery in the 21st century. They are beaten, raped, threatened, contract diseases, and their lives are in danger every day. Some told usthey have incurred a €35,000 debt and must pay it off

“

before they are allowed their freedom. It’s the price their mafia says they owe for being forced to come to Spain. One might ask the question, "Why don't they just escape?" Unfortunately, these prostituted ladies are threatened that if they escape, someone will pay for it, meaning that the mafias will hunt down their families and kill someone. For the most part, their families have no idea what they are doing here in Spain. They are under the assumption that they are working normal jobs. The helplessness that they feel, the incapacity to change their situation, and their vulnerability make it impossible for them to see a way out of their slavery. UNICEF states that every 30 seconds, a child is trafficked for sex. In Spain, 90% of the prostitutes are victims of human trafficking. One of the victimised ladies in our area believes that 'there isn't a soul in the world that cares if one of us gets killed.' We have tried to show her that there is a group in Torrevieja that cares. A task force has been formed with organised and trained volunteers to meet weekly with these ladies, offering them food and a drink. Our desire is to show them compassion, extending friendship and hope, by coming alongside of them. Let me share a real life story of one of these girls that we will call Susi. The first contact with her caught us by surprise. In bringing a snack to her, our role being one of support and love, Susi, surprised at hearing about the value that God has placed on her, started crying uncontrollably. Since then, she has managed to break free from her mafia and has returned to her homeland. However, before leaving Torrevieja, she confided in us that the day we first met her, she was at her absolute lowest point. She had gone to the pharmacy and bought medicine, with the idea of taking it that day to end her life. When we showed up, she felt like God had heard her cry and come to her aid, sowing hope in place of despair. Our contact with her gave her the courage to take the necessary steps to break free from her slavery. One may ask, "How can I help these ladies?" The wisest man who ever lived said, "Behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them." We have a choice to make. Are we going to be comforters or oppressors? A huge part of the solution is raising the awareness of their plight. No one has the right to own another fellow human. No human being should be bought and sold.

”

Friday, February 1, 2013

editor@thecourier.es COURIER POSTBAG: YOUR VIEWS ON OUR NEWS

Dr Machi ended my 30-year hell I FELT I had to send you this email to let you know how grateful I am to Th Courier’s medical expert Dr Machi Mannu for the help and advice he has given me over the last couple of months. I have been troubled with severe stomach pain and problems for almost 30 years, seen many doctors, had many tests done and been prescribed many different pills (none of which have helped). Having gone through all this over such a lengthy period of time and with no real diagnosis forthcoming (other than constantly be ing told you have excess acid in your stomach), you tend to feel you will just have to

grin and bear it. Enter Dr Mannu. I had been reading his column one day in The Courier and was very interested to find that someone had written in complaining of the same symptoms I had. I contacted him, firstly by email, then by phone and then by consultation. His patience and understanding nature was like a breath of fresh air to me, and for the first time in many many years I felt that someone was actually interested in what was wrong with me and felt that they could really help. I had been on a prescribed drug for the past 10 years but since meeting and being diagnosed by Dr Mannu I no longer require

any pills. The calming manner in the way which he puts across his diagnosis and remedy is very re-assuring. In closing I have to say that reading your paper, and in particular Dr Mannu´s page, has ended 30 years of hell for me. DREW GERRARD Machi is certainly a doctor with a difference - but he is also a true gentleman, as anyone who has met him will happily confirm. The enormous popularity of Dr Mannu’s Courier articles is also testimony to the fact that his revolutionary treatments are effective. - EDITOR

IBERSWITCH-OFF NEARLY KILLED MY HUSBAND I HAVE deliberated and cogitated about making this public, but I am no longer upset or angry at what happened. I just need people to realise that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Day 1 On December 10, 2012 at 11am our electric went off, my husband was alone at this time and thought it was one of Spain’s short power cuts. After waiting some time he decided to check the fuse box and all was OK so proceeded to check the meter. To his horror we had a sticker across it saying we had been cut off and equipment dismantled. called husband My Iberswitch, who said the company they had before this current supplier had asked for a payment of €44.39 which their records had shown as unpaid, so if we paid this sum we would

be put back on. We were not aware of this sum nor did we have a bill requesting this or a letter to say we would be cut off if not paid (which is what should have happened - with a date to be paid by and date of disconnection if not paid) My husband immediately went to the bank to pay Electval, the previous supplier, as Iberswitch said they believed this was the problem. They said we would be put straight back on within the hour when the confirmation of payment was sent to Iberswitch.

Licence miracle I WOULD like to thank you for taking the time to print my letter (Issue 101) and especially for finding the information from the Consulate. It is much appreciated. I hope the addresses you have given will be of assistance to others who find themselves in the same situation as myself. By way of an update on my own situation, a miracle of coincidence occured. On Thursday I had a call from my Gestor to say my paperwork had finally arrived from the DVLA. So my UK licence is now winging its way to BILL REEVES Trafico. Watch this space.

Day 2 After many phone calls to Iberswitch, still no electricity. This meant we were without heating, cooking, fridge/ freezers and hot water, all those things we need electric for! My husband rang again to be told by another staff member: “Give them time you only paid yesterday!” My husband reminded the lady he was told one hour. Continuing answers were being given by different staff every time we called with no continuity of information. Day 3 My sleepless husband was by now stressed and tired due to worrying how he was going to get the electricity back on before I returned to Spain as I was out of the country. Off he goes to Iberdrola who confirmed there was no money owed by us but they could not help us as we had a contract with Iberswitch. Continuing phone calls to Iberswitch with no help

in the situation or returned calls as they promised. Day 4 My husband, who has a heart condition and also needs a Nebulizer for his asthma, was getting no respite from any of the stress. Many calls passed to Iberswitch with the same outcome. Day 6 I returned home and was shocked to see my husband looking so ill and having lost so much weight in this short time. I had the weekend to hear what had gone on before Iberswitch opened on Monday morning. Day 8 I spoke with Iberswitch empty promises and no nearer getting the electricity back on, even though they sympathised with my dilemma. But that doesn’t help us! I rang a number I’d been given for Iberdrola reconnection. They told me our existing provider MELLON ENER-

GY owed €235.02 for the hire of equipment. Asked if I could pay this amount to get reconnected; they declined as it had to come from this company with the official facture. I contacted Iberswitch, who gave me a number to call Mellon Energy. I brought to the lady’s attention that we paid a fee each month for the company to represent us in these situations. The reply was shocking - “we are an agency, not an electricity company”. When Iberswitch was selling this idea to us it was a totally different concept; they would be the middle person and there would be no language barriers as this was an English company. How things change in a cut-off situation! I explained my husband’s deteriorating health situation and warned her that if anything happened to him because of this situation I’d hold them accountable. Her attitude changed and she said she would speak with her manager and get back to me. This time she was true to her word - her offer was to put us up in a hotel until connected where we would be warm and comfortable. After a lot of consideration I phoned Iberswich and declined their offer as this was not a disaster. This was bad management but it

could be addressed very easily by paying a bill to Iberdrola! She understood my concerns and said she would try to sort things out as it had gone on too long. Day 9 I called many people to help us - solicitors, British Consulate etc - and although they all had great sympathy for us, they too couldn’t get the electricity back on. I quoted our human rights and said no one should be left with no water or electricity for longer than 48hrs. All fell on deaf ears - you live in Spain! Day 10 My husband, now really unwell, went to his GP, who took an ECG and listened to his chest and back. The doctor was not happy and called an ambulance to take him to hospital, where he was put on a drip and pumped with strong antibiotics. Later, he was diagnosed with pneumonia. I contacted our sons, who immediately took over the situation with Iberswitch. It took another two days before we were reconnected – making a total of 12 days without electricity. We have contracted with Iberdrola to return and been given a good deal fixed until 2015 and can review at any time. It’s always worth doing the research before you change companies! SUSAN BRIDGMAN

THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE THOSE OF THE LETTER WRITERS BUT NOT NECESSARILY OF THE COURIER

Friday, February 1, 2013

A close encounter of the furred kind In for a pound DUMPY OLD GRAN’S SPONSORED DIET

THANK you again to everyone who has supported my fundraising effort for the Crohn’s In Children Research Association. Extremely generous donations this week from Joan (£100) and Ann Ward (€40) mean I am fast approaching my £500 target figure - just three weeks into my.bid to lose at least 35lbs. To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/donna-gee or call the Courier office

IT was bad enough that the doorbell ring had dragged me out of the shower, but the woman at the gate looked for all the world like one of those bogus Spanish charity collectors. My first thought was to ignore her. Apart from anything, I was in no state to answer the door. Clad only in the heavy towelling dressing gown I had grabbed as a came out of the bathroom, I huddled behind the front door so my unwanted guest wouldn’t see me. With a bit of luck she’d she’d go away. No chance. The bell rang again. My mind started wandering. What if she was an accomplice of the would-be burglar I had caught in my garden a week earlier? The man the Guardia Civil told me was part of an organised gang they had been trying to break up for some time? I had called the police, who spotted him just down the road and had him in handcuffs in seconds. But more of that story another time – I don’t want to be locked up with him for breaking Spain’s subjudice laws! The woman was still at the front gate. I felt like Mrs Worzel Gummidge and was in no mood to talk to anyone. But inevitably my curiosity got the better of me. I partially opened the front door and poked my head out. My fears were immediately allayed. ‘’Hello, are you Donna?’’ ventured the clearly English visitor. Mrs Gummidge nodded her confirmation that I answered to that name.

Henry...he went missing

I FEARED the worst at thought I’d tip the scales this week’s weigh-in on at 89.9 kilos for the secWednesday - even though ond week in a row. I had stuck to my calorie The good news is that I counting meticulously. actually lost half a kilo Well, semi meticulously (1.1lb). The bad news is because I did have one lit- that it’s the least I’ve shed tle lapse . in the three But I prom- TOTAL LOSS, 3 WEEKS weeks since ise I ate full English that slice of breakfasts homemade vanished from jam-and my life. c r e a m As a result, filled sponge cake only I am now suffering from because the friend who severe sausage withdrawbaked it looked so sad at al symptoms. These conmy initial refusal. sist of fantasising that I That was on Monday - am climbing up Walls in and I had visions of hav- Richmond carrying a ing to tell you today that 200lb bacon slicer. I’d regained the 2lb I lost Even worse, the bacon last week. At best, I slicer is my local butcher.

3.8 kilos

‘’I’m Claire – I live around the corner and I think I’m feeding a tabby cat that might be yours. I was wondering if…’ Cue long, boring conversation (to the non-feline appreciation community), culminating in the revelation that my big, cuddly Henry, who disappeared a couple of months ago, was indeed on Claire’s feline foodroll. The friendly stray I had had neutered a couple of years ago, apparently arrived on her doorstep after deciding he’d had enough of life at Casa Donna. I suspect he was sick of being tormented by his dominant housemate, a big Burmese brute I call Greyham (no prizes for guessing why). Now Henry had a chance of a new, permanent home and Claire – whose own territorial cat had never really accepted him, wanted my approval for him to move on to another loving home

where he would be King of the Castle. Who was I to argue? I hadn’t seen Henry since October; it was just so marvellous to know he was still around, being fed – and now being offered the constant affection he always craved. How Claire’s path had never previously crossed mine is a mystery. Independently, we’ve both achieved notoriety as ‘cat ladies’ in a neighbourhood where most people are indifferent to pets. And it seems we have, in some cases at least, been feeding the same animals. Which begs the question: How many cats have two, three or more homes, unknown to their ‘official’ owners? If your moggy is putting on weight yet eating relatively little, I suggest you put a collar on him and attach a note saying ‘If you are feeding this cat, please call 965000 etc etc...’Then stand back and

Estate of the art A NEIGHBOUR of mine at El Raso has gone a long way towards correcting the ‘council estate’ image created by the distorted ITV documentary ‘Trouble Abroad.’ A few months ago, Alan Walkden made a video of the sights and delights of Guardamar for his friends – with an additional focus on El Raso. He put it on Youtube so the world could see that, among other things, El Raso is NOT ‘a council estate in the sun’. I won’t repeat what Alan wrote regarding my Page One article about ‘Trouble Abroad’ (modesty forbids) but a hit count of more than 100 in the first 24

hours – and 1,400 overall up to January 11 – suggests that his video has swayed opinions in the UK. When I looked on Wednesday, the figure had soared to 1,700. Which, with respect, is roughly 1,700 more people than I saw in the El Raso part of Alan’s video. It’s been very quiet around the urbanisation recently. But please don’t tell me everyone on El Raso really HAS packed up and gone home. For those of you who’d like to see the video, you can find it on Youtube by simply Googling ‘Visit El Raso Guardamar’. Let me know what you think...

prepare for a spate of calls and the possibility that solving the mystery of who REALLY owns Whiskers may be a job for Purry Mason...

Friday, February 1, 2013

MY daughter's child has called me Grandpa Nuts since she learned to talk. Why she named me thus I did not find out until the other day when I finally had it out with her. 'Your grandfather -- that is me -- is named David. Can you remember that, my luv? I am Grandpa David.' The little girl shook her head. 'No it isn't,' she insisted. 'It's Grandpa Nuts.' 'But I have never fed you nuts. I'm fully aware of the safety hazards. An elderly relative of mine once choked on an unshelled pistachio. Mind you, I didn't like him that much anyway. 'However, that is not important right now. I would understand it if you called me Grandpa Dolly Mixtures or Grandpa Ice Cream or even Grandpa Salt & Vinegar Crisps but . . .' 'It's Grandpa Nuts,' she persisted. 'But why?' I cried. 'Because Nana keeps telling me that Grandpa is nuts.' I was livid with Mrs S and decided to tackle her immediately. This was something that could not be delayed. But on second thoughts I was in no particular rush. So I popped into the pub.

Friday, February 1, 2013

NUT CRUNCH

'A glass of your best diluted ale, mein host,' I ordered. Dave the barman shielded his body as he topped up my beer from the cold water tap. I told him my sorry story and he agreed with me that Mrs S had acted in an ungracious manner. 'It's nothing short of brainwashing,' he opined. 'Tell a trusting child that her grandpa is crazy and she's bound to believe it.' 'But he IS crazy!' exclaimed Daft Barry, pointing a finger at me. 'We all know that!' tutted Dave the barman. 'All I'm saying is that you shouldn't fill

a youngster's mind with that sort of thing. Let her decide for herself that her grandfather is barmy once she's grown up.' Daft Barry assumed a blank expression (what passed for him as pensive). 'Nobody ever filled MY head with anything,' he lamented. 'That's probably why I turned into the vacuous and asinine adult you see before you today.' 'Blimey,' I said. 'Daft Barry can't be that daft if he uses such esoteric words as vacuous and asinine.' 'Huh?' said Daft Barry, scratching his

head. 'I don't remember that. When did I say them two words?' 'Only 20 seconds ago,' I sighed. 'The point is . . . er . . . now I've forgotten what the point is.' 'Don't ask me,' shrugged Daft Barry. 'Or me,' added Dave the barman. 'Or me,' commented Ol' Red Eyes who had just woken up from one of his marathon sleeps. 'I don't know where I am or even WHO I am.' And that was it. No more conversation. We just contin-

ued sitting there in our own confined little worlds. With nothing to inspire or stimulate me, I resigned myself to a very short column for The Courier this week. Eventually I went home to thrash out the Grandpa Nuts situation with Mrs S. I decided that the diplomatic approach was best. 'You rat!' I cried as I entered the house. 'How could you tell a small child that her grandfather is batty?' Mrs S glared at me. 'But you ARE batty! The whole Silver family is deranged. The only one of you who wasn't unhinged was your Great-Uncle Charlie. I loved that man right up to the time you sneaked him in a packet of pistachio nuts the day after his tricky tonsillectomy.' Swerving the conversation towards safer

ground, I said: 'I'll have you know that I adore both of my grandchildren.' 'But you have THREE grandchildren,' Mrs S pointed out. 'Just testing you,' I mumbled. Which reminds me. Many moons ago I bought a bumper bag of Brazil nuts and scoffed the lot in one go. Dare I add that as a result of my greed I felt somewhat unwell later in the day. 'My tummy hurts,' I remember whingeing to Mrs S. 'I feel absolutely yucky.' 'Yucky?' she scoffed. 'Have you been at the medical dictionary again? Well I'm sorry you feel so bad but you'll just have to sort yourself out. I have other matters to attend to.' 'Don't go!' I wailed as she left me. 'Really, Mr Silver,' the nurse at the maternity ward reception desk sniffed. 'If you think having a mild belly ache constitutes suffering you should try coping with labour pains. I shall return with Mrs S after she's had the baby.' I wandered off to the hospital shop for a packet of indigestion tablets. 'Women,' I sighed. 'They're grand but utterly nuts.'

Friday, February 1, 2013

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH LESSON 56 Welcome, Bienvenido. I hope you are keeping warm and snuggling up in front of the heater with your copy of The Courier - as well as enjoying all the great articles, and also enjoying learning Spanish with me. Here are the answers to last week’s translations: read the message – lee el mensaje, put the books here – Pon los libros aquí, tell the truth – di la verdad, be careful – ten cuidado, go to school now – Ve a la escuela ahora, drink water – bebe agua, listen! - ¡escucha!, start now – empieza ahora, sleep in your bed – duerme en tu cama, eat now – come ahora We are going to carry on this week with commands. Remember, the tú forms of commands are used with people you know well, such as family members, classmates, work

colleagues etc. and also when talking to children. So, how do we use a negative command? It is slightly different from the positive and we have not covered the tense of the verb used, therefore at the moment in order to use the negative it would be best to just use the present tense. For example: Don´t read that book – no lees eso libro. There are, however, certain verbs that are commonly used in the negative and I will teach you these. All tú commands in the negative are from the present-subjunctive form, which we will learn in time; however, to get you started here are a few negative commands using the tú form: Don´t eat a lot of meat – no comas mucha carne, don´t go – no vayas, don´t buy the book – no compres el libro. As you can see there is a rule being followed which we will get to with the present subjunctive. When we are using reflexive verbs there are rules to follow: With negative commands, place the pronouns before the command, e.g. No te levantes antes a terminar – don´t get up before you finish With double object pronouns place the undirect pronoun before the direct object pronoun: e.g. no te pongas el sombrero, ¡no te lo pongas! - do not put on your hat, don´t put it on! Also don´t go could be no te vayas. With affirmative commands attach the pronoun to the command form of the verb, e.g. dale el paraguas – give him/her the umbrella, levántate – get up, diles la verdad – tell them the truth These are all verb forms that you can learn from here and then when we get on to the present subjunctive you will have a head start. I can´t really give you any translations as these are the only words you know in this

context. However, try to use some of these commands whenever you can; as ever, the more you use them the more natural they are to say and the more used to the sound you will be. Then when you hear the commands, you are familiar with them. Also, bear in mind (tener en cuenta) that these are the tú versions of the commands and they change again when you use vosotros, ustedes and usted forms. One of the golden rules of speaking a foreign language, and of course listening to someone speaking a foreign language, is to be sure of what is being said or what you want to say. If you are unsure then you need the confidence to ask for the words to be repeated until you do understand and if you are speaking you need to be able to think about the words you know and how to put them together to get your point across. This can be confusing until you have plenty of practice and are able to maintain a conversation, albeit at first at a reduced pace than you are used to in English. Que tengas una buena semana, ¡hasta la próxima! (I hope you have all by now noted that tengas is a command)

Bebe agua!

Friday, February 1, 2013

WHY DO THEY DO THAT? Top dog psychologist PETER SINGH writes exclusively for The Courier. Check out www.thedogyouneed.com or email Peter at peter@thedogyouneed.com

A QUESTION OF THOUGHT

ENERGY is something that is so important to consider, when you have animals living with you. We as humans can be very good at picking up on energies. Sometimes we can be in a room full of new people and detect that the atmosphere, or energy as I call it, is not good. Animals, though, are on a complete different level to us when it comes to this certain skill. They are the masters at it and I am well aware that you can never lie to a dog. They will always know how you are feeling, 24 hours a day. For any relationship to flourish It is important that the energies match and in some cases, this is the problem between human and dog. Dogs live in the moment. They don’t sit around each day, thinking about how bad the past may have been and how the future may not look promising. On the other hand, humans tend to live in the past or the future. This is a negative state to live in and can cause anxiety and stress in abundance. So in some cases you have two different species, a dog and a human, and both are living their lives on different frequencies. From birth, we humans are taught that we have to succeed in life and do well at school, then get a good job that pays good money, then get a nice house, with a nice car and find a partner, have kids and do the whole cycle again, all without teaching the new generation the vital and important lifelong skill of how we should live in the moment. We are taught to look to the future, to want, to need, to desire, but all along we have got this frequency so wrong and dogs have it so right. Dogs walk down the street and notice the falling leaf or the floating butterfly, while most humans are preoccu-

pied with thought, so fail to notice these simple delights that help to transform our minds away from constant thinking. Technology, in my mind, has been a curse. Emails, mobile phones, computers were all apparently invented to make our life simpler but all they have done is make our life more complicated. They put more pressure on the mind to be constant-

Two dogs simply living in the moment

ly active and that can never be classed as progress. I was on a train last week and everyone in the carriage I was in had their faces glued to their mobile phones, with no one just looking out of the window and enjoying the moment and the scenery which was available to all. To prove my point about technology putting more pressure on us, I always revert to my Mum’s simple life in rural Ireland when she was younger. They had no running water, no heating, no kettle or iron, no cooker or fridge, they just had the four walls and a roof over their heads, but they always had time for each other and their neighbours too. So fast forward 70 years and we have every conceivable device in our homes to apparently make our lives easier. Yet very few have any time for friends, family or neighbours, because they are too busy leading ridiculously busy and hectic lives, which lead to the negative states of mind that cause illness and misery. Humans have been fooled from birth in believing that the mind does not have an “off” button. It does - and finding yours will lead to the peace and contentment that dogs show us on a daily basis. It is my belief that dogs have a lot more to teach us than we have to teach them. And their biggest lesson is for us to change to their frequency of not the past or the future, but simply the present moment.

