Week 187

Edition 187

www.thecourier.es

Friday, September 19, 2014

COPPING A CON Fake police magazine nets millions of euros

By ALEX TRELINSKI The National Police have smashed a locally­ based scam which involved a 15 million euro fraud in people being enticed to put adverts in bogus police related­magazines. Cops have swooped on 52 people, 49 of which were based in Elche, who are alleged to have tricked 150 thousand self­employed workers and small businesses over 14 years by pretending to be representing the police.

The arrests were made in eight raids across Elche, Madrid and Barcelona at the conclusion of a two­year 'mega­fraud' investigation by the National Police. The cops seized 46 thousand euros in cash, three cars and a motorcycle, plus IT equipment including seven servers. 32 of the people arrest­ ed have had their assets and bank accounts frozen.

Officers uncovered the fraud that had been "planned,

developed and perfected" over 14 years, with the scam involving owners of small and medium­sized companies the chance to place adverts in police­themed magazines, both in print and on­line, usually at a cost of less than 400 euros.

Victims, including many around the Costa Blanca and Murcia regions, were told that the publications would be dis­ tributed in police stations and other official institutions. But the magazines were cheap, poorly printed copies of official magazines on basic printing presses (pictured) that were only ever sent to the victims themselves.

The sophisticated scam included the creation of 30 web­ pages which were full of information on policing matters as well as forming 60 “shell”companies that were used to laun­ der money, with the organisation employing three solicitors to help them in their work. The fraudsters were said to have used hard­sell telemarketing techniques to persuade people to part with their cash. They passed themselves off as rep­ resenting the Guardia Civil or the National Police in order to coerce their 'customers'. Many of those targeted were elder­ ly or experiencing financial difficulties.

The National Police searched eight houses in the Elche area and seized nearly 46 thousand euros in cash, as well a number of internet servers, one of which was actually hidden in the roof of one of the addresses of the “shell” companies. Three cars and a motor­ cycle were also seized by the authori­ ties.

The investigation started two years ago when the police spotted complaints about alleged fraud appearing on vari­ ous internet sites, as well as allegations that were directly made to them from small business owners who were conned into placing the adverts.

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

2

Friday, September 19, 2014

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

E­MAIL 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 EDITOR Barry Newlove 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 Patrick International Rep 5 Languages Tel 685 901 265 Writers Donna Gee Sally Bengtsson Jeanette Erath Alex Trelinski Dave Silver Tony Mayes John McGregor

Affiliations

Picture of the Week

96 692 1003 679 096 309

“Just hanging around” in Puerto Marino, Gran Alacant, Santa Pola. Photo by CRAIG NICOL

TOP VALUE MURCIA HEY MUM

Barcelona is the costliest place in main­ land Spain according to the travel website, Tr i p A d v i s o r, with average costs for hotels, taxis, and entertain­ ment almost double that of what you could get in Murcia City (pictured), which was highly rated for value. TripAdvisor looked at 52 locations to compare the aver­ age cost of a visit that included a night in a four­star hotel, cocktails for two people, a two­course dinner with bottle of house wine and a return taxi ride.

Barcelona topped the charts with an aver­ age of €229.11, closely followed by Ibiza (€221.43) and Palma, Mallorca (€217.97).

The most budget­friendly locations were Lugo (€115.73) and Murcia (€116.52). The cost of a night in a Barcelona hotel (€145) is almost that of the entire package in the near­

by city of Ta r r a g o n a (€143.73). A 3km return taxi ride cost €14.82 in the Catalan capi­ tal, some 34 per cent more than in the second most expensive city, Soria.

Cocktails in Madrid cost €26.10, the most expensive in Spain and €5.60 more than the Barcelona equivalent.

The most expensive average dinner was in Ibiza and cost €59.63.

Although the TripAdvisor survey ranks Barcelona as most expensive it does not seem to deter tourists from flocking there in ever­greater numbers, with an Esade Business School survey showing that it is the European tourist shopping capital.

Almost 34 per cent of the average tourist's budget is spent in shops in Barcelona com­ pared with just 28 per cent in London and 24 per cent in Paris

Two striped hyena pups are being cared for and fed by staff at Murcia’s Terra Natura park, after their mum did not want to look after them, including feeding them her breast milk.

It’s the first time the species had been born at Terra Natura, and there are only 50 of them around European parks and zoos. The mother called Raya, gave birth to three pups, but only two survived, with wardens noticing that Raya was behaving strangely to the babies who weighed only 250grams and would fit in the palm of a human hand.

Cira and Noah are being given a special milk formula, along with small pieces of chicken and rabbit as part of their diet. The wardens hope to re­introduce them to their mother once they have grown larger.

THE FUTURE IS NARANJA SANTA POLA DEATHS

The French telecom giant Orange has made €3.4­billion offer to snap up the Spanish phone operator Jazztel. If the purchase goes ahead, it would create Spain's second­largest fixed broadband carrier and third­largest mobile net­ work operator. Orange's bid comes after Vodafone agreed to buy Spanish cable firm Ono for €7.2 billion earlier this year.

Publication Published by TKO Media and Entertainment S.L. Printed by Localprint S.L Depósito legal A ­ 188 ­ 2014 The Courier, its publishers, members of staff and its agents do not accept responsibility for any readers letters or claims by advertisers nor can it be held responsible for any errors in advertise­ ments 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 re­publication 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 REPRO­ DUCED WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE PUBLISHERS.

Two people died and two others suffered minor injuries in a two car collision on the N332 in Santa Pola last Saturday morning. The accident happened at 5.40am with the injured being ferried to Elche

General Hospital, where they were treated for bruis­ ing.

WANTED – MORE HEADLINE NEWS! DO YOU have a story that might grab the headlines?

What’s all the gossip about round your way? A spate of robberies, perhaps – or maybe you’ve spotted a celebrity in the neighbourhood. Whether your news involves fire, police, ambulance, accidents – or hap­

pier events like family weddings (particularly Golden and Diamond ones!), Just phone the Courier office on 966 921 003 or email office@thecourier.es We’re waiting for your call…and next week’s Front Page story.

Friday Partly cloudy High 29° Low 21° Chance of rain 0%

Saturday Partly cloudy High 30° Low 22° Chance of rain 30%

Sunday Thunder High 29° Low 22° Chance of rain 35%

Media and Entertainment SL Monday Thunder High 28° Low 21° Chance of rain 70%

Tuesday Partly cloudy High 29° Low 21° Chance of rain 0%

Wednesday Sunny High 27° Low 18° Chance of rain 0%

Thursday Partly Cloudy High 26° Low 19° Chance of rain 0%

3

Friday, September 19, 2014

PHEW, IT WAS A SCORCHER!

Temperature records have been tumbling across the Costa Blanca with the Meteorological Agency saying that the first half of September was the warmest since 1962, with temper­ atures higher than the average for August. The average highs for the whole of the Valencia region recorded a level of 24.5 degrees Celcius, with the Alicante Province figures being some 2.4 degrees above average, second only to the returns for 1962.

EASIER PARKING

Summer­time parking restrictions in Torrevieja have been eased in the Calle Ramón Gallud area from the intersection with Calle Orihuela until Chapaprieta Street, from 10:00am to 1.00pm and 5.00pm to 9.00pm. Car parking had been restricted to only an hour, and now the peak season is over, drivers in that and other parts of the city will find it easier to find a space and to park for longer.

IRON LADY SQUARED

The former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, had a plaza in Madrid named after her last Monday, in a special ceremony by presided over by the Mayor, Ana Botella and the Madrid PP President, Esperanza Aguirre. Both women are strong characters, who don’t get on, but both agreed that Thatcher was a historical character who should not be forgot­ ten, with Aguirre describing her as a political rebel.

ON HOLD

Orihuela’s Mayor, Monserrate Guillén, won’t be going back to work until at least the end of October. The council leader suffered a heart attack in July, but despite a good recovery and optimism that he could return to his post this month, he’s been told to continue his period of rehabilitation for at least another four weeks.

CAROUSEL CASE An American mother whose five­month­old baby was crushed to death on a baggage carousel at Alicante­Elche airport has taken her case to court. Nathania Terry from Maryland watched in horror as her daughter Vashti Terry was killed last September on one of the belts at the airport, and Ms Terry is now suing Netherlands­based Industries, a global supplier of luggage handling systems for airports and parcel and postal carriers. She is seeking punitive damages for wrongful death, negligence, design defects and failure to warn, according to the American website, Courthouse News Service.

CATAMARAN DRAMAS

A Spanish family and in a separate incident, two boys, were rescued recently after getting difficulty whilst sailing in the Mar Menor. Both incidents had a happy ending thanks to the help of the members of the Sailing Association Mar Menor (SAMM) Catamaran group.

SAMM members were heading back to Los Narejos after a picnic in Playa Honda, and on their journey back on their catamaran, Hamoor, they spotted some people on a small boat waving at them. Being friendly, as most sailors are, they waved back. A minute or two later they realised the boat may be in trouble as those on board were waving a white flag.

Without hesitation, they dropped the sails on Hamoor and motored over.

They found a Spanish man and two boys aged 10­12 sit­ ting in a 4 meter dinghy half full of water. The mast and boom were lying on the dinghy with the sails dragging in the water.

They got the boys, who were wearing life jackets, on board, the dinghy in tow and took them to Los Nietos.

With the language barrier and the boys very upset, Hamoor’s crew never found out exactly what had gone wrong. What they were sure of was that there was not very much chance of them being picked up by anyone else.

There were no other boats in sight, they were a long way from shore, the wind had died to nothing and evening was approaching. With no mast and half sunk they were not very visible.

A few days later whilst in their tender, other Catamaran Group members saw one young boy in a canoe next to another boy struggling in the water and a second canoe almost vertical in the water. He appeared to have capsized and managed to get his canoe tangled in the jellyfish nets.

They could not free the canoe but pulled the boy into their dinghy and took him and the other canoe safely back to shore.

RED FLAGGED

Four beaches on the Orihuela Costa were red­flagged on Tuesday after an oily substance appeared on the shore. The beaches at Aguamarina, La Glea (pictured), Barranco Rubio and Mil Palmeras were closed off by the Guardia Civil o bathers, with local people suggesting that the pollution may have been caused by military ships that were in the area.

White spots were visible in the water as well as remains on the beaches, which remain open to non­bathers as analysis of the pollution is carried out.

TOUGH LESSON

The Guardia Civil have arrested five people for selling drugs out of a house which was opposite to the entrance of a Torrevieja school. Three Spanish women and two Pakistani men were collared on suspicion of committing crimes against public health. The Guardia was tipped off by neighbours and the parents of local schoolchildren at the start of last week about their alleged activities close to the un­named school.

Cocaine and heroin was seized in a raid along with cash, with the five arrested being put before a Torrevieja judge.

WRONG CHANNEL

Guardia Civil officers investigating a domestic incident in Nerja had a narrow escape when a for­ mer US Marine allegedly hurled a 50­inch television at them.

Neighbours reported screams coming from the property and that the 33­year­old man – identified as BRL – had allegedly struck his pregnant wife.

When the officers asked the ex­soldier to open the door, he appeared on the balcony and threw the television at the offi­ cers, causing minor injuries to one. A Torrox judge placed a restraining order on BRL, applying to both his partner and their home.

COCKROACH HEAVEN The Costa Blanca and Murcia regions are the areas of Spain where most cockroach alerts were made in 2013 according to new figures released by Rentokil. Rats came second on the list with high temperatures across the areas seen as the main cause, rather than any hygiene issues.

MAGYAR MAN

A man wanted in connection for a murder in Sweden, has been arrested at Torrevieja bus station. The 39 year old Hungarian went on the run after being wanted for questioning over a murder and robbery in Malmo. He escaped to the UK, before travelling to Madrid, where he boarded a bus for Torrevieja, where the National Police collared him on a European arrest warrant.

4

MAS IN A MESS

Catalunya's regional president could face 15 years in jail if he holds his "illegal” independence referendum in November.

That's the view of the national judges' association which claims that Artur Mas could be accused of power­dealing, disobedience and even sedition if it is considered that a ref­ erendum ­ due to be held on November 9 ­ goes against the Spanish Constitution.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has already said he will not authorise the vote, and that if Mas goes ahead with his plebiscite plans, he could be deemed to have committed a 'serious disobedience against the national government', which according to the judges' association, may see him put behind bars for up to 15 years.

Mas would face the maximum sentence if he attempted to use the regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, to block any attempt to prevent the referendum on voting day.

This would be considered a 'siege' and he could be jailed for the full 15 years. The most lenient punishment the regional president would get away with is being banned for anything from 7­10 years through to the rest of his life from holding office. It would be up to the central government to press charges, and Rajoy has threatened to do so.

Spain's constitution, approved by a referendum in 1978, three years after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco, gave the country's regions a degree of autonomy, but not as much as some Catalans now want.

CRASH VICTIM

A hydroplane pilot has died in an air­crash whilst tackling a massive forest fire in Almansa in Albacete province. The 44­ year­old from Murcia was refilling his craft with water in the village of Alpera, not far from the site of the blaze, when his craft went down late on Saturday night. It is not known why the plane crashed, but the firefighter was killed instantly.

Nearly 200 members of the fire brigade were called out to deal with the blaze, which spread over two federal regions, with smoke being seen from as far away as Yecla in the Murcia region, which led to panic calls to the to the 112 emer­ gency hotline.

Friday, September 19, 2014

RAIN ON THE WAY?

Work has started around the Torrevieja area to make sure flooding is reduced during the anticipated “Gota Fria” sea­ son. Clearance work has happened close to key roads like the route between Torrevieja and Crevillente, as well as the N332 close to the Doña Inés urbanisation (pictured).

Meanwhile other councils like Orihuela have held a sched­ uled meeting to review emergency action if serious flooding should happen in the area.

DEAD LOSS

A Guardamar cemetary worker has been suspended from his job for posing for a 'selfie' with a corpse. The accused was pictured standing next to a mummified body of a man who died 23 years ago and who had been exhumed in order to bury him together with his wife, who passed away three weeks ago. On the other side of the body was a man said to be part of the deceased's extended family, and the photo­ graph was taken by the dead man's niece. It quickly went viral on social networks.

Guardamar council say they immediately approached the graveyard worker for an explanation and have temporarily removed him from his role ­ although he will continue to carry out other jobs relating to the council. Until that moment, the behaviour of the employee of the Nuestra Señora del Rosario cemetery was described by the council as 'exem­ plary' and they consider his being photographed with a dead body to be 'a one­off error' which he would not repeat.

Guardia Civil officers investigating the incident believe the photo spread round the internet after the deceased's niece sent it on straight away via WhatsApp.

RAFT ASHORE

NEW LOOK PUERTA

The main road between San Javier and Santiago de la Ribera is to get a makeover with renovation work of the Puerta del Mar Plaza (impression pictured) which features the design by local artist José Julián Buigues. Repainting and repaving will take place in the area which was formally opened in 1985. Other plans include resurfacing work in the Avenida Sandoval area of Santiago de la Ribera, as well as other improvements around San Javier.

A raft carrying four adults and four children from northern Africa turned up on the shores of Torrevieja on Monday, all of whom were attempting to enter Spain via the 'back door'. The would­be immigrants, who claimed to be from Libya, Algeria and Tunisia, were spotted by police after having been adrift for three days.

Red Cross volunteers gave them food, dry clothing, water, and a medical check­up. They were all suffering from low blood­sugar levels and some had skin ulcers or infections, which were treated on site. The passengers had been towed ashore by a Guardia Civil coastguard vessel after being seen at around 55 miles out to sea.

A total of 85 would­be migrants from African countries have sailed into Costa Blanca shores since the start of August.

GOATS GRUFF

A herd of wild goats caused mayhem last week as they took to the tracks of a railway station in Terrassa, Catalunya.

The 17 sure footed creatures were first spotted in the tunnel just before the station, and then made their way past aston­ ished commuters. A security guard tried to herd them out, not an easy task; which took him 40 minutes. Station staff have seen the occasional cow wander onto their outdoor tracks, from a nearby farm, but this was the first time a herd of goats have come into the station.

SHOPPING GURU DIES

The chairman of Europe’s biggest department store and a household name in Spain died last Sunday, aged 79. Isidoro Álvarez, was widely credited with transforming El Corte Inglés into a major success with the veteran businessman passing away after what his company described as “unex­ pected” heart problems.

Founded by his uncle in Madrid in the 1930s, Álvarez helped to convert a small tailor shop into a fully furbished retail store. He became president of El Corte Inglés (Translated as The English Cut in reference to a tailor) when his uncle died in 1989. Álvarez spearheaded the takeover of rival company Galerías Preciados and bought up several supermarkets which are now an inclusive part of the stores.

El Corte Inglés currently has 91 department stores across Spain, and employ 93 thousand people and made 174 million euros in profits last year. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy described Álvarez as a “global reference for the retail sector and an icon of credibility and trusts for many families and consumers.”

THUMBS UP TO IBERIA

The Spanish air carrier, Iberia, has come out top in a BBC survey as to which company is the most generous with hand baggage for their passengers. Iberia allows larger bags with no weight restrictions, whilst budget com­ pany, Ryanair is viewed as amongst the stingiest, along with UK companies, Thomas Cook and Thomson.

The BBC’s survey of 17 major European airlines found that Iberia, British Airlines, Jet2 and Monarch Airlines all allow the largest bags – with dimensions of 22 x 17 x 9 inches (56 x 45 x 25 centimetres) for a fully­packed bag – but Iberia is the only one without a weight restriction.

UK budget airline easyJet will allow a bag up to that size, but it will be placed in the luggage hold at no cost if there is not enough room for it. Otherwise, its dimensions are 19 x 15 x 7ins (50 x 40 x 20cms). The airline doesn’t have a weight limit.

Ryanair, its chief rival, found itself near the bottom of the survey. The airline that is notorious for checked bag­ gage fees as high as £75 allows bags as large as 21 x 15 x 7ins (55 x 40 x 20cms) with a maximum weight of 22lbs (10kg).

Frank Brehany, consumer director of HolidayTravelWatch, told the BBC that airline employees are not doing enough checks at the gate and that is put­ ting the safety of passengers and crew in jeopardy.

He said: ‘There have been occasions when consumers have reported an injury as a result of a heavy item falling down on arrival.

‘Others have been hurt because the owner cannot man­ age the weight of the bag. The weight can even cause the overhead bin to open.’

Friday, September 19, 2014

LUDO-CROUS DECISION

Eight people had a costly game of the board game Ludo, after they were fined 101 euros each for playing it at night in Malaga by overzealous police who had received complaints from neighbours about the "noise made by the dice".

The group of friends aged in their twen­ ties had met in local a plaza at around 11pm and were still playing three hours later. Four people were involved in the game while the others chatted and sipped non­alcoholic drinks. It was then that police swooped to bring an end to their board game session.

29­year old Conchi Toro told reporters that officers had informed her that they "couldn't drink anything" and that "they had received complaints from neighbours about the sound of the dice being shaken."

Noting that the group had two bottles of water and an empty can of cola, "the police then started to hand out fines for us to sign.

We were stunned because we hadn't even been shouting, just chatting," said Toro.

The friends protested that they had been frequenting the area for over 25 years but the police informed them that there were too many people and that they could not hold "a get­together like this." The written fines cite "a concentration of people drink­ ing beverages in an unauthorized area."

The group described the fines as "exces­ sive" and said that they would appeal due to inability to pay. "Apart from two of us, we're all unemployed," said Toro.

Aina, one of those fined, said that they had been "quietly sitting enjoying the fresh air and not making a fuss" and that they had been fined "for two plastic bottles of water that weren't even full." "What's next?" she added.

In July, The Courier reported that author­ ities in the city of Sevilla had taken the unusual decision to ban dominoes and dice games in outdoor cafe areas, as part of a wider plan to crack down on noise in the city.

ABORTION U-TURN? A controversial law effec­ tively making abortion ille­ gal in most circumstances in Spain has allegedly been shelved as the Partido Popular government fear it will damage their general election chances next year.

Justice minister, Alberto Ruiz­Gallardón had origi­ nally said that the law would be approved after the summer, and that this was definite and "there was no going back".

But a lack of consensus within the PP means the abortion reform is claimed to be on hold 'indefinitely'.

The legislation reform would have repealed the law of 2010 which, for the first time, allowed a woman to terminate a pregnancy for any reason up to 14 weeks, and up to 22 weeks

where the foetus would be deformed ­ and removed the need for parental con­ sent for women aged 16 and 17 but under 18.

Sources close to the PP government say only a sig­ nificant minority of the party were in favour of the

restrictions, and that many of the rest reacted with 'absolute horror', particular­ ly over the issue whereby a woman who knew she was carrying a severely handi­ capped child would not be permitted to end the preg­ nancy.

was that they had received it themselves as children.

The survey concluded that children who received pock­ et money grew up to be bet­ ter at saving money. 34.7 per cent of parents give pocket money when their children need it for some­

thing specific, 6.8 per cent pay up in return for help with domestic chores and 27 per cent give a regular, fixed amount. Only 4 per cent of children have part­time jobs to earn money, compared with 15 per cent of their par­ ents at the same age.

PARENTS COUGH UP

Spanish parents are amongst the most generous in giving pocket money to their youngsters, despite the scale of the recession that has hit the country. A survey by the banking group, ING, says that only Italian and French parents give more money to their offspring.

