The Courier Week 89 by TKO UK

Edition 89

www.thecourier.es

Friday, November 02, 2012

RYANAIR OUT TO BRIDGE THE GAP Do it our way and we’ll deliver 600,000 passengers and 600 jobs, AENA told DONNA GEE reports RYANAIR has offered to return 600,000 of Alicante Airport’s missing passengers in a dramatic bid to end the impasse over air bridges. The Irish budget airline has written to AENA airport authority with proposals to add new flights and new routes from April 2013. Ryanair say they are “offering to reverse much of Alicante’s one million passenger decline in 2012’’. They also maintained that acceptance would create or sustain up to 600 new jobs at Alicante Airport at a time of high and rising youth unemployment in Spain. In return, they want a withdrawal of compulsory air bridge use, and permission to return to walk on/walk off procedures which, they claim, “operated safely and successfully at Alicante for more than five years prior to the opening of

the new terminal’’. Ryanair have given AENA until November 15 to respond to the offer. Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara

commented: “Ryanair has always maintained that we would return to growth at Alicante whenever our flights are permitted to resume

using our walk on/walk off boarding procedures. “Currently Alicante allows approximately 50 percent of

Ryanair’s flights to use these procedures. “Ryanair can help Alicante to recover much of the one million passenger loss Alicante Airport has suffered in 2012 as a result of this misguided compulsory airbridge use policy. “We hope that AENA Alicante will accept Ryanair’s offer and that Ryanair and Alicante can begin growing again and create more visitors, more tourism and more jobs for young people in Alicante.” Meanwhile, Ryanair this week announced nine new routes at Manchester, Liverpool and East Midlands airports, which they say will produce a million passengers and sustain up to 1,000 new jobs. The new Manchester service takes in Corfu, Krakow, Lanzarote, Paphos and Trapani, while Lublin and Zadar have been added to the Liverpool schedule. The East Midlands additions are Marseille and Menorca.

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Friday, November 2, 2012

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Picture of the Week

JUNGLE DRUMS

Four crushed to death in Halloween party horror FOUR women died and another was critically injured in a stampede at a Halloween party in Madrid early yesterday (Thursday). THE tragedy occurred around 4am as partygoers tried to leave the packed Madrid Arena through an exit after someone apparently threw a firework into the crowd. One corridor became crammed with people, according to witnesses, as revellers were crushed in a bottleneck with crowds pushing from behind. The victims were aged between 18 and 25, according to local reports. Police have launched an investigation to determine whether correct security measures were in place and whether the venue – which has a maximum capacity of 12,000 – was overcrowded. Witnesses described the scene of terror during the special themed Halloween party called Thriller Music Park and featuring wellknown DJ Steve Aoki. The party, where tickets sold for 22 euros, had promised a "theatrical

atmosphere" and a costume contest based on Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' video. "There was a human blockage at the only exit because the others were sealed off," a partygoer called Sandra told Cadena Ser Radio. "There were people screaming, crushed, as security guards tried to pull out those who

were trapped.’’ "I was trapped in a plug – we couldn't move forward because people were lying on the floor and couldn't move backwards because people kept pushing," Ernesto Moreno Hernandez told El Pais. "We were stuck there for half an hour trying to get out." Cristina Cardenas, 18, said: "People were stuck

Friday Sunny High 22° Low 13° Chance of rain 0% Monday Sunny High 22° Low 13° Chance of rain 0%

Tuesday Sunny High 20° Low 9° Chance of rain 0%

inside, some were vomiting, some fainted, it was chaos." “There were some stairs," another witness told public television. "There was an avalanche of people and people fell over each other and amassed there and there was a crush." One witness described seeing a waiter trying to save the life of one of the

Saturday Partly cloudy High 23° Low 18° Chance of rain 25% Wednesday Sunny High 17° Low 7° Chance of rain 0%

girls. "There was no one to help that girl: the waiter got up on to the bar and tried to resuscitate her," the witness said. Others said the stampede towards the exit happened when someone set off a firework in the crowd. "It seems to have been provoked by a flare that someone threw into the stadium," a police spokesman confirmed. Emergency services said two of the victims had died at the scene and a third shortly after arriving at hospital. A fourth died in hospital yesterday morning (Thursday) and another girl was said to be in a "critical condition’’.

Sunday Sunny High 25° Low 16° Chance of rain 0% Thursday Sunny High 17° Lo 7° Chance of rain 0%

Friday, November 2, 2012

Thousands of Brits have been caught in healthcare mayhem after Spain cancelled thousands of health cards overnight. Who will be the first to die? IN an attempt to harmonise Spain’s healthcare system in line with European Union directives, authorities one day have, as so often in Spain, used the hammer to crack the nut. In one day, they dealt a single blow that is endangering the lives of thousands of foreigners, legally residing in the country. For thousands of Brits who have over the years chosen Spain as their country to retire, or to start a new life, the question of healthcare has always been patchy. In some autonomous communities it had always been free, regardless of whether one was retired. In others, only those contributing to the social security system were entitled to full healthcare. In an attempt to make the sys-

By PHIL HUGHES tem fair to all, the authorities have now clarified the rules and made reforms to the system, in accordance with EU directives. Anyone now arriving to live in Spain must, if of working age, have legal employment or private healthcare insurance. If you are later made redundant you will be entitled to free and permanent healthcare. The solution that has been executed over the last couple of weeks has been to cancel, often at random, thousands of health (SIP) cards of people already living in Spain. A Public Health official was quoted as saying that in the Torrevieja region alone, more than 14,000 cards have been cancelled. In a shocking attempt to ascertain who

has been still registered both in their native country and in Spain (which is against EU directives for most people), their answer has been to cancel health cards regardless of circumstances with many hundreds, if not thousands, of ex patriots depending on life saving medications for their dayto-day living. Social Security offices all along the Costas already have monthlong waiting lists for people left without cover, until they receive proof from the DWP at Newcastle that they are no longer covered by UK health arrangements. Along with pensioners, selfemployed people actually paying into the Social Security system in Spain, there is an endless and

indiscriminate trail of victims who fear for their very life. “What happens if I get run over by a bus tomorrow?” asks one ex-pat who has been paying his self-employed stamp of 260€ a month for five years, and suddenly found he no longer had access to his health centre. Another poor Costa Blanca vic-

tim writes: “ I too got a phone call saying my card has been cancelled and I was told I would have to go to Orihuela to renew. I am not working at present but I was before and I’ve lived here eight years and have a residence certificate and also I’m on medication

Turn to Page 6

Heartbreak as mauled Torry’s test team bat granny is found dead against the Mozzies LONDON pensioner Gloria Knowles died this week after being mauled by five dogs she was attempting to feed. Gloria, 71, was is believed to have suffered a fatal heart attack after suffering, multiple injuries at a house in Morden on Gloria Knowles (inset) |Tuesday. and some of the dogs Neighbour Kevin believed to have been Hamilton told the involved in the attack Daily Mirror he had heard screams but assumed it was Mrs Knowles' grandson larking about. Scotland Yard said none of the seized animals are banned breeds and that no arrests have been made in connection with the tragedy. A spokesman said: "Police were called

at around 6.25pm on Tuesday to reports of a 71year-old woman found deceased at a residential address in Morden." He confirmed an investigation was under way and said the woman had sustained "a number of injuries". A London Ambulance Service spokesman added: "We were called to a patient in cardiac arrest. Sadly, the patient was dead at the scene." There was a police presence at the property on Wednesday night while two adjoining houses were cordoned off. Family members were too distressed to speak.

TORREVIEJA Town Hall are putting the ecological way to combat mosquitoes to the test - by installing 10 bat ‘caves’ around La Mata Natural Park. Bats are natural predators of mozzies, with a single bat able to eat up to 1,200 mosquito-sized insects every hour. With each bat consuming 6,000 to 8,000 of them a night, their appetite for mosqui-

toes certainly makes the environment more comfortable. Bats are opportunistic, and their lack of discretion benefits everyone. Natural insect control is their specialty. Each of the ‘caves’ will be observed to confirm that bats are actually living in them. As bats are shy creatures they will only be visited a few times a year, but it is hoped that a number will settle in each of the rectangular shaped boxes,

ALICANTE high school students are facing the prospect of having to wear thick coats, gloves, woolly hats and scarves in the classroom this winter. Town Hall officials have warned that unless the Generalitat pays some money to the energy providers, there will be no heating in classrooms after January. Education, it seems, is once again at the brunt of the economic cuts.

DOGS can be trained to detect the red palm weevil beetle when it’s just a larvae. A demo was given to workers at Elche Town Hall last week. With the town’s palm forest at risk from the deadly beetle, a dog was able to sniff out larvae hidden in a tree. The Elche administration is now considering investing in a dog trained to warn workers which trees are infected.

BY SALLY BENGTSSON

SHIVERING IN ICE SCHOOL

Beetle dogs in call to palms

Friday, November 2, 2012

THE NATIONAL HELP SERVICE

Lonely and vulnerable? There’s care out there! HOW do social services work in the Valencia region? What help is really out there for British nationals? These are two of the questions that Spanish social workers and English-speaking associations tried to answer in the ‘ConeXiones Social’ held last week in Alicante. During the event, the social services teams spoke about the services on offer, including home help, meals on wheels and panic alarms for vulnerable people who live on their own. They stressed how important it is that people keep their documentation up to date - having a padrón, ‘residencia’ passport and proof of income is essential for accessing almost all social services support. They also explained the importance of planning ahead, as there is often a waiting list before people can access social services support. They said that having the funds to be able to cover that gap privately can be essential. The English-speaking associations illustrated how much help they can offer, ranging from hospital visits to equipment loan and nursing care.

The British Consul, Paul Rodwell highighted the importance of knowing what help is out there from local town halls and charities. After the event he said “As always, I was impressed by how much support is available, but realise that this may not always be enough. As such, I urge British nationals to think about any possible care needs they may have in the future and make plans. It’s also really important for people to make sure they are properly registered with the Spanish authorities and are familiar with the services their town hall can offer”. Charities who attended the event were ACASA, RBL, Age Concern, MABS, HELP Marina Alta, HELP Vega Baja, HELP Benidorm, RAFA Costa Blanca, RAFA Costa Blanca North, Help at Home Costa Blanca and Samaritans in Spain.

British pensioner dies in 10k run

A British pensioner died last Saturday after collapsing during a 10-kilometre run in Benejúzar. The man, who has not

been named, keeled over near the finishing line on the first lap of the popular race. Red Cross officials immediately ran to his aid and

shortly after a team from the SAMU Medical Emergency Service tried to resuscitate the prostrate runner. He was eventually taken to the Vega Baja Hospital where he died shortly after arrival. The deceased was said to be between 65 and 75 and is reported to have been a regular competitor in this sort of event.

Your magic Carpet to a Heavenly home

Carpet Heaven in Los Montesinos has built up a fabulous reputation for quality and service over the last four years. Owned by a husband and wife team, Carpet Heaven only sell quality carpets and rugs. They have a reputation for exquisite personal service and will even visit your home, when time allows, and personally measure the area. Carpet Heaven’s rugs are sourced from a well-known Spanish supplier as designed for this climate. They are colourfast,

water resistant, insect and bug repellent, hypoallergenic and won’t fade in the sun. They are also really easy to clean. Carpets are sourced from the experts back in the UK with a wide range of stair carpets also available for those dangerous marble staircases. For friendly advice on transforming a room, email a photo of the room to carpetheaven@hotmail.es and the team will do their best to find you the perfect match.