PETS’ CORNER: CAN YOU TAKE IN A HOMELESS DOG OR CAT? BUTCH - 10 weeks old mixed breed male looking for a home. Please contact K9 or PHONE 600 84 54 20 for more info www.k9club.es

Butch Tio is approx 9 months old, he is a Lhasa Apso cross, is very loving and affectionate. He is neutered and vaccinated and really needs a home where he is the only dog. Call: 634 395 218 www.petsinspain.com

Humphrey HUMPHREY is a 4 year old chocolate Pointer. He was found in January of last year, he was extremely thin and had a number of pressure sores. He is a happy and good natured boy who really deserves to experience the comforts of a family home. He is fully vaccinated, micro chipped and castrated. 966 710 047,

LISA is just 2 years old. She was found hunting for food by a bin. She has put on weight nicely and is a very happy and healthy dog; all her blood tests have come back negative and she is fully vaccinated, micro chipped and spayed. 966 710 047.

Lisa

AILSA is an 11 month old female crossbreed. She is a very good natured and affectionate dog who loves cuddles and will lap up all the attention you are prepared to give her. Ailsa is now fully vaccinated, micro chipped and spayed. 966 710 047,

MILTON was found with his litter brother; he was then only 12 weeks old, in quite poor condition and had suffered a head wound. Milton is now 18 months old and a very loving dog who plays happily with his kennel mates. 966 710 047,

Ailsa

Milton

Luna is approx 18 months old, she is vaccinated, chipped and spayed. She is good with other dogs and cats and will make a wonderful additions to any family. Call: 655 027 676 www.petsinspain.com

Luna

Cid: Born Sept 2011 and is a large GSD/Labrador X who responds very well to training and would be a super loyal and affectionate companion. Cid is health vaccinated and castrated. 650 304 746. ww.pepaspain.com

Cid

Friday, February 1, 2013

LÍNEA DIRECTA BECOMES THE FIRST INSURER TO SELL ITS PRODUCTS VIA MOBILE TELEPHONE Línea Directa has launched its new website for mobiles, which makes it the first insurance company to distribute its products via smartphones. The new site, which uses xhtml technology, is compatible with the iOS, Android and Blackberry operating systems and is capable of offering customers a price in under 3 minutes while asking them no more than ten questions. In addition, unlike other websites, which use “masks” in their mobile versions, Línea Directa’s new quoting system is 100% adapted to smartphone technology. The website will initially be available for offering car insurance quotes and will then be extended to cover the company’s motorbike and home insurance sectors. Linea Directa’s new page for smartphones also includes information on the insurer’s main products and services and offers a click-to-call service which allows users to send a request for the company to call them if they have any questions or if they wish to purchase the policy with the help of an operator. With this new tool, the insurer hopes to record over 150,000 quotes per year and strengthen its position as the leader in Internet and mobile applications. The new quoting system has been designed taking into account aspects such as Internet surfing habits, easy operability, simplicity and user-friendliness for the customer. Línea Directa’s commitment to mobile technology is part of the growing importance of Internet searches on smartphones, due to the fact that in 2015 over half of all organic searches on the Internet will be carried out using these devices.

Call now for more information on 902 123 104

Friday, February 1, 2013

WHO’S TO BLAME?

WHO is to blame for how we turn out as adults? Does our childhood really impact on our whole lives? Are parenting skills the most important reason for who we become in adulthood - or is it all down to our genes? We are all different, I know, and everyone´s lives follow a different path, but is that path written as we grow and mature, is it written before we are born or is our destiny in our own hands? I have never been married, have lived with a couple of men but never got near the aisle apart from when I was 18 and got engaged. However, that was mainly to stop the guy from continually asking me if I wanted to marry him and I really didn´t have any intention of following it through. So, other than that brush with a long white dress, I have remained firmly on the single side of life. That is not to say that I have never wanted to marry. I have, of course, dreamed of my day as the centre of attention, everything looking perfect and standing alongside the love of my life; and I feel this last point is where my childhood dream has fallen flat. I am still waiting for someone to come along and sweep me off my feet, someone to make me feel like marriage is the only option and someone I feel I can´t live without. So back to my point about why this has never happened. I could easily say that coming from a broken home has made me more sceptical about marriage but I am really not anti-weddings. I am sensible enough to know that just because one relationship doesn´t work out, it´s not to say that every relationship won’t - but I am also not crazy enough to just get married for the sake of it. To me marriage has to be a commitment, something that

I promise for the rest of my life, and circumstances being as they have been I´ve never felt able to make that commitment. Maybe I knew in my heart my long-term relationships weren´t going to last so I didn´t get my day in white. Or maybe the reason they were short-lived is because I never got married. Either way I find myself in my early 40s in an apparently unique position of never having said vows. So, back to my original point - why? Was the divorce of my parents a bigger thing than I have realised? I personally don´t think so because I have had serious long-term live-in boyfriends, and of course I have children, yet am left as a single mother raising my son, something that was seriously not in my plans when I was young and had the whole of my life ahead of me.

Will Jeanette find her Prince Charming?

I have an older sister and we are like chalk and cheese. She got pregnant at 20 and married soon after. She is still with her husband and they now have three gorgeous young adult children. She remained in the same town where we grew up and although she’s thought about moving away somehow it never happened. Whereas I moved as soon as I could, lived the life in London, had a career and now have come to Spain, my sister, as far as I know, doesn´t even have a passport. We were raised in the same house by the same mother and stepfather, we both had our slightly rebellious times and we both moved out of home young. Maybe our parenting had something to do with those decisions but as we grew and our lives followed completely different paths I guess nature came into its own. I have my own ideas and beliefs, which I follow strongly and my sister has hers, and on the whole we are two completely different people following different life paths, neither one better than the other. I couldn´t live the life she has and I know she couldn´t live mine. I am blissfully happy at the moment with my life and I believe my sister is content with hers. As far as marriage is concerned for me, I have everything I need in my life now. I am not searching for a father to give me children, I can cope financially, my son has everything he needs, I have a roof over our heads and food on the table. Maybe, just maybe, now is the time for my Prince Charming to find me, or in case he has got stuck up a tree and can´t get down, it´s time for me to go and look for him. I know that one day my prince will come and I will get my dream ending. I just hope it happens while I still look good in white...or maybe cream!

Friday, February 1, 2013

CLEVER CAM IS STILL ON A LOSER WHAT a classic piece of political grandstanding from David Cameron last week, when he announced an IN/OUT referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union. But you’ll only get it if you vote Conservative at the 2015 election. In a swift move, he’s pretty much neutralised the threat of UKIP, and left Labour’s Ed Miliband in the uncomfortable position of opposing the chance for the British people to have a direct say on an issue. Of course it’s also all about Cameron trying to put a lid on his Euro-sceptic backbenchers until he wins in 2015, and heaven knows what he’ll get from any renegotiations with the EU. He’s also got the Tory-leaning but Cameron-hating papers behind him now, but it’s all

really about that next election victory. The Prime Minister has hit the ground running on this, but within hours he’d tripped over and fallen into the bushes, with some dire economic figures, and the serious danger of the U K

getting into a triple dip recession. For all the populism, some of it misguided, over the EU, the big issue in two years’ time will be whether the good voters of Barnsley, Bognor and Bermondsey will be feeling well economically, rather than being a n g r y against t h e

MP, David Ward

bureaucrats of Brussels. Mr.Cameron should not lose sight of that, despite enjoying a big boost in the opinion polls over his referendum decision. I’ve always believed the UK Liberal Democrats to be a bastion for free speech and honesty, so I’ve found their recent behaviour over a little-known MP to be somewhat strange. Unless you come from West Yorkshire, I doubt whether you would have heard of the Bradford East MP, David Ward. He’s upset his bosses by making a perfectly factual comment that “the Jews in Israel inflict atrocities on Palestinians on a daily basis”. Ward, a strong fighter against racism, also said that he was surprised by the behaviour of Israel, considering what had happened in the Holocaust, and that lessons over intolerance had not been learnt. Because Ward’s comments came just before Sunday’s Holocaust Memorial Day, he was summoned to appear before the party whips this week. How utterly outrageous that something like this should happen, and I’ve been trying to work out what the real story is. Have the Lib Dems got a generous Jewish benefactor who has rung Nick Clegg, threatening to pull the plug on some muchneeded funding if the errant MP is not given a severe carpeting? Ward is not stupid, either. His constituency is hardly a

haven for the “Friends of Israel”, with a strong Muslim base, and having seen George Galloway destroy Labour next door, he clearly knows what side his bread, or should I say halal bread, is buttered on! After reading last week’s Courier front page story about the condition of a school in Rojales, I wonder what the parents and teachers felt about the news of the Valencian Government stepping in to save the financially ailing football club that is Valencia CF? The club owes creditors over €80 million, and the government has justified the bonkers decision by saying its good for Valencian society to prop it up. I take it then that health and education don’t rate so highly in the corridors of

power with this financially and morally bankrupt administration losing all control of what few senses it has left. They say they hope to find a buyer for Valencia CF as soon as possible. What happens if they don’t? Further to what I said a fortnight ago about the petrol bandits ripping off customers in Spain, there have been similar concerns coming from consumer bodies in the UK this week. Now, since both countries are in the European Union, why doesn’t this large and bloated organisation actually get involved in doing something that would benefit every member state on this key issue, rather than the stream of pointless legislation that oozes out of its buttocks at regular intervals?

Friday, February 1, 2013

11 WAYS WITH SALMON Salmon fillets are not only healthy and packed with omega-3s, but they're versatile too. SALMON GOUJOUNS Ingredients 250g skinless salmon, sliced into 2x10cm lengths Plain flour, to coat 2 eggs, beaten Salt and black pepper For the breadcrumbs 70g dry breadcrumbs 20g pumpkin seeds 20g sunflower seeds 20g sesame seeds Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 2 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp paprika For the fennel slaw 1 tbsp walnut oil 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tsp white wine vinegar Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 fennel bulb, grated or finely sliced 1 handful coriander, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5. 2. Mix together all the ingredients for the breadcrumbs and pour onto a large plate. 3. Season the salmon fingers with both salt and pepper before coating in flour. 4. Dip the flour-coated salmon into beaten egg and then coat in breadcrumbs. Place onto an oiled baking sheet. 5. Cook in the oven for 8-9 minutes, turning half way, until the fingers are golden brown. 6. Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients for the fennel coleslaw and season to taste. 7. Remove the goujons from the oven and serve with plenty of fennel coleslaw.

CRISPY SALMON AND POTATO SAUTE Ingredients 2 tbsp groundnut oil 500g (1lb) potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced Salt and ground black pepper 300g (10oz) salmon fillet, cut in 2 About 15g (½oz) butter Finely grated lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley 1 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed

Method

1. Heat the oil in a heavybased pan and fry the potato slices gently for 5 mins, until they are browned underneath. Turn them and cook for about 5 mins, until golden on the other side. Push them to one side of the pan, so that they continue cooking gently. Add the garlic. 2. Season the salmon. Add the butter to the clear side of the pan. When it has melted, put in the salmon fillets, skin-side down. Cook for a few mins, then turn them over, sprinkle with the lemon zest and cook for a few more mins until the fish is tender. 3. Stir the parsley and capers into the potatoes. Squeeze lemon juice over the fish and then flip it back, skin-side up. Serve with the potatoes.

BARBECUED SALMON WITH CREAMY SALAD Ingredients 4 x 75g (3 oz) salmon steaks A little oil 225g cucumber salt and pepper 1 (200g) tub sour cream and chive dip Extra snipped chives to decorate if liked

Watercress salad to serve

Method

1. Heat a griddle pan to high or prepare some barbecue coals. Rub the salmon steaks with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down on the griddle or barbecue for 5 mins, then carefully turn over with a fish slice and cook for a further 2 mins. 2. Meanwhile, thinly slice a cucumber. Place the cucumber in a nylon sieve, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain for 5 mins. 3. Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in a tub of soured cream and chive dip, sprinkle with the extra chives if using - then serve with the salmon.

SALMON WITH STICKY CHILLI SAUCE Ingredients 1tbsp fish sauce 4tbsp chilli dipping sauce 2tsp kaffir lime leaves 3tbsp stir fry soy sauce 1tsp rice bran oil 4 x 200g (7oz) salmon fillets, skin on To serve: 4tbsp freshly chopped coriander Shredded spring onions

Method 1. In a small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, chilli dipping sauce, kaffir lime leaves and soy sauce. 2. Heat the oil in large frying pan until hot, add the salmon and cook skin side down for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy and the bottom of the fish turns opaque, turn over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 3. Wipe out the pan to remove excess oil, return the fish to the pan, skin side up then pour over the sauce ingredients. 4. Cook over a low-medium heat, spooning the sauce over the fish for a further 12 minutes, until the sauce is sticky and the fish cooked through.

SALMON AND BROAD BEAN SALAD Ingredients 300g (10oz) small new potatoes, halved 250g (8oz) podded broad beans, fresh or frozen 200g tub roasted artichoke hearts in oil, drained (reserve the oil) 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 1-2 small preserved

Friday, February 1, 2013

lemons, zest only, finely sliced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 lightly smoked raw salmon fillets (about 300g/10oz) Handful of mint leaves (about 10), cut into slivers 100g (3½ oz) wild rocket 1 lemon, cut into wedges or slices, for serving

Method

1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 mins, add the beans and cook for another few minutes until the vegetables are just soft (fresh broad beans will take about 5 mins; frozen, about 3 mins). Drain, then rinse under cold running water to cool them. 2. Take out the potatoes and put in a salad bowl, mixing in the oil from the artichokes, if any, or a tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside to finish cooling. 3. Squeeze the beans out of their skins into a bowl (it's a bit time-consuming, but they do look and taste better like this, especially the bigger beans). Add the artichoke pieces (cut into smaller chunks if you prefer), sliced spring onions, slices of preserved lemon, seasoning and the rest of the olive oil. 4. Heat a small pan until hot, add the fish, skin-side down, and cook for about 3 mins. Turn fish over, cover and cook over a lower heat for another 2-3 mins, until just cooked through. Leave for 5 mins in the pan until cool enough to handle, then skin the fish and flake it (discarding any bones) into the bean mixture. 5. Add the mint and rocket, and toss well. Spoon on top of the potatoes in the salad bowl and serve with lemon wedges or slices while the fish is still warm.

BREADCRUMB AND MUSTARD TOPPED SALMON Ingredients 125g (4oz) basmati and wild rice 1 chicken stock cube 2 x 150g (5oz) salmon fillets 2 tsp wholegrain mustard 50g (2oz) fresh wholemeal breadcrumb 1 tsp mixed herbs ½ x pack flat leaf parsley, chopped

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Cook the rice with the stock cube in a pan of boiling water for 15-20 mins until tender, then drain. 2. Meanwhile, spread each of the salmon fillets with 1tsp of mustard. Mix together the breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning and press on to the salmon. Place on a small baking tray, lined with baking parchament and bake for 15 mins. 3. Stir the parsley into the rice and serve topped with salmon.

SALMON WITH VEGETABLE PASTA Ingredients 100g pasta shapes, such as rigatoni Pinch of salt 150g broccoli, broken into small florets 100g fine green beans, trimmed and halved 1 leek, trimmed and sliced 4 x 100g salmon fillets 2tbsp lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper

1tbsp chopped fresh chives 100g frozen garden peas, thawed 500g jar original tomato pasta sauce

Method

1. Pre-heat the grill. 2. Cook the pasta shapes in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 8-10 mins, or according to pack instructions. At the same time, cook the broccoli, green beans and leek in a little boiling water until just tender, for about 5 mins. 3. Meanwhile, arrange the salmon fillets on the grill rack. Sprinkle them with lemon juice, season with black pepper and sprinkle with half the chopped chives. 4. Grill for 6-8 mins, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork. 5. Drain the pasta and vegetables then return them to the

Continued on Page 18

Friday, February 1, 2013

saucepan with the peas. Stir in the jar of pasta sauce and heat, stirring gently for 2-3 mins. 6. Share the pasta between 4 warmed serving plates or bowls and top with a fillet of salmon. Sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve immediately.

SALMON AND VEGETABLE ROAST Ingredients 45ml (3tbsp) olive oil 8 small potatoes, scrubbed and thickly sliced 2 large courgettes, thickly sliced 2 small lemons, sliced 4 salmon fillets 100g (4oz) cherry tomatoes, halved 15ml (1tbsp) fresh thyme leaves Thyme sprigs, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6. Heat 30ml (2tbsp) of the oil in a large roasting tin for 5 mins. Add the potato slices and toss to coat in the oil. Roast for 10 mins. Add the courgettes and lemon slices and roast for a further 10 mins. 2. Make a space in the roasting tin and add the salmon fillets and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle over the thyme leaves and drizzle over the rest of the olive oil. Roast for a further 10-15 mins until the salmon is just cooked. Divide between 4 plates and garnish with the thyme sprigs.

CAJUN SALMON JACKETS Ingredients 2 large baking potatoes 2tsp oil 1 x 175g skinless salmon fillet, cut into 2 cm cubes 50g mange tout, halved 1tsp Cajun seasoning 6tbsp low fat crème fraiche

Method

1. Wash and dry the potatoes and prick with a fork. Place on a microwaveable plate and microwave on high (700W) for 810 mins or until tender or according to pack instructions. Stand for 2 mins. 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium frying pan and gently fry the salmon, mange tout and Cajun seasoning for 5 mins or until cooked throughout. Add crème fraiche and gently heat through. 3. Cut the potatoes in half or make a cross in the centre and divide the salmon between the two potatoes. 4. Serve with fresh salad leaves or vegetables.

SALMON ON LEMON AND HERB RISOTTO Ingredients 1 1/2tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 225g (8 oz) arborio rice 700ml (1pt) chicken or veg-

etable stock 300ml (1/2pt) dry white wine 85g (3 oz) frozen peas Rind of 1 lemon 4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs 4 salmon fillets 55g (2 oz) pro.activ low fat spread ice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Heat the oil and sauté the onion until soft. Add the rice and stir until well coated with the oil. 2. Add enough stock to just cover the rice and simmer until just absorbed. Add more stock and repeat until all stock and wine is used 3. Add peas for last 3 mins of cooking time and finely stir in lemon and herbs. 4. While the risotto is cooking, place each salmon fillet on a square of foil and top with the spread and lemon juice. Fold up and cook in preheated oven 180°C/350°F/gas 4 for around 15 mins or until cooked. 5. Serve the fish on top of the risotto and garnish with fresh herbs.

TANDOORI SALMON WITH SPICY MANGO SALSA Ingredients 1 tsp curry paste 1/2 pot virtually fat free, plain yogurt 4 fillets salmon, grilled 1 tsp black pepper Mango chutney: 1 portion dried mango finely chopped 1 small onion, finely chopped 1/4 cucumber, finely chopped 1 individual chilli, green or red, deseeded and thinly sliced 1 tsp fresh coriander 1 tsp vinegar

Method 1. Mix together the curry paste and yogurt in a shallow dish. Add the salmon fillets and some freshly ground black pepper, tossing to coat. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if preferred. 2. Preheat the barbecue or grill. Barbecue or grill the salmon fillets for 6-8 minutes, depending on their thickness, turning once. 3. Whilst they are cooking, mix together the mango, red onion, cucumber, chilli and coriander or mint. Add a few drops of lime juice or vinegar. 4. Serve the salmon with the chutney, accompanied by a fresh green salad.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Don’t kiss your lips goodbye… I wonder what you can recommend for my thin disappearing lips? WHEN I was younger I had quite nice lips but they seem to have shrunk and I‘ve got lines around my upper lip - and I don’t even smoke. Help! Eye bags and disappearing lips are very common problems that appear in our mailbag. As we age we produce less collagen and this includes the area around the lips. Add to this that our gums tend to shrink slightly and this can alter the appearance of the lips and make an otherwise youthful face look much older. Disappearing lips are very ageing. There as several proprietary brands of lip plumpers on the market that can give a slight appearance of fuller lips - but it lasts for a few hours only. There are two much more aesthetically pleasing treatments. The first one, a filler made of a natural substance known as hyularonic acid, can greatly improve both lip vol-

ume, lip borders to prevent lipstick “bleeding” and the lines around the lips. The area is numbed first and then the filler gently placed under the skin in the desired area. Treatment takes about half an hour and lasts approximately six months. The treatment will also slightly boost the collagen, thereby causing a cumulative result over several treatments. The second treatment, with very long lasting results, is to have the lip line or the lip itself treated with a semi-permanent colour of your choice - giving the lips a defined outline and beautiful, natural look. These treatments should be carried out by an expert and in a very clean clinical environment as hygiene is of prime importance. To add to the overall improvement in the area, we would always advise clients to talk to their dentist about cosmetic tooth whitening as this can also dramatically improve the aesthetic appearance of the lower face.