The survey said that 41 per cent of Spaniards aged between 5 and 15 get between five euros and ten euros a per week and 13 per cent of over­15's get over 50 euros per week. 79 per cent of European parents give pocket money according to the ING survey of over 12,000 people, which revealed that the main moti­ vation for parents to do so

5

6

Friday, September 19, 2014

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

Shame of the spend and waste council FOUR years ago I asked the local council if I could plant flowers around the young trees they had planted along Avenida de Castilla.

I put soil, forming a dish around the bases of six trees and planted white and purple flowers in each circle. I watered them every evening, carrying buckets full of water from my home and was very happy to see the flowers flourish.

Sadly, it was not long before vandals

came and snapped the trees or ripped them out completely.

I continued to care for the flowers I had planted and also to clear away the empty beer and coke cans, bottles, cigarette packets etc. Many people commented on how lovely the flowers looked.

Then along came workmen to move the big blue paper recycling bin, along with the green rubbish bin, from outside the school across the road ­ and dump them

right on top of the flower beds.

They then dug up the road to lay pipes but when they finished the work several weeks later they did not put the bins back. I myself put the green rubbish bin back where it came from and then went to speak with Mr Derek Monk at the municipal centre in Quesada.

Mr Monk assured me that he would sort it out. Weeks passed and nothing happened so I went to see Mr Monk

LEFT: The flowers I purchased, planted and cared for while GRIP and the PP were in office. ABOVE: This is what the PSOE council has created

FIVE years ago, two golf enthusiasts, Los Alcazares residents, determined that their town needed an Open tourney to compli­ ment the Caldero celebration.

As the state of local golf courses declined (or disappeared) the venue changed, until 2013 when it became the ‘Club de Golf La Peraleja’ (pictured above).

The management and members are inter­ ested to promote the Open and would wel­ come all amateurs to participate on Saturday October 11.

As the current holder of the Trophy I am required to start arrangements for the Open, which traditionally precedes the Caldero, which this year takes place on Sunday October 12 in Los Alcazares.

Open golf and a splendid beach party with entertainment! Why not?

again.I took him photos so that there could be no misunderstanding. Again he assured me that he had it all in hand.

About this time last year the school held an open evening with the mayor, councillors and neighbours invited. I approached Mr Monk and in front of one of the councillors asked him again about the recycling bin, pointing it out to him.

“Ah. yes, I have it hand” was his pre­ dictable reply.

Weeks rolled into months and card­ board boxes too big to go in the bin were dumped on the ground, to be joined by household rubbish, chairs, beds, cup­ boards etc. But the bin is still there.

The same thing happens in Calle Los Arcos – the bins look full at first glance but then you realise there are just two or three empty cardboard boxes which should have been flattened and either put in the blue bin or tied up in bundles for recycling with the money going to the council.

It seems that this council is just spend, spend, spend and waste – they appear to have no idea how to conserve.

Thousands of euros are wasted on elec­ tricity which I wrote about back in March.

Nothing has changed, there are still 14 lamps lighting up the locked sports cen­ tre all night, every night.

The council elections are due in May so this is a call to all residents to get things altered at the polling station.

JB, Quesada (full name and address provided)

Entry applications should be made to the Club Reception. Telephone 968607575 for information on tee­times, trophies, prizes, fees and buggy availability. Handicap certifi­ cates will be required.

BILL ROBB

q

I HAVE been concerned for a long time about the state of the former beautiful caravan park at Punta Prima. For the past couple of years, the place has been full of rubbish and huge billboards ­ and an exam­ ple of Travertine Town Hall ignorance.

How has such a nice place, with lovely trees and full caravan parking facilities, been allowed to get into such a terrible condition?

It paints a really bad picture for Spanish and overseas tourists who must now park near Mercadona in Playa Flamenca or other places. STANLEY JANYK, Orihuela Costa

Friday, September 19, 2014

7

THIS PC PADDY IS SO TAFF ON THE JOCKS MY friend Jay tends to speak very loudly, legacy of the fact he is stone deaf.

He also has strong opin­ ions about the scourge of political correctness, as one might expect of a veteran ex­ serviceman.

All of which can add up to a ‘light the touchpaper and run’ situation when he is let loose in a public place.

So you can imagine how I cringed when Jay began to lay into sensitive hay in a packed Guardamar restau­ rant at lunchtime on Sunday.

Mercifully, there were no African or Asian ears within hearing distance as he went through the bible of political incorrectness as preached by the late Bernard Manning.

“The people who thought up all this PC rubbish should be lined up against a wall and shot,'' he barked.

“What's wrong with calling Pakistanis 'Pakis'? That's what they call themselves.

And as for ni**ers, Wops, Chinks and Krauts, it’s no dif­ ferent to calling our own people Jock, Taff or Paddy. ‘’The world has gone mad,'' he went on between mouthfuls of banana split. I called for the bill, hoping we could make a quick escape before Baa­baa Green Sheep had Jay arrested.

Now in full flow, Jay turned to Muslim extremists. “We've got British­born nutters going out to the Middle East, join­ ing terror groups and killing British people.

“These people aren't British, they are murderous scum and the only way to treat them is to hunt them all down and hang the lot of them.''

Pointing to his head, Jay (which is not his real name,

by the way) added: “As for the Arabs, I never met one who wasn't lacking up here.''

As we got up and made to leave the restaurant, a fellow diner on the next table sprang to his feet and, with a broad grin, thrust his right hand into Jay's.

“Well said!'' he said in a Yorkshire accent. “I agree with every word you said.

You should be Prime Minister!''

I have no idea what was going through the minds of the silent majority around us as the aroma of Jay’s rant permeated their roast beef.

But my own discomfort at the whole episode emphasises how political correctness has made so many of us afraid to say boo to a golliwog, never mind what we really think.

Life’s so sweet in the land of the giving MY family are firmly against giving money to beggars. They are convinced every one of them is a conning layabout and tell me I'm a soft touch for any scam.

So they'll be horrified that I gave every cent I could muster to a tormented Spanish soul on Monday.

And handing the money over gave me more of a thrill than all the presents I am hopefully going to get at my big ?0th birthday bash in Manchester next month.

The shabbily dressed girl, in her early 20s, had been sitting cross­legged in a shaded part of the Mercator car park

behind a piece of cardboard bearing the usual 'I need money for food' mantra.

Her restrained whimpers to passing customers were universally ignored, perhaps because she seemed resigned to nobody helping her.

When I approached her with some small change, she was sobbing quietly and seemingly in considerable pain. The right side of her face was badly swollen, probably from a tooth abscess. ''It was all a con,'' I can hear the cynics amongst you saying. ''She had cotton wool in her mouth to make it look like it

was infected.'' If that was the case, there must have been an awful lot of stuffing in her chops and she must have employed a very good make­up artist to create such a convincing effect.

I rummaged in my handbag for a cou­ ple more euros, only to find that, as usual, there was no cash there.

I had already given the girl all my shrapnel and the only other money I had with me was the 50­euro banknote I keep hidden in the car for any unexpected emergency. Correction, that I kept hidden in my car until Monday.

As I write this, I am beginning to feel that perhaps I was the victim of a clever scam. If so, more fool me – but I' do it all over again, if only for the amazing pleas­ ure it gave me to see the tearful gratitude of that suffering girl as she realised just how much money I had given her.

The bottom line is this. If that young lady tricked me into parting with that 50 euro note, I'm not going to starve.

I would prefer to believe that it helped to make the poor girl's life a little easier and less painful. And please don't try to convince me otherwise...

8

Friday, September 19, 2014

DIAMOND IN CASA OF FUN THE ROUGH

By Andrew Atkinson

By Andrew Atkinson WHEN it comes to being a 'Diamond Geezer', Villamartin based Metal detectorist Alan Thomas is just that ­ in his quest to find lost treasures! "The biggest find to date was an 18ct gold ring encrusted with a six dia­ mond set ­ it was valued at £3,000," Alan told me. It's not often I do interviews in water ­ but I caught up with Alan ­ while trawling the sea at Mar Menor, in Lo Pagan, San Pedro del Pinatar, with his underwater metal detector.

"The £3,000 gold ring I found while detect­ ing in Ibiza was traced back to its rightful owner ­ he identified it, via an inscription ­ and I received £500 reward," added Alan.

Metal Detecting in Spain is not allowed ­ unless an import license for the detector has been issued. And areas differ, as to what times detecting can take place. The use of metal detectors could involve considerations of the Law and Regulations, governing artis­ tic or archaeological finds, involving National

Heritage and treasure trove. And if anything is found you have to comply with the com­ plex procedures in Spain. Any finds will not be allowed to leave Spain ­ until consent is given. Anything that is found of National artistic Heritage, or over 100 years old, it is unlikely that you would be granted an export permit. Also The Royal Decree of November 1987, outlining nuclear energy and radio­activity, states rules and safeguards against radiation. The Order in March 1975 set out the homologation rules for radio­ active apparatus. And certain metal detec­ tors may not comply with these rules.

The Naval Authorities have also com­ plained in the past following the use of metal detectors ­ which have been known to inter­ fere with electronic communications.

Cornish man Alan found 'booty' in Lo Pagan ­ alas not of Spanish Heritage importance: "Look at that," he said, pointing to a 50 cents Spanish coin, along with a cache of metal bottle tops!

A JOLLY GOOD READ

Bookworms in the Orihuela Costa area are in for a treat this autumn with the news that the Reading Point (Library) has re­opened after the summer break. The library is located inside the Municipal Centre of Educational Activities in Calle Cipres, Lomas de Cabo Roig.

The library houses 10,000 books, in different languages (including English), which have all been donated by individu­ als and are lent out free of charge, with the service being launched nearly two years ago.

The new opening hours are, Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1pm and 5pm.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Fast Track Hypnosis!

Do you want to Stop Smoking in UNDER 30 Minutes, Lose Weight , overcome a fear or phobia or simply learn to relax. Well now you can! Welcome to the Wonderful World of Fast Track Hypnosis with me Jonathan Gilchrist, Costa Blanca's Top Hypnotherapist.

Using the incredible Fast Track Hypnosis System you can be free of your problem and live the life you want to.

Over 55,000 people have successfully used this system which has been put to the test by the media on many numerous occa­

sions.

So the question is…ARE YOU READY TO FINALLY change your life for the better?

If the answer is YES then what are you waiting for?

Call me NOW ! You can make this a reali­ ty!.

Jonathan Gilchrist holds his clinics in Benidorm, Cabo Roig & Quesada . For an Appointment, Brochure or FREE initial con­ sultation ring 691784954 or email jonathangilchristbh@gmail.com www.jonathangilchristinspain.com

HUNDREDS of euros were raised for the Elche Children’s Home follow­ ing the Charity Horse and Flamenco Show spectacular event at Casa la Pedrera, Torremendo.

"Monies raised will go towards numerous things ­ including sports equipment, school bags, and running shoes. The Director will decide," Annette English told me. Annette, a fundraiser volunteer at the Elche Childrens Home, introduced me to three boys from the home: Jessie, Gerard and Justin.

"We have never been to anything like this before," said Jessie. "We are overwhelmed by it all," said Gerard.

"There are 18 children in the Elche Childrens Home and we thank every­ body for their support, especially Jenni and Derek Ray, owners of Casa La Pedrera," said Annette.

The final summer show took place at the Grand Design House overlooking Lake Pedrera watched by an audience of 150 that was enthralled by the Jay Markwick's Company of Dancers; Emma Tytherleigh and Juan Cortezare.

Opening the show was the four female Flamenco dancers whose showcase was performed on a stage overlooking the picturesque setting of Lake Pedrera. Jenni's daughter's Eden and Linzi performed on their horse Aero, who was back in the show ring for the first time in a year, after undergoing a growth operation.

Courageous Emma Tytherleigh and her horse Romero thrilled the audience with acrobatic displays and daring stunts ­ encap­ sulated with running through fire! Juan Cortezare was dressed in the traditional Spanish wear, highlighted when performing

with a Garrocha, a pole used with the wild bulls, for bullfighting and herding cattle. The long length of the pole saw Juan skilfully dis­ play an art form in itself. And pony Rocco was a show­stopper in what was his first out­ ing ­ entering the ring whilst 'relieving' him­ self.

"He's a little nervous!," quipped Jennie Ray. “…and my thanks to everybody for sup­ porting the Elche Children Home on a super day.”

Friday, September 19, 2014

9

10

Friday, September 19, 2014

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

I ARRIVED at the pub the other evening, strode pur­ posefully up to the bar and asked Dave the barman for a glass of my usual.

Only that request was never voiced. Instead, the words which emerged from my mouth ­­ and which shocked me as much as any­ one else in the inn ­­ were: 'Why are women so flaming sensitive?'

I was shocked because I hadn't expected to say what I had said. Everybody else was shocked because I had indeed said what I had said.

'Blimey, what's got into you?' commented Dave the barman. 'I was all set to serve you a glass of your usual, only you failed to ask for it. And, anyway, I don't even know what your usual is. You order a different drink every day.'

There was an eerie silence in the pub because, as I already stated, my comment about women had caused dismay and consternation among my fellow members of the pub discussion group.

And the reason they were uneasy (well, scared to death actually) was that yours truly had made a negative remark about females while in the very presence of the latest member of our taverners cir­ cle ­­ a woman!

Andromeda Arkwright had breezed into our lives only recently and had taken us over by virtue of the fact that her forename was of Greek origin and meant 'ruler of men.'

But we blokes had wel­ comed the takeover because she was a very nice lady.

Indeed, Dave the barman had fallen in love with her because Andromeda was always ready to splash the cash for a round of drinks.

Every time that Dave opened his till to receive Andromeda's fiscal offerings, he was also opening his heart to our newest pub group member. Mein host would in turn offer Andromeda small declara­ tions of his affection such as the odd packet of pork scratchings.

The only brief hiccup revolved around Andromeda's bar stool. For Dave the barman had grant­ ed her sole use of the best seat in the house, namely the stool nearest and within eas­ iest sniffing distance of the spirit optics behind the bar.

Unfortunately, the stool had hitherto been the domain of our leader and mentor Ol' Red Eyes and he was not best pleased that his position at the bar had been usurped by the new arrival.

But common sense had prevailed after Dave the barman rea­ soned with him that the stool was vacant most of the time any­ way because of Ol' Red Eyes' habit of dozing off and sliding gracefully (or plung­ ing awkwardly) to the floor.

A n y w a y , Andromeda Arkwright was the perfect pub

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE FOR THIS

With those longer autumn nights coming close, this is the perfect time to change your bed! Why not call in and talk to Sue at Sweet Dreams in Playa Flamenca who will help and advise you.

You can test the beds in store, and you should be relaxed and take off your shoes, and try out of all of our beds until you find the right one ! And if you are unsure, then try again. Remember most people spend at least a third of their life time sleeping, so don't be in a hurry, take your time, we have plenty.

The secret of a good night’s rest is when you wake up in the morning rested and relaxed. Don't dream of a new bed, Dream in it! And we deliver free of charge!

Open:­ Monday ­ Friday 10am ­ 6pm; Saturday 10am ­ 2pm Call Sue on 965 321 701

pal apart from one aspect of her cheerful personality.

Anyone who risked making an unkind statement about her gender would face both barrels of her fiery ire.

And guess which idiot had just marched into the hostel­ ry and proclaimed that 'women were flaming sensi­ tive.' The

pub was silent as the men­ folk sat there petrified that trouble was about to kick off.

Andromeda rose quietly from her stool, walked over to me, put a friendly arm around my already­trembling shoulders and whispered into my quivering ear: 'I'll give you the benefit of the doubt because I like you, Dave Silver, even though every­ body else here thinks you're a boring old break­ er of wind. So what's the prob­ lem, my pub pal?'

'It's Mrs S,' I groaned. 'I hap­ pened to say something to her and she went mad with me for no reason.'

'Please go on,' s a i d

Andromeda, tightening her grip on my shoulders.

'Well, I said, 'Mrs S was doing the cooking and clean­ ing as usual when she com­ mented that she couldn't remember the last time I'd taken her out for the evening.

I reminded her that it had been the previous September when I had escorted her to the chippy for our wedding anniversary.

And that was when she picked up the frying pan and the mop and threw them at me.'

Andromeda Arkwright sighed and plonked me down on her stool. 'Dave Silver, you need to be taught how to treat a woman nicely. And I'm going to explain it to you.

Now listen carefully . . .'

Half an hour later I was ready to go home. 'I'm off now to buy perfume and chocolates for my beloved Mrs S,' I announced.

Dave the barman called after me: 'Just in case the smellies and sweeties don't work.' He chucked over a packet of pork scratchings

11

Friday, September 19, 2014

JAY FIGHTS ON

By Sally Bengtsson

Jay Markwick’s ‘Explosion’ Show was such a success last June in Torrevieja’s Music Theatre that he arranged another date to appease all those disappointed fans who were unable to get a ticket for the first sell out production. September 6th was booked, and the relevant paperwork was duly taken to Torrevieja Town Hall, checked and given the thumbs up. This paperwork was exactly the same as that he had given in previously, yet ten days before the show was due to take place, he was told that there was a problem with the paperwork, which could not be resolved in time for the performance to go ahead.

Jay was distraught, not just for the sake of the show, but mainly because of the fans he would be letting down. His ‘Compañia de Flamenco’ took it upon themselves to spread the word that the show had been cancelled, and that the theatre had promised to give refunds, after a certain time.

However, Jay, being the professional he is, was still worried that some people may not have heard the news, and decided to go in person on the night to let anyone know that it had been cancelled. He was astonished to see a queue of about 60 people waiting for the doors to open, and no sign anywhere about the cancellation. Even more surpris­ ingly, the box office had continued to sell tickets! The people in queue the were how­

ever surprised and angry that there was no one in the box office to give them a refund, as many had come from as far away as Orihuela, or were on holiday, and would not be able to come again to get their money back.

Incidentally, over three months after the first Torrevieja show, when over 600 tickets were sold for 15­20 euros, Jay’s company has still to receive payment. They were ini­ tially told they would be paid in 30 days, and then three months. However, all is not doom and gloom; Jay has a new show planned for Saturday September 27th in Pilar de la Horadada, in the Sala Duplex theatre. Tickets will be available on the night or can be purchased before­ hand from the Café D’Gustar in the main square in El Pilar, or by calling 634 361 392. All the profit from these shows is going to fund the UK tour they plan next April in southern England.

Jay may only be 21 but he has been performing for 14 years, training with some of the biggest Flamenco dancers and dance companies in Spain, participating in world­wide tours, teaching Flamenco himself and now choreo­ graphing, directing, composing and produc­ ing his very own stage play. ‘Explosion’ is a full theatre production telling a story of love and passion. It incorporates Flamenco with a whole range of different dance styles including ballet, hip hop and Latin.

A LAUGHING MATTER If you’ve got the gift of the gab, then why not look into joining a local branch of Toastmasters International? Toastmasters is a non­profit organisa­ tion that runs clubs worldwide for the purpose of helping members improve their communication, pub­ lic speaking, and leadership skills. Meetings are free, with a tiny fee to pay for meeting places and the nec­ essary paperwork!

The Las Palmeras Club meet on the first and third Saturday of each month at the Restaurant Asturias, Punta Prima,Torrevieja from 10.15 am through till 12.30pm. Tomorrow (Saturday September 20th), the club will be staging their annual Humorous Speech Contest!

The club have been recognised by the headquar­ ters at Toastmasters International, in the USA with a ribbon of Distinction, and if you want to find out more, then phone David McLachlan on 966 700 056 or look at their website, www.laspalmeras.toastmas­ tersclubs.org

BUSY SHOP

The new Easy Horse Care Rescue shop in Gran Alacant has been given a boost by the local Santa Pola council, after a meeting with local officials. Local councillor, Loreto Cascales (pictured) has pledged the council’s support towards the Rojales­based centre recognising the important service they provide to prevent animal cruelty across Alicante Province.

In turn, Centre co­founder, Sue Weeding thanked the Gran Alacant community for their tremendous support over the past few years.

“We’ve also had massive support for the shop, which already has a huge following despite being open for only a few weeks,” Sue said. “The locals love it because it is the only charity shop in Gran Alacant.”

WATCH THE BIRDIE

Members of the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club bore their yellow shirts in pride in a pool­ side team photo at their Cabo Cervera Hotel venue at La Mata, Torrevieja. You too can become a Lion. If you are a person who cares for those most in need and can offer a few hours of your time every month, you too can make a difference.

If you would like to learn more about the Torrevieja club, there are a number of very simple ways that you can do it. Firstly you could contact Club Membership Director Phil by email on philip.buckman@btinternet.com or phone 617 198 322 and speak directly with Phil. Visit the Club website at www.torreviejacostalions.org and for information on Lions Clubs International visit www.lionsclubs.org

DON’T LIGHT UP

An anti­smoking Torrevieja group recently welcomed teacher and author, Dr.Rosemary Westwell to their latest meeting, where she read excerpts from her book, “John, Dementia and Me”, a novel based on her experi­ ences with her husband as he succumbed to dementia.

The group meets at the El Paraiso restaurant in Torrevieja, with Rosemary managing to sign up a few of the members for this Sunday’s World Alzheimer’s Day solidarity walk in the city’s Plaza de la Constitución which stars at 6.00pm, with entry costing just five euros per person.