Friday, November 2, 2012

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

Old conmen, new tricks WE have all heard about the ‘gas men’ knocking your door ~ so this no longer works. What do they do now? They telephone you, with your contract details from your original provider (how? Did they once work for them?) and arrange to call, as you now need an update on the connections to

your gas equipment. Oh, and one more new trick. Iberdrola say you need a new governor to your supply, by law (which is perfectly true), so now these gas men say you need a new filter system ‘by law’! Cost - 200 euros! Don’t worry if you have not got the cash, they have a hand-held

bank card machine to take your money, credit or debit, anything to suit you. Whichever, as long as they get your money. They wear red tops, with identity cards around their necks, and drive…...no, not a sign-written van, but a white saloon car. They are NOT from Repsol, as claimed. Albeit maybe from a

legitimate company, but do you need them, even if your connection needs renewal? You can either do it yourself or ask Repsol (or Cepsa ) to call ~ usual cost approximately 40 euros. Do not let these men inside your gate. SAN LUIS RESIDENT (name and address supplied)

IT’S RUBBISH TO TARGET PEDRO! Calls for complaint: How to deal with Vodafone I HAVE just read Percy Chattey's letter (Issue 88) and I wondered if he knew about the consumer advice centres? One is based in Rojales Town Hall - it is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. I am told that there is another one in La Mata Town Hall. You need to either speak Spanish or take a translator. Mariola at Rojales is at present sorting out a problem that I have with Vodafone. Every time I go to the shop, there seems to be at least one person queueing with a complaint. What is going on? Another website is http://www.ocu.org/reclamar but I have no experience of this one. Good luck. JACKIE LOOSELY

THE LETTERS ON THIS PAGE REFLECT PERSONAL OPINIONS

ASK any schoolchild what they would do if they saw a property on fire and they would say “Call the fire brigade”. Or if they saw someone commit a crime, children would say “Call the police”.

Pedro Mancebo... hard work

Ask CLARO the same questions and they will say “Call a protest demanding Mancebo to resign”. Dumping rubbish in the street is illegal in every civilized country. In many countries, bins are collected just once a week; in Orihuela Costa they are collected every night. We can place reasonable amounts of household green waste in a tidy manner in the street two days per week. Professional or community gardeners should dispose of their own green waste and many do. But some abuse the fantastic facility we have in

Orihuela Costa. There is also a facility to call the Town Hall to arrange when to have large items collected free of charge but some people just dump large household items and even building materials wherever they want, without making arrangements. This is criminal and good citizens should report it to the proper authorities. Protests are fine, once they are civic-minded but recent protests are politically motivated by a few bitter misguided people who resent Pedro Mancebo for his tirelessly hard work for Orihuela Costa. Dumping rubbish affects us all; we all need to adhere to rubbish collection schedules and report illegal dumping as we would any other crime. RAYMOND KEARNEY, Orihuela Costa

HEALTHCARE HORROR From Page 3

here to save my life as my prescriptions from my doctor in Rojales always stated that I am a chronic asthmatic and I will die without them. But I’ve just been left now not knowing what to do and I need my tablets urgent and sprays!! This is crazy!!! “ It seems, as so often,, that the whole concept of implementing this new reform simply wasn’t thought through. How many people have to die before action is taken? Since this article was written, there have been some interesting developments for those

who have found themselves with cancelled SIP cards. If you were under retirement age and in possession of a Green Foreigners Registration Certificate before April 24 this year, the authorities assure us that you need only produce "the Newcastle Letter" which states that you are no longer entitled to primary healthcare in the UK. This can be done simply by calling The Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999. Letters are currently being despatched the following day. Holders of S1 forms that have also been can-

celled can request a new one by the same method. Appointments can then be made at the local INSS (Social Security) offices in Torrevieja or Orihuela. The new Healthcare rules basically mean that nearly anyone who was legally resident before April 24 this year is entitled to healthcare subject to circumstances. You do not have to be of pensionable age. If you

have an income, from private pension, savings, etc, above the minimum then you will struggle to get it, even though the rules say you are entitled the same as a Spaniard. The new residency rules, brought in on April 24, were designed to stop the immigrants, illegal, and anyone from the EU who wasn't legally registered from all being entitled to free healthcare.

PHIL HUGHES, who wrote this article, moved to Spain in 2004, running his own import and wholesale business for several years and becoming actively involved with local politics in Guardamar del Segura. Now a fluent Spanish speaker, he stood in both the 2007 and 2011 municipal elections and acts as a translator and political link with Guardamar Town Hall.

Our farewell show was pure Joy (and Mike), thank you MARIE JOY and Mike Davies would like to sincerely thank everyone who worked so hard and gave so much to help make our farewell show the great success it was. Our fellow artistes gave their time and their wonderful talent to entertain the marvellous audience we had on the night and help us raise money for a very needy charity. Thank you to Jeff Hyde, the ‘Orquesta Cecilio Gallego’, Aiofe Leddy and Phil Ketley and ‘A touch of class’. Many thanks also to the Ayuntamiento of Torrevieja, whose staff worked ‘behind the scenes’ to make sure that everything went smoothly and we had the help we needed with the sound, lighting and stage in the lovely theatre. Thanks also for the help in publicising the event during the weeks leading up to the show. Thank you to Gisella, Sandra, Dagmar, all volunteers from SAT, the animal charity we did the show for and Dave, the president of SAT, for their help and the support they gave us in the weeks before and the night of the show. Finally, may we say to the people who filled the theatre on that very memorable night, thank you for being such a wonderful audience. It was an absolute pleasure for us to entertain you. MARIE JOY and MIKE DAVIES

Friday, November 2, 2012

MY longtime chum Mike Thornton is what you would call a Happy Chappie. He’s 43, larger than life, a multitalented worker, and has a smile for everyone. At least he did until Spanish bureaucracy drained him of his goodwill for his adopted homeland. So much so that after a year trying to make a go of it in Spain, he’s ready to pack his bags and return to the sunless misery of Manchester. The straw that broke the big man’s back (and bank) came last week when his yellow Fiat convertible was stopped by a trafico motorcyclist. Mike, whose job selling funeral plans involves hours on the phone every day, was wired up with a hands-free mobile kit. Perfectly legal in the UK… but apparently a heinous offence in Spain (hands up those who had any idea – both of you). The nice policeman sympathised with Mike being unaware of local rules…then callously slapped a 100 euro fine on

I’M OUT OF EAR! €100 hands-free fine drives Mike to despair

No offence: Mike’s hands-free kit is perfectly legal the UK

him. Which rises to 200 if not paid within 20 days. Now we all know that ignorance is no defence (though it should be), but surely what was required here was a gentle caution. Unless, of course, the Spanish master plan is to drive us all off their sacred soil with our negative

equity as a going-away present.Mike, weary of Spain’s endemic red-tape and shambolic organisation, was not enamoured with the actions of the over-zealous cop. ‘’ I had no idea it’s illegal to use a hands-free kit in Spain,’’ he insisted. “Ironically, he agreed with me

that it’s a stupid law. In any case, he was wired up to the police station himself. I couldn’t believe it when he then issued me with a ticket. “That’s the fourth 100 euro fine I’ve had in the last few months. It’s as if the Spanish government wants to drive us expats out of the country. I’ve had enough. It’s hard enough trying to make a living in the economic mess the country is in without them then grabbing it all back for trivial traffic infringements. “After this fine, I’m just about ready to go back to the UK. The way the Spanish are behaving, they are going to drive the entire expat community out of the country,'’ With his multi-talents, Mike will always make a decent living. An undertaker by profession, he is currently an agent for Golden Leaves

funeral plans. But he is equally at home in all sections of the catering industry - from management to service and donning the chef’s hat. And for an encore, he’s also a dab hand at business design work. While Mike clearly has the talents to make a go of living in Spain, his anger with the state’s ‘grab as much as you can’ mentality is mirrored by the growing number of expats being fleeced for seemingly ridiculous roadtraffic offences. Carry your shopping on the back seat or drive in flip flops and it’ll also cost you 100 euros .– the same amount a friend of a friend coughed up last week for driving with her handbag on the passenger seat. And gentlemen! Don’t even think of driving without at least a t-shirt on or, you

guessed it, another 100 euro sting will hityou in the chest. All absolutely fine for Spain’s filling up the empty Spanish economy. But in goodwill terms, just about the worst propaganda possible. If Mike’s persecution complex leads to confirmaton that the growing war on motorists is a deliberate act to produce income, then Mariano Rajoy and his cronies should be concerned. Because all the petty fines being squeezed out of the British won’t be worth a centimo if they force tens of thousands of expats to pull the plug and go home. And if we then persuade Ryanair to divert all its Alicante and Murcia flights to Portugal, bang goes Spain’s biggest source of income – the tourist trade.

Friday, November 2, 2012

CUPBOARD LOVE

MY one great regret in life is that I left school when I was 15. I should have stayed on longer. Mind you, if I had stayed longer I would have missed the four o'clock bus home and had to wait 20 minutes for the next one. Oh dear. There I go again, papering over the cracks on my wall of inadequacy with a cheap joke. 'Seriously though,' I said to Mrs S the other evening, 'I should have hung on another 12 months to take my Advanced-level exams. Who knows, I could have got an ology.' 'One has to be philosophical about missed opportunities,' Mrs S observed as I left the living room to put the kettle on. 'We all approach crossroads at certain periods of our lives and sometimes we take the wrong turning,' she went on. 'Don't you agree? I said don't you agree? David, where are you?'

'Sorry!' I called out from the cupboard under the stairs. 'I think I just took a wrong turning.' Mrs S sighed. 'Do you realise that the discussion you have just brought to a premature halt was the most profound and stimulating conversation we have had in years?' 'I apologise,' I apologised. 'But silliness is the only weapon in my armoury.' 'But your jokes just aren't funny any more.' 'So you want a divorce, then?' Mrs S laughed. 'You're not getting out of it that easily. I vowed on our wedding day to put up with you. And shackled to you I shall remain. Now go into the kitchen for real and put the kettle on.' I returned with two steaming mugs of tea and we sat down for one of our rare evenings together. (The reason it was one of our rare evenings together was that the pub was shut. The street's water supply had

been turned off for vital repairs and Dave the barman hadn't fancied serving undiluted ale.) 'So let's have a serious conversation,' said Mrs S. 'Tell me your hopes, your dreams, your aspirations. And for once in your life stick to the subject instead of allowing your mind to wander off in all manner of weird directions.' I tried desperately to think of something intelligent to say. After several long minutes of mental struggle I came up with: 'We'll have to do something about that cupboard under the stairs. 'You can't move in there for assorted wellies, rusted lawn

mower parts and a big, old wireless with the Home Service and the Light Programme on the dial.' 'That is NOT a serious conversation!' interjected Mrs S. But I was in full flow now. 'And I found a pile of old newspapers in there. Did you know that Winston Churchill is poorly? 'And behind the box of screw-in light bulbs that I forgot to take back to the shop because I should have got bayonet-caps I discovered a bag of seeds that I haven't put out since that greedy squirrel commandeered the bird table . . .' 'Shut up!'

' . . . and there are two boxes of that stuff I used to sprinkle on your mother's breakfast grapefruit whenever she stayed over.' Mrs S looked puzzled. 'But why would we keep brown sugar in the cupboard under the stairs?' 'Not brown sugar,' I said. 'Slug pellets.' Mrs S sighed. 'Here am I, waiting patiently to find out what motivates you and all you can talk about is . . . hang on a minute. You were in the cupboard under the stairs for only a brief moment just now and yet you seem to be aware of its entire contents.' 'That's because I pop in there most evenings.' 'Why on earth would you do that?' 'Because it is a tranquil place in which to plan for the things I still want to accomplish in life. The cupboard under the stairs is the haven where I can consider my dreams, aims and desires.' 'Oh, my dearest darling,'

cooed Mrs S, putting down her mug of tea and grasping the hand in which I wasn't holding MY mug of tea. 'You are indeed the man I fell in love with and married - a person with a well-developed faculty for thinking. A philosopher even.' A victory for David. But then I went and scored an own goal. 'Anyway,' I shrugged, 'The cupboard under the stairs is somewhere to go after the pub shuts.' 'You feeble fool!' commented Mrs S. 'I resent that,' I said. 'I'll have you know that at school my nickname was Brains.' Mrs S flounced out of the room but I was satisfied that I had sewn the seeds of doubt in her mind that I was a total nincompoop. What I hadn't told her was WHY I was called Brains at school. It was because my intellect possessed all the power and charisma of a lumpy, grey sponge.

