The Courier Week 46

Edition 46

www.thecourier.es

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Ready for take-off FROM this picture, the new airport at Corvera looks as if it could open tomorrow. Iberdrola has completed the electrical installations, and things look to be surprisingly on schedule for Spain, which is notorious for its unpunctuality.

Trial flights are not scheduled until spring, after which the airport is due to inherit 1.3 million travellers from San Javier once negotiations between the two airports are completed.

The final decisions are in the hands of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s new government.

POLICE COP BIKE RAPIST

By SALLY BENGTSSON A MOROCCAN man believed to have been behind a string of sexual attacks and robberies has been arrested in Los Alcazares.

The 20-year-old is accused of six sexual attacks, two robberies and one rape, all of which took place in San Javier over the past two months.

The suspect was arrested at his parents’ home, where he lived.

The man worked in a nearby hotel and cycled everywhere on an old blue bicycle - and it was the ageing bike that helped lead to his arrest. All of his victims were able to give an accurate description of both the bike and his face.

A photo-fit picture was produced from their information that was a perfect likeness of the the arrested man.

Gurdia Civil officers take the suspect into custody

concentrated on Arabic men who commuted The suspect confessed to between San Javier and the attacks before DNA Los Alcazares. found on the victims’ clothes Hundreds of photos were also put him in the frame. studied. However, it was

gave the rapist away. And when police visited the suspect’s home, they found the blue bicycle that had been accurately described by all the victims.

ultimately recovered items stolen from the victims that

The victims were aged between 20 and 60, and

The police investigation, which started six weeks ago,

the attacks all took place between 10pm and 11pm under a Cartagena to Alicante motorway bridge.

The Guardia Civil suspect more women may have been attacked but have not reported the crime.

A novel, swinging welcome to 2012!

WELCOME to 2012 – and some Happy New Cheer in your (we hope!) favourite newspaper.

We start the New Year with two new columns, plus an exclusive interview with best-selling novelist SHEILA O’FLANAGAN, who has a home in Quesada.

Dubliner Sheila won the Irish Book of the Year award for 2011. Discover the secret of her success on Pages 24-25.

There’s a swinging year ahead for golf fans, with the start of a weekly Greenside Gossip feature compiled by IVIE DAVIES. Ivie, the Costa Blanca’s ‘Mr Golf’, will bring you golfing news, features and advice – starting on Page 46 today with an analysis of the European talent explosion in 2011.

Another new Courier columnist, single mum JEANETTE ERATH, will be supplementing her intriguing views on living in Spain with tips on learning the language.

You’ll find her today on Pages 5 and 11.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

I think the driver said he was shipping himself TELEPHONE

96 692 1003 679 096 309 JUNGLE DRUMS E-MAIL office@thecourier.es WEB www.thecourier.es HEAD OFFICE Calle Luis Canovas Martinez 1. Urb Aguas Nuevas, Torrevieja 03183, ALICANTE PHONE: 96 692 1003 Email: office@thecourier.es OPENING HOURS Mon - Fri 1030 to 1730 EDITOR Donna Gee ADVERTISING SALES 96 621 1003 office@thecourier.es TELESALES 96 621 1003 616 332 178 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 Therese Guardamar, La Marina, Santa pola, Gran Alacant Tel 616 332 178 Writers Donna Gee Amanda Black Sally Bengtsson Rebecca Marks Jeanette Erath Alex Trelinski Dave Silver Steve Bott Tony Mayes Jake Monroe

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Picture of the week

96 692 1003

The Cannabis Jungle ALICANTE’S GROWING HABIT PUTS SPAIN HIGH ON EURO DRUG LIST ALICANTE has been described as a “cannabis jun- BY AMANDA BLACK gle” by Guardia Civil officers, due to the large num- a crime and the Guardia has bers of plantations being found in the province. recently started judicial

With cultivation of the plants soaring, Spain is now one of the main marijuana growing areas in the European Union.

“There are large plantations in nearly all the municipalities of Alicante province and in many throughout Valencia,” a Guardia source has said. The source added that greenhouses have been set up in flats and villas throughout the region, with larger, more sophisticated operations established in warehouses.

The business is thought to be controlled by Dutch mafia groups that have organised plantations across Andalucia, Murcia, Cataluña, and above all in the Valencia region.

Investigators believe the skill in the field and has undergone furDutch groups have sent ther training in order to become the Vega technicians to teach the Baja’s first police dog handler.

Spanish how to cultivate the There are very few police dog units in plant and produce the drug. the Valencian Community.

A gram of cannabis is now The municipality plans to use the dog priced at €6 and a single unit in its fight against drugs in the area, plant can produce half a kilo. especially around schools.

The Guardia Civil has It was the awareness of an increase in warned that shops selling the consumption of alcohol and drugs by marihuana seeds are misyoung people which led the Rojales leading customers by telling police chief to look for new methods to them they can grow two control the problem and consider the use plants for private use. of dogs.

In fact, cultivation is always

ROJALES COPS ARE GOING TO DOGS

LOCAL police in Rojales are set to launch the first dog unit in the Vega Baja.

Officers from the town have recently taken part in dog training and demonstrations in order to better understand how canines can help in police work.

At a recent national display of tactical dog intervention in Murcia, Rojales police played an active part in working with the dogs in different criminal scenarios, including hostage taking and narcotics detection.

One Rojales police officer, Jorge Pertusa, showed particular interest and Thursday Sunny High Temperature: 20°C RealFeel: 21°C Monday Partly cloudy High Temperature: 16°C RealFeel: 18°C

Friday Sunny High Temperature: 23°C RealFeel: 21°C Tuesday Rain High Temperature: 14°C RealFeel: 13°C

Saturday Sunny High Temperature: 23°C RealFeel: 23°C Wednesday Partly cloudy High Temperature: 16°C RealFeel: 17°C

action against a couple who had just four plants.

The Spanish are watching more and more TV with a record average of four hours every day in 2011.

This brings Spain in line with the UK and is thought to be due partly due to the economic crisis forcing people to stay home more and partly due to the increase in channels.

The US and Japan still watch more television, with an average of four-and-a-half hours daily.

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Sunday Partly cloudy High Temperature: 18°C RealFeel: 19°C Thursday Sunny High Temperature: 17°C RealFeel: 18°C

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

THE MAYOR WHO CARES

Chief with a conscience pays fines for illegal home owners

Mayor with a conscience: José Manuel Dominguez Freitas

Did our menu hoax fool you?

OUR Spanish Fools Day story in our last issue fooled some readers – so we’d like to emphasise that menú del día is NOT going to be banned for foreigners.

In keeping with Spanish media tradition, we published our hoax story to commemorate the Día de Los Santos Inocentes (Day of the Innocent Saints) on December 28, Spain’s equivalent of April Fools Day. We sprinkled the story with lots of clues – some more obvious than others. So, if you were fooled, this is what you should have spotted.

The first, and most obvious clue, was the byline. The story was written by Mick E. Tayke.

The spokesman quoted in the story, Armando Follon, was from the Departamento Santos Inocentes – named after the Spanish fool’s day.

The name Armando Follon was also a clue. It translates as Making a Fuss. And the spokesperson for the action group Foreigners Overseas Out Loud (FOOL), was called Abril Tonto - or April Fool in Spanish.

Turn to Page 6

Hip hip Yeray, it’s a New Year boy!

BARELY an hour after the last bell heralded the New Year in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, a baby boy called Yeray became the first baby to be born in Alicante in 2012.

Yeray (pictured with his mum), was born in Denia Hospital at 1.06 on the morning of January 1.

His Portuguese parents, Ana Cristina and Jose Carlos, were expecting their second son to arrive around the time of Three Kings, but he put in an early appearance to take the title of first

Alicante province baby of the year.

Torrevieja Hospital’s firstborn of the year was a baby boy called William who arrived at 2.05am to English parents.

BY AMANDA BLACK A MAYOR in northern Spain is setting an example to all town hall officials who have seen residents in their municipality fall foul of mistakes or corruption in local planning applications.

José Manuel Dominguez Freitas is personally paying fines for home owners whose properties have been declared illegal.

In a case known as ‘The 21 licences’, the town hall for A Guarda in Pontevedra, Galicia awarded building licences that the courts later declared unlawful and revoked.

The mayor says he feels responsible and so is paying the cost of the fines from his

savings. “The residents did everything correctly, obtaining a municipal licences backed by technical reports, both from the Secretaría and from Town Planning.

“If anyone has done things correctly, it’s them,’’ said the mayor, who says he feels responsible. The mayor hopes that by paying the fines he will be able to delay the demolition of the 18 remaining properties until a solution is found in the Galician parliament as part of the new general plan.

However, the move has not come quickly enough to prevent three of the properties from being demolished under order of the Galicia High Court of Justice.

WAIT FOR IT

By AMANDA BLACK THE waiting list for surgery at Torrevieja Hospital has increased by 126 per cent in the past year.

Sources at the hospital told Informacion newspaper that 1,450 people are currently waiting to undergo surgical procedures at the hospital, with many waiting double the maximum recommended time for routine surgery.

The hospital disputes the numbers, putting the figure at 979 patients waiting for surgery as of January 1 - an increase of 52 per cent.

However, sources have claimed this figure is misleading as the hospital has split the list into two – those waiting for surgery and those on a new list waiting for an anaesthesia appointment before being given a surgical appointment.

Previously all these patients were on a single surgery list.

Patients are now waiting up to 60 days for routine surgery at the hospital. This is double the maximum recommended guideline of 30 days given by the Valencia Health Ministry.

The rapid increase in patients waiting for operations follows a decision taken last October to stop afternoon surgery and close operating theatres by 3pm.At the time the hospital claimed the measure was due to a lack of demand.

The hospital said that its surgeons had been working flat out since the hospital opened to clear a backlog of surgery cases in the area and that, having cleared the backlog, there was no longer any need for operating theatres to open for non-emergency surgery past 3pm.

The hospital stated then that no patients were waiting

Hospital surgery backlog hits new high at Torrevieja

more than 30 days for surgery and that even with the theatre closures the waiting time would remain below the 30-day limit. In October, unions branded the move a cost-cutting rather than efficiency measure. They now claim the increase in patients waiting for surgery supports that argument.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

GREEDY BANKERS COSTA ME DEAR!

HOW do you fancy earning more than 500 euros for 15 minutes' work?

Good if you can get it - and Santander Bank managed it courtesy of us just before Christmas.

We were in the process of buying our new home and had to obtain a cheque and cash transfer for the purchase to take to the Notary.

We sat in the bank and waited for the cashier to issue the certified cheque and arrange the transfers, amounting to some 115,000 euros, and we left in somewhat of a hurry because we were running late to get to the office.

It was not until a couple of days later that I noticed the bank had charged a staggering 550 euros for the privilege of issuing the cheque and cash transfer - transactions which in Britain would cost no more than £35.

Not surprisingly I hot-footed it back to the bank, only to be told that these charges were "normal" and the cheque had to be a specially certified one as required by the Notary. How wonderful!

This is nothing more than blatant profiteering by the bank.

Obviously the purchase of a property requires payment in a manner where the cash can be guaranteed for the seller and it would have been far cheaper for me to have withdrawn a bucketful of euro notes and put them down on the Notary’s table rather than have a piece of paper to hand over.

Needless to say I have written to Santander's head office and so far have been extremely subdued in my remarks.

Watch this space if I don't get some common sense from the bank.

I asked the man at the bank at Torrevieja to justify the astronomic charge. He just remained silent and looked at me in true typical banking non-committal fashion when I accused the bank of profiteering.

So, beware, a bank near you might be picking on you next to try to recover the debts caused by their past excesses and stupidity. I'll keep you posted on this running saga.

AND now for a bit of good old-fashioned profiteerl ing by benefit grabbing Brits. I refer to the 160,000 council house tenants who have moved out of their homes and sub-let to get nice big fat rents from someone else.

Not only that, but an incredible 6,000 people earn salaries in excess of £100,000 a year and still choose to live in subsidised housing.

It beats me how people can have the gall to do this when 1.8 million more deserving families are on waiting lists for subsidised homes.

What angers me is that there are those who choose to grab benefits which they don't need, and also, succes-

He and that twit Ed Balls (well named) know only too well that if Britain did what they twitter on about and reduce the pain of spending cuts or do what they to do best and spent, spend, spend, down would go our credit rating, up would go the cost of borrowing, up would go mortgage interest rates and finally up would go inflation.

So, stupid Milliband and Balls, there is no easy remedy for being in debt. You have to spend less and reduce debts.

And, British voters, if you think life would actually be better under Labour, you need your heads examined. Never, ever forget which party was in power to get us into this mess in the first place.

AND now for something good to write about. We ☺ were at the New Year's Eve celebrations in Torrevieja square and what a lovely occasion it was.

sive governments have chosen not to tackle the sickening abuse.

I suppose the problem is Labour is more than happy to have as many people as possible living off the State and would attempt to make political capital out of a Tory government trying a crackdown.

So good for the Tory/Lib Dem administration for having the balls to get on with the job.

I wish them well, and also to tackle the craziness of people living in subsidised housing which is far too substantial for their needs.

I personally know of a single woman who hardly ever lives in her three-bedroomed council house - it's just crazy. All this abuse is costing an estimated £10 billion a year in unnecessary subsidies, and untold misery for the people in need of help.

THIS takes me conveniently on to that wonderful con☺ frontation during Question Time in the Commons just before the recess. David Cameron ran rings around a pathetic Ed Milliband, who looked like some petulant schoolboy.

If I had been a Labour supporter I would have been embarrassed by his performance.

To put the Labour point of view - they want VAT reduced and more money spent on infrastructure, reducing unemployment and the amount spent on unemployment benefit.

Many hundreds of people just enjoying themselves, toasting with glasses of bubbly and trying to eat 12 grapes on every chime of the church clock (it's impossible to keep up - the chimes come too fast).

Not one bit of trouble, in fact not one police officer to be seen. Compare this to the UK, where there were 70 arrests in London during the revelry.

British politicians seem convinced that if the price of alcohol was raised it would cut down the problem caused by excessive drinking.

I suggest they look at Spain - alcohol is far cheaper but there are relatively far fewer problems.

The real problem is the silly British culture which glamorises drinking - people thinking it big and macho to see how much they can consume in an evening and still remain conscious.

I wouldn't mind betting that in Spain, the drinking problems are more among the ex-pat community than among the Spanish. And that's sad. People should know their limits - we've seen people old enough by far to know better, drinking far more than they should and regretting it afterwards.

THE story which had me livid over the festive period l was that of a 15-year-old child bride who was married off to a 30-year-old man and then was systematically abused by members of his family. They tortured the poor girl, pulling her hair and nails out, pulling chunks of flesh from her with pliers and causing all sorts of atrocities for months, until her family rescued her.

The man fled, the other members of the family have been arrested.

Where was this? Afghanistan, where there are constant stories of women being abused by their husbands or other male members of the family. It's where almost 400 British service personnel have died trying to give a better life for these people.

Perhaps someone might let me know why we are bothering? Does anyone really think that getting a democratic government in Afghanistan is a) going to last five minutes and b) going to make a jot of difference to the mindset and culture of the people there?

AIRPORT BUSES CUT AFTER PASSENGERS SHUN SERVICE THE long-awaited bus service between Alicante’s El Altet airport and Torrevieja has already been forced to cut its schedule due to a lack of demand.

Launched at the end of May 2010, the service has seen buses with a capacity for 50 passengers regularly travelling with five or less people on

board.

Under the new timetable, buses will now leave Torrevieja at 9, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19, and will return from the airport at 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. Early morning and late evening services have been scrapped.

It is thought that one of the reasons passengers are shunning the

service is its failure to stop at many popular destinations.

The bus runs non-stop between El Altet and Torrevieja only and many have argued it should stop in Guardamar, Orihuela Costa and Pilar de la Horadada.

The bus service costs an estimated 600,000 euros to run annually.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Mine’s a single!

THERE’S NO BAR TO ENJOYING A NIGHT OUT ALONE IN SPAIN

WHAT happens when you walk into a bar on your own? No, it´s not a bad joke about saying ‘ouch’ and no one hearing, but more a question that we´ve all thought about at some point in our lives.

At least we single women have and I guess a few guys as well.

If you´re in a group then there is no stigma attached to entering any bar, ordering drinks and having a good time, but what if you´re single and want to go to a bar on your own?

What if you´re single, in a foreign country with few friends and feeling a bit f r a g i l e ?

Maybe you´ve been nervous about making the move, maybe you´re wondering what on earth you are doing here and wondering how you can begin your new life with little or no local knowledge.

Or maybe you´ve lived here for some time and never got round to making that first step into the unknown, the strange world of sitting in a bar alone.

Well, rest assured ladies, and those few guys I mentioned, Spain is nothing like the UK in that respect.

Any bar in Spain will welcome you with open arms and not a hint of a strange look, except maybe from the strange customer who always looks like that.

I have never found a more welcoming place than this great country when it comes to people by themselves, and believe me I´ve had some experience of that. All it takes is that first bit of courage to go out and enter a bar. Of course you may want to stick to an English speaking bar first, so at least you´ll have staff to

talk to and the chance to make new British friends.

But once you get the courage to enter a Spanish bar, any single British woman will find she has no end of offers of help from the staff, some of whom will have learnt a bit of English to help things along.

I love the English bars for finding people to talk to and enjoying the atmosphere, but for a relaxing evening I love the Spanish bars. I am on first-name terms with all the waiters in my local Spanish bar and never once has a comment been made when I´ve walked in alone, or with my fouryear-old son, who can try the patience of several saints but whom I love dearly!

So, what if you´re here in Spain with a child - either as a single parent like me or as part of a couple? What is the Spanish attitude to children in bars?

Well, it´s the same as their attitude to children in general - they love them.

The bars here are nothing like the British ones. I saw a sign in one café in Portsmouth that read, ´No buggies or young children allowed´ I guess they were trying to say the café was too small but it seemed big enough for young children and I once worked in a bar in Leicester which had a sign that read ´All children under 18 must be out of the bar by 9pm´ This I found incredible, but for the UK not unusual.

However, I have yet to find the same here in Spain, in fact just the other Saturday night I was in a bar with my son until, wait for it, 10pm!

How very dare I? I dare, because we are in Spain. Let´s not lose sight of this, that this is not the UK with sunshine, this AN eight month old baby girl drowned in the bath of her is a different country, with different rules and laws. home in Totana, Murcia on Monday evening.

Some are, in the eyes of The Coordination Centre for Emergencies said the baby’s mother alerted the authorities and an ambulance most British, and even from the UME emergency units of the SMA Murcia Health some Spanish, slightly crazy but when it comes to Service rushed to the scene.

They found the child in cardiac arrest and tried to revive welcoming people on their own or with young chilher without success. dren, it is heaven.

So get out there, enjoy a glass of vino or a cerveza or two, take a paper or book if you think you´ll feel self conscious - and begin to enjoy the culture of a truly welcoming country.

Fancy something completely different? Then check out Jeanette’s new weekly Spanish class for beginners on Page 11.

Baby drowns in bath

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Lucky dip as New Year 13 ‘brave’ Med sunshine IT would have taken some doing in the wind-battered chill of the UK, so it was a somewhat lucky 13 souls who took a New Year’s Day plunge into the Med at La Zenia beach in aid of Paul Cunningham Nurses.

Organised by Irishman David O’Brien, who runs The Pint Depot in El Galan near Villamartin, this was the second annual Dip and Dive.

And participants were rewarded with cava on the beach followed by a warming Irish stew back at the O’Brien hostelry.

The Pint Depot will continue to support Paul Cunningham Nurses throughout 2012 with various fundraising campaigns, including the recycling of mobile phones in any condition (just drop your old mobiles into The Pint Depot.)

The next big event is the

Charity Challenge Walk on Sunday February 26, with participants walking, running or cycling around Pedrera Lake, starting from Casa La Pedrera in Torremendo near San Miguel.

The Pint Depot will be entering a Green Team so why not sign up for the challenge? You can walk 5km or more and cycle challenges are 10km and 20km. Read more on www.paulcunninghamnurses.com Pictures: David Isaacs

TAXING TIME AS SPAIN’S BLACK HOLE DEEPENS

BY AMANDA BLACK

A BIGGER than expected black hole in Spain’s budget is forcing the new government to introduce even more cuts and belt-tightening measures.

Last Friday the government announced tax hikes and spending cuts worth around 14.9 billion euros, but this won’t be nearly enough to reduce the deficit to the 4.4% of GDP committed to Brussels.

Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro said on Monday that the Cabinet will unveil further measures to rein in the budget deficit today (Thursday).

The minister said the new batch of measures will show Spain’s European partners that the country has a government “capable of taking decisions”.

The previous government predicted a budget deficit last year of six per cent of GDP but figures are now coming in at 8.2%.

Last Friday the government authorised a temporary increase in income tax in 2012 and 2013 as well as public

Luis de Guindos: ‘Very aggressive’’ reform agenda

spending cuts, and Montoro has said the government is preparing new emergency measures to “plug the wound” which will be revealed today.

During the election campaign the PP pledged not to hike taxes but took the measure after discovering the bigger than expected hole in the country’s finances days before announcing last Friday’s measures.

Economy Minister Luis de Guindos confirmed the government has a “very aggressive” reform agenda planned for the coming months. If they had not taken the measures to reduce the deficit they would have been “imposed” on Spain, he said.

“The government cannot allow itself to announce that the public deficit will fall two percentage points short of the six per cent target without introducing tax hikes, despite the fact that Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy rejected this during the campaign,” De Guindos said.

A failure to act would have created a “very difficult situation for the domestic economy,” he added.

The minister said the government is not ruling out a rise in IVA (VAT), which currently stands at 18%, in the state budget this year.

While in opposition, Rajoy heavily criticised the outgoing Socialist government’s decision to raise IVA from 16% as a measure that would dampen demand and depress activity.

“We have to talk with our European partners as we have to be aware that if we only turn the screws in terms of spending cuts, we’re going to get ourselves into a mess,” said De Guindos.

The minister said the new government has an “aggressive reform agenda” to boost growth. The first pillar of this agenda will be an overhaul of the labour market.

MENU HOAX From Page 3 Armando Follon claimed to be ‘inocente’ when accused of racism.

Anyone falling for a joke on this day is branded ‘inocente’.

Finally, Follon insisted there was a very good reason the measures had to be brought in on December 28 and said all Spaniards would understand.

If that wasn’t enough, the story on the same page about the tradition of Día de Los Santos Inocentes should have helped.

This year the Spanish media came up with some good hoax stories in a bid to fool their readers.

Among the best were reports that King Juan Carlos had abdicated in

favour of his son, that Twitter was closing down all accounts belonging to people who couldn’t spell, and that there was panic in Madrid as the Puerta del Sol clock had stopped working three days before the bells were due to ring in the New Year in Spain.

A more elaborate hoax story said that a scientist from CERN had been sacked after leaking information about a time-travel project. The story said time travel was being used to save famous people from being killed.

Early attempts to go back in time to rescue Martin Luther King and Kennedy had failed but scientists were now trying to save John Lennon, according to the report.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

WHEN I was a child in South Wales, every professional football player had white skin. Or to be more accurate, pinkish skin depending how many pints he’d drunk the evening before his club photograph session.

During the early days of the new season, some of the £20-aweek-guys who graced the Old Trafford, White Hart Lane and Highbury pitches turned a sort of light brown.

They hadn’t come out in sympathy with some long-lost great aunt in Calcutta, it was merely the legacy of a week in the sunshine of Blackpool or Ramsgate.

The thing is that 99 per cent of these guys were white Brits, so there was no confusion, no racism and – thank heaven – none of the so-called ‘’political correctness’’ that has reduced

Shh, we can’t say coloured. To all pinkies and brownies, that’s as clear as black and white Britain to a joke. The recent criticism of BBC football pundit Alan Hansen for using the word ‘coloured’ during a positive appraisal of non-pink players is disgraceful. Apparently it would have been quite acceptable to call them “black’’ – but for some reason, the gentler expression “coloured’’ is strictly taboo.

Yet Hansen was talking about players from countries as far apart as America and Angola, or Ivory Coast and India. And the vast majority of these people are no more black than Caucasians are white.

The truth is that we are ALL

different colours. And that is as clear as black and white.

How long will it be before we start referring to “mid-brown defenders” and “burnt umber strikers”? The whole thing is ridiculous.

Balance The arrival of the AfroCaribbean and Kenyan Asian communities in the 50s and 60s altered the ethnic balance of the UK...and by the late 70s nonpink players started to grace our football fields.

West Bromwich Albion became the first team to field THREE non-pink players in one

team – thanks to a manager called Ron Atkinson. The same Ron Atkinson who was to be sacked by the BBC in 2004 for making a racist comment off camera about Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly (who happens not to be pink).

Atkinson thought the broadcast had finished but some Middle East countries picked up the words “lazy thick n***er’’ and that was the end of Big Ron, who disappeared from TV screens virtually from that day.

Had I been Monsieur Desailly, who is neither lazy nor thick, I would have been offended far

more by those two words than by the ignorant reference to my colour.

No-one can change the pigmentation of their skin (let’s not talk Michael Jackson here) and whilst it is absolutely, totally unacceptable for a pink person to use that word to describe a brown person, I have often heard ghetto characters bonding with the expression in Hollywood films.