The no­smoking group meet at the El Paraiso Restaurant every Thursday,

except for the last Thursday of the month when they ring the changes with a coach trip! For more information, you can contact Dorothy Gates on dgates@fowof.es If you would like Rosemary to speak to your group, please feel welcome to contact her on: rjwest­ well@hotmail.com

12

Friday, September 19, 2014

DOGS DON’T WANT A QUIET LIFE Many of today’s dogs are unemployed and redundant from their original duties that they were bred for. They still want to work. It is hardwired into their brain to want to please.

Imagine how we feel if we are out of work for weeks, or months. We become bored and agitated and this can be how many of the world’s dogs feel today.

Take the German Shepherd dog for example.

They were bred as a herding and guarding dog. These traits never actually leave them. Out of my six dog’s, two are German Shepherds, Billy and Lola. If we move into a new house, all Billy and Lola are interested in is where the front door is. My other four dogs show no interest as to where the front

door is. The reason why Billy and Lola do is because they still and always will have that guarding, protective instinct in them. They want to make sure that they are protect­ ing the entrance to the house at all times.

Wherever we live, there they are, laying together, doing what they were bred to do.

Even if I walk down the street with Billy, if some­ one is walking closely behind, he will not like it.

He will keep looking around to see what their intentions are. Someone once asked me how do they teach their German Shepherd dog to protect? I said that was like going up to a bricklayer and explaining to them how to lay bricks.

They are born with that instinct to want to protect the ones they love as are many

dogs. Even walking in the Spanish campo, if my dogs give chase to something, my two German Shepherds always stay with me, leaving

called Pickle. When we use to walk in London, he would try his best to round up London buses! Where he wanted to take them to, who knows, but try he would.

That is part of the make­up of a Border Collie.

Pedro and Sanchez Rodriguez, my two Spanish rescue dogs are terrier

the rest to give chase. Some people call German Shepherds ‘vel­ cro dogs’ and that is why ­ they always seem attached to your leg.

I also have a Border Collie

mixes. They are the fly catchers out of my group of dogs because of their tena­ cious nature. And then there is Ria, my female Spanish rescue dog. Her Mum was a German Shepherd. I know

this because she gave birth to Ria and nine other pup­ pies in the rescue centre in Orihuela. Who her father was we do not know, but my guess is that he was a mixed breed dog, with bits of everything included, consid­ ering the box of tricks Ria has turned out to be!

So whatever dog you may have, always remember, they were bred to do a job and that job varies, from herding, guarding, hunting, retrieving, pulling and more.

All dogs are different when it comes to their exercise needs and stimulation. So don’t go and get a German Shepherd and tie them to a tree and expect them to be happy and guard all day.

They need exercise, love and stimulation, as do ALL dogs.

Many people go and get a Husky and are then sur­ prised when the dog gets bored and starts to make mischief, because they are given not even nearly enough exercise and stimu­ lation. Before getting any

dog, make sure you look at their breed or what breeds they are mixed with and ask yourself if you will be able to satisfy their needs as all dogs are different.

Just remember how we feel when we are unem­ ployed and that is how a dog feels everyday if we don’t give them what they need. If there was a job centre for dogs, the queue would be full, all day, every day.

Because dogs want to be loved, wanted, needed and be of use to others. Just as we do. www.thedogyouneed.com is a registered charity, where we rehabilitate the most severely abused animals.

Our charity registration num­ ber is 1157175. If you would be kind enough to donate anything to this special cause you can do by Paypal, where the account details are peter@thedogy­ ouneed.com or to our Nat West charity account, where the sort code is 60­16­03 and the account number is 73754900. Thank you.

PETS’ CORNER: CAN YOU TAKE IN A HOMELESS DOG OR CAT? Bonnie was taken in by PEPA only days before she was due to give birth she had been living on the streets. She was painfully thin when she came to us and we set about feeding her up. She has had 7 beau­ tiful puppies we need foster or forever homes for them and will need a home for Bonnie, she is a real sweet­ heart only 2 years old and a very lovely dog. To find out more about Bonnie or one of the pups please ring the PEPA helpline on 650 304 746 or Email: p.e.p.a.ani­ malcharity@gmail.com

er is hoping it will soon be her turn. To meet her and the other APAH dogs, please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

Jerry and Holly are the youngest ones we rescued from the dog hoarders house in Murcia, they are now around 8 weeks old and ready for new homes. They are happy, playful little pups and will be small when fully grown. Call: 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

Mila is a Podenco Maneto. One year old and is good in the house and is very affectionate. She was saved from Gessre perrera with her puppies. She has a passport and is just waiting to be neutered. If you could offer her a home please contact us at Last Hope Dog Rescue, our email is lasthopedogrescue@out­ look.com, tel no 634065540.

Mila Jerry and Holly

Bonnie Born in March this year, Emily and her brother George were rescued together as young puppies

by APAH. Lucky George has found a new home, but Emily who misses her broth­

Emily

Sadly black cats are very unlucky when it comes to being offered a home, and a large percentage of the cats in APAH's Cattery are black!

Can you please give a lov­ ing home to a wonderfully friendly black cat or kitten?

To meet APAH's cats, please call 630 422 563 or 616 210 850.

PRINCESS a German Shepherd Cross is just over a year old. She was found walking the streets but despite all she has been through, she is a well behaved (submissive) girl with a calm temperament and is socialised with other dogs of all sizes, loves to play and is easy to train.

She enjoys being with peo­

Princess

ple and is very loving, is in great health, has been spaded, had all relevant injections, chipped with her own passport. This gentle lady deserves a permanent 'FOREVER' home. Please call Maureen on 966716049 Suki is an adorable puppy, she was found in a box dumped next to some bins along with her two siblings.

She is currently being fos­ tered with lots of other dogs and cats. She loves to be cuddled. She will be small to medium when fully grown.

Ring 650 304 746 or Email: p.e.p.a.animalcharity@gmai l.com

Suki Curly Sue ­ She is about 1 year old very placid and affectionate. She is a real girlie girl , good with other dogs and children, loves sit­ ting on your lap and snug­

Curly Sue

gling up to you. Obviously Curly Sue is a small dog, She is a very friendly, laid back young lady who would make someone a wonderful companion. Please contact K9 or PHONE 600 84 54 20 for more info www.k9club.es This lovely dog was left to fend for himself on a main road. Rescued by a kind

gentleman who saved him from an accident. He is about 12 months old, very good looking and playful. He was attacked by another dog and almost died, he is back to full health now and is still as a very happy dog Call 616655789 for more details Daisy is a lovely little Jack Russell and is around 1 year old. She is another one we rescued from the dog hoard­ ers house. Daisy is vacci­ nated and great with other dogs and cats. Call: 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

Friday, September 19, 2014

13

14

Friday, September 19, 2014

MY LAD’S FOOTLOOSE AGAIN! A while ago I wrote about my son start­ ing dance classes and how he loved it but was one of only two boys in the class so I wasn´t sure how long he would keep going.

I did say how sad it was that boys seem to get pushed into things like foot­ ball, things they are supposed to like regardless of how they really feel, and how other activities such as art or dancing seem to be ignored and put aside as something only girls do. I knew my son would have fun in the dance classes as he never keeps still. My little fella does not have an academic mind; he is creative rather than intelligent and, as such, likes pastimes that keep him physically busy.

So, it was with sadness that after only a few months he decided that he didn´t want to return, and the only other boy had by now left and so my son was surround­ ed by girls. The pink, I think, got a bit over­ whelming for him and he made his mind up not to return. I didn´t want to make him unhappy and so the lessons came to an end.

I stayed on the Totally Dance Facebook page, checking out all the fun things the kids were doing, including the fiestas, in the hope that maybe one day there might be the chance for my young man to return. However, as the weeks turned into months I began to give up hope, until one day I noticed the owner, Susan, asking if any boys would be interested in a new boys only street dance class. I asked the man of the

Upon arrival at the school, he had decid­ ed that he didn´t want to go in. I´m not sure why he felt that way, maybe he was remembering the girls classes, but eventu­ ally, with a bit of gentle coaxing, he entered the dance studio. There were two other boys there chatting to each other and my little chap stood by the wall, a bit awkwardly, just watching. I then left him to it hoping that he would have a good time.

Upon my return, he was raving about the fun he´d had and how he had learnt to do a handstand, keen to show me his new skill he could hardly wait to get home. I think I may have to invest in a crash mat if he keeps it up! He was full of excitement and couldn´t wait for the next lesson. He regaled me with tales of new friends and new skills and how great it was. I was relieved and overjoyed. By the next week he was straight up the stairs and onto the mats practising. The classes, although street dance, will also incorporate gym­ nastics, by the trained teacher, Rhona, who made all the boys feel at ease with her relaxed style.

I am delighted that my boy will be learn­ ing new skills including co­ordination, tim­ ing and teamwork, but even more than house if he´d like to go to these special classes, where that, I am so happy that he is doing something that he enjoys. there´d be only boys so the embarrassment or loneliness he If any of you have sons who want to have fun and learn may have felt in the girl´s class would be non­existent. He street dance, along with all the benefits that this fun hobby said yes in a flash and so I was straight back on Facebook to brings give Susan or Ian a call at Total Dance, Benijófar on book his place in the class.

619690469.

15

Friday, September 19, 2014

PICK AND MIX

There’s nothing worse than having to write a column knowing the outcome of a massive political event is just hours after the press­ es have started to roll on the paper. So ignore whichever sentences are inappropriate: ­ A) My congratulations to the good voters of Scotland for using their common sense and deciding to stay part of the United Kingdom.

B) My commiserations to

the silly voters of Scotland for taking leave of their senses and not thinking through properly the conse­ quences of leaving the United Kingdom.

C) The narrowness of the result kept me up all night biting my fingernails.

D) The result was a fore­ gone conclusion for the NO camp, who just got into a stupid lather over a couple of opinion polls that put the YES camp ahead. By the

way, who says that politi­ cians don’t study opinion polls?

E) Home rule for Wales or Cornwall anybody?

If just a few years ago you’d have heard Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness waxing lyrical about Dr. Ian Paisley, then the conclusion could only have been that you were living in some kind of parallel universe, or that you had been on some kind of severe medication. But

q

when Paisley died last week, McGuinness said that he had lost a friend. That was very much the measure of the way things have gone forward in Northern Ireland in recent times, and yes there are still problems to solve, but some forty years ago, all such kind words would have seemed unbe­ lievable. As a neutral viewer, I detested Paisley’s almost hysterical public utterings back at the height of “The Troubles” and I thought that he was a few bob short of being the full deal.

Over 20 years ago, I was sent packing on a BBC man­ agement course and I met a journalist from Belfast who I struck up a friendship with, and we had countless dis­ cussions over the problems of Ulster. I asked him what he thought of Paisley, and he stunned me by saying that he was a really nice guy in private and nothing like the public image he had cul­

tivated. In that intervening period, Paisley proved to be utterly correct in his convic­ tion and that of his Democratic Unionist party that there could be no power sharing with Sinn Fein, until the IRA renounced all vio­ lence. And so it came to pass that the DU and Sinn Fein came to run Northern Ireland politics and it has worked. Countless politi­ cians from Westminster and Belfast have lined up to praise Paisley as a decent

man with a great sense of humour, and you have to say that the verdict of history will look kindly on him, with his former Catholic con­ stituents in North Antrim praising the good work he did on their behalf at Westminster. It is a classic case of the Protestant fire­ brand who turned peace­ maker, and perhaps it was only somebody of that ilk who could have delivered a meaningful period of change.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU’VE BEEN BURGLED. Statistics in Spain Crime rates in Spain remain among the lowest in the EU according to the latest Interior Ministry crime report. However, since the economic crisis began in 2008, there has been a steep increase in domestic burglaries and theft as a result. In 2012 the number of bur­ glaries in homes rose by 25.4%. The message to expat residents is not to panic. There are some simple precautions to take, as you would back in the UK, such as fitting security grills, installing exterior lights and alarms, being careful about what content is posted on social networks, especially anything to do with trips and holidays away from home. It also helps to take out a quality home insurance policy that will cover your home and its con­ tents should any unfortunate incident occur.

When you discover you’ve been burgled As soon as you discover you’ve been burgled, whether it’s a break­in or theft at your home, first call the police. Don’t touch anything until they arrive. A police report will be needed to process your claim.

Then secure your home to avoid further damage, board up any broken windows, make a list of damaged or missing belongings, detail the damage to your home resulting from the burglary, taking photographs of damaged windows or door.

At this point, you can call the claims department of your home insurance company. We advise you to have your policy on hand when you call.

Peace-of-mind with Linea Directa We understand that your peace­of­mind is important, especially in your home. Our claims department will take a full statement of the circumstances of the incident. We will check the insurance coverage with you explaining all the procedures. If emergency repairs are required from locksmiths to glaziers, we will help you swiftly handle your claim and get things back to normal as soon as possible. Fortunately, incidents of theft in Spain are rel­ atively small compared to other EU countries, however should you be burgled, your home­ owner’s insurance policy will cover the loss or destruction of personal property if it’s stolen from your home.

Hold-up outside the home In many cases, your home insurance policy may cover you for any incidents that occur outside your home. Should you be the victim of a hold­up outside your premises your per­ sonal belongings are covered. We will ensure replacement documents are quickly and efficiently dealt with, and if required, arrange the locks on your home to be changed.

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest.

If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 902 123 161 More information on Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

16

Friday, September 19, 2014

COUNCILS NEED CULLING

Those of you who are my regular readers know how much contempt I have for UK councils when they put their own bureaucracy before service to the pub­ lic. And how is this for pure hypocrisy?

Double yellow lines are painted on roads supposedly because it is dangerous for cars to park there. So if it is unacceptable for the likes of you and me, why is it accept­ able for a traffic warden to park his own private car there and then go around nearby streets and book oth­ ers for doing exactly what he is doing himself? It is totally unacceptable. But jumped up councils, not fit for purpose, think it is acceptable to allow exemptions to their own employees so they can go about causing problems for others. Read this for pure bloody­mindedness.

A Solihull Council spokesper­ son said: "Civil Enforcement Officers (that´s a jumped up name for traffic wardens) are exempt from most parking restrictions while carrying out their duties. Parking on dou­ ble yellow lines is included in this exemption. While officers will always seek alternative parking this is not always practicably possible."

Ha, ha. Can you believe it?

Motorists saw this driver park on double yellow lines and went to warn him to move because wardens are fero­ cious ­ only to see that it was one of the cursed! Councils have become too powerful, have far too many powers and need to be clipped. If they were, council tax would be drastically reduced. Just compare what people in Britain pay for vastly out of control bureaucracy com­ pared with Spain.

q

Still on the subject of councils, how´s this for planning gone mad? It´s hap­

q

pening in Birmingham, where a house owner is in the process of building an exten­ sion to his home, the end of which is right underneath the overhanging roof of the house next door. The exten­ sion has virtually converted the house next door from a detached one, worth £250,000, into a semi, worth far less. The extension is being built on a four­foot gap between the two homes, converting the gap to no more than eight inches. All professionals involved agree the build is not according to plan, but the planning depart­ ment is not demanding an alteration. The affected cou­ ple, the Whites, originally objected to their neighbour's extension and asked for enough room to be able to paint their side wall and maintain their guttering. MP for the area Steve McCabe said planning permission for the work was not granted until June, 2013 ­ three

months after construction began. The affected resi­ dents have been backed by 300 fellow residents, who signed a petition against the development and offered help with the legal costs of fighting the council's deci­ sion. They said they com­ plained to the city council but were told they would have to take private legal action against their neighbour.

Mr White, a retired motor engineer, 70, said: "The owner has done what he liked. Our complaints were not treated seriously." He added: "We have spoken to a barrister and he told us there is a case for a judicial review as the council has failed in its duty of care towards us. And our neighbours have given us a lot of support in this." This is a disgraceful case. Councils are there to protect people from unneighbourly develop­ ments and this is a classic example of it. How can the

Whites possibly maintain their property with this exten­ sion next door? There is another dimension to this planning row, because the neighbour is an immigrant. Is it yet another example of councils ever more reluctant to take action fearing the race card or whatever?

q

By the time you read this, Scotland will have voted either to stay as part of the UK, or quit.

I´m writing this days before then, so I´m having to stick my neck out and I predict a slender victory for the no camp. What this debate and vote about Scottish inde­ pendence demonstrates is how divisive nationalism is.

Thankfully the process has passed off peacefully ­ can you imagine what would have happened in some other parts of the world.

Today and next week Scotland will have to begin the healing process between

the two sides in the argument which have been poles apart.

I think the real turning point in the debate was when supermarket bosses, banks and other companies warned of a possible rise in prices if Scotland broke away. The Scots are canny people and would think twice about vot­ ing for something which might hit their pockets. I also think that wonderful dose of pure patriotism, the Last Night of the Proms, brought some Scots to their senses, realising they are part of Great Britain, not just Scotland.

Independence would mean company distri­ bution costs would be higher and over time these would be passed onto shoppers. In addition a left­wing Socialist Scotland would be bound to spend more on welfare, paid for by higher taxes, and probably increased taxes on business. That too would raise prices. If Scotland has voted yes, it would make its application for membership of the EU very interesting.

Would France and Spain welcome Scotland as a member, knowing that the Basques and Catalans are watching the outcome and bristling at the opportunity to break away and become independent? One good thing resulting from a yes vote would be no Labour Scottish MPs at Westminster, and far less chance of a future Labour government in the remainder of the UK. And it will be very interesting to watch a left leaning Scotland and a right leaning England and see how the economies and standard of living differ over the years.

It´s good to get some­ thing for nothing occa­ sionally, and when you go into a supermarket and get some vouchers it goes some small way to making you feel good. We felt that when we got some vouchers for Flora Pro­active cholesterol bust­ ing products ­ until we select­ ed some from the shelves and went to the checkout.

We then learned that each coupon had to be used on separate visits. Have you ever heard anything more stupid? The checkout girl said: "We´ve had problems with these before. What you can do is to go to the self­ checkout and put them through as one transaction after another and pay for each separately. As Victor Meldrew would have said: "I don´t believe it!" Can you imagine silly, overpaid squirts in these companies deciding to do a promotion, offering vouchers and then dreaming up all kinds of exclusions to make life more difficult for customers? I´m sure you can. We have points cards at various restaurant chains in the UK, but it´s a real headache using the benefits when we´re only in Britain for 14 weeks and by the time we return. the money on the cards has been snatched away. It´s the same with the Carrefour membership card, which invariably issues a voucher just as we return to the UK and which expires before we get back. Talk about getting stuff given with one hand and taken away by the other!

The arson attack on the Manchester dogs' home in which around 50 dogs died, rightly upset many peo­ ple and prompted hundreds of folk to donate piles of blan­ kets, food and around 1.5 million pounds. All very well, but I wonder if that generosi­ ty would have been the same if it had not been a dogs' home but a children´s home partially destroyed and youngsters killed? I so often feel that in Britain there are misplaced priorities.

q

q

Fellas, if you want to be left something in your partners' will, there is one thing to remember ­ to put the toilet seat down! Comic genius Joan Rivers amassed a $150 million fortune which will all go to her daughter and grandson and her two dogs, who she said, were better than a husband 'because they didn't leave the toilet seat up'.

Question. Do you feel your partner values her pet dog or cat more than you?

Friday, September 19, 2014

17

18

Friday, September 19, 2014

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH Spanish 140

ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen. As you can see, the verb is reg­ ular apart from the first person singular yo conjugation.

Therefore when in English we would use either make or do ¡Hola! I hope you´re enjoying September, remember you we need this verb in Spanish, e.g. I make the bed – hago la have time to learn Spanish no matter what your situation, you cama, she does her homework – ella hace sus deberes. It´s can always find five minutes here or ten minutes there, it´s also used in the present simple when in English we have to not easy, that´s the first thing to remember but it´s also far use the present continuous, i.e: What are you doing? ­ ¿qué from impossible. If I can do it, I remind my students, anyone haces? This is one of the differences in Spanish and English, can. I´m no expert in foreign languages and failed CSE the Spanish are slightly more flexible in tenses than English German miserably, I wasn´t even good enough to do O which is very specific.

Level! I now see the reason for my failure was The reason that this week we are doing disinterest, I wasn´t bothered about whether I hacer is because it is also used in a different could or couldn´t speak a foreign language and way to English in certain phrases. Firstly I didn´t really study, it was all a bit haphazard, when we talk about the weather, in English so when I thought about learning Spanish I we would say ´it is hot´, ´it is cold´, ´it is was sure it would be another disaster, but it good/bad weather´, ´it is windy´, ´it is sunny´. wasn´t. So why did I learn Spanish to this level In Spanish we would use the verb hacer in when I had been such a disaster in German? It place of the verb ´to be´. So the Spanish say all comes down to the fact that this time I want­ ´hace calor´, ´hace frío´, ´hace buen/mal ed it, I wanted to be able to converse in this tiempo´, ´hace viento´, ´hace sol. language, therefore I put everything I had into Here are some more uses of the verb learning, every spare minute I would look at a hacer in expressions: book or chat to people online. I didn´t have Se hace tarde – it´s getting late, hacer many Spanish friends, only those who came caso – to obey, hacer trampa – to cheat (in into the bar where I was working, therefore my a game), hacer una pregunta – to ask a spoken Spanish took a lot longer to improve. question, hacer un viaje – to take a trip, There was also the question of confidence, hacer una visita – to pay a visit. In English which I was sorely lacking. I am also a bit of a the translation is different since we are using perfectionist. I wanted everything to be gram­ a specific verb in English whereas in matically correct with the right vocabulary until HACE CALOR ESTE MES Spanish we use the verb hacer with a noun I realised that I could get away with the odd as a phrase. mistake here or there. I also realised that I didn´t have to Spanish.