Friday, November 2, 2012

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH LESSON 44 Hi, and welcome back to another week of learning Spanish with me. I have been very busy teaching both Spanish and English but am still finding time for some revision, as I like to keep myself refreshed with Spanish and I feel I am always learning and improving. I hope you are doing likewise. I will start, as ever, with the answers to last week’s homework and if you got any wrong hopefully this week’s lesson will explain where you encountered difficulties: Today is a beautiful day - hoy es un día bonito; The red shoes are from Spain – los zapatos rojos son de España; they sell blue earrings - ellos venden pendientes azules; I have a large patio – tengo un patio grande; I see an old aeroplane - veo un avión viejo; The children are happy - Los niños (las niñas) están felices; the girl has a small hand – la chica tiene una mano pequeña; I like Italian wine - me gusta el vino italiano This week we are going to continue with adjectives and learn or refresh our memory on where they are placed in Spanish. Where the adjective is placed in Spanish depends on what information they provide about the noun they are modifying. Adjectives that add information or describe qualities generally follow the noun. However there are exceptions to this rule: Descriptive adjectives that emphasise a natural or inborn characteristic are placed before the noun, e.g. El fiero león pasea por la selva – the ferocious lion wanders in the jungle. These adjectives tend to appear more in written Spanish or when speaking with children. Limiting adjectives, that is ones that indicate numbers and amounts, and possessive and demonstrative adjectives are placed before the noun, e.g: Quiero dos helados – I want two

ice creams; Hoy hay más lluvia – today there is more rain, Mis problemas no son tus problemas – my problems are not your problems, Este edificio tiene cuatro ascensores – This building has four lifts. Adjectives that indicate numbers or amounts are indefinite if they don´t specify a certain number or amount of people, places or ideas. This is a list of commonly used adjectives relating to quality; remember from last week, some of them will have masculine and feminine endings and some will not: algún/alguna/algunos/algunas – some, bastante/bastantes – enough, cuanto/cuanta/cuantos/cuantas – as much, mucho/mucha/muchos/muchas – many, ningún/ninguna/ningunos/ningunas – no/not any, poco/poca/ pocos/pocas – few, suficiente/ suficientes – sufficient, varios / varias – various/few. Next we will talk about something that was mentioned a few weeks ago. Another type of adjective that usually precede the noun are those that change meaning according to where they are placed. When they are placed before the noun they usually intensify an opinion, whether or not it is shared by others. Compare the change of meaning in the following sentences: Don Quijote es una gran novela – Don Quijote is a great novel, Viven en una casa grande – they live in a big house. If we changed the position of the adjectives, the meanings of the sentences would change. If we placed grande before casa it would mean that it was a wonderful house adding to the idea of size. Here are some adjectives that change meaning, depending on whether they are placed before or after the noun they modify: *Use gran and cualquier, the shortened forms of grande and cualquiera before singular feminine and masculine nouns. Some adjectives use a shortened form when they precede a noun; it is the masculine form of the noun that drops the o

ending when they are immediately followed by a masculine noun: E.g: Si me ayudas eres un buen amigo / Eres un amigo bueno si me ayudas – If you help me you are a good friend Here are some more adjectives and their shortened forms with some context: alguno (some) algún coche (some car), bueno (good) – buen consejo (good advice), malo (bad) – mal ejemplo (bad example), ninguno (no, not ever) – ningún camarero (no waiter), primero (first) – el primer perro (the first dog), tercero (third) – el tercer año – the third year, uno (a,an, one) – un amigo (a friend) Note the accent marks on algún and ningún which keeps the pronunciation correct. I hope you are managing to keep up and are practising putting your adjectives into context and hopefully it is now making a bit more sense. I will be covering more adjectives next week along with some homework, but this week, concentrate on learning where they go and then by next week the translating will be a breeze. ¡Hasta la proxima!

Friday, November 2, 2012

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

Say NO to pet shop pups! PUPPY farming is a major problem throughout the future welfare of the dog. What they are interested in, organisations in Spain, wanting homes for the beautiful puppies and dogs they have. So why would someone feel the the world right now and very little is being done though, is their bank balances. I have six dogs, all of them rescue dogs, besides Billy, my need to buy a puppy from a pet shop, when you can contact to put a stop to it. There are numerous debates regarding legislation and how to end this terror for our four-legged friends, but the torment for them carries on. The question has been asked time and time again, ‘How do you stop puppy farming’? The answer is a very simple one. You stop the demand. The despicable people who run puppy farms, carry on with their work of greed, because the public keep buying the puppies they supply. If there was no demand, they would soon stop, because there would be no money in it for them any more. I am amazed at how many consultations I am called to where the owners tell me they got their dog from a pet shop. I will never personally buy anything from a pet shop that stocks live animals, whether it be kittens, hamsters or gerbils. The pet shops that get my money are the ones that have a passion and empathy for animals. Other common answers are the internet. I have known so many people who ordered their next dog online, without ever meeting them! Where do you think these dogs come from? It is either a backyard breeder, who is interested in money only, or the farms themselves. Think about it. If the puppy came from a reputable breeder, they would take a great interest and want to know where their dog will be living for the rest of her life. Anyone can walk into a pet shop and buy a puppy, as with ordering one from the internet, so it stands to reason that the people selling these dogs are not interested one little bit in

German Shepherd. When I first spoke with Billy’s breeder, I these organisations and choose from the most amazing puppies you will ever see? In buying the puppy you feel sorry for in a pet shop, you are financing that horrid trade to produce more puppies who will live in horrendous conditions. Yes, I do appreciate how difficult it is to walk away from a puppy in a pet shop. But that is what needs to happen to prevent future suffering for the millions of innocent puppies. Many of these dogs who originate from puppy farms have major health and behaviour problems in later life, because they were never properly socialised and had no option but to go to sleep on top of and covered in their own faeces. They are kept in wire crates which are stacked on top of each other and when the puppy in the top crate goes to the toilet, the mess simply falls on the puppies underneath on a daily basis. So when you are next ready to have another dog, please do not go down the route of the pet shop, newspaper advert or internet advert. Visit your local thought I was being interviewed by the police! She wanted to rescue centre or organisation and you will see what wonderknow everything there was to know about me. Where I lived, ful dogs and puppies are waiting for you to become their best what I did for a living, how long I would be leaving Billy on his friend. If we waited for governments to put a stop to this horrific own for in any given day, was my garden fenced, had I had trade, we would be waiting a very long time. a dog before, the questions went on and on. That is because with all governments, the left arm does This did not annoy me. All it did was confirm that she was an exceptional breeder who had a genuine care for the future not know what the right arm is doing and all the majority of politicians are interested in is themselves. In stopping the lives of her puppies. I receive hundreds of emails each week, from rescue demand, we are stopping the suffering.

PETS’ CORNER: CAN YOU TAKE IN A HOMELESS DOG OR CAT? Thank you so much for your help in homing Brutus and Dylan, both dogs have gone to wonderful new families. Kind regards, Yvonne www.petsinspain.com Brutus

Dylan

Orlando ORLANDO is a very handsome ginger gentleman with a wonderful bushy tail. He is a typical young male , very inquisitive and playful who loves climbing and playing with his tail. Once he gets to know you he would make a very loving companion, plus he is fine with other cats.The K9 Club Please call: 664 891 382 www.k9club.es

Sancho SANCHO is a beautiful male Pointer, about one year old. He xxis very friendly and loves people and other dogs. Like all Pointers he is very lively and would benefit from a reasonable amount of exercise. The K9 Club. Please call: 664 891 382. www.k9club.es

BELLA is a beautiful 18 month old German Shepherd. We rescued her with her nine puppies, all of which found new homes but Bella is still waiting for a home. She is good with other dogs and children, is extremely friendly and housetrained. Call: 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com Email: info@petsinspain.info

Ronnie and Roxy

Bella CHARLIE is a mature white male cat with green eyes and has been neutered and vaccinated. Although he is a little nervous on first meeting, he will soon settle down to make a loving pet. To meet Charlie please call Joe (The Cat Man) on 966719272.

Charlie

RONNIE and ROXY are two of five Shar Pei cross puppies in need of homes. They are now seven weeks old and ready for adoption. Call: 634 002 100. www.petsinspain.com Email: info@petsinspain.info BETSY is seven months old and is quite a small dog. She is good with other dogs and children, has been spayed, fully vaccinated and been chipped. Call: 634 332 978. www.petsinspain.com Barbie BARBIE was found in the campo caught in barbed wire. She is approximately four months old, very friendly and just wants to be cuddled. Call 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

Betsy

Friday, November 2, 2012

LÍNEA DIRECTA INSTRUCTS ITS CUSTOMERS ON THE STEPS TO TAKE IF THEY HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE RECENT HEAVY RAINSTORMS Madrid, 2 October 2012.- Línea Directa Aseguradora instructs its customers affected by the recent heavy rainstorms recorded on September 28 and 29 in the regions of Andalucía, Murcia y Valencia on the steps required to speed up the processes of making claims, treating and repairing the damage caused. As any extraordinary risk resulting from a natural catastrophe, claims for damage to property and personal injury must be made to the Insurance Compensation Consortium (CCS), a body which is dependent on the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The Consortium will be wholly responsible for processing claims, assessing the damage caused and paying out compensation to those affected. In order to claim for damage to property, the customer can contact the Insurance Compensation Consortium directly by calling 902 222 665 from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Claims for personal injury or loss of profits must be presented in writing to the local office in question or by post by completing the corresponding form. In addition, in the case of Expatriate customers, Línea Directa will act as an intermediary, administrator and advisor with the public body, with an aim to speeding up the processes of compensation and repairing material damage to vehicles, which will be assessed, processed and compensated entirely by the Consortium. To this end, Línea Directa has set up a helpline 902 326 326 which its customers affected by the damage can call in order to receive help and information both in English and German on the correct processes required. Línea Directa wishes to express its deepest condolences to the families of those people who have lost their lives and offers its services to all customers affected to provide them with any type of additional information they might require. Insurance Compensation Consortium Addresses ANDALUCÍA ORIENTAL (Málaga, Jaén, Almería, Granada) Av. Aurora, 55, planta 1ª 29006 - MÁLAGA Tel.: 95 206 13 91 Fax: 95 206 13 92 ccsmalaga@consorseguros.es ANDALUCÍA OCCIDENTAL (Sevilla, Cádiz, Huelva, Córdoba) C/ Luis Montoto, 107 41007 - SEVILLA Tel.: 95 498 14 00 Fax: 95 498 14 01 ccssevilla@consorseguros.es MURCIA Ronda de Garay, 10 30003 - MURCIA Tel.: 968 35 04 50 Fax: 968 35 04 51 ccsmurcia@consorseguros.es COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA: Plaza de Tetuán, 15 46003 - VALENCIA Tel.: 96 315 43 00 Fax: 96 315 43 01 ccsvalencia@consorseguros.es

Friday, November 2, 2012

Do you REALLY want kids? LAST week I started to share a blog about how to prepare for parenthood. Here are the last pieces of advice, and the only advice you will need. Don´t say you weren´t warned! Test 7 is having a conversation with a small child: Repeat everything you say at least five times. Test 8 is grocery shopping. 1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a preschool child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat. 2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight. 3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children. Test 9: Feeding a one- year-old. 1. Hollow out a melón; 2. Make a small hole in the side; 3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side; 4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane; 5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone. 6.Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor. Test 10: TV. 1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney. 2.Watch nothing else on television for at least five years. Test 11: Can you stand the mess young children make? 1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the cur-

tains. 2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer. 3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look? 4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor and proceed with Step 5. 5. Drag randomly items from one room to another room and leave them there. Test 12: Long Trips with Toddlers. 1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a four-second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet. 2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler. Test 13: Conversations. 1. Start talking to an adult of your choice. 2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room. Test 14: Getting ready for work. 1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting. 2. Put on your finest work attire. 3. Take a cup of cream and put one cup of lemon juice in it. 4. Stir. 5. Dump

half of it on your nice silk shirt. 6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture. 7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel. 8. Do not change (you have no time). 9. Go directly to work.