I’m all for the Kick Racism Out of Sport Campaign but I am totally confused. I don’t know about you, but political correctness is really browning me off…

WHERE ALL ROADS LEAD TO GROAN...

DIES! KSr,allByoUurDgoDodYwi’SshesBUD THAthN anks fo

IT CAN only happen in England – and predictably, it did.

A rare venture onto a motorway during my three-week stay with my family in Manchester...and I spend seven hours crawling less than 200 miles down the M6 and M5.

Yes, the MDM struck again, just as it does every time I visit the UK. I’m talking about what is clearly a government order to the Maximum Disruption of Motorists department to cause drivers as much stress as possible through traffic delays.

I do as little driving as possible when I’m in England. It’s a pleasure to tootle around the Costa Blanca in my little Kia Picanto because traffic jams, diversions and road closures are as rare as a Manchester football team losing a Premier League match.

But while it takes me ten minutes to travel 10km from my home to the Courier office at any time of day, driving the same distance across Manchester is a good hour’s toil, thanks to heavy traffic, copious sets of traffic lights and random holes dug in the tarmac and dubiously titled ‘road works’.

I arrived in Manchester way behind schedule on the evening of December 16 - thanks to a morning snowstorm in Lancashire which delayed the departure of my flight from Murcia by five hours. After a quick visit to see my newly-born grandson at Stockport’s Stepping Hill Hospital, my son-inlaw attempted to drive me back to North Manchester via the M60 motorway, which encircles the city. We were trying to travel anticlockwise from five o’clock up to to midnight but

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966 784 532

Many my emature birth of following the pr say to ed ht lig de y. I’m grandson Budd g in ak m d cal list an he is off the criti ighs we ill st he gh thou good progress, ital d will be in hosp only 2lb 10oz an t. ye s for several week

when we got to roughly 4 o’clock, damn it, the motorway suddenly came to an end. Flashing lights and diversion signs told us the M60 was closed anticlockwise. No reason...just a loopy re-route that took us back onto the clockwise carriageway. So 20 minutes of the orbital clock became 40 minutes in reverse. Thanks guys, maybe in 100 years’ time you’ll reveal the reason why it’s necessary to shut down major motorways, just like that, with no explanatory notice, and force thousands of motorists to make 30-mile detours.

A five-minute lesson from the Spanish roads authority might be a good idea. They have this outrageous idea that you should keep major roads open at all times. Yes, even after a major incident involving the loss of life, they actually try to AVOID shutting down the road for a week? Or even a

couple of hours! Then, two days after Christmas, I set off in my daughter’s Rav 4 to visit my stepmother in Cardiff, accompanied by my two young granddaughters Talia and Daisy. ‘’There won’t be a lot of traffic,’’ insisted my son-inlaw. ‘’Everyone is still on holiday.’’

So off we headed at 11am for what in the past has normally been a three-and-a-half hour drive - though admittedly I had tended to travel after the evening rush hour.

Four hours after leaving Manchester, we pulled out of the near-stationary 60-mile queue on the M6 and into Stafford services, hoping to find some sort of guide to the traffic ahead. A TV screen with a bold caption reading ‘Live Traffic Information’ told us precisely nothing about the gridlocked traffic ahead or behind – because the monitor was unplugged. The Highways Agency weren’t any help, either – because we couldn’t find anyone working for them.

Presumably because, like much of Britain’s 21st-century workforce, they were on their 14-day Christmas break.

As it happens, the queues did ease soon after we left Stafford services and crawled past junction 14. For the previous 30 miles overhead signs had been flashing regularly warning of ‘Long Delays, Junctions 14-12’. It was inevitable there would be no delays whatsoever between those two junctions...and of course, there weren’t any.

WANT TO COMMENT? Email donna@thecourier.es

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

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

Panic report was a disgrace YOUR front page in the December 23 issue was an disgrace. absolute Scaremongering with no basis. A misleading incorrect story. Awful reporting.

Fancy writing such a misleading article just at Christmas.

Shame on you.

What is so ridiculous is that at the end of the article on Page 3, you end by quoting the British Embassy: "It is fanciful to imag-

ine that a major evacuation of British nationals would either be necessary or feasible".

You invalidated your own panic promoting report.

I thought your paper was very good up until yesterday. Why do you call yourselves "The Good News Paper"?

I bet you won’t publish this or say how many other people have LES WILTON complained.

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I’m sorry you feel so strongly about our report, which was basically a roundup of the UK press coverage during the week – so it was not us who caused the panic.

We merely provided the information for readers to make their own judgement as to what will happen in the future. You have also misjudged us - we do not bin critical letters. I can also tell you exactly how many other readers have complained about the article. None. - EDITOR

COURIER’S TONTO TALE DIDN’T FOOL ME!

WELL, thanks a lot, Courier! I just spent a few days dealing with irate British people brandishing copies of your paper with instructions to seek an explanation about the menú del día story (Oh día! Cheap menu ban for foreigners) from their nearest Spanish neighbour.

Telling us we are obese is a fat lot of good

Salad days: Menu Del Dia lives!

At first I was as shocked as the British were that the government could seriously think it was a good idea to ban menú del día for non-residents.

But then I read the story and all became clear.

Of course, being Spanish I got the joke as soon as I read about the I’VE just been reading a report which says that one in four Departamento Santos Inocentes, but I people in Britain are obese - but most of them do not know it. also liked the names Abril Tonto (April A survey, carried out by Slimming World, showed that while Fool) and Armando Follon (Making a a quarter of Britons were classified by their BMI as obese, Fuss). only 6% realised they fell into this category.

One of my English friends had to Well, I don’t know exactly how BMI is measured, but probexplain Mick E. Tayke to me, though. ably half of my immediate family (hubby, two married daughBy the third time someone ters and five grandkids), are asked me about the story I a stone or so overweight. thought I would play along Whilst I have always thought and pretend I thought the of them as just well fed, I am ban an excellent idea. now beginning to wonder if However, I couldn’t keep a they are actually ‘obese’ by straight face long enough for them to believe me. medical standards.

I am looking forward to I think one of the reasons seeing what you come up people go into denial is longer how we see creation, well, An inanimate object is, of course, not I DO enjoy reading Donna Gee’s artiwith for English April Fool’s cles in The Courier but was amazed at the same as an animate object. An except for fundamentalists, who because the word ‘obese’ Day. believe every word of the Bible. itself conjures up such a negMIGUEL, Los Alcázares what she said in the December 9 issue inanimate object would have to have ative image. been assembled but animate objects, Evolution Donna, evolution! (sometimes I let them pile up :-).

Sorry folks, we PAT PHILLIPS I associate it with people I refer to when a transistor radio such as us and all creatures and couldn’t resist the might be found on an uninhabitable plants, are here because of evolution who obscenely fat – like Point taken, Pat. But I prefer to temptation to make the and natural selection. believe that a greater force over- those poor souls in America most of Spain’s All Fools planet.

Human beings are here because we sees the evoloution and natural who we see on TV being I don't want to waste your time readday! We did run a separate story alongside the hoax ing a long email but I would like to point evolved from creatures that lived in the selection you refer to. A seeing eye, winched out of windows article which effectively you to an explanation ....I only do this sea billions of years ago. This is sci- for instance, does not just because they simply cannot happen...it is an unbelievable piece get through the door. Or off revealed everything - but as you seem open to consider what ence and in taught in schools.

Genesis and God reating Adam is no of engineering that, like life itself, the bed in many cases. nobody seems to have you read. man simply cannot dupliread it.

It is so sad...but these cate. Yet Mother Nature (or To those of you who individuals are far more than God if you prefer) does it a were duped into believing just greedy people eating million times every day. your days of cheap lunchCARDINAL Archbishop Antonio Rouco Varela used an open-air gathering in Madrid’s and eating. They clearly I am actually an agnostic, es were over, it will come Plaza Colón to attack the policies of Spain’s previous government, calling for a repeal in that I simply don’t know have a psychological probas a pleasant surprise that of legislation allowing abortion on demand and same-sex marriage. why we are here. But, call lem and the Slimming World you can still get all those The attack came shortly after the controversial Bishop of Córdoba, Demetrio me an old-fashioned fool if study makes me wonder delicious menus of the day Fernández, said there was a UN conspiracy to turn half the world’s population gay. you like, I do believe that whether that also applies to WITHOUT having to pro“The Minister for Family of the Papal Government, Cardinal Antonelli, told me a few life is the product of an duce an identity card. Or the 25% of Britons who are days ago in Zaragoza that UNESCO has a programme for the next 20 years to make omnipotent intelligence anything else - apart from a half the world population homosexual,” said the Bishop.

“To do this they have distinct and that there is a lot more obese. few euros to pay the bill.

But if only 6% realise they programmes, and will continue to implant the ideology that is already present in our to it than just evolution.

I just hope our story schools.”

And here endeth Mother are fatties, they are unlikely hasn’t given Spain’s new In Madrid, Rouco insisted that abortion and euthanasia in Europe was a deeper criDonna’s sermon for the ever to find out, are they?

PM Mariano Rajoy ideas... sis than the economy or politics. week.

-DONNA GEE SALLY SMITH, Alicante - EDITOR

TRANSISTOR RADIOS AND THE FACTS OF EVOLUTION

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UN ‘plans to turn half the world gay’

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Watching out for a time to remember OVER the years I've had the most awful luck with wrist-watches -- a terrible time.

They would either start stopping or stop starting.

And the few that did work satisfactorily tended to fall off my wrist onto rock-hard surfaces. Shockproof they were not.

Anyway . . .

'Enough!' cried Dave the barman. 'Your banal wristwatch revelation is already driving me nuts. And I'm sure the fellow members of our pub's discussion group would agree.'

The half-dozen other guys clustered around the bar chorused: 'Sit down, Dave, and shut up!'

I looked hopefully across the bar top just in case.

But judging by the way the others were glaring at me, it was more or less definite that it was not Dave the barman who was getting on everyone's nerves but Dave the boring bloke and wearer of wonky watches.

Why did every other guy in the western world have to be called Dave, I wondered.

I resolved that in future I would choose to be known by my middle name. But then, remembering what my middle name was, I swiftly changed my mind.

'I have a contribution to make,' piped up another member of the pub discussion group.

Hopefully, that person wasn't also called Dave.

Actually, none of us knew what his name was because . . . well, we just didn't care.

'Carry on, matey,' urged Dave the barman. 'Commence to inform, entertain and stimulate us.'

'Well,' said Matey, 'as it so happens my observation relates to the famous General Custer.'

All of us were gobsmacked. Apparently, in our midst lurked a hitherto unknown link to a celebrity.

'Wow!' exclaimed Dave the barman. 'You're actually related to General Custer, the American cavalry leader who perished at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, he of Last Stand fame who met his fate in the Great Sioux War of 1876?'

Matey shook his head. 'I never claimed to be related to Custer. I said my story was.'

'So just what is your story?' we all demanded impatiently.

'Well,' said Matey. 'I watched an interesting film on the telly last night about Custer. I think Errol Flynn was in it. Er . . . that's about all I have to say on the subject.'

Thus it turned out that Matey was just as boring as I was.

But wait a moment. Maybe I could salvage the situation.

I cleared my throat. 'Let me tell you all about MY time with Custer . . . ' The pub went silent. And I began: General George Armstrong Custer was the pride of my toy soldier collection.

And he wasn't your modern plastic rubbish. No, my caval-

Stranded driver survives on beer CLIFTON VIAL set out from his Alaska home in his Toyota Tacoma to see where a road went, but ended up stuck in a snowdrift on a road that doubles as a snowmobile track.

He was 40 miles from town, out of mobile phone range, without provisions or meaningful emergency equipment.

Vial wrapped himself in a sleeping-bag liner and waited, turning on the car occasionally for warmth. After three days, he was almost out of fuel.

On the second day he didn’t show up for work, his boss called emergency services, and the Nome Volunteer Fire Department and state troopers began searching.

Meanwhile, Vial’s only provisions were a few frozen cans of Coors Light beer. He opened the cans and ate the frozen beer with a knife.

When Vial was found, he had lost 16 pounds, but showed no signs of frostbite.

and plunged leadenly to the enamelled river bottom.

Then I would grip the submerged figurine between my thumb and forefinger and 'swim' him to the surface. What an amazing escape!

My playtime was interrupted by a hammering on the bathroom door.

'Don't you think you're too old to be messing about with toys in the bath,' Mrs S called out. 'You're 32, for God's sake!'

'I am not playing!' I lied. 'I am cleansing my flesh.'

Mrs S rattled the door handle and I'm afraid I panicked.

Pulling out the bath plug I created a whirlpool and watched in horror as General Custer jammed fast in the plughole.

In a frantic bid to extricate him from the swirling water I snapped off his head - and I think an arm came off, too.

Mrs S shouted: 'Are you aware that you've been playing in the bath for THREE hours?'

'How would I know?' I wailed, scooping up Custer's remains, 'I haven't got a wristwatch that works . . .'

'He's doing it again!' protested the pub's discussion group in unison. 'He's talking about his rubbish watches.'

I jumped onto the bar top. 'Please hear me out,' I implored. 'I've nearly finished my story.'

The pub went silent again and I continued thus: Let us fast-forward several years to the events of last Saturday night, New Year's Eve. I am at a house party hosted by my best friend, Eric the dentist. His living room is packed with celebrating guests.

I am wearing a wristwatch which was a gift from Mrs S. But with my track record for ruining timepieces I put it on only for special occasions -- the last time was on my birthday in August.

I consult my wrist and with seconds to go before the New Year, I leap onto Eric's coffee table, shout 'Happy 2012, everybody!' and burst into Auld Lang Syne.

ry officer was made out of lead and wore his hand-painted US Cavalry breeches with pride.

My miniature man of metal accompanied me everywhere, including the bath.

I would place Custer gently on my sponge and pretend my hero was sailing on a raft on the Colorado River during a day off from his military duties.

Then, furiously waggling my big toes, I would announce: 'Thur's a storm a brewin' in them thar Dakota hills.'

I would watch Custer fight the waves until he fell off his raft

ALIVE! TSUNAMI ‘VICTIM’ TURNS UP AFTER 7 YEARS

But something is wrong. Nobody is joining in. Indeed, everyone is staring quizzically at me and muttering.

'Idiot!' hisses a blushing Mrs S. 'You forgot to put your watch back one hour in the autumn.

'It's still only 11pm on December 31st and you've just made a complete fool of yourself and me. I want to go home.

Now!' And that's how Mrs S and I saw in the New Year, lying back to back in bed and not communicating. What a melancholy scene . . .

The pub was now hushed, apart from some stifled sobs.

Even Matey, who didn't appear to have the intelligence to be emotional, was shedding a tear.

Dave the barman observed: 'That is perhaps the saddest story I have ever heard. All that remains for me to add is: 'Time, gentlemen please!'

Dog poo lottery

THE citizens of Taiwan will clean up the streets, given the right incentive. A recent lottery offered $2,000 in gold as the top prize. The catch? To get a ticket, you bring in a bag of dog poop collected from the street. Over 4,000 residents of New Taipei City signed up for the programme, and have brought in ONE of the victims of the tsunami that swept over 14,000 bags of excrement to trade for tickets since August.

Indonesia on December 26, 2004 was an eight-year-old girl named Wati. She was swept away in the waters and although her body was never found, her family eventually faced the fact that she had died.

Until,that is, the now-15-year-old Wati turned up in her hometown of Ujong Baroh in West Aceh!

She told workers in a cafe that she was looking for her family, but couldn’t remember their names, except that her grandfather was called Ibrahim. Wati was reunited with her granddad and her overjoyed parents, who confirmed the girl’s identity by a scar she received when she was six. It is believed that Wati spent the past seven years wandering Indonesia trying to find her way home.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH MOVING to a new country can be daunting.

With all the paperwork and other pressures of settling in, learning the language can be pushed to the back of the to do list, and moving to a primarily English-speaking area can mean that the necessity for the local language is diminished.

Having chosen to live in Spain, with a bit of effort we can all take the first step to speaking the language and becoming even more involved in this beautiful country.

Learning any language is not necessarily easy. As we get past our early 20s the brain finds it harder to take in and remember languages. But it is not, by any reason, impossible and with a few phrases you can start to appreciate and enjoy a new language.

You will be able to understand and be understood and you will be able to impress your holiday-making friends and relatives who will think you are fluent!

We are going to go through Spanish, bit by bit until, within a short space of time, you are able to make sense of simple sentences.

We’ll begin with the fact that Spanish nouns have two genders, masculine and feminine. A general rule is that nouns that end in ´o´ are masculine and those ending in ´a´ are feminine. There are of course exceptions to this rule and there are nouns that end in neither ´o´ nor ´a´. These need to be learnt on a word by word basis. If you look in any Spanish/English dictionary there will be an ´f´ or ´m´ after the noun - this will tell you

the gender.

HOW TO SAY ‘THE’ Spanish has four words for ´the´ - el, la, los and las.

There are four ways to say ´the´ in Spanish. All must agree in both gender and number with the noun. They are pronounced as they are written and easy for English speakers.

Singular Plural Masculine El Los Feminine La Las El is the masculine singular. For example El Gato – The Cat La is the feminine singular, for example La

Casa – The House Los and Las are the masculine and feminine plurals - examples Los Gatos , Las Casas The only time this is not the case is with

feminine nouns that begin with a stressed A. Any noun that begins with a stressed "a" or "ha" will use el. However, these nouns will use las in their plural form, just like all other plural feminine nouns. Here are some examples: Water el agua but las aguas Soul el alma but las almas Hunger el hambre but las hombres

HOW TO SAY – A/An/Some (indefinite article)

Unos Sombreros ---Some hats Una Casa --- A house

A BIT OF HOMEWORK….

Try putting the correct Spanish word in front of the following: ………puerta --- The door …….. perro --- The dog …….. libro --- The book …….. bebida --- The drink …….. coche --- The car …….. avión --- The aeroplane

There are four forms of the indefinite article in Spanish. Each must agree in both gender and number with the noun. The only time this is not the case is with feminine nouns that begin with a stressed "a" Singular Plural Masculine Un Unos Feminine Una unas Pronunciation, the u sound is as the ´oo´ in moon Any noun that begins with a stressed "a" or "ha" will use the indefinite article un.

However, these nouns will use unas in their plural form, just like all other plural feminine nouns. Here are some examples: Soul un alma but unas almas Hunger un hambre but unas hambres The indefinite article in Spanish is equivalent to the English articles "a", "an" and "some/several".

Un Sombrero ---A hat

A/an/some …….. pelota --- A ball …….. piscina --- A swimming pool ……..libros --- Some books …….. chico --- A boy …….. chica --- A girl …….. personas --- some people …….. pez --- A fish

ANSWERS NEXT WEEK

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

THE SPANISH PRESS

HUGE DEBT COULD SEE BIGASTRO BUST

Holidays are bridge too far for economy El Pais

BUSINESS leaders and labour unions have reached an agreement that will do away with BIGASTRO Town Hall is on the verge of bankTown in torment: Debt- the December puente (bridge), falling ruptcy, with a debt of 31 million euros. The ridden Bigastro between Constitution Day on the 6th and the owes 31 million euros PP mayor Charo Bañuls is accusing the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on the 8th. previous socialist administration of rigging the The agreement is the first in an attempt to public accounts, and committing numerous hammer out labour reform before a governirregularities. ment deadline set for January 7.

To try to make a step towards resolving the situation the If the Labour Ministry approves the agreemayor has announced drastic cuts and the privatisation of ment, three holidays will be moved to various services.

Mondays next year, including the December Eight million euros of the debt consists of unpaid bills, 8 holiday. The others are August15 and including the construction of the heated municipal swimming November 1. pool in 2007, which cost 900,0000 euros.

In a separate development aimed at helpThe previous administration paid for many of the services ing the labour market to be more competitive in difficult economic times, the new Popular with post-dated cheques, which then bounced. The debt has Party Cabinet plans to freeze the minimum grown as it has generated more and more interest. wage at 14 yearly payments of 641.40 euros The PP has had to close down the pool, stop the adult edueach. The Labour Ministry informed the cation classes, and cut down spending on electricity as much unions CCOO and UGT of as possible. Every other light bulb will be removed and the this decision in a letter. heating will be turned off after Christmas.

This will be the first time All the clubs and associations in the municipality will have that the minimum salary has to be self-sufficient. not risen since its inception in 1980.

El Pais Angry union leaders and opposition parties noted that THE Alicante provincial court last week turned down an Spain already ranks third appeal by Ryanair in favour of boarding on foot at Alicante from last on the list of Airport, and has upheld an earlier decision that the passen- European countries with an official minimum wage.

THE residents of the small town of Villar de Cañas, near ger airbridges must be used at the new terminal at El Altet.

The low-cost airline’s continuing dispute Cuenca, were celebrating last Friday after winning the conwith AENA Spanish Airports’ embarkation troversial bid to host the Centralised Temporary Storage regulations at El Altet led Ryanair to nuclear waste site (ATC), which is expected to bring in 700 announce 50% cutbacks at Alicante last million euros and create some 300 jobs. month.

With around 450 residents, Villa de Cañas is a mainly agriRyanair had argued that embarking and cultural town located 90 minutes away from Madrid by car. disembarking on foot is part of their busiCastilla-La Mancha government spokesman Leandro ness model as a low-cost airline in keeping THREE mountaineers were rescued last Esteban called it “magnificent news” even though Popular Michael O’Leary operational costs as low as possible in week after more than seven hours spent Party (PP) regional premier María Dolores de Cospedal was trapped on the Puig Campana mountain in order to attract more passengers. initially against the idea of having the ATC in The provincial court however considered Finestrat. any PP-controlled region. there was ‘reasonable doubt’ of any ‘immeIn 2009 the government announced it They were making their descent in the would seek offers from towns willing to host le in Montilla, diate irreversible’ damage use of the air- area known as ‘Aguja Encantada’ last op pe 100 n tha RE the waste facility. In September 2010, a com- MO ba, took part in creating the world’s bridges could cause to the company.

Tuesday when their rope system jammed Córdo The court also noted in its ruling, made mission determined that among the candichocolate - a 250 and they were unable to descend any furlargest ever bar of o, nd Mu El to rding public last Thursday, that Michael dates, Zarra, in Valencia, would be the ideal metre-long slab. Acco an O’Leary’s airline uses passenger air- ther. The emergency call went out to the spot for the ATC. But after the 551 residents of the previous world record was held by turer bridges at other Spanish airports and so fire brigade shortly before 5pm but, owing Zarra and their supporters took to the streets, Armenian group. A Jaén manufac which embarking on foot ‘is not an essential to the weather conditions with heavy rain blocking off main roads for several days in provided the 3,100 different bars -breaking one. The factor of its operations’.It’s understood and wind, it was not until midnight that protest, the Cabinet postponed the decision. went into the record into 9,500 that there can be no appeal against the they were able to be brought down safe The residents of Villar de Cañas have wel- giant slab has been broken up ty. ari ch for off ld court’s decision. comed the plant. portions and so and sound.

Welcome job explosion from nuclear waste plant

It’s final: Alicante court grounds Ryanair case

Mountain top rescue drama

Smash ‘n slab

Thursday, January 5, 2012

LÍNEA DIRECTA, THE BEST COMPANY FOR EXPATRIATES AT THE BEST PRICE Since 1998 Línea Directa, the market leader in the sale of direct car, motorbike and home insurance in Spain, has offered an exclusive telephone service entirely in English and German. This service, the first of its kind in Spain, forms part of the company’s commitment to quality and excellence, which have also made it the market leader in this business sector, due to the fact that it currently has over 63,000 foreign customers residing in Spain.

As a result, services such as purchasing a policy, making enquiries, processing claims, sending documents and 24-hour assistance can all be carried out in English or German at a time which is convenient for the customer by making just one phone call.

And not only does Línea Directa offer the best, it also offers its services at the most competitive price on the market.

A real case

“This email to confirm receipt of insurance settlement in my bank account today.

Many thanks for the professional and efficient way you have dealt with this claim.

Regards.”

Call now 902 123 104

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

In The News Quiz - 2011 COMPILED BY JEFF WHITTINGTON sea creatures were found in the sea water entering the plant?

body BPI in October, who was voted the UK’s favourite classical composer: (a) Mozart (b) J S Bach or (c) Handel?

24. Who was the coach of New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team, the winners of the 2011 Rugby World Cup?

13. A statue of which former US president was unveiled at a ceremony outside the American embassy in central London in July?

1. Dilma Rousseff was sworn in as which Latin American country’s first female president in January?

2. What is the name of the British television presenter who won an employment tribunal case against the BBC for ageism and victimisation in January? She had claimed victimisation after being dropped from the BBC One programme Countryfile when it was rescheduled to an evening slot in 2009.

14. A rare manuscript by which famous English novelist was purchased by the Bodleian Libraries of Oxford for £993,250 (€1.13 million) in London in July?

15. On which golf course did Darren Clarke win the 2011 British Open championship in July?

3. Which two teams contested Super Bowl XLV in February?

4. Which countries took over the presidency of the European Union on (a) January 1, 2011 and (b) July 1, 2011?

25. Following a peaceful march on August 6 in relation to the police response to the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan by Metropolitan Police Service firearms officers on August 4, a riot began in which area of the London Borough of Haringey?