Examples: se hace tarde para ir a la tienda – it´s getting They are: to make and to do. It may seem a bit strange to know why I was saying something in the way it was said, I just learnt to accept that sometimes that´s how Spanish is think the Spanish get away with one verb when they seem so late to go to the shop; El niño no hace caso a su mamá – spoken and to ask why is to waste time worrying. I was different to us in English but in this respect it makes it easier, the child doesn´t obey his mother, nosotros hacemos un always looking for answers until I learnt the answers are, we only have to think of one verb whereas the Spanish find viaje muy largo – we take a long trip.

Next week we will learn more uses of the verb hacer, so very often, irrelevant. We say some things in Spanish just it tricky knowing which one to use in English.

This is the conjugation of hacer: yo hago, tú haces, for now practise what you have learnt so you are ready for because that´s how it´s said. A good example is contigo or conmigo. Why do we say those words? I say does it matter él/ella/usted hace, nosotros hacemos, vosotros hacéis, more next week. why? Is there even a reason why? Stop looking for excuses for not speaking Spanish, put the time in and just accept the language how it is and you will suddenly find yourself speak­ ing more confidently and fluently. Don´t get hung up on why, concentrate more on your pronunciation, verb endings and prepositions and with those things you´ll be a confident Spanish speaker and writer.

This week we are going to revise the verb hacer, I hope you remember the translation of this verb, take a minute to think about the two English verbs which translate as hacer in

Friday, September 19, 2014

19

20

Friday, September 19, 2014

EXERCISE YOUR FACE TO LOOK HEALTHIER AND YOUNGER

Do you have a problem area on your face that you would like to change?

Double chin, droopy eyes, jowls, pouches, crows feet or marionette lines? Aging is as sneaky as sun damage and it seems that in a twin­ kling of an eye, your face can look so different that you might wonder just who is that person staring back at you in the mirror?

Could facial exercise be the answer to the age old question –“Can I maintain a youthful appearance?” Must I spend my children’s inheri­ tance to stave off Mother

Nature’s footprints across my face?

You can certainly turn back the clock with facial exercise that employs resist­ ance and isometric contrac­ tions of the muscles using the thumbs and fingers. This doesn’t mean that you will look sixteen or even twenty again but shaving off ten or fifteen years from your appearance with exercise rivals the results of most plastic surgery procedures.

Plastic surgery tech­ niques do not stop the aging process; muscles in the face continue to make their

downward slide dragging the skin unnaturally, creating the need for more and more surgical procedures. With exercise, the muscles become stronger, the skin looks revitalized and lifted.

Most importantly, facial exercises can be performed inexpensively at home.

The muscles of the face elongate just like the mus­ cles in your arms, thighs and buttocks; in fact, the mus­ cles in the face will have elongated about one­half inch by the time most people have reached the age of 55.

The elongation is the result

of atrophy of the muscles and gravity. Even though we talk, sing or laugh, the mus­ cles continue to soften and become lax; it’s only when the facial muscles are specifically exercised do they begin to plump up and support your skin better.

The elongation of facial muscles affects every area of your face. For instance, the “apples” in your upper cheeks may not be posi­ tioned prominently, in fact, when a smile is made, rather than seeing fullness high on the cheeks, the muscles may appear flat and midway between the nose and mouth.

If you add one­half inch to the length of your forehead, your eye area suffers because the downward motion compresses into the brows. What happens if you add one­half inch or more to the area under the chin?

The dreaded wattle is devel­ oping. One­half inch added to the jaw line means jowls

are forming.

Beginning a facial exer­ cise program to sculpt and contour the face may seem daunting at first because the movements and positioning feel somewhat awkward.

Remember when you first learned to ride a bicycle? It was so scary! But after a few days of lumps and bumps, you were pedaling like you were a pro. It’s the same with facial exercise, once you become familiar with the movements, you will marvel that these simple steps can easily produce a younger looking face.

You will want to take

beginning photos before you start a facial exercise regi­ men so that you can track your progress and you will want to update your photos at the end of every third week. In about three weeks friends and colleagues will begin noticing that some­ thing is definitely different about you. They may think you have changed your hair in some way or that you are sleeping better but you will know what they’re seeing is your pretty face returning.

In hardly any time at all, you will notice how smooth and refreshed your skin looks; your face glows with radiance from increased oxygenation to the muscles and those sagging, droopy muscles are now portraying a more youthful looking you.

Without surgery, drugs or anything harmful you can turn back the clock and look at least 10­15 years younger.

Friday, September 19, 2014

HOW TO DEAL WITH A HANGOVER DR MACHI MANNU’S ADVICE CLINIC Email your questions and comments to contact@medb.es

If you´ve ever binged on alcohol, then you know so well the unpleasant after­ math known as a hangover.

Hangover symptoms vary from person to person, but may include headache, nau­ sea, sensitivity to light and noise, dizziness, lethargy, diarrhoea and thirst.

Hangovers are usually expe­ rienced in the morning after a night of heavy drinking, but can also occur at any time.

The symptoms of a hang­ over are caused by a build­ up of toxins produced in the liver while alcohol is being processed, in addition to irri­ tation of the stomach and dehydration of the brain.

Too much alcohol can be damaging to health and drinkers are recommended to limit their daily intake to 3­ 4 units for men and 2.3 units for women. Women have lower levels of an enzyme in the stomach that deactivates alcohol, and do not handle alcohol as well as men. A unit of alcohol is 10ml or 8 g of alcohol. Half a pint of beer of about 3.5% alcohol strength contains one unit.

But many lagers now con­ tain 5% and some others up

to 9% alcohol. A small (100 ml) glass of wine of 10% alcohol contains one unit.

Depending on its alcohol content, a bottle of wine typ­ ically contains between 8­11 units of alcohol.

Before you go out to drink, consider taking 1g of Vitamin C or artichoke extracts to stimulate liver function. People with low levels of Vitamin C have a much worse hangover.

Brandy and whisky contain congeners to add flavour and colour and these chemi­ cals can cause more stom­ ach irritation and hangovers.

Drinking alcohol on a full stomach is helpful against a hangover, as well as drink­ ing at least half a litre of water before going to bed. If you still wake up with a hangover, ensure that you slowly drink up to 2 litres of water all day. Milk thistle extract protects the liver against the effects of alcohol and speeds up recovery from a hangover. However, if you drink, do so with cau­ tion.

FOR A FULL BODY DIAG­ NOSTIC SCAN CALL DR MACHI MANNU: 965071745

21

22

Friday, September 19, 2014

HOW TO UNLOCK YOUR BODY´S HIDDEN ENERGY TO LOOK AND FEEL 10 YEARS YOUNGER Imagine for a moment that you could flip a switch and sud­ denly have the kind of energy you had 5, 10 or even 20 years ago.

Imagine jumping out of bed every morning, full of energy and ready to go. Imagine having enough stamina to run laps with your kids or grand kids. By flipping this switch, you could reverse the ageing process... even if you´re already in your 50s, 60s, 70s or even 80s.

Believe it or not it is possible for you to reverse the dam­ age done to your skin and body and regain youthful glow. In just a moment, you´ll learn all the details about how you can flip your body´s hidden energy switch.

But first you´ll have to understand how your body really produces energy.

YOU DON´T LOSE ENERGY BECAUSE YOU AGE. YOU AGE BECAUSE YOU LOSE ENERGY You see your body is a community of about 10 trillion cells, and each cell is like a mini you. So in essence your cells decide what happens to you. If your cells are lacking in ener­ gy, you will feel the same way.

To generate energy, your cells employ tiny floating gener­ ators called Mitochondria. Hard­working organs such as the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and eyes contain a lot of mito­ chondria.

Interestingly, Mitochondria are the only part of your cells that have their own separate DNA ­ the blueprint of life. This means that signals from the mitochondria can influence the way your cells develop, grow and die.

The ability of your cells to hear these signals from the mitochondria determines how well your body grows, repairs itself and fights off infections and cancer. When

Mitochondria becomes damaged, they send incorrect mes­ sages, that create chaos in the body.

Even worse, damaged mitochondria will self­reproduce other damaged mitochondria, eventually replacing the healthy mitochondria with unhealthy and dysfunctional mito­ chondria. This is the cause of many chronic diseases and ageing.

Mitochondria are very delicate and are easily damaged from inside the body by toxic chemicals known as free radi­ cals which are the by­products when mitochondria gener­ ates energy. From the outside, mitochondria are also easily damaged by toxic free radicals from environmental pollu­ tants, UV radiation, toxic chemicals, and poor nutrition.

To neutralize the effect of these toxic free radicals, Your mitochondria produces a powerful antioxidant called Co­ enzyme Q10 or CoQ10. Now if you´re like most healthy peo­ ple, until you hit your 30s, your body is able to make enough CoQ10 to keep you going.

But after that we begin to slide downhill, some more so than others. We age. Our organs start to fail, our skin sags, and we are no longer able to move about as easily as we used to.

GET AN INTERNAL MAKEOVER Since CoQ10 was discovered in 1957, millions of people have taken it as a supplement to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. And they have.

However, CoQ10 supplements are poorly absorbed into the body, and only a tiny fraction of CoQ10 from these sup­ plements eventually reaches the cell, let alone the mitochon­ dria.

And things have remained the same since CoQ10 was discovered, UNTIL NOW.

MITOQ - A TRIUMPH OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY

MitoQ is a brand new supercharged form of CoQ10 able to deliver CoQ10 directly into the mitochondria – the power­ house of your cells – where it is needed the most.

This unique advantage makes MitoQ 847 times more powerful than any other form of CoQ10 available in the mar­ ket today.

Even more impressive is that MitoQ is among the few drugs in the world that can target the Mitochondria ­ the seat of energy production in the body.

Backed by over a decade of scientific research, MitoQ has been found effective for treating and managing many dis­ eases of the heart, brain, liver, and kidneys, as well as genetic diseases.

MitoQ is available as a capsule and a body serum.

YOUTHFUL SKIN, HEALTH AND ENERGY MitoQ serum fights the damage caused by free radicals, when the skin is exposed to UV rays from the sun, poor nutri­ tion, stress, chemicals and genetic mutations.

When CoQ10 is delivered directly into your skin cells, they become energised and are able to produce more collagen and elastin like they did when you were in your 20s. The Lack of collagen and elastin is the main reason why our skin develops fine lines, wrinkles and uneven pigmentation.

MitoQ is exactly what your body needs to look and feel revi­ talized and full of energy once again.

For more information visit www.mitoq.com or www.medb.es.

To order Today and enjoy FREE delivery, Call 965071745 1 bottle (60 capsules) – 44.95 Euros. I bottle serum (50mls) – 89 Euros

Edition 14

TOP 10 BUYING BLUNDERS

It is all too easy to get carried away with the thoughts of endless sunny days and the colourful culture that comes with living in Spain. But when investing in something as valu­ able as a future home you need to go in with a clear head.

If you are seriously considering investing in a Spanish property you may already have heard of the “Association of International Property professionals” (AIPP), a UK based association which works to protect the interests of buyers of overseas property. They have a wealth of knowledge of the protocol that is involved in overseas investment, and are also familiar with some of the most common blunders that buyers contin­ ue to make. AIPP argue that there are a plethora of magazines and websites which offer advice on what to do when buying property abroad, but there are very few which advise you of what not to do. Therefore, in this week’s Property Plus we have included a list of the top ten things to avoid when buying your next home.

1) Entrusting in a Solicitor who works for, or closely with the developer or agent­ Great big NO NO! It is vital to use a Solicitor when purchasing property as they know the in’s and out’s of the Spanish system, but make sure that they are entirely independent, so that there would never be a conflict of interests should you have an legal problems with the developer further down the line.

2) Confusing a Solicitor with a Notary­ This is a com­ mon mistake and easy to confuse, as Notaries do not form part of the conveyancing process in the UK. However, in most popular overseas destinations including Spain, it is the Notary who must by law rubber­stamp all property trans­ actions. If not they are not legally binding and will not stand up in court.

3) Signing a contract without seeking independent legal advice­ It can be tempting to side step this process, espe­ cially if you are in the hands of a very good salesman!

However, it is vital to appoint a Solicitor no matter how clued up the agent might appear. Remember that they want you to buy, and may put pressure on you to sign something which may not be quite as it seems if you get a professional in to read the small print! It is very easy to find an English speak­ ing Solicitor in Spain, who will usually be available by email/fax to check a contract for a small fee.

4) Counting on a verbal agreement­ Even if you are buy­ ing or renting off someone who you know, you must always ensure that every last detail that you have agreed is put in writing, from the payment of utility bills to the fixtures and fit­ tings. Ensure that your contract is watertight and that every page is signed so that no unauthorized changes can be made later on.

5) Overlooking additional buying costs In some countries, including Spain, the addition of legal fees and property taxes can increase your purchase price by as much as 15%, which can come as real shock if you haven’t budgeted for it. Your agent should be able to advise of the entire cost to you, and if you are not convinced then ask a Financial Advisor or Solicitor to give you a break down.

6) Dismissing the consequences of fluctuating exchange rates­ If you are making your investment in sterling, remem­ ber that your buying power will vary according to the strength of the pound against the euro at the time of signing at the Notary. Naturally if the value of the pound sees a dip the amount of capital which you propose to put down against the property will have to increase.

7) Overstretching your finances­ It is very easy to con­ vince yourself that you can afford something which you real­ ly want, even though the reality is that you are going to strug­ gle in the long term. Plus, if planning to let the property, it is also very risky to rely entirely on rental income to cover your monthly mortgage repay­ ments, as you cannot guarantee that you will always have a tenant, or indeed, that they will pay!

8) Ignoring your taxation obligations­ You should get advice regarding your tax obligations prior to committing to a purchase, as this will help you to budget for the future.

Most importantly, do not assume that the system in Spain is the same as in the UK, as it has its own set of regulations, particularly when it comes to property and inheritance issues.

9) Under­declaring the purchase price on the Escritura­ this was common practice several years ago, and some companies will still encourage you to do it as the cheapest option, but don’t be tempted. It is considered as fraud under Spanish law and could leave you behind bars rather than in your dream home.

10) Letting your heart rule your head­ the perfect point to finish on. The vast majority of property purchases in Spain run smoothly, but the dream could soon turn into a night­ mare if you dive in at the deep end without doing your home­ work.

So to re­cap.... entrust a respectable Estate Agent, appoint an independent Solicitor, ensure that you have a fully legal fool­proof contract and glean as much information as you can about your property, rights and obligations before you buy.

2

Friday, September 19, 2014

Friday, September 19, 2014

3

4

Friday, September 19, 2014

Friday, September 19, 2014

SPANISH NEWS

CON CLOSED A gang of con­artists who amassed millions through the infamous 'Nigerian letter scam' between 2005 and 2010 have been sentenced to 12 years and nine months each in jail. Among the accused is an employee of a branch of Deutsche Bank in Spain, although the company itself was not in any way involved. The bank employee is said to have collected money from vic­ tims who fell for the scam and paid 'administration costs' to be able to claim their fictitious inheritances or lottery wins.

A total of 14 fraudsters, most of whom are Nigerian nationals, were caught in Spain and tried at the National Court. Over the course of five years, the scammers – who are spread around the world – sent emails to thousands of address­ es claiming the recipient had either inherited a massive sum of money or won the lottery, or that the sender needed an account to 'hide' several million in.

In the former case, some of the recipients

were told that their money was held on deposit in the Bank of Spain. Those who had allegedly received money were told to send a given sum to cover 'admin­ istration costs', whilst those asked for use of their accounts to 'hide' millions of dollars were asked for their bank details. The lat­ ter would then find sums of money missing from their accounts, whilst the former sent their 'administration money' and never saw it again.

One man in the USA who was told he had inher­ ited 28 million dollars sent a million to cover 'costs', and another is thought to have sent upwards of 950 thou­ sand dollars. Some were told to travel to Spain to collect their money from the coun­ try's central bank, and once there, given the location of a 'safe place' where the cash was stored. Next, they were referred to high street banks – including Deutsche Bank – to pay a given sum to cover legal and handling fees.

MORE VIEWINGS

A Spanish cave con­ taining some of the world's most precious prehistoric art will stay open for trial visits after decades closed for con­ servation reasons.

Experts who launched small trial viewings in February at the Altamira cave to see whether the ancient paintings could withstand the breath and germs of visitors have now decided to extend them, according to the culture min­ istry.

Renowned for its 14,000­year­old paint­ ings of red bison, the cave closed in 2002 for fear that moisture and microscopic fungi introduced by visitors would ruin the prehis­ toric paint. This year's trial visits of small groups showed "no relation of cause and effect between the presence of researchers and visitors... and the loss of pigment", the ministry said in a statement. Experts have

now decided to contin­ ue letting five visitors per week into the cave until next February in order to monitor the effect on the ancient masterpieces over a year, it added.

The highlight of the cave is a set of paint­ ings, at least 14,000 years old, of red and yellow bison plus hors­ es, deer, humans with the heads of animals and mysterious symbols. UNESCO listed the paintings as a World Heritage Site in 1985, describing them as "masterpieces of cre­ ative genius and... humanity's earliest accomplished art".

The cave was discovered in 1868 at Santillana del Mar in Spain's northern Cantabria region. During the closure, visitors have had to make do with replicas of the paintings, with only scientists allowed into the cave to carry out research.

23

MUM “NOT CRAZY”

Psychiatric experts study­ ing a Spanish mother who allegedly killed two of her babies and hid their bodies in her kitchen freezer have told a Sevilla judge that she is not mentally ill.

Sara López,is currently facing a 40­year prison sen­ tence if found guilty of mur­ dering two of her new born babies. It was her ex­hus­ band Francisco Huertas who discovered one of the bodies in 2010 when clean­ ing the house on a day López was out working.

When he cleared out the freezer to begin defrosting it, he found a rubbish bag stuffed towards the back.

According to the ABC news­ paper, he nearly fainted when he saw what was inside, but it wasn’t until several days later that he found out the baby was his.

López, who was arrested soon after Francisco’s shocking discovery, had kept her pregnancies to her­ self. She told the judge her husband had threatened to leave her if she fell pregnant again, with the couple already having two other children. After giving birth in the bath tub, she claims the baby wasn’t breathing and decided to freeze it.

“I didn’t want to get rid of it or forget it. It didn’t seem

right to just stick in the bin,” she told the court at her ini­ tial hearing.

Three weeks later, Francisco relived the same nightmare when he was continuing to clear up the very same chest freezer.

The Guardia Civil had searched the premises but had inexplicably not looked again in the same place the first corpse was found.

“How is it possible that another baby has been found in the freezer?” the magistrate asked López in the next hearing.

The 34­year­old woman,

who was pregnant yet again while in prison, said she had no idea how the second baby had got there. A Sevilla forensics team determined both babies had died of asphyxia but too much time had passed to be able to say if it was their mother who had murdered them.

Psychiatrists now say there is no indication that López suffers or suffered any men­ tal illness at the time of the babies’ deaths, stating that it was impossible to “forget everything” about the sec­ ond pregnancy as it lasts nine months.

24

Friday, September 19, 2014

CHEAP EAT RECIPES TUNA SWEET POTATO JACKETS Ingredients 4 small sweet potatoes (about 200g each) 185g can tuna in spring water, drained ½ red onion, finely sliced 1 small red chilli, deseeded and chopped juice 1 lime 6 tbsp Greek yogurt handful coriander leaves

Method

1. Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork.

Place on a microwaveable plate and cook on High for 18­20 mins, or until tender. Split in half and place each one, cut­ side up, on a serving plate.

2. Flake the drained tuna with a fork and divide between the sweet potatoes. Top with the red onion and chilli, then squeeze over the lime juice. Top with a dollop of yogurt and scatter over the coriander, to serve.

SUPER SMOKY BACON & TOMATO SPAGHETTI Ingredients 400g spaghetti 1 tbsp olive oil 120g smoked streaky bacon, sliced into matchsticks 1 onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

2 x 400g cans chopped toma­ toes grated Parmesan, to serve (optional)

¼ small pack coriander, leaves only cooked rice, to serve (optional)

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the spaghetti following pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non­stick frying pan and cook the bacon for 3­4 mins until just starting to crisp. Stir in the onion and cook for another 3­4 mins, then add the gar­ lic and smoked paprika, and cook for 1 min more.

2. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, bring to the boil and bub­ ble for about 5 mins until thickened, stirring every so often to stop it catching on the bottom. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with Parmesan, if you like.

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the beef pieces for a few mins on each side until browned all over. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the onion to the pan, with extra oil if needed, and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic, cumin and chipotle paste, and cook for 1 min. Sieve the kidney beans, reserving the sauce. Add this sauce, along with the chopped tomatoes and a can full of water, to the pan. Stir well, then return the meat to the pan. Bring to a simmer, then cook, covered, for 2 hrs or until the beef is tender (or bake in the oven for 3 hrs at 160C/140C fan/gas 3).