Friday, November 2, 2012

GOOD OMENS SPELL PAIN FOR LABOUR

IT’S the economy, stupid! Short and sweet, and to the point, but that’s what politics often boils down to. Governments generally stand or fall on whether our pockets are bulging and whether we have a job or not. So for David Cameron, after a succession of dreadful public relations disasters (strange for a guy who worked in PR), the key indicators have given him something to smile about at last. The UK is out of recession; inflation is going down; and the unemployment figures are moving the right way, though with concerns for young people. Nobody is dancing in the streets with champagne and cigars in hand, and there’s a long way to go, but the key judgment on Cameron will come down to the economy, and not where he and his mate George Osborne were educated. It also leaves a recently happier Labour opposition stark naked, as they can’t sing the old song that the economy isn’t getting better. And as the PSOE discovered to their cost in the recent regional elections here in Spain, Labour have yet

to convince people that they didn’t help to cause some of the problems when they were in power. With the Corby by-election around the corner and a big Labour win expected , they should be smiling again, but in the worrying knowledge that if things do get better for UK PLC, then their electoral chances begin to diminish. So what does come first? Party or country? The economy is also the big issue ahead of Tuesday’s US Presidential election, and with some good growth

figures, this ought to be excellent for President Obama. I’ve been surprised by how well his opponent, Mitt Romney, has done and how the nutty right-wingers, much as they despise him, have united behind the ex-Governor, because that’s the only way they can unseat Obama. Despite some daft comments by Romney in the summer, including his diatribe over the London Olympics, he’s a sound operator who has strong liberal credentials, which do appeal to moderate voters. The opinion polls show it to be much tighter than anybody could have predicted, and it could be a very long Tuesday night/Wednesday morning before we know who the winner will be. Just look out for the results from Ohio and Florida - whoever wins both will be in The White House. I’m just keeping quiet about my January prediction of an easy Obama victory. Why are so many people in the UK getting their knickers in a twist over the latest price hikes from the energy companies? It’s no shock that they’re putting up their prices just before the winter, and of course they’ll reduce them in a much more modest fashion come the spring and say that they are doing everybody a favour! Firms like British Gas don’t care about making you nice and warm and cosy, but they are in the business of making profits for their shareholders. I don’t blame these companies for wanting to maximise their returns. You can instead throw some rotten tomatoes at Mrs. Thatcher’s government for their lunatic policy of privatising gas and electricity back in the ‘80s. The politicians have only themselves to blame for failing to do anything about these energy firms whilst my father’s old dentures have more bite than the so-called regulators trying to do anything about price-fixing. The British public have been sold down the river over energy, and despite David Cameron’s headline-grabbing ideas for forcing companies to offer their lowest tariffs, none of this really tackles these cartels that are enjoying all the power that has been given to them. I’m all for free enterprise when it works, and it certainly did in the telecommunications industry, but with gas, electricity, and water, I can’t see what the benefits have been for consumers over the last 25 years. It could be worse though. At least they don’t have Iberdrola, Aguagest and Movistar to deal with!!

Friday, November 2, 2012

Bonfire night beauties Bangers and Beans Ingredients

Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the parsley, if using, and serve with the baked potatoes . Can be made up to 2 days in advance and reheated in a low oven or on the hob.

3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion , finely chopped 2 celery sticks, finely chopped 4 rashers streaky bacon , chopped 1 tbsp tomato purĂŠe 2 x 400g cans chopped tomato 2 tbsp dark brown sugar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 thyme sprigs 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 2 x 400g cans cannellini beans , rinsed and drained 2 red peppers , deseeded and chopped 2 x 450g packs herby sausages handful parsley leaves, chopped, to serve (optional)

4 cooking apples , cored but left whole 2 stem ginger balls, finely chopped 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 4 prunes , chopped 50g light muscovado sugar 1 tbsp butter 4 big scoops good quality vanilla ice cream , to serve

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole. Add the onion, celery and bacon, then cook for 5-10 mins until softened. Turn up the heat and add the tomato purĂŠe. Cook for 2 mins, then add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, mustard, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and 200ml water, then bring to the boil. Cook, uncovered, over a low heat for 15 mins. Add the beans and peppers, then simmer for 15 mins more, topping up with a little boiling water if needed. 2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Toss the sausages with remaining 1 tbsp oil and spread out on a baking tray. Cook for 30 mins until browned all over, turning occasionally. Nestle the sausages among the beans, then cover and place the pan in the oven. Cook for 30 mins more.

1. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Using a sharp knife, score a line around the equator of each apple. Put them into a baking dish with a small splash of water in the bottom. 2. In a bowl, combine the ginger, cinnamon, prunes and sugar. Stuff the mixture into the apples so that they are well packed. Top each with a knob of butter and bake for 35-40 mins, or until cooked through. To test, pierce with a sharp knife - it should slide straight through. The apples can be cooked up to a day ahead, then warmed through in the oven or microwave before eating. 3. Remove from the oven and baste the apples with the liquid left in the dish. Serve hot or warm with the ice cream.

Method

Baked apples with prunes, cinnamon & ginger Ingredients

Method

Cheesy Bonfire Bread Ingredients 200g wholemeal flour 200g plain flour , plus extra for dusting 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp caster sugar 25g butter , melted 300ml milk , at room temperature 175g cheddar , coarsely grated 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds 85g ready-roasted peppers from a jar, drained and chopped

Method

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a large well in the middle. Combine the melted butter and milk, then pour into the well.

Mix to a soft dough. 2. Dust the work surface with flour. Add most of the cheddar, 2 tbsp of the pumpkin seeds and the chopped peppers to the dough. Gently knead to combine on the floured surface. Divide into 8 lumps and shape into rough rounds two finger-widths deep. 3. Place the pieces side by side on a floured baking sheet, scatter the remaining cheddar and pumpkin seeds over the top and bake for 30 mins until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack and eat while warm. The bread can be frozen at this point. To reheat, wrap the bread tightly in foil and bake at 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for about 30 mins.

Bonfire Toffee Ingredients Oil, for greasing 450g dark brown sugar 125ml hot water Âź tsp cream of tartar 115g black treacle 115g golden syrup

Method

1. Line the base and sides of an A4 sized tin with non-stick parchment and then grease it really well. 2. Put the sugar and hot water in a heavy bottomed pan and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, do not stir the mixture at any point instead tilt the pan if you need to move it around. 3. Weigh out your remaining ingredients, if you put them in a really well greased jug they will be much easier to pour out. Once the sugar has dissolved add all the ingredients and pop the sugar thermometer in, you can use the thermometer to give it a quick swirl but try not to mix it too much. 4. Bring to the boil and boil until you reach soft crack on your

Friday, November 2, 2012

thermometer (270/140C) This may take up to 30 minutes, be patient and do not leave the pan unattended as it can change quickly. As soon as it reaches the temp, tip it into your tin and leave it to cool. 5. Once cool remove it from the tin a break up with a toffee hammer or rolling pin. Store in an airtight tin or wrap up in boxes or cellophane bags to give as gift.

Herby Toad in the Hole Ingredients 140g plain flour 3 eggs 300ml milk 2 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp vegetable oil 8 Cumberland sausages 8 sage leaves 4 rosemary sprigs

Method

1. Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. In a food processor, combine the flour, eggs, milk, mustard and some salt and pepper, blitz until smooth, then leave to rest for 30 mins. 2. Pour the oil into a metal roasting tin about 30 x 23cm and 7.5cm deep. Brush the oil all over the sides and bottom, then place in the oven. When the roasting tin is very hot and smoking, place the sausages inside, evenly spread out, and cook for 5 mins. 3. Give the rested batter a stir and pour into the really hot tin - take care as it may spit. Quickly sprinkle over the sage leaves and rosemary, then place in the middle of the oven. Do not open the door for 25 mins, then check - if needed, cook for a further 5-10 mins. Cook until puffed up and brown and the batter is completely cooked through. Serve straight from the dish.

Bonfire Night Baked Potatoes Ingredients 4 medium baking potatoes 2 tbsp olive oil 25g butter 1 large onion , finely sliced 6 slices smoked streaky bacon , chopped 2 tbsp double cream 200g mixed good melting cheese, such as Reblochon, Raclette or GruyĂ¨re chopped parsley , to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, then rub with half the oil, some sea salt and black pepper. Arrange on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 1 hr 15 mins, until their skins are crisp and they are completely tender when prodded. 2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil and half the butter in a frying pan. Add the onion and gently cook for 15-20 mins until softened and golden. Remove from the pan and set aside, add the chopped bacon and fry until just crisp. Remove using a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper. 3. Halve each potato lengthways (watch out, they will be hot), then scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving a potato skin shell with a thin layer of potato. In the bowl, crush the potato with the remaining butter and the double cream. Season with salt and pepper. Fold through the onion, bacon, three-quarters of the cheeses and half the parsley. Spoon back into the potato shells and top with the remaining

cheese. Transfer to the baking tray and return to the oven for 10-15 mins, until melting and golden. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve with a sharply dressed crisp salad, if you like.

Sweet Chilli Bangers Ingredients 12 large meaty pork sausages 4 tbsp tomato ketchup 2 tbsp clear honey 2 tsp mild chilli powder 2 garlic cloves , crushed 0.5 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Arrange the sausages in a roasting tin in a single layer and bake for 10 mins. Meanwhile, mix together all the other ingredients with seasoning and 1 tbsp water. 2. Pour the ketchup mixture over the sausages and mix well. Bake for 30 mins more until the sausages are golden.

Honeyed Carrot Soup Ingredients 2 tbsp butter 2 small leeks , sliced 800g carrots , roughly chopped 2 tsp clear honey small pinch dried chilli flakes (optional) 1 bay leaf 2Â˝ l vegetable stock

Continued on page 18

Friday, November 2, 2012

soured cream or yogurt , to serve

Method 1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leeks to the pan, then cook for 3 mins until starting to soften. Add the carrots, honey, chilli (if using) and bay leaf, then cook for 2 mins. 2. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 mins. Blend the soup in batches, return to a clean pan, then season to taste. When ready to serve, bring back to a simmer, then ladle into mugs. Add a swirl of soured cream or yogurt and serve with garlic bread or bacon butties.

Mixed Bean Chilli with Wedges Ingredients 4 medium baking potatoes , unpeeled, each cut into 8 wedges 4 tsp olive oil 1 red onion , roughly chopped 1 yellow pepper 1 tbsp Cajun spice mix 2 x 410g/14oz cans mixed pulses in water, rinsed and drained 400g can chopped tomatoes 150ml vegetable stock 1 tbsp dark chocolate , chopped 4 tbsp reduced-fat soured cream

Method

1.Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the potato wedges in 2 tsp oil and spread out in a single layer on a large baking tray. Cook for 30-35 mins, turning halfway, until tender and golden brown. 2. Meanwhile, for the chilli, put the remaining oil into a casserole dish and fry the onion and pepper for 5 mins. Add Cajun spice, pulses, tomatoes and stock. Cover and simmer for 1520 mins. Remove casserole from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted. Ladle the chilli into bowls, top each with 1 tbsp soured cream and serve with the wedges.