5. Which international leader insisted ‘All my people love me’ in February, after the UN security council voted unanimously to refer him to the international criminal court?

26. Which controversial American actress/fashion designer/model was sentenced to 30 days in a Los Angeles jail for breaching the terms of her parole in November?

16. How did the activist and comedian Jonnie Marbles (real name Jonathan May-Bowles) make front page news in July?

17. Which credit rating agency controversially downgraded the United States’ credit rating from AAA to AAplus in August?

18. In July, which South African-born swimmer was the first athlete to qualify for the Great Britain team for the 2012 Olympics?

27. What is the name of the economist and academic who was sworn in as Italian prime minister and temporary finance minister in November?

7. Who defeated Roger Federer to win the 2011 French Open title in June?

28. What is the name of the world’s fourth-largest airline, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November?

8. According to a Lancet article in June, which ‘polygenic disease’ now afflicts more than 350 million people worldwide?

29. Which country beat Argentina to win the 2011 Davis Cup in November?

9. Which former Sky Sports’ football pundit accepted £20,000 in damages from the News of the World in June after his phone was hacked?

30. Kim Jong-il, who died in December, was the Supreme Leader of which communist country?

10. With which musical instrument would you principally associate the E Street Band’s Clarence Clemons, who died in June?

11. A white dress worn by which iconic film star in a famous 1955 film was sold for £2.8 million (€3.36 million) at an auction in Los Angeles in June?

12. Both reactors at the Torness nuclear power station were shut down in June after huge numbers of which

20. Which South Asian country hosted its first ever Formula One Grand Prix race in October, which was won by Sebastian Vettel?

21. The American political thriller and historical drama Anonymous, which was released in October, presents Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, played by actor Rhys Ifans, as the true author of whose plays?

22. Which baseball team beat the Texas Rangers by four games to three to win the 2011 World Series in October?

23. According to a poll by the recording industry trade

Answers 1. BRAZIL, 2. MIRIAM O’REILLY, 3. GREEN BAY PACKERS beat the PITTSBURGH STEELERS 31-25, 4. HUNGARY and POLAND, 5. Libya’s MUAMMAR GADDAFI, 6.

BAN KI-MOON, 7. RAFAEL NADAL, 8. TYPE 2 DIABETES, 9. ANDY GRAY, 10. SAXOPHONE, 11. MARILYN MONROE, 12. JELLYFISH, 13. RONALD REAGAN, 14.

JANE AUSTEN, 15. ROYAL ST GEORGE’S GOLF CLUB IN SANDWICH, KENT, 16. HE THREW A SHAVINGFOAM PIE AT RUPERT MURDOCH DURING HIS APPEARANCE IN FRONT OF A PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE, 17. STANDARD & POOR’S (S&P), 18. KERI-ANNE PAYN, 19. THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, 20. INDIA (formally known as the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India), 21. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, 22. ST LOUIS CARDINALS, 23. B – J S BACH, 24. GRAHAM HENRY, 25. TOTTENHAM, 26. LINDSAY LOHAN, 27. MARIO MONTI, 28. AMERICAN AIRLINES, 29. SPAIN, 30. NORTH KOREA (DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA)

6. Which Korean-born politician was re-elected for a second term as secretary-general of the United Nations in June?

19. Which novel by Julian Barnes that tells the story of a middle-aged man named Tony Webster who recalls how he and his clique met Adrian Finn at school and vowed to remain friends for life, was awarded the Man Booker Prize in October?

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Spain’s new PM? It’s wotsisname

I WAS running a quiz at a local bar last week, and asked people to name the new Spanish Prime Minister. There was a cautious mumbling amidst the pints of beer and gnawing of meat pies. Even an unwelcome drunken British woman, who could barely prop up the bar after volunteering all kinds of unwanted answers, was mercifully muted for a few blessed seconds.

Eventually a nervous and timid whisper of “Zapatero” wafted across the dimly lit room, as I realised that nobody had a clue that Spain had a new man in charge, let alone what his name might be.

The eventual declaration of the correct answer brought silence and shrugs, which either speaks volumes for the man’s profile, or shows a real basic ignorance in the most fundamental aspects of Spanish politics that really does impact on every Brit who lives over here.

Mariano Rajoy’s landslide election win a few weeks ago was one of many highlights of a massive year of change, and his government has not wasted much time in trying to get to grips with the problems they have inherited from the unpopular Zapatero and his cronies.

It’s certainly going to be quite a ride for the new team in Madrid, and with big cuts announced in the public sector, I don’t see all of this being accepted quietly. Such severe pain could have been reduced had Rajoy’s predecessor not been living in some kind of denial for most of his years in charge!

There has never been so much turmoil in Europe since the end of World War II in 1945, but fortunately it has been more of an economic and political nature, rather than tanks rolling through the streets.

In 2011, we’ve seen Greece go to the very edge, and Prime Minister Papandreou playing a stupid game of brinkmanship in Athens, which saw him removed. Even the patient Italians eventually got fed up of their laughable President, Silvio Berlusconi, as an internal coup was arranged…..and we’ve seen governments toppled in Ireland

Mariano Rajoy: He means business even if many expats don’t know his name

and Portugal. Compared to all that, the UK coalition looks like a bastion of stability, even though the two partners have had a few spats along the way, with Nick Clegg’s rushed plan for a Referendum on changing the voting system blowing up in his face, killing off a much needed reform for a whole generation.

The year 2011 had some truly extraordinary political events in North Africa and the Middle East. Akin to what happened in Eastern Europe in the late ’80s, we saw dictators fall from their thrones as the public spoke in Tunisia and Egypt, followed eventually by the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. The Colonel and his goons in Tripoli just misread everything so badly and were not wise enough to have even put together an escape plan to some tinpot African state back in the spring.

But the Libyan revolution would not have happened had it not been for Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy leading from the front to provide NATO air cover. What a shame that the British and French leaders have badly fallen out over the future of Europe. They need to get together again, along with other countries, as terrible crimes are being committed in Syria, and we have a certain country with nuclear capability called Iran that needs to be sorted out. There are very worrying times ahead.

In Britain, it’s strange that while the state of the economy would have been taking most attention for a large part of the year, the two stand-out stories were the August riots and the

Murdoch empire crumbling in front of everyone’s eyes in a matter of weeks, because of phone hacking.

The hot air in the summer after some mindless teenage morons decided to indulge in straight-forward thuggery was nauseating, especially from the clerical clods like the selfimportant Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, who never seemed to have a critical word to say when Labour was in power.

Full credit to the courts for fast-tracking the hearings with the yobs, and then handing out some tough penalties. I also hope that if there sadly is a next time, PC Plod won’t stand by and watch all the carnage happen without lifting a single blue-gloved finger.

Meanwhile, for the first time in years, MPs actually showed some bottle in knifing Rupert Murdoch in the front, rather than brown-nosing him in the hope of some cheap praise in one of his wretched newspapers.

The dirty work was done by Labour MPs Tom Watson and Nick Bryant, who faced the full force of the Murdoch machine against them for years, whilst their colleagues just hid.

For their steadfast efforts, I’d certainly give Messrs.

Watson and Bryant my personal vote as UK politicians of the year for proving that being right and being persistent can unsettle even the biggest world media mogul.

Finally, two predictions for 2012. Barack Obama to be reelected as US President, and a leadership challenge against Labour’s Ed Miliband, who despite giving Cameron the runaround during the phone-hacking scandal, has largely looked out of touch on the really big issues that matter to ordinary British voters.

Rupert Murdoch: The world’s biggest media mogul?

16

Thursday, January 5, 2012

THE UK NEWS

JUSTICE AT LAST Lawrence parents weep as killers

GARY DOBSON and David Norris were found guilty on Tuesday of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in a landmark conviction which has taken 18 years to secure.

The verdict is a hard-won victory for the black teenager's parents Doreen and Neville, who have fought tirelessly to see their son's killers brought to justice.

It is also a tribute to the dogged journalism of the Daily Mail, which on February 14, 1997 named five young white men - among them Dobson and Norris - as the murderers. Stephen's parents Doreen and

CPS give Kevin the all-clear

are convicted - after 18 years

Daily Mail

Neville wept at the verdicts were delivered.

Dobson protested his innocence as he was led from court saying: 'You have condemned an innocent man here. I hope you can live with yourselves.'

The front page headline in February 1997 read 'Murderers: The Mail accuses these men of killing. If we are wrong, let them sue us.' None of them ever did The truth finally caught up with drugs trafficker THE man accused of gunning down Indian Dobson and Norris, the student Anuj Bidve on Boxing Day gave son of a South London his name as "Psycho Stapleton" in court gangster, as a jury of four on Monday. women and eight men Kiaran Stapleton, 20, was handcuffed as found both guilty of he was led into the dock with four armed Stephen's murder after a cops stationed in the courtroom. six-week trial made posWhen he was asked for his name, he bra- sible by a series of zenly replied: "Psycho. Psycho Stapleton." extraordinary advances The clerk to the court said: "I've got in forensic science.

Kiaran here."

Sixteen fibres linked to Stapleton — flanked by two cops and the clothes Stephen wearing a grey Nike T-shirt and grey jog- wore on the night were ging bottoms — did not respond. found on Dobson’s jacStapleton, of Salford, was remanded in ket and a multi-coloured custody. Anuj, 23, died after being shot cardigan, or in evidence once in the head at point-blank range on bags that contained Boxing Day. them.

The Sun

Armed cops guard ‘Psycho’ suspect

A court artist’s impression o Dobson and Norris during their trial

The Sun

All this F-fort is just not fare!

FURIOUS UK rail commuters were hit with FARE rises, FOUL weather and signal FAILURES on Tuesday as they returned from the festive break.

Passengers were told they faced "real pain" as some of them saw _ticket hikes of up to 11 per cent.

Compared with January 2011 prices, the cost of a Chester-Crewe annual season ticket has soared by 10.6 per cent, as has a season ticket for travel between Llandudno and Bangor in Gwynedd.

Angry travellers branded the rises

a "rip off". A "fair fares" protest took place at St Pancras station on Tuesday after the cost of tickets went up by an average six per cent.

Protesters from the TSSA rail union carried placards depicting Prime Minister David Cameron as the Fat Controller. Members of the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) joined in the rally, handing out leaflets inviting commuters to contact the Treasury to tell Chancellor George Osborne exactly what they thought of the fare increases.

CORONATION Street bosses breathed a sigh of relief on Monday after star Michael Le Vell was cleared of rape.

Michael, the soap's mechanic Kevin Webster, was arrested in September after a teenager claimed he had attacked her.

But the Crown Prosecution Service has now told the actor there is no case for him to answer.

Street chiefs decided Michael, 47, should carry on filming after he told them the circumstances in which the allegations had been made.

Now Michael, of Hale, Greater Manchester, has also been backed by the CPS. Nazir Aszal, Chief Prosecutor for the North West, said: "As there is no realistic prospect of conviction it is only right the allegations are prevented from going any further."

From Luton to London, Sheffield and Clacton, THE New Year got off to a violent start on Sunday with four suspected murders and an attempted killing of a cop.

They were the worst in a string of horrific incidents across Britain — just hours into 2012.

A 42-year-old man died after being stabbed in the chest at a New Year house party in Luton. Police believe the victim, who

The Sun has not been named, died of a heart attack — less than an hour after being wounded at around 3am. A boy of 15 and a 16-year-old girl were being quizzed on suspicion of murder.

Neighbours claimed the victim had been co-hosting the bash with his girlfriend Mandy

O'Neill. They said they heard screaming coming from the house and then police and paramedics arrived.

The man is thought to have staggered out of the semi-detached home and collapsed in the front garden.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: "Unfortunately everyone at the party was fairly drunk and it has been difficult to try to

piece together what led up to the assault."

Mandy is thought to live at the house with two teenage daughters.Neighbours said her boyfriend was German, called Michael and lived nearby, but often stayed with her.

A man celebrating his 22nd birthday was shot dead early on Sunday in Clerkenwell, London. He was blasted twice in the chest in See Page 17 front of two female pals.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

THE TABLOIDS

THE FORCE BE WITH THEM! Gales and floods as Brits go back to work

Daily Mail

Windblown: Even lorries met their match in this week’s gales

FOR millions of Britons the post-Christmas return to work was made even harder on Tuesday as storm-force gales and severe weather battered large parts of the country.

The brutal weather which swept in from the Atlantic saw Force 11 winds, widespread flood warnings and travel chaos as falling trees and severe conditions welcomed the nation back to work.

The harsh January storms also claimed their first victim when a 50-year-old man was killed roof to a stand at Epsom by a falling tree in Downs Racecourse and a power surge led to a wasTunbridge Wells, Kent.

And forecasters warned hing machine catching fire the unforgiving weather is in Wales. Buses replaced set to continue for the trains on some rail services London and nation, following the second between Harrogate and Hull, while warmest year on record.

Around the country trees drivers planning to use the fell onto railway tracks and Dartford Crossing between power lines, lorries toppled Kent and Essex were warover on busy roads and ned to expect delays due to local authorities issued the gale-force winds.

Some East Coast main flood warnings after rivers line trains between London swelled.

High seas caused the and Scotland were forced to Port of Dover to close, start and terminate at gusts of wind damaged the Newcastle upon Tyne.

17

Damilola’s dad in rap at OBE for cousin of killers THE dad of Damilola Taylor blasted the honours system after an exdrug dealer cousin of his son's killers was awarded the OBE. Chris Preddie, 24, got the New Year's gong for his charity work with young offenders.

But Damilola's dad Richard said: "I don't think honours should be given to such people. I think there should be stricter rules. He's the cousin of the killers of my son."

Richard, whose ten-year-old son was killed by brothers Danny and Ricky Preddie in 2000, was himself awarded an OBE in 2010's New Year Honours for his charity work.

He said it was wrong to honour Chris when far more established

The Sun

campaigners were ignored. He added: "To be honoured with such a prestigious award when there are hard-working people who have lost their loved ones doing similar work in the community isn't right.

"I think they deserve it more.

Then such a person who just comes from nowhere and has been given such an award . . . I'm totally against it."

As a teenager Chris was a gang member and sold cannabis. He turned his life around at 16 after his elder brother was shot dead.

He went to college and began working for anti-crime charity Crimestoppers. In 2008 he was made its first "community champion."

Chris, who says he barely knows his cousins, said: "I hope the OBE shows young people it doesn't matter who you are or who your family are." tmen leaving 'Sorry, you were out cards' Gary Trowsdale, of the when residents were home has risen by Damilola Taylor Trust, said a third in two years. In 2011, 32,000 peothe award proved the ple complained about being left a P739 system was becoming "a form, a 14% rise. lottery." He said: "Does this Between June and September last relative of Damilola's killers year alone, more than 8,500 people comdeserve the accolade? plained about the practice, a 37% increa"We tried to meet with se on the same period in 2009. him a few times through The figures show that the practice is Crimestoppers but they on the rise despite promises by Royal said he had no desire to Mail to curb the problem. meet Richard."

32,000 raps for postmen THE number of complaints about UK postmen leaving cards claiming residents weren't in when they tried to deliver packages, when in fact the householders were home, has risen by more than a third.

The cards are meant to be used by postmen if they knock on the door and receive no response.

However, it seems the cards are being increasingly misused, pre-prepared by postmen seeking to save time on their rounds.

The number of complaints about pos-

Daily Mail

it’s New Year murder and mayhem in Britain From Page 16 Cops launched a murder probe after a man died following a fight at a party in Sheffield city centre.They were called to the Stars and Mayfair Party Suites at 2.47am.

And a man and a woman, both 21, were held on suspicion of murder after a 29-yearold man died of head injuries after being

attacked in a car park at Clacton at 4.30am.

A PC was crushed against his own patrol car by thieves in a stolen taxi in Milton Keynes. The Volkswagen Passat minicab was reversed into the officer shortly after 3am. Thames Valley Police were treating the incident as attempted murder and quizzed a 29-year-old man. The PC was said to be in a "serious but stable" condition in hospital.

A boy of 17 was questioned over the rape of a 20-year-old woman as she walked home from a party in Southampton at around 4am. In Norfolk, a man in his 20s died after an incident outside a pub in the village of Toft Monks at 3.15am.

A man was killed and a woman injured when struck by a van while walking home from a party in Herne Bay, Kent — an hour

into 2012. Paramedics dealt with 14 stabbings in Greater Manchester, ten in Merseyside and Cheshire and six in Lancashire and Cumbria.

Two young women were killed when their car crashed into a wall near Caernarfon.

And police scoured the River Tyne for a man who jumped from the Tyne Bridge in full view of thousands of revellers in Newcastle.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Look in at the low-cal

Suppers for four that take no more than 30 minutes to make and are under 400 calories per serving? They must be really dull meals, right? Wrong! Check out these mouthwatering delights; there's not a salad in sight (well okay, there's one... but it’s not exactly a salad!)

Sticky duck with quick egg fried rice A quick Chinese-style recipe that's surprisingly low in calories. Duck breasts are only a little more expensive than good chicken, and they make a much more impressive meal that’s perfect for midweek entertaining.

Ingredients 1. 2 or 3 large duck breasts 2. 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder 3. 2 tbsp honey 4. 2 large free-range eggs, beaten 5. 250g cooked or microwaveable rice 6. 100g frozen peas 7. A bunch of spring onions, sliced 8. 2 tbsp soy sauce 9. 1 tsp sesame oil

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Slash the skin of the duck breasts and rub in 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder.

2. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and cook the duck, skinside down, over a medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the skin is crispy. Drain off most of the fat, then turn over.

3. Drizzle over 2 tbsp honey and transfer to the oven for 10 minutes, until the juices are sticky and the duck is cooked but pink in the middle. Remove the duck, cover and rest.

4. In the same pan, add the eggs and quickly stir-fry for 1 minute on the hob. Add the rice and frozen peas and toss together well for a few more minutes, until coated in the egg.

Add a bunch of spring onions, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil, then remove from the heat.

5. Divide the rice between serving bowls. Slice the duck into strips and serve on top of the rice, drizzled with its resting juices.

Nutritional info Per serving: 330kcals, 12.3g fat (3.5g saturated), 27.9g protein, 28.7g carbs, 7.3g sugar, 1.8g salt

Salmon and ginger fishcakes with sweet-and-sour salad Salmon and ginger bring out the best in each other in this easy Thai recipe for fishcakes. There's also a gorgeous salad and the whole plate is super-healthy. Need any more incentive?

Ingredients

1. 500g skinned salmon fillet 2. 4cm piece fresh ginger, very finely chopped 3. 4 spring onions, finely chopped 4. 1 tsp sunflower oil

For the salad 1. 1 medium-hot red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2. 2 tsp caster sugar 3. 1 tsp Thai fish sauce 4. 1 tbsp lime juice 5. 1 tbsp rice vinegar 6. 1/2 cucumber 7. 1 small yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into long, thin strips 8. 1 small carrot, cut into thin strips 9. 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 10. Bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked

Yakitori chicken As this dish uses ready prepared vegetables all the hard work is taken out of stir-fry.

Ingredients 1. 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips 2. 6 tbsp dark soy sauce 3. 4 tbsp clear honey 4. 2 tbsp dry sherry 5. 1 tbsp sesame oil 6. 450g pack crunchy stir-fry vegetables (with pak choi, water chestnuts, beansprouts, carrots, peppers, red onions and herbs etc) 7. 1 tbsp cornflour

Method

1. Put the chilli, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and vinegar into a screw-top jar and shake well. Set aside. Halve the cucumber, then slice each piece into long, thin strips. Toss the cucumber, pepper, carrot and tomatoes together in a bowl.

2. Chop the salmon until you have a coarse, mince-like mixture. Put into another bowl with the ginger and onions.

Season. Mix together and divide into 8. Using slightly wet hands, shape into 8 fishcakes.

3. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the fishcakes for 1½ minutes each side, until lightly golden and cooked.

4. Toss the dressing and coriander leaves through the salad. Divide between 4 plates and top each with 2 fishcakes.

1. Mix the chicken, soy sauce, honey and sherry in a shallow non-metallic dish. Cover and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes – if you have time.

2. Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over a high heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon, add to the wok and stir-fry for 5 minutes, until cooked through.

3. Remove the herbs from the pack of stir-fry vegetables and set aside in cold water. Tip the vegetables into the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute.

4.

Mix any remaining marinade with the cornflour until well combined and pour into the pan.

Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until everything is cooked and coated in the sauce.

Serve spooned over flat rice noodles and scatter with the reserved herbs.

Nutritional info

Nutritional info

Method

Per serving: 281kcals, 14.9g fat (2.6g saturated), 26.8g protein, 9.9g carbs, 8.8g sugar, 0.4g salt

Low-cal Wines White Zinfandel. People tend to have strong opinions about drinking white zinfandel. For some, it hardly qualifies as wine, while others prefer its fruity taste to other choices.

Love it or hate it, white zinfandel tends to be one the lowest calorie wines available. One glass of white zinfandel has an average of 80 calories.

Sauvignon Blanc. This dry white wine is a good choice for someone watching their calories. As a general rule, dry wines will always have fewer calories than sweeter wines.

Sauvignon Blanc is generally described as crisp and refreshing. A glass of Sauvignon Blanc contains about 80 calories.

Chablis. Chablis is a French wine made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. A wine with a very pure taste, Chablis often has an acidity that some describe as a green-apple.

One glass of Chablis has about 83 calories.

Cabernet Sauvignon.The only red wine to make the list, Cabernet Sauvignon is a popular dry red wine. The fact that it is dry makes it more diet-friendly than sweeter reds. Red wines are generally higher in calories than white wines. A glass of Cabernet Sauvignon has an average of 95 calories.

Per serving 310kcals, 8.6g fat (1.6g saturated), 32g protein, 25.5g carbs, 18.4g sugar, 4.4g salt

19

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Alfonsa’s Aromas

AT the age of 84, Alfonsa Ramirez Carmona has few peers when it comes to Spanish home cooking.

Orphaned at the age of eight, she was left to care for five younger siblings and an ailing grandmother.

Working in service for many years, she

PAELLA DE MARISCO (seafood paella) 500grams short grain rice (arroz de paella) 4 squids or 1 bag of frozen squid 150grams prawns and 150 grams cockles(almejas) 12 tiger prawns or equivalent 2large tomatoes for frying 2cloves garlic olive oil and paprika pepper saffron (colorante amarillo) water and salt Wash all seafood and leave to drain.

Bring to boil a pan of water and immerse the tiger prawns and cockles for 3 minutes and remove. In a paella pan or big frying pan fry the squid and add the garlic and the tomato and the paprika. Fry carefully to ensure they don't burn. Once fried add the stock from where the seafood was previously, briefly boiled.

Season to taste. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes and place the rice into the boiling stock then add the rest of the seafood. The cooking of the dish should take approx 20 minutes. Once cooked leave to repose for 5-10 minutes.

N.B. Always use double the amount of stock to rice.

ENSALADA DE PATATAS (potato salad) 2-3 large potatoes 3 tomatoes 1-2 large spring onions 1-2 tins of tuna in oil 1 tin of black boneless olives.

3 boiled eggs olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. (optional)

finally married impoverished Santos, who soon developed health problems.

As time passed Santos made a decent living as a gardener and with that income he began to invest in small properties until finally the family settled into a lovely "piso" in Elche,

Evenly dice and boil potatoes. Once boiled leave to drain and when drained place into a large bowl. Dice the tomatoes and dice the onion into tiny pieces and add to the potatoes.

Add the egg roughly chopped, the olives and the tuna.

Add the oil required, the vinegar and salt to taste and stir gently so as not to break the potatoes. Serve chilled. (delicious on a hot day)

BEEF IN HAZELNUT SAUCE (ternera en salsa de avellanas) 4 beef filletes 100 grams hazelnuts 1 onion 100mls single cream (nata liquida) 1 dessert spoon flour salt, pepper and olive oil Grate the onion and lightly fry until golden.

Once it becomes golden add the flour, salt and stir well,. Crush the hazelnuts and mix with the cream and add to saucepan. Leave to cook gently for a few minutes and sprinkle with pepper. Fry the fillets of beef and serve with the sauce

ALMEJAS (cockles)

where, to this day Alfonsa, although now widowed, lives contently.

Her five children, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren visit constantly, of course, and are always greeted with a table full of Alfonsa's never ending delicacies. .....

GARLIC SOUP (sopa de ajos) 1 1/2 large cups of water 4 garlic cloves 275grams of bread Cut into small pieces 2-4dessert spoon of oil salt.

Paprika pepper(optional) Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the bread and the very finely chopped garlic. In a pan place water and boil the bread and garlic for 15 minutes.

Leave to repose and serve hot.

Sometimes cockles are added to the soup as are hard boiled eggs.

CHICKPEA STEW (potaje de garbanzos) 400grams chickpeas 200grams potatoes 100grams fresh or frozen spinach 1onion 2tomatoes 1hard boiled egg 2desertspoons olive oil 2 large cups water (approx) Pepper, salt and a slice of bread

250 grams (approx) Cockles 3 cloves Garlic Handful of parsley Breadcrumbs seasoning to taste Fry the garlic in a little oil Add the cockles and when they open add the parsley and the garlic. A chilli pepper is sometimes added if desired.(una guindilla) With a little water leave to cook for some minutes and add a little flour or breadcrumbs previously softened in a little water. When the sauce has thickened it is ready to eat.