3. Add the reserved kidney beans and lime zest, season

Method

CHUNKY CHILLI Ingredients 1­2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra if needed 400g diced stewing beef 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1½ tsp ground cumin 1­2 tbsp chipotle paste (or gluten­free alternative), depend­ ing on how spicy you like it 400g can kidney beans in chilli sauce 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 lime, zested and cut into wedges

Method

25

Friday, September 19, 2014 and warm through. Serve with a scattering of coriander leaves, the lime wedges to squeeze over, and rice, if you like.

SPICY OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN & CHIPS Ingredients 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning 2 tbsp vegetable oil zest and juice 1 lime 750g large potatoes, cut into chips 1kg chicken wings green salad or coleslaw and ketchup, to serve

Method

1.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In a bowl, whisk together the Cajun seasoning, vegetable oil, lime zest and juice. Toss the chips, wings and Cajun mixture together in batches, so that every­ thing is well coated.

2. Cover a large baking sheet with foil, then arrange the chips around the outside and the wings in the middle.

Season and bake for 20 mins, then turn the chips and return to the oven for a further 20­25 mins until the chips and wings are golden. Serve with green salad, or coleslaw and ketchup.

COURGETTE, SAUSAGE & RIGATONI BAKES Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 4 good­quality pork sausages 2 courgettes, sliced on the diagonal then chopped into batons 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced pinch of chilli flakes 400g can chopped toma­ toes 200g rigatoni ½ x 150g ball mozzarella, patted dry and torn into chunks

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Squeeze the sausage­ meat out of the skins, breaking it into little chunks, and pop in the pan. Fry for 8 mins until golden and cooked through.

Tip in the courgettes, garlic and a pinch of chilli flakes. Fry for a few mins until just tender. Pour over the chopped toma­ toes, season and bubble down for 5 mins or so, adding a splash of water if it’s looking too thick.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions.

Drain and stir through the sauce and spoon everything into 2 small flameproof dishes.

3. Heat the grill to high. Dot the cheese on top of the sausage dishes, then place under the grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling (about 5­10 mins), and serve.

SPICY SAUSAGE & BEAN ONE-POT Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, thickly sliced 8 Cumberland sausages 1 fat garlic clove, crushed 2 x 400g cans kidney beans in chilli sauce 2­3 sprigs curly parsley, chopped

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the onion and

sausages over a fairly high heat for 8­10 mins, turning the sausages often so they brown all over.

2. Add the garlic to the pan with the kidney beans and their sauce. Half­fill one of the cans with water, swirl and then add this to the pan. Stir everything togeth­ er and bring to the boil. Turn down to simmer and cook for 10 mins, or until the sausages are cooked through. Season and sprinkle with the parsley.

LAMB & CHICKPEA FRITTER WRAPS Ingredients 1 x 400g and 1 x 210g can chickpea, drained and rinsed 1 egg 250g pack lean lamb mince 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped ¼ small pack coriander, roughly chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 4 large tortilla wraps 1 romaine lettuce, shredded 4 tomatoes, sliced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 150g pot 0% fat Greek yogurt oven chips, to serve (optional)

Method

1. In a food processor, whizz the chickpeas with the egg for a few mins until almost a purée, but some bits remain.

Spoon into a bowl and stir in the mince, spices, two­thirds of the garlic, the chilli and coriander. Season well and form into 12 small fritters.

2. Heat the oil in a non­stick frying pan and cook the fritters in batches for 4 mins on each side, until crisp on the outside and cooked through.

3. Top each wrap with a good handful of shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion and 3 fritters. Mix the yogurt with the remaining garlic and spoon a little over the fritters. Wrap up and tuck in, with chips on the side, if you like.

MUSHROOM, RICOTTA & ROCKET TART Ingredients 1 sheet ready­rolled puff pas­ try 2 tbsp olive oil 525g family pack mushrooms, halved or quartered if large 2 garlic cloves, 1 finely sliced, 1 crushed 250g tub ricotta good grating of nutmeg ¼ small pack parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped 50g rocket

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and place a baking sheet inside. Unroll the pastry onto a piece of baking parch­ ment and score a border around the pastry about 1.5cm in from the edge. Place the pastry (still on the parchment) on the baking sheet and cook for 10­15 mins.

2. While the pastry bakes, heat the oil in a large lidded pan and cook the mushrooms for 2­3 mins, with the lid on, stir­

ring occasionally. Remove the lid and add the sliced garlic, then cook for 1 min more to get rid of excess liquid.

3. Mix the crushed garlic with the ricotta and nutmeg, then season well. Remove the pastry from the oven and carefully push down the risen centre. Spread over the ricotta mixture, then spoon on the mushrooms and garlic. Bake for 5 mins, then scatter over the parsley and rocket.

LENTIL & SWEET POTATO CURRY Ingredients 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil 1 red onion, chopped 1 tsp cumin seed 1 tsp mustard seeds (any colour) 1 tbsp medium curry pow­ der 100g red or green lentils, or a mixture 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 500ml vegetable stock 400g can chopped tomatoes 400g can chickpeas, drained ¼ small pack coriander (optional) natural yogurt and naan bread, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for a few mins until softened. Add the spices and cook for 1 min more, then stir in the lentils, sweet potatoes, stock and chopped tomatoes.

2. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 mins until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender. Add the chick­ peas, then heat through.

3. Season, sprinkle with coriander, if you like, and serve with seasoned yogurt and naan bread.

TOMATO & RICE SOUP Ingredients 2 tsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 carrot, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 1 tbsp golden caster sugar 2 tbsp vinegar (white, red or balsamic) 1 tbsp tomato purée 400g can chopped tomatoes or passata 1l vegetable stock made with 2 cubes 140g rice (long­grain, basmati, wild, brown or a mixture) ¼ small pack parsley, leaves only, chopped, and a few drops of pesto, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, carrot and celery, then cook gently until softened. Add the sugar and vinegar, cook for 1 min, then stir through the tomato purée. Add the chopped tomatoes or passata, the vegetable stock, and any brown rice, if using, then cover and simmer for 10 mins. If you are using wild rice, add this and simmer for 10 mins more. Finally, add any white rice you’re using, and simmer for a final 10 mins until the rice is tender.

2. Just before serving, sprinkle over some chopped parsley and season to taste. Divide into bowls and add a swirl of pesto to each, if you like.

26

Friday, September 19, 2014

thediscountcard.es

CUT OUT YOUR CARD BELOW, OR DOWNLOAD AND PRINT ONE FROM THEDISCOUNTCARD.ES AND START SAVING TODAY!

27

Friday, September 19, 2014

Restaurants & Bars

Lifestyle

Property

Services

28

Friday, September 19, 2014

Horoscopes Aries March 21 ­ April 19 You could encounter a potential romantic partner today, Aries. You'll probably meet this person at a group event and hit it off immediately. This person is likely to be bright, physically attractive, kindhearted, and sensitive. If you're single and available, don't pass up this opportunity. Take advan­ tage of the event to get to know each other.

Who knows where this might lead?

Taurus April 20 ­ May 20 A lot of changes could be taking place in your life now, Taurus. Even though most of them are positive, the upheaval can be unsettling right now. Don't give in to panic. Nothing needs to be done that you can't handle. Take each task one step at a time. As you vault each hurdle, the road ahead seems that much smoother. When you arrive, all will be well. Keep going!

Gemini May 21 ­ June 20 New beginnings and promising new opportunities may appear from a distant state or foreign country, Gemini. Your adventurous side is excited and enthusi­ astic, but the side of you that wants to stay settled could put up some resistance.

Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all.

Cancer June 21 ­ July 22 A financial windfall might open new doors for you, Cancer, and you could consider making some major changes in your life. You might think about moving to a nicer home.

Romance is definitely on your mind. If you aren't already involved in a domestic situa­ tion, you might consider it seriously right now. Change can be frightening, but these changes are good. Don't hesitate.

By Pandora Leo July 23 ­ August 22 Expect some positive changes in a cur­ rent partnership, Leo. If this is a business partnership, a new agreement between you shows promise of success and good fortune. If this is a romance, you might be so perfectly compatible that you're con­ sidering moving to the next level of com­ mitment. Any new partnership begun today should be promising and bring you whatever you hope to gain.

Virgo August 23 ­ September 22 Have you been working out, following a new dietary program, or both, Virgo? If so, today you could look in the mirror and for the first time see some tangible and positive results. You're probably looking and feeling great. Don't abandon your efforts. You'll want to continue the progress. Keep the energy flowing by going for a run or other workout, then treat yourself to a small indulgence.

Libra September 23 ­ October 22 Have you been thinking about relocating, Libra? The siren song of distant states or exotic lands may play constantly in your ears. Foreign cultures could inspire you artistically, spiritually, and personally.

This is actually a time when few things are out of your reach. If you're serious about this, look into it. You can decide once you have all the facts.

Scorpio October 23 ­ November 21 Expect something new to take place regarding your home today, Scorpio.

Someone could come for a visit or even move in. You could be redecorating, land­ scaping, or buying new furniture. There is always the possibility that you're moving.

Whatever the changes, they're likely to be positive despite the messy and disruptive process of making them. You've got a lot to look forward to!

Sagittarius November 22 ­ December 21 Some wonderful news could come to you, Sagittarius, possibly from a sibling or neighbor. It might involve money or a new opportunity that's opening up nearby. A group event concerning a subject you're very interested in could also take place.

You might feel you have a lot of phone calls to make and plans to think about. The future looks bright. Enjoy!

Capricorn December 22 ­ January 19 An opportunity to bring in extra income might arrive today, Capricorn, possibly through a female friend. Another Capricorn might be involved. This proba­ bly involves a special, temporary project, but it could prove enjoyable and prof­ itable. A love partner might want to partic­ ipate, too. Think about it before commit­ ting. Talk to people who have done this before. It's worth a try, anyway.

Aquarius January 20 ­ February 18 This is a day of fresh beginnings for you, Aquarius. Accomplishments in the past fos­ ter a new sense of self­confidence, along with optimism and enthusiasm for the future. Travel lies ahead, and possibly advancing your education in some way.

Romance also looks promising. Go for a facial or massage today, or buy some new clothes. Start the new cycle by making your appearance match what you feel inside.

Pisces February 19 ­ March 20 If you've never tried your hand at the arts, Pisces, this is the day to do it. Your imagi­ nation and ingenuity are flying high, and your aesthetic sense is acute right now. If you aren't already involved with such activities, look online or in the paper and see what classes or workshops are offered in your area. Get a friend to go with you. You'll probably have a great time!

Friday, September 19, 2014

29

RICHARD CAVENDER

Bluemoon Solutions www.bluemoonsolutions.es

BlueMoon Solutions is the computer and IT services com­ pany 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 eight 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 prob­ lems. 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 expe­ rience 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: James was receiving annoying messages from ADVICE: Mary was having some issues with Skype AVG on his new computer.

I have recently installed Skype to be able to communicate with our grandchildren in I have recently purchased a new HP computer tower which has 500 GB capacity the UK. After a few minutes use the picture and speech starts to stutter and then and 2 GB RAM and has AVG 2014 installed. If I have a number of website pages the picture freezes. At this point a warning comes up that “the connection speed is open or use Facebook a warning comes up from AVG advising that I have “High to slow – shut down video”. Our children in the UK have ADSL speeds of 6 GB and Memory Usage” and suggests I close down the pages I have open to improve per­ 10 GB respectively whilst I have an ADSL speed of 2 GB which has been verified with a formance. The figure quoted for the memory being used is usually around 250/260 MB. Is speed test. My current ADSL supplier has an alternative speed at extra cost of 4 GB. How there anything I can do to improve matters? can I improve matters?

Q

Q

Hi James, your system is not poorly spec’ed so you shouldn’t be receiving these messages from AVG, however even they confirm that this is an issue with their software reporting useless information from time to time. If you don’t want to see these messages you can disable the performance notifications from within AVG by doing the following…

A

Open the AVG User Interface Click Tools Click Advance Settings Click Appearance and uncheck “Display AVG advisor performance notifications”

Hi Mary, the figures that you have provided separately should be fine for using Skype with, your slowest speed is an upload speed of 400kbps which should be more than ok, I would check that both you and your daughter’s computers are using the same, latest version of Skype as this can sometimes have a positive effect on Skype’s performance, failing that we would need to look at the performance of your Internet connection whilst you are in a Skype call.

A

ADVICE: Bill was having problems with the font size withADVICE: Lynn wanted to know how to turn off the Junk in his Gmail account.

Mail processing in Thunderbird Hello, my name is Bill and I called this afternoon with reference the font size on my

Q A

Gmail account. One day it was fine and the next it became very small. I have no Hi Richard, I have just set up a new email account in Thunderbird and very frustrat­ idea how to put it right. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. ingly all of my emails are going into the Junk Email folder is there any way that I As I am 74 my eyesight is not as it was so I have difficulty in seeing what I am doing can turn off this not very helpful function? ! Many Regards, Bill Hi Bill, I suspect that the problem is not actually with the font size set on your Gmail Hi Lynn, yes there is, you should do the following… account, but more the zoom control for your web browser.

If I am correct then when you go onto the Internet, all text will be small, not just that 1. Launch Thunderbird within your Gmail account, in which case you should look at what is set in both the 2. Click Tools then Account Settings “Zoom” and “Text Size” settings within your browser, to do this in Internet Explorer for exam­ 3. Click the email account in question ple press CTRL + 0 to set the zoom back to 100%. If this doesn’t fix the problem then click 4. Click Junk Settings and Uncheck the box view, text size and set it to the default which is medium.

One of those two solutions should fix the problem, if not then please come back to me and office@bluemoonsolutions.es www.bluemoonsolutions.es we can work through what is the issue.

Update. Hi Richard thanks for the E­mail. Unfortunately I use Mozilla Firefox so the instructions don’t apply do they ? I did try as you said but no luck I am afraid. Are Mobile: 655 044 970 Office: 902 906 200 there things that can be done for Firefox? Regards, Bill Don’t forget you can follow me on twit­ A. Hi Bill, yes in Firefox you can use the keyboard shortcuts of…

CTRL + to zoom in and increase the size ter @bluemoonspain CTRL – to zoom out and decrease the size Alternately why don’t you sign up for my Or CTRL 0 to set the size back to the default newsletter. You can do this by going to:­ In order to do this properly you press and hold the CTRL key and then press the other key, (+) or minus (–) or the number zero (0) once. Hope this helps. www.bluemoonsolutions.es and fill in plus Update. Hi Richard, thank you sooo much! At last I can read my E mails again. the form that is on any page except the Regards Bill

Q A

front page.

30

Friday, September 19, 2014

2014 Toyota i-Road: what is it?

The Toyota i­Road is the Japanese firm’s take on zero emissions future urban mobility.

Just like the Renault Twizy, it’s a curious pod­like device that can carry two people on electric power alone.

But unlike the Twizy, the i­Road is even more radical. It has just three wheels and leans when you go round corners – and now it’s going on trial on public roads in Grenoble, France.

The i­Road is the perfect size for tight city centres. It’s just 85cm wide, which, Toyota says, allows up to four i­Roads to be parked in just one car parking bay. This makes it an efficient use of space, which often comes at a premium in towns and cities.

Toyota’s i­Road has not one but two elec­ tric motors, producing 2Kw each. This does­ n’t mean much power, however. The i­Road pushes out a grand total of 5.36hp at its two driven front wheels. 0­62mph times and top speed are therefore understandably pretty irrelevant.

Range and economy is. The i­Road can travel up to 30 miles on a full charge and

produces zero CO2 tailpipe emissions. If you can charge it at your city flat or place of work then brilliant. If you live in the country, it might not be for you.

The trial in Grenoble will see 70 i­Roads hit the streets from 1 October as part of the 'Cite Lib by Ha:Mo urban mobility project.'

Anyone over 18 years old who has a valid driving licence can register. Once signed up, all they have to do is download the smartphone app that locates charged vehicles in the vicinity.

The trial has been set up to develop user­ friendly transport around town, as well as helping develop a better integrated public transport service. As a result, people can collect an i­Road from their closest hub, make their journey and then drop it off at any one of 27 charging points nearest their des­

Apple iWatch illegal to use while driving The Department for Transport (DfT) has con­ firmed that any driver caught using Apple’s new iWatch wearable technology behind the wheel will receive the same penalty as if they were using a mobile phone.

The new “smartwatch” was announced this week and allows wearers to read text messages, make phone calls and browse the internet on the device.

The wristwatch is wire­ lessly linked to the user’s

mobile phone, which sup­ plies the data connection to surf the web and make and receive calls.

Speaking to Auto Express, a DfT spokesperson said the Department was investigat­ ing “further options” in terms of penalties and deterrents for the future.

However, it’s thought cur­ rent laws surrounding the use of mobile phones while driving are adequate and far­ reaching enough to apply to wearable “smart” technology.

It means if drivers are caught using the iWatch when in control of a car they could be liable to a £100 on the spot fine and three penalty points on their driv­ ing licence.

Although the user may not have to physically hold the device to use it, this is not the main reason for the pro­ posed penalty.

The extra mental effort it takes to talk on the phone while driving, combined with the physical distraction of the technology, means a driver’s concentration levels and mental capacity to process information in front of them is drastically reduced.

“Using a mobile phone or any device that distracts a driver while driving is extremely dangerous and is already illegal,” the DfT spokesperson continued.

The fine for using a mobile phone while behind the wheel was increased from £60 to £100 in August 2013 and now the DfT is exploring new sanctions to even fur­ ther deter drivers from using technology on the move.

However, it may prove dif­ ficult to police use of the iWatch. Current UK traffic law states that drivers are allowed to use hands­free devices, such as voice acti­ vated Bluetooth systems and sat navs.

The new Apple timepiece has the capability for hands­ free use, which means offi­ cers might find it a challenge to prove a driver was physi­ cally manipulating the device.

tination. Just remember to plug it in for the next person.

Making it even more nimble around town, the i­Road uses Toyota’s Active Lean tech­ nology. It’s similar to the movements a skier makes, leaning over in the bends to help grip and stability.

Toyota’s urban mobility pod offers a full canopy for weath­ er protection and improved safety.

Although the sensation of leaning over in a car might feel odd at first, with three wheels and clever computers

to keep it controlled, it’s entirely safe – if not safer than a four­wheeled car with a wheel­ base this short, as it effectively lowers the centre of gravity when you turn.

Alongside the three­wheeled curio, Toyota is also trialling its COMS four­wheel electric vehicle.

Similar in concept to the i­Road but with an extra wheel, the COMS is slightly larger and therefore slightly more practical.

Just like the i­Road, the COMS will be available as part of the three­year public trial in Grenoble.

Neither vehicle takes much charging – being so light the i­Road doesn’t have much mass to shift so it therefore doesn’t need as much power to shift it. It takes just three hours to charge from a three­pin plug, so should be much quicker from a rapid charg­ er. It’ll be interesting to see how the i­Road and COMS’s battery life stack up after three years of short journeys and quick charging.

Friday, September 19, 2014

31

32

Friday, September 19, 2014

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, 18 represents M and 20 represents Q, when these letters have been entered throughout the puzzle, you should have enough information to start guessing words and discovering other letters.

QUICKIE

Across 1 By way of (3) 3 Confess (5) 6 Peaked hat (3) 8 Innate (7) 9 Mournful song (5) 10 Blockade (5) 11 Going on foot (7) 12 Half­asleep (6) 14 Brief trip (6) 17 City in southern Spain (7) 19 Reddish brown (5) 21 Slow speech pattern (5) 22 Get rid of (7) 23 Timid (3) 24 Avoid (5) 25 Failure (3)

Down 1 Planet (5) 2 Style of design popular in the 1920s and 1930s (3,4) 3 Concur (5) 4 African country (6) 5 Young child (7) 6 Welsh breed of dog (5) 7 Promised (7) 12 Deciphers (7) 13 Ruined (7) 15 Practical (7) 16 Risk (6) 18 Prepared (5) 19 Range (5) 20 Small bug (5)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Cheap, 4 Uses, 9 Arrange, 10 Eject, 11 Rue, 12 Egypt, 14 Patio, 15 Axial, 16 Fail, 18 Easy, 20 Kiwis, 22 Osaka, 23 Swede, 25 Tie, 26 Sushi, 27 Ensnare, 29 Shed, 30 Dregs. Down: 1 Chapel, 2 Early, 3 Pan, 5 Sleepless, 6 Sleuths, 7 Ferris wheel, 8 Stoop, 13 Talkative, 17 Amasses, 19 Boast, 21 Defers, 24 Evade, 28 Sad.