Benefits of Olive Oil Good for the Heart and Helps Fight Cancer

Olive oil has gained a reputation as something of a health food in recent years. A large body of research shows that eating olive oil can improve your cholesterol level and lower your risk of heart disease. Two studies suggest another health reason to eat olive oil — it may protect against breast cancer. Women living in countries bordering the Mediterranean, particularly Greece, Spain and Italy, are only about half as likely to die of breast cancer as women in Northern Europe and the United States. Scientists have speculated the reason might lie in the traditional Mediterranean diet. But what in the diet causes the lower risk no one knew. Researchers at the

Harvard School of Public Health teamed up with scientists in Athens. They gave detailed dietary questionnaires to more than 800 Greek women with breast cancer and compared their eating habits with those of Greek women who didn't have breast cancer. The scientists reported their findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Harvard epidemiologist Demetrios Tekapoulos explained that women who

ate large amounts of fruits and vegetables appeared to lower their risk of breast cancer. But Tekapoulos also found a reduction in risk of 25 percent for women who consumed olive oil more than once per day. A similar study in Spain showed about a 30 to 35 percent reduction in breast cancer risk among women who consumed more than two teaspoons of olive oil per day. Olive oil contains a substance called oleic acid, which blocks the action of the cancer causing oncogene HER-2/neu that is found in one third of all breast cancer sufferers. Oleic acid also boosts the effectiveness of a breast cancer drug called Herceptin, which has helped to prolong the lives of many patients.

REMOVING TOXINS FROM THE BODY

The digestive system is well known for its role in breaking down food into smaller absorbable forms, and not so much for its other crucial role of removing or neutralizing potentially deadly toxins from what we consume. The health of the digestive or gastrointestinal tract (GIT) has a tremendous effect on the body. The GIT starts from the mouth and ends in the anus. It includes the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Everything we eat including food, beverages and pharmaceutical drugs must pass through the digestive tract. A wide array of chemicals can exist in or on what we eat, and the body must convert all of them into harmless by

DR MACHI MANNU’S ADVICE CLINIC Email your questions and comments to machimannu@gmail.com

products for elimination. Due to modern day intensive farming methods, most foods we eat are laden with chemicals from pesticides and herbicides, to those used in food preservation. In addition, the pharmaceutical drugs we take when we are ill are mostly manufactured from synthetic chemicals, which also add to the body’s toxic load. In some individuals, these ingested chemicals can cause the digestive system to be stressed. This leads to many common complaints such as bloating, intestinal upset, tiredness, aching joints and a general sense of feeling unwell. In

order for the gastrointestinal tract to provide effective detoxification for the body, it needs to be provided with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants and other nutrients. Metabolic cleanse is a detoxification powder from Douglas Laboratories, specifically formulated to be a complete and perfect gastrointestinal detoxification formula. Chronic bowel inflammation of an unknown cause is characterized by gas, bloating, bowel irregularities and discomfort. Often, people suffering from these types of conditions are malnourished, and unable to maintain a nutritionally bal-

anced diet. Metabolic Cleanse contains hydrolysed fish protein, glutamine and several other nutrients commonly recommended for individuals affected by gastrointestinal problems. Seacure is the hydrolysed fish protein concentrate contained in Metabolic cleanse. Studies done on seacure have shown that supplementing with it can strengthen intestinal wall integrity in people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. Seacure also reduces the symptoms of bloating, gas and other abdominal discomforts in people with irritable bowel disorders. The

amino acid glutamine plays a key role in the metabolism, structure and function of the entire GIT and its immune system. It is the major energy source for intestinal cells, and under stress the body benefits greatly from extra dietary glutamine. During physiological stress, such as starvation, physical trauma, surgery, or inflammatory bowel disease, the intestinal tract uses very large amounts of glutamine and very little glucose for energy. This often results in a fall of blood glutamine, and skeletal muscle is broken down to supply more glutamine. Glutamine also carries potentially toxic ammonia to the kidneys for excretion, and participates in maintaining normal acid-base bal-

ance. F O S (Fructooligosaccharides) contained in Metabolic cleanse, are carbohydrates that pass through the small intestines into the colons without being digested or absorbed. Once in the stomach, FOS selectively feeds the beneficial bacteria lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacteria, and other acid producing bacteria. These bacteria in turn create a slightly acidic environment in the colon that helps destroy potentially harmful bacteria. To find out more about Metabolic Cleanse, call MEDB at 965071745. For A Full Body Diagnostic Scan contact Dr Machi Mannu

Friday, February 1, 2013

When prostate problems return Q after surgeryâ&#x20AC;Ś Last year I had prostate surgery to remove part of my enlarged prostate gland because of the problems I was having with urination. After surgery, I felt relief for a few months, before the problem returned 4 months ago. I have been to the hospital since then, and have been prescribed tablets and told that I may need another surgery. However I would like to avoid this second surgery if possible because from my online research, the outcome is not always good. Do you know of any other options other than surgery?

The prostate gland found in men, is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the neck of the bladder and the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder). It makes some of the milky fluid (semen) that carries sperm. As men age, they have an increased risk of developing an enlarged prostate, a condition known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). This occurs because the number of cells in the prostate starts to increase in number. The result is that the urethra is squeezed, causing interference with the normal flow of urine. BPH is thought to be caused by the action of the prostate enzyme alpha 5-reductase, which converts the male hormone testosterone to a more powerful hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This DHT seems to trigger the division of prostate cells, thereby increasing their numbers. Symptoms of BPH include: strain-

ing or difficulty when trying to urinate, a weak urinary stream which may start and stop in mid-flow, discomfort when urinating, having to rush to the toilet, passing urine more often than normal especially at night, dribbling of urine and a feeling of not emptying the bladder fully. A number of natural herbs are known to improve the function of the prostate. The plant Saw palmetto (serenoa repens) stops the conversion of testosterone to its more active form DHT by inhibiting the prostate enzyme alpha 5-reductase. Saw palmetto extracts have also been studied and shown to reduce the occurrence of pro-inflammatory substances such as prostaglandins and leukotrines which may worsen the symptoms of BPH. Pumpkin seed is also thought to show the same properties. Vitamin E, zinc, and proanthocyanidins provide potent antioxidant protection against oxidative damage to the prostate. The amino acids glycine, alanine, and glutamic acid, as well as vitamin B6 and vitamin A, have been suggested to reduce proliferation of prostate tissue cells. Euro-Pro, provided by Douglas Laboratories, is a synergistic and comprehensive combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbals, and other nutrients, carefully formulated and specifically designed to support the healthy structure and function of a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

prostate. To find out more, call MEDB at 965071745

I have had recurring yeast vaginitis for many years, and nothing seems to clear it completely. I am a 47 years old, generally in good health, and would appreciate your opinion. Yeast is a type of fungus scientifically known as Candida. There are several different kinds of candida, but the one responsible for vaginitis is known as candida albicans. Yeast vaginitis is characterized by itching, soreness, vaginal discharge and pain during sexual intercourse or urination. Yeast infection can be spread to a male or female partner. In men the symptoms are itching and irritation of the penis after contact with an infected woman. However in most cases, sexual transmission does not play a role in infection. The spores of yeast or candida are in the air and thrive in moist warm areas of the body such as the groin and the vagina. Yeast vaginitis or candidiasis is more likely to occur around the time of a period due to changes in the acidity of vaginal discharge. It is also more common in women who are pregnant, have uncontrolled diabetes or who use oral contraceptives or adrenal corticosteroids (prednisolone). It also often occurs after taking

antibiotics which kill off healthy bacteria naturally found in the vagina that help keep candida at bay. Recurring candidiasis has been blamed on slightly reduced levels of iron, needed by the white blood cells to make the chemicals used to destroy such opportunistic organisms. Also, according to one study, candidiasis is 3 times more common in women who wear nylon underwear, tights or tight-fitting trousers, than those who wear cotton underwear. Cotton underwear and stockings are recommended for women with recurring thrush. They should also be boiled after washing to kill the candida spores since washing machines operate at a lower temperature, and unable to kill them. Avoid bath additives, vaginal deodorants or douches which can upset the naturally acidic vaginal environment. Eat an iron-rich diet with oranges, or take a multivitamin supplement containing iron and vitamin C as the vitamin helps increase the absorption of iron. Taking probiotic supplements will replenish intestinal levels of friendly digestive bacteria that suppress the overgrowth of candida in the gut, reducing the reservoir for recurrent vaginal infection. Boosting the immune system with Echinacea is also an effective form of therapy. In one study, women who took Echinacea experienced a 43% reduction in recurring yeast infection. Other useful natural remedies include: boric acid (used as vaginal suppositories), cinnamon, tea tree (for treating oral candidiasis) and Siberian ginseng which is also an immune booster

Friday, February 1, 2013

RICHARD CAVENDER

Bluemoon Solutions www.bluemoonsolutions.es

BlueMoon Solutions is the computer and IT services company on the Costa Blanca, they provide quality computer services at realistic prices and specialise in working with home users and small businesses.

Richard moved to Spain seven 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 (usually) 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: Clive wanted to know whether it was necessary ADVICE: Andy was having problems clicking on links in to install AntiVirus on his Android tablet Microsoft Outlook Hi Richard happy New Year, I’m having problems, I can't open any links on Outlook, I can on other ones just not Outlook. It says “This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions on this computer Please contact system admin”. Anything I can do or should look for in settings?

Q A

Hi Richard, I bought my wife a tablet for Xmas. It is running Android 4. Ice cream sandwich, do I need to install some sort of Antivirus, etc. I am quite Windows literate but know very little about Android. Thanks in advance for any info. Clive.

Hi Clive, I have read that because of the way Android devices share information between applications, it’s not that important, certainly from an infestation point of view, to have antivirus active as basically each “app” running on your device is sandboxed and is not allowed to interact with the operating system or other applications. However having said that it seems foolish not to use antivirus products if they are freely available especially as many of the malware infected apps try to fool users into providing their bank or credit card details and this could be stopped with appropriate security software. Looking at the report produced by www.av-test.org (you can read the full report on their website if you like), avast! Free Mobile Security comes out pretty good with a detection rate of over 90% and of course it’s free which is even better! You can get a copy from www.avast.com/free-mobile-security

ADVICE: Graham wanted to know how to secure his Android tablet

Q A

Hi Andy, this should be a simple one to resolve, just follow the steps below… 1. Click Start, Default Programs 2. Click set program access and computer defaults 3. Click on the arrow next to Custom 4. Click on Internet Explorer and click Ok. That should sort it out.

ADVICE: Chris wanted to know a good website to use to listen to music.

Hiya Richard, just some info please, do you know of any web pages not to download just to listen to music. Thanks, Chris.

Hi Chris, www.grooveshark.com is a pretty good one.

Don’t forget you can follow me on twitter @bluemoonspain Alternately why don’t you sign up for my newsletter. You can do this by going to:www.bluemoonsolutions.es and fill in the form that is on any page except the front page.

What security applications do you recommend for an android tablet? Regards Graham

Hi Graham, you are the second person to ask that question – it looks like a number of people are getting new tablets for Christmas. I would recommend Avast Free Mobile Security as its been independently tested to and shows a detect rate of over 90% You can get a copy at h t t p : / / w w w. a v a s t . c o m / f r e e mobile-security

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

Office: 902 906 200

Friday, February 1, 2013

THE SCOURGE OF TEACHERS’ PESTS

SHOCKING story of the week was that 40 teachers are attacked every day in the UK. Where? Incredibly, in primary schools! The violence is so endemic that exclusions for assaulting teachers are now more common in primary schools than in secondary schools. Official statistics show that 8,030 pupils aged five to 11 received the sanction in 2010/11 – a 15 per cent rise over four years. Teaching unions say the figure could be an underestimate because staff are discouraged from reporting assaults for fear of damaging their school’s reputation. The level of violence has soared most in the South East – rising 41% in the period from 2006/7 to 2010/11. As one MP commented: "It shows an utter lack of discipline for children at a very young age. It is a sad indictment on the state of our society, the lack of discipline, the lack of respect for authority, and some pretty bad parenting. "We’ve got to make sure parents take more responsibility for the actions of the children. And we need a zerotolerance approach

on any assaults on teachers by children or their parents." I couldn't agree more with those sentiments and with one on-line comment on this newspaper story: "Mustn't smack the children, must we? "They must be given freedom of expression etc., etc. Added to that they are already feral by the time they start school due to thick, chav parents who are not the least bit interested in their kids except the amount of benefits they bring in. The wishy-washy liberal do-gooders have a lot to answer for." This is a most serious issue. The older generation will have to depend on these young people in the years to come. Heaven help Britain if something isn't done soon to instil discipline and order in all levels of society. We were in The Boulevard shopping centre in La Zenia on Saturday evening and there were many young children about, all well behaved and certainly not feral. Why is it that the moral fibre of certain sections of the UK is so widely different than on the continent? A GROUP of teenage Muslims in London have angered the local community after they started to act as vigilantes to "clean up the streets." They told passers-by that they were in a Muslim area and needed to observe Muslim values. They targeted people carrying bottles of alcohol, taking them away and pouring drink down drains. They told girls and women to cover up, but their principal targets were gays and lesbians. Unimaginable that this could be happening in the streets of Britain. It has been roundly condemned by all communities, concerned at stirring racial tensions. Ironic, though, that we have Muslim groups taking this action in the same week we have such serious concern at "feral" children running amok in school classrooms.

LAST week, after two weeks of shivering, Britain experienced blizzards as warmer weather tried to move in to displace the mass of cold air. Within two hours, up to a foot of fresh snow was dumped onto already freezing roads. The Met Office predicted the snow and started putting out warnings two days before it happened. But what was the result? Hundreds of motorists were stuck on the M6 and spent a freezing night stuck tight until morning. And, surprise, surprise, the next day TV news programmes began their usual inquisition - who was to blame? God, for daring to dump all that snow on Britain? No, and it wasn't the fault of council gritters and snowclearing teams either. The volume of snow was just too

great. The cause was the stupid people who can't let anything interfere with their Friday night partying. They ignored all the warnings and decided to have a night out regardless. Dozens of heavy goods vehicle drivers ignored the warnings, too. What on earth makes these people think the warnings are not for them? Perhaps, one day, red weather and flood warnings will be taken seriously by everyone. Failure to do so puts so many other people's lives needlessly at risk. IN a week where a British woman has been sentenced to death for importing drugs into Bali, tourists have been warned about Draconian drugs laws in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Anyone found with the smallest amount of illegal drugs will be receive a mandatory four-year jail sentence. And possession of painkillers like codeine and some cold and flu medication could result in those four years behind bars, Fair Trials International has warned. In one of the most extreme cases, FTI reported that a man was being held after poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes, having been bought and consumed in Heathrow. While I applaud the harshest of penalties against people peddling drugs which bring so much misery to so many, the Middle East really must exercise some common sense, or visitors and holidaymakers will stay away. AND finally, research has found the average Briton only feels 100 per cent fit and healthy for 61 days of the year. For the rest of the time they are battling on through four colds, one dose of flu and five cricked necks, along with numerous other illnesses. Here's the ailment list among 2,000 people polled: 5 x cramps, 1 x fainting, 2 x pulled muscles, 5 x cricked or sore neck, 1 x nosebleed, 2 x earache, 1 x eye infection, 2 x stitch, 2 x toothache, 2 x stubbed toe, 3 x biting tongue, 1 x veruccas, 1 x lost voice, 2 x blisters, 4 x sore throat, 4 x cold, 2 x mouth ulcer, 2 x cold sores, 1 x flu What an unhealthy place! Thank goodness we're away from all that in Spain.

TAXING TIMES AHEAD FOR SPANISH CHURCH

The current economic crisis may have a knock on effect on the Catholic Church, Spain's largest and richest landowner. The church’s non-profit status means it is exempt from paying most taxes...for the time being. One historical town just outside Madrid is leading an effort by some Spanish municipalities to serve the church an up-to-date property tax bill. Alcala de Henares is reevaluating the status of hundreds of church holdings that have been exempt from paying property tax for hundreds of years. Off a cobblestone street in Alcala de Henares, an ancient Roman town about 20 miles from Madrid, there's a 400-year-old convent, El Convento de Clarisas de San Diego. If you ring the doorbell, one of the nuns calls out from behind a wooden shutter. "Ave Maria Purissima!" she answers. Then, you place your order. "Good after-

noon!" one customer says. "May I have four boxes of roasted almonds, please?" "That'll be 19 euros," the nun says, passing four delicately wrapped almond tins through a turnstile. In addition to prayer and charity, the nuns here run a side business selling candied almonds from this tiny window in their convent. Their vows demand that they not be seen in public. So they sell their goodies through a rotating wooden screen. The Catholic Church owns more than just places of worship. It also owns apartments and retail buildings. The nuns' profits from their almond enterprise are probably small, “but that's beside the point,” say some local lawmakers. The nuns are using at least part of this convent for commercial purposes. "We're studying whether any church properties that have long been listed as charities are actually being used for commercial

activities. If that's the case, they'll have to start paying tax," said city councilman Anselmo Avendano. Last summer, Avendano passed a motion to re-evaluate church holdings by square footage. So, if one out of 30 rooms in a convent is selling sweets, it'll have to pay tax on that one room. That's how the system is supposed to work already, but it's not always enforced. Alcala's campaign has ruffled feathers on high. But on one side of the disagreement are cash-strapped municipalities and on the other, centuries of tradition. Avendano says he's a Catholic himself. "We're not questioning the church's good works — charity for the elderly, the poor or ill. We're not criticizing that at all. What we want is to re-examine property the church uses to make a profit," Avendano said. "For example, rental apartments, parking lots and

garages that it owns. Those are businesses. The Catholic Church owns about half of this city. Sometimes people die and leave their house or business to the church, which then becomes the landlord.” "Some of the Catholic schools have swimming pools, and they charge a fee to area residents to swim there on weekends. So the school should be paying tax on that activity. But they haven't been," said another city councilman, Ricardo Rubio. One Alcala street name, Calle Tercio, or OneThird Street, dates to the Middle Ages when vendors were required to give one-third of their profits to the Catholic Church. Nowadays, there's a different tax man in town who happens to be broke. The city of Alcala de Henares is €400 million in debt. Meanwhile, if the Catholic Church had to pay tax on all its property in Spain, it could owe up to €4 billion a year.

Friday, February 1, 2013

JUST GRAND!

The eyes have it for Nigel DONNA GEE reports BOBBY VEE’S 1962 hit The Night Has a Thousand Eyes was conspicuous by its absence from the 50 hit songs featured in Nigel Hopkins’ latest choral spectacular.. The title would have fitted the evening - an audience of 1,000 packing the auditorium for Saturday’s twoshow ‘Sounds of the 60s’ extravaganza featuring Melody Makers International and Cantemos! Children’s Choir. A sellout evening performance at the Orihuela Costa Resort Hotel following a successful afternoon matinee left organiser and conductor Hopkins mystified by the local media’s reluctance to preview the event – The Courier being the exception. Nigel’s quiet and humorous control of the proceedings hid the fact that he could barely see what was going on, legacy of a cataract in the one eye in which he has vision. He had surgery early this week to cure the problem - but his eye for talent is as keen as ever, as demonstrated by some marvellous solos from talented youngsters. An operatic tenor, Hopkins built a reputation in the UK for his choral workshops before bringing his vast musical experience to Spain three years ago.

His concerts have already become part of Orihuela Costa folklore, and at the same time he is nurturing a new generation of singing talent. Teenagers Janelle Gaskell (You Don’t Have to Say you Love Me), Elise MacGregor (Downtown) and Holly Neeson (Puff the Magic Dragon) are the latest super

solo songstresses to warble off the Hopkins production line. All three sang as if they’d been born on stage. To a nostalgic old biddy like myself, the whole show was Poetry In Motion – the 1959 Johnny Tillotson No.1 that opened the programme. My own teenage years came flooding back as the two choirs cho-

rused their way through 50 classic hits. My pick of the soloists were the three youngsters I’ve already mentioned, along with French chorister Christine Lombardy’s piercing rendering of Edith Piaf’s Je Ne Regrette Rien. The sparkling personality of Arthur Askey lookalike Eric Berg also shone through. . I’d have loved to have seen Eric given a medley of songs rather than squeeze his cheeky charisma into an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. Add to the mix a talented band of professional musicians flown in specially from the UK to join Nigel’s son Matthew on piano/keyboard, plus Hopkins senior’s witty interjections between songs – and there was no shortage of added variety. Plus plenty of smiles. Matthew, who is Director of Music at Nottingham Trent University, not only wrote every band arrangement, but also showed his class on the piano and keyboard. And with nearly 800 euros raised on the day for the Costa Blanca Samaritans, it’s fair to say that everyone went home in (sorry, Nigel) eye spirits.