The night before soak the chickpeas in water. The next day drain the chickpeas and add to boiling water and boil for approx 90 minutes until soft. Meanwhile in another pan blanch the spinach (if Fresh) and dice into small pieces. Peel and dice potatoes and add to spinach and cooked chickpeas.

Fry the bread and the onion with the tomatoes and add to the chopped egg . Bash up in a mortar and pestle and place into pan. Add salt and leave to simmer until everything is tender.

ROJALES RUGBY COUP THE Rojales Steakhouse has started screening televised rugby games so get yourselves down there and have a ball (an oval one, of course)!

Also on sale in the bar is rugby clothing including shirts hats, scarves etc.

Rojales Steakhouse is a major promoter and sponsor of the Butterfly Children charity and all proceeds from the sale of donated rugby attire will go to them.

For those interested in attending televised games, pre-booked groups of 15 or more

fans will be provided with free bowls of curry or chilli (sounds like a good deal!)

Finally if you’d like tickets for the Amlin Cup game between La Vila and English Premiership

side Sale Sharks next weekend, you can buy them at Rojales Steakhouse at just €15 per ticket.

For more information regarding these tickets call Garry on 692 767 242.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Thigh-slapping Oompah HELP Murcia Mar Menor had a busy 2011 and the charity and its many supporters are not letting up in 2012.

Fundraisers worked well into the festive season with a car boot sale at Autocine finishing the year on the Sunday before Christmas. Around €300 is raised for HELP Murcia Mar Menor.every week by car-booters like the gentleman pictured.

This year the charity hopes to hold even more fundraising events as volunteers celebrate HELP’s 10th anniversary. Over the past decade HELP Murcia Mar Menor has assisted countless people by providing mobility equipment, visiting patients in hospital, donating to good causes and offering help and information to people throughout Murcia.

The fundraising year kicks off for HELP on

Oldest charity needs you to HELP

January 21 with an Oompah party at Don Lorenzo, a German restaurant in Los Urrutias. It promises to be a lively occasion with Oompah music and lots of singing of rousing songs. Tickets cost €12 and the party starts at 1.30pm.

Then, on February 24, a dinner dance is being held at the Roblemar restaurant in Los Alcazares.

One lucky dancer will get a well-deserved sit down in a very comfortable seat after the partying as there is a raffle prize of a remote control reclining chair worth €950 to be won. With lots of other great prizes, too, this is an event not to be missed.

There will be loads more going on this year so keep an eye out for more HELP Murcia Mar Menor events. For tickets call Joan Mitchell on 678 135 457 or Janice Clarke on 968 134 355.

AGE POEM INSPIRES BAR’S PURPLE PARTY

THE well-known poem Warning by Jenny Joseph was the inspiration for a fun-filled charity night at Carl’s Bar in Los Montesinos.

Chim, standing, joins purple partiers at Carl’s Bar

Taking the cue from the poem’s first line - ‘When I am older I shall wear purple’ - everyone was asked to come in purple or, as the poem continues, wear ‘a red hat which doesn’t go’ or ‘terrible shirts’.

The suitably, or unsuitably, attired then enjoyed food and entertainment at the charity night in aid of Torrevieja’s Alzheimer’s Association.

The cause is close to the bar owner Chim’s heart as he lost a parent to Alzheimer’s. And many of the bar’s regular customers are sufferers or carers.

It was the daughter and granddaughter of a regular customer who came up with the clever idea to base the event on the well-known poem about eccentricity in older age. A raffle, an auction and entertainment from Jon Summers made for a great evening that raised €645 for the charity.

Receiving the money on behalf of The Alzheimer’s Association, Judy Ferris said she was absolutely amazed at the generosity of everyone, particularly at this time of the year when money has to cover so many things.

Thanking Chim and his customers, she assured them that such funds were very much appreciated as caring for more than 83 patients and families was a very costly commitment needing specialist personnel. .

Take pride in efforts, Lions tell supporters

HELP Association Vega Baja is the oldest registered charity in this area, providing a service that stretches from Pilar de la Horadada along the coast through Torrevieja to La Marina and inland to Albatera and Orihuela.

The charity’s aim is to help people of all ages with all sorts of problems.

Volunteers operate an emergency 24-hour helpline (965 704 282) and assist in practical ways at times of crisis, including dealing with police and medical services.

In order to provide this service the charity raises money in a number of ways.

You can support the charity by becoming a member. It costs €7 per year for a single person and €12 for a couple and gives you special members’ benefits.

Or visit HELP’s charity stall at Campoamor market on a Thursday.

Look out for collection tins in shops and pubs around the area and be sure to drop in a few coins.

Donations of books, toys, quality bric-a-brac and new or used but clean clothes are always appreciated.

Without their wonderful team of volunteers the charity would be unable to continue its work in the community. If you would like to offer your services as a volunteer contact one of their two offices.

Both are open Monday to Friday (10am to 1.30pm) and are located in Torrevieja at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 4, phone 965 704 282, and San Miguel de Salinas, Calle Lope de Vega 45, phone 966 723 733.

Church’s angelic

SUPPORTERS of the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club have once again shown generosity to be proud of by participating in various prize draws throughout the area.

There have been Lions’ Christmas Baskets in the Post Box, Doña Pepa and The Windsor Tavern in San Luis.

There have also been gallon bottles of Scotch Whisky to be won in Restaurant Lo Marabu, Claptons Bar, Quesada Fish and Chips, Hoggies Bar Restaurant and The Olive Grove.

The Lions wish to thank everyone who contributed and helped raise

over 1,500.00 euros for the Lions’ disabled childrens charities throughout December.

The picture shows Neil Simpson from Monte Azul, winner of the bottle in Quesada Fish and Chips, along with Lions’ President Iain Bennett and shop staff.

A CHILDREN'S orphanage in Barcelona was visited by the spirit of angels over Christmas to make their celebrations happier - thanks to a church in Torrevieja.

The church organised ‘angels' on their Christmas tree, inviting members of the congregation to choose a shaped angel on the tree representing a child at the orphanage, which the

church is sponsoring.

Almost 30 presents were donated, for four to 16 yearolds and every child at the orphanage received a gift.

There were some left over for needy families in Torrevieja, too.

During the first service of the new year there was a special collection among the congregation and the Cont’d on Page 21

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Extinguished Firefighters’ distinguished deed THREE members of the Extinguished Firefighters delivered some much needed food and gifts to the Ayuntamientos of Rojales and Benijofar on Monday for onward distribution to those most in need.

The retired firefighters from all parts of the United Kingdom raised funds at their Christmas Night out and decided to donate food and gifts locally.

In addition there was a very welcome donation of five dozen cornish pasties from the Cornish Pride Shop in Los Dolses, owners Shane and Steve - himself a formerfirefighter from Barnstaple - were delighted to donate the pasties to such a worthwhile cause.

Our photograph show the goods being handed to the Mayor in Benijofar by ex-firefighter Dave Graham and three other former firefighters, Iain, Dave and Andy, in the council chambers in Rojales.

The Extinguished Firefighters meet on the first Thursday of every month at Lo Marabu wine bar and Restaurant in Dona Pepa. All retired fire service personnel are welcome to attend. For more information contact Iain on 966 731 495.

FOOTWORK Dance brought 2011 to a spectacular end when they performed their Christmas extravaganza at La Rustika in Torrevieja to a packed audience.

Fab Footwork lead merry Xmas dance

Those present were once again treated to an array of talent from the wee dots to the golden oldies of all nationalities. Everyone performed to perfection in all aspects of dance, from tap to ballet and jazz to acrobatics. Pupils from the new Hip hop and street Jazz, led by their teacher Juan Souto, also performed two energetic solos.

Joining the dancers was From Page 20 gifted 15-year-old vocalist proceeds - more than 200 Grace Dina, while senior euros - will help fund the dancer Hannah Grundso orphanage summer camp. also sang a solo.

The Christmas angels Footworks Principal idea came from the Erica Dorrill commented: International Christian “More and more of our stuAssembly church in dents are showing an interTorrevieja. The event’s suc- est in performing arts and cess has prompted the singing has become an church to consider doing essential part of this. something even more “We have a wide variety adventurous for Xmas 2012. of dance classes but we

stance

would like to offer our students an all-round training should they wish to take their hobby further and either audition for vocational schools or become professional performers.

Strength “Therefore we have introduced singing classes to our timetable this year. We will also be entering ISTD dance exams later in the year.’’

This dance school goes from strength to strength, having this year moved into its own premises in Los Montesinos, which

boast two studios with sprung flooring and wall to floor mirrors.

Footwork have performed throughout the year in various shows raising money for local charities.

They were also highly successful in the 2011 Festival de Baile held in Mazarron.

Pupil Abbigail Dorrill successfully auditioned for the prestigious Theatre school Italia Conti and has been training there since September. Sisters Rhiane and Abbi also performed in Peter Andre’s Spanish tour.

Credit has to go the team

who run this successful family-run school, from Carole who designs all the costumes and organises the general running of the school along with her daughter Erica, the school Principal, who trains and choreographs the dancers.

Also to Erica’s husband John, who organises the music and lighting for all the shows, and is ably assisted by daughters Rhiane and Abbi, assistant teachers Jessica Payne and Katie Prior and, on sound and lighting, Alex Brodie-Scott. The dance

studio re-opens on Tuesday January 10. New enrolments will be taken from Saturday January 14.

Footwook have classes for children in tap, ballet, modern, jazz, street jazz, hip hop and acrobatics, and for adults in tap, jazz, dancercise and stretch ‘n tone.

Classes are paid for as taken and the first class is free. Call Carole on 662137329, call into the studio at Calle Carlos Diez 17D, Los Montesinos or email footworkdance@hotmail.com

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

MORE THAN JUST A CAR BOOT SALE! THE drive to Black Seven House is an easy one. From Torrevieja on the CV90, drive straight through Los Montesinos and you will come to a roundabout.

Carry straight on and take the first turning on the right signposted for Algorfa.

About half a mile along you´ll see the signs to turn right into the huge car park. No worries about having to walk half a mile just to get to the stalls here - it´s about 30 yards!

How many stalls? I hear you ask. Well, on the day I was there they had over 40, and that was in winter. Not bad ,eh?

All the usual items for sale, plus some you didn´t even know you needed. I bought an inflatable kayak, ready for summer, at an absolute steal of a price! Brand new electro domesticos - no problem. Good quality second-hand furniture at the right price - can do.

Good, home made jams, chutneys, marmalades too! Black Seven House also has its own bar, so after you’ve browsed, stroll into the snug clubhouse for a hot coffee, or maybe a chupito of brandy to warm you up. There’s tasty, hot, homemade food, too, at extremely good prices.

A Cash Prize Raffle drawn every Sunday consists of three cash prizes, with a different charity benefiting each week.

There’s also regular Sunday entertainment (10am-1pm) from the hugely popular Stevie, a professional guitarist and vocalist whose wide variety of music ranges from Dire Straits to Drifters. His occasional Free ‘n’ Easy sessions enable audience members to sing on stage, with Stevie providing backing.

So for a fun-filled morning/afternoon out, come to the Black Seven House in Algorfa on Sunday. Gates open at 9am for vendors.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

RICHARD CAVENDER

Bluemoon Solutions www.bluemoonsolutions.es

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

Richard moved to Spain four years ago having left his management background behind in the UK and decided to use his IT skills to help home users and small businesses with their PC problems. Now a relaxed 'computer man' he is out and about in the Spanish sun every day, making house and shop calls and using his vast experience and qualifications to (usually) sort out the problem there and then.

Computers are his hobby as well as his work so don’t be surprised to get an answer to your email in the early hours!

ADVICE: Ian wanted to know how to put his movies onto ADVICE: Roy was having problems with his computer disDVD using Windows Movie Maker playing a blue screen and then restarting.

Hi Richard, on Windows Movie Maker

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Dear Richard.

I 'm a new user of a computer; I have a Packard Bell P.C. which I bought about a year ago. I only use it for letters & correspondence and putting Hi Ian, in that case you will need some DVD authoring software to convert my photos on and saving your Windows Movie Maker .AVI file to them to discs. However On work on a DVD player. the odd occasion I get a Have a look online at someone like Blue Screen suddenly Amazon.co.uk – they have “Roxio Easy CD & appear while I'm working on DVD Burning” software that is compatible with Windows XP. The trouble is that Windows XP cannot write to DVD natively, this functionality my computer with loads of is only natively available in Windows 7, hence the need to use additional software. Windows writing on. It then turns it's Movie Maker can use the software in Windows 7 to make DVD movies but Windows XP self of & then restarts giving doesn’t have this facility – hence the requirement for additional software like the Roxio I have me three options on how to suggested to you. restart my P.C. I click on ADVICE: Sue wanted advice on buying a Kindle Normal Restart, and then : I want to buy a kindle. If I buy one in Spain can I easily change the language to the P.C. will start, and I can English? Will I be able to download from Amazon.co.uk or will I have to use the continue using it. This may Amazon.es site? And if the latter will my downhappen once or twice in a loads be in English? Are there any differences day and on average at least, once a week. Then I may go a month to six weeks without it with registering it with a Spanish address or UK? Thank you in anticipation of a reply. happening, then it will recur two or three times over a couple of weeks. I get messages to send to Microsoft solutions which I do or a window to tell me Microsoft is trying to find a soluHi Sue, it's not possible to change the user intertion to the problem. I tend to use Google Earth a lot and this will shut down on occasions or face of the current Kindle so if you bought one in stop working, like some of my other programmes. Can you help me Richard, and tell me Spain it would be in Spanish - of course you could what's wrong? Many thanks Roy. download books in any language you wanted, but most people prefer to have the user interface in their preferred language (i.e. English for most of us).

Hi Roy, what you are experiencing is affectionately known as the “Blue Screen Of If you buy a Kindle from Amazon.co.uk, they will deliver it to Death” – essentially it is when Windows has given up the ghost and has decided your address in Spain without any problems, the last one I that it cannot continue and needs to restart – so it does! had delivered took only 3 days to arrive!

Many things can be the cause of this problem, it could be related to a new piece of Out of the box the Kindle comes registered to the amazon.com website which has books in US English and payment in American dollars, and incompatible hardware that has been plugged in but more commonly its caused by a corrupt if you register your Kindle to your Spanish address you will not be able to change this; how- or incompatible piece of software (perhaps a virus, perhaps a bad Windows update or even ever it's easy to change this to amazon.co.uk if you have a UK address that you can use for perhaps just a poorly written driver), either way they can be difficult to resolve without resortregistration purposes only. ing to a reinstallation of the Windows operating system. This of course is not something that Don’t forget you can follow me on twitter I would recommend you do yourself. Without the specific messages you mention I cannot @bluemoonspain throw more light on the problem other than suggest that you contact a qualified computer Alternatively why don’t you sign up for my engineer to investigate the problem thoroughly. for Windows XP, when I have finished my movie, I transfer it to disc, but I can only play it on my pc, but not on my DVD player so I can watch it on TV. It copies it on 'HIGHMAT', how can I copy the movie so I can watch it on DVD player.......Ian

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newsletter. You can do this by going to:www.bluemoonsolutions.es and fill in the form that is on any page except the front page.

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

Office: 902 906 200

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Award-winning author SHEILA O’FLANAGAN on her career, h

I HAVE TO PINCH M O’FLANAGAN fell in love with the Sheila and Colm fulfilled their sunshine lSHEILA Costa Blanca after she and partner Colm ldream 10 years ago, when they bought a

spent a holiday in Alicante many years ago.

“We absolutely loved it and said that if we ever realised our dream of having a home here, we would buy near Alicante’’, recalls the prolific Dubliner, whose Christmas-themed short-story collection, A Season to Remember, is riding high in both the UK and Irish best-sellers lists.

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house near the Marquesa golf club in Quesada.

That was just the start.

Sheila adds: “When I became successful as a writer I needed more space so that I could work whenever I was here, so we bought a bigger house six years ago and are totally delighted with it. I use one of the bedrooms as an office, although I really love working on the terrace.’’

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‘I’m incredibly lucky to be able I bought myself a computer, s going until the end. I’d never g YOU say you wrote your first piece of creative writing when you were about six.

How did your obvious writing talent develop during your schooldays?

Were you, for instance, an outstanding essay writer...and did your teachers appreciate that you were gifted?

All For Me: Sheila with the 2011 Popular Fiction Award she won for All For You

Sheila and family at the launch of A Season To Remember

Like all writers, I loved reading. The trouble was that I read so much I kept running out of books and asking my mum to tell me 'what happened next'. One day she told me to tell her how I thought the story continued, and I just kept going and going.....I was the nerdy one in school who always handed in her essay on time and loved when we did creative writing.

Sometimes my essays were read out in class - that was a double edged sword because of course I got a bit of a swotty reputation.

HOW come you initially chose a career in finance, rather than, say, journalism?

When I left school I had to get a job. My dad had just passed away and it was important for me to earn some money. I applied for lots (including the local library which I was sure I'd get) but in the end I was offered a job in the bank before anything else. I had no interest at all in banking until then, but when I started I realised it was a very male dominated business and I wanted to do well in it (I'm very competitive!). So I did all the professional exams and stuck with it.

Sheila and Colm relax on a visit to a Los Montesinos restaurant

did you try before you were accepted?

Even though I had a good career in finance, I always wanted to write. When I reached my mid-thirties I realised that wanting to do something and actually doing it were two entirely different things. So I decided that I would give it a go. I bought myself a computer, started at page one and kept going until the end. Until then I'd half written lots of books in my head, but had never got past the first chapter.

I chose to write about a young woman starting out in life but made the rookie mistake of sending it first to a publisher that didn't actually publish commercial fiction.

Naturally they said they weren't interested.

The second publisher I tried had already published a very popular Irish writer, Patricia Scanlan, and told me that they liked my writing but that the character was a bit young for them and if I could re-write it at a later stage in WHAT inspired you to her life they'd be interested.

So it was back to the drawwrite your first book, how long did it take to write - ing board but they accepted and what did YOU think the new draft and Dreaming of it yourself (before a of a Stranger was published publisher had seen it)? in Ireland in 1997.

HOW many publishers HAS your success sur-

prised you? And what advice would you give to budding authors - particularly with regard to getting their work published?

I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to earn a living from writing (at least for

now!) becaus hard thing to all sure I'd ev do that and have to pinc believe it.

For buddin well, first I thin write a story

Thursday, January 5, 2012

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her novels and her enduring love affair with this part of Spain

MYSELF TO BELIEVE IT her local connections, Spain has fealWith tured in many of Sheila’s novels. “Much of

Isobel's Wedding is set in Madrid,’’ she points out, “while some of The Perfect Man takes place in Malaga. And He's Got to Go features the N332 and a frantic drive from La Marina to Javea!’’

Sales of A Season to Remember are soaring in the wake of an award-winning 2011 in which Sheila’s 16th novel, All For You, won the

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prestigious Eason Popular Fiction Award.

In this exclusive in-depth question-andanswer session, she took time out to answer Courier Editor DONNA GEE’s questions about her remarkable success, not only in the publishing world, but also in her previous career as a high-flying Financial Dealer in her home city of Dublin.

Here in Spain, Sheila’s books are available in English in the BookWorld España chain.

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e to earn a living from writing. started at page one and kept ot past the first chapter before’

se it's such a do. I wasn't at ver be able to sometimes I ch myself to

ng authors nk you have to that interests

type of book you've written.

I always advise authors to get an agent (something I didn't do at first, but I now have a lovely agent) because they know which publishers are looking for which books at any given time.

There are also a lot of issues around contracts etc that an author doesn't know and probably doesn't want to know, so having someone else look after all that is great.

Sheila’s a star in her own write...this time it’s the Irish Post Literary Award

you, with characters who interest you, too. Don't go for a particular genre just because it seems popular.

Good writing is always popular. And then, when it comes to publication, you need to be with a publisher that has experience in the

HOW long did it take to write, say, All For You? Do you write every day and how do you discipline yourself to keep going and avoid all the distractions?

It takes me 8-9 months to complete a book, including editing. I try to write every day but I don't always succeed. It's harder than ever these days to turn off distractions like email and the internet but you just have to be very, very firm with yourself!

DO you have your storylines worked out before you start writing ...or do you just have a vague outline in your head and develop the theme as you go?

Authors differ on this. I'm one of the ones with the vague outline in my head and I go with the flow after that. Sometimes I know very early on exactly how I want things to pan out (in Isobel's Wedding, for example, I knew the end of it in Chapter 1) but that's rare.

Mostly it's about halfway before I'm very clued in to how I want it to end.

TELL us about your family and your feelings about your second home in the Costa Blanca.

I'm the eldest of three girls and my sister Joan also has a house in Quesada. As she lives in Belfast and I live in Dublin,

she's about 100kms away from me in Ireland, but only about 5km away here, so we see much more of each other in Spain than we do in Ireland! My mum and youngest sister also come out to visit and my cousin has a house in San Miguel, so we have embraced the lifestyle!

Colm and I have been together for ages, but by choice we don't have children together (although he has children by a previous relationship, and I have four wonderful nephews).

Colm and I spend a couple of months of the summer here every year and like to get involved in local activities.

We have some Spanish friends, and are also parttime members of Guardamar badminton club, which has mainly English and Irish but also a few Spanish members.

We've had some matches with them, though it's very different playing in sweltering heat. Badminton is a winter game and in Ireland it's usually played in significantly cooler conditions.

The ex-banker’s verdict: More financial gloom before the clouds lift SHEILA’S inside knowledge of the finance world helped to map out the plot for her first published book, Dreaming of a Stranger.

“Since I was working in dealing at the time I was following the advice on writing about what you know,’’ she says of the 1997 publication.

Whilst her banking career is now history, Sheila’s knowledge of the machinations of finance has hardened her views on Europe’s economic crisis.

She says: “Obviously the European financial situation is a complete disaster at the moment and the main problem is that politicians are trying to deal with it and politicians inevitably only make the right decisions when they've run out of all the more palatable options.

“When I first started out in banking and finance, there were rules and regulations on lending that you simply didn't breach.

What happened was that financial engi-

neering plus greed meant those rules were bent out of all recognition.

“What upsets me and everyone else is that bankers seemed to rake in the profits in the good times but that taxpayers are picking up the losses now. I get really angry when I hear them say that they have to pay large salaries to keep the talent - my view is, promote someone from inside and let someone else pay the large salary.

“Although the current crisis focuses on Europe it is still, to a large extent, global, because all of the major developed economies have been running unsustainable deficits over the boom years.

Unfortunately it'll take a long time to bring that overspending under control and that's where the 'austerity' measures come in.

“The balancing act of cutting back without plunging your economy into depression is very difficult and I suppose the truth is that most of us want great services but don't necessarily want to pay their true cost.

“At the same time, governments are truly wasteful with taxpayers' money and there has to be a realisation that value for money is essential in the public sector, without exploiting people.

And Sheila reckons there’s more gloom ahead before the clouds finally lift.

“We're still only From left, halfway along a very Sheila with rocky road,’’ she says, sisters Joan, “and unfortunately I Maureen and think it'll be a few years of course before there's any real Mum improvement.’’

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

WHAT TO KNOW Tricks to look younger ABOUT PSORIASIS

AS you age, you may notice a difference in other people's perception of you. If all they see is wisdom and experience, that's fine. When they start treating you as a feeble, old person, you may want to consider a few tricks to make yourself look younger. It's not necessary to have plastic surgery. Most people can shave years off their appearance by following a few tips.

WHOLE BODY Take care of your body by eating healthy foods, staying hydrated and exercising daily.

According to Forever Looking Younger, foods with antioxidants, including most fruits and vegetables, can keep you healthy and looking young. Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration that can make your skin look dry and dull. Exercise to stay limber and keep your heart pumping oxygen rich blood to your entire body. As you get older, you probably don't need as many calories as you did when you were in your teens and 20s, and excess calories turn to fat. Adjust your diet, according to your lifestyle and activity level to prevent packing on the pounds.

FACE Moisturise your skin twice a day---in the morning after you wash your face and at night before you go to bed. Use a moisturiser with an SPF to protect your skin from the sun's UV rays that will add more lines and wrinkles. Use skin creams with ingredients that can help reduce the fine wrinkles. Some of these ingredients include retinol, hydroxyl acids, coenzyme Q10, copper peptides, kinetin and tea extracts.

For those who wear makeup, there are even more options.

Use a foundation with yellow undertones to cover red spots and a creamy smooth concealer beneath the eyes to disguise dark circles. Use a cream blush to apply a modest amount of colour to your cheeks. Avoid dark lipsticks that can be too harsh. All Women's Talk recommends keeping your eyebrows neatly shaped and using a highlighter beneath the brows to perk them up.

TEETH Visit the dentist and have frequent cleanings. As people

age, their teeth often become yellow or dull looking.

Brighten them up by using one of the whitening methods--either at the dentist's office or with a whitening kit you can buy at the chemists.