Toffee Popcorn Bark Ingredients 200g milk chocolate 200g white chocolate 2 x 30g bags toffee popcorn

Method 1. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking parchment. Melt the milk chocolate and white chocolate separately, then allow to cool slightly. 2. Pour most of the chocolate onto the tray, roughly swirling together. Sprinkle over the toffee popcorn, then drizzle over the remaining milk and white chocolate, and chill until set. Break into big chunks before serving.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Getting behind with the cleaning… PERFECT POSTURE A Taboo subject this week Colonic Irrigation, Colon HydroTherapy A practice dating from around 1500 B.C. As old as the world or as Modern as you are. Why would I ever need to clean my colon? Isn’t it enough to just go to the bathroom? Unfortunately in 90% of cases just going to the toilet is not enough. You might wonder: “Why?” Because our “modern lifestyles” are completely unnatural and this leads to a build up of toxic waste in our bodies that accumulates over the years. Many factors contribute to this faecal accumulation, the most common are: • Stress, Busy lives and ignoring the ‘urge to go’. Diets high in gluten and dairy, Red meat and processed meat consumption. • Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar, Processed foods, artificial preservatives, sweeteners and other chemicals • Low intake of water with consequent dehydration, Low intake of fresh vegetables • High alcohol consumption, High caffeine consump-

tion, Fizzy drinks Colonic hydrotherapy or irrigation is a gentle internal bath using 65 to 70 litres of warm, purified water that can help to eliminate stored faecal matter, gas, mucus and toxic substances from the colon. it can help with IBS, bloating, constipation, bad breath and so much more, Additional benefits can often be noticed throughout the body in the form of clearer skin, more energy and , fewer headaches, less bloating and being more regular. Colon cleansing is also a great treatment prior to having a COLONOSCOPY. It is recommended to take a short course of Probiotics after any colonic treatment to re-balance the good gut flora ( good bacteria) CATHERINE MCKINNON MOLLOY ( CT - RICTAT) RICTAT, the International Association and Register of Integrative Colon Therapists and Trainers, represents the best of colon hydrotherapy profession in Europe including Spain. Its members - integrative colonic therapists and colonic irrigation clinics offer professional colon hydrotherapy and related services. Their standards imposed by rigorous self-regulation are often above those imposed by many other associations.

THE ROLE OF SUGAR IN DIABETES The role of sugar in diabetes is often misunderstood, and while sugar is a contributory factor in the development of the disease, diabetes is not caused by sugar. Diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or is unable to take advantage of the insulin it produces to regulate sugar (glucose) in the body. The level of sugar in the blood is tightly controlled. Normal fasting blood sugar level is slightly less than one teaspoon of sugar in the whole body. If so, what happens when a can of coke containing about 10 teaspoons of sugar is consumed? When a beverage or food is consumed, the level of insulin in the body rises. Foods rich in refined carbo-

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

hydrates or simple sugars will raise insulin levels faster and in higher amounts. However when the fibre content of a meal is high, insulin rises much slower. A large meal, regardless of the type of calories, causes a large surge in insulin levels. High levels of insulin create a challenge for the body. Insulin helps transport glucose to parts of the body where it is needed such as the liver and brain. Physical activities and exercises help transport more glucose into the muscle cells. In a healthy person, insulin transports about 60% of the sugar to the liver, were it is converted to glycogen for

storage. In addition, insulin also transports sugar into fat cells, triggering the production of the hormone Leptin, which is responsible for controlling the ‘feeling of fullness’ during meals. Leptin travels to the brain while eating and as it does so, the desire to eat starts to diminish. Obesity is now thought to occur when the fullness signal from Leptin is ignored. As Leptin reaches the brain, the desire to eat ceases completely, and signals are also sent to the pancreas to stop the production of insulin. From this point, any extra morsel of food will cause an uncontrollable rise in blood sugar lev-

els. Any excess sugar is converted into triglycerides which is stored as fat. Unfortunately high levels of triglycerides (simple fats) impede the feeling of fullness during a meal by stopping Leptin from reaching the brain. In the long term, neglecting the feeling of satiety will result in weight gain and insulin resistance. This eventually leads to type 2 diabetes together with the risk factors for heart disease such as; increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol, raised blood pressure as well as inflammation. Avoiding a diet rich in refined carbohydrates and

A good posture will contribute a great deal to your day-to-day living. Most of the time, while we watch our posture when we're standing still or sitting at our desk, we often neglect it when we are walking — whether we are just strolling along or rushing to get to the office on time. The correct walking technique will help you to maintain a good posture, allow you to breathe more easily and also contribute to minimized lower back pain. While walking, try to consciously remind yourself to stand up straight and follow these golden rules: Do not overarch your back Try not to lean too far forward or backward Keep you chin up and parallel to the floor Tummy tucked Chest open Shoulders slightly back and Butt tucked behind you. It is also important to keep your head in a neutral, relaxed position with your eyes looking straight ahead. This will help you remain aligned and focused. Remember that good posture affects how you look and feel. People with good posture instantly have more poise and confidence and naturally feel better about themselves. Be proud and stand tall! refined sugars is one way to control blood sugar levels in diabetes. Since sugar is the main ingredient in most foods, a good place to start will be to replace sugar with healthier alternatives wherever possible. Artificial sweeteners such as equal, though commonly used, are very toxic to the body. A healthy natural alternative to sugar is Stevia. This herb has been used for centuries by the native peoples of South America for nutritional and

medicinal purposes. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar but has no caloric value since its sweetness derives from non-caloric molecules called glycosides and not from sugars. Research has shown that Stevia regulates the function of the pancreas and maintains blood sugar levels. It has also been shown to lower blood pressure, improve digestive function and inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause gum disease.

Friday, November 2, 2012

To take or not to take…

I take one tablet of Esomeprazol Stada 20 mg and Almax daily, prescribed for me on holiday three years ago when I lost my appetite. I asked my Spanish doctor if I must take them forever but got a vague answer I took for yes. Will long-term use of these tablets be damaging? I dislike taking tablets and they seem to be harder to swallow now. I am a female, 73 years old, an active person who has no other complaints (apart from vulva soreness). Is my medication full of toxins? It seems I have a tendency to reflux, but missing my tablets for a few days doesn’t seem to bother me. Many thanks for your time and help. Almax is an aluminium and calcium antacid, while Esomeprazol belongs to a class of medications known as proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Antacids and PPIs are generally used to treat stomach problems caused by a dysfunction in the production of mucus or hydrochloric acid. Such problems include; Peptic Ulcer Disease, Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) or Acid Reflux, and Dyspepsia. Like all proton pump inhibitors, Esomeprazol inhibits the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and not surprisingly, this unnatural process creates unhealthy imbalances in the bacterial flora of the stomach. Studies have also shown that the long-term use of PPIs reduces the absorption of nutrients, minerals and vitamins especially magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12. They are also known to increase the risks of developing pneumonia through aspiration, as well

as increasing the likelihood of putting on weight. Many people who take PPI’s and antacids tend to suffer from a variety of health problems and never seem to cure their acid reflux. And so with regards to your question, I will say that a long term use of the tablets you are taking will be very damaging to your health. The medications you take are certainly not prescribed to stimulate the appetite, and assuming you actually suffered from digestive problems when they were prescribed, you should have discontinued their use by now. Because PPIs disrupt the normal flora of microorganisms in the body, it is possible that the vulva soreness you feel may be due to this disruption. Since you do not have any more health problems, my advice to you will be to stop taking the medications.

My partner has just finished reading your article in this week’s Courier and was wondering if what you say regarding Statins is true. My doctor in the UK and Diabetes nurse said that I should carry on taking these tablets. I am on Simvastatin 40mg. I am also borderline diabetic having looked after myself since leaving UK 18 months ago. After my recent blood test here in Torrevieja my doctor said that all was well and just carry on and that I was now border line Diabetic as opposed to type 2. Who do I believe and who do I turn to.

Hello, it really is not what I say about statins, but what the literature and scientific research say about statins. The fact is that statins lower cholesterol in the body by inhibiting an enzyme essential for the production of cholesterol. In other words, statins prevents the body from producing cholesterol. Why is cholesterol important? Contrary to popular myths and media propaganda, cholesterol may be the most vital nutrient in the body. It is essential for the production of hormones such as testosterone, cortisol, oestrogen and progesterone. It also plays a critical role in the production of Vitamin D. When sunlight hits the skin, it is the cholesterol present that is converted to Vitamin D. People on statins have no chance of making Vitamin through sun bathing, thereby losing out on the tremendous benefits of Vitamin D. Cholesterol is also essential for the production of bile salts, essential for the digestion of fats. The food we eat contributes only 30% of the total cholesterol content of the body. The rest is produced by the liver, and this in a way is suggestive of the importance of cholesterol to the body. Cholesterol gained notoriety in the 80’s when it was linked to the plaques that give rise to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Since then, scientists and researchers now agree that the underlying cause of atherosclerosis is not cholesterol, but inflammation. After which cholesterol is transported to the inflammatory wound to

help heal it, and in the process, plaques are formed. Since statins were approved for use by the public, over 900 scientific studies have linked them to several adverse health problems such as; memory loss, immune depression, liver and pancreas dysfunctions, anaemia, frequent fevers, degeneration of muscles, bone pain, sexual dysfunction and increased risks of developing cancer. Statins are also well-known for blocking the production of Co-enzyme Q 10 in the body. CoQ10 is found in every cell in the body, and plays a critical role in the production of energy. It occurs in large amounts in organs that use up a lot of energy such as the brain, liver and kidneys, and not surprisingly, long term use of statins is associated with damage to these organs. High cholesterol levels may pose no risk to health. It all depends on the kind of cholesterol found in the body. A high cholesterol level of 270 mg/dl (normal value is below 240 mg/dl) but made up of very high levels of ‘good cholesterol’ (High Density Lipoprotein) is actually much healthier than a cholesterol level of 200 mg/dl with lower levels of ‘good cholesterol’ A safe and more natural way to regulate and maintain cholesterol balance is by supplementing with high dose omega-3 essential fatty acids and R-lipoic acid. R-lipoic acid also regulates and maintains a healthy blood sugar balance. Please visit our website; www.medb.es for more information on these nutrients. You do not have to take my word or anyone’s regarding statins. All you have to do is to perform an online search for publicly available research papers on statins.

Friday, November 2, 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 seven years ago having left his management background behind in the UK and decided to use his IT skills to help home users and small businesses with their PC problems. Now a relaxed 'computer man' he is out and about in the Spanish sun every day, making house and shop calls and using his vast experience and qualifications to (usually) sort out the problem there and then. Computers are his hobby as well as his work so don’t be surprised to get an answer to your email in the early hours!

ADVICE: Peter wanted to know whether there were any ADVICE: Max wanted to know how to tell Windows which alternatives to expat shield to get UK TV here in Spain AntiSpyware was the default program and how to send large files over the Internet

Hi Richard (again). Once again I come to the font of computer knowledge for answers! I use 'ExShield' to allow me to access the various iPlayer products of UK television. My AVG does not like it much, frequently warning of problems. Is there another product that you could recommend? Peter

Hi Peter, the best UK connection type service that I have come across is “My Private Network”, although I’m afraid it’s not free! Having said that, it is only £5 a month and the service is outstanding, we use it regularly to catch up on UK TV – it even works on my iPhone! Here is a link to where you can find out more information http://www.bluemoonsolutions.es/uk-tv-in-spain

ADVICE: Lionel wanted to know how to auto save his documents Hi Richard, I commenced a document and immediately went to Save As and gave it a title. About 3 minutes later we had a power failure which meant I lost the work I had done. On my previous computer with Windows XP it was possible to set an “AutoSave” facility where you could select the time gap when the computer automatically saved your work. I had mine set to 10 seconds knowing what Spanish electrity is like. On my new computer with Windows 7 I cannot find this facility. Is it available and if so where? Thanks - Lionel

Hi Lionel, the auto save facility is a function of the word processor program not the operating system, so I think you have not been able to find it as you may have been looking in the wrong place. You don’t mention which word processor you are using so I am going to assume that you are using OpenOffice and give you the instructions for that… 1. Launch Open Office Writer 2. Click Tools then click Options 3. Click on the plus (+) sign next to Load/Save and then click General 4. On the right hand side of the window you will see a setting “Save AutoRecovery information every”, ensure that this box is ticked and then enter the frequency that you would like Open Office to perform this action (every 2 minutes perhaps?) 5. Click OK …I hope that helps, if you have a different work processor then please let me know and I will look out the instructions for that