THE BRITISH BLEND BRITISH Ambassador Giles Paxman is stepping up efforts to encourage the integration of Brits into the Spanish community, Speaking at a forum for councillors responsible for European residents - entitled “Working together to Support British Nationals” - the Ambassador recognised many of the issues that councillors have to deal with on a daily basis: • How to ensure that British nationals only access healthcare in the way they are entitled to • How to overcome the language barrier that many residents face, and • How to offer the best support to the elderly and vulnerable who may lack nearby family. Mr Paxman said the only way to address these concerns was through working together and involving local communities. “The forum was a pioneering initiative to share best practice between the different councillors of the main town halls where British nationals are resident,’’ he revealed. “It was also an opportunity to clarify what the Consulate can do and to establish

the assistance that town halls can offer. “British residents make up 7% of the population of Alicante province, so it is important that town halls are seen as the first port of call for those who need help. ”Judging from feedback, this event was very useful for the councillors and will enable them to help British residents who are finding difficulty in plug-

ging into the Spanish system.” The 15 town halls at the forum represent over 100,000 British residents, more than 75 percent of the registered British population in Alicante and 25 percent of all British residents on the padrón in Spain. The Ambassador underlined the positive economic impact of British citizens, saying that tourism alone contributed an estimated €1.32 billion to the Valencia region in 2011, to which should be added the positive economic impact of the British residents. He emphasised that under EU law, the UK paid the Spanish government €277 million in 2010 to cover the cost of health care provided to British nationals. During the event, organised by the British Consulate in Alicante, councillors examined ideas for encouraging British nationals to register on the padrón, as well as case studies to highlight the roles of the Consulate and local town halls. Teulada, Torrevieja and Calpe town halls presented a number of new initiatives including closer collaboration with British residents’ associations to help Spanish social services, an enquiry service for foreign residents and a language exchange to aid language learning.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Gail-force harmony MARY POP comes to Mazarrón WINS... TEN windswept ladies braved the elements to take part in the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers (SABS) ‘Sing Harmony in a Day’ course in Camposol. Some had not sung before and some hadn't sung since they were at school, but all were keen to learn. Gail Grainger, the SABS president and Spangles musical director, started them off gently with some vocal warm-ups and breathing exercises. They were then divided into four sections (lead, bass, baritone and tenor) to learn a song in four-part harmony which would be performed to family and friends in the evening. With the help of quartets ‘Chardonnay’ and ‘Viva’, the ladies soon got to grips with their part. “I’m amazed at how quickly they all learned” commented SABS vice president Lyn

QUESADA resident Mary Lewis’s bank balance has ballooned by 100 euros – thanks to Maria and the Pink Ladies. Back on November 17, Maria and her ladies launched a grand balloon race by setting off more than 800 pink balloons at The Evolucion bar and restaurant in La Fuente Commercial Centre. The event raised €1,642 for the AECC early screening programme. The winner was the person whose balloon travelled furthest and had its attached tag returned. Mary’s popped balloon was found and returned by Sophie Glezos in Aigues near Villajoyosa. Sophie received a cheque for €20 for sending the ticket back. The Pink Ladies will mark International Cancer Day on Monday (February 4) with a day of entertainment at La Zenia Boulevard. A registration point will be available where both men and women can book screening tests with the AECC. There will be a mixed variety of entertainment from noon until 6pm, with a zumba display, soul band, various vocalists and more.

Photographer: Jean Weller Baines. There was some trepidation about their ability to sing competently to an audience of friends and family in the evening, but hard work and determination saw them through and they received rapturous applause.

Everyone is keen to start a new barbershop chorus in Camposol and Gail and Lyn will help them see this through. “We are keen to see more people enjoy barbershop singing in Spain and we are delighted that the ladies wish to progress

further after just one day,’’ Lyn remarked. SABS’ new initiative is to encourage more people to take up barbershop harmony singing in Spain - and they are busily planning the next course on the Costa Blanca later this year. “We’re interested in hearing from men as well as ladies,” says Gail. If you would like to know more about this unique art form, please visit the SABS website: www.sabs.es or email Mary Lewis (left) receives her €100 from AECC gail@sabs.es president Maria Wilson

PROFESSIONAL Soul and Motown band Soul Power will be among those performing at La Zenia Boulevard on Monday as part of the Pink Ladies Cancer Charity Day. They’ll be going

live at 4pm with music by, among others, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, The Real Thing, Marvin Gaye, Ben E King, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding.

A BULL AMONG THE HORSES… THE Easy Horse Care and Rescue Centre’s latest recruitment of volunteers is already making a big impact on the charity’s ability to reach animals in need. The newest supporters from Gran Alacant deliver a wealth of professional expertise which hopefully will help to push the foundation further towards its goal of offering assistance to horses, ponies, and donkeys throughout Spain. Qualified riding instructor Karen Bull has been instrumental in developing the riding and instruction arm of the Rescue Centre. Following a traumatic brush with cancer, she met with the EHCRC founder Sue Weeding and found that her expertise could make a huge difference to the charity.

Karen will focus on gently inducing adults with little previous horseriding experience to enjoy the activity. Additional support include advertising and help in promoting charity shops and fundraising events, as well as general maintenance and cleansing duties within the rescue centre. “This is certainly community spirit at its best,’’ says Sue. “All of these new volunteers have definitely made a huge difference to the centre already this year. Thank you Gran Alacant!” For further details please visit the website www.easyhorsecare.net or email rescue@easyhorsecare.net. Also, for riding lessons or info on the Junior Members Pony Club contact riding@easyhorsecare.net.

Friday,December February 1, Friday, 16,2013 2011

CAFE GOLF- FIVE YEARS ON AND STILL GOING STRONG Cafe Golf celebrated their fifth anniversary a couple of weeks ago and what a night it was! Over 80 people danced the night away at their favourite bar, with entertainment provided by the Buddy Holly Tribute Band. The success of this friendly meeting point could be put down to the fact that they are always doing something different, yet you can be assured that you will feel at home and be served with a smile whenever you go there. Between now and Saint Valentine’s Day if you spend over 5 euros in Cafe Golf you will be given a ticket for the free draw, the prize of which will be a free Valentine’s meal for two on February 16th. This looks to be a wonderful evening: see the attached menu for an idea of what exactly will be in store, with music provided by The Crooners. From Monday to Saturday Cafe Golf offer their delicious “Menu del Dia” for just 7 euros. For this you will get 3 courses, a drink and bread, and if you’re not that hungry you can have 2 courses plus a drink and bread for just 6 euros. Or, “Plate of the Day” plus a drink for just 3.50€. If you fancy something else why not look at the “18 Holes of Platos Combinados” menu, which offers 18 different meals consisting of things like hamburgers, chicken nuggets, black pudding, fish, etc. all served with a choice of two accompaniments from this list: chips, egg, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad or rice. Prices are between 4.50 and 6.00€, bread and a

drink included. On Saturdays why not pop in for a beer and paella for just 3.50€ or a Spanish roast and a drink for the same price? Sunday Lunch can be a traditional roast, with 3 courses costing just 11.50€ which includes a selection of different meats, 6 different vegetables and Yorkshire puddings with every meal. If you don’t want a roast why not try Menu del Chef, which offers 3 courses, the main course being something other than a roast, for just 10 euros. Vegetarians are well catered for with an extensive selection of dishes, and diabetics should have no fear as there are many options for you too. February’s offer is a small bottle of beer and a “montadito” (a Spanish tapa of your choice on a piece of bread), for just 1.75€. Look out for the Flamenco Show which will be happening in March, details to follow, and Darts and Table Football competitions are also being planned. Regular events include Line Dancing every Monday from 3.30 to 5.30pm, Quiz night is every Wednesday and guarantees a fun night from 8.30pm, and Conversation Swap is on Fridays at 6.30pm and is the ideal opportunity to practice your Spanish, help someone with their English and make new friends. So come along and see why Cafe Golf in San Javier is the place to be right now. Situated just 5 minutes from San Javier airport, on the N332, it is easy to find and a relaxing time is guaranteed.

Menu Valentines day Saturday 16th February Prawn Salad Plate of Iberico meats Salad with rice and vegetables ~ Peppered fillet of pork or Sirloin steak with a creamy ginger sauce or Oven baked Sea Bream with vegetables or Sea Bass cooked in an aroma of lemon ~ Tiramisu or Brownie chocolate blanco con pistachos Café 40€ per couple includes 1 bottle of wine Live Music Reservations Tel 666 766 600

Friday, February 1, 2013

Happy 3rd Birthday El Rincon de Michelle El Rincon de Michelle is celebrating it's 3rd Birthday on the 4th February. This also coincides with the last week of the shops massive sale. To thank her customers for their support over the last 3 years and to mark the 3rd Anniversay, Michelle would like to invite you for wine and nibbles which will be available all day in the shop on Monday 4th February. Michelle believes her realistic prices and good quality second hand furniture are the reasons for survival during this long hard recession. Michelle appreciates her loyal customers who regularly return to buy or sell their furniture and also welcomes any new customers to come and view her popular shop.

If you are looking to buy high standard furniture with a low price tag, El Rincon de Michelle is the place to come and visit. All her sofas are professionally cleaned by C & M Services who Michelle regards as the best on the Costa Blanca. Although Michelle sells second hand furniture, she also stocks brand new beds and mattress-

es lower then factory prices as no IVA is charged to the customer. She also provides a free local delivery service. El Rincon de Michelle not only sells furniture and beds but also has a white goods room which consists of white electrical goods including Fridge Freezers, Washing Machines, Cookers etc. These goods are all tested by a qualified electrician and carry guarantees. El Rincon de Michelle opens all day from 10am - 7pm weekdays and 10am - 2pm on Saturdays. For her customers convenience the shop does not close for siesta. If you have good quality furniture that you wish to sell, then contact Michelle for a quotation. She will buy, part exchange and manage house clearances. New stock arriving daily. Michelle would like to thank her valued customers again and looks forward to

2013. She would like to see you all on 4th February for a glass of wine and to celebrate the shops 3rd Anniversary. Shop situated Avd. Las Cortes Valencias 62 (old Alicante Road) Torrevieja - Same road as Iceland Supermarket and opposite Torregrosa. 645 296 506

Friday, February 1, 2013

UK HEADLINES

G8 BOMB FEAR

IRA renegades ‘planning summit outrage’ The Sun IRA assassins are plotting a terror outrage as world leaders gather for a G8 summit in Northern Ireland, security chiefs fear. A rebel group, calling itself the New IRA, knows a bomb spectacular would hijack global headlines. PM David Cameron, US President Barack Obama and Russia’s Vladimir Putin will be among those meeting in Enniskillen in June. A Whitehall source said: “We can’t rule out some cowardly attack.” The renegade terror group plotting to wreck the summit has 700 members, security chiefs warn. Five militant groups opposed to the Northern Ireland peace process have joined forces to form the

New IRA. The summit, at the five-star loch-side Lough Erne hotel in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, will also be attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel,

French President Francois Hollande, Canadian PM Stephen Harper, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Italian PM Mario Monti, if he is reelected next month.

A senior Whitehall source said: “We are very confident that the G8 venue is completely secure. “But we can’t rule out the possibility of some kind of

cowardly attack in another part of the Province.” The new group claimed responsibility for the murder of prison officer David Black last November.

And so-called “punishment” beatings by IRA thugs are now running at one a week. Experts say the gang is outside the control of Sinn Fein, which is now part of the government. An attack on the British mainland remains on its agenda but it currently lacks the organisational capability. Renegades are believed to be making Taliban-style bombs which pierce armour plating before exploding. Three of the devices — designed to kill people inside armoured vehicles — have been seized this year. Police chief Stephen Martin said: “It is a worrying development.” The threat of Republican terror comes against a backdrop of violent Loyalist protests over Belfast City Council’s decision to stop flying the Union Flag all year.

Bali drug Brit jailed

A British man has been jailed for six years and fined the equivalent of £65,000 after being convicted of cocaine possession in Bali. Julian Ponder, 43, from Brighton, was cleared of drug trafficking but found guilty of the lesser offence of possession. Prosecutors in Indonesia had asked for a seven-year prison term, and he could have faced a maximum sentence of life. Ponder has been linked to Lindsay Sandiford, the 56-year-old British grandmother sentenced to death for smuggling cocaine worth £1.5m onto the island in May last year. She alleged that Ponder was the man she was going to deliver the drug shipment to, a claim he denies.

Ponder and his partner Rachel Dougall were arrested alongside Sandiford in a sting operation by Indonesian police. At the time of her arrest, Dougall, who has a young daughter, insisted she was the victim of a "fit-up" and Ponder claimed he was "trapped". Ponder's lawyer said he was told that Sandiford was delivering a present for his child's birthday and, when he met her to receive the gift, police officers arrested him. The report said: "It was alleged that he was linked to Lindsay Sandiford ... she was caught at the airport and arrested, and she alleged that Julian Ponder was the man she was going to deliver the cocaine to. "It's something he has always denied. He was initially charged with

drugs trafficking, but that charge was dropped. "He was then charged with drugs possession after a small amount of drugs was found in his home. "The judges did have the right to reexamine the evidence, and to recharge him with drug trafficking. "They've decided not to do that, so he will spend six years in one of the most notorious jails on the holiday island." Sandiford, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, has notified Indonesian officials she intends to appeal against her sentence. She was accused by the Bali court of damaging the image of the resort island and received the sentence despite prosecutors only asking for a 15-year jail term.

Still clocking in at 100 Jim Clements is Britain's longest serving temp MOST centenarians like to put their feet up and enjoy relaxing, quality time with friends and family. But this great-grandfather still works because he became bored with retirement. Jim Clements has worked loyally for the same company for an astonishing 33 years even though he could have retired years ago. The 100-year-old works two days a week at a security firm in Harlow, Essex, photocopying, filing and making cups of tea for his younger colleagues. Workaholic Jim turned 100 last week but said he has no plans to give up his job despite reaching the milestone. Mr Clements took up a temporary office support role at the firm in 1980 - but temporary has become rather permanent. The hard-working employee said: "I like to keep myself busy and I have always enjoyed being at work. It’s so good to still be active. It keeps the cogs moving and keeps me young. "The girls in the office are lovely. They look

after me and give me a lift home. "I have never wanted to stop working. My favourite job ever was working for the MOD - it was often top secret and was skilled work. "I have a laugh with the girls in the office, I pull their leg and they pull mine." Father-of-two Jim went to school in High Wych, Hertfordshire, before leaving at the age of 14 to begin an apprenticeship in engineering. During the war years Mr Clements worked at the Ernest Lake Ltd factory in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, making torpedoes. There he met his wife Gladys. The couple married in 1944 and were together until she died 19 years ago. In 1980, bored with retirement, Mr Clements took a temporary position with Active Security in Harlow, where he still works. He has two children called Barry and Susan, four grandchildren, Ashley, Adam, Mark and Samantha and a greatgranddaughter, Georgia.

Friday, February 1, 2013

UK HEADLINES

BROTHER OF EASTENDERS GEMMA GUILTY OF MURDER The brother of former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie has been jailed for life for killing her. Tony McCluskie was found guilty of murder by an 11-1 majority after previously admitting manslaughter. There were gasps and cries in the courtroom as the verdict was given but McCluskie stood emotionless in the dock. The 36-year-old was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years following a trial at the Old Bailey in London. Alison Saunders, London's Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: "This was an extremely distressing and violent case. McCluskie used all means possible to divert suspicion away from himself, giving false hope to family and friends. After committing the crime on March 1 2012, he filed a missing persons report and gave false information to the police. "The strong case against McCluskie led to him admitting unlawfully killing his sister and he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying it was not intentional and that he had lost control. "But the prosecution did not accept his plea to manslaughter. We felt that the evidence of brutality showed a deliberate intent to cause death or serious bodily harm to Gemma, which amounts to murder." Miss McCluskie's mutilated body was found floating in the Regent's Canal in east London. McCluskie, a window cleaner and skunk cannabis smoker, claimed to have lost control after a tirade of abuse from his sister. He said the last thing he remembered was her coming at him with a knife. But the prosecution said he killed his 29year-old sister after she lost patience with him and asked him to leave the flat in Pelter Street, Shoreditch, east London, where they lived. The final straw came when McCluskie left taps running and a sink overflowed in March last year. She was killed by being hit over the head at least twice and her body was hacked into six pieces using a cleaver and a knife. The next day, McCluskie lugged a heavy suitcase to a local cab firm and was last seen taking it towards the canal. Miss McCluskie's torso was found a week

The Mirror

later when the case snapped open, and her limbs were found in black bags a week later. But her head was not found for six months when it was also discovered in the water. Miss McCluskie, who played Kerry Skinner, the niece of Ethel Skinner, on screen in 2001, was immediately missed. She was last seen attending the £650 million opening of the new Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London. McCluskie joined friends who launched extensive searches across east London to find her. Former EastEnders co-stars Natalie Cassidy and Brooke Kinsella both appealed on Twitter for help. Miss McCluskie's friend, Nicole McLaren, said she hugged McCluskie because she felt sorry for him as they searched for her. But, said Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, McCluskie sent police on a wild goose chase after the actress was reported missing. Mr Aylett said: "For some time, there had been tension between Miss McCluskie and her brother. "Gemma told a friend 'He's permanently stoned. He puts a spliff in his mouth first thing in the morning and doesn't know what he's doing'." "On Thursday March 1 last year, McCluskie had got up, gone to the bathroom and forgotten the taps were on in the sink. "Unsurprisingly, Miss McCluskie was

exasperated by this. She had had enough. "Later, while she was out, her friends heard her arguing on the telephone with her brother about what had happened. "It is clear that Gemma regarded this incident as the last straw and that she wanted the defendant to move out." Mr Aylett said the next day McCluskie sent his sister a text pretending she was still alive and ending "Love ya xx". Miss McCluskie was identified by a small tattoo of a bow on her body and later by dental records. McCluskie told police that his sister was seen in a local kebab shop after she went missing, and that she had visited their mother in hospital. But scientists found blood in the bathroom and a blood-stained knife in the kitchen of the flat. The court heard that McCluskie received a series of hoax telephone calls following his sister's disappearance. In the first call, the defendant was told that if he wanted to see his sister again he must take £2 million to Benfleet International station. A second call was made requesting that he also bring 500 US dollars worth of Iraqi currency, before a third hoax call repeated the demand for £2 million. When the defendant asked to speak to his sister, the caller said Miss McCluskie had been stripped of her clothes and was being kept in a locked room. "The truth is that the defendant could not have believed his luck," Mr Aylett said. "The calls can only have added to the state of confusion as to Gemma's whereabouts." Police later traced the telephone calls to an address in Kent and arrested a man. McCluskie told the court: "She came up the stairs, she was shouting 'Are you gonna go, are you gonna go, are you gonna go?'. "I turned round and she was standing there with a knife in her hand. "I got very angry, I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. "All I remember is just grabbing her wrists. After that I have no recollection."

UK’s second language is... Polish! POLISH has become England’s second language, the latest figures from the 2011 census show. An influx of workers from Eastern Europe has transformed the face of the UK over the past decade, with some areas such as Boston, Lincs, and Ealing in west London seeing the most dramatic changes. A total of 546,000 people in England and Wales said that Polish was their “main” language, second only to English in England. A total of 562,000 people said that they spoke Welsh, predominantly in Wales. Although four million people living in England and Wales – or eight per cent of the population – said English was not their first language, only 138,000 admitted having no English or Welsh at all. But in London more than one in five use another language – a figure which rises to more than 40 per cent in Newham, east London, the country’s most ethnically diverse area. The capital dominates the list of areas in which large numbers of people speak other languages, with Brent, Tower Hamlets, Ealing and Westminster all in the top five. But the language barrier is felt more acutely outside London. In Boston, Lincs, which has a large Polish population, 39 per cent of those who spoke another language admitted being barely able to speak English. The proportion was the same in Bolsover and Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. By contrast in Rutland, the City of London and Guildford and Cambridge only a tiny proportion of those with another first language could not speak English. Languages from the Indian subcontinent, including Panjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Gujarati dominate the list of the other most widely spoken languages.

Friday, February 1, 2013

SPANISH NEWS

THE SECRETS OF DOCTOR DOPE I treated non-cyclists, admits Fuentes THE doctor at the centre of a Spanish blood-doping trial has admitted treating athletes from sports other than cycling. Eufemiano Fuentes said he had worked with athletes, footballers and boxers, as well as cyclists. He did not say whether he had helped the other athletes dope, however. Dr Fuentes is accused of endangering the health of cyclists while carrying out blood transfusions to help them dope. He denies the charges. He was giving evidence for the first time at his trial in Madrid. He did not give any names of athletes, and the BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid says the trial is unlikely to shed light on dop-

ing beyond the world of cycling. The case comes days after former seven times Tour de France winner

career. The chief prosecutor in the case says cyclists are the only athletes that can be identi-

Lance Armstrong admitted to using banned drugs and blood doping during his cycling

fied from bags of blood seized in a raid on Dr Fuentes' office and apartment seven years ago.

They were labelled with codenames believed to relate to well-known cyclists. But the World Anti-Doping Agency maintains that it was told in 2006 that the bags of blood were those of athletes from "several sports". In his evidence, Dr Fuentes acknowledged that the bags of blood were labelled, in some cases with codenames. But he said the aim of the transfusions was to protect athletes' health and improve their performance during training. Dr Fuentes is being tried alongside his sister and three former cycling coaches. If found guilty, the defendants could face up to two years in prison and a twoyear professional ban.

Graffiti artists opt to clean up Murcia MURCIA police’s anti-graffiti team, which has taken action against “urban artists” 395 times since their formation in September 2009. Fines of between 30 and 150 euros are handed out when the culprits are caught red-handed, and if they claim to have no money they are given the option of doing community work and cleaning up the walls they have scrawled over. Two youths aged 18 and 21 were caught last week, and instead of paying the maximum penalty, opted to carry out eight hours’ community work each. Not only will they have to remove their own graffiti, they will also have to scrape off posters and clean the graffiti off the bins. They have been given the option as to when they carry out the community work.

€8.1m bail for King’s son-in-law A JUDGE has set bail at €8.1 million for Iñaki Urdangarin, son-in-law to King Juan Carlos, and a former business associate, Both are accused of siphoning off millions of euros in public money from the governments of Valencia and the Balearics. Urdangarin and Diego Torres have five days to figure out how to share out the bail and post it, or face seizure of their assets. In a staggering 542page report, investigating Judge José Castro states that Urdangarin and his partner “ignored the rules of public contracting in order to achieve their goal, which was none other than to divert public money for their own benefit or the benefit of third parties.” The contracts they earned for organizing sports and tourism events gained the partners over seven million euros, most of which allegedly made its way into private companies owned by themselves. The judge’s report states that those public contracts are void

because of the arbitrary way in which they were earned, without any public competit i o n . Urdangarin is believed to have used his position as a member of the royal family -- he is married to Princess Cristina -- to influence the awarding of contracts. Regarding the Nóos Institute, a non-profit owned by Urdangarin and Torres that served as the official recipient of the public money, Judge Castro states that “it is abysmally farfetched to consider it a non-profit entity.” After securing the money, Nóos then pretended to contract work from businesses that were owned by Urdangarin and Torres. One of the companies that benefited the most from this scheme is Aizoon, a real estate firm owned jointly by Urdangarin and Princess Cristina. Despite the fact that the princess was co-owner of Aizoon and a board member of Nóos, Judge Castro did not find sufficient evidence to level accusations at her as well.