HAIR How many times have you guessed a person's age based on their hairstyle? An older, dated style can be a giveaway that you're not in touch with current trends. A hairstyle makeover that is age appropriate can give you a more youthful look. Wispy bangs can hide forehead wrinkles, while having every hair perfectly coiffed and sprayed may give you an older look that is often referred to as "helmet hair." If you colour your hair to get rid of the gray, avoid harsh, dark colours. Instead go a shade lighter and consider some highlights for a softer look.

CLOTHING Some people assume that wearing styles appropriate for someone 20 or 30 years younger will make them appear more youthful. That's generally not the case. Short skirts may be cute on a 20 year old woman, but they expose too much aging skin on someone twice her age. Trendy dressing is best left to younger men and women. As you approach middle age or older, opt for more classic styles with a hint of the current trend. A hat, current piece of jewellery or other accessory can show that you're current without trying too hard to appear younger than you are.

Women sometimes face the frustration of sagging breasts as they get older. Have frequent bra fittings to make sure you are wearing the correct size and style for your shape. The right amount of support can help you look better in your clothes and keep you from drooping.

ATTITUDE A positive attitude shows on your face and demeanor.

Smile often, maintain a sense of humour and show respect for other people's opinions. As people age, they sometimes get grouchy and set in their ways. Avoid becoming one of those people by staying informed, having a good attitude about the world around you and accepting differences.

THE No.1 FASHION ACCESSORY Accessorising has become a major part of a woman’s wardrobe. You can turn a plain and otherwise boring outfit into a fashion statement, by simply spicing it up with a belt.

Today, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of belt styles on the fashion market. They range from thick to nar-

row, chain belts to strings, buckles to ties and just about everything in between.

Any old outfit can be updated by simply adding a belt. The latest fashion trend is wrapping a high-waisted belt around a plain or bold pattern print dress. The wider belts give a flattering shape to petite, bustier women, while a narrow belt looks more appealing on a woman with a smaller bust.

When choosing to finish your look with a belt, it is important to match your belt to your shoes and/or your handbag.

They don’t have to be identical, but they must all blend into each other, unless you want to create a statement with your belt. For instance, if you are wearing a black A-line cocktail dress with black heels and are finishing it off with a turquoise belt, then you would not need to match it to your shoes.

When it comes to jewellery, if you are wearing gold jewellery, don’t wear a belt with a silver buckle. Rather go for a buckle that’s gold or copper and always match it up to your accessories. The last thing you want is your belt to look like an afterthought.

PSORIASIS is a chronic, non-contagious autoimmune disease that affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin.

The patches occur most commonly on the knees, elbows and scalp, although the skin can be affected anywhere on the body.

The nails may also be involved, and a small number of people also get pain and swelling of the joints.

Although people of any age can be affected, the most common age for psoriasis to start is late teens to early adulthood. There is a second peak in the 50s.

The exact cause of psoriasis is not known.

However, it is known that the immune system in the skin is overactive in people with psoriasis. A type of immune cell known as a T cell builds up in the skin, resulting in skin cells being produced too quickly.

Normally, skin cells take about 21-28 days to replace themselves. However, in patients with psoriasis they take around 2-6 days. Due to the acceleration of the replacement process, both dead and live cells accumulate on the skin surface, causing red, flaky, crusty patches covered with silvery scales, and shed easily.

There are several different types of psoriasis, however the most common form is known as plaque psoriasis. It typically appears as thick, flaky patches of skin on one or more parts of the body.

Sometimes the patches of affected skin are large, extending over much of the body. Plaque psoriasis

can occur anywhere on the body, commonly affecting the elbows, knees, knuckles, scalp, trunk, arms and legs. Guttate psoriasis is another common form of psoriasis, mostly affecting children and young adults especially after a throat infection.

There are certain factors that may trigger episodes of psoriasis and these include: stress, heavy alcohol intake, injuries such as severe sunburn, infections, certain medications, as well as smoking.

Consistent skin care is very essential in preventing psoriasis, especially for those genetically predisposed to developing the condition. It goes without saying that the condition and appearance of the skin is highly influenced by the diet.

Scientific studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids can have a positive effect on psoriasis and their regular consumption is also a good preventive measure. Omega 3 is found in oil-rich fish like sardines, salmon, herring and mackerel, and also in walnuts, flaxseeds and beans. Many of those who suffer with psoriasis will also benefit from relaxation exercises as well as other means to improve self confidence such as meditation.

One's own experience with the disease can have a major impact on life in general, in a positive as well as negative sense, as one seeks to prevent and heal the condition to become healthier in general.

Being overweight is more and more commonly recognised as an exacerbating factor for those who suffer with psoriasis. For example during times when less food was available such as during war, the number of cases of psoriasis was markedly less. With an increase in prosperity comes an increase in psoriasis cases.

Overweight people suffer with the condition much more frequently that those who maintain normal weight. It's important for many reasons to maintain a healthy weight, so it's a good idea to seek the advice of a nutritionist or your doctor if you need help.

Dr Machi Mannu is a Neuro-repatterning Specialist.

For queries, send your email to contact@mindspa.es

Thursday, January 5, 2012

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

CARS OF THE FUTURE

In the future, what kind of car will we be driving? What may seem like a GCSE question is in fact what car designers are asking themselves all the time. Most are thinking five or 10 years off, but some are brave enough to look into the far distant future. So here's the future as seen by the past.

Nuclear-powered cars

scope to keep it upright. Ford's Gyron prototype was just one example. The question they didn't ask was, why? What are the benefits? The fact that little stabiliser wheels had

strangely never materialised in the Argos catalogue, children of the 1950s were all told that flying cars - like this Aerocar - would be everywhere by now. Despite a few hardy souls battling on, the only flying 'car' you can actually buy today is a quad bike with a paraglider attached.

Amphibious cars

Yes, it's true: in the 1950s, people really thought we would have nuclear-powered cars. In fact, even Ford thought so. The year was 1958 and nuclear power was all the rage. Ford reckoned that uranium reactors would eventually be small enough to fit into a car, so it built the Nucleon as a proposal.

The idea was to swap reactors if you were running low - something you'd need to every 5000 miles. The idea naturally went into mushroom-cloud oblivion before even leaving the drawing board.

Gyroscopic cars It's quite possible to make a car that can travel on two wheels - if you use a gyro-

Most of them pursued the false Eldorado of teardrop streamlining. Buckminster Fuller's 1937 Dymaxion is a brilliant example of forward thinking that proved far from forwards.

The three-wheeler used a rear-mounted engine to achieve speeds of 120mph - huge at the time - but it was a very unstable layout. A fatal accident abruptly ended its development.

to be fitted just shows that this idea was utterly childish. And Ford quickly grew up.

Flying cars Like the jet-powered backpack, which

Another way to beat the traffic jams, we were once promised, would be to take to the water. Amphicar tried it in the 1960s but it a bad boat and an even worse car. With the exception of a tiny handful of rather leaky projects since, the idea has sunk almost entirely. Turns out we don't want cars that, if they leak, end up at the bottom of a body of water. Strange, that.

Self-driving cars

Shopping cars

In 1964, General Motors' Runabout prototype suggested the car of the future would have its own shopping trolley. Nice idea, but I don't think I've seen any Ford Focuses with this feature. And in the post-feminist world, this sort of thing really won't do.

Moon buggies

Cars that drive themselves could very well be how we travel tomorrow. French car maker Simca thought it was coming much sooner when it showed the Fulgur at the 1958 New York Auto Show. Designed by Robert Opron (the man who later styled the Citroen SM), it was meant to navigate via radar signals after the driver had programmed in his destination. Sat-nav, anyone?

Jet cars

The Peugeot Moonster was Marko Lukovic's winning entry in a Peugeot design competition to create a car for the year 2020. Shown at the 2001 Frankfurt Show, it perhaps echoed the designer's sadness that he wasn't even born when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The polished aluminium bodywork looks more Jules Verne than Apollo 11.

Fins

At the dawn of the space race, General Motors laid on some flash, brash razzmatazz in giant mobile shows called Motoramas. These future-focused events spewed out some amazing fantasy machinery, like the 1958 Firebird III. Its jet rocket influences abounded, with aero fins all over, double-bubble canopies, a central lever for the steering, brakes and acceleration and 'electroluminescent' instruments.

Streamliners Car designers of the 1930s were absolutely obsessed with aerodynamics.

Fins were very much a thing of the 1950s.

Bertone's series of Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica (or BAT) prototypes built on Alfa Romeos set the ball rolling in Europe, but the idea was championed by American stylists. After reaching their peak height (literally) in 1959, fins were brutally chopped off American cars and have never made a comeback.

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Wacky car insurance claims Scotland

A Mr and Mrs T were going out with their dog, Ruby, who jumped into the car ahead of them. In doing so, Ruby knocked off the handbrake resulting in the car rolling down the steep hill it was parked on. The vehicle then collided with two other parked cars and knocked over a fence before coming to a stop. Police attending found the situation quite amusing..." (Tom Wicks, RBS Insurance)

England A washed and polished Armstrong Siddeley car was left in a farmyard. It was mistaken for a ram. A ram enters the farmyard, sees his reflection in the car, and promptly butted what he thinks is an intruder. (Aviva UK) Animals feature heavily in weird car insurance claims.

Here are another two: A van was stationary at the side of the road with the driver in the seat, waiting for a circus to pass by. Greatly to his consternation, one of the elephants put its trunk through the window, discovered the driver's lunch and ate this, and then finished it off with a loaf of bread.

Unfortunately, an elephant was a tight fit in a Morris Minor Van, and the result was a broken Triplex window panel. Mr S wrote to the owner of the elephant to hold him responsible for the beast's antics. He did not complete a claim form as most of the questions don't seem to fit, but he is quite sure that the elephant did not sound his horn.

New Zealand In Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, One News reported in May 2010 that police who stopped a Mazda saloon found 14

sheep and four people packed in it. The animals had been stolen from a farm. Three men were arrested and "penned in" at the local police cell.

USA Insurance giant Aetna Life reported a claim in which a man was sitting quietly in his parked car. It was time for lunch, and the man removed his dentures in order to savour his food. A sneeze welled up. Aah -- aah -- atischoo! His dentures flew out and onto the road. The next moment, a passing car headed towards the dentures. With the power of imagination, you can picture the results.

Here's one that didn't get away. A group of American cheerleaders at The Lincoln High School witnessed a car accident. The offender vamoosed. The girls memorised the car's number plate by turning it into a cheer because their costumes lacked a place to keep pen and paper. Their Coach, Patricia Clark, praised their initiative, and the suspect was quickly arrested.

Some folks will go the extra mile to try to get a claim paid.

Take this case from Insure.com of the man whose girlfriend wrecked his motorcycle. Worried the claim wouldn't be paid, he told his Progressive Insurance representative that he'd been driving the bike. In order to support his story, he tied himself to the back of a truck and asked a friend to drag him

around 'a little bit' to produce a road rash.

Unfortunately, he didn't know that his girlfriend already told investigators that she caused the accident. While lying on the side of the road, with a ruptured spleen, after he wiped out his motorcycle, he called Progressive on his cell phone to buy coverage on the spot. Sadly for him, a witness heard him make the call and reported it to the insurance company.

Mike St. Lawrence will be happy to sell you alien abduction insurance. As president of UFO Abduction & Casualty Insurance Co., he's sold policies to tens of thousands all over the world -- including actress Shirley MacLaine and television presenter Larry King. A policy will cost you $25 for lifetime coverage. If you are abducted and manage to return, it promises up to $10 million in coverage to pay for medical and psychiatric care and the emotional distress you will suffer from being teased by friends and relatives.

Lawrence's insurance company offers "asteroid insurance" in the event that one hits the Earth and you survive. In the near future, he will start selling "2012 insurance" -- for what some believe is the Earth's new expiration date.

Australia Although lightning-related insurance claims are rare, a Honda dealership at Nundah in Brisbane wasn't taking any chances when it came to Mother Nature. As its insurance covered against most random 'Acts of God', the dealership was able to make a claim worth $20,000 when one of its vehicles was struck by lightning.

All stories are taken from the book ‘Am I covered?

You're Covered’ by Harriet Prentice and John Morgan.

30

Thursday, January16, 5, 2012 Friday, December 2011

As most peoples New Years Resolutions will be to lose weight and start exercising we have found some great outfits to get started in!

Tops

H&M 9.99€ Blanco 19.99€

Bershka 4.99€ H&M 14.95€

Blanco 22.99€

Key figures from the UK fashion industry including Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki, shoe designer Emma Hope and Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy have made Britain's New Year's honors list for 2012.

The British honors system is one of the oldest in the world, recognizing achievement in various realms with lists announced twice yearly; at New Year's and in June on the date of Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday.

Blanco 45.99€

Blanco 22.99€

Blanco 3.99€ each

Blanco 25.99€

Bottoms

Stylist Brad Goreski, who found fame as designer and style expert Rachel Zoe's assistant, has been announced as Kate Spade New York's exclusive brand stylist, with plans to make the label's ready-to-wear category more accessible and bring the brand closer to consumers.

WWD reports December 29 that Goreski's new role will also involve working with Kate Spade creative director Deborah Lloyd on styling fashion shows, campaigns and e-commerce shoots Riding boots and smoking slippers have emerged as two of the most popular footwear trends of 2011 among various retailers, although labels including Charlotte Olympia have bucked the trend, noting the demand for sky high heels.

A report in WWD published December 27 sees retailers including Zappos.com, Chinese Laundry and Piperlime discussing their most successful styles of 2011.

Despite Charlotte Olympia's placing "super high heels" in the most successful category, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, told the publication that brands specializing in practical attire such as Ugg, Hunter Boots and Frye had "continued to be very strong."

Rachel Zoe has announced the addition of two more categories to her eponymous fashion line, as she continues her bid to become a lifestyle brand.

Earlier this month the designer and celebrity stylist hosted a party to celebrate the launch of women’s digital company the Zoe Media Group, expanding on her popular online style advice newsletter The Zoe Report, and she has now revealed her ambitions for design expansion.

H&M 12.99€

Bershka 12.99€

Bershka 9.99€

THE LATEST FASHION HEADLINES

Question

Answer

Dear Freya, I live in Torrevieja.

I need an outfit to attend a wedding in UK in July 2012.

I am 78,but young at heart and my height is about 5ft.

Is there a fashion shop locally that could fit me out?

Sincerely, Mary.

Torrevieja

Hi Mary, You could try H&M or C&A in the Haberneras commercial centre, I know they always have a great choice of clothes for all ages.

Alternatively Torrevieja town centre has hundreds of shops, try the main street Ramon Gallud first, I’m sure you will find something that you will look great in! Hope the wedding goes well.

Freya

GOT A FASHION PROBLEM YOU CAN’T FIX? Maybe you have got a big event coming up and don’t know what to wear. Or you have recently lost a lot of weight and are not sure what clothes you can now wear Email all your problems to Freya at office@thecourier.es

If you’ve got a problem, Freya can fix it!

31

Thursday, January 5, 2012

BUY 1 GET 1 FREE! Make the most of your advertising budget with TKO. Throughout January, February and March for every advert you buy we'll give you another one absolutely FREE. Call 965 99 66 66 or email advertise@tkofm.com Let’s see if you can win yourself a meal for two and a bottle of wine at Quesada Fish & Chips

POP QUIZ January 5

96.7fm & 87.5fm We are pleased to announce TKO GOLD is back on full power on 96.7fm! Sorry for any inconvenience.

Welcome to the famous TKO Gold pop quiz! We sure did have some fun with last week’s questions.

All you have to do is take the first letter from each answer to find the name of a band or artist. Once you have found the key word, listen in to Chris Ashley´s show on TKO Gold, Saturday mornings 9am – 12pm.

1. Cass and Phillips were one half of this 60s hippy group.

2. She was "Rolling In The Deep" last year.

3. These Swindon lads made plans for Nigel in 1979.

4. Johnny and the Moondogs better known by a much more famous name.

5. Gary Puckett was very wary of this girl.

6. Mr. Campbell sang about this Texas seaport.

7. Cliff and Keith very nearly shared the same surname.

8. Michelle Shocked waxed lyrical about this cold city.

9. Mark Wynter had a thing about a goddess in denim.

10. Ray Stevens warned this lady about taking a sneak peek at the streaker.

11. He was born Michael Barrett but what is his stage name.

32

Thursday, January 5, 2012

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, 14 represents T and 12 represents N, 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 European-style cafe (6) 4 Fearless (6) 9 Surprise (7) 10 Rule (5) 11 Point in question (5) 12 Steep waterfall (7) 13 Location of Houses of Parliament (11) 18 Tarmac (7) 20 Escape from (5) 22 Beaten path (5) 23 Major injustice (7) 24 Bodyguard (6) 25 Large European country (6)

Down 1 Mountainous republic of south-central Europe (6) 2 Clothing stitches (5) 3 Withdrawal (7) 5 Decorative tapestry (5) 6 Mimic (7) 7 Spice (6) 8 Spoken or written account (11) 14 Interpret (7) 15 Refuge (7) 16 Small chicken (6) 17 Remove or erase (6) 19 Foot joint (5) 21 Once more (5)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Arsenal, 5 Throb, 8 Rites, 9 Toadies, 10 Abridge, 11 Piece, 12 Stench, 14 Beagle, 17 Radon, 19 Reserve, 22 Ailment, 23 Valid, 24 Sleds, 25 Carnage.

Down: 1 Aorta, 2 Set free, 3 Nosed, 4 Litter, 5 Trample, 6 Raise, 7 Besiege, 12 Surpass, 13 Confess, 15 Gorilla, 16 Critic, 18 Delve, 20 Sever, 21 Endue.

Scribble Pad

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

CRYTPIC CLUES Across 1 Possible thread of loathing (6) 4 Stirred up regal beer (5) 8 Tender translator of runes (5) 9 Plungers holding back is not siphoned off (7) 10 Voter changes role, etc (7) 11 Precious but expensive (4) 12 Either way, it is a big heavy stove (3) 14 Unconscious state care of a graduate (4) 15 Recognises Bishops’ jurisdictions (4) 18 Sauce around the mouth (3) 21 A farmer starts off in the distance (4) 23 One tenant ate cellulose (7) 25 There is nothing but drinking spots along these contours (7) 26 Bird pines away (5) 27 Friends who end the games (5) 28 Surrounded by an iron ring (6)

Down 1 A Yen for a coil of rope belonging to the Queen (6) 2 Roped to broken sink (7) 3 The final result was, the First Lady goes to the National Theatre and the union leaders stays with the gangster (8) 4/6 Where to take a break when all else fails (4,6) 5 A garden ornament makes men go mad (5) 6 See 4 7 Work on historical period for musical production (5) 13 One who values pompous people, and so right he is! (8) 16 Girl is back on avoidance (7) 17 Element produced from a bar and one posh meal starter (6) 19 I hear one has to stop and wait at the feet of the animal (5) 20 Points to Rene being calm (6) 22 Almost a fight (5) 24 Prohibits saloons (4)

STANDARD CLUES

Down 1 Hunger for (6) 2 Underwater missile (7) 3 Final (8) 4/6 Expedient adopted only in desperation (4,6) 5 Small garden ornament (5) 6 See 4 7 Dramatic musical work (5) 13 Valuer (8) 16 Avoidance (7) 17 Chemical element (6) 19 Hesitate (5) 20 Tranquil (6) 22 Concerning (5) 24 Blocks (4)

Across 1 Abhorrence (6) 4 Ale (5) 8 Care for (5) 9 Cylinders (7) 10 Voter (7) 11 Loved (4) 12 Heavy metal stove (3) 14 Unconsciousness (4) 15 Perceives (4) 18 Backchat (3) 21 Distantly (4) 23 Transparent film (7) 25 Isograms connecting points of equal barometric pressure (7) 26 Wading bird (5) 27 Companions (5) 28 Borders (6)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Corral, 4 Genius, 9 Amnesia, 10 Again, 11 Score, 12 Sterile, 13 Grasshopper, 18 Fan club, 20 Trade, 22 Emend, 23 Clapper, 24 Dashed, 25 Realms.

Down: 1 Coarse, 2 Rondo, 3 Answers, 5 Erase, 6 Imagine, 7 Singer, 8 Pass the buck, 14 Runners, 15 Pet name, 16 Afield, 17 Hearts, 19 Ladle, 21 Appal.

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

3 letter words Toe Air Too Bat Wad Dot 4 letter words Eke Ages Eta Amok Far Anon Ire Area Lag Arid Lea Auto Lie Base Man Bass Oar Bode Pal Brae Pea Dote Rue Earl Sad Ease Son Ends

Erie Faff Feed Fine Flat Hubs Iced Mead Nine Omit Once Ores Peen Plan Quay Rile Site Toes

5 letter words Bails Based Daisy Ended Manes Quill 6 letter words Balsam Fennec Obsess Sorbet 8 letter words Haircuts Rearward Redouble Utensils

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

Across 1 Houses (buildings) (5) 4 Pueblos (localidades pequeñas) (5) 8 Norwegian (7) 9 Fear (terror) (5) 10 Habitaciones (cuartos) (5) 11 Pavos (ornitología) (7) 12 Segundo (6) 14 Líder (6) 18 To seem (7) 20 Spades (tools) (5) 22 Claro (ejemplo, prueba, ventaja) (5) 23 Creamy (f) (7) 24 Forma (figura) (5) 25 Espacio (astronomía, física, aeronáutica) (5)

Down 1 Wagon (horse-drawn) (5) 2 Hijastro (7) 3 Deportes (6) 4 To fear (be afraid) (5) 5 Fin de semana (7) 6 Zapatos (5) 7 Andrew (6) 13 Plum (fruit) (7) 15 Enterprise (firm, undertaking) (7) 16 To scratch (with claw, nail etc) (6) 17 Ladrillos (construcción) (6) 18 Paquetes (de cigarrillos) (5) 19 Meat (5) 21 Flojo (nudo, tuerca) (5)

33

Thursday, January 5, 2012 Across 1 In America, by what name are soft shoes worn for sports or casual occasions normally known? (8) 7 From the Latin for ‘elsewhere’, what name is given to a claim or piece of evidence that one was in another place when an act, typically a criminal one, was alleged to have taken place?

(5) 8 Are Friends Electric and Cars were both number one hit singles for which singer who first found fame in 1979 with the group Tubeway Army? (4,5) 9 According to The Bible, who was the first woman, companion of Adam and mother of Cain and Abel?

(3) 10 What, often derogatory, name is given to a subdivision of a larger religious group or a dissenting clique? (4) 11/18 Which American tennis player was the first black winner of a major men’s singles championship? (6,4) 13 Which winged angelic being, described in biblical tradition as attending on God, is regarded in traditional Christian angelology as an angel of the second highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy? (6) 14 In astronomy which constellation is said to represent a bull?

(6) 17 Which 14th century Scottish king was known as ‘the Bruce’?

(6) 18 See 11 20 Batman and Robin were known as the Dynamic what? (3)

SUDOKU

Quiz Word

22 See 17 Down 23 In Scandinavian mythology, who was the goddess of love and of the night? (5) 24 Which spicy dish that originated in northern Africa, consists of semolina steamed with a meat and vegetable stew? (8)

Down 1 By what nickname is Graham McPherson, the lead singer of Madness, better known? (5) 2 Which common complaint is also known as otalgia? (7) 3 What was the surname of the American cartoonist who, with his partner, Bill Finger, created the comic-book character Batman, the Caped Crusader? (4) 4 What was the surname of the 18th century Spanish matador who (reputedly) invented the bullfighter’s muleta? (6) 5 Which alcoholic drink is made from fermented apple juice? (5) 6 Squabs are a variety of which domestic birds raised for their meat? (7) 7 Which serious bacterial disease of sheep and cattle is also referred to as splenic fever, malignant pustule or woolsorters’ disease? (7) 12 Which small rich sponge cake is typically soaked in rum-flavoured syrup? (3,4) 13 Caerdydd is the Welsh name for which city? (7) 15 Which Italian dish of rice is cooked in stock with ingredients such as vegetables and meat or seafood? (7) 16 What name for a wild or half-tamed horse of the Western US is derived from the Spanish for ‘rough’ or ‘coarse’? (6) 17/22 Which English athlete was the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes? (5,9) 19 Which British noblemen rank above viscounts and below marquesses? (5) 21 What did Winston Churchill once describe as ‘terminological inexactitudes’? (4)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH

MATERIALES – MATERIALS Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch.

(Answers below)

science QUIZ 1. Which Contemporary Scientist Is Suffering From From Motorneurone Disease?

2. What Is A Diamond Made Of? 3. Which part of the body might suffer from labyrinthitis?

4. What type of creature is a Whydah?

5. Rape seed belongs to which plant family?

6. An isoneph on a map joins places of equal what?

7. Who Holds The Record For The Longest Time Spent In Space?

8. Which Year Was The Orbiting Hubble Telescope Launched?

9. Which Colour Is At Top Of A Rainbow?

10. Which drinks machine was produced in 1946 by Italian inventor Achille Gaggia?

11. The Chemical Symbols For Titanium & Sodium Spell Out The Letters To Which Girls Name?

12. Women do it 4 times to a man's once - what?

13. What food item are the most people allergic to?

14. Every 6 seconds one person dies from what?

1. Steven Hawkins 2. Carbon 3. Ear 4. A Bird 5. Mustard 6. Average Cloud Cover 7. A Russian Dr (Valery Poliakov) 8. 1990 9. Red 10. Espresso Coffee Machine 11. Tina 12.