Scribble Pad

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

CRYTPIC CLUES raw edge in hard wood (5) Across 28 Sailors at American 1 Peer so aroused to state birthplace of Saint Paul (6) of quiet restfulness (6) Down 4 Misquote for headgear 1 Throw away badly written (5) Crete journal (6) 8 Actor David as the leader 2 Man of letters who calls of Argonauts (5) regularly (7) 9 Admire Isolde, I find (7) 3 Sea god in accommoda­ 10 New campaign, not one tion in California (3,5) for staying outdoors (7) 4 Strode in during introduc­ 11 A pair in a Tokyo kebab tion (4) shop (4) 5 Go round capital (5) 12 May cooked sweet pota­ 6 View allowed through to (3) this? (6) 14 Firearms being 7 Miserly cocktail of my gin returned, we are feeling (5) very cosy and secure (4) 13 A man at the cash regis­ 15 ‘Morning Britain’, cry ter with a Spanish scarf (8) from pulpit (4) 16 Joins brides with 18 Go after sheltered fool grooms’ capital (7) (3) 17 Backbone by Tory 21 Blow pipe you hear very leader ­ it’s played on (6) loud (4) 19 French Apostle has a 23 Light metal ignited him stroke of luck (5) outside the university (7) 20 Compensation for a 25 Beat writer first with an thousand goals (6) old club (7) 22 Make­up brief work out 26 Rocking stone along for (5) a change (5) 24 Single out the digging 27 Minor modification to tool (4) 28 Ankle bones, collectively STANDARD CLUES (6) Across Down 1 Lie comfortably (6) 1 Discard (6) 4 Chef’s hat (5) 2 Person who delivers the 8 Mythical Greek hero (5) mail (7) 9 Hero­worship (7) 3 California port (3,5) 10 Holidaying in a tent (7) 4 Walk over (4) 11 Harness for oxen (4) 5 Capital of Ecuador (5) 12 Edible tuber (3) 6 Embroidered hole (6) 14 Fitting closely but com­ 7 Miserly (5) fortably (4) 13 Spanish scarf (8) 15 Early pulpit (4) 16 River crossings (7) 18 Loutish fellow (3) 17 Short upright piano (6) 21 Breathe heavily (4) 23 Soft, silver­white, light 19 Stroke of luck (5) 20 Corrects (6) metal (7) 22 Threadlike structure (5) 25 Nine iron (7) 24 Choose (4) 26 Rocking stone (5) 27 Adjust finely (5) Last weeks Solution Across:7 Regime, 8 Alison, 9 Bali, 10 Clincher, 11 Destine, 13 House, 15 Latex, 17 Pale ale, 20 Catch out, 21 Aery, 22 Miners, 23 Agaric.

Down: 1 Beware, 2 Kiwi, 3 De­icing, 4 Tacit, 5 Disclose, 6 Loners, 12 Trencher, 14 Partial, 16 Arabic, 18 Larkin, 19 Holst, 21 Alas.

Wordsearch

The aim of our Word Search puzzle is to find all the 33 words listed below hidden within the puzzle.

Aero

Drifter

Mars Bar

Toffifee

Boost

Flake

Milka

Topic

Bounty

Fudge

Milky Bar

Twirl

Bournville

Galaxy

Milky Way

Twix

Breakaway

Kinder

Penguin

Wispa

Picnic

Wonka Bar Yorkie

Crunchie

Bueno

Curly Wurly

KitKat

Time Out

Dairy Milk

Lion Bar

Toblerone

SPANISH-ENGLISH CROSSWORD

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

Across 1 Body (of person, ani­ mal) (6) 4 Shell (of snail, shellfish) (6) 8 Sobrina (5) 10 North (side, part) (5) 11 Nine (5) 12 Leones (5) 13 Noise (5) 14 Behind (at the back) (5) 17 Toad (4) 19 Pan de molde (4) 21 Granos (en la piel) (5) 24 Toll (on road, bridge) (5) 25 Wide (street, river, trousers) (5) 27 Otra vez (5) 28 Equipos (deporte) (5) 29 Tumba (5) 30 Cucharas (para comer)

(6) 31 Fiebres (6) Down 1 Velas (de cera) (7) 2 January (5) 3 Press (newspapers) (6) 5 Dueños (de casas, coches, perros) (6) 6 Trolley (supemarket) (7) 7 Fir tree (5) 9 To read (4) 15 Grifo (de agua) (3) 16 Hormiga (3) 18 Banana (7) 20 Flores (7) 21 Estación (parte del año) (6) 22 To pray (say prayers) (4) 23 Blood (6) 24 Ducks (birds) (5) 26 Lesson (5)

33

Friday, September 19, 2014 Across 1 Personification of England or the typical Englishman, represented as a stout red­faced farmer in a top hat and high boots (4,4) 5 Went out of business (6) 10 Single thickness of usually some homogeneous substance (5) 11 Drug prepared from the dried leaves of fox­ gloves and containing sub­ stances that stimulate the heart muscle (9) 12 Large rodent with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail (9) 13 Exhibition or contest in which cowboys show their skill at riding broncos, rop­ ing calves, wrestling steers, etc (5) 14 Capital and largest city of Zimbabwe (6) 15 Non­metallic element (symbol Si), forming grey crystals or brown amor­ phous powder and having

semiconducting properties (7) 18 Hinged surface in the trailing edge of an aero­ plane wing, used to control the roll of an aircraft about its longitudinal axis (7) 20 In support of (6) 22 Country house or cot­ tage in Russia, typically used as a second or holiday home (5) 24 Vast plain in Tanzania to the west of the Great Rift Valley known for its wildlife (9) 25 Kind of gelatin obtained from fish, especial­ ly sturgeon, and used in making jellies, glue, etc. and for fining real ale (9) 26 Realistic Norwegian author who wrote plays on social and political themes, such as The Master Builder (1892), Peer Gynt (1867) and A Doll's House (1879): Henrik ­­­­­ (5) 27 1953 musical that fea­ tures the songs: Baubles,

SUDOKU (Easy)

Quiz Word

Bangles and Beads, Stranger in Paradise and And This Is My Beloved (6) 28 Person who associ­

ates with another person or a group in a sycophantic manner or for the purpose of gaining some personal

advantage (6­2) Down 1 Old car in a dilapidated condition (6) 2 Norwegian anthropolo­ gist noted for his ocean voy­ ages in primitive craft to demonstrate his theories of cultural diffusion, the best known of which was that of the balsa raft Kon­Tiki from Peru to the islands east of Tahiti in 1947: Thor ­­­­­­­­­ (9) 3 Area of the western Atlantic Ocean where a large number of ships and aircraft are said to have mysteriously disappeared (7,8) 4 Member of any of the bands of English workers who destroyed machinery, especially in cotton and woollen mills, which they believed was threatening their jobs (1811­16) (7) 6 Solving of problems by an indirect and creative approach, typically through

viewing the problem in a new and unusual light (7,8) 7 Cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually sea­ soned with oil, vinegar or other dressing (5) 8 Reduction in the selling price of something (8) 9 Metal or plastic tubes fixed round each end of shoelaces (6) 16 Son of Ethelred the Unready, king of England 1042­66, famed for his piety: Edward the ­­­­­­­­­ (9) 17 Comic character in the television series Blackadder, played by actor Tony Robinson (8) 19 Capital of the Bahamas (6) 20 Person who makes and serves coffee in a cof­ fee bar (7) 21 Haddock usually baked but sometimes broiled with lots of butter (6) 23 Strips of potato fried in deep fat (5)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH

INFORMÁTICA­COMPUTING Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch.

(Answers below)

archivo

enviar

arrastrar

firma digital

arroba

navegador

barra

negrita

carpeta

pegar

contraseña

ratón

correo cifrado

red

descargar

teclado

science QUIZ

ANSEWRS 1. Gypsy Moth 2. K2 3. Bats 4. An American Chemist Named William H Carothers 5. A Spider 6. The Atom Bomb 7. Breech Birth 8. Hay Fever 9. An Otter 10. Bulimia 11. apple 12. Alexander Fleming 13. Gary Kasparov (Chess) 14. He Invented Cats Eyes

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Word Solution Across: 1 October, 5 Die Hard, 9 Tarantula, 10 Beano, 11 Penne, 12 Elsewhere, 13 Shadows, 15 Antique, 17 Pacific, 19 Marceau, 21 Acropolis, 23 Sofia, 25 Blini, 26 Terrified, 27 Yangtze, 28 Tweeted. Down: 1 Octopus, 2 Turin, 3 Bunked off, 4 Reuters, 5 Dead Sea, 6 Elbow, 7 Arabesque, 8 Diocese, 14 Accordion, 16 Turnstile, 17 Playboy, 18 Colette, 19 Muskrat, 20 Unaided, 22 Paint, 24 Feint.

dos puntos Empareja estas palabras ­ Match the Spanish and English words You will find the answers at the bottom of the quiz.

1.archivo, 2.arrastrar, 3.arroba,

14.pegar, 15.ratón, 16.red,

i.to send, j.folder, k.to paste,

4.barra, 5.carpeta,

17.teclado.

l.browser, m.to drag, n.mouse, o.to download, p.at@,

6.contraseña, 7.correo cifrado, 8.descargar, 9.dos puntos,

a.bold, b.password, c.network,

10.enviar, 11.firma digital,

d.slash, e.file, f.colon,

12.Navegador, 13.negrita,

g.keyboard, h.digital signature,

Suduko

Span ­ Eng

Quizword

q.encrypted mail.

Answers: 1e, 2m, 3p, 4d, 5j, 6b, 7g, 8o, 9f, 10i, 11h, 12l, 13a, 14k, 15n, 16c, 17g.

1. What animal can smell a virgin of the same type of animal from 1.8 miles away?

2. Chogori is better know by what boring name?

3. In the wild, which animal pollinates banana plants?

4. Who Invented Nylon?

5. What Frightened Miss Muffet Away?

6. Secret Research Into What Was Nicknamed The Manhattan Project?

7. What Do You Call A Birth Where A Baby's Feet Are Delivered First?

8. What Is The More Common Name For Allergic Rhinitus?

9. What Sort Of Animal Was Tarka?

10. What Disorder Results In Compulsive Eating And Induced Vomiting?

11. which fruit has the latin name of malus oumila?

12. Who discovered Penicillian in 1928?

13. Which world champion was beaten by a machine called Deep Blue in 1997?

14. What did Englishman Percy Shaw contribute to road safety in 1934?

Word Search

34

Friday, September 19, 2014

TRELI ON THE TELLY

MARKING YOUR CARD

called The Last Ship and it looks great. It’s the old plot line of nasty virus knocking out most of the world, and we have scientists looking for a cure who just happen to be on this US navy vessel that It may not feel like autumn offers the only hope for sal­ around these parts with vation. It looks and feels like these high temperatures, a movie and because it has a but we are certainly into limited run (with a second the time when new US TV series coming next year), it shows are hitting us from means it won’t bore you to all angles, but what’s good death and run out of steam. I or not? loved the opening episode From the States, Sky One and there was a good twist at has bought a 10­part drama

with ALEX TRELINSKI

the end. Top notch popcorn TV.

of the back story and of course things go wrong. It’s I get very worried when an interesting premise, and new shows are promot­ is also 10 episodes long with ed as claiming to be from the renewal from FX in the producers of past successes. States probably likely. But I So on FOX UK, from the pro­ was calling out some of the ducers of “24 and clichéd lines before they Homeland”, we have Tyrant were uttered and the treat­ which is the story of a man ment of women as sex who lives in California with objects was purely there for his family, having got out of a shock/ratings purposes. It Middle East country run by has more of a smell of a soap his dictator father. A wedding rather than a serious drama, brings him back nearly 20 and the British lead, Adam years later, as we learn some Rayner, looks unhappy in it all. It’s all rather weird but I’ll still stick with it.

Guess what? From the executive producer of “24 and Homeland” there’s a new action drama starring a Brit actor! Sheffield’s finest, Sean Bean stars as an undercover FBI agent who becomes a different person for each case in Legends, airing on Sky One. Bean is top notch but there’s nothing especially innovative about the show, which also has a 10 part run, and has lost half its American viewers after just five weeks. Watch it for Bean, but expect Legends

q

q

not to return next year.

q

And finally, from “the co­ creator” of Lost, Sky Atlantic are bringing us the HBO drama, The Leftovers, which sounds like it should be something you eat, but it’s a mystery about why two per cent of the world’s population have disappeared. Yes, we also have 10 episodes to watch (and series two is booked) and the good news is that it is genuinely thought­

provoking and serious but very well acted, with the token Brits including Christopher Eccleston (who was Doctor Who) and Paterson Joseph (who some people thought might be Doctor Who a few years ago). This is an excellent drama beautifully executed but we do want a proper end down the line, not the cob­ blers that Lost gave us a few years ago.

Friday September 19 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Patrol UK 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 BBC Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Pressure Pad 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 A Taste of Britain 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Would I Lie to You? 22:00 Boomers 22:30 Big School 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC Regional News and Weather 23:35 The National Lottery Stars: 2014

08:50 Caught Red Handed 09:20 Animal Saints and Sinners 10:05 Super Senses: The Secret Power of Animals 11:05 First Time on the Front Line 11:35 The Travel Show 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 14:30 Cash in the Attic 15:15 Ready Steady Cook 16:00 Celebrity MasterChef 16:45 A Year in the Wild 17:45 Great British Railway Journeys 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Lorraine Pascale: How to Be a Better Cook 22:00 The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice 22:30 Gardeners' World 23:00 The Perfect Morecambe & Wise 23:30 Newsnight

07:00 Good Morning Britain 11:00 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 Who's Doing the Dishes?

18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Gino's Italian Escape 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Piers Morgan's Life Stories 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:40 Hot Fuzz

BODY OF PROOF 00:20 This World 01:20 Traders: Millions by the Minute 02:20 Panorama 02:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 The Birth of Empire: The East India Company 06:00 History Hunt 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Street Patrol UK

New series. Part one of two. Megan returns to work following Peter's death, and though initially assigned to a seemingly routine case soon finds herself investigating the mysterious deaths of five veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan after she uncovers their bodies close by to the scene of her inquiry.

00:35 First Time Farmers 01:30 Embarrassing Bodies Down Under 02:25 One Born Every Minute USA 03:20 Don't Stop the Music 04:15 Time Team Specials 05:10 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 06:05 Deal or No Deal 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 15:10 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Million Pound Drop 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 23:00 Alan Carr: Chatty Man

00:00 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!

01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:20 HouseBusters 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Pip Ahoy!

08:05 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:15 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Dog Rescuers 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Britain's Deadliest Roads 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Magic beyond Words: the JK Rowling Story 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 World War II in Colour 21:00 Storage: Flog the Lot! 22:00 Body of Proof 23:00 NCIS

35

Saturday September 20 07:10 The Falcon in Hollywood 08:15 The Falcon in San Francisco 00:20 Outnumbered 00:50 EastEnders 02:45 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:50 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice 13:00 BBC News; Weather 13:10 Football Focus 13:50 Saturday Sportsday 14:00 Bargain Hunt 15:00 Homes Under the Hammer 16:00 Escape to the Country 17:00 Final Score 18:10 Formula 1 19:25 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 19:40 Pointless Celebrities 20:30 Doctor Who 21:20 The National Lottery: In It to

09:20 The Trials of Life 10:10 The Trials of Life 11:00 Map Man 11:30 South Africa Walks 12:00 Great Continental Railway Journeys 13:00 James Martin's Food Map of Britain 13:25 Paul Hollywood's Pies & Puds 13:55 Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes 14:55 Talking Pictures 15:35 Ladies in Lavender 17:10 Six Days Seven Nights 18:45 The £100K House: Tricks of the Trade 19:45 Flog It! 20:30 Dad's Army 21:00 Operation Stonehenge: What Lies Beneath 22:00 Defiance

Win It

23:20 Match of the Day

00:35 Later ­ with Jools Holland 01:40 Nothing to Lose 03:10 This World

00:05 Jon Richardson Grows Up 01:10 The Troll Hunter 02:55 Anna & Katy 03:20 The Inbetweeners USA 03:45 Very Important People 04:10 Revenge 04:50 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 05:40 Hugh's 3 Good Things: Best Bites 05:55 SuperScrimpers: Top Tips 06:05 Deal or No Deal 06:45 NFL: Rush Zone 07:00 Trans World Sport 07:55 Great Scottish Swim 08:55 The Morning Line 10:00 Weekend Kitchen 11:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:30 Frasier 12:25 The Big Bang Theory 13:25 The Simpsons 13:55 Gadget Man 14:25 Channel 4 Racing 17:10 Come Dine with Me 19:45 Channel 4 News 20:05 Sarah Beeny's Double Your House for Half the Money 21:00 Grand Designs 22:00 The A­Team

THE A-TEAM

22:10 Casualty 23:00 BBC News; Weather

01:50 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:25 Pat & Stan 07:40 Dino Dan 08:05 Canimals 08:20 Om Nom Stories 08:25 Sooty 08:40 Mr Bean: The Animated Series 08:50 Matt Hatter Chronicles 09:15 Nerds & Monsters 09:30 The Munch Box 10:25 ITV News 10:30 The Hungry Sailors 11:25 Murder, She Wrote 12:25 ITV News and Weather 12:29 ITV Meridian Weather 12:30 Columbo: Swan Song 14:30 Catchphrase 15:15 I Never Knew That About Britain 15:45 The X Factor 16:50 The Incredible Hulk 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:15 ITV News and Weather 19:30 You've Been Framed!

20:00 The Chase 21:00 The X Factor 22:20 Through the Keyhole 23:20 ITV News and Weather 23:39 ITV Meridian Weather 23:40 The Shawshank Redemption

Action adventure based on the popular 1980s TV series, starring Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper.

Four American soldiers serving in Iraq are wrongly convicted and sent to prison following the death of a senior officer during a secret operation. While incarcerated they receive information that they were framed, so decide to escape and begin an effort to clear their names.

04:10 This Is BBC Two

00:00 NCIS 00:55 Access 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:20 HouseBusters 05:45 House Doctor 06:10 House Doctor 06:35 House Doctor 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Angelina Ballerina 07:30 Bubble Guppies 07:40 The Mr Men Show 07:55 Chloe's Closet 08:05 Olly the Little White Van 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Make Way for Noddy 08:40 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Wanda and the Alien 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Chinese Food in Minutes 11:15 Ultimate Police Interceptors 12:15 Police Interceptors 13:20 The Battle of the V1 15:25 U­571 17:35 The Great Escape 21:05 The First Great Escape 22:00 World War II in Colour 22:55 5 News Weekend 23:00 Live International Boxing

Sunday September 21 03:20 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Countryfile 00:40 The Football League Show

08:00 Monty Don's Italian Gardens

02:00 Weather for the Week

09:00 Gardeners' World

Ahead

09:30 The Beechgrove Garden

02:05 BBC News

10:00 The Football League Show

07:00 Breakfast

11:20 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites

08:40 Match of the Day

12:50 Lorraine Pascale: How to

10:00 The Andrew Marr Show

Be a Better Cook

11:00 Sunday Morning Live

13:20 Paul Hollywood's Pies &

12:00 Sunday Politics

Puds

13:15 MOTD2 Extra

13:50 Rick Stein's Mediterranean

14:00 BBC News

Escapes

14:10 Weather for the Week

14:50 4 for Texas

Ahead

16:45 Flog It!

14:15 Bargain Hunt

17:30 Equator

15:00 Escape to the Country

18:30 Penguins on a Plane: Great

16:00 The Great British Bake Off

Animal Moves

17:00 Points of View

19:30 Super League

17:15 Lifeline

20:30 Dad's Army

17:25 Songs of Praise

21:00 Dragons' Den

18:00 Formula 1

22:00 This World

19:35 BBC News; Regional News

23:00 Mock the Week

and Weather

23:30 Peaky Blinders

20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Our Girl 23:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 23:30 Match of the Day 2 BBC2 00:05 Peaky Blinders 01:05 TOTP2 02:05 A Boy Called Dad

02:15 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:25 Pat & Stan 07:40 Dino Dan 08:05 Canimals 08:20 Om Nom Stories 08:25 Sooty 08:40 Mr Bean: The Animated Series 08:50 Ultimate Spider­Man 09:20 Nerds & Monsters 09:30 Big Time Rush 10:00 The Aquabats! Super Show!

10:25 Dickinson's Real Deal 11:25 Murder, She Wrote 12:25 ITV News and Weather 12:29 ITV Meridian Weather 12:30 Carry On Follow That Camel 14:20 Beethoven's 2nd 16:00 The X Factor 17:15 Midsomer Murders 19:10 You've Been Framed!

19:35 ITV Meridian Weather 19:35 ITV News Meridian 19:45 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Sunday Night at the Palladium 21:00 The X Factor 22:00 Downton Abbey 23:30 ITV News and Weather 23:49 ITV Meridian Weather 23:50 The Unforgettable

DOWNTOWN ABBEY The eagerly awaited fifth series of Julian Fellowes' hit period drama begins. It's now 1924, and while Britain feels the winds of change swept in by a new Labour government, Downton's residents ­ both above and below stairs ­ are undergoing alterations too. After mourning the death of his beloved wife Lady Sybil for four years, Branson decides it's time he got on with his life, although Robert isn't com­ fortable about the ex­chauffeur's relationship with local teacher Sarah Bunting.