Friday, February 1, 2013

SPANISH NEWS

HEALTH CHIEFS SLAP BAN ON SUSPECT DRUGS

We won’t miss your weird ways, Britain! SALLY BENGTSSON reports

THREE types of medication have been withdrawn from the market by the health authorities. The anti-blood clotting drug Sintrom, the antiinflammatory Junifen – which comes in syrup format and the main ingredient of which is Ibuprofen – and Acuvue daily-use contact lenses have been removed from sale, says the Spanish Medication and Healthcare Products Agency (AEMPS). Not all varieties of these drugs have been taken off the shelves – for Sintrom, manufactured by Novartis, batch number T5484 - containing boxes of 20 pills of four milligrams each has been withdrawn due to 'a foreign object' detected in one of the tablets, meaning it has been returned to the laboratory for testing. Junifen, marketed by Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare, has seen batch G07 – syrup of 40 milligrams per millilitre – taken off sale due to

'results outside normal specifications', and returned to the laboratory for a 'recount of total yeast and fungus', or analysis of the bacteria which is the active ingredient of the drug. And Acuvue's 1-Day Moist (Etafilcon A), and Acuvue Advance with Hydroclear (Galyfilcon A) have been removed from the shelves as a limited number of individual packs of contact lenses were found not to have been correctly sealed, meaning the solution inside the pack could have leaked out and made the lenses less sterile, potentially causing eye infections. Spain's ministry of health has instructed pharmacies and opticians to stop selling these three products immediately and for patients to stop using them. They should go to their doctor or optician as applicable in the event of any adverse effects suffered.

DAVID Cameron’s announcement that British citizens will be able to vote whether to stay in or out of Europe if the Conservatives are still in power in 2017, sparked a spate of anecdotes and jokes in the Spanish press as to whether the EU would miss the “complaining” Brits. La Verdad newspaper listed the 10 things they definitely would NOT miss about us, their Northern neighbours: 1. The English language. Half the population of Spain hate being forced to learn English at school. Many spend over ten years studying the language and still cannot even tell you the time! 2. Look right, look left. Most Spaniards are almost run over when they visit London. They claim that crossing the street in the UK is a very stressful part of their holiday. 3. The pound. How is it that almost all of Europe uses the Euro and then you get to Britain and have to change all your Euros into pounds, and you get a lousy exchange rate. 4. Saloufest, Loret de Mar lager louts, balconing etc. All the rowdy behaviour associated with the cheap package holiday do not go down well with the more laid back Spaniards. The only positive thing is it brings money into their country. 5. Hooligans. The terrible image British football supporters have every time they go abroad may be exaggerated, but it only takes one incident for the image to be reignited. 6. Cricket. Spanish people just don’t understand the game - or the fact that a match can go on for days..!

7. Ascot. Neither do they understand why it is necessary to put on an enormous, distasteful hat to go and watch horse races. They claim that the phrases ‘great taste’ and ‘Great Britain’ just don’t go together. 8. Fish and chips. Despite the fact that Spaniards love Jamie Oliver, and that nowadays you can eat a great meal in London, they consider fish and chips a fourth-class meal. 9. The rain. Spaniards now understand why we lie in the sun all day when we come to Spain. They could not live in a country with permanent grey clouds and which gets dark at 4.30pm, just as they are waking up from their siesta. 10. Carlos and Camila. They love the Queen, William, Kate and Harry, but Carlos and Camila just don’t fit in! They still haven’t got over the tampax story! After all that, there are a few things that Spaniards really love about GB, including: the whole of London, British football, the Premier League, Arsenal, Chelsea, West Brom, Liverpool, the song “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Blur, Oasis, Pulp, HMV shops (save them!), double-decker buses, red phone boxes, the British Museum, bobbies, the pubs, the beer, Shakespeare, Dickens, Turner, Constable, Charles Darwin, James Bond, Sean Connery, Hugh Laurie, Helen Mirren, Monty Python, democracy, The Guardian and The Times, The Economist, our love of traditions, our extravagance, our capacity to laugh at ourselves, our irony. Oh, and the article’s conclusion was that they really don’t want us to leave the EU!

Burger me, I’m eating a horse UNDECLARED horse meat DNA has been found in Spanish burgers, a leading consumer organisation revealed Tuesday. Following the discovery of horse meat in burgers sold at retailers in the UK and Ireland, Spanish consumer watchdog Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU) undertook independent tests to examine whether horse meat had entered the supply chain of retailers in Spain. According to the organisation, two of 20 products tested came back positive for horse meat. These

products were on sale at Alipende and Eroski, the OCU said. A spokesperson for the consumer body told just-food that the organisation was concerned because the

burgers labels, which claim to be 100% beef, "deceived" consumers. The spokesperson added: "With this, you must think can you trust the labels of products?" Alipende and Eroski were not available for comment at time of press. According to Irish food safety officials, the horse meat DNA in UK and Ireland has been tracked to a filler ingredient from Poland. However, Spanish food safety officials have been helping Ireland's Food Safety Authority with its inquiry

Friday, February 1, 2013

Market Commentary 01 February 2013

UK GDP shrinks by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2012 Welcome to your market analysis from Currencies Direct where you can stay one step ahead of your friends on the latest news and reviews of the financial markets. Our aim is to provide you with an easily digestible update of how the financial market is performing using the expertise of our dealers who make it their sole aim to keep on top of the market movements.

GBP

After a dreadful start to 2013, Sterlingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poor run continued today following confirmation that UK GDP shrank by 0.3% in the fourth quarter of 2012. The news followed a poor run of economic data for the Great British Pound with retails sales and the UK deficit data coming in below expectations. The pound fell against the Euro and the USD on the news; however most of the losses in the pound came ahead of the data which was expected to be weak. The news now escalates fears of a triple dip recession for the UK economy and in addition it places the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prized AAA rating at risk which could spell further danger for Sterling.

EUR

The Euro has continued to bloom in 2013 even in the light of a mixed batch of economic data releases. The Euro has been supported late in the week through the European Central Bank release of the data confirming early repayment of the 3 year LTRO money. The news that major banks are paying back LTRO money early is very Euro positive at least in the short term. It marks a major turning point in the crisis and reaffirms the recent mutterings from EU officials that the worst of the crisis is over. The Euro has now hit the highest level since March 2012 against the USD and the highest since December 2011 against the pound.

USD

The US Dollar has experienced a mixed bag with weakness against the Euro and gains against the Great British Pound and the Japanese Yen. Risk appetite and USD weakness was boosted by initial jobless claims coming in better than expected and the conference board said its leading economic index increased last month. However earnings were mixed and Apple disappointed tempering a larger swing into risk appetite. Next week we see lots of US data culminating in the monthly payroll report which will give a good up to date feedback on the strength of the US recovery. Information provided by Currencies Direct, leading providers of foreign exchange. Call to find out how we can help you get the best rates and save your transfer fees. Contact the La Zenia office on +34 965 994 830 or email costablanca@currenciesdirect.com. The contents of this report are for information purposes only. It is not intended as a recommendation to trade or a solicitation for funds. Currencies Direct cannot be held responsible for any loss or damages arising from any action taken following consideration of this information.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Horoscopes Aries March 21 - April 19 Having had a taste of victory last week, this week may seem like the ideal opportunity to go wild. Kindling is always useful when lighting fires. However, metaphorical fires can be started using a baseball bat or a 2x4 plank. The words you use to describe yourself may have to be revised today, after suffering what can only be described as "hell".

Taurus April 20 - May 20 The music you have been listening to has been tainted by the devil. The very thought of coming up with a horoscope for you made me laugh. You may be the most pathetic thing I've ever come across - but DON'T BE SAD! You are on the verge of a massive breakthrough. Hexes may impair your vision today if you attempt to cross an invisible boundary.

Gemini May 21 - June 20 Heavy drinking can lead to a certain number of social problems. If it's tasty, then lap it up. If not, don't. This is the best course of action for this week. Walk without shoes for a day and you will soon understand the nature of the soul. Geddit! It's a...well, it's just... Sandwich is your lucky word for today and is likely to be involved in some sort of belly-filling incident.

Cancer June 21 - July 22 Your sub-conscience may decide to rebel against you today and force you to reremember everything you had managed to block out. "Thinking strategically" is a cop-out. You did what you did because you're a selfish competitive little person. Become as the rabbit. All will become clear as the moon begins its wane.

By Pandora Leo July 23 - August 22 A hard life will get harder for you this week as you start drinking heavily. The next word you hear may cause you to rush into a blind rage. Please think before acting too rashly with a potato masher. Find yourself someone to settle down with today. Don't be choosy - just pick at random. If random fails, go for whoever doesn't violently sick-up on your clothing.

Virgo August 23 - September 22 If you keep repeating it, it might come true. Every reason you have for doing what you did, is sound. Be grateful that you have a good network of friends and family. It's never too late to do that thing you always wanted to do. You know - the THING. The thing? You know. Having reaches a personal goal, the future ought to look rosier for you.

Libra September 23 - October 22 There is no need to be afraid, today. Tomorrow is the time for all your fears to be played out in one condensed package. Hope will always get you through your problems. Yes, "hope" your doctor is mistaken or misinformed about your unforunate predicament. Google is about to take over your life - play responsibly.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21 If everything that's ever been said about you is true, why are you such a jackass? Banking on anyone this week? Don't let them let you down like they did me. I'm still picking up the pieces of a tattered life. And this was what was written in a sandwich in Mexico. Strangeness, huh? Sing a song inside and to hell with the dark clouds that await you.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21 Looking into your future is like looking into a blocked pipe on a waste disposal machine. Cartoons will flavour the day for you, today, giving you ideas and humour. Pah! Happiness? The Gods know not of this word and you will pay for your insubordination. Tomorrow will bring fresh excitement and vigour to your otherwise dull self.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19 Your selfish ways will not improve this week as you win a sizeable jackpot on the lottery. Feeling locked up when you're in an open park is a sure sign that you're slightly claustrophobic. This horoscope was brought to you in association with the bloody obvious. Parts of you are pleased that you are to become single once again.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18 Today will seem like a good day for disregarding advice concerning things that are generally considered to be bad for you. Time and time again you are asked to wait outside the room whilst the "adults" discuss your situation. This week, make sure you are one of the "adults". Taking a bit-part in a local theatre production may help you get out and start living a lie.

Pisces February 19 - March 20 Good fortune will stalk you like a mean spirited vulture today and won't spread any of his juicy fortune charm over you. You're as transparent as a blast of canned air - try to be more complex by wearing hats that are clearly too small for your head. Feel welcome to share your inner most secrets with your entire family and network of friends.

Friday, February 1, 2013

UK potholes getting bigger Potholes on the UK road network are bigger and worse than ever before, according to new research conducted by website potholes.co.uk and Warranty Direct. The study highlighted that the craters causing damage to cars on our roads are now on average four inches deep, compared to just three inches two years ago. The growing size of these scars on our tarmac has been attributed to the cheap asphalt used in road repairs over the last 10 to 15 years – a temporary measure at best in itself. Warranty Direct Managing Director Duncan McClure: “The pothole epidemic is the direct result of years of underinvestment in our roads by the Government. Temporary fixes have just escalated the problem over the years and our highways have now got more holes than Swiss cheese. “Unless more permanent repair materials and methods are adopted immediately, Britain may never again be able to get through a winter without having to contend with a Third World road network.” Drivers’ fortunes aren’t set to improve for months yet, either.

With heavy rain at the end of last year and ice and snow at the beginning of 2013, motorists are set to face a testing few months as the road crevices are repaired. The Local Government Association – responsible for around 180,000 miles of road throughout England and Wales – warned in November last year that the UK could face a pothole crisis as a result of spending cuts. Since the Coalition came to power, spending on the nation’s road network has dropped by nearly £500 million, yet it is estimated that it would cost around £10 billion to bring the UK’s roads up to scratch. The LGA revealed that the Department for Transport will reduce budgets for local councils by £442 million over the five years of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, leaving authorities £164 million worse off by 2015. According to Chair of the LGA’s Economy and Transport Board, Councillor Peter Box, “the idea that resurfacing can be paid for through efficiency savings and smarter use of government money is pure fantasy.”

Chinese take-away An enterprising fisherman in China has turned his motorbike into a fishing boat, aping the sort of madcap engineering challenge you would see on Top Gear. Except this one actually works… Chen Guohong, from Zhangzhou in southeast China's Fujian Province, has solved the problem of off-loading his catch at the harbourside – because he simply drives out of the water and off to the market. And it means his motorbike, suitable for carrying a maximum of two people, can now transport a small family on land or water. When he arrives at the water’s edge, Chen simply drives into the sea, drops the propeller and off to work he goes… At the end of a hard day hauling nets, he lifts the propeller again and simply drives out of the sea, cutting out the hassle of offloading his catch and then transporting it to market. It took Chen five months

to build his bike-boat, which has a top speed of 44mph on land and four nautical miles per hour on water. Until now amphibious

vehicles have been expensive playthings but this resourceful approach shows that there is a practical side to water-bound cars and bikes, too.

Friday, February 1, 2013

CODE CRACKER Code Cracker is a crossword puzzle with no clues; instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number. In this week’s puzzle, 13 represents N and 17 represents Z, when these letters have been entered throughout the puzzle, you should have enough information to start guessing words and discovering other letters.

QUICKIE

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

CRYTPIC CLUES Across 1 Examine luggage to establish legal precedent (4,4) 7 Exhaust water supply after day (5) 8 Irene gets a bit giddy when drunk (9) 9/20 Wrong dosage for an old sailor (3,3) 10 Legendary American lawman seen in New Year party (4) 11 One who writes about British school rice (6) 13 Erroneously blamed for the chaotic situation (6) 14 Mother with another female complaint (6) 17 A baler is destroyed to make the land ready for cultivation (6) 18 Gilgamesh captured wild animals (4) 20 See 9 22 Came back on a diet anew and wasted away (9) 23 An extra bosun is all at sea (5) 24 Observed little Edward was after esteem (8)

Down 1 Instant tip-top food (5) 2 Clipped an ear in the outhouse (7) 3 Twist copper on two sides (4) 4 You may look for it but it takes a chaser to find it (6) 5 Trick shot that features in a Massenet opera (5) 6 Fashionable whim of early childhood (7) 7 Different medical number system (7) 12 A padre’s about for the March events (7) 13 Arts graduate and theologian bet around, but the bill remains unpaid (3,4) 15 Add peat modified (7) 16 Split from Conservative and go (6) 17 Any about to depart may create suffering (5) 19 Concluded in a nice blended whiskey (5) 21 The Provisional IRA kept the money (4)

STANDARD CLUES

Down

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words As Go 3 letter words Ale Bet End Hug Rot See Spa Spy 4 letter words Ache Acre Alit Ammo

Ante Arts Atom Baas Boer Chef Clue Dare Dual Elms Euro Floe Hull Idol Lest List Mats Neep Ogre Para

Rein Rest Rise Sent Sore Sour Then Tiny Tram 5 letter words Alarm Arise Basil Basis Bodes Boots Cause Class Daunt

Elate Elite Guess Humus Lapse Manes Manor Manta Mouse Relax Salon Salsa Shoes Siren Sires Sonic Sorts Spite Tries

6 letter words Assets Chaser Cortex Mailed Misuse Silent Stress 8 letter words Mnemonic Shredder 9 letter words Houseboat Tenderise

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

Across

Down

1 Spar (4) 3 Imperfect (8) 9 Rescue (7) 10 Combine (5) 11 Movable (5) 12 Fancy cake (6) 14 Informal (6) 16 Photographic equipment (6) 19 Tub (6) 21 Shinbone (5) 24 In anticipation of (5) 25 Standard (7) 26 Stronghold (8) 27 Strike (4)

1 Be unable to find (8) 2 Barrage (5) 4 Retaliate (6) 5 Boundary (5) 6 Bombardment (7) 7 Smooth (4) 8 Lead sulphide (6) 13 Long-tailed parrot (8) 15 Smash to smithereens (7) 17 National hymn (6) 18 Forever (6) 20 Monarch (5) 22 Cutting edge (5) 23 Polish (4)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Arrears, 5 Civic, 8 Laggard, 9 Polka, 10 Sushi, 11 Carcass, 12 Simmer, 14 Odious, 17 Radiate, 19 Lifts, 22 Cling, 23 Tumbler, 24 Offal, 25 Classes. Down: 1 Atlas, 2 Rages, 3 Avarice, 4 Seduce, 5 Caper, 6 Volcano, 7 Chassis, 12 Sirocco, 13 Midriff, 15 Dilemma, 16 Hectic, 18/20 Angel Falls, 21 Sorts.

Scribble Pad

1 Instant (5) 1 Legal precedent (4,4) 2 Cropped off (7) 7 Waste pipe (5) 3 Crimp (4) 8 Drunk (9) 4 Look for (6) 9/20 Old salt (3,3) 5 Snooker stroke (5) 10 Famous US marshal 6 Early childhood (7) (4) 7 Number system based 11 Penman (6) 13 Chaos (6) on 10 (7) 14 Illness (6) 12 Processions (7) 17 Capable of cultivation 13 Creditor’s loss (3,4) (6) 15 Modified (7) 18 Recreation (4) 16 Split apart (6) 20 See 9 17 Suffering (5) 22 Gaunt (9) 19 Finished (5) 23 Incentive (5) 24 Considered (8) 21 Old Italian money (4) Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Member, 4 Wants, 8 Miser, 9 Epigram, 10 Shaking, 11 Here, 12 Eat, 14 Fees, 15 East, 18/22 Tea chest, 21 Each, 23 Latrine, 25 Theorbo, 26 Calls, 27 Let up, 28 Pectin. Down: 1 Mimosa, 2 Massage, 3 Earliest, 4 Whit, 5 Nerve, 6 Simper, 7 Merge, 13 Tentacle, 16 Skillet, 17 Lentil, 19 Allow, 20 Season, 24 Crop.

Across

Down

1 Keys (typewriter/piano) (6) 4 Arches (5) 8 Lesson (5) 9 To bore (7) 10 Statue (7) 11 Stripe (line) (4) 12 Pierna (3) 14 Plancha (utensilio) (4) 15 También (además) (4) 18 Ceniza (polvo) (3) 21 Último (final) (4) 23 Poppy (7) 25 Sabor (7) 26 Suit (for man) (5) 27 Floor (5) 28 Chain (6)

1 Billete (6) 2 Capítulo (de libro) (7) 3 Olive (8) 4 Here (in this place) (4) 5 Letter (mail) (5) 6 Arroyo (riachuelo) (6) 7 Channel (watercourse, TV) (5) 13 Guarantee (8) 16 Almacenaje (7) 17 Riscos (peñascos) (6) 19 Peludo (con mucho pelo) (5) 20 Head (part of body) (6) 22 Sombra (zona sin sol) (5) 24 Mad (mentally ill) (4)

Friday, February 1, 2013 Across 1 What name for the clothes, linen and other belongings collected by a bride for her marriage, is derived from the French for ‘bundle’? (9) 6 Which secret criminal society that originated in Sicily, controlling many illegal in many parts of the world, and particularly active in the USA, is also called ‘Cosa Nostra’? (5) 9 Which small four-stringed guitar of Hawaiian origin has a name that means ‘jumping flea’? (7) 10 What name is given to an arched structure in a garden or park consisting of a framework covered with climbing or trailing plants? (7) 11 Which verb means ‘works moistened flour or clay into dough or paste with the hands’? (6) 12 Before his presidency, Bill Clinton served as the 40th and 42nd governor of which US state? (8) 14 By what nickname was the Yugoslav statesman, who was prime minister from 1945 to 1953 and president from 1953 to 1980, born Josip Broz, usually known? (4)

15 What name is often given to a needle, or syringe, used to inject a drug or other substance beneath the skin? (10) 18 What name for a vote by the electorate determining public opinion on a question of national importance comes from the Latin for the ‘common people’? (10) 20 What first name is shared by Australian champion swimmer Fraser, British funny lady French and MP for Bristol South Primarolo? (4) 23 What name is usually given to an inflamed blister in or near the mouth, caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus? (4,4) 24 What is the name of the official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical part of the service and sings or chants the prayers intended to be performed as solos? (6) 26 The name of which kind of long-grain Indian rice with a delicate, sweet smell, comes from the Hindi for ‘fragrant’? (7) 27 What was the family surname of the writers Edith, Osbert and Sacheverell? (7) 28 In medicine, what name is

SUDOKU

Quiz Word

given to a temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep? (5) 29 Which Italian traveller, along with his father and uncle,

travelled to China and the court of Kublai Khan via central Asia (1271–75)? He eventually returned home (1292– 95) via Sumatra, India and

Persia. (5,4)

Down 1 By what name is a 'transport cafe' known as in the US? (5,4) 2 Which adjective that means ‘ostentatiously costly and luxurious’ originated from the Latin for ‘wealthy, splendid’? (7) 3 A boomerang is the logo of which famous manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories that was founded in Sydney, Australia in 1914? (6) 4 What was the surname of the Conservative statesman who was prime minister of Britain from 1955 to 1957? (4) 5 Which landlocked country in western Africa is now known as Burkina Faso? (5,5) 6 Maggie, Madge, Meg, Megan, Peggy and Peg are all diminutive forms of which female first name? (8) 7 What name is given to the wreckage of a ship or its cargo found floating on or washed up by the sea? (7) 8 What was the maiden name of former Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham? (5) 13 What is the medical name of the middle muscular layer of

the heart wall? (10) 16 Which is the lowest female singing voice? (9) 17 Which city, known as Léopoldville until 1966, is the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire)? (8) 19 What surname links Jennifer, the actress who played Emily Shadwick in Brookside from 1998 to 2003 and Chris, the actor who is best known for his role as DCI Frank Burnside in The Bill? (7) 21 Which style of design that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s, was marked by stylised forms and geometric designs adapted to mass production? (3,4) 22 What is the surname of the two brothers who have ruled Cuba since 1961? (6) 23 Which highly venomous African or Asian snake spreads the skin of its neck into a hood when disturbed? (5) 25 Established in 1922, which former communist country in eastern Europe and northern Asia, which included Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics, was officially dissolved in December 1991? (4)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH

EL CAMPO - THE COUNTRYSIDE Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch. (Answers below)

literature QUIZ

ANSWERS: 1. James Herriot 2. Vanity Fair 3. Bedford Jail 4. Henry Fielding 5. Isaac Asimov 6. Mario Puzo wrote both stories 7. Blanchette 8. Cyclops 9. The Thorn Birds 10. Atlas 11. Cartoon strip Peanuts 12. William Gibson Neuromancer 13. Pinocchio

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Word Solution Across: 1 Vernal, 4 Scrabble, 10 Stomach, 11 Almoner, 12 Open, 13 Alpenstock, 15 Needle, 16 Duchess, 20 Eternal, 21 Crocus, 24 Los Angeles, 26 Mike, 28 Avarice, 29 Atheist, 30 Operetta, 31 Peters. Down: 1 Viscount, 2 Roosevelt, 3 ACAS, 5 Chateaux, 6 Atmosphere, 7 Bingo, 8 Eureka, 9 Whelp, 14 Florentine, 17 Sacrifice, 18 Basement, 19 Asbestos, 22 El Paso, 23 Relax, 25 Shake, 27 Ghee.

el campamento

al aire libre

el campo

el amanecer

el cerro

el anochecer

el árbol

el arbusto

la catarata

el arroyo

la colina

el atardecer

la cordillera

el bosque

las afueras

Empareja estas palabras - Match the Spanish and English words You will find the answers at the bottom of the quiz. 1.Acampar, 2.las afueras,

13.la catarata, 14.el cerro,

i.to camp, j.the open air, k.dusk,

3.al aire libre, 4.el amanecer,

15.la colina, 16.la cordillera.

l.the tree, m.the stream,

5.el anochecer, 6.el árbol,

a.dawn, b.the countryside,

n.sunset, o.the camp site,

7.el arbusto, 8.el arroyo,

c.the hill, d.the waterfall,

p.the foothill,

9.el atardecer, 10.el bosque,

e.the outskirts, f.the mountain

11.el campamento, 12.el campo,

range, g.the bush, h.the wood,

Soduko

Span - Eng

Quizword

Answers: 1i, 2e, 3j, 4a, 5k, 6l, 7g, 8m, 9n, 10h, 11o, 12b, 13d, 14p, 15c, 16f.