Shoplift 13. Cow's Milk 14. Contaminated water diseases

ANSWERS

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Wordsolution Across: 1 Soft Cell, 7 Camel, 8/2 Alexander Fleming, 9 Tun, 10 Spiv, 11 Tennis, 13 Bogart, 14 Geyser, 17 Punkah, 18 Farr, 20 Hal, 22 Uriah Heep, 23 Priam, 24 Recorder.

Down: 1 Seals, 3 Chad, 4 Ledger, 5 Smuts, 6 Clinker, 7 Cranmer, 12 Uranium, 13 Bob Hope, 15 Seaweed, 16 Dative, 17 Plait, 19 Roper, 21 Ohio.

17. plata, 18. plomo, 19. seda, 20. vidrio, 21. viscosa. a. silver, b. leather, c. cotton, d. cork, e. plastic, f. viscose, g. silk, h. wool, i. sand,

E R B O C U N LG OYAO NA MAD E RALY C Y Z L H V R PPRAG E V E E E E G C U E T L I A L U M I N I O O R O N LJAY N E DAK W U D O FA EUGSNOFGUWBOCPO P T Q T T T T Z V A R N B R E A S O C S I V R R I S B R V N P P L G N J C RAE D E J N H P I LAA E O O D C I R D E T S E R T N G LAB H O N I F G S LAO LAO R O W D R Q O J P LO M O T N N X D T W E V I PNYWCXUMRYPNOUS M N U L C R S Z D X I N I B C Soduko

Span - Eng

j. copper, k. skin, l. glass, m. lead, n. iron, o. aluminium, p. cement, q. paper, r. cardboard, s. gold, t. clay, u. wood.

Answers: 1c, 2o, 3i, 4l, 5r, 6p, 7j, 8d, 9b, 10n, 11h, 12u, 13s, 14q, 15k, 16e, 17a, 18m, 19g, 20l, 21f.

1. algodon, 2. aluminio, 3. arena, 4. barro, 5. carton, 6. cemento, 7. cobre, 8. corcho, 9. cuero, 10. hierro, 11. lana, 12. madera, 13. oro, 14. papel, 15. piel, 16. plastico,

ALGODON

MADERA

ALUMINIO

ORO

ARENA

PAPEL

BARRO

PIEL

CARTON

PLASTICO

CEMENTO

PLATA

COBRE

PLOMO

CORCHO

SEDA

CUERO

VIDRIO

HIERRO

VISCOSA

LANA Quizword

Fill It In

34

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Horoscopes

By Pandora

Aries March 21 - April 19 Thinking and driving at the same time can be hazardous for you today. You are a complete fraud - the sooner you accept it, the better. All of your aims are achievable, although many of them would involve bionic implants and a lot of theft.

Sad lonely depressed Hello Rose. I’ve just spent Christmas with my Friends and Family and enjoyed every moment of it. The problem is I’m now 31 years old and single. I live alone and getting more and more depressed with my love life every day, all I want to do is meet someone to love and care for, is that so much to ask?!

I have some wonderful friends and family but when it comes to my love life it is just completely non-existent, my last girlfriend was over 7 years ago! I’ve tried all sorts to get a girlfriend, chatting to women in bars, speed dating, internet dating, but nothing I do works, it is just making me feel so sad and lonely. I’m quite a shy guy which I know has not helped me over the years but I’m also a genuine, down to earth person who just wants to make someone happy. I’m really scared that I’m going to spend the rest of my life alone and that is a thought that fills me with nothing but sadness. Please can someone give me some advice on how to meet a girl I really am getting rather desperate!!

TOMMY La Siesta

l

Hello Tommy. Sorry to hear that you feel this way but may I offer you some advice? You bring positive things to you when you are happy and confident, you draw positive influences and people towards you when you're happy and confident; however other people can't influence you're level of joy, only you can, so find the joy in your life, grow from that, gain confidence from that and you will find that this reflect externally on you also and will attract new people into your life.

Take care.

Really very concerned Dear Rose. I need a little help with putting something into perspective. Am I being over the top here?

Someone I work with...she's slim and quiet. I caught her throwing up in the toilets at work twice last week and it happened again on

Taurus April 20 - May 20 Try not to get the wrong end of the stick today, especially the pointy end. Praying to false gods never seemed so good after this week. You may become friends with a selfproclaimed tribal warrior named Alf. A hairy back may trouble you this week, especially if it's not your hairy back that's in question.

Gemini May 21 - June 20 Don't believe anything you read today. If you lose money today you can be assured that the nature of human kindness will mean you never see it again. This is because today the nature of human kindness is to be as mean as an old woman the day before pension day.

Cancer June 21 - July 22 Minefields, shark infested waters and tea parties for the over 70's are areas in which your luck is favorable - as long as you don't push your luck to the 'nth degree'.Jumping up and down is great fun and encouraging others to do so is a fine way to make friends and see wobbling breasts.

If you have a problem Romany Rose can help you with, email her at office@thecourier.es Monday. She came out very embarrassed (I think at the thought that she knew I'd heard her chucking up), I stayed very low key and asked her if she was okay, and she said yes, she just got sick because she came on.

I accepted the answer but when it happened again I left the bathroom quickly so she didn't know I'd heard her.

Then on Monday she bumped into me again giving the same reason that her period was making her throw up.

It then dawned on me that all times were straight after lunch, and given her slim frame, quietness and the fact that she never snacks in front of us/refuses treats etc. I'm starting to worry that she might be making herself sick.

I don't want to jump the gun, but do you think I should say anything to her about my concerns? Something inside me just doesn't feel like this is right.

SHEILA El Chapparal

l

Hello Sheila. This is a really tricky one because although you are genuinely concerned, she can so easily tell you to mind your own business.

I would see how it goes for now - perhaps make a habit of going into the bathroom after lunch when she might be there just to check that this isn't happening every day. If it goes on for a couple of weeks, then evidently there is

something wrong and perhaps you should speak to her.

It's one of those situations where you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. If it transpires that she has a serious eating disorder and you suspected and did nothing, then you'd be blamed, if you tell someone else and she's just feeling a bit off colour, then she'd be annoyed.

That's why I would leave it until you are more certain after all she might just be naturally slim (lucky thing) and be feeling a bit off colour.

me and imagine my lover.

Shall I do it before New Year or wait till after? What makes it more complex is me, my partner and my lover all work together in a big insurance firm and my lover is my partner’s line manager. Is there a happy ending? My lover promises me but I just don’t think I can handle much more sneaking around.

ABBEY Punta Prima

l

Abbey, there are many women out there who sit and wait for their lovers to leave their wives. But why would they? When will it ever be a good time to break up the family? Why would they when they have their best of both worlds, a wife at home and a mistress who is there to pick them up when they need it? I hate to be cruel but these things very rarely end well.

I suppose you could say within someone's hearing "If you really aren't well shouldn't you be at home?" and then at least There is going to be a lot of someone else knows. heartache all over. To this man's wife (How would you like it if you were in the wife's position?) Your partner who has been betrayed and you. Notice how I left Dear Rose. I’ve managed the lover out? The only to get through Christmas with way he is going to get hurt my partner however I don't is if his wife knows. think I can make it through new year with him if I can't If you no longer love your finish it with him. Truth is partner, then be kind spare there’s someone else... And him. Let him get on with even though he's a lot older his life so he can find than me (32 to my 21) and someone who will truly married with kids our love is love him. When you decide so hot and passionate but he to make any of these won't leave his wife till after moves is not for anyone new year and I don't think I else to decide. You’re livcan stand another moment of ing a lie and sadly so is he my partners hands on me. because everything he has It's beginning to make me with you at the moment cringe and I always close my isn't real and yet he doesn't eyes when he makes love to know it.

Should I leave him?

Leo July 23 - August 22 This week provides you with the greatest chance of making it. So pray to the planets that they stay in alignment or this horoscopes will not be fulfilled. Fun is a word that will score you few points in scrabble...but then when was life all about scrabble?

Virgo August 23 - September 22 Can you be held responsible for everything you *don't* do? Who knows. Tomorrow will bring fresh excitement and vigour to your otherwise dull self. Buying a T-Shirt proclaiming your bald patch is a solar panel for a sex machine is a good idea.

Libra September 23 - October 22 One man cannot make himself into an army of super-strength midgets. No matter what his budget. Hopefully the pains you're currently experiencing will disappear over the coming hours. Someone called Dave will contact you in the next couple of days.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21 The newspaper will become a source of great amusement this week as an article tickles your fancy in almost every way. Everything will suddenly sound good to you today.Sing a song inside and to hell with the dark clouds that await you. A break is what's needed after the start to this week that you've had.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21 The medical degrees you claim you possess were not worth the 70 euros you paid for them through PayPal. Dance like a madman, win the respect of colleagues and foes. In a world full of people like yourself, who cares if you want to behave like an orangutan?

Capricorn December 22 - January 19 People say you make your own luck, but carrying around a sign that says "I'm needy and helpless" is probably not what they had in mind. Luckily, today is the best day you're going to have over the coming months - so let loose.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18 Don't be embarrassed by your actions today, embrace your flamboyant side. Fools die young, and you certainly like to think that you're foolhardy. Please, don't die on a whim. Whimsy and death are such awkward bedfellows.

Pisces February 19 - March 20 You are a beautiful creature - don't let any other pretty bitch tell you otherwise. I've written hundreds upon hundreds of horoscopes, but this one is the most special. If you want to ride your bicycle, then by all means do it.

But I refuse to be held responsible for any consequences.

35

Thursday, January 5, 2012

THE TRELI TELLY AWARDS FOR 2011

THE AWESOME AND THE AWFUL

FIRST off, a very Happy New Year to all you watchers of quality TV, as well as those who share my macabre practice of squirming over the occasional guilty pleasures of true awfulness.

The BBC hit the quality ground running big-time with the first of the new series of Sherlock last Sunday night, and how terrific that was. But with my first scribblings of 2012, I have a chance to reveal my personal awards for the best and worst of 2011.

BEST SERIES: Frozen Planet.

The BBC came up trumps with this wonderful documentary series, and I couldn’t give the proverbial over whether there was a bit of artistic licence over the baby polar bear cubs being filmed underground at a Scandinavian zoo, as opposed to the Arctic Circle.

BEST NEW DRAMA SERIES: The Shadow Line.

Screened on BBC2, this had some wonderful performances across the whole cast, and a complicated plot penned by Hugo Blick involving the police and villains dealing with drugs

with ALEX TRELINSKI

The Shadow Line gave us THE new character of 2011 in Gatehouse, played by Stephen Rea

and corruption. It also gave us THE new character of 2011, the shady hatted Gatehouse, played by Stephen Rea. You Jonathan just wouldn’t fancy a house call from this Ross looks gentleman. as if he’s I also enjoyed BBC1’s legal drama, never been Silk, which returns for a second series away this year, while the BBC series set in a fifties TV newsroom, The Hour, also had its moments - and it will be back as well.

As far as American shows are concerned - no contest! The Stateside award goes to the prohibition drama, Boardwalk Empire with Steve Buscemi, screened on Sky and Canal Plus.

BEST RETURNING DRAMA SERIES: Downton Abbey of course, and the Christmas Day episode on ITV1 was the best of the run. You could hear the cheers from the UK over here when Matt Stevens’ character, Matthew, felled the nasty Sir Richard Carlisle in the library with a very good punch. Roll on September for series three.

WORST DRAMA SERIES: Thank you to Uncle Sam for this turkey, as Pan Am crash-landed onto BBC2 screens in the autumn for some of the biggest garbage concocted for a long time. At least it was unintentionally funny, whilst the reboot of Charlie’s Angels on E4 was just poor.

BEST NEW POPCORN TV: The new version of Hawaii Five-O on Sky One and Cuatro. This is just a fun-packed thrilling TV adrenalin rush. Forget the plots, just enjoy the scenery and action, as well as the chemistry between the leading actors. By the way, I hated the original series, but they have kept the old theme music, which was the only good thing about it all those years ago.

BEST COMEDY: Mrs.Brown’s Boys on BBC1. Just good old-fashioned knockabout stuff which already has been ordered for a third series. I honestly cannot remember the last sitcom based show that has given me so many belly laughs and that I’ve wanted to watch again straight away once the closing credits have started to roll.

BEST PANEL SHOW: A League of their Own on Sky One, which despite being a sports quiz, offers loads of fun to nonsports fans. It has never failed to be entertaining, and has even made me a fan of the host, James Corden. And I never thought I’d say that.

WORST TV HOST: Steve Jones from the US version of the X Factor, shown on ITV2. The guy just couldn’t hack it as

THE ARENA 18 A fireman from Denver, David Lord (Kellan Lutz) all of a sudden gets into a car crash with his pregnant wife. The wife dies, Lord survives, and becomes an alcoholic.

One night, a mysterious girl seduces him in a bar, and after a night with her, Lord wakes up in hell. By “hell”, I mean some facility, where many others like him are forced to participate in these brutal no-holds-barred gladiator-like fights to the death. All this is being broadcasted online to the

CAST: Nina Dobrev, Samuel L. Jackson & Kellan Lutz DIRECTOR: Jonah Loop GENRE: Action RATING: 2.5/5 RUNNING TIME: 89 min.

paid members, and the whole system is being ruled by SLJ (Samuel L. Jackson himself!).

Now, Lord doesn’t know where he is, he is forced to fight, however he believes he still can get himself out of this, and proposes SLJ a deal – if Lord wins 10 fights in a row, he goes free.

Knowing no one has ever won as much as 5 in a

row, SLJ agrees, and from there on its a nonstop fighting with lots of blood, severed heads, and so on.

This movie reminded me of the infamous b-movie action films of the 90′s, except here we have somewhat solid actors

(Samuel Jackson, James Remar), but the movie formula remains the same. This is also the first film I’ve seen Kellan Lutz in, and he looks quite impressive. Now I understand, why producers wanted him for the new “Conan”, he’s got the looks, and his acting would do just fine in the right movies.

As for Samuel L. Jackson, I can see why he accepted the part – his character enjoys himself throughout the whole

This dvd review was brought to you by MOVING MOVIES - OVER 7000 DVDS IN STOCK. Delivering all over Spain and the UK Visit www.movingmovies.biz Tel 650 751 072 or email movingmoviesdvds@gmail.com

his eyes stayed continually glued to the teleprompter. In successive weeks two teenagers burst into hysterics when being voted off, and he asked them how they felt!

Thankfully, the excellent Cat Deeley is being lined up to replace him. The bad news is that Jones is returning to the Beeb to co-host Let’s Dance for Sports Relief with his ex-girlfriend, Alex Jones.

MOST GRIPPING TV NEWS: It has to be the uprising in Libya, and the march into Tripoli, wonderfully covered live by Alex Crawford and her Sky News team. The British riots also made for some strong images, and again I thought Sky News was well ahead of the pack.

BEST COMEBACK: Jonathan Ross into the world of chat shows on his new home of ITV1, looking as if he had never been away. Graham Norton on BBC1, is funnier and lets his guests banter amongst themselves, but it’s still good to see Ross back.

SURPRISE STINKER: ITV1’s Red or Black had all the excitement of a new leader being crowned in North Korea, despite it being a Simon Cowell creation and giving away £1 million on the first show. Not even Ant and Dec could save this yawn fest from being instantly forgettable.

Have a great TV year, and 2012 means just one big thing for me. That’s the end of a near-two-year wait for a new series, “Mad Men”. With that and “Downton Abbey”, I’ll be a very contented viewer!

film, he gets to say all the cool lines, gets to kiss the girls, and so on. James Remar has a small role as a federal agent.

This movie doesn’t have any martial arts in it, but there are plenty of fights, and they’re gory. Very gory and brutal. If this is your cup of tea, give it a look. This is not a “martial arts, arena-bloodsport” type of a movie, so if you’re looking for that, skip “The Arena”.

36

The Courier Thursday TV

January 5

00:45 Tombstone 02:45 Weatherview 02:50 World's Most Dangerous Roads 03:50 Bible's Buried Secrets 04:50 MasterChef: The Professionals 05:50 Panorama 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Britain's Empty Homes 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 360 16:35 Splatalot 17:00 Roy 17:30 The Owl 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 Celebrity Mastermind 20:30 BBC News; Regional News 21:00 Earthflight 22:00 Public Enemies 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Absolutely Fabulous

00:20 Three Men Go to New England 01:20 An Island Parish 01:50 HARDtalk 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:10 Close

07:00 Little Charley Bear 07:05 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 07:20 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:30 Octonauts 07:45 Dipdap 07:50 Mike the Knight 08:00 Roar 08:30 Trust Me I'm a Genie 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 Copycats 09:25 LazyTown 09:50 Lulu Zipadoo 10:05 Tinga Tinga Tales 10:20 The Large Family 10:35 Guess with Jess 10:45 Bob's Mini Projects 10:45 Charlie and Lola 11:00 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:20 64 Zoo Lane 11:30 Wibbly Pig 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 Darby O'Gill and the Little People 14:00 One Man and His Campervan 14:30 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:15 Weakest Link 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Great British Food Revival 20:30 Top Gear 22:00 Wonderland 23:00 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 23:30 Newsnight

01:35 ITV News Headlines 03:40 Balto III: Wings of Change 05:00 ITV Nightscreen 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Meridian News and Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 15:59 Meridian Weather 16:00 Lewis 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Eternal Law 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Tightrope

00:05 Random Acts 00:10 Bear's Wild Weekend with Jonathan Ross 01:15 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:30 The Album Chart Show Introduces 01:45 Night Walking 01:50 Coming Up: Rough Skin 02:15 Strange Little Girls 02:30 Highwaymen 03:50 The Guides 04:05 Mummifying Alan: Egypt's Last Secret 05:35 Hugh's Fish Fight 06:30 Brothers & Sisters 07:15 Sali Mali 07:20 The Treacle People 07:30 The Hoobs 08:20 Freshly Squeezed 08:45 Perfect Couples 09:10 According to Jim 09:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:35 Frasier 11:05 The Big Bang Theory 11:35 Undercover Boss Australia 12:40 A Challenge for Robin Hood 14:35 The Cruel Sea 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Restoration Man 23:00 The Bank Job

THE RESTORATION MAN New series. Architect George Clarke heads to Kent to help transform a listed - but ruined - windmill owned by Pete and Nikki Fagg. The building has been derelict since 1915 and its structure seems damaged. Unfortunately, the difficulties with the project become the least of their worries when Nikki's cancer relapses.

00:15 Hollow Man 2 02:05 Poker: The Big Game 03:00 SuperCasino 04:55 Animal Rescue Squad 05:10 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:35 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:00 County Secrets 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 City of Friends 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Castle Farm 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 The Mr Men Show 08:20 Thomas & Friends 08:35 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:10 The Mr Men Show 10:25 Hana's Helpline 10:40 Mist: Sheepdog Tales 11:00 Animal Rescue Squad 11:15 Meerkat Manor 11:45 Ice Road Truckers 12:45 5 News Lunchtime 12:55 Showdown at Abilene 14:35 The Witches of Oz 16:15 Devil Winds 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Chinese Food in Minutes 19:00 Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 19:55 5 News Update 20:00 Charley Boorman's Extreme Frontiers 21:00 Building the Ice Hotel 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother

YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE IT...

15 Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent The Global Language Monitor estimates that there are currently 1,009,753 words in the English language. Despite this large lexicon, many nuances of human experience still leave us tongue-tied. And that’s why sometimes it’s necessary to turn to other languages to find le mot juste. Here are fifteen foreign words with no direct English equivalent.

1. Zhaghzhagh (Persian) The chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage.

2. Yuputka (Ulwa) A word made for walking in the woods at night, it’s the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin.

3. Slampadato (Italian) Addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons?

This word describes you.

4. Luftmensch (Yiddish) There are several Yiddish words to describe social misfits. This one is for an impractical dreamer with no business sense. Literally, air person.

5. Iktsuarpok (Inuit) You know that feeling of anticipation when you’re waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if they’re there yet? This is the word for it.

6. Cotisuelto (Caribbean Spanish) A word that would aptly describe the prevailing fashion trend among American men under 40, it means one who wears the shirt tail outside of his trousers.

7. Pana Po’o (Hawaiian) “Hmm, now where did I leave those keys?” he said, pana po’oing. It means to scratch your head in order to help you remember something you’ve forgotten.

8. Gumusservi (Turkish) Meteorologists can be poets in Turkey with words like this at their disposal. It means moonlight shining on water.

9. Vybafnout (Czech) A word tailor-made for annoying older brothers—it means to jump out and say boo.

10. Mencolek (Indonesian) You know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it.

11. Faamiti (Samoan) To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child.

12. Glas wen (Welsh) A smile that is insincere or mocking. Literally, a blue smile.

13. Bakku-shan (Japanese) The experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front.

14. Boketto (Japanese) It’s nice to know that the Japanese think enough of the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking to give it a name.

15. Kummerspeck (German) Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, grief bacon.

Virgins to Pick Tea

A Chinese tea vendor is marketing a variety of tea as extremely special, with healing properties and even a little magic. Legend says the tea was picked by fairies, who also drop out of the sky when the tea is brewed.

The tea is advertised as being picked by the lips of virgins. In fact, the company is advertising for ten more virgins to pick the leaves with their lips and drop them into baskets without using their hands. Another qualification: the pickers must be at least a C cup bra size. Those who qualify can earn £50 a day.

Colander Nut Citing religious reasons, Niko Alm demanded the right to wear a colander on his head for his driver’s license photo in Vienna, Austria.

He is a pastafarian, or a member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. He was granted his request by licensing officials — but that doesn’t mean pastafarianism is recognized as an official religion by the state.

A police spokesman said that the pasta strainer Alm wore on his head did not violate any license rules, which merely state that a driver’s whole face must be clearly visible in the photo. Therefore, a religious exemption for the headgear was not necessary.

Man Tries to Remove Wart

Sean Murphy of South Yorkshire, England, tried to remove a wart from his finger the old-fashioned way -with a gun. Murphy was at work when he shot a stolen 12-bore Beretta shotgun at the offending wart. He ended up shooting off most of his middle finger.

But he said: “The best thing is that the wart has gone. It was giving me lot of trouble.”

Murphy, a security officer at Markham Grange Nurseries, Brodsworth, at the time of the incident in March, has since lost his job. He had suffered with the wart on the joint closest to the tip of his middle finger for more than five years.

Murphy was arrested for theft of the gun and other firearms charges. Prosecutors said alcohol was involved.

37

The Courier Friday TV

January 6

00:05 Under the Tuscan Sun 01:50 Skiing Weatherview 01:55 Countryfile 02:55 Antiques Roadshow 03:55 Britain's Hidden Heritage 04:55 Newsday 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Britain's Empty Homes 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 360 16:35 Splatalot 17:00 Roy 17:30 The Owl 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News Programmes 20:00 Celebrity Mastermind 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 The One Lenny Henry 22:00 Hustle 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

07:00 Little Charley Bear 07:05 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 07:20 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:30 Octonauts 07:45 Dipdap 07:50 Mike the Knight 08:00 Roar 08:30 Trust Me I'm a Genie 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 Copycats 09:25 LazyTown 09:50 Lulu Zipadoo 10:05 Tinga Tinga Tales 10:20 The Large Family 10:35 Guess with Jess 10:45 Charlie and Lola 10:45 Bob's Mini Projects 11:00 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:20 64 Zoo Lane 11:30 Wibbly Pig 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 Stolen Summer 14:00 One Man and His Campervan 14:30 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:15 Weakest Link 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Great Barrier Reef 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Mastermind 22:00 Sicily Unpacked 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

01:40 The Zone 03:45 Tonight 04:10 ITV Nightscreen 05:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Meridian News and Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 15:59 Meridian Weather 16:00 Lewis 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Safari Vet School 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Law & Order: UK 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 It'll Be Alright on the Night

THE BANK JOB 00:20 Three Men Go to New England 01:20 BBC News 01:30 HARDtalk 02:00 Newsday 02:30 Asia Business Report 02:45 Sport Today 03:00 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:10 Close

In the penultimate live show, four people chosen because of their performances in a series of online tournaments compete in a game of knowledge, judgement and luck in a London bank vault. They vie for a chance of scooping a briefcase full of cash and a place in tomorrow's grand final. Hosted by George Lamb

00:05 Random Acts 00:10 Accused: The 74 Stone Babysitter 01:15 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:30 Alex Zane Pops Out 02:00 A Man Apart 03:50 Whatever Turns You On 03:55 Shooting Gallery 04:05 Soft 04:20 Attack of the Trip Advisors 05:15 Hugh's Fish Fight 06:10 Brothers & Sisters 06:55 Sali Mali 07:00 The Treacle People 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 Perfect Couples 08:55 According to Jim 09:20 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:20 Frasier 10:55 The Big Bang Theory 11:25 Hello, Dolly!

14:10 Tora! Tora! Tora!