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

Hi Richard, I am using Defender as the firewall programme and have recently changed my AV provider to Avast. Windows is telling me my computer may run slowly because both Defender and Avast are functioning as anti-spyware programmes. How do I turn off one or the other for this specific function? Our grandson was here recently and we took videos of him which we wanted to send to him by e-mail, but there is a 25 MB restriction on attachments in both google and yahoo. Is there a way round this? Regards, Max Hi Max, you don’t mention which operating system you are using so I am going to assume you are using Windows 7, if you have something different then let me know and I can send you the relevant instructions for it. In order to tell Windows 7 what program you would like it to use for AntiSpyware you need to use the “Action Center” (sorry about the spelling, Microsoft spell it incorrectly, not me!), so you need to… 1. Click Start, then Control Panel 2. Either locate the Action Center or type the word Action into the search bar in the top right of the window and click on the Action Center icon when it appears. 3. Once inside the Action Center you will see two headings, “security” and “maintenance”, click on the arrow to show the security settings Under the heading “software and unwanted software protection” click on the link for “view installed antispyware programs”, you will then see both Windows Defender and Avast in the window 5. Use the “turn on” button to set your preference

I hope this sorts out your antispyware issue, with regards to your wanting to send 25 Mb emails, you will find that most free email services put a cap on the size of emails that can be sent for obvious reasons. If you want to send this type of file over the Internet then there are much better ways of doing it than relying on email, you could use DropBox for example and share the location with your grandson, if you have a look at our website you will see plenty of articles that relate to sending large files over the Internet www.bluemoonsolutions.es/free-online-storage for example discusses DropBox and a number of other options

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

Office: 902 906 200

Friday, November 2, 2012

I"VE heard some daft ideas in my years in journalism, but this one takes the biscuit. A pompous old f**t, Lord Bichard, thinks pensioners should be forced to do community work or lose some of their state pension. This twit, so out of touch with reality, has a private pension of £120,000 a year, having been head of the Benefits Agency until he retired at the age of 54. His views have, not surprisingly, provoked fury and outrage, after he presented them to a Parliamentary committee. He thinks pensioners who do nothing in retirement are not contributing to society, and doing community work would prevent them being a burden on the state. But OAPs say this amounts to nothing more than National Service for pensioners. Already many pensioners do an amazing amount of voluntary work, perhaps in charity shops, caring for a neighbour or relative, or being unpaid child-minders for their grandchildren so their children can go to work. But the idea of forcing people to do it on pain of losing part of their pension is just crazy. So, Lord Bichard, here's a big raspberry to you - it just emphasises to me the twits we foolishly describe as the 'great and good' who frequent the corridors of power. Let’s look at this on another level. Yes, he's right that we retired could do more. How many do we see day after day sitting about in bars and cafes doing nothing in particular? This level of inactivity leads to q u i c k l y becoming overweight

Lord Twit and the trumpet voluntary and just plain lazy. Being more active could keep them fitter and prolong active life. I know one charity, Help at Home, here in Torrevieja, which is crying out for more helper on many levels. They need people with nursing skills, administrative skills, others to sit and talk to people or act as a bereavement counsellor, or just drivers taking people to hospital or picking up medicines. So yes, perhaps the retired back in the UK and here in Spain could do more, and contribute both to their own good health and the welfare of others. But it shouldn't ever be on pain of losing some pension rights. MUCH seems to be going the government's way on the economic front

of late. Unemployment surprisingly has taken a significant downward path, the rate of inflation has eased considerably, and now the country has jumped from recession to 1% growth. All the government needs now is borrowing to follow suit and that stupid Ed Balls will have nothing to bang on about. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Balls and Ed Miliband eat humble pie and actually have to agree the government's policies were right all along? Of course they won't, they're not big enough for that - all they will say is that more should have been done sooner to promote growth. In the same breath they’d admit they’d have had to be almost as ruthless in cutting spending as the Tories and Lib Dems. But they know that creating growth would have meant spending more and borrowing more. That would have damaged Britain's triple A credit rating and raised borrowing costs. So why the Labour twits keep banging on trying to promote policies which won't work beats me. Perhaps they believe voters can't see through their stupidity. One interesting development out of all this success is that research group Capital Economics believes Britain has the economic fire power to quit the EC and go it alone. It goes further and says it would be better off if it did. It says the Olympics and

other major events in the UK brought growth back to Britain to such an extent that it was the strongest major economy in the world in the last three months and can now lead the way out of recession. It adds that Britain's economy is now far stronger than many others in Europe and is now strong enough to split from the EC. This verdict is bound to enliven the debate that Britain should have its referendum on whether to quit sooner rather than later. Looming in the not too distant future is the ending of restrictions on people from Romania and Bulgaria travelling to the UK to find work. A new wave of economic migrants with very little to offer the labour market is about the last thing Britain needs. That and the multitude of EU laws, the craziness of

some of the Human Rights Act decisions and attempts to frustrate Britain's moneymaking financial sector Britain can well do without. However, if a vote does pull Britain out of the EU there's a question mark over the future prospects of us expats. Would we have the protection, similar pension and health provisions if the UK were outside of the European club? Something for us to consider and perhaps worry about as decision time approaches. ONE of Britain's most senior coppers, Sir Norman Bettison, who allegedly boasted about cooking up lies to blame Liverpool fans for the Hillsborough disaster, resigned last week. Good riddance. The chief constable of West Yorkshire Police was under a cloud after revelations that police altered wit-

ness statements and distorted evidence to suggest that the fans were drunk and were responsible for the tragedy in which 96 died. I hope that if found he was implicated, he will be stripped of his knighthood and inflated inflation-proof pension. if we can't trust police, who can we trust? If he is found guilty I hope the book is thrown at him. I would have him birched - in public. DURING the weekend, newspapers published pictures of the brain scans of two three-year-old children. One was of a child of parents who cared and nurtured their child properly. The other, much smaller brain was that of a child who was neglected and abused. Staggering and appalling, it shows so dramatically the damage failed parents can inflict on the next generation. Couple this with the revelation from education secretary Michael Gove who says that children living in chaotic homes are going to school virtually incapable of learning. Many might think sterilisation is needed to prevent such parents breeding yet more children to harm.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Focus on

LA MARINA

Electrodomesticos - the best service and best price SINCE 2002, Electrodomesticos La Marina Urb has offered you the best service and the best price. Delivery and installation free of charge in La Marina Urb, Gran Alacant, El Altet, Santa Pola, San Fulgencio, La Marina, Dolores, Ciudad Quesada, Rojales, Guardamar, Torrevieja. All our products have a two-year European guarantee. We supply a wide selection of products: washing machines, hair dryers, fridges, small electronics, image and sound, computers, air conditioning. We speak English and look forward to having you visit our shops in La Marina Urb or Gran Alacant. You can also find us online at www.euronicsgranalacant.com

Ladies, come and fashion your winter! SINCE UK Chainstore opened in December 2011, the business has grown from strength to strength. The store specialises in Ladies clothing from size 8 to 24 with lines from Marks & Spencer - Per Una being its unique attraction. There are also fashion lines from Next, Wallis and Monsoon. The winter range has now arrived and includes anything from Christmas party wear, to coats and trousers for the colder weather. To accessorise your look there are handbags, shoes and jewellery, including a new range of glitzy and glamorous jewellery perfect for that Christmas gift or party. The store also has a small menswear department with a range of Marks & Spencer trousers, jumpers and T-shirts. UK Chainstore is conveniently located just 200 metres from Supervalu and open Monday to Saturday from 10am. Call 609 576 999 if you have any questions

Jennifer Cunningham for sure insurance With all the worry and concerns about the banks in Spain, why not pop into Jennifer Cunningham’s La Marina office and ask for an insurance quote from one of the world’s largest Insurance Companies, Liberty Seguros (part of Liberty Mutual Group). At the same time, if you discover you have no health cover, we can offer special terms and prices on both Health and Funeral Plans. Staff at Jennifer Cunningham are much more than a voice on the phone. So why not drop into the office in Avenida Londres, La Marina Urb and discover what excellent policies and prices are available? The office is open 9am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Tel: 966 795 082

Willem Cars for an unbeatable deal Willem Cars is a long-established second-hand car business with over 35 years experience of trading on the Costa Blanca. The cost of second-hand vehicles here in Spain can seem a bit of a shock compared to prices in the UK. But cars hold their value better here and with the drier warmer climate suffer far fewer problems with corrosion. However, you want to be certain you are getting a good deal and the staff at Willem Cars pride themselves on being straight with their customers.. They stock a good range of vehicles, too - RHD and LHD models, petrol, diesel, manual and automatic. Willem Cars also offer part exchange trade-ins, can organise insurance - and even an NIE number if required. You’ll find them in La Marina Village or call them on 965 419 508. Website is www.willemcars.com and email info@willemcars.com.

For meal appeal, steak out La Vista! OWNERS Andy and Sue have successfully run La Vista Bar, in La Marina Village for over five years. La Vista has a weekly Quiz Night every Monday evening, while Thursday is Steak Night, priced at only £15 per couple with a drink included. Sunday lunches are a huge success, with a two-course meal for only £7.50 and three courses lunch priced at £10 per person. Midweek and at the weekend you can watch Live Football on the large screen TV. La Vista Bar caters for vegetarians, children and small parties. It is open Monday to Friday from 9am and from 10am Saturday and Sunday. So if you fancy a visit to La Vista Bar to try out the very popular Steak Night, just call 634 679 828 to reserve a table.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Focus on

LA MARINA

Enjoy our treasure at your pleasure! WHY not take time out of your busy day and pop into La Marina Furniture in the village of La Marina and look around the treasure chest. You will be amazed at the quality, price and variety of stock. New stock arrives daily and local deliveries are FREE! La Marina Furniture also part exchange and buy good quality items. Good prices are offered for house clearances small or large. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Cards and More is smiles better CARDS and More is in its 10th year serving the community of La Marina, and has become an essential point of contact for many residents. A smiling face and polite helpful staff endeavour to deal with a multitude of issues, even those outside of its core products! We specialise in mobile phones, mobile top-ups for all carriers and, as agents for HITS and Llamaya, registration for new sims. Also collection point for a Royal Mail postal delivery service to the UK and worldwide, a wide range of greetings cards, and now all your Xmas card needs. Cards and More has become the best of its kind in the area. The owners thank their loyal customers, and look forward to looking after you for the next 10 years! Open 7 days. Mon - Fri: 09:30 to 18:00; Saturday: 09:30 to 14:00; Sunday: 09:30 to 13:30 Tel: 966790954

Dirty headlamps and the light fantastic The Headlamp Exchange has been in La Marina Village now for many years - in fact we are celebrating our ‘10 years in business’ this year! As a motoring business we are happy to help you with your vehicles from re-registrations and all mechanical work, to LHD headlights and of course, our speciality - headlight cleaning. Our office is very easy to find on the main street of the Village, next door to Montemar Hotel.

Bob down and enjoy our new look BOB and Jan have been running Bob’s Bar up in La Marina Urb for over seven years, and always extend a warm welcome to anyone who visits their No Food Bar. Regular customers can relax in the bar to the accompaniment of 60’s/70’s type music playing in the background and the nice friendly atmosphere created by the staff. The bar is to be refurbished over the next couple of weeks so why not pay Bob’s Bar a visit and see the New Look in the No Food Bar?!

Bob’s Bar is

open from 12 noon until late - seven days a week.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Focus on

LA MARINA

BeSure to consult us for your expat needs… MALCOLM and Tina at BeSure Services aim to offer a friendly and professional environment where you can come and ask for advice and assistance regarding any of your expat needs. With a comprehensive range of services available, we can help with any problems which arise whilst you are living in Spain. We also work with several reputable insurance companies offering affordable, dependable cover for house, car, life, health, funeral and travel. All advice is confidential and the initial consultation is free, so feel free to pop into our office any day between 10am to 2pm or phone to arrange an out-of-hours appointment or home visit.