1. Alfred White became a famous author using what name? 2. Rawdon Crawley was a character in which classic novel? 3. Where was Bunyon when he wrote 'Pilgrims Progress'? 4. Who wrote the novel `Tom Jones` in 1749? 5. What author was born in Petrovichi, USSR in 1920? 6. What is the non obvious link Superman and the Godfather? 7. What is Little Red Riding Hood's name? 8. Polyphemus was the leader of which group of mythical giants? 9. Colleen McCullough wrote which best selling book? 10. Who did Perseus turn to stone with the Gorgon's head? 11. What is known as Radishes in Denmark? 12. Which writer coined the word 'cyberspace' in 1984? 13. Who was captured and kept in a cage by Stromboli?

acampar

Fill It In

Friday, February 1, 2013

TRELI ON THE TELLY

with ALEX TRELINSKI WITH all the recent events in Weatherfield involving Tyrone and Kirsty, I’ve been wondering why Tyrone’s mum, Jackie (played by Margi Clarke) hasn’t returned to Coronation Street to sort out the evil scheming witch. That really would be a showdown to book a ringside seat for - and perhaps offers Tyrone the best chance for a bit of revenge. Especially after his disloyal back-stabbing neighbours have fed the coppers a load of old rubbish (I could scream at Deirdre and the normally sensible Eileen!). I certainly wouldn’t trust the forces of law and order to give him any justice after historical mistakes involving Deirdre, Gail, and Fiz, as well as Tracey being released early from the nick, despite

TYRONE POWER LIES WITH MUM

mushing Charlie’s head to a pulp! Top banana to Alan Halsall and Natalie Gumede for carrying it off so well as the troubled couple. Channel Four has come up with an entertaining little drama called Utopia. It’s all about a bunch of comic-book fans who end up being chased and injured by some baddies, because they have a

future instalment that reveals a grand pharmaceutical conspiracy. The writers certainly have vivid imaginations, but the mixture of drama and black comedy works, though some of the violence, notably an interrogation involving eyes in the first episode, seems to be lifted straight out of the Quentin Tarantino playbook. It’s the first time I’ve

looked away from a TV screen since Keith Lemon’s last programme! Aussie comedian Adam Hills is a TV natural. I’ve always liked him from his appearances on Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week, and he made a name for himself during Four’s coverage of the Paralympics, with a nightly show called The Last Leg (Adam only has one leg). Hills is back with a weekly live Friday night version and I enjoy his style and enthusiasm. It’s a jolly review of the week, but it’s clear that some of the banter with his amiable sidekicks Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe had been rehearsed, with the audience seemingly on Prozac as they enthusiastically applauded at every opportunity. British TV does need a show like this and there were many funny moments,

well as increasing number of Brits in the cast, with Marc Warren joining regulars Alan Cumming and Archie Panjabi. And Brit James Purefoy is stealing the show as the serial killer in the new Kevin Bacon-starring drama, The Following, on Sky Atlantic. There’s a bit though the running time of of Hannibal Lecter about just half an hour was too him, and the premise that short, and it meant the guys despite being behind bars, couldn’t get full value out of he’s got a cult of supporters their first guest, Idris Elba. who carry out his dirty deeds This is so much better than is an intriguing one. With Four’s other attempt at topical comedy, The Ten O’clock Dexter having trail-blazed Show, and you will not be serial killers on TV in a very wasting your time by check- unpredictable way, I hope The Following doesn’t fall ing it out. Dallas bounced mer- into the trap of just giving us rily back for a second a “murder of the week” story, series on Channel Five on with Bacon’s ex-FBI characTuesday, and I’m loving ter doing all the chasing. Andy Warhol said every moment of it. But like back in 1968 that all fans, you sadly know that Larry Hagman died during “everyone will be worldthe shooting and that there’s famous for 15 minutes”. I a poignant funeral for JR just wonder if he was thinking of heading around the corner. It Rylan Clark, who after his just won’t be the same with- joke performances in the X out perhaps the best TV vil- Factor, easily won the latest series of Celebrity Big lain ever. It’s also a warm welcome Brother. I’ll wager you a can back to the excellent Good of San Miguel that the Essex Wife on More4, which is a man will be yesterday’s fish slick drama and humour mix and chip paper in a year’s of lawyers and politics, as time.

Friday TV

February 1

00:35 This Week 01:20 Silkwood 03:30 Skiing Weatherview 03:35 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:30 HARDtalk 05:50 BBC News 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Moving On 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Room 101 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

00:20 Football Focus: Transfer Deadline Special 00:50 Winter Viruses and How to Beat Them 01:50 The Culture Show 02:20 Panorama

02:50 A Very British Holiday: A Wonderland Film 03:50 Close 04:55 Andrew Marr's History of the World 06:15 Schools - My Kite Is Flying 06:30 Schools - Lilly the Magnificent 06:45 Schools - Joey's First Fight 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:45 Cowboy Trap 09:15 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 10:00 Antiques Roadshow 11:00 Question Time 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 The One Show 14:30 Weakest Link 15:15 Mastermind 15:45 Reel History of Britain 16:15 Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey 17:15 Life on Earth 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Railway Walks 20:30 Great British Menu 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein 22:00 Monty Don's French Gardens 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:35 The Golden Rules of TV 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight 04:25 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 14:55 ITV News Meridian 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Wild Britain with Ray Mears 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Great Night Out 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 Demolition Man

MONTY DON’S

FRENCH GARDENS New series. Horticulturist and broadcaster Monty Don visits some of the most famous and interesting gardens in France, beginning by examining the stories behind important historic ones and seeing how throughout history they have been used as a public expression of money, power and passion. Among those featured are elaborate walled gardens designed to please the mistress and then the wife of a king.

00:05 Random Acts 00:10 The Undateables 01:10 The Real Man's Road Trip 02:05 Saving Face: True Stories 03:10 Dispatches 03:40 Time Team 04:35 Tony Robinson's Gods and Monsters 05:30 Deal or No Deal 06:25 Countdown 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 According to Jim 08:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 13:55 Santa Fe Passage 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 First Time Farmers 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats 22:30 The Last Leg 23:00 Paddy's TV Guide 23:50 Rude Tube

01:15 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:05 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Person of Interest 16:20 Summer House 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Revealed 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 The Last Samurai

Saturday TV February 2

00:50 The Last Station 02:35 Question Time 00:25 Lesbian Vampire Killers

03:35 Close

01:45 The Weather Man

07:00 Devil's Canyon

03:20 Weatherview

08:30 Great British Menu

03:25 BBC News

11:00 A History of Britain by Simon

04:00 BBC News

Schama

04:30 Click

12:00 Meet the Ancestors

05:00 BBC News

12:30 Map Man

05:30 Five Minutes With

13:00 Indian Food Made Easy

06:00 BBC News

13:30 Mastermind

07:00 Breakfast

14:00 University Challenge

11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live

14:30 Talking Pictures

12:30 The Good Cook

15:10 Anchors Aweigh

13:00 BBC News; Regional News

17:25 Final Score

and Weather

18:30 The Great Comic Relief Bake

13:15 Football Focus

Off

14:00 Live Six Nations Rugby

19:30 Flog It!

Union

20:00 Top Gear

16:30 Live Six Nations Rugby

21:00 Dad's Army

Union

21:30 Natural World

18:55 BBC News; Regional News

22:30 Howard Goodall's Story of

and Weather

Music

19:15 Pointless Celebrities

23:30 QI XL

20:00 Britain's Brightest 21:00 The National Lottery: In It to Win It 21:50 Casualty 22:40 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:10 BBC News; Weather 23:30 Match of the Day

00:00 The Review Show

01:40 Jackpot247 04:00 Enter the Dragon 05:40 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Handy Manny 07:25 The Hive 07:40 Dino Dan 08:05 Almost Naked Animals 08:40 Matt Hatter Chronicles 09:05 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:30 Victorious 10:00 Jessie 10:25 ITV News 10:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 12:20 Saturday Cookbook 13:20 ITV News and Weather 13:24 ITV Meridian Weather 13:25 Murder, She Wrote 14:25 Countrywise 14:40 My Tasty Travels with Lynda Bellingham 15:40 Dinner Date 16:45 The Flintstones 18:30 ITV News Meridian 18:45 ITV News and Weather 19:00 You've Been Framed! 20:00 Splash! 21:30 Take Me Out 22:45 The Jonathan Ross Show 23:50 ITV News and Weather

00:50 The New Normal 01:20 Random Acts 01:25 2 Broke Girls 01:45 Happy Endings 02:10 Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 02:30 Bob's Burgers 02:55 Glory Daze 03:35 Smallville 04:15 St Elsewhere 05:00 Deal or No Deal 05:55 Countdown 06:40 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 08:05 Beach Volleyball 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Frasier 12:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:30 The Big Bang Theory 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 Undercover Boss Australia 14:30 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Come Dine with Me 19:05 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 19:35 Channel 4 News 20:05 4thought.tv 20:10 Crocodile Dundee 22:00 World Without End 23:00 Along Came a Spider

CROCODILE DUNDEE Comedy adventure starring Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski. Australian folk hero Mick Dundee, nicknamed "Crocodile" because of his tall tales of survival, is a larger-than-life character with a unique outlook on life. American reporter Sue Charlton travels to the outback to discover the man behind the legend and uncovers more than she bargained for. But that's nothing compared to what Mick finds when he returns to New York with her to get a taste of the urban jungle.

00:45 Weather

01:00 SuperCasino 04:55 Motorsport Mundial 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 07:30 The Mr Men Show 07:45 Olive the Ostrich 07:50 Abby's Flying Fairy School 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:20 Animal Antics 08:30 Make Way for Noddy 08:40 Mio Mao 08:45 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Toby's Travelling Circus 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:45 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers Samurai 11:35 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:10 Inside Hollywood 12:20 The Gadget Show 13:20 Police Interceptors 14:20 Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War 16:30 Desperate Escape 18:15 By Appointment Only 19:50 5 News Weekend 19:55 NCIS 20:45 NCIS 21:40 Law & Order 22:40 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 23:40 Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Sunday TV

February 3

01:00 The Football League Show 02:15 Weatherview 02:20 BBC News 02:30 The Bottom Line 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Dateline London 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Our World 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click 06:00 BBC News 06:30 The Bottom Line 07:00 Breakfast 08:25 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:25 Countryfile 14:25 Call the Midwife 15:25 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 18:00 Africa 19:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 19:30 Blandings 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Call the Midwife 22:00 Ripper Street 23:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 23:25 Match of the Day 2

00:15 The Good Shepherd 02:50 Close 07:00 Close 07:50 A Walk in the Sun 09:45 Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein 10:15 A to Z of TV Gardening 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30 The Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo 13:00 EastEnders 14:55 Coast 15:10 Natural World 16:10 Natural World 17:10 The Great Comic Relief Bake Off 18:10 Songs of Praise 18:45 Ski Sunday 19:30 Orbit: Earth's Extraordinary Journey 20:30 Open All Hours 21:00 Top Gear 22:00 Wonders of Life 23:00 A Night with the Stars

00:04 ITV Meridian Weather 00:05 Pride & Prejudice 02:25 Jackpot247 03:55 In Plain Sight 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Handy Manny 07:25 The Hive 07:40 Dino Dan 08:05 Almost Naked Animals 08:40 Matt Hatter Chronicles 09:05 Rated A for Awesome 09:30 Big Time Rush 10:00 The Aquabats Super Show 10:25 ITV News 10:30 House Guest in the Sun 11:25 60 Minute Makeover 12:25 May the Best House Win 13:25 ITV News and Weather 13:34 ITV Meridian Weather 13:35 Dickinson's Real Deal 14:35 Rosemary & Thyme 15:35 You've Been Framed! 16:05 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 18:50 ITV News Meridian 19:05 ITV News and Weather 19:15 Dancing on Ice 20:45 All Star Family Fortunes 21:30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off 22:00 Mr Selfridge 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:14 ITV Meridian Weather 23:15 It'll Be Alright on the Night

THE TIME MACHINE Sci-fi fantasy adventure starring Guy Pearce, and featuring Jeremy Irons. Victorian inventor Professor Hartdegen builds a time machine in an attempt to reverse the death of his fiancĂŠe, but finds himself driven to travel 800,000 years into the future. Can he bring peace to the warring tribes in this post-apocalyptic world and, more importantly, return home afterwards?

01:05 02:50 04:20 06:25 07:10 07:35 08:05 08:30 08:55 09:25 09:55 10:30 13:05 13:35 14:00 14:35 15:05 Khan 17:20 18:20 19:20 19:50 19:55 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:50

Chatroom Birthday Girl Hollyoaks Countdown The Hoobs The Hoobs Will & Grace Everybody Loves Raymond Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Frasier Sunday Brunch The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons The Simpsons Star Trek II: the Wrath of Time Team Deal or No Deal Channel 4 News 4thought.tv The Political Slot Come Dine with Me The Hotel Source Code The Accused

00:35 True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 01:05 SuperCasino 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:25 Divine Designs 05:50 County Secrets 06:05 Hana's Helpline 06:15 The Milkshake! Show 06:40 Thomas & Friends 06:50 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 07:30 The Mr Men Show 07:45 Olive the Ostrich 07:50 Abby's Flying Fairy School 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:20 Animal Antics 08:30 Make Way for Noddy 08:40 Milkshake! Monkey 08:45 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:20 Mio Mao 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:40 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Toby's Travelling Circus 10:25 Little Lodgers 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:45 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers Samurai 11:35 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:10 Looney Tunes 12:20 Once Upon a Time 13:20 The Princess Bride 15:10 Titanic 18:25 5 News Weekend 18:35 The Witches 20:15 The Time Machine 22:00 Person of Interest 23:00 Rambo

Monday TV

February 4

00:15 Room 101 - Extra Storage 00:55 The Sky at Night 01:15 The Celebrity Apprentice USA 02:40 Six Nations Rugby Union 03:25 Weatherview 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Only Fools and Horses 16:15 Perfection 17:00 Escape to the Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 20:30 BBC News; Regional News 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Outnumbered 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Being Eileen

00:00 Live NFL 05:00 Close 07:00 Close 07:10 Homes Under the Hammer 08:10 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:55 Cowboy Trap 09:25 Show Me the Monet 10:10 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:40 Countryfile 11:35 Click 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 The One Show 14:30 Six Nations Rugby Union 15:15 Mastermind 15:45 Reel History of Britain 16:15 Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey 17:15 Life on Earth 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Railway Walks 20:30 Great British Menu 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Food & Drink 22:00 Dancing on the Edge 23:30 Weather

00:15 Anglo-Welsh Cup Rugby Union 01:10 The Store 03:15 Monk 03:55 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Meridian 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Lewis 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:35 The Agenda

01:55 Rebound 03:20 Smallville 04:00 Coming Up 04:30 St Elsewhere 05:15 Deal or No Deal 06:10 Countdown 06:55 Quick Bakes with Eric Lanlard 07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:05 According to Jim 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 River Cottage 14:00 High Noon 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the C Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 Wild Things 22:00 Richard III: The King in the Car Park 23:35 The Plane Crash

DANCING ON THE EDGE New series. Following the fortunes of a black jazz band in early-1930s London. Music journalist Stanley Mitchell decides to take a gamble and signs Louis Lester and his group, booking them to play at the Imperial Hotel in front of a mainly elderly audience who have never seen black musicians before, and many of whom depart in outrage. However, they do intrigue and impress a group of socialites and are invited to play at a private party.

00:45 Ice Road Truckers 01:45 How Do They Do It? 02:15 SuperCasino 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:25 Divine Designs 05:50 County Secrets 06:05 Hana's Helpline 06:15 The Milkshake! Show 06:40 Thomas & Friends 06:50 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Torn Apart 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Winter Road Rescue 21:00 Police Interceptors 22:00 Rory and Will - Champions of the World 23:00 The Punisher

Tuesday TV

February 5

00:05 Blandings 00:35 The Graham Norton Show 01:20 The Celebrity Apprentice USA 02:45 Weatherview 02:50 ABC World News with Diane Sawyer 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Only Fools and Horses 16:15 Perfection 17:00 Escape to the Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:35 Out of Jail and on the Streets

00:20 Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways 01:20 Film 01:50 Holby City

02:50 Close 04:55 Schools: Children at Work 1 Football 05:25 Schools: Speaking Sport 05:55 Schools - Seeking Refuge 06:15 Ask Lara 06:30 Schools: Children of World War Two 07:00 Close 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Cowboy Trap 09:20 Show Me the Monet 10:05 MasterChef: The Professionals 11:05 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 The One Show 14:30 The Super League Show 15:15 Mastermind 15:45 Reel History of Britain 16:15 Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey 17:15 Life on Earth 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Railway Walks 20:30 Great British Menu 21:00 The Mary Berry Story 22:00 Dancing on the Edge 23:00 The Sarah Millican Television Programme 23:30 Weather

00:05 Monk 01:00 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 04:55 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Meridian 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:35 River Monsters

UTOPIA Hidden away in a derelict manor house, the group attempts to decipher the secret meaning of the manuscript. But will uncovering the identity of Mr Rabbit allow them to return to their former lives? Thriller, starring Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Alexandra Roach, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins and Geraldine James.