17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:25 4thought.tv 20:30 Come Dine with Me 21:30 New Girl 22:00 The Bank Job 23:00 Rude Tube

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 04:55 Animal Rescue Squad 05:10 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:35 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:00 County Secrets 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 City of Friends 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Castle Farm 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 The Mr Men Show 08:20 Thomas & Friends 08:35 Mio Mao 08:40 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:10 The Mr Men Show 10:25 Hana's Helpline 10:40 Mist: Sheepdog Tales 11:00 Animal Rescue Squad 11:15 Meerkat Manor 11:45 Monkey Life 12:15 5 News Lunchtime 12:25 Celebrity Big Brother 14:25 Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story 16:15 Relative Stranger 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Chinese Food in Minutes 19:00 Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 19:55 5 News 20:00 Charley Boorman's Extreme Frontiers 21:00 World's Toughest Trucker 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Celebrity Wedding Planner

38

The Courier Saturday TV

January 7

04:35 Close 07:00 Little Robots 07:10 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 00:20 The National Lottery Friday 00:35 Who Wants to Be a 07:25 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion Night Draws Millionaire?

07:35 Octonauts 00:30 The Infidel 01:30 The Zone 07:45 Mike the Knight 02:10 Weatherview 03:30 Deliverance 08:00 Richard Hammond's Blast Lab 02:15 Natural World: The Woman 05:20 ITV Nightscreen 08:30 Dennis and Gnasher Who Swims With Killer Whales 06:30 ITV Morning News 08:40 The Scooby-Doo Show 03:15 James May's Man Lab 07:00 Mini CITV 09:05 Pixelface 04:15 MasterChef: The 09:35 Prank Patrol Down Under 08:25 CITV Professionals 10:00 Deadly 60 10:25 ITV News and Weather 05:15 BBC News 10:30 Serious Explorers: Raleigh 10:29 Meridian Weather 05:30 British Olympic Dreams 11:00 Animals at Work 10:30 The Perfect Man 06:00 BBC News 11:30 Trapped Ever After 06:30 Our World 12:25 This Morning: Saturday 11:55 Hacker Time 07:00 Breakfast 13:25 Murder, She Wrote 12:25 OOglies 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 14:25 ITV News and Weather 12:40 MOTD Kickabout 12:30 Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers 14:44 Meridian Weather 13:00 Nobody Runs Forever 13:00 BBC News; Regional News 14:45 Catwoman 14:40 Duel in the Sun and Weather 16:40 Jurassic Park 16:45 Escape to the Country 13:15 Football Focus 19:00 Meridian News and Weather 17:30 Live Darts: BDO World 14:00 Live Great Edinburgh Cross 19:15 ITV News and Weather Championships Country 2012 18:35 Jason and the Argonauts 19:30 New You've Been Framed!

15:30 Live Darts: BDO World 20:15 Flog It! 20:00 Harry Hill's TV Burp Championships 20:45 John Howard Davies: A Life in 20:30 Take Me Out 17:30 Final Score Comedy 21:30 The Talent Show Story 18:15 BBC News; Regional News 21:00 The Good Life and Weather 22:30 The Jonathan Ross Show 21:30 Steptoe and Son 18:35 Winter Wipeout 23:30 ITV News and Weather 22:00 Fawlty Towers 19:35 The Magicians 23:44 Meridian Weather 22:30 Comedy Connections 20:50 The National Lottery: Who 23:45 Celebrity Juice 23:00 Big Hits: TOTP 1964 to 1975 Dares Wins 21:40 Casualty THE TALENT SHOW 23:00 BBC News; Weather 23:20 Die Hard with a Vengeance STORY

00:00 00:05 01:55 03:55 04:00 04:30

Weather Fifty Dead Men Walking Beaufort The Record Review BBC News Click

New series. Exploring the history of televised talent contests, from the original Opportunity Knocks to today's super-slick shows such as The X Factor. The first edition includes Susan Boyle discussing her 2009 breakthrough on Britain's Got Talent, and examines Will Young defeating Gareth Gates in 2002's Pop Idol, and how the Noughties series Popstars ushered in a new era of programmes. There is also a tribute to former New Faces host Marti Caine. Narrated by Victoria Wood.

01:05 Big Trouble in Little China 02:55 Random Acts 03:00 Lucky Escape 03:05 My Name Is Earl 03:45 Hung 04:35 St Elsewhere 05:20 Hugh's Fish Fight 06:15 Brothers & Sisters 07:00 The Treacle People 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 The Grid 08:25 GT Academy 08:55 The Morning Line 09:55 Hollyoaks 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 11:55 The Simpsons 12:30 New Girl 13:10 California Man 14:55 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:05 Channel 4 News 19:35 4thought.tv 19:40 Big Momma's House 2 21:30 The Bank Job 23:00 Dodgeball: a True Underdog Story

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 05:05 Motorsport Mundial 05:30 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:55 County Secrets 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:40 Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs 07:50 Castle Farm 07:55 Igam Ogam 08:05 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:15 The Milkshake! Show 08:35 Make Way for Noddy 08:50 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:30 Angelina Ballerina 09:50 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 The Mr Men Show 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:40 Mist: Sheepdog Tales 11:00 Meerkat Manor 11:30 The Hotel Inspector 12:30 Celebrity Big Brother 13:30 The Slipper and the Rose 16:10 From Here to Eternity 18:30 While You Were Sleeping 20:30 5 News Weekend 20:35 NCIS 21:30 Celebrity Big Brother 22:45 Philadelphia

39

The Courier Sunday TV

January 8

01:20 AWOL 03:00 Weatherview 03:05 BBC News 03:30 Dateline London 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Talking Books 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click 06:00 BBC News 06:30 The Record Europe 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Country Tracks 13:00 BBC News 13:05 EastEnders 15:00 Bargain Hunt 16:00 Escape to the Country 17:00 The Royal Bodyguard 17:30 The Royal Bodyguard 18:00 Songs of Praise 18:35 Celebrity Mastermind 19:05 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 19:30 Countryfile 20:30 Antiques Roadshow 21:30 Sherlock 23:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 23:25 The One Lenny Henry

00:30 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:20 Darts Extra

03:20 Devils of Darkness 04:45 Close 07:00 Little Robots 07:10 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 07:25 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:35 Octonauts 07:45 Mike the Knight 08:00 Richard Hammond's Blast Lab 08:30 Dennis and Gnasher 08:40 The Owl 09:05 Paradise Cafe 09:30 Diddy Dick & Dom 10:00 Friday Download 11:00 Something for the Weekend 12:30 One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:45 Ski Sunday 18:30 Flog It! 19:00 How to Build 20:00 Top Gear 21:00 Great Barrier Reef 22:00 To Boldly Go 23:00 Adventureland

00:30 02:00 04:00 04:50 06:30 07:00 08:25 10:25 10:29 10:30 12:00 2011 13:00 13:04 13:05 13:30 19:00 19:15 19:30 21:30 22:30 Off 23:00 23:30 23:44 23:45

FA Cup Football Highlights The Zone In Plain Sight ITV Nightscreen ITV Morning News Mini CITV CITV ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather FA Cup Football Highlights Dancing on Ice Live Tour ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather You've Been Framed!

Live FA Cup Football Meridian News and Weather ITV News and Weather Dancing on Ice Wild at Heart Dancing on Ice: The Skate That Sunday Night Show ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather FA Cup Football Highlights

DANCING ON ICE: THE SKATE OFF

The first group of celebrities have done all they can to show viewers that they deserve to remain in the competition, and now the two who gained the least support have to skate again. Phillip Schofield and Christine Bleakley then reveal who has made it through - and which contestant has fallen at the first hurdle.

00:50 LA Confidential 03:15 A Ninja Is for Life, Not Just for Christmas 03:25 Emily's Song 03:40 St Elsewhere 04:25 Britain BC 05:25 Hugh's Fish Fight: The Battle Continues 06:20 Brothers & Sisters 07:05 The Hoobs 07:30 The Hoobs 07:55 Freesports on 4 08:20 That Paralympic Show 08:45 One Tree Hill 09:40 Hollyoaks 12:10 The Big Bang Theory 12:45 Shipwrecked 13:50 Ever After: a Cinderella Story 16:10 The Simpsons 16:40 The Simpsons 17:15 Deal or No Deal 18:15 Channel 4 News 18:45 4thought.tv 18:50 The Devil Wears Prada 21:00 The Hotel 22:00 (500) Days of Summer 23:50 Employee of the Month

01:05 SuperCasino 05:00 Great Artists 05:25 Divine Designs 05:50 County Secrets 06:00 Hana's Helpline 06:10 The Milkshake! Show 06:35 Thomas & Friends 06:45 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Fireman Sam 07:40 Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs 07:50 Castle Farm 07:55 Igam Ogam 08:05 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:15 The Milkshake! Show 08:30 Mio Mao 08:35 Make Way for Noddy 08:50 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:00 Little Princess 09:20 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:35 Angelina Ballerina 09:50 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 The Mr Men Show 10:25 Milkshake! Monkey 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:40 Mist: Sheepdog Tales 11:00 Animal Rescue Squad 11:15 Meerkat Manor 11:45 Grey's Anatomy 12:45 Celebrity Big Brother 13:55 Return to Oz 16:00 Candleshoe 18:00 5 News Weekend 18:05 Greystoke: the Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes 20:40 SWAT 23:00 Celebrity Big Brother

40

The Courier Monday TV

January 9

00:05 Grumpy Old Men 01:45 The Sky at Night 02:05 Weatherview 02:10 Countryfile 03:10 Holby City 04:10 Hairy Bikers' Best of British 04:55 Sport Today 05:00 Newsday 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Britain's Empty Homes 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 360 16:35 Splatalot 17:00 Roy 17:30 The Owl 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News Programmes 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 The One Jasper Carrott 22:00 The Royal Bodyguard 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Have I Got a Bit More News for You

00:40 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:30 Darts Extra 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 04:55 Close 07:00 Little Robots 07:10 The Adventures of Abney &

Teal 07:25 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:35 Octonauts 07:45 Dipdap 07:50 Mike the Knight 08:00 Roar 08:30 League of Super Evil 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 Copycats 09:25 LazyTown 09:50 Lulu Zipadoo 10:05 Tinga Tinga Tales 10:20 The Large Family 10:35 Guess with Jess 10:45 Bob's Mini Projects 10:50 Louie 10:55 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:15 64 Zoo Lane 11:30 Wibbly Pig 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 Darts: BDO World Championships 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Baking Made Easy 20:30 A Question of Taste 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 An Island Parish 22:00 Horizon 23:00 Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience 23:30 Newsnight

00:45 Premiership Rugby Union 01:45 ITV News Headlines 03:05 Ladette to Lady: Australia 04:00 ITV Nightscreen 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Meridian News and Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 15:59 Meridian Weather 16:00 Lewis 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Above Suspicion 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 FA Cup Football Highlights

SHAMELESS New series. The dysfunction Gallagher family returns, but all is not well on the Chatsworth Estate.

Half of Frank's neighbours are evicted from their homes as part of Operation New Start, a multiagency crackdown on the estate's benefits culture.

Jamie and Karen become the reluctant leaders of the resistance when the evictees turn to them for help, but while things look bleak for everyone else, Jackson's future appears brighter than ever.

01:50 Comic's Choice: Jessica Hynes 02:45 Reasons to Be Cheerful 03:00 The Pawn King 03:30 Secret History 04:25 Monte Cassino: The Soldiers' Story 05:25 This Is Me 05:30 St Elsewhere 06:20 Brothers & Sisters 07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 According to Jim 09:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss Australia 11:25 Vacation, Vacation, Vacation 12:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Celebrity Five Go To 14:05 SuperScrimpers: Waste Not Want Not 14:30 The Man behind the Gun 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 The Great Train Robbery's Missing Mastermind?

22:00 Coppers 23:00 Shameless

00:00 Reservoir Dogs 02:00 SuperCasino 05:00 Animal Rescue Squad 05:15 Great Scientists 05:35 Divine Designs 06:00 Hana's Helpline 06:10 The Milkshake! Show 06:35 Thomas & Friends 06:45 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 City of Friends 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Castle Farm 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 The Mr Men Show 08:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Mio Mao 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Roary the Racing Car 09:35 Milkshake! Monkey 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Funky Valley 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 LIVE with Gabby 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 The Hotel Inspector 15:15 Law & Order 16:15 The Hollywood Mom's Mystery 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 World's Toughest Trucker 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 When Paddy Met Sally

41

The Courier Tuesday TV

January 10

00:20 Would I Lie to You? 00:50 The Graham Norton Show 01:35 Weatherview 01:40 Who Do You Think You Are? 02:40 Hairy Bikers' Best of British 03:25 MasterChef: The Professionals 03:55 Natural World: Animal House 04:55 You've Been Scammed 05:40 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Britain's Empty Homes 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 360 16:35 Splatalot 17:00 Roy 17:30 Pixelface 17:30 The Owl 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News Programmes 20:00 The One Show 20:30 BBC News; Regional News 21:00 Holby City 22:00 DIY SOS: The Big Build 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:25 National Lottery Update 23:35 Burglar in the House

00:20 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:10 American Football 02:10 Darts Extra 04:10 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Stargazing Challenges 05:30 Little Stargazing 06:00 L8R

07:00 Little Robots 07:10 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 07:25 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:35 Octonauts 07:45 Dipdap 07:50 Mike the Knight 08:00 Roar 08:30 League of Super Evil 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 Copycats 09:25 LazyTown 09:50 Lulu Zipadoo 10:05 Tinga Tinga Tales 10:20 The Large Family 10:35 Guess with Jess 10:45 Bob's Mini Projects 10:50 Louie 10:55 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:15 64 Zoo Lane 11:30 Wibbly Pig 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 Darts: BDO World Championships 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Hairy Bikers' Best of British 21:00 The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 22:00 The Mystery of Edwin Drood 23:00 Have I Got Old News for You 23:30 Weather

00:05 That Sunday Night Show 00:35 Law & Order: UK 01:30 River Monsters 01:55 The Zone 04:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 05:00 ITV Nightscreen 05:35 The Jeremy Kyle Show 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Meridian News and Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 15:59 Meridian Weather 16:00 Lewis 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 River Monsters 21:00 The Exit List 22:00 The Biggest Loser 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 The Grudge

THE BIGGEST LOSER

The teams face their second challenge and dig deep for survival in their quest for the ultimate prize - immunity. With the weigh-in approaching, there is a shock in store as they learn the extent to which their former eating habits and lifestyles have damaged their bodies, and as the competition steps up, one contestant is asked to leave the house for good. Presented by Davina McCall.

00:25 Random Acts 00:30 Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder 01:30 The Joy of Teen Sex 02:30 Coming Up: Food 02:55 Carthage: The Roman Holocaust 04:40 Secret History 05:35 St Elsewhere 06:25 Brothers & Sisters 07:15 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 09:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss Australia 11:25 Vacation, Vacation, Vacation 12:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Celebrity Five Go To 14:05 Channel 4 Presents - Jonnie Peacock 'Speed' 14:10 River Cottage 14:30 The Badlanders 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 The Fat Fighters 22:00 Inside Nature's Giants 23:00 Shameless

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Celebrity Big Brother 02:00 SuperCasino 05:00 Animal Rescue Squad 05:15 Grey's Anatomy 06:00 County Secrets 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 City of Friends 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Castle Farm 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 The Mr Men Show 08:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Mio Mao 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Roary the Racing Car 09:35 Milkshake! Monkey 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Funky Valley 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 LIVE with Gabby 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 The Hotel Inspector 15:15 Law & Order 16:15 Meals in Moments 16:25 Claire 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Celebrity Wedding Planner 21:00 Cowboy Builders 22:00 Body of Proof 23:00 Celebrity Big Brother

42

The Courier Wednesday TV

January 11

00:25 The League Cup Show 00:55 Human Traffic 02:30 Weatherview 02:35 Frozen Planet 03:35 MasterChef: The Professionals 04:35 You've Been Scammed 05:20 Newsday 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Britain's Empty Homes 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 360 16:35 Wingin' It 16:35 Deadly 60 Bites 17:00 Roy 17:30 My Life: Big Brother 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Live League Cup Football 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 The National Lottery Wednesday Night Draws 23:45 National Lottery Update

00:20 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:10 Darts Extra 03:10 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Eon Straddler, Time Traveller 05:30 Dance Party 05:45 Places to Dance 06:00 Street Dance Masterclass

07:00 Little Robots 07:10 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 07:25 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:35 Octonauts 07:45 Dipdap 07:50 Mike the Knight 08:00 Roar 08:30 League of Super Evil 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 Copycats 09:25 LazyTown 09:50 Lulu Zipadoo 10:05 Tinga Tinga Tales 10:20 The Large Family 10:35 Guess with Jess 10:45 Bob's Mini Projects 10:50 Louie 10:55 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:15 64 Zoo Lane 11:30 Wibbly Pig 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 See Hear 14:30 Darts: BDO World Championships 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Hairy Bikers' Best of British 21:00 The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 22:00 The Mystery of Edwin Drood 23:00 Mock the Week - Again 23:30 Newsnight

01:20 ITV News Headlines 03:50 Crossing Jordan 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Meridian News and Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 15:59 Meridian Weather 16:00 Lewis 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 The Unforgettable 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Payback

00:15 Desperate Housewives 01:15 Random Acts 01:20 Poker 02:15 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:40 Beach Volleyball 03:35 The Grid 04:00 GT Academy 04:30 Freesports on 4 04:55 Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind: Kickboxing 05:05 Scrapheap Challenge 06:00 Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind: Ma Bar 06:10 Ultra Running 06:20 Brothers & Sisters 07:00 The Treacle People 07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 09:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss Australia 11:25 Vacation, Vacation, Vacation 12:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Celebrity Five Go To 14:05 River Cottage 14:10 Merrill's Marauders 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 How to Cook Like Heston 21:30 The Fabulous Baker Brothers 22:00 One Born Every Minute 23:00 How to Be a Good Mother with Sharon Horgan

BENIDORM ER New series. Documentary following British tourists and expats in Benidorm who find themselves swapping sun loungers for hospital beds as they seek treatment for sickness and injuries. Orthopaedic surgeon Antonio Blasco, A&E doctor Carmen Ruiz and the rest of the team at the Clinica Benidorm admit a wide range of patients, from poolside slips and allergic reactions to stag and hen parties gone awry.

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 When Paddy Met Sally 02:00 SuperCasino 05:00 HouseBusters 05:25 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 City of Friends 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Castle Farm 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 The Mr Men Show 08:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Mio Mao 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Roary the Racing Car 09:35 Milkshake! Monkey 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Funky Valley 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuf 12:10 LIVE with Gabby 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 The Hotel Inspector 15:15 Law & Order 16:15 McBride: Dogged 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Cowboy Builders 21:00 Benidorm ER 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Kym Marsh: Teen Mums and Me

The Courier Thursday TV

January 12

00:35 Film 2012 with Claudia Winkleman 01:15 Their Eyes Were Watching God 03:05 Weatherview 03:10 Country Tracks 04:05 MasterChef: The Professionals 05:05 Newsday 05:30 Panorama 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Britain's Empty Homes 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 360 16:35 Wingin' It 16:35 Deadly 60 Bites 17:00 Roy 17:30 The Owl 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Earthflight 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:20 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:10 Darts Extra 03:10 Newsday 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 Newsday 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Music, Mud and Making Money 05:30 Making Media 06:00 How to Write

06:30 Creative Arts 07:00 Little Robots 07:10 The Adventures of Abney & Teal 07:25 Raa Raa the Noisy Lion 07:35 Octonauts 07:45 Dipdap 07:50 Mike the Knight 08:00 Roar 08:30 League of Super Evil 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 Copycats 09:25 LazyTown 09:50 Lulu Zipadoo 10:05 Tinga Tinga Tales 10:20 The Large Family 10:35 Guess with Jess 10:45 Bob's Mini Projects 10:50 Louie 10:55 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:15 64 Zoo Lane 11:30 Wibbly Pig 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 Darts: BDO World Championships 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Hairy Bikers' Best of British 21:00 The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 22:00 Unfinished 23:00 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 23:30 Weather

01:30 The Zone xx 03:30 Outland 05:30 ITV Nightscreen 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Meridian News and Weather 15:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 15:59 Meridian Weather 16:00 Lewis 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Eternal Law 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 The Jonathan Ross Show

WORLDS SCARIEST The most frightening incidents and extreme stunts ever caught on camera, featuring expert analysis and testimonies from people who have lived to tell the tale. The first edition focuses on plane landings, from the US Airways flight forced to land on New York's Hudson River in January 2009, to footage of hair-raising incidents at London's City Airport and in Leeds.

00:05 Random Acts xx 00:10 London's Burning 01:15 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:35 Launched at Red Bull Studios 01:50 The Maccabees: 360 Sessions 02:15 Coming Up: Micah 02:40 Breakfast on Pluto 04:50 The Great British Property Scandal 05:45 Brothers & Sisters 06:25 Countdown 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 According to Jim 09:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss Australia 11:25 Vacation, Vacation, Vacation 12:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Celebrity Five Go To 14:05 Channel 4 Presents Stephen Miller 2012 14:10 River Cottage 14:20 Went the Day Well?

16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Restoration Man 23:00 My Daughter the Teenage Nudist

xx 00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Poker: The Big Game 02:05 SuperCasino 05:00 HouseBusters 05:25 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:50 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:15 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 City of Friends 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Castle Farm 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 The Mr Men Show 08:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Mio Mao 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Roary the Racing Car 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 LIVE with Gabby 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 The Hotel Inspector 15:15 Law & Order 16:15 Surrender Dorothy 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 World's Scariest 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

43

Thursday, January 5, 2012

AWNINGS

ACCOMODATION

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Small, economic family run hotel, situated on the CV951, San Miguel de Salinas. Modern air-conditioned and ensuite rooms available, 35 € per room, per night. Call 966 842 070 for reservations. (48)

Viva Villa and Vacation Services, For Short or Long Term Rentals visit: www.villaandvacation.com or Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

PROPERTY FOR RENT

ACCOUNTANTS Are you running a business?

Let us simplify things for you – accountancy, taxes, payroll services and more. We cater for companies and individuals. Established in 1984 on the Costa Blanca. Call us on 966 923 963 for your first consultation free of charge. (48)

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

ALARMS Protect your home or business with ultimate technology Alarm Systems - get connected to the professionals. Immediate connection to the police via our 24/7 control centre, with video surveillance included. Don’t wait until it´s too late. For a free quote call 966 923 963 (48)

AIR CONDITIONING

EXCELLENT RECESSION PROOF BUSINESS WITH NO OVERHEADS AND ALL CASH. 5 COLD DRINK VENDING MACHINES €24,900. 25 PRINGLE MACHINES €14,900, ALL WITH GUARANTEED SITES. 619 307 318. (52) Brand New Clothing for sale, 10.000 pieces in mixed childrens, ladies and mens wear. Ideal for market traders. Bargain price 1 € per item. Call now on 651885200. (48)

church 11am. House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier.

Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am.

Craft club, Tuesdays, 2pm. Pastor, Rafael Restrepo.

All nationalities welcome. Call 966 799 273 or 660 127 276.

Pilar Christian Community Church Calle Canalejas 3.

Pilar de la Horadada.

Sunday Service at 11am, and Thursday at 5pm for Bible study and Prayer.

Home groups meet during the week. All welcome

from any church background or none. For further information contact Pilar ChristianCommunity Church@gmail.com or contact Reverend Eddie on 966 7693 00 or 650 509 606. Reg No:2009-SG/A

CARS FOR SALE Looking for a car? We have a good selection of LHD & RHD vehicles for sale or exchange. Simply view our easy to use website www.fwreurocars.com

BLINDS / AWNINGS

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

Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday services 11am. Children's

FOR SALE Two orange gas cylinders.

One full, one half full. 25€ each or 45€ for pair. Tel: 672192482. Santiago de la Ribera.

Two single beds, both with foldaway beds underneath. 50 euros each or 90 euros for all four beds.

Tel: 672192482. Santiago de la Ribera. Buyer must collect.

Architect

CAR SALES

ALARMS

or Telephone 600 726 221 - 965687976 Ford C Max Auto 1.6 TDCI 2004 diesel, FSH, Air Con, CD etc lovely condition light metallic blue 7950 euros www.fwreurocars .com Tel 600 726 221 - 965 687 976 Ford Fusion Auto 1.4 duroshift 2008 1 owner 66,000 kms, FSH, digital AC, CD etc, lovely condition, light metallic blue 8450 euros www.fwreurocars.com Tel 600 726 221 965687976 Suzuki Swift Parts 1.3 2006, only covered 26,000 kms, hard body damage, excellent engine, gearbox, wheels, tyres, interior etc 950 euros complete may consider braking Telephone Francesca 672 127 228

CARPENTER

CAR HIRE

Ref. 91, This lovely one bedroom apartment is on the fifth (top) floor of block one of the Miramar development - but don't worry about climbing the stairs, as there is a lift! A parking space is included in the key operated underground garage. €450PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 112, Spacious 3 bedroom detached villa with its private pool is located on the El Raso urbanisation near Guardamar.

Convenient for all amenities, shops, supermarket, restaurants and bars.