Swan it up at Lee’s big White out! OWNER Lee opened The White Swan Pub in La Marina Urb in December 2002 – and is having a big party to celebrate its 10th Anniversary on December 7. Lee has worked tirelessly to make The White Swan a huge success – and one of the longest running non-Spanish bars on the Urb. Every Monday there’s a two-course lunch for just €5 plus entertainment from 2pm. Wednesday night is Steak Night, priced at only €5.95 per person with Karaoke from around 8.30pm. Saturday night is Quiz Night with a pre-Quiz meal deal for €5. Upcoming celebrations include a Xmas Eve Party Night with a two-course meal including a Xmas Raffle and entertainment - all for around €6 per person. With so much to offer at The White Swan Pub, a visit to this friendly family-run bar is a must!

Friday, November 2, 2012

SPANISH NEWS

Stress of eviction driving Spain’s jobless to suicide By SALLY BENGTSSON THE Spanish economic crisis is affecting the mental health of many citizens who are finding it impossible to make ends meet. More and more people faced with unemployment and homelessness, find the situation too much - and turn to suicide as the only way out. In the last two weeks a 54-year-old man hanged himself hours before he was due to be physically removed from his home in Granada. The body of Miguel Dominguez was found by his brother. The victim ran a newspaper stand in the neighbourhood, while his brother ran a fruit stand next door. On the same day Manuel G, aged 53, jumped off the balcony of his home in Burjassot in Valencia. He kissed one of his children goodbye before leaping, moments before bailiffs showed up with their eviction order. He is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. The Dominguez suicide came amid renewed efforts by activists against the rash of evictions over recent months in Spain, where unemployment is around 25 percent mark 1.7 million households don't have a single member in work. Some 400,000 people across Spain are facing eviction. On Tuesday, members from the Stop Desahucios ( Stop evictions) group, which is part of the Granada branch of the 15-M popular protest movement, held a demonstration in Maracena to show their support for resident Raquel Muñoz, who is subject to an eviction order that is due to be carried out on October 30. According to the group, Muñoz, who is separated and lives with her three young children, lost her job in 2009. Unable to meet her mortgage repayments, the BBVA bank took possession of the Despite repeated property in June 2011. attempts to come to an agreement on smaller repayments, the bank has rejected such plans and is trying to get Muñoz out of the house, along with her three children, by the end of the month. In Madrid, 50 people threatened with eviction

after falling behind on their mortgage repayments spent three nights sleeping rough outside the capital's biggest branch of Bankia, near the central Puerta del Sol. They are calling for an agreement from Bankia to avoid around 60 families losing their homes. The sit-in began on Monday, and will continue, they say, until they secure concessions from Bankia. Seven of Spain’s judges have written a report that is highly critical of the way evictions are being carried out, pointing out that the relevant legislation was created in 1909. State aid being handed out to banks should also go to those who are losing their homes, the magistrates wrote. The text goes on to speak of the “mala praxis of the major banks” and proposes a series of measures to protect families who are on the verge of being evicted. However, on Wednesday the legal watchdog, the CGPJ, decided not to debate the report given that its content had not been formally approved

by all of the judges who created it. In Italy and Greece, which are also facing economic crisis, suicide rates have also risen, and are being blamed on the desperation people are feeling at the prospect of losing everything and still being faced with a debt. However, sociologist Juan Carlos Perez comments that a number of factors will cause people to take their own life. Most people have underlying mental problems such as depression or social isolation. He suggests that the best way to help anyone with huge problems is to talk to them and to try and keep their spirits up. The PSOE has proposed that the families who cannot meet their mortgage payments should be allowed to stay in their homes for up to two years.

Is crisis nearly over? LABOUR Minister Fátima Báñez on Monday claimed Spain is “emerging from the crisis,” insisting that her words were not the product of “empty optimism.” Báñez’s comments were made just three days after the National Statistics Institute (INE) reported that one out of every four workers in Spain was out of a job in the third quarter, the first time on record that this has happened. Over 5.7 million people are unemployed in the country. The economy contracted for the fifth quarter in a row Julyperiod the in September, with GDP expected to shrink 1.5 percent this year, with the to forecast recession extend into 2013. “We have a future and we’re going to come out of this stronger,” the minister said. She based her optimism on the reforms being undertaken by the government, and the fact that Spain has an internationalized and diverse economy, with a modern tourist industry and a pool of well-educated young people. Báñez said the labour reform approved by the government in February, making it cheaper and easier to sack workers, “is helping many companies to overcome the crisis,” due to the greater internal flexibility the makeover affords. The INE’s Active Population Survey (EPA) released on Friday showed a strong fall in permanent jobs since the reform was introduced.

Friday, November 2, 2012

UK HEADLINES

MUM SPARED JAIL FOR RACE ATTACK Daily Mail AMANDA LOWE, 26, was caught on CCTV as she assaulted Khuram Nisar after calling him a 'f****** Paki' and 'terrorist'. But she walked free from Manchester Crown Court last Friday. The horrific footage released by the Crown Prosecution Service shows Lowe leaving her daughters, aged eight and four months, to attack Mr Nisar as he made his way home from work through Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre. The baby's father Wesley Earls, 26, and Lowe's cousin Daniel Wray, 21, joined in the attack after Mr Nisar told Earls to 'control his woman'. Earls punched Mr Nisar to the ground while Wray punched him in the head. Their victim was left with cuts and bruises to his head and body. The footage of the attack shows Lowe, who is pregnant with her third child, returning to her children looking 'thrilled' with herself. She appears to demonstrate how she assaulted Mr Nisar by recreating her kick as she pushes her baby girl in her pram. The group were arrested in nearby Oldham Street 20 minutes after the attack, which happened at 8.15pm on May 21 this year. Judge Lindsey Kushner QC told Lowe, of Rochdale Road, Blackley, Manchester, that she had been spared jail because of the impact on her children. She said: 'Your record is terrible for violence given that you are 26 years of age. 'The damage you are doing to your children - there at the time and seeing you drunk, the risk you put them at - is disgraceful. 'Somebody who behaves like that when they are drunk I would think you have to keep a very careful eye on as a mother. 'Kids who have mothers who behave like you end up behaving like you. 'That damage starts from when they are tiny. 'People have been killed and maimed through being kicked in the head.' Lowe admitted a charge of racially aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm. She was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to attend a programme for women offenders.

THE SUPERSIZE SCHOOLKIDS

youngsters have strugA CLOTHES shop has gled to find trousers that rs started selling trouse e their 44 will accommodat with a waist size of s. me fra ty hef to s inches and upward 'I started as a clothing cater for obese school store to cater for men, but children. the trend for larger Owner Mick Radford, has in school uniforms 63, who runs Big Stuff last the r ove e, increased Dunstable, Bedfordshir and has rs yea of ple cou stocking begun has noticear been especially extra-large schoolwe d. sai he r,' able this yea due to an increased st six lea at had e 'I’v y al demand from chubb children from the loc children. around 14, d age a, are the He said many of asking for who have come in pupils were looking inch 44 a h wit rs e for trouse trousers with a waist siz which is ve, abo and ist wa ich of 44 to 46 inches, wh h very large. are not sold by other hig 'If these sort of figures street stores. the same nationwide are As their waistlines ning.' obese it is quite frighte soared, have

Girl, 2, hanged on blind cord The Sun

A GIRL aged two was found hanged on a blind cord by her horrified mum in their £12million home. Dana Hoegh discovered little Alexandra Lucy suspended in her cot by a window after police believe she became entangled in the rope. The 37-year-old — married to one of Britain’s richest men — ran from the house screaming: “Please help, the baby’s not breathing.” Paramedics and police raced to the scene in Notting Hill, West London, on Monday afternoon and found the toddler suffering from cardiac arrest. She died on the way to hospital. A neighbour said: “The mother came out into the street screaming. “She said the baby was dying and she wanted someone to help save its life. An ambulance arrived and paramedics rushed in.

“The woman was in a total state, sobbing and wailing. She didn’t know what to do. It’s a real tragedy.” Another resident added: “I heard a big commotion. When I came to the door there was an ambulance outside. It’s such a sad situation. It would be easy to blame yourself, but sadly accidents do happen.”

Friday, November 2, 2012

Panto looks a smash Whitt! TICKETS will soon be on sale for Rojales Panto Group’s production of Dick Whittington. The show will once again be presented at the school of music in Los Montesinos and the dates for this fun-filled family event will be Friday and Saturday January 18 and 19 at 7.30pm, with a special Matinee performance on the 18th at 12.30pm. After the success of Aladdin and Wizard of Oz, the group are expanding their colourful and cleverly designed scenery, giving the audience an even greater theatrical experience. Show director

Christine Smith says: "We are all so proud of our backstage crew who have worked so tirelessly on creating and building the fantastic sets for our Dick. This is going to be even more fun than our previous shows and our audience will once again be in for a fantastic time with lots of opportunity for interaction". Details will be available shortly on where to purchase tickets and if you would like to join the group’s next , please call Christine on 965077090 or Tina on 966797683. Alternatively, email bazbov@yahoo.co.uk orshimserv@googlemail.c om.

G&S SPECIAL IS WEDDY FOR ACTION IT’S a wedding not to be missed! Come and join some of the characters from Gilbert and Sullivan’s wonderful shows for ‘Our Big Fat G & S Wedding’! The G&S Society reception will be held at Casa Ventura, San Luis on Saturday November 17 and Sunday November 18 (doors open at 7pm). A savoury Pick & Mix platter will be served, followed by an extravaganza of music from Gilbert and Sullivan and other musicals, plus a piano solo from the society’s new accompanist.

Wedding rehearsals have gone well and everyone has a special outfit ready as in this photo where Captain Corcoran (the groom) is chastised by his mother, Buttercup, for flirting with the maid. Tickets, at €8 including food and show, from Restaurante Casa Ventura or by telephoning 966198396 or emailing dfarrer1@terra.es Seating is on tables of eight which can be reserved in advance. A bucket collection will be taken in aid of the charity HELP AT HOME.

TORREVIEJA Stroke Support enjoyed a welcome respite break at Hotel Los Narejos, Los Alcazares. Some 22 members welcomed the opportunity to be looked after and to stroll along the picturesque Mar Menor in warm sunshine with several dramatic "fly pasts" by the Spanish Air Force to entertain. Stroke sufferers and carers alike felt the benefit of the short holiday and their thanks

go to the helpers who provided much needed aid and support. TSS’s next respite break will be a day coach outing to Benidorm on November 30. Stroke Support meets weekly at The Annex, Municipal Buildings, Urb. La Siesta from 2.45pm to 5pm. For further information, call 966718964. strokesupportgroup@hotmail.com www.torreviejastrokesupport.com

Alderman Fitzwarren (Cyril Derbyshire, Alice (Jackie Reed) and three citizens of London (Christine Smith, Pam Derbyshire and Gina Menzies)

VARIETY NIGHT THE Torrevieja Barbershop Harmonisers are holding their 6th annual evening of Variety at the Theatro Capitol in Rojales on Thursday 8th November at 8pm (doors open 7pm) - the evening will be hosted by Radio Torrevieja’s very own Dennis Christian. The line up inludes La Sal de Torrevieja, the very talented Shirelle, Javier Ramon Backbeat 4 Beatles Duo and of course The Torrevieja Harmonisers who are celebrating 21 years of entertaining. For reservations, please call 96 671 3342.

POPPY APPEAL GATHERS PACE The Orihuela Costa and District Branch of the Royal British Legion started their 2012 Poppy Appeal collection at the new La Zenia Boulevard shopping centre last weekend - assisted by Chelsea Pensioners Wayne Campbell and Arthur ‘Skippy’ Teasdale. Poppy collections will be taking place throughout all areas until 11 November 11. Events have been held already at Leeson Street Bar at the Rioja Centre raising €100 while branch member June

Williams held a soup and sandwich event at her home which raised €364.60. Further events are planned La Terraza Bar in Bigastro on November 3 and a 40s evening at Cheers Bar, Eagles Nest on November 10. The Orihuela Costa and District Branch will be holding their Remembrance Service on Sunday November 11 at the Cailla de las Mil Palmeras (the church next to the Olympia Restaurant.) The service will commence at 10.30. xx

Friday,December November 16, 2, 2012 Friday, 2011

Friday, November 2, 2012

Horoscopes Aries March 21 - April 19 Remember to chew before you swallow. You may hear good news today from an excitable old lady who may turn out to be drunk. You won't be hospitalised today, but things may not go as planned When opening the door for a stranger, take care to notice any loose change that they may drop so that you can slam the door in their face, grab the money, and then run for dear life.