00:20 Sexy Beast 02:05 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 03:05 Homeland 04:05 Hollyoaks 06:10 Simply Italian 06:40 NFL: Rush Zone 07:05 NFL: The American Football Show 08:00 Street Velodrome 08:55 British GT Championship 09:30 Ironman 2014 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 14:30 The Big Bang Theory 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Simpsons 16:30 Star Trek: Insurrection 18:30 Deal or No Deal 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Posh Pawn 21:00 Operation Maneater 22:00 Safe House

01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 Make It Big 06:15 Angels of Jarm 06:40 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Angelina Ballerina 07:30 Bubble Guppies 07:40 The Mr Men Show 07:55 Chloe's Closet 08:05 Olly the Little White Van 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Make Way for Noddy 08:40 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Wanda and the Alien 09:40 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 11:00 Access 11:05 Police Interceptors 12:00 Police Interceptors 13:00 Police Interceptors 14:00 Police Interceptors 14:55 Are We Done Yet? 16:40 See Spot Run 18:35 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 20:15 5 News Weekend 20:20 Rush Hour 2 22:00 In Time

36

Monday September 22 00:50 The Resident 02:15 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:20 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 BBC Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 A Taste of Britain 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 BBC News; Regional News 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:30 BBC Regional News and Weather 23:40 Boomers

00:30 01:25 02:45 03:40 04:40

Peaky Blinders Don't Worry about Me Countryfile Holby City This Is BBC Two

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Street Patrol UK 08:50 Caught Red Handed 09:20 Animal Saints and Sinners 10:05 Russia's Lost Princesses 11:05 Animal SOS 11:35 Click 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 14:30 Celebrity MasterChef 15:15 Ready Steady Cook 16:00 The Life of Mammals 17:00 Great British Railway Journeys 17:30 Pressure Pad 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Only Connect 22:00 Traders: Millions by the Minute 23:00 The Sarah Millican Television Programme 23:30 Weather

00:20 01:20 03:20 04:10 04:55 06:05 07:00 09:30 10:25 11:30 13:30 14:30 14:55 15:00 16:00 16:59 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30 23:40

Premiership Rugby Union The Store Motorsport UK The Jeremy Kyle Show USA ITV Nightscreen The Jeremy Kyle Show Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Dickinson's Real Deal The Alan Titchmarsh Show ITV Meridian Weather Who's Doing the Dishes?

The Chase ITV News Meridian ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street The Undriveables Coronation Street Cilla ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV Meridian Weather The One and Only Cilla Black

00:15 02:10 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:45 08:10 09:00 10:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 13:05 13:35 14:05 14:40 15:10 Under 16:10 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:35

The Sixth Sense American Football Live British GT Championship Simply Italian Countdown Will & Grace The King of Queens Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Undercover Boss Canada Four in a Bed Channel 4 News Summary Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Four in a Bed Phil: Secret Agent Down Countdown Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Jamie's Comfort Food Gadget Man Derren Brown: Infamous Jon Richardson Grows Up

DERREN BROWN: INFAMOUS The Bafta­winning illusionist's sell­out stage show recorded at the Grand Theatre in Leeds during his Olivier­nominated tour. The evening features an inventive mix of traditional magic, mind­reading, memory games and thought­provoking entertainment that leaves his audience enthralled and enlightened in equal measure.

00:10 Elektra 01:50 True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 02:15 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 Make It Big 06:20 Angels of Jarm 06:40 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Police Interceptors 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 By Appointment Only 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Gadget Show 21:00 Ultimate Police Interceptors 22:00 Age Gap Love 23:00 Under the Dome

Tuesday September 23 00:10 Wedding Daze 01:35 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:40 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 BBC Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 A Taste of Britain 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 The Driver 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:35 Cat Wars

00:20 Today at Conference 00:50 This World 01:50 Scrappers 02:20 This Is BBC Two 05:00 The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire 06:00 Schools ­ Children of World War Two 06:30 Schools ­ Roman Voices

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Saints and Scroungers 08:50 Caught Red Handed 09:20 Animal Saints and Sinners 10:05 Natural World 11:05 Food & Drink 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 14:30 Cash in the Attic 15:00 Daily Politics 16:45 Coast 17:00 Great British Railway Journeys 17:30 Pressure Pad 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 The £100K House: Tricks of the Trade 22:00 The Motorway: Life in the Fast Lane 23:00 Later Live ­ with Jools Holland 23:30 Weather

01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 UEFA Champions League Weekly 04:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 05:10 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 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 Who's Doing the Dishes?

18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Meridian 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Long Lost Family: What Happened Next 22:00 I Married the Waiter: Love in the Sun 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:40 State of Play

RAMSAY’S KITCHN NIGHTMARES Gordon Ramsay takes the final series of Kitchen Nightmares to the Costa del Sol, helping expats struggling to keep their restaurants in business in the Spanish region. In the first edition, the chef visits Mayfair, situated in a prime location on the busy seafront in Fuengirola, Malaga.

00:35 NFL: The American Football Show 01:35 First Time Farmers 02:30 She­Monkeys 03:55 Mammon 05:00 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 05:55 River Cottage Bites 06:05 The Million Pound Drop 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss Canada 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 15:10 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dogs: Their Secret Lives 22:00 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares 23:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

00:00 Hollow Man 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:20 HouseBusters 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!

14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Carolina Moon 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Meerkat Manor 20:30 5 News Update 20:30 The Secret Life of Pets 21:00 Crimes That Shook Britain 22:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 23:00 Secrets & Lies

37

Wednesday September 24 00:25 Mad City 02:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:15 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 BBC Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 A Taste of Britain 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 19:30 BBC London News 19:55 Party Political Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 21:00 The Great British Bake Off 22:00 Our Zoo 23:00 BBC News 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:25 BBC Regional News and Weather 23:35 A Question of Sport

00:20 Today at Conference 00:50 Hotel India 01:50 The Two Amigos: A Gaucho Adventure 02:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Around the World in 80

Faiths 06:00 Schools ­ Same but Different 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Saints and Scroungers 08:45 Caught Red Handed 09:15 Animal Saints and Sinners 10:00 Coast 11:00 Horizon 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Lifeline 14:10 Coast 14:30 Celebrity MasterChef 15:15 Ready Steady Cook 16:00 The Life of Mammals 17:00 Great British Railway Journeys 17:30 Pressure Pad 18:15 Flog It! 18:55 Party Political Broadcast 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 Long Shadow 22:00 This World 23:00 The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice 23:30 Weather

01:55 04:00 04:45 06:05 07:00 09:30 10:25 11:30 13:30 14:30 14:55 15:00 16:00 16:59 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30 23:40

Jackpot247 Loose Women ITV Nightscreen The Jeremy Kyle Show Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV News and Weather ITV Meridian Weather Dickinson's Real Deal The Alan Titchmarsh Show ITV Meridian Weather Who's Doing the Dishes?

The Chase ITV News Meridian ITV News and Weather Emmerdale Coronation Street Celebrity Squares Scott & Bailey ITV News at Ten and Weather ITV Meridian Weather On Assignment

00:00 Educating the East End 01:00 Poker 01:55 Hard Knocks 02:50 KOTV Boxing Weekly 03:20 Great Scottish Swim 04:15 Street Velodrome 05:10 British GT Championship 05:40 Trans World Sport 06:35 Ironman 2014 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss Canada 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 15:10 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Sarah Beeny's Double Your House for Half the Money 22:00 Grand Designs 23:00 The Men with Many Wives

THE MEN WITH MANY WIVES Documentary exploring the world of polygamous marriages among British Muslims. Permitted under Sharia Law, it is estimated there are as many as 20,000 relationships of this kind in the UK today. The programme examines the daily challenges of polygamous life and the motivation of those who are looking for another wife, as well as the issues of duty, love and betrayal in these unconventional families.

00:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 01:40 True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 02:05 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:20 HouseBusters 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:15 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Britain's Craziest Commutes 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Defending Our Kids: the Julie Posey Story 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 22:00 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away!

23:00 Wentworth Prison

Thursday September 25 00:05 The League Cup Show 01:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:15 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Caught Red Handed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 BBC Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 A Taste of Britain 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 BBC News; Regional News 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Your Home in Their Hands 22:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC Regional News and Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:20 Today at Conference 00:50 The Motorway: Life in the Fast Lane 01:50 Who Do You Think You Are? 02:50 Doctor Who 03:40 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Poland Stories 06:00 Schools ­ In My Shoes Plus: Germany

06:20 Schools ­ William Whiskerson: Mountain 06:30 Schools ­ Virtually There: Germany 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Saints and Scroungers 08:50 Caught Red Handed 09:20 Animal Saints and Sinners 10:05 Escape to the Continent 10:35 Escape to the Continent 11:05 Gardeners' World 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Fred Dibnah's World of Steam, Steel and Stone 14:30 Major Champions 15:30 Golf: The Ryder Cup 17:00 Great British Railway Journeys 17:30 Pressure Pad 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 Jungle Atlantis 22:00 Marvellous 23:30 Weather

00:10 Through the Keyhole 01:10 The Undriveables 01:40 Jackpot247 03:30 State of Play 05:35 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 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 Who's Doing the Dishes?

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 Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs 22:00 Chasing Shadows 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV Meridian Weather 23:40 Sunday Night at the Palladium

YOUR HOME IN THEIR HANDS New series. There's no end of homeowners who would happily hand over their houses to profes­ sional interior designers for a few days, as the suc­ cess of shows such as 60 Minute Makeover attests.

This new three­parter, though, comes with a twist: the so­called `experts' are but amateurs them­ selves.

00:00 999: What's Your Emergency?

01:00 Four to the Floor 01:30 Adam & Paul 03:00 The Lady Vanishes 04:40 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 05:40 Simply Italian 06:05 Deal or No Deal 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss Canada 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 15:10 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 Educating the East End 23:00 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

00:00 Age Gap Love 01:00 NCIS 01:45 True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 02:10 SuperCasino 04:10 Once Upon a Time 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:20 HouseBusters 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:35 The WotWots 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Storage: Flog the Lot! 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Killer Instinct 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Gadget Show 21:00 Criminals: Caught on Camera 22:00 Never Teach Your Wife to Drive 23:00 Dallas

38

Friday, September 19, 2014

AUCTIONS

ACCOUNTANTS Pro Business Support – for all your accountancy needs in English; bookkeep­ ing, taxes, wage slips and more. We cater for compa­ nies and self­employed peo­ ple; we can deal with every­ thing for you. Call us on 966 923 963 for first consultation free of charge.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

disabled facilities and a fresh recently painted interi­ or. directbusinessbrokers .com Tel 966 44 33 81 Ref. DB6435L 97,000€ Large successfully run leasehold Beauty Salon near Quesada. Spacious salon with 7 rooms and rental income from separate hair salon. All fitness machines, treatment beds and tables included in the sale. directbusinessbro­ kers.com Tel 966 44 33 81 Ref. DB6457L 42,000€ Excellent opportunity to pur­ chase a well established and thriving leasehold Bar/Cafeteria in a central location in Torrevieja.

Beautiful established garden and south west facing ter­ race with BBQ and all year

round trade. directbusiness­ brokers.com Tel 966 44 33 81 Ref. DB6456L 20,000€ Lively, popular leasehold Bar & Restaurant in a lovely position on La Manga over­ looking the port. Fully fitted kitchen and extensive sunny terraces. Freehold also available for purchase and flat above the premises. directbusinessbrokers.com Tel 966 44 33 81 Ref. DB6455L 150,000€ Profitable leasehold Café Bar, competitively priced for quick sale. Air conditioned interior with stylish decor and large terraces. Multiple income streams: food, drink, internet facilities, games and ice cream. Offering great potential for further growth. directbusinessbrokers.com Tel 966 44 33 81 Ref. DB6446L 74,950€ Beautifully presented lease­ hold Garden Furniture Business, recently reduced in price. A successful and easy to run business with established website, signifi­ cant internet sales, cus­

tomer database and excel­ lent reputation locally. direct­ businessbrokers.com Tel 966 44 33 81

CHOIR Casa Tom Community Choir: From 8 September 2014, Casa Tom Community Choir meets every Monday at 2.00pm for 2.30pm. It is a mixed choir and all levels are welcome. No auditions, no solos. Make new friends and have a good time.

Location: Casa Tom, Avenida JACA 31, San Luis, Torrevieja. Phone or email Terry for details. Phone: 647­189­135.

Email: casatomsanluis@gmail.com

AUTO ENGINEERING

BLINDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Ref. DB6460L 85,000€ Restaurant in enviable loca­ tion with no local competi­ tion and regular clientele.

This profitable, established leasehold restaurant has a fully fitted modern kitchen,

CATERING

CHURCH SERVICES Torrevieja Christian Fellowship at Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas 68, Torrevieja 03183, welcome residents and visitors alike, to their friendly and lively 10.30 am. Service each Sunday morning.

During the month of August they will not be holding the Wednesday night meeting at 6.00 pm. For further infor­ mation and/or directions please telephone 966700391 or visit our web­ site on www.tcf­spain.org."

International Christian Assembly, Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja.

Evangelical non­denomina­ tional church. Sunday serv­ ices 11am.

Children's

CARPENTER

church 11am. House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier. Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am. Craft club, Tuesdays, 2pm.

Pastor, Rafael Restrepo. All nation­ alities 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 Prayer and Praise and Worship. Home groups meet during the week. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information contact PilarChristian.CommunityC hurch@gmail.com 968575417 or 966848806.

Reg No:2009­SG/A The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) meet at 10.00 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.

The rainbow centre for spiri­ tual awareness We meet in the function room at sacos bar el leiminar just of the CV 905 Rojales to torrievieja road We have a divine serv­ ice on Sundays at 11am and

BARBER

CONSTRUCTION

ALARMS

CLEANERS

39

Friday, September 19, 2014 on Wednesdays we hold an evening of clairvoyance at 7.30 pm Also on Wednesdays there is an open circle at 5.30 for those who are interested in clair­ voyance Healing is always available by certified healers after each meeting A warm welcome to friends old and new The mediums for the month of July 2014 are Wednesdays 2nd Debbie Blevins 9th Belinda & Jill 16th Trish and Shirley 23rd Sammy Fitzsimons 30th Paul & jennet. Closed until august 31st then Belinda &

GARDENER

Sandra. Sundays 6th Paul & jennet 13th Belinda Bradley 20th ray bailey 27th Trish.

For further information call Trish on 966 844 795 or Email the rainbowcentre­ costablana@gmail.com

CARS FOR SALE Car insurance quotes – new extra discount on fully comprehensive policies at the price of third party!

Excellent prices for expats, all policies and call centre staff in English. We will call you back with a quote. 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.

CAR BREAKERS

GUITAR LESSONS Guitar lessons for beginners and improvers. Provide an insight into most styles.

From 10€ per hour. Call Peter on 966789612 or 629975378. Torrvieja

PROPERTY FOR RENT Viva Villa and Vacation Services, For Short or Long Term Rentals visit: www.vil­ laandvacation.com or Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Santiago de la Ribera 2 bed­ room townhouse close to beach and shops with com­ munal pool €350 monthly short or long term lease Call 0044 7890996330 ­ 968570645 (162) Ref: 61, A lovely two bed­ roomed ground floor apart­ ment, located in the centre of the small Spanish town of Los Montesinos, With a pleasant communal swim­ ming pool adjacent & all

amenities in walking dis­ tance. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

LONG TERM RENTALS WANTED! Properties, all types, in the Torrevieja area wanted for long term rentals.

Call us on 96 692 3963 2 or 3 bed / 2 bath apart­ ments in San Miguel. Lift, communal rooftop pool & solarium, video entry sys­ tem. Available for short or long term rent from 350 pcm. Tel 966723437 or 616 493 487. (184)

Sale fully furnished 240,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP2896 Old style spanish 4 bedroom detached Monte Zenia property reasonably priced 175,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP2897 3 BEDROOM SEMI­DETACHED HOUSE FOR SALE Aguas Nuevas 193,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP2898 2 BEDROOM BUNGALOW FOR SALE Aguas Nuevas 125,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP2901 2 Bedroom apart­ ment Aguas Nuevas 73,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81

BPP2906 Large 3 BED­ ROOM BUNGALOW FOR SALE Aguas Nuevas 135,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP 2907 Exceptional value 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR SALE €49,950 Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP2908 Excellent location 3 BEDROOM DETACHED HOUSE FOR SALE Villamartin €269,000 Tel: 966 44 33 81 BPP2903 Huge Executive 3 BEDROOM APARTMENT FOR SALE Los Montesinos €165,000 Tel: 966 44 33 81

UPHOLSTERY CLEANING

PROPERTY FOR SALE BPP­1808 230,000€ ­ 3 BEDROOM DETACHED HOUSE FOR SALE in LOS MONTISINOS, ALICANTE, SPAIN TEL: 966443381 BPP1804 3 bedroom detached villa a spacious family Villa Torrevieja For

DRAINAGE PETS

40

Friday, September 19, 2014

BPP2899 2 BEDROOM BUNGALOW FOR SALE Torrevieja 59,000€ Tel: 966 44 33 81 Del Este, Santa Pola ­ 4 bedroom Duplex within a Secure Small Private Community. It has an inte­ gral large garage with sink, washing machine, large storage area. Independent large bedroom and full bath­ room.

American style kitchen, three bathrooms and cloakroom, front and back terraces, large solari­ um with bbq and shower, well maintained with a/c, ceiling fans. Communal Pool and third line from the beach. Sold with all white goods and furnished for 210,000 euros. 699613155 Ref: KP3100, €183,000.

Three bedroom, two bath­ room 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 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 2 Bed, 1 Bath Ground floor duplex. Central heating, Grills, Fully furnished, Glazed in Galleria, 2 com­ munal pools, private parking and walking distance to the Gran Alacant commercial centre. Situated in the popu­ lar urbanisation of Puerto Marino. Now only 96,500 euros for quick sale Ref No. K46. 627 711 155 Recently reduced 4 Bed, 3 Bath Villa, in Gran Alacant.

Quiet Location, Exceptional Views. Converted Under build, 2 Lounges, 2 Kitchens, Private Garage and being sold Fully Furnished, now only 239.950 Ref: L81 Tel. 680333242 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), Lounge­Diner, fully equipped Kitchen, Porch and Solarium with Alicante & Sea Views. ref.L81. €258,000 neg.

Tel. 680333242 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 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom, Unfurnished Mid Terraced Townhouse in GA. Recently decorated throughout means this property is a very clean black canvass.

Has Air­Con & Security Grills and the use of a Communal Pool. Price recently reduced to 110.000e Ref.K12 Tel. 627711155 Reduced for a quick sale to 95.000 e 2 Bedroom, 1 bath­ room, Top Floor Duplex in Gran Alacant. Very Modern Property with Many extras.

Glazed in Porch, Roof Top Solarium, Wooden Flooring.

Immaculate condition and ready to move in. Ref. K15 Tel. 627711155.

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 appli­ ances & furniture also there is a utility room, open ter­ race, and private parking.

The urbanisation also offers

PLUMBERS

POOL TABLES

many communal pools, ten­ nis courts, restaurants and bars. Ref. K20 €109,000 Tel 680333242 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 Gran Alacant villa located in a very quiet area , situated at the end of a cul­de­sac means there is no through traffic.3 bed, 3 bath, 330m2 plot, established large gar­ dens, working fireplace, solar panel for hot water,pri­ vate parking, south facing great views, fully furnished, fantastic opportunity. ref.

L85. €215,000 Tel 680333242 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 Lovely clean detached Villa just as you enter Gran Alacant. Very central loca­ tion, 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Glazed in

Porch, Garden Shed, Private Parking, Attractive Gardens, Private pool Ref: K59 240.000e Tel. 627711155 Offers Invited on a mid Terraced Town house in Gran Alacant. Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Lounge Diner, Galleria, Solarium, Under build.

Communal Pool and Gardens, and with Exceptional Views of Alicante. Being Sold Fully Furnished including White Goods. Ref. K42 Tel. 627711155 (reasonable offers only) Gran Alacant, Situated on the very first urbanisation as you enter Gran Alacant, this 2nd floor duplex offers taste and quality. Comprising of 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge­diner, independent kitchen, full roof­top solari­ um with superb views and recently glazed in porch offering extra living area as well as extra privacy as the glass is mirrored. Ref.K44 €108,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant south­facing, very private villa, with wood­ land and Alicante views.

Situated at the end of a small cul­de­sac which means this villa enjoys a very peaceful location.3 Bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 3 Bathrooms,

REMOVALS

lounge­diner with working fireplace, fully fitted kitchen with including white goods, large front porch, solarium,workshop and stor­ age in under build, central heating, air con H/C, ceiling fans, grills, UK T.V, off road parking and plenty of out­ side 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

QUIZZES Experienced quiz­ master/question setter with personality available to host quiz nights in local bars.

Tel:­ 664 838 581

SITUATIONS VACANT

RADIO COSTA INTERNA­ TIONAL needs motivated sellers. Spanish, English and German language is a bonus but not essential.

Training and good earnings guaranteed. For more info

STONE CRAFT

call 644 126 600 or email info@radicocostainterna­ tional.com WANTED. English speaking mother's help aged 30­40, with driving licence, to help 7 year old boy with home­ work, and look after him.

Work hours will be 4 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Own room with bathroom provid­ ed, in a house with a pool and garden, in Alcayna, Murcia. Pay will be 125 euros a week. If you have a young child this will not be a problem. Phone 607 43 39 43 or email: mancanpa@yahoo.es CARPET FITTER WANTED Experienced part time car­ pet fitter wanted for the expanding and successful Carpet Heaven in Los Montesinos. Must be hard Working, smart & friendly, with first class customer fac­ ing skills. A clean driving license, your own transport & tools are essential. Please send CV with references to carpetheaven@hotmail.es or call us on 966720782 for more information BUSY HAIR & BEAUTY SALON IN THE PLAYA FLA­ MENCA AREA REQUIRES A PART­TIME FULLY QUALIFED BEAUTICIAN TO JOIN THEIR FRIENDLY & PROFESSIONAL TEAM. TEL: 648111779 FOR DETAILS. Fully qualified confident friendly hair stylist with at least 5 years experience needed for immediate start in a well established salon in the Orihuela Costa area.