01:10 Random Acts 01:15 The Shooting Gallery 02:15 Supersize vs Superskinny 03:10 Scandal 03:50 I Am Slave 05:20 How to Look Good Naked 06:15 Deal or No Deal 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 According to Jim 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 13:40 Written on the Wind 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Supersize vs Superskinny 22:00 The Undateables 23:00 Utopia

01:25 How Do They Do It? 02:00 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Music Teacher 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Monkey Life 20:30 Highland Emergency 21:00 Benidorm ER 22:00 Dallas 23:00 Brain Hospital: Saving Lives

Wednesday TV February 6

00:35 Rumble in the Bronx 02:00 Weatherview 02:05 Newsday 02:30 ABC World News with Diane Sawyer 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Only Fools and Horses 16:15 Perfection 17:00 Escape to the Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 19:30 Weather 19:55 Party Political Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 21:00 Holiday Hit Squad 22:00 Africa 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 A Question of Sport

00:20 Wonders of Life 01:20 Britain's Hidden Heritage 02:20 Close

04:55 Schools: Young Legal Eagles 05:55 Schools - The Charles Dickens Show: Workhouse 06:15 Schools - The Charles Dickens Show: Health 06:35 Schools - My Kite Is Flying 06:50 Schools: William Whiskerson - Eco Village 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:45 Cowboy Trap 09:15 Show Me the Monet 10:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 11:00 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 11:30 See Hear 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 The One Show 14:30 Weakest Link 15:15 Mastermind 15:45 Reel History of Britain 16:15 Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey 17:15 Life on Earth 18:10 Antiques Roadshow 18:55 Party Political Broadcast 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Railway Walks 20:30 Great British Menu 21:00 The Hairy Bikers' Everyday Gourmets 22:00 Brain Doctors 23:00 The Culture Show 23:30 Weather

00:35 Grimefighters 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 Loose Women 04:45 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:25 Party Political Broadcast 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Live International Football 22:30 Coronation Street 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:40 International Football

00:05 00:10 00:45 01:45 02:40 03:10 03:35 04:30 06:10 07:05 07:10 08:00 08:30 09:25 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:05 13:35 13:55 15:40 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:55 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

Random Acts Derek One Born Every Minute European Poker Tour KOTV Boxing Weekly Sailing Beach Volleyball Monkey Business Deal or No Deal Sali Mali The Hoobs According to Jim Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Frasier Undercover Boss Canada Come Dine with Me Channel 4 News Midday Jamie's 15 Minute Meals Kirstie's Vintage Gems The Belles of St Trinian's Countdown Face the Clock Deal or No Deal Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News 4thought.tv Gok's Style Secrets One Born Every Minute Derek 8 Out of 10 Cats Uncut

BRAIN DOCTORS Documentary filmed over nine months following the work of doctors in the neurosurgery department of Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital as they carry out high-risk operations on the most complex, delicate and important organ. The first episode features a midwife who is in a coma after suffering massive head injuries in a car crash, and a man struck down by a mysterious virus that has rendered him unconscious and unable to breathe by himself.

00:00 CSI: NY 01:00 CSI: Miami 01:55 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:10 Mary Higgins Clark's Try to Remember 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Benidorm ER 21:00 Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 23:55 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Thursday TV February 7

00:05 Film 00:40 Black Death 02:15 Weatherview 02:20 Newsday 02:30 ABC World News with Diane Sawyer 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Panorama 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under Revisited 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Only Fools and Horses 16:15 Perfection 17:00 Escape to the Country 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:20 The Genius of Invention

01:20 Who Do You Think You Are? 02:20 See Hear 02:50 Close 05:00 Schools 07:00 Close 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 The Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Cowboy Trap 09:20 Show Me the Monet 10:05 MasterChef: The Professionals 11:05 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 The One Show 15:00 Coast 15:15 Mastermind 15:45 Reel History of Britain 16:15 Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey 17:15 Life on Earth 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Railway Walks 20:30 Great British Menu 21:00 The Planners 22:00 The Genius of Invention 23:00 Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe 23:30 Weather

00:40 The Cube 01:30 Jackpot247 03:45 Disclosure 06:00 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV Meridian Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Nursing the Nation 22:00 Martin Clunes - Heavy Horse Power 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News Meridian 23:35 The Jonathan Ross Show

DREAMS OF A LIFE Zawe Ashton stars in this drama documentary that, using reconstructions and interviews with friends, looks back over the mysterious life of Joyce Carol Vincent, a 38-year-old woman whose body lay undiscovered in her flat for three years after she died. She may have been forgotten in life, but Joyce Vincent will haunt anyone who watches this astonishing film.

00:20 The Real Man's Road Trip: Sean and Jon Go West 01:20 Random Acts 01:25 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:55 Mercury Prize: 2012 Albums of the Year Live 02:25 Revenge 03:10 Bad News Bears 05:05 Deal or No Deal 06:00 Countdown 06:45 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:10 The Hoobs 08:05 According to Jim 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Canada 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Danger Within 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 How to Build a Bionic Man 23:00 Dreams of a Life

00:55 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 01:50 True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 02:15 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Croc Man 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Amish Grace 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 Dangerous Drivers' School 22:00 Winter Road Rescue 23:00 The Matrix Reloaded

Friday, February 1, 2013

ACCOUNTANTS Are you running a business? Let us simplify things for you – bookkeeping, taxes, wage slips and more. We also cater for individual’s personal taxes – residents and non residents. Est.in 1984. Call us on 966 923 963 for first consultation free of charge.

AUCTIONS

ALARMS ADT Authorised Distributor Fully fitted alarm systems, approved by the Guardia Civil. Master keypad with remote control, wireless handset, 2 image movement detectors with sound, wall base unit and GPRS/GSM transmitter sends message to your mobile phone. All this for only 99€ installation and only 24€ per month call now on 966 923 963.966 923 963

CHURCH SERVICES International Christian Assembly, Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja. Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday services 11am. Children's church 11am. House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier. Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am. Craft club, Tuesdays, 2pm. Pastor, Rafael Restrepo. All nationalities welcome. Call 966 799 273 or 660 127 276. Pilar Christian Community Church Calle Canalejas 3. Pilar de la Horadada. Sunday Service at 11am, and Thursday at 5pm for Bible study and Prayer. Home groups meet during the week. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information contact Pilar ChristianCommunity Church@gmail.com or contact Reverend Eddie on 966 7693 00 or 650 509 606. Reg No:2009-SG/A The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) meet at 10.00

BLINDS

ANIMALS

CARS FOR SALE Call Professional Business Support now for your quick quote for car insurance. Excellent prices for expats, all policies available in English or German. We will call you back with a price. 966 923 963

INSURANCE CASER SEGUROS - for all your insurance needs, home, car, health, funeral. Policies available in English and German. Call Professional Business Support on 966 923 963 for a quick quote from our friendly staff.

MEDICAL Having problems with obtaining or using you SIP card? CASER Healthcare offers you a quick and affordable solution, using the best private hospitals in the area. All policies available in English. Call us now on 966 923 963, and we will call you back with your quote.

PROPERTY FOR RENT

Pet transporter Spain-UKSpain. Travel door to door with your pets for free. www.spanishmoves.net UK 01209 843971 Spain 678 756 644 (101)

AIR CONDITIONING

each Sunday at their Torrevieja meetinghouse in the Torreaguas building on the corner of Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 104, close to the windmill in Torrevieja, 667 533 597.

Viva Villa and Vacation Services, For Short or Long

AUTO ELECTRICIAN

CARPENTER

Term Rentals visit: www.villaandvacation.com or Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 DUTCHMAN LIVING IN SAN FULGENCIO/LA MARINA IS LOOKING FOR DUTCH AND BELGIAN CLIENTS RENTALS FOR RENT MORE INFORMATION SEE MY WEBSITE WWW.LAMARINACASA.NL OR CALL 682 763 987 (104) 2 or 3 bed / 2 bath apartments in San Miguel. Lift, communal rooftop pool & solarium, video entry system. Available for short or long term rent from 300 pcm. Tel 966723437 or 636615716. (105) Ref: 61, A lovely two bedroomed ground floor apartment, located in the centre of the small Spanish town of Los Montesinos, With a pleasant communal swimming pool adjacent & all amenities in walking distance. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. KBJ3 – Luxury duplex penthouse apartment located near the marina in Guardamar. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, amazing panoramic views, inc.parking and storage. 600 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR21 – A rare chance to rent a frontline beach apartment in Torrevieja! Ground floor with large terrace, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, direct and full-on sea views. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR20 – Spanish style 4th floor apartment right on the beach! 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lovely balcony to

soak up the amazing sea views. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR19 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in sought after area beachside Punta Prima, with communal pool and fully furnished, only 400 € pcm. 966 923 963 CBR22 : Modern 2 bed apartment only 500m from Los Locos Beach. Fully furnished, inc.storage room, 350€ pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR3 – 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse located in Algorfa, communal pool, fully furnished, 300 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. RS20 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment within private enclosed residential in San Luis, large terrace, 350 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref: 49, 2nd floor one bed-

room apartment situated conveniently located in the town centre of Torrevieja, with a small sun balcony overlooking the lovely communal pool. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref 33, Ground floor spacious 2 bedroom apartment, located in Torre la Mata. Close to all amenities and beach. 3 month rental €300pcm Call: 965 707 188 Ref: 117, A Lovely 3 Bedroomed 1st floor apartment on the outskirts of Torrevieja (Mar Azul). The Apartment is in walking distance of the excellent beaches and a good selection of restaurants, shops and bars. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397or 626 397 397

CAR MECHANICS

BARBER

COMPUTERS

CAR BREAKERS

ALARMS

AIRPORT COLLECTION

CAR HIRE

CLEANERS

Friday, February 1, 2013 Ref: 104, 2 Bedroom apartment in Torrevieja, (near gypsy lane), small balcony, near all amenities and Friday market. €350pcm Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 112, Spacious 3 bedroom detached villa with its private pool is located on the El Raso urbanisation near Guardamar. Convenient for all amenities, shops, supermarket, restaurants and bars. Short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref 702: Beautiful 2 bedroom apartment, located near los Locos beach, beautifully furnished. Short term rentals from 175€ per week. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 El Chaparel/La Siesta Two bedroom apartment in a quiet gated urbanisation for rent €350 per month plus bills. Reference No 17 Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 709, A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach. There is a terrace outside with views to the sea. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 63, Two bedroom 1st floor apartment situated in Monino Blanco. The property overlooks a superb communal pool area, in within walking distance of bars, restaurants and shops. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 CBR23 : Stylish new house in Los Montesinos, 3 bed 2 bath with large 65m2

garage, front and back terraces. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963

PROPERTY FOR SALE Comprehensive cover for house and contents with CASER Seguros - excellent prices for expats; policies available in English or German. Call 966 923 963 for a quote. Ref. BRJ1 – 1 bedroom top floor renovated apartment in San Luis. Great sea and lake views. 55.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS96 – Charming 1 bedroom top floor bungalow, 300m from the sea in La Mata. 55.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref: 510, €70,000. Bungalow located in San Luis. It is close to the supermarkets, bars and restaurants and is on the local bus route. An Opel Corsa car is included in this sale. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. RS63 – 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse in Torrevieja, with communal pool and lots of extras. 95.000 €. Tl. 966 923 963 Ref. RS59 – Detached 3 bedroom 2 bathroom villa in San Luis, plot of 350m2, private pool, and additional “granny annex”. 169.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS1 – Detached 3 bedroom 2 bathroom villa with 900m2 plot located in Toretta Florida. Has private pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and much more! 345.000 € .Tel. 966 923 963

Ref. RS67 – 2 bedroom apartment with lovely sun terrace located in Playa Flamenca urb with communal pool. All amenities nearby. 61.500 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS98 - Spacious 2 bed, ground floor apartment 250m from La Mata beach, inc private parking and storeroom. 115.000€ Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS58 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom second floor apartment located in La Mata, communal pool, fully furnished, 79.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS84 – Large 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment of 100m2 situated in Los Montesinos. Communal solarium upstairs with pool. 79.900 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS20 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment within private enclosed residential in San Luis, large terrace, 90.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS65 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom penthouse apartment, communal pool and parking area, located near the beach in Guardamar. 79.950 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS90 – 2 bedroom detached villa all on one level, fully furnished, as new! Located in El Raso (Guardamar) 145.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. KEIGUA – Luxury duplex atico apartment in Guardamar. 3 bedroom 2 bathroom, 118 m2, private parking, storage room, communal pool, magnificent views of forest, beach and sea. 169.000 € Tel. 966 923 963

Lovely Corner property in Novamar V, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Being sold fully furnished including appliances, Has secure underground parking and faces large oasis communal pool. Walking distance to beach. 139.000 Euros, Call 627 711 155 and quote Ref No. K10 Ground floor duplex, with splendid views. Quiet location in Gran Alacant. Immaculate condition. Price has just been reduced to 105.000 and includes everything. For viewing call 627 711 155 Ref. No K27 Rare opportunity to purchase on Mediterrania III, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Private Parking, F/Furnished, Large communal pools & Tennis courts S/W facing, Dramatically reduced for quick sale to 126.000 euros. Ref No. K58 Call 627 711 155 for immediate viewing Ref: 521, €105,000. This comfortable bungalow is located in San Luis with a new roof and solarium tiles. It is close to supermarkets, bars, restaurants and is on the local bus route. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Don Pueblo, Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Large Kitchen with Galleria, Secure underground parking, Gas Central Heating, Glazed in Porch, Solarium with stunning views. Viewings absolutely essential. Very large property at reduced price of 190.000 euros. Ref No. K38 Call 627 711 155

Opportunity to purchase at the off plan price of 195.000 euros. Large 4 Bed, 3 Bath Brand new property. Secure underground parking for 2 cars and communal pool. Situated opposite Gran Alacant and over looks projected golf course. Ref No. K52. 627 711 155 Viva Villa and Vacation Services are pleased to offer property sales for the Torrevieja and Oriheula areas of the Costa Blanca, Spain. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 or Visit : www.villaandvacation.com 2 Bed, 1 Bath Ground floor duplex. Central heating, Grills, Fully furnished, Glazed in Galleria, 2 communal pools, private parking and walking distance to the Gran Alacant commercial centre. Situated in the popular urbanisation of Puerto Marino. Now only 96,500 euros for quick sale Ref No. K46. 627 711 155 Immaculate ground floor Duplex, 2 beds, 2 bath, Private Parking, Situated in Novamar, Gran Alacant. Price includes very tasteful furniture and white goods. Walking distance to all local amenities and beach. Now only 129,750 euros. Ref No K24. 627 711 155 Gran Alacant Detached villa, located in a very sought after location.Situated on a 560m2 S/W facing plot and constructed in 2005. Comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 full baths), Lounge-Diner, fully equipped Kitchen, Porch and Solarium with Alicante & Sea Views. ref.L81. €258,000 neg. Tel. 680333242

Ref 533: Lovely 2 bedroom Townhouse located in the popular area of Punta Prima, the property has a large lounge and fully equipped kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, one with balcony, bathroom with double shower. €126,000 Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Gran Alacant Town House with a difference. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Glazed in Porch, Quiet Location, Extra storage areas, and South Facing Private Pool as well as 2 communal pools. Fully Furnished, All mod cons. Greenland Views and all local amenities close by. Ref. No L79. 179.000 euros 680 333 242 Top floor Duplex. Very good price of 108.000 euros for a quick sale. Furnished to a very high standard, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, Lounge Diner, Glazed in Porch, Large Roof Top Solarium. Choice of Communal Pools, Private Parking. Walking distance to all amenities and on the First urbanisation as you enter Gran Alacant. Viewing essential. Ref No. K44. Tel. 627 711 155

Friday, February 1, 2013

Gran Alacant immaculate villa, 3 bedroomed, 3 bathroomed property maintained to a very high standard inside and out and the interior furnishings are top quality, offering a feeling of luxury and good taste. The plot size is 400m2 and has been beautifully tiles, and graveled and has established palms and plants. Oil fired central heating throughout, log effect fire place, ceiling fans in all rooms, towel heater rails, glazed in shower units, instant hot water, water purifier, free English TV, phone & internet lines, fitted double hanging wardrobes, safe, glazed in front porch, vanity units and much more. The pool is an 8 X 4 m2 salt water pool, meaning maintenance is much easier plus outside toilet and shower. Sea views to front with Greenland views to the rear. ref K51. €245,000 Tel 680333242 Ref: 520, €85,000. Two bedroom apartment in Dream Hills, with a fully equipped kitchen, large lounge, glazed-in terrace and a large solarium. This property comes with a large communal swimming pool. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 78, €120,000. Three bedroom Quad in Jardin Del Mar VII. There is off-road parking and small storage shed in the enclosed garden area, communal pool nearby. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Balsares is opposite Gran Alacant where the proposed golf course is now being started so this property will virtually be on the golf course, it is an investment not to be missed. The property is on a small gated urbanisation of 18 houses

with private underground parking for 2 cars and direct access to the house, communal pool and toilets/changing rooms etc. The house is brand new and consists of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, lounge with working fire place, large kitchen 12 m2, large galleria/ utility room, bedroom balcony and front tiled terrace. This property also has a converted under build for an extra lounge or bedroom. ref K52 €198,000 Tel 680333242 Ref: 516, €39,999. Studio apartment in San Luis, close to amenities. Open plan fully equipped kitchen. Good sized lounge, bedroom and out onto balcony which has been glazed to create another room. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 709, €60,000 A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach. There is a terrace outside with views to the sea. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Gran Alacant Opportunity to purchase a beautiful 3 bedroomed, 3 bathroomed,large kitchen, detached property with rooftop solarium. Well established gardens and drive way for 2 cars, whilst

also overlooking the projected 18 hole golf course. Comprising of fitted wardrobes, utility room, air con H/C, alarm system, electric wall heaters, intercom system, fireplace, ceilings fans, 8x7 gazebo, use of 2 large communal pools, immaculate condition with many extras. ref K12. €180,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant bargain, detached villa with pool on 400m2 plot. Briefly comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Lounge Diner, independent kitchen, solarium with views, well maintained gardens. Quiet location yet within walking distance of all amenities. Top quality furniture and appliances included in the price. Extras include, mosquito nets, grills, toldos blinds, built in wardrobes, gas fire, electric heating, ceiling fans, English & Spanish TV, tastefully tiled & graveled garden with irrigation system. ref K43. €229,000 Tel 680333242

Gran Alacant South facing attractive corner house Situated in the sought after urbanization of Monte Faro, this secure gated urbanization offers a stunning oasis pool, with mountain views, tennis courts and football courts. Consisting of 3 double beds with balconies, 2 bathrooms, kitchen leading onto court yard which can easily be converted into an extra room, lounge diner with working fireplace, front garden with private parking for 2 cars. Being sold fully furnishes with white goods, built in 2006 so immaculate condition hardly lived in. Ref K48 €168,000 priced for quick sale Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Large detached villa with beautiful gardens set on 550m2 plot, built in BBQ area and large 10x6 pool.Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Lounge Diner with fire place, Independent Kitchen, air con H/C, Solarium, front porch, converted under build

LOCKSMITH

NEWS AGENTS

with 3 extra rooms, private covered parking, irrigated gardens, close distance to beach and amenities. Ref. K18 €250,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant Gem! Fabulous detached Villa, with Alicante sea views to the front and wood land views to the rear, means this immaculate villa is very private and un-overlooked. Comprising of 2 large bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 2 bath, large fully equipped kitchen,glazed porch sitting area, solarium, Attractive Pool with cover, well maintained Gardens. Central Heating, Air Con, Ceiling fans, Private Parking, Alarm system, Decorative working Fire Place complete with electric Fire. Outdoor workshop/storage area, Quality Pergola & BBQ. Constructed in 2006, on plot size of 380m2 and being sold fully furnished including white goods. ref L80. €234,995 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Ground floor south west facing apartment

in Puerto Marino close to G.A commercial centre, comprising of 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Lounge-Diner, Independent Kitchen with Galleria, Porch area and large tiled front garden, The property is being sold fully furnished and includes all kitchen appliances, H & C Air con is fitted as well as sky TV. The apartment enjoys the use of 2 large communal pools and has private parking in an enclosed electronically gated car park. Competitively priced for a quick sale. Ref. K40 €91,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, this mid terraced Puerto marino townhouse has been priced low purely for a quick sale. Briefly comprising of: 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Lounge-Diner, Independent Kitchen with Galleria, Porch area, Front tiled garden, Private gated Parking & the use of 2 large communal pools Ref. K22 €123,000 Tel 680333242

PARTY PLANNING

KITCHENS

PERSONAL TRAINER

ELECTRICIAN PETS

PLUMBERS

DAMP PROOFING

DRAINAGE MASSAGE

POOL TABLES

PLASTERER

Friday, February 1, 2013 Ref: KP3100, €183,000. Three bedroom, two bathroom detached villa, located in San Luis, on a 450sqm plot, with communal pool. Garage to side of house. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Gran Alacant, corner property in Don Pueblo with no expense spared, comprising of 3 double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 2 decoratively tiled bathrooms, very large independent kitchen with galleria. Included in the price are all kitchen appliances such as large fridge freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave to name just a few. There is a huge lounge complete with chimney, plus large fully transformed under build,and small workshop. Front and rear private garden area, secure underground garage, tennis courts, football pitch and communal pools. Ref. K14 €209,00 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant villa located in a very quiet area , situated at the end of a cul-de-sac means there is no through traffic.3 bed, 3 bath, 330m2 plot, established large gardens, working fireplace, solar panel for hot water,private parking, south facing great views, fully furnished, fantastic opportunity. ref. L85. €215,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated in the "Alto" part of Gran Alacant, this 3 bedroomed, 4th floor apartment, offers luxury accommodation, with absolutely stunning sea views, as well as views of Alicante bay and the famous Santa Barbara Castle.The apartment is 89 square meters with open plan kitchen / living room and includes all electrical appliances & furniture also there is a utility room, open terrace, and private parking. The urbanisation also offers many communal pools, ten-