Short term only. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 63, Two bedroom 1st floor apartment situated in Monino Blanco. The property overlooks a superb communal pool area, in within walking distance of bars, restaurants and shops. Short or long term rental available. €P.O.A Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

FUNERAL SERVICES

APPLIANCE REPAIRS

EYELASHS

AUCTION

CAR MECHANIC

44

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Ref: 155, Luxurious Three Bedroom Villa With Private Pool, in Quesada Close to shops and restaurants within a five minute drive, and Guadamar Beach is within a ten minute drive.

Long term or Short term available. €795PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 709, A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach. There is a terrace outside with views to the sea. Short or long term rental available. €300PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 708, A lovely two bedroom, one bathroom corner ground floor apartment in Algorfa, with a spacious patio & Residents off road parking. Communal pool

near by. Short or long term rental available. €400PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 117, A Lovely 3 Bedroomed 1st floor apartment on the outskirts of Torrevieja (Mar Azul). The Apartment is in walking distance of the excellent beaches and a good selection of restaurants, shops and bars. €425PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 516, Well situated studio apartment in San Luis.

The property has a balcony which has been glazed to create another room. Close to all shops and amenities, on a local bus route & 10 minutes from the beach. €250PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

CREATIVE CONCRETE

Ref. 702, A lovely 2 bedroom apartment in a quiet area of Torrevieja yet within walking distance to local beaches and amenities.

It’s also less than an hour’s drive from both Alicante and Murcia San Javier Airports. €400PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. 135, An outstanding two bedroom villa with one double and one twin room on the VillaMartin golf complex. There is a very pleasant terrace off the main bedroom and from the sun terrace on the roof the views are excellent. €400PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. 04, A 2 bedroom apartment one street back from the famous Cabo Roig strip. There is a selection of local shops, restaurants and bars on the doorstep with the shopping strip only 400 metres away. €450PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. 92, A lovely three bedroom apartment on the ground floor of block one of the Miramar developments. A small balcony runs the width of the lounge area above the small private garden area at the front of the property. €450PCM

DAMP PROOFING

HEATING

Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. 104, Lovely 2 Bedroom Apartment in Torrevieja, within walking distance to the Friday Market, Town Centre and the beach. Close to the Habaneres Shopping Centre and Aquapark. €350PCM Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. 151, Beautiful Family 3 Bedroom Villa. Well equipped American kitchen, double bedroom and bathroom. A further 2 bedrooms, bathroom, large terrace with sun loungers, table and chairs, bbq, and beautiful sea view. Short or long term rental available. €P.O.A.Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Luxury appartments, 2/3 bedrooms in San Miguel De Salinas. Floor heating, Elevator, Roof terrace with swimmingpool, from 385 euros/month Also holiday rentals and appartments in San Miguel de Salinas from 350 euros/month.

966 723 437 and 616 487 493 (48)

PROPERTY FOR SALE Detached villa with large oasis pool. Situated on first Urb. In Gran Alacant.

500m2 plot, electric gates, alarmed 3 beds, 3 baths,

FURNITURE

ENERGY SAVER

FAST BROADBAND

ELECTRICIAN

LOCKSMITH

NEWS AGENTS

FISHING

fully furnished. Recently reduced for a quick sale Now only 260.000 euros Call 680 333 242 quoting ref 33 Altomar II in Gran Alacant Investment opportunity…

82.000 euros. 2 bed, 1 bath, lounge diner, ind.

Kitchen, Glazed in Galleria, S/Facing, extra storage Fully furnished, Private parking, Com pools Ring 627 711 155 to view.

Duplex in Monte y Mar, GA 2 Bed, 1 Bath, ground floor with views Fully furnished, A/Con, Heating, Ceiling Fans, English TV, garden, Communal pool, for apt please call 966 699 136 to view only 115.000 ono REDUCED Ground floor Duplex in Puerto Marino, Gran Alacant. Now only 99,500 euros. 2 bed, 1 bath, fully furnished Central heating, glazed galleria, grills, Mozzie nets, front garden, com pools, Private gated parking, walking distance to Shops bars restaurants etc. 627 711 155 Calling all serious Buyers.

I have a 5 bed, 4 bath, 2 kitchens, 2 lounges, detached Villa with self-filling pool in Gran Alacant.

Everything included in price, fantastic Alicante/sea views. As a starting price I am looking in the region of 265.000 euros Interested in making me an offer call me on 680 333 242 Mid Terraced Town house in Gran Alacant 2 Bed, 3 Bath, being sold fully furnished.

Electrical

HOUSE CLEARANCES

PLUMBERS

Appliances included, large front and rear garden, choice of communal pools, Private secure parking and walking distance to GA Center. 140.000 euros ono. Call 627 711 155 for viewing.

Lovely well maintained terraced property situated in Mediterranea III in Gran Alacant. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, everything included in price. Large communal pool, tennis courts, established gardens Walking distance to shops, bars restaurants.

Very quiet location, over looks nature reserve.

Private parking, call 680 333 242 for more details.

133.000 euros Beach Front property opposite Carabassi Beach 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge diner, roof top solarium under ground secure parking, walking distance to beach Situated on local tram and bus route. Being sold fully furnished. 4 communal pools, tennis courts, bar and restaurant with in urbanisation Please ring 966 699 136 after 6pm (english & spanish spoken) Now only 125.000 euros excellent value in Gran Alacant.

MASSAGE

PETS

SECURITY

SEWING

45

Thursday, January 5, 2012 Quick sale needed.

199.000 euros ono Detached property in Puerto Marina. 3 Bed, 3 Bath, Immaculately furnished Alarmed, Central heating, Log fire, Hot & Cold air con, open fields to the rear, Private parking, Communal pools.

966.699.478 after 5 pm.

Don Pueblo, Gran Alacant 209,000 euros 3 Double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes 2 bathrooms, spacious kitchen with galleria Lounge complete with chimney, large under build, top quality furniture and appliances inc. Com pools, underground garage, tennis courts To view call 627 711 155 Semi-detached villa in Gran Alacant 3 bed, 3 bath, lounge diner, independent kitchen, glazed in

PLASTERER

PERSONAL

porch, large solarium with stunning views, Private Parking. A/Con Central heating, UK TV. Only 229.000 euros By appointment only call 966 699 136 Large detached villa, large pool with electronic solar cover, converted under build, roof top solarium with conservatory, panoramic views 545 m2 plot, part furnished, double glazed, A/con, alarmed, gas fire, est. irrigated gardens Call 680 333 242 for best price Ref 30 Close to Supavalue in Gran Alacant. Detached villa with pool on 640m2 plot. 3 bed, 2 bath, lounge diner, large roof top solarium, Porch, Outside WC, 2 built-in BBQ’s, Log Fire, Under build, Alarmed, Mature Gardens, Toldos blinds, Garage, Electronic Gates. 260.000 euros 627 711 155 English & Spanish spoken.

Walking distance to all local amenities in GA Detached Villa with large pool. Decoratively tiled Garden, complete with BBQ. Est. palm & fruit trees. 3 bed, 3 bath, Fully

Furnished including all electrical appliances.

Quick sale needed, 270.000 euros, but very negotiable. For appointment to view call 966 699 478 after 5pm Top floor duplex in Puerto Marina, G/Alacant 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge-diner, glazed-in porch, large roof-top solarium with views, Top quality furniture and appliances included. Secure private parking, communal pools, 108,000 euros. If you would like to view call 627 711 155 for an immediate appointment.

LIMITED EDITION One of only a few bungalows in Gran Alacant. Top of the range furniture and appliances included. 3 bed, 2 bath, lounge diner, large kitchen, leading to galleria, huge roof top solarium with fantastic views of Alicante and mountains. Electronic gates leading to garage, 500m2 plot, 10x5 pool with irrigated gardens By appointment only, ring 680333242 325.000 ono Large family Home in Izla de Izaro, G.A (bajo) 4 bed,

LIESURE CENTRE

SIGN WRITING

3 bath, stunning communal pool with Jacuzzi & water features. Children’s play area and fantastic communal gardens. Very high standard throughout, Large converted under build & garage, elec.

Gates Alarmed, A/con, outside kitchen and bathroom, 399.000 ono. To view call 966699136 after 5pm.

Monte Y Mar - Gran Alacant Detached Villa with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, lounge-diner, front porch, Large solarium with views. 400m2 plot Low maintenance irrigated gardens, Private pool & Parking. Tastefully furnished throughout and everything included.

Recently Reduced to 239.000 euros. For more details call 627.711.155 Gran Alacant, corner semi detached 3 bedroomed, 2 bathrooms, large garden, enclosed terrace, fully furnished, private drive for 2 cars, on gated desirable urbanisation Monte Faro, many facilities priced for quick sale 185,000 Tel 680 333 242 Balsares, terraced 4 bedroomed house, 3 bathrooms, large underbuild, private underground parking direct to house, small gated urbanisation, directly over looking proposed new golf course opposite Gran Alacant, priced for quick sale at original off plan price 195.000 Tel 680 333 242 Gran Alacant, front line, 2 bed, 1 bath, downstairs toi-

REMOVALS

REMOVALS

SWIMMING POOL MAINTENANCE

let, fully furnished, roof terrace, walking distance to beaches, large communal and resturants, beach front property priced for quick sale 125,000 Tel 680 333 242 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 Ref: 513, €115,000. Two bedroom ground floor apartment, in Aguas Nuevas, close to all amenities including the beach. It has a good size lounge, kitchen and has off road parking facilities. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 521, €105,000. This comfortable bungalow is located in San Luis with a new roof and solarium tiles. It is close to supermarkets, bars, restaurants and is on the local bus route. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 520, €85,000. Two bedroom apartment in Dream Hills, with a fully equipped kitchen, large lounge, glazed-in terrace and a large solarium. This property comes with a large communal swimming pool. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 30, €119,000. Two bedroom detached house with large front terrace.

This villa is in the Punta Marina area close to Playa Flamenca , Close to amenities. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

WANTED

Ref: 78, €120,000. Three bedroom Quad in Jardin Del Mar VII. There is offroad parking and small storage shed in the enclosed garden area, communal pool nearby.

Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

TRANSLATOR

Ref: 709, €60,000 A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach.

There is a terrace outside with views to the sea.

Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. 526, €49,900. A lovely bright 1 bedroom apartment in the area of Torreblanca.There is a large communal pool and well maintained gardens, with tennis courts and childrens play area. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Greenside Gossip IVIE DAVIES presents an exclusive new weekly Golf Column - only in The Courier

THE GOLFING EURO IS PURE GOLD

THE EURO is going from strength to strength as we welcome in 2012 – the golfing Euro, that is!

Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer are at the top of the list, while three of the four majors in 2011 were won by European Tour members - including memorable wins for Northern Ireland’s own McIlroy and Darren Clarke.

Rory McIlroy The European Tour can and Luke also look back on a year Donald top when Matteo Manassero Europe’s won for the second time; in glory list 2010 he was the youngest player since 1967 to make the cut at The Masters.

Sergio Garcia made his presence felt again when he won back-to-back and when Thomas Bjorn won three times. There's been so much talent and success in 2011 and that's really encouraging for fans of European golf.

Of the four guys at the top of the rankings, you'd have to say that Donald was the Player of the Year, topping the money lists both sides of the “pond” even though he didn't Martin win a major.

Kaymer: Nobody thought Finished that this could be year with done when you Shanghai have to play a victory minimum on the PGA Tour and 13 on the European Tour.

Then squeeze in there the Majors, World Golf Championship with other tournaments to be scheduled, and the travel, and you realise how consistent Donald is. rounds, yet when he finished However, he'd be closely he was straight in front of the followed by McIlroy who pro- cameras accepting that duced probably the moment things hadn't gone his way. of the year with his win at the Most people would have US Open, having suffered a been devastated. They'd disastrous Sunday afternoon have disappeared. But young at The Masters, missing putts Rory stood up to the plate all over the place. He looked and took it like a man, even like a certain winner for three though he's only 22. He sho-

Masters at Valderrama.

If Westwood, Donald and Garcia could all win a major it would be a dream. I realise that life doesn't work out like that, but all three have done great things in the game and they won't be viewed as great until they win one of the four big ones.

So my wish for 2012 is for that trio to win a major and keep up the European dominance.

I have not mentioned a certain Mr T Woods as he's been out of sorts for the last couple of years with injuries and personal problems. But now that most of the young experienced players and the up and coming ones on both Tours are no longer in awe of him, I cannot see him winning that much and dominating the PGA Tour or our Open again.

With our Ryder Cup boys heading to Medina in Chicago later this year, there 100 per cent commitment really is so much to look forevery week. ward to!

Westwood's best display of the year debatably was just a TITTER ON THE TEE A teenager comes home few weeks ago in Sun City, South Africa when he shot a from school and interrupts course record 62 on the his father, who is watching golf on TV. He says to his Saturday.

He was driving the ball Dad, “What’s the difference right into the middle of the between potential and reanarrowed fairways at 320 lity?”

His dad, irritated by the and he didn't miss a shot all day, which was the cornerstone of his victory.

His first round of 60 in Thailand a couple of weeks ago was just as enthralling.

He followed that with a 64 to post -20; at one point having a 14 shot lead. In the end he ran out a comfortable winner and leapfrogged Rory into the world No.2 spot.

Other highlights of 2011 include the resurgence of Garcia. At the end of the year he won back-to-back at the Castello Masters (his “home” course) and the Andalucia

And Donald, McIlroy and Co aim to keep it that way in 2012 wed tremendous courage to do that.

He then went to the very next major at the Congressional, reformed himself and won the US Open at a trot - by eight shots.

As for Kaymer, at the start of the year it looked like nobody would be able to budge the German from the world No.1 spot.

When he shot 24-under around a tough, long golf course in Abu Dhabi, it was thought he’d prove to be untouchable. It was a tremendous performance but sadly he couldn't maintain it.

Swing changes were blamed but only he will know.

Kaymer finished the year well with a win in Shanghai and is still a superb player.

He's the pro's pro - the new Bernhard Langer - because he does everything as it should be and guarantees

Sergio Garcia interruption, says, “I’ll show you. Ask your Mum if she’d sleep with Darren Clarke for a million Euros. Then ask your sister if she’d sleep with Sergio Garcia for a million Euros.’’

So the kid leaves his Dad to the golf on TV and asks his Mum, “Would you sleep with Darren Clarke for a million Euros?” His Mum says, “Don’t tell your Dad, but yes I would” Then he asks his sister, “For a million Euros, would you sleep with Sergio Garcia?”

She quickly replies “Yes!” He goes back to his Dad and says, “Yes! I’ve got it.

Potentially we are sitting on two million Euros – but in reality, were living with a couple of slappers.

Got news for this column? Drop Ivie an email at office@thecourier.es

Lee Westwood: Memorable year

Training, tickets and rugby bars ITV Orihuela RFC are training this week, but not at the rugby ground, so contact Garry Holland on 692 767 242 if you want to come along.

The seniors will play the juveniles atthe weekend in preparation for the crunch match on January 15 at home against UCAM Murcia.

On February 24-26, ITV Orihuela RFC will have their usual number 7

stand at the “This is Spain Exhibition at La Zenia Hotel, supporting as always The Butterfly Children.

Tickets are available from Garry Holland for La Vila’s Amlin Cup clash with Sale Sharks on January 14 – but you’ll need to be quick due to demand.

The new rugby union supporters bar at the Steak House in Rojales will be showing all televised rugby games on

Sky Sports and free-to-view channels.

This Saturday’s offerings are Worcester v Gloucester and Leicester Tigers v Wasps, so please come along - and bring your rugby friends, too!.

Club training is normally on Tuesday and Thursday at the Miguel Hernandez University.

Call Garry on 692 767 242 or Oscar on 600 871 606 (Spanish)

Thursday, January 5, 2012

47

TICKET TO PRIDE City the motivation for United, not the FA Cup

By STEVE BOTT

IT'S the good old FA Cup this weekend in England and an ailing competition has been given a huge injection of enthusiasm with an intriguing clash between the country’s top two as Manchester United and Manchester City clash on Sunday.

The third round is usually all about romance and David v Goliath clashes and while there are one or two of those, notably the local derby between non-league Fleetwood and Championship neighbours Blackpool, it's the Goliath v Goliath game at the Etihad that has everybody intrigued.

City warmed up nicely with an impressive 3-0 demolition of Liverpool, bouncing back from defeat at Sunderland to further underline their Premier League title credentials.

United, meanwhile, were looking to make amends for a disastrous defeat at home to Blackburn as they went into their game at Newcastle as The Courier went to Press.

I shouldn't read too much into this FA Cup clash, though, for although City go into it as holders I don’t expect either side to field much more than a third team in a competition that continues to be overshadowed by

the glamour of the Premier and Champions leagues.

City have been there and done it now in the FA Cup. Their Wembley victory last May was merely seen as a stepping stone to bigger things. It put a trophy in a cabinet that had been gathering dust for far too many years and they now have much bigger fish to fry.

United, on the other hand, have more reason to seek victory if only to restore morale and a bit of pride. They were knocked out of the same competition by City at the semifinal stage last season, suffered that 6-1 caning at Old Trafford in the Premier League a few weeks ago and need to get back into top gear quickly if City are not to run away with things now.

It’s a tricky one for Sir Alex Ferguson selection wise. Already crippled by a massive injury list, can he afford to put his top stars at risk in what is really a meaningless competition for them? On the other hand, another defeat right now will just make things that much harder as they bid to keep City in sight.

I reckon he will go for as much a blend of youth and experience as he can with what he has at his disposal just now.

Many will want to see Anders Lindegaard in goal in place of David De Gea and a look at the number of goals conceded by either keeper would certainly justify his selection.

Lindegaard has only conceded one in his last few games while that defeat by Blackburn did not help De Gea's cause at all, although he was by no means entirely to blame for the defeat.

Whoever is on the pitch, it should be an entertaining affair as the pressure of picking up points is removed and the players will have far more licence to thrill as a result.

It could be a similar story at Fleetwood and the chippies should do a roaring trade before and after their Cod War against Ian Holloway's Blackpool. One thing’s for sure.

The banter - and the batter - should be terrific if Fleetwood and the always entertaining Mr Holloway run true to form!

the ground in Montevideo. It weighed almost two tons and took 300 fans to carry it into the ground.

glamour friendly with different names on their shirts.

Singhs ain’t what they used to be

2011 was the dottiest year ever for odd sports stories.

Enjoy this selection of bizarre items from around the globe which mostly DIDN’T hit the headlines in 2011...

1 BATTY former England manager Graham Taylor revealed in the New Year that he had refused to eat chicken or turkey for his Christmas lunch in protest at Blackburn’s poultry-magnate owners sacking Sam Allardyce.

2 THE January transfer featured among the lesser lights the new 6ft 7in Eastbourne keeper signed from Southampton, Tommy Forecast. The big fella was known when at school as Weather, or sometimes Tote.

3 ARSENAL teenager Jack Wilshire deserves a bit of credit for a larky take on the punishing last hours of window trading with the Tweet: “BREAKING TRANSFER NEWS: I have just moved from the sofa to my bed.”

4 GROUP D (for Death?) of the Asian Cup threw together the whole of President George Bush’s infamous post-9/11 Axis Of Evil - Iran, Iraq and North Korea. The peaceable UAE pushovers made up the numbers

15 A PLAYER called Erkan Okay of nonleague Histon was far from that on being sent off twice in the first weeks of the year.

His bebo page boasts: “I’m very good-looking and love to get smashed.” So that’s Okay then.

than six Singhs and the mysteriously-handled national captain, Climax Lawrence.

6 LAISA Andrioli of the Brazil Women’s World Cup squad appeared on the cover of a mucky mag sporting a red card over the item of intimate grooming which bears her country’s name. Inside, she was happy to give it a plug.

7 THE Swedish FA were alarmed to find a secret inscription on their league trophy. The late engraver who had created it had carved Bajen Forever - the nickname of the Stockholm club he supported, Hammarby inside the cup.

8 TURKISH Premier League club Manisaspor unveiled an unusual foreign import on the wing - listed intriguingly on the team-sheet as I. Promise. The America’s full name is Isaac. Must have been a Boy Scout.

11 DUNDEE’S Sean Higgins turned a key First Division game by scoring with an injured foot tenderly wrapped in a large piece of rump steak expertly cut to shape by a local butcher well-versed in old remedies.

12 SOUTH African keeper Morne van Wyk took a sleeping tablet instead of a vitamin pill before their Cricket World Cup game with India. The dozy Bok dropped three catches and missed a stumping.

13 FANS of Cucuru in lawless Colombia smuggled into the ground a coffin bearing the body of a 17-year-old supporter friend of theirs who had been gunned down during a street game the day before.

9 THE Swiss Ladies Hockey League was bizarrely topped for a number of weeks in the springtime by one of the offshoots of the Bern football club Young Boys. They are known for short as Young Boys Girls.

5 ALSO in the Asian Cup, the India team to face Australia in Qatar was a bit of a commentator’s nightmare - it included no fewer

From Back Page defensively, and were forced to play several players out of position. Not a situation in which you leave out your leading light because of a personal spat.

But, then again, Fergie has proved several times before that he most certainly has a mind of his own -and only has to point to his superb managerial track record to justify himself.

This time it could prove far more serious as City look to be here to stay at the top, not just this season, but for some considerable time to come. The balance of power does indeed look to be about to shift in the

10 FANS of Penarol, the top club in Uruguay, unfurled a giant flag in their colours which covered two whole stands of

14 SPARTA Prague claimed three key players were injured and withdrew them from a Czech Republic game. On the day of the international they were seen playing in a

THE GRIPES OF WRATH city of Manchester.

Talking of power struggles, Tottenham look to be winning the one involving London's Premier League sides. With Arsenal and Chelsea both in disarray, Happy Harry's boys have taken full advantage to storm into third place and become serious challengers for the crown should United or City slip.

While Arsenal's problems are plain to see, nobody seems to know just what is

16 BASEBALL’S Evan Longoria, not to be confused with lush actress Eva Longoria, called police to say an item in his house was no longer ‘ere. His AK-47 rifle had been nicked. It wasn’t explained why he needed one.

going on at Chelsea. One minute the players are apparently at loggerheads with manager Andre Villas-Boas and the next they are all over him like a rash in a display of their "togetherness" at the Bridge.

I personally think Chelsea's problems are down to the fact they are going through a transitional period with a new manager and several players in need of replacement.

They have not found a suitable succes-

17 GERMAN keeper Jens Lehmann criticised Werder Bremen No1 Tim Wiese, who responded gamely by saying Lehmann belonged on The Muppet Show. Tiring of the sticks stones stuff, humour-bypass Jens sued his rival.

18 WIESE was in the news again when he was fined for shouting abuse at opposing fans through a megaphone. Bizarrely, Thun stopper David Da Costa was fined for exactly the same trick behind his goal in a Swiss match.

More Dotties next week sor for Ricardo Carvalho in the centre of defence. Fernando Torres continues to struggle to make an impact and justify that massive £50 million transfer fee, while John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are clearly on borrowed time.

Anelka indeed is already packing his bags and heading out for pastures new and a last big pay day.

It all augurs well for City and it will take a lot more than peace and goodwill if anyone is to peg them back and overhaul them now.

Happy New Year everyone!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

THE GRIPES OF WRATH

48

Has rage caught up with Fergie and Wenger?

IT'S supposed to be the season of peace and goodwill to all men but somebody forgot to tell Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger!

They were ranting and raving again after decisions went against Manchester United and Arsenal in shock defeats by Blackburn Rovers and Fulham respectively.

And after blaming the referees for costing their side precious points, they now face the wrath of the footballing authorities again. As if they didn't have enough problems already!

Wenger can perhaps be forgiven slightly for getting into a tizzy as the loss to Fulham means they now have little chance of catching the Premier League leaders and indeed may even find it tough to get amongst the contenders for a Champions League

STEVE BOTT reports

place. The Frenchman is already on borrowed time, with many saying he is long past his sell-by date at Arsenal and has lost the plot completely. His ravings after the Fulham game will only increase those views.

Fergie has a more serious problem to contend with as he appears to be falling out big style with his most important player, Wayne Rooney. The England striker was left sitting in the stands for the Blackburn game after Sir Alex disciplined him for a lethargic display in training following an innocent night out on Boxing Day with his wife and two other players and their partners.

They weren't dancing the night away at some disco or nightclub. They merely went for a meal. But Fergie still wasn't happy and Rooney paid the price.

Some may say it was Fergie who paid the price as United went down to struggling Rovers in front of their own fans at Old Trafford and lost a great chance to keep pace with noisy neighbours and league leaders Manchester City.

After impressive wins against Fulham and Wigan, United were strong favourites to carry on their winning sequence with another goal-laden display that would have done their already improving goal difference no harm at all.

Instead it was embarrassment all round and now the word is that Rooney is beginning to fall foul of the unwritten law that nobody is bigger than Fergie at OT. It certainly looks like the veteran manager was trying to teach Wayne a lesson but it rebounded on him big style this time and lots of folk are saying it should have been Fergie that was left out and not Rooney!

Whether the England striker will go the same way as Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and David Beckham before him remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure. If United do concede their title to City in May, many will look back on that decision to leave Rooney out against Blackburn as crucial.

United already had a weakened team, especially

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