Full time + part time work available. Please call Roxie on 635 071 879

SITUATIONS WANTED Gardening, property mainte­ nance, translations, cheap rates call David 722521654.

SOLICITORS WANTED

Need English speaking solicitors in Torrevieja?

Let us help to solve your problems with debt recov­ ery, 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 dif­ ferent Hair Replacements, top fillers, Hair prostheses, Toupees and Wigs, Natural and Artificial hair and much more. Also fashion/festival accessories TV/TS are wel­ come to our service. Please call our salon reception for an appointment with Margaretha on Tel no 966 921 846 Torrevieja (90)

POOLS

SURVEYOR

VAN HIRE

41

Friday, September 19, 2014

Greenside Gossip McGINLEY’S A WINNER IVIE DAVIES takes a weekly look at the golf scene - golfdavies@gmail.com

This time next week we will be into the best team game in golf, the Ryder Cup. Now we know the players and captains, what about taking a look at some of the key factors that will help Europe retain the famous trophy?.

Paul McGinley will summon the spirit of Sam Torrance to give Europe a winning edge at Gleneagles, and the European captain draws on what 2002 skipper told him before he sank the winning putt to help him build a win­ ning atmosphere in the team room. The Irishman has always prided himself on being a member of that exclusive set of players for whom the camaraderie of the Ryder Cup brings out their best. Reading the pas­ sion with which he recalls the moment when sank the 10­foot putt to win the match at the Belfry in 2002, you can see why.

McGinley’s recollections of one of the great moments of his distinguished career also provide a telling insight into how the 47­year­old Dubliner intends to fashion his own captaincy of the European team at Gleneagles next week. He says that he felt no trace of rookie’s nerves when he stood over the putt to earn the decisive half with Jim Furyk, the American who at the time was ranked 11th in the world, 89 places above McGinley. But, he lets you know, the seeds to the rock­ solid mindset by Sam Torrance, the European cap­ tain, 24 hours earlier on the same green when, playing with Darren Clarke against Furyk and Scott Hoch, McGinley hit one of the sweetest four irons of his career to salvage a half in the Saturday afternoon four­ balls.

It was the reaction of Torrance to his rookie’s moment of brilliance that

would have such a critical impact the following day as well as a major influence on McGinley’s view on the art of captaincy 12 years later.

What Sam said to him after­ wards, when he hit that four iron, really set me up well for the following day,” McGinley said. His man­management of McGinley was instrumen­ tal in his psychological build­ up to holing the winning putt the next day. What Sam Torrance said was: ‘You and Darren were the last men standing on the golf course and came along on the last hole and you hit one of the best shots you will ever hit into that green. You are ready for the singles in the Ryder Cup. The blocks were in place. He knew his play­ ers really well and he knew how to tick each person’s box.”

Despite the fact that McGinley’s form had been patchy going into the tourna­ ment, Torrance backed up his words by selecting the Irishman for the ninth match on the final day on the grounds that he had proven he could handle a potential cup decider. “Sam felt that giving me a sense of responsibility was what he felt he needed to do to me,”

said McGinley, who will now have the support of Torrance 12 years on as one of his vice­captains this week.

As McGinley got to the 18th green on Sunday with the match all square, Sam was waiting for me as I got to the bridge. He walked across to him and as the crowd was cheering, he whispered in his ear: ‘This is why you are number nine, this is why you are playing in this position.’

McGinley’s preference for team sports can be traced back his roots as a promis­ ing Gaelic footballer who had been destined to repre­ sent Dublin before a frac­ tured patella brought his career to a premature end at the age of 19. At the time, golf was just something he did for “two months in the summer” which was reflect­ ed in his handicap of eight.

That six years later he had made his debut on the European Tour as a profes­ sional reflected not just his innate sporting talent but also his determination.

However, while he went on to claim four titles on the European Tour, including the Volvo Masters in 2005, he was never able to shake his greater thrill of the team environment. He made three Ryder Cup appearances – which all ended in victory – in 2002, 2004 and 2006,

and he was vice­captain for Europe’s wins in 2010 at Celtic Manor and 2012 at Medinah. He also repre­ sented Ireland 13 times in the World Cup, famously win­ ning the title with Padraig Harrington at Kiawah Island in 1997.

Even more than as an individual, even when winning the Volvo Masters, he can still think of the Ryder Cup matches where he was on a real high playing as part of the team. For some reason, his record is extremely strong and it was because he more felt comfortable with that shared sense of

responsibility with the other players, it gave a particular freedom to play well. His burning ambition now is to ensure his 12­man team are able to play with the same freedom against an American side he describes as the powerhouse of world golf and who are captained by one of his childhood heroes in Tom Watson.

The notion that McGinley will go into the tournament as Europe’s best­prepared captain is underscored by the fact that he has already visited the Scottish course more than 25 times since his appointment two years ago.

His meetings have ranged from which photographs should go up in the team room to the course layout, which he wants to be close to that of a European Tour event to make his players feel as comfortable as pos­

sible. The emergence of such big hitters in the European side as Rory McIlroy means the days when European captains opted for narrow fairways to keep the long­driving Americans in check appear to be over.

McGinley also began com­ municating with players he felt had a chance to make the team a few years ago on a weekly basis so that by the time the 12 assemble in Gleneagles next week, everyone will be “well advanced” in his psyche.

The emphasis will be on cre­ ating the kind of bond that he experienced back in 2002 under Torrance’s lead­ ership. “If Pierre Fulke or Phillip Price, who were both in the team in 2002, walked into this room right now, immediately I would have a strong feeling of kinship and bonding, as well a smile on my face, when I saw them,” McGinley said.

He attributes that to Sam Torrance and the atmos­ phere he created in that team room and if McGinley can create the same bond­ ing for the players then I think that will be the extra special element needed to win. We all want the result and we all want to win, and that extra bonding is what makes a Ryder Cup so special.

BRING IT ON

KNOW YOUR RULES QUESTION Can a player declare his ball unplayable anytime he wants with a penalty, whenever he wants?.

ANSWER Yes. A player may deem his ball unplayable for a penalty of one stroke at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball is unplayable (Rule 28).

An interesting, if unusual example of this Rule, is that if a player hits a downhill putt too hard and his ball misses the hole and rolls off the putting green into a bunker, he can pick his ball out of the bunker and replace it on the green at the point that he last putted from. Obviously he incurs a penalty of one stroke for doing so.

TITTER ON THE TEE My wife asked me why I don't play golf with Jack any­ more. I asked her:­ "Would you continue to play with a guy who always gets drunk, loses so many balls, other groups are always playing through, tells lousy jokes while you are trying to putt and generally offends every­ one around him on the course?"

"Certainly not, dear" she replied.

"Well, neither would he."

42

Friday, September 19, 2014

ELCHE VICTORIOUS CHAMPIONS PREVIAL RAYO VALLECANO 2 ELCHE 3

A goal and assist from Jonathas de Jesus gave Elche their first win of the Primera Division season last Sunday lunchtime as Fran Escriba's side saw off Rayo Vallecano 3­2. The visitors took the lead towards the end of the first half thanks to a stunning free­ kick from captain Edu Albacar (pictured cel­ ebrating) but Paco Jemez's side pulled level right before the break through an impressive effort from Chelsea loanee Gael Kakuta.

However, a superb solo goal from Jonathas restored Elche's lead and then the scorer turned provider to allow Pedro Mosquera to extend Elche's advantage, which was just as well for the visitors as Alberto Bueno con­ verted a penalty in stoppage time.

Reacting to the match, Fran Escriba said:­ “I’m very satisfied and in general, I believe this is a deserved victory. The intensity and unity we’ve shown is as it should be. These three points are very important, but we’re well aware that it doesn’t end here. There’s 35 more important efforts to go yet.”

Elche are at home to La Liga new­boys, Eibar, this evening (Friday September 19th) before a trip to the out of form, Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

STARS DELIVER BARCELONA 2 ATHLETIC BILBAO 0

Two stunning pieces of skill by Lionel Messi and two languid finishes from Neymar saw Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2­0 to stay top of the Primera Division. Bilbao had produced a disci­ plined performance at the Nou Camp last Saturday and looked to be heading for a point until a moment of brilliance from Messi released Neymar, who broke the deadlock with nine minutes remaining. The Argentinian and Brazilian then combined again for the second goal, Messi cutting the ball back for his team­mate to strike low into the bottom corner and deliver the final blow to Athletic. Barcelona’s next league game sees them away to Levante this Sunday.

REAL MADRID 1 ATLETICO MADRID 2

Atletico Madrid took all Real Madrid had to throw at them in last Saturday’s local derby as the La Liga holders triumphed 2­1 at the Bernabeu. Last season's surprise champions weathered a first­half storm after Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty cancelled out Tiago's opener (pictured), and their resolve was worth it as they won it in the 76th minute. Substitute Arda Turan got their win­

ner, but all their players were heroes as budgets were again made a mockery of as Diego Simeone's men won across the city for the second time in two seasons.

Atletico’s success comes after they won the Spanish Super Cup against the European champions earlier this month. Real are away to Deportivo tomorrow afternoon (Saturday).

REAL EASY REAL MADRID 5 FC BASEL 1

TORRY IN TROUBLE CD TORREVIEJA 1 TORRE LEVANTE 2

Gareth Bale starred as holders Real Madrid thrashed Swiss side Basel to begin the defence of their Champions League title in impressive style in their first group game on Tuesday night. After a Marek Suchy own goal had put Real ahead,

Wales winger Bale (pictured) smartly lobbed the keeper before finishing. Bale set up Cristiano Ronaldo to tap in, James Rodriguez hit a fourth and Karim Benzema swept in a late fifth. Derlis Gonzalez scored for Basel.

BARCA STRUGGLE BARCELONA 1 APOEL NICOSIA 0

Torrevieja sit one point off the relegation places after five matches, three of which have been at home. One win, two draws and then consecutive losses have put them in this position, but they were somewhat unlucky against Torre Levante last Sunday.

Torry dominated this match, despite con­ ceding the first goal and having to chase the game constantly. They went behind in the 12th minute when Berna failed to cope with his winger who foxed him and made it to the bye line. His cross went far side to left winger Carmona and Vicente failed to stop him get­ ting in the telling cross which was converted

by Jose, against the run of play.

Torry created chances, but failed to make them count. Cesar had replaced the injured Sergi on the half hour, and one minute into the second period he had Torry level.

Carrasco eased the ball through to him and then from ten yards out, struck it into the cor­ ner of the net. Torry assumed control of the game again and pressed for the winner, but Torre Levante had few chances but took the lead through a 25 yard deflected shot.

Despite a lot of huff and puff, the home side could not equalise, and that was it. Torry travel to Villarreal this weekend, with Jorge and Steve Ekedi returning from suspension for a midday kick off this Sunday..

Barcelona made a winning start to their Champions League campaign on Wednesday night as they edged past Apoel Nicosia at the Nou Camp. Gerard Pique's 28th minute header from Lionel Messi's

inswinging free­kick was enough to beat the champions of Cyprus. Apoel keeper Urko Pardo made two fine saves to deny Messi on turned out to be a frustrating night for the hosts.

43

Friday, September 19, 2014

SHOW WAY, JOSE! Portuguese Plots and Plans his Costa de Class.

My old boss used to say: ‘Plan your work, and work your plan…’. While our nation – and every other country – was glued to the World Cup, one club manager was on gardening leave, busily doing his close season pruning and preparing in order to get ready early for the new year. In his allotment, the dying wood and withering leaves had to be chopped out, discarded – and replaced.

After diligent shopping around, new seedlings that had been rigorously assessed were bought from established nurseries, and then his new plants began to be blended with the old ­ so every­ thing in his garden was rosy to begin the new season…

This is Jose Mourinho’s sec­ ond season back at Stamford Bridge, and what a timely lesson the Portuguese has delivered to the competition.

Despite the global power and abun­ dance of money at current Premier League champions Man City, the returned Red rash excitement at revi­ talised Liverpool, the twin–but­turbulent North London duo of Arsenal a n d

Spurs and various ‘other’ wealthy and ambitious clubs, it would appear that the team to beat this year will be Chelsea.

From the ‘class’ of 2013/4, the superior spine of the team has been retained: Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Oscar, Hazard, Ramires and Willian have been enriched by the addition of Courtois, Fabregas, Matic, Filipe Luis, Remy, even Didier Drogba’s spookily back… and Diego Costa. The first five, led by Cesc Fabregas are all high­ class, experienced play­ ers who would walk into any side ­ and now added to last year’s retainees make Chelsea a force to be reck­ oned with in the colossal struggle that is the Premier League. But £32m Diego Costa, fresh from helping Spanish Champions Atletico to wrest the prestigious La Liga title from Barcelona and hated rivals Real Madrid looks to be the deal of the year, the icing on the cake ­ a master stroke from maestro Mourinho ­ with perfect timing.

No luck here, this was pre­planning at its very best.

Costa displays that special Drogba mantle: a big, tough, hard­working striker with speed, skill, guts, timing and that extra­special knack of being in the right place at the right time that all the great goalscor­ ers possess. The man doesn’t look particularly fast, but he is, he can score with either foot and is lethally strong in the air. Like Drogba, Costa is a nightmare to play against, and his 27 goals that helped Atletico to unexpect­ ed victory in Spain last year tell their own story. This Brazilian­turned Spaniard is special ­ and the ‘Special One’ himself, Jose Mourinho knows it.

In a sensational start to this season,

POINTS MEAN PRIZES Prizes have been doled out for the Sailing Association Mar Menor’s Spring 2014 Handicap Series. The crews vary throughout the series and the photo shows from left to right Vernon O’Byrne (Shoestring Tres), Julian Perring (Mistral) and Tug Wilson (Hartley 12.2), who collected the trophies on behalf of everybody who contributed to each boat’s score.

The Autumn Series has now started and races take place from the CTD Infanta Christina sports centre on

the beach at Los Najeros, starting at 10am on alternate Sundays which include this

Sunday September 21st.

Guests are more than wel­ come.

Diego has already scored seven goals in four games. Poor unbeaten Swansea had a Costa hat­trick imposed on them on Saturday to bring them back down to earth, the poor Swans even having the extra torment of seeing Costa replaced by Loic Remy, who immediately scored Chelsea’s fourth. With 20 minutes to go Diego departed to a heart­ warming standing ovation from rightly­ecstatic Blues fans.

The great Fernando Torres took 43 games to score seven goals, a commodity Chelsea suffered a lack of last year with Eto, Demba Ba and Torres miserably under­achieving with 19 altogether, Chelsea’s goals last year supplement­ ed by midfielders like Eden Hazard and Oscar.

Surprisingly though, Chelsea have also conceded seven in five games, three in that fantastic match against Everton, and only one clean sheet. John Terry’s early own goal on Saturday didn’t help, plus a late consolation from Shelvey reveals a certain defensive vulnerability. On Wednesday in Europe, the Blues were pegged back to draw with Schalke after leading. So Chelsea are not invin­ cible at the moment, but as long as their lethal attack is fir­ ing on all four, then Chelsea are clearly the team to beat this year. Already mighty Man City have wavered, drop­ ping five points behind the West Londoners, although that also happened last year and City recovered to win the league (again).

Showdown: it really is Super Sunday this weekend as the biggest battle of the Blues sees maximum points Chelsea go to the Etihad to take on the champions, Man City. It’s one of the matches of the season – don’t miss it.

If Chelsea win, they’ll take some stopping. In 2004/5 the Blues won the Premier League by 12 points with a record 95 points – déjà vu?

CONTADOR CONQUERS Alberto Contador sealed victory in the Vuelta a Espana with a solid perform­ ance in the closing time trial stage in Santiago de Compostela. In wet condi­ tions on Sunday he lost 27 seconds to Briton Chris Froome, but it was enough for the Spaniard to take his third Vuelta title, finishing one minute and 10 sec­ onds ahead of the Team Sky rider over­ all.

"It's a dream for me to win three Vueltas," said 31­year­old Contador. "I really was not expecting it."

It was an amazing recovery by the cyclist, who broke his leg less than two months ago in a crash that forced him out of the Tour de France.“ I have had a lot of ups and downs and the support of the fans has been crucial," added the Spaniard.

Friday, September 19, 2014

44

MANNA FOR MAN U!

Polished Diamond Geezers Sink Quite Poor Rangers…

I don’t want to be a killjoy, honest, pal ­ but playing Harry’s hapless Hoops last Sunday was heaven­ sent manna for Man United at a time of great crisis. The current ineptitude of Queens Park Rangers was duly and gratefully exposed by more than £150m of home foot­ ball talent on view at the now­ sleeping­better Theatre of Dreams.

Factfile: if you take out Quickly Pursuing Relegation’s only goal scored this season, the one that beat fellow­strugglers Sunderland, then it’s three losses, no goals for, nine conceded and rock bottom position ­ if not for the three points clawed from the Black Cats.

Throw in a catastrophic Capital One defeat at Burton(?) and Redknapp’s Rangers are in dire trouble, witnessed wincingly on Sunday. Stupid Loftus Road question: why sell fifteen­goals­guaranteed­a­season striker Loic Remy, the classy Frenchman who scored his country’s only goal to beat Spain last week? After farming him out on loan to Newcastle last season where Remy continued to score goals, Chelsea, of all the teams who don’t need him, snapped up this natural goal scorer as a reserve. Coming off the Blue Bridge bench against Swansea last Saturday Remy immedi­ ately scored ­ so why isn’t he doing that for you then, Harry? Summary: QPR = QED (Quite Easily Defeated… ) In the newly­complicated jigsaw at Old Trafford, open­ ing scorer Angel di Maria appeared to look the missing link, where the trendy ‘diamond’ formation flashily and expensively produced the goods and the goals – but

John McGregor reports

there are still precious problems prevailing at either end. Robin van Persie seems a shadow of the man who scored that sensational header for Holland in Brazil, and sluggish sub Falcao looks like he’s going to need time ­ is he over the bad injury that kept him out of the World Cup? Rumoured­to­be­unwanted £32m Mata shone in the diamond mix on Sunday as the Spaniard celebrated with the solitary second half goal. The Reds’ defence? Hmm… United came perilously close to conceding following a couple of defensive clangers, but on the Lord’s Day there were Angels looking after them: bless…

Come Sunday, we’ll see how the new United fare at lively Leicester. Like QPR, the East Midlanders are also newly­promoted, but went up as worthy champions and are already going well. Foxes fans were ecstatic on Saturday following their first Premier win, 1 – 0 against Stoke ­ and guess who scored? Yes, that man Leonardo Ulloa again ­ what a hit the Argentinian’s proving to be for Nigel’s Pearson’s pleasers…

Some game at the Emirates, it finished 2 – 2. Arsenal were stunned by Man City in the first half from a light­ ning­strike finished off by that mean man Sergio Aguero (as usual), supplied by the fleet­footed flying feet of Jesus Navas. Back stormed the Gunners to lead 2 ­1 with brilliant strikes by firstly Smokin’ Jack Wilshere and then a superb volley from Alexis Sanchez. Just when it looked like Arsenal would hang on to win it, never­say­die City hit back with a Martin Demichelis header from a corner. City were finally beaten on Wednesday though, 1 ­ 0 away to Bayern Munich. On Tuesday, the Gunners also went down dis­ mally 2 – 0 at Borussia Dortmund, not a good European start ­ and look what’s happening in North Birmingham tomorrow.

Second­placed (!) Aston Villa’s next four matches are Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Everton – doddle, eh?

Well, last Saturday Liverpool proved no problems, Gabby Agbonlahor putting the high­flying Villains ahead early, the Brummies then holding out resolutely to thwart a disappointing Sturridge­and­Sterling­less Reds attack. On Tuesday, celebrating their return to Europe, Liverpool scraped an injury­time 2 – 1 win against Ludogorets, courtesy of a Stephen Gerrard penalty, this after Mario Balotelli had scored his first Liverpool game, but the Bulgarians deservedly equal­ ising on the stroke of full­time. The latest test of the Suarez­subbed Reds’ aspirations will be at West Ham on Saturday… and as for dizzily­second­placed Villa, who knows? If they get results against Arsenal and the other biggies a la Liverpool, they’ll have deserved ‘em.

Alright, I take it all back. Ronald Koeman for Pope as the (new) Saints have marched in up the table to fourth.

No, wait ­ that latest 4 – 0 win was against neurotic, nervy Newcastle, now with Pardew getting the dreaded boss’s endorsement ­ except it’s from the hugely­ unpopular, head­banging Mike Ashley. Anyway, nutty Pardew’s untouchable isn’t he, with his unbelievable ninety­nine year contract. After drawing 2 – 2 with West Ham on Monday night, Hull CITY (NB Ashley, the Tigers unpopular Hull owner is selling the club) and their (Geordie…) boss Steve Bruce are coming to St James Park Saturday. Bet the Toon Army’d have him back with open arms…

Finally: third versus fourth? Swansea v Southampton seems a tasty tie: that the two ‘unfashionable’ clubs are both up there in the top four is unbelievable. Surely they can’t stay there?