REMOVALS

nis courts, restaurants and bars. Ref. K20 €109,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, detached villa in desirable road close to all amenities, comprising of 3 double bedrooms, 3 baths, lounge diner with working fire place, brand new kitchen with all appliances and black granite work tops, private pool, plot of 550m2, established irrigated gardens and fruit trees, private parking, solarium, also there is a converted under build giving more bedrooms ,bathroom & kitchen, this house has many extras and is being sold fully furnished. Ref.k47. €280,000 neg Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant south-facing, very private villa, with woodland and Alicante views. Situated at the end of a small cul-de-sac which means this villa enjoys a very peaceful location.3 Bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 3 Bathrooms, lounge-diner with working fireplace, fully fitted kitchen with including white goods, large front porch, solarium,workshop and storage in under build, central heating, air con H/C, ceiling fans, grills, UK T.V, off road parking and plenty of outside parking also. Due to its orientation of this property enjoys full sun, all day, something very important in the winter months. Ref.K24. €237,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant detached villa with converted under build and pool. Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Lounge- Diner, Front Porch, Large Solarium, decoratively tiled, Irrigated Garden. BBQ and Log Storage Cupboard. Raised walls for Privacy. Also many extras, toldos blinds, freshly decorated interior, Grills, Mosquito Nets, Air Con H/C, Ceiling Fans, Log Burner Fire, Electric Radiators, Heated Towel Rails, Alarmed, Phone Line, Satellite UK TV, private parking. Plot size 310m2 under build 100m2. price includes all furniture.The under build consists of 2 beds, lounge, kit/utility room. ref L79. €250,000 Tel. 680333242 Gran Alacant immaculate outstanding south facing villa in sought after road. Set on a 350m2 plot with 4 bed-

rooms, 3 baths,large porch, solarium and terraces. The large under build includes a lounge, kitchen, bedrooms, bathroom and patio doors leading to pool area. Internal & external access for under build. Extras include electric radiators, air con H/C, ceiling fans, gas fire, heated towel rails, extended walk-in shower, fitted wardrobes. Decorative tiling inside and out. Panoramic views towards Alicante Bay, Sky TV, phone line and Internet & Private parking, established gardens, water features and fruit trees. Being sold with exquisite furniture and all white goods. Immaculate finishes and decor. ref L84. €278,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant South facing attractive corner house Situated in the sought after urbanization of Monte Faro, this secure gated urbanization offers a stunning oasis pool, with mountain views, tennis courts and football courts. Consisting of 3 double beds with balconies, 2 bathrooms, kitchen leading onto court yard which can easily be converted into an extra room, lounge diner with working fireplace, front garden with private parking for 2 cars. Being sold fully furnishes with white goods, built in 2006 so immaculate condition hardly lived in. Ref K48 €168,000 priced for

quick sale Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant limited edition villa, not very often available on the market. Only a few of this type were ever constructed- Very large 5 bedrooms, 4 bathroom(2 ensuit) property, situated on a large corner plot with a 10 x 5 private pool and private parking. Lounge-diner with working fireplace, fully equipped kitchen with utility room. Large landing area, leading onto solarium, with extra storage external room. Front porch area leading into large well established gardens with irrigation system and fruit trees. Being sold fully furnished. Within walking distance to Gran Alacant commercial centre and 5 minute drive to Carabassi beaches. ref. K11. €270,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated in the central area of Gran Alacant and within walking distance to all local amenities such as a selection of different cuisine restaurants, bars, pharmacies, banks, popular GA market and Carabassi Beach. Comprises of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with a private garage and roof-top solarium. This property is part of a small urbanization which has the use of a large decorative communal pool. Ref. K36 €149,000 Tel 680333242

WARDROBES

Ref: 513, €115,000. Two bedroom ground floor apartment, in Aguas Nuevas, close to all amenities including the beach. It has a good size lounge, kitchen and has off road parking facilities. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Beach front Line property, over looks Carabassi Beach, Gran Alacant. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Secure Underground Parking, Fully furnished, Roof Top Solarium. 3 Large Communal Pools, Fantastic communal Gardens, Tennis Courts and much more. 125.000 Euros Ref No. K23. Tel. 627 711 155 Gran Alacant, Situated front line to the famous blue flag beaches of Carabassi, the real beauty of this property is its proximity to the beach, but also on offer is a fantastic communal pool situated in beautifully kept gardens with little Spanish walk ways.Comprising of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge diner, American style kitchen including all appliances, roof top solarium with stunning views, front porch area with front garden and a secure underground garage. fully furnished Ref. K23 €125,000 rare opportunity Tel 680333242 Ref: 520, €85,000. Two bedroom apartment in Dream Hills, with a fully equipped kitchen, large lounge, glazed-in terrace and a large solarium. This property comes with a large communal swimming pool. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

STORAGE

QUIZZES Experienced quizmaster/question setter with personality available to host quiz nights in local bars. Tel:- 664 838 581

REMOVALS Small removals, deliveries & storage. Spain-UK-Spain. Budget prices. www.spanishmoves.net. UK 01209 843971 or Spain 687 756 644 (101)

SITUATIONS VACANT Inviters wanted for all areas including Cabo Roig, La Zenia, Playa Flamenca, Punta Prima and all areas of Costa Blanca South. Hours to suit and great rates of pay. Phone Sue (691 063 203) to find out more about working for the best New Company on the Costa Blanca.(101)

SOLICITORS Need English speaking solicitors in Torrevieja? Let us help to solve your problems with debt recovery, divorce, property, fraud, criminal defence. Call us on 966 923 963, give us brief details and get in touch with your specialist solicitor today.

WIG SPECIALIST SALON MARGARETHAS, 23 years in Torrevieja Hair/Wig specialist for Medical illness and Hair Loss problems. We offer different Hair Replacements, top fillers, Hair prostheses, Toupees and Wigs, Natural and Artificial hair and much more. Also fashion/festival accessories TV/TS are welcome to our service. Please call our salon reception for an appointment with Margaretha on Tel no 966 921 846 Torrevieja (90)

WANTED

ROLLER BLINDS

RECYCLING CLOTHES

Friday, February 1, 2013

Greenside Gossip IVIE DAVIES takes a weekly look at the golf scene - golfdavies@gmail.com

THE HIGH FIVE WE may only be just a matter of weeks into 2013, but it is the same old story in golf with all the talk surrounding those players at the top of the world rankings and what they will do over the next 12 months. As usual, it has been "Rory McIlroy this..." and "Tiger Woods that..." in the annual previews, and while they deserve to be in the spotlight, there are plenty of other players looking to make an impression on the biggest stage this year. Golf fans are forever looking for the next "super player", and with 12 of the last 16 Majors won by players who had previously never won one of the big four tournaments, I have listed five men from the European Tour capable of extending that trend in 2013. Jamie Donaldson is a fascinating player to follow this season after climbing to his highest ranking of 29

Focus on the players who can take golf to a new level in 2013 recently. The Welshman has been a pro since 2000, but it is only recently that he is starting to realise his undoubted potential. Without hesitation, 2012 was the 37-year-old's breakthrough year as he finally won his first European Tour event at the Irish Open. He has started 2013 even better, winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after going toe-to-toe with the inform Justin Rose at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Coming out on top in that event will be a major confidence boost for Donaldson going forward. He may be 37, but he will be travelling to Augusta for the first time in April—whilst he is playing the best golf of his career, he has to be considered a "sleeper" at this stage. Thorbjorn Olesen is one of the hottest young talents

in the game at the moment and as he climbs the world rankings, he is attracting more and more attention. The Dane has won just one tournament on the European Tour, the Sicilian Open back in April 2012, but he has been a model of consistency for the past 18 months. The 23-year-old is continuing to improve steadily, which has seen him move into the Top 50 in the world rankings. He too will be making his first appearance at The Masters in April after a top ten in Abu Dhabi and the only Nike Golf athlete to do so..

TITTER ON THE TEE A MAN went to a strange town to be the guest speaker at a business meeting. When he arrived at his hotel, he found he had a lot of time before the meeting so he got directions to a nearby golf course from the concierge. While playing on the front nine, he thought over his impending speech and became confused as to where he was on the course. Looking around, he saw a lady playing ahead of him. He walked up to her, explained the situation and asked her if she knew which hole he was playing. She replied, "I'm on the 7th hole and you are a hole behind me, so you must be on the 6th hole." He thanked her and went back to his golf. On the back nine the same thing happened and he approached her again with the same request. She said, "I'm on the 14th, you are a hole behind me, so you must be on the 13th." Once again he thanked her and returned to his play. He finished his round and went into the club house where he saw the lady sitting at the end of the bar. He asked the barman if he knew the lady. The barman said that she was a sales lady and often played the course. The visitor approached her and said, "Let me buy you a drink in appreciation for your help. I understand you are in the sales profession. I'm also in sales. What do you sell?" She replied, "If I told you, you would only laugh." "No I wouldn't." "Well, if you must know", she answered, "I sell sanitary towels." She said: "See I knew you would laugh." "That's not what I'm laughing at," he replied, "I'm a toilet paper salesman, so I'm still a hole behind you!"

There have been some fantastic Scandinavian golfers emerge over the past 20 years—Olesen could be the next to make a name for himself on the European Tour. And don't rule out the world stage! Matteo Manassero seems to have been around for ages now, but many forget the fact that the young Italian is still only 19! Manassero is a prodigious talent for his age, as he has shown on several occasions over the past couple of

years. In 2012 he became the first teenager to win three titles on the European Tour—taking into account some of the greats to have played the game, that is a remarkable achievement.

He was the Rookie of the Year in 2010, and it could well be that in 2013, Manassero makes strides towards breaking into the Top 20 of the world rankings. He has picked up some great experience over the past couple of years and his talent alone ensures that he deserves a place on any list of players to watch this year. Branden Grace is from South Africa, a country that has become something of a hotbed of golfing talent in recent years. And it could have unearthed another gem. Grace had an exceptional year in 2012, winning four

KNOW YOUR RULES What is the ruling if the ball is on the lip of the hole, at rest, and the player jumps up and down to make it fall into the hole? A: No penalty. B: Replay the putt. C: A one stroke penalty and replace the ball. ANSWER C: Rule 18-2a. If the ball was at rest when the player jumped it should be assumed that the player caused the ball to move, and he/she incurs a penalty of one stroke in both stroke and match play and is required to replace the ball.

events on the European Tour, including the Volvo China Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in his homeland. Those wins saw his world ranking rocket into the Top 50, and at just 24 years of age, there is likely to be plenty more to come from him in 2013 as he begins to mix it with the big boys on a more regular basis. As well as making the breakthrough on the European Tour, Grace also won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in 2012 before starting 2013 in fine style with an excellent fifth place finish in Abu Dhabi. South Africa has produced Major winners in the form of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel in recent years, and it would be no surprise to see the name of Branden Grace added to that list sooner rather than later.

Tom Lewis burst onto the scene in 2011 when he won the Silver Medal for best amateur at the Open Championship at just 20 years of age. Lewis turned pro shortly after, and immediately showed his potential when he won the Portugal Masters in fine style to record his first ever win on the European Tour. It’s fair to say that 2012 was a tough year for Tom as he struggled to adapt to the pressures of the professional game, but the talent remains and it could be that 2013 is the year we see that promise flourish further. The Englishman has the

game to succeed, and he can be expected to make big strides towards the top of the game over the next 12 months. Did you know that “Go” is the shortest English complete sentence? Well that’s what I am going to do so until the next time, be good, be safe and most important, be yourselves.

Friday, February 1, 2013

LONDON’S SLIDE

EVERYTHING’S not only going west – it’s going north as well! The way things are going in London, there won’t be much to cheer about ‘coom end o’ season! Premier League’s a two-horse Mancunian mafia, Capital Cup’s heading either west to Wales or unbelievably north to Yorkshire, the only slender silver schemes are Arsenal clinging on in the Champions League, where mighty Man Utd look more likely. Chelsea are still clingons in the FA Cup. As for Spurs, well… Chelsea? They must be kicking themselves. We-ell, makes a change from the opposition’s ball-boys... The breath-of-spring boyos from Swansea knocked ‘em out of the wrongly-named ‘Capital’ One Cup, then the Blues followed it up with an unforgivably bad performance in the FA Cup against Brentford of all people, just proving how low the oncemighty European Champions have fallen since that heady night in Munich only last May. Eden Hazard’s foolhardy folly (pictured) follows in the latest line of laughable lunacy: club captain John Terry’s racist antics, Clattenburgate, Roberto di Matteo’s sacking, with the megalomaniac madman behind it all. Watch your back, Rafa Benitez, the lads on the terraces have never

Capital transfer leaves Arsenal and Chelsea on Clings Road

been with you. Not long now, surely… Actually, neither have the lads been with Andre VillasBoas at Tottenham. Inconsistency is the problem with too much expected of Gareth Bale. Scott Parker’s clearly not fit yet, and the (away) Adebayor antics go on. Spurs? Bags of speed, but no sense of direction! My friends who support Arsenal are slowly wearying of the great Arsene Wenger, as the Gunners haven’t won a trophy since Pontius was a pilot. Early Santi Cazorlainspired excitement and optimism has been tem-

pered with Theo Walcott willy/wonty become another unreliant Robin to Fabricate off, Nasriing to perfecter pastures. I like Arsene but the vultures are circling a little lower of late, last week’s little Brighton outing didn’t help… West Ham are steadily going wester, the Andy Carroll sicknote syndrome seems serious. Samsammers came so close to beating Man Utd in ‘Coop recently at Upton Park before Robin van Persie’s super skills burst their bubble. Hammer blow of the season?

Fulham are busy going nowhere. Their new messiah Dimitar Berbatov seems to have gone off the boil, is he lacking the service he needs to exhibit his class? Means mid-table mediocrity. I haven’t forgotten QuiteProbably-Relegated of Loftus Road. For all Harry Redknapp’s twitching, wheeler-dealer expertise, plus his army of backroom boys on the bench – oh, and the obscenely-massivemoney-throwing Tony Fernandez hurling more mazoomah at the problem (which Harry pretends is nothing to do with him) - we are still talking miracles, and time is running on and out. Personally I’d love to see Harry do it, but he’s got to keep doing better than those immediately above him, all similarly fighting for their lives, with some it has to be said, doing it better. Reading, only 30 miles west down the M4 spring to mind. Interfering in the final North/South divide come Liverton, or Everpool, the red side resurgent of late nearing their nasty-neighbours in blue; both Brendan Rodgers and David Moyes fine examples of British club management. But whichever way you look at it,

Saints foiled by the post CF Sporting de San Fulgencio 0 SCD Carolinas 1

SAN Fulgencio missed out on the chance to rise up the table after a poor display against mid-table Carolinas of Alicante, writes JORDAN LUCAS. The only goal of the game arrived at the half-way point of the first period and the visitors held on, despite having 10 men. The Saints can only blame themselves for some poor defending. The

ball wasn't cleared and a cross from the left took a deflection off Enrique Serrano and a Carolinas midfielder calmly slotted past Jose Navarro. Jose Bonmati almost conjured up an instant equaliser, but his ferocious strike was brilliantly kept out by the visiting keeper. A few minutes before the break San Ful were handed a lifeline when

Carolina's goalkeeper saw red for handling outside the area. After the break Gary got behind the defence and looked certain to equalise, but his shot agonisingly smashed off the inside of the post. As tempers began to fray, Giacomo, who had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes, got his marching orders for a late kick at his marker.

TORRY KO’D BY KOEMAN LAW

LEAGUE leaders Novelda sank ten man Torrevieja further into relegation mire as they extended their own lead at the top to five points with a convincing 3-1 win, writes JEFF SCOTT. New signing Juanfran had a dependable debut for Torry, whilst young Jan Carlos was blooded for the last ten minutes. Torry were two down in 13 minutes and although Luis Carlos produced a delicate lob to reduce the deficit on 26 minutes, it was all over when Koeman took the law into his own hands and lunged into a tackle, seeking revenge for an unpunished foul he suffered moments earlier.

Summarily dismissed, he now misses another crucial match, at Muro this weekend, as does Burguillos, who collected his fifth caution of the term and thus is suspended. Muro are level on 28 points with Torry and won readily at the Vicente Garcia by 3-0 in September. They too seeking the double over a belagured FC Torrevieja. Also out of this fixture is captain Jorge, still two weeks away from recovery. The only glimmer of light is the fact that Muro suffered their third consecutive defeat at the weekend. Torry must now rediscover their hunger for success, elsewise the bottom four beckons and a cruel dog fight for survival.

Manchester has the upper hand on the Capital. City may have a hand in the spoils cum ‘end of season, but really it’s United who hold all the cards. The former have big problems to solve, though happily now barmy Balo-less, to maybe wheel and deal, Sheikhstyle to replace him expensively, but now United are consolidating with the exciting Crystal Palace winger, Wilfried Zaha. Yes, United look beautifully placed to clean up. But – no cups in the Capital this season!

Elche 2 Hercules 0

DOUBLE-helpings all round at the mighty Martinez Valero stadium on Saturday night, as table-topping Elche did the delirious double over their deadliest rivals. Two golden goals gave local bragging-rights to the City of Palms, where 18,000 partisan supporters watched the match. The 1,500 Hercules faithful squirmed as their hammered team ended one from bottom. But even the reserves are playing well at Elche, now eleven points clear of Almeria in second. On Saturday Elche fly to the Canaries to play sixthplaced Las Palmas.

Every Day’s a Football Day February

1st 1930 Alex Cheyne scores direct from a corner kick for Aberdeen versus Nithdale Wanderers in their Scottish FA Cup second-round tie. Twenty minutes later he repeats the feat as Aberdeen stroll to a 5-1 win. 2nd 1876 The inaugural meeting of the Cambrian (later renamed the Welsh) FA is held at the Wynnstay Arms in Wrexham. A single resolution is passed, that a national side from Wales should play Scotland. The match takes place on March 25 and ends in a 4-0 defeat for the Welsh 3rd 1957 Real Madrid begin a run of 122 league games during which they are undefeated at home. The record eventually ends over eight years later on March 7, 1965 by which time Real had won an incredible 114 matches and drawn eight. 4th 1991 The Rugby Football Union rejects Wimbledon’s plans to play their home games at Twickenham. 5th 1972 Following a 2-2 draw at St James Park, non league Hereford beat Newcastle United 2-1 after extra time in an FA Cup third round replay at Edgar Street thanks to goals from Radford and George. 6th 1958 The Munich Air disaster claims the lives of eight players and three officials of Manchester United. Eight newspaper representatives were also killed on the flight returning after United’s successful European Cup quarter final in Belgrade. 7th 1987 Notts County become the first club to complete 3,500 Football League games. They celebrate by beating Port Vale 4-1 8th 1947 The FA Cup fifth round game between Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers at the Valley becomes the first non-final FA Cup tie to be shown live on television. Charlton win 1-0 9th 1981 In an attempt to encourage attacking play, it is announced that there will be three points awarded for a win in the English league from 1981/2 season. The Scottish League opts to remain at two points for a win. 10th 1912 Following a pitch invasion ‘of a most aggressive nature’ Clyde’s match against Rangers is abandoned. Rangers are held responsible for the incident and the game is awarded to Clyde 3-1. Compiled by STUART EVANS

Friday, February 1, 2013

WAYNDERFUL

PUTTING THE BOOT IN: Wayne Rooney gives new Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino (right) an idea of what to expect in the Premier League

Rooney’s double strike is not for the Saint-hearted THE gap at the top of the Premier League is back to seven stiff points between Manchester’s United and City. David de Gea sportingly gave Southampton a goal start early doors, United specialising this season in coming back from a goal down to win, this time courtesy of a double strike from back-in form Wayne Rooney. New boy Mauricio Pochettino’s Saints did him proud and gave the Reds something to think about, but the leaders go to Fulham on Saturday confidently. Did suffering Man City miss barmy Balo on Tuesday? Scoreless against Harry Redknapp’s hopeful hoops, the point each earned no good to either, but Quite Possibly Reviving host nervy Norwich on Saturday good chance for three points there, Harry? Super Sunday’s a big ‘un for City, the Blues hosting lively Liverpool, who drew 2 – 2 in a thriller at The Emirates, Arsenal coming back well from 2 – 0 down, that man Luis Suarez ensuring his new mate Daniel Sturridge doesn’t steal all the glory. Jordan Henderson netted the second, before Oliver Giroud, and hopeful-

John McGregor reports

ly-settled-now Theo Walcott hauled the Gunners level. Liverpool are Brazilianly strengthening the midfield with 20-year-old £8.5 million Phillipe Coutinho from Inter Milan, previously hailed as a wonder boy. Is that man Brendan Rodgers putting together a new, great Liverpool team, in, it has to be said a relatively short time? Watch this space – starting at the Etihad on Super Sunday! Talking of two up and looking like laughing, Chelsea forgot to check with the Baggies and Newcastle about the Royals’ ruse of rolling round rubbished. Substitute Adam Le Fondre scored a late brace as Reading fought back to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone, at the expense of Aston Villa. ‘Sappened before to Chelsea, though, hasn’t it? Oh dear, what can the matter be, look at us, it happened last Saturday....Blues are at Newcastle next Saturday. Nervy Newcastle? Their new boy Moussa Sissoko and newly- committed Fabricio Colocini both looked good as the Magpies breathed a huge sigh of relief winning 2 – 1 at anxious Aston Villa’s expense, now dropped down to second bottom. Great Gallic goals from Papiss Cisse and another cracker from Yohal Cabaye vanquished Villa, despite a Christian Benteke penalty. Villa at Everton at the weekend - Paul Lambert is in big trouble now. Why not sell out-of-favour Darren

Bent, Paul? ‘arry’d avim again! The wonderfully-named Leighton Baines singlehandedly wiped out wearying West Brom on Wednesday, isn’t he s’posed to be a full back? Our Leighton scored two in the first half and though Shane Long pulled one back for the Baggies in the second half it wasn’t enough, and keeps Everton fifth. West Brom host Spurs on Super Sunday. Tottenham went to Carrow Road and trailed to a Wes Hoolalhan goal on the half hour, but Gareth Bale scored a trademark cracker, galloping 60 yards from his own half before fooling full back Javier Garrido with a wonderful step-over before unleashing a superb shot with the outside of his boot for 1 – 1. Sheer class. In the East v West London derby Fulham shook off recent lethargy to put three past wearying West Ham, deadly Dimitar Berbatov heading the Cottagers on their way early doors on 10 minutes, slight offside suspicion ignored. Super Saturday scene in this week’s Championship, ten-point leaders Cardiff away to middling Leeds. Millwall – Hull looks the pick, but also nasty-neighbours Crystal Palace play Charlton – ooh er! Very much business as usual in La Liga, where Barcelona go marching on at the top, 11 clear of Atletico, 15 of Real Madrid.