Taurus April 20 - May 20 People older than you often ask your opinion because you are a trend setter and a marvellous role model for society in general. A label you find may give you much happiness this week. Avoid serious questions wherever possible today and TIE YOUR SHOES DAMMIT! Sing a song inside and to hell with the dark clouds that await you.

Gemini May 21 - June 20 Gloomy times lay ahead. Massaging figures is something that both Accountants and Masseurs do. But they are NOT the same thing. Honestly. This month 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.

Cancer June 21 - July 22 The best way to fool a man into giving away a biscuit is to let him know that you know where it's been. Don't give any details, just let it casually be known that you "know where it's been". How is this relevant to you today? You'll see. You and biscuits are going to be inseparable. Sandwich is your lucky word for today

By Pandora Leo July 23 - August 22 You've got as much right as anyone to stamp your feet and demand retribution. When trying to take the top of a bottle of paracetamol, you may find yourself contemplating destroying the universe. Your "rustic charms" are not an excuse for being smelly and dirty. The hospital may become a familiar place over the coming two weeks.

Virgo August 23 - September 22 Don't worry. Be happy. Praying to false gods never seemed so good after this week. You may become friends with a self-proclaimed tribal warrior named Alf. This week, Microsoft Word may define your grammar as "poorly constructed" and full of "run on sentences". In the grand scheme of things, today rates as a 0.001. I sense a feeling of delight in you.

Libra September 23 - October 22 When hankering for some food you may decide to experiment with various plants - avoid those with 3 leaves. Malicious gossip may reach your ears this week and cause a great deal of paranoia. All the best plans go awry, so please make sure you're ready for any surprises. Go with the flow and let people take advantage of you.

Scorpio October 23 - November 21 Check your email daily. Because you never know what may arrive. When Elvis sang, it's like he was thinking of you. Oh yes, especially when he does those "groin dips". Next time you walk past a 'Hogs Head' pub, go inside and order a drink. Great things will happen there. Other people are not as crazy as you make them out to be.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21 Get used to seeing bruises over the next few days as you and furniture begin not seeing eye to eye. Hope can solve nearly all of your problems today. Until tomorrow when all of your dreams will be dashed to pieces. You yearn to be a farmer just so that you can be out standing in your field. Fire is your symbol for today.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19 Most of the things you're doing are going well, so there's no need to give up now. It's all one big crap chute anyhoo. There might not be a tomorrow, but all indications point to yes. You will be plagued by happy people, but don't be swayed by them, stay miserable. There is a lot of anger in your brain. Douse it with cool, flavoursome beer.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18 Your mother is proud of you. When there's work to be done, there's no shame in procrastination. You are not the person you once were, try to reflect those changes in your general appearance and, please, smile for a change. Butter your bread on both sides so that if the bread falls, you'll be screwed no matter what. It may be easier to make a toasted sandwich.

Pisces February 19 - March 20 You might feel "world weary", but the truth of it is that you don't do anything worthwhile. This week may be a good opportunity for you to change that. Today is not your lucky day. It's tomorrow instead! So that's something to look forward to whilst your picking up your teeth with your broken arm.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Cheaper Insurance MINISTERS MULL for Auto-Braking Cars TWO TIER ROAD TAX It has been confirmed that British insurance companies will offer r e d u c e d Group Ratings – and thus cheaper policies – for vehicles fitted with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB). The system, which is available on several new cars, including some Volkswagens Fords and Volvos, uses sensors in the front of the car to detect and avoid an imminent collision by applying the brakes. If the incident can’t be avoided then the system will reduce its severity. The move is a result of research carried out by Thatcham, the Berkshirebased insurers’ research centre that also provides AEB testing for Euro NCAP,

at fault after a six-month trail of AEB. E v e n those without the system fitted to their car stand to benefit from reduced premiums in the long run, with insurers estimating that AEB the crash test organisation. It could cut the number of quoted a study by the whiplash claims in the UK by Insurance Institute for up to 160,000. Highway Safety in the US, Thanks to the research which showed that owners of conducted for the UK insurVolvos fitted with AEB tech- ers by Thatcham, the insurnology make 25 per cent ance Group Rating could fewer insurance claims than now be slashed by up to five owners of equivalent vehi- groups for cars fitted with cles. In the UK, Tristar AEB. The result will be more Worldwide, a Middlesex- people choosing safer cars, based chauffeur company, which means more lives reported a 28 per cent drop saved, fewer injuries and of in rear impact accidents course fewer insurance where one of its drivers was claims.

Drivers would pay higher road tax for using motorways under a plan being considered by ministers. The radical idea is being considered as the Treasury faces a budget shortfall caused by families switching to cars that incur lower road tax. Two rates of road tax would apply – a lower tier for users of small roads and a higher charge for those driving on motorways and other major routes. Spy cameras would catch any drivers using the trunk roads without having paid up. The AA warned however that a two-tier duty system could see motorways become the preserve of wealthier motorists.

‘We don’t want a first- and second-class system on the roads,’ said spokesman Paul Watters. ‘There would certainly be more traffic, and, if enough traffic diverted, it would stick out

like a sore thumb. ‘It will lead to slower journeys and more congestion. It will also be an extra nuisance to towns and villages and increase the risk of accidents as A roads become too busy.’ The Prime Minister has already said that private firms

could take over the running of roads in return for pay-asyou-go lanes or a share of road tax revenues. A senior Government source confirmed the two-tier idea was one of a number of proposals to reform the vehicle excise duty regime, which raises £6billion a year.‘It is true that there is work going on vehicle excise duty,’ the source said. ‘It follows on from what we spoke about earlier in the year, about making the roads more like utility companies and getting external sources of money into them. There is a suggestion that as part of that, you could have a lower vehicle excise duty rate for people who weren’t using trunk roads and motorways.

The all-new 2013 Range Rover The new Range Rover takes some visual elements from other popular models in the Land Rover range – including its baby brother, the Evoque – but gets a ground-up redesign that makes it lighter, faster and more efficient than any previous model. The biggest change to the new Range Rover is one of the most radical rethinks in the model's 40year history. Instead of the old steel construction, the new car gets an all-aluminium body structure that’s around 39% lighter. That helps the new Range Rover to be around 420kg lighter than the car it replaces, a gain that opens up new possibilities with engine choices and much greater fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. The Range Rover will cost from £71,295 when it goes on sale in January. That will buy the new entry-level 254bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel model in Vogue trim. It emits 196g/km of CO2, and averages 37.7mpg. The 2013 model keeps the 4.4-litre V8 of the current Range Rover, but it has been revamped to improve economy and performance. Emissions have been cut from 253g/km to 229g/km, while average economy is up from 30.1mpg to 32.5mpg. The 4.4-litre model costs from £ 7 8 , 0 9 5 .

Friday, November 2, 2012

FORD ANNOUNCES FACTORY CLOSURES Nearly all the European mass carmakers are in deep, deep financial trouble. Ford today outlined a plan to cut its losses. Inevitably, that means closing factories. The reason is that having car plants at less than full capacity is ruinously expensive. They only make money when they're going flat out. But car sales in Europe have collapsed from 18 million a year in 2007, to 14 million now. And the Korean brands are building significant numbers of cars here, putting more pressure on the old European names. Ford has targeted its Genk plant in Belgium to shut, with the loss of 4300 direct jobs. And the Transit factory in Southampton will go too as its production moves entirely to Ford's plant in Turkey. That'll cost 1400 jobs in Southampton and the stamping shop in Dagenham that feeds it. But those Transit cuts will be voluntary separations because people might choose other jobs within Ford. Luckily for Britain there are extra jobs coming in making a new diesel engine in Dagenham, and

technical jobs in developing it in Dunton. Ford reckons that shutting these plants will save up to $500m (£310m) a year. Overall, Ford's European losses are a staggering $1.5billion (£900 million) a year. So Ford also needs to improve revenue with better cars. Peugeot is also trying to cut a plant, the giant Aulnay complex near Paris. And while President Hollande objected initially, it now

seems like he might be persuaded. All the mainstream European manufacturers except the VW Group also have too many factories. That's Fiat-Alfa-Lancia, Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Vauxhall-Opel, as well as Ford. It's not an easy decision to shut plants. It means bitter rows with unions, it's bad for a company's image locally. And it generally costs the company about £70,000-£100,000 per worker made redundant.

Friday, October 26, 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, 2 represents H and 13 represents B, when these letters have been entered throughout the puzzle, you should have enough information to start guessing words and discovering other letters.

QUICKIE

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

CRYTPIC CLUES Across 1 Dash to a rip off gym before the end of December (7) 5 Victor’s fit of shivering is non-specific (5) 8 Let up on nouveau rich (7) 9 Takes wrong Pole (5) 10 Water carriers were diverted to the south (5) 11 Isn’t tan changed in the blink of an eye (7) 12 Odd BP ruse? Excellent! (6) 14 From American, ‘Yonder gulch’ (6) 17 Ship’s barber? (7) 19 Appropriate attire for early morning activity? (3,2) 22 Cash paid for music? (5) 23 Mashed carrot and centre court custodian (7) 24 Alley cat upsets trays (5) 25 They are good for stability, in the main (3,4)

Down 1 Gem one found at end of the street (5) 2 A quaintly pleasing accent (5) 3 Newspapers on queen’s ironer (7) 4 Sell about a litre (6) 5 Jars some Diva’s escallops (5) 6 Violently angry gunner in the barn (7) 7 Never to chew toffees (7) 12 Fighters assistants aren’t perfect apparently (7) 13 One who made an impression at one time (7) 15 Song about broken leg in African country (7) 16 A summary of affected prices (6) 18 Pallid looking meat pie (5) 20 Let fly about it, having a right to (5) 21 Place amorous romance is started initially? (5)

STANDARD CLUES

Down

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words Am An Ma Up 3 letter words Act Ado Ago Aid Ant Art Bat Bit Boa Eel Ere Hat Hue

Ink Lac Nag Oaf Oil Par Red Rye Sac Sad Sap Sop Tar Tee Tod Top Try 4 letter words Acne Afar

Aged Area Aura Auto Barn Bars Bast Bird Eddy Elan Gene Giro Ibis Iota Kepi Liar Line Mire Peer Sand Sane

Seer Send Sere Shed Soft Stag Stop Tale Tape Tine Tyre 5 letter words Adage Anion Boney Cocoa Coops Harem Icier Inkle

Laser Matte Ranch Trust 6 letter words Absurd Bucket Darned Marble Sculpt Terror 7 letter words Flatten Lithely 8 letter words Continue Superego

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

Across

Down

7 Small recess (6) 8 Administer an oil to (6) 9 Flying mammals (4) 10 Persuade someone through flattery (4-4) 11 Support (7) 13 Completely unclothed (5) 15 Concise (5) 17 Stratagems (7) 20 Notorious (8) 21 Conceal (4) 22 Quality of threatening evil (6) 23 Amalgamation (6)

1 City in western Texas (2,4) 2 One in charge (4) 3 Transparent thermoplastic acrylic resin (7) 4 Blooper (5) 5 Fixed (8) 6 Deranged (6) 12 Plot outline (8) 14 Variety of mandarin orange (7) 16 Landing site (6) 18 Corporate trust (6) 19 Pugilist (5) 21 Farm building (4)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Movies, 4 Banter, 9 Red deer, 10 Salad, 11 Okapi, 12 Natives, 13 Progressive, 18 Approve, 20 Arena, 22 Drive, 23 Adipose, 24 Quaint, 25 Harems Down: 1 Mirror, 2 Vodka, 3 Evening, 5 Asset, 6 Tel Aviv, 7 Radish, 8 Bronze medal, 14 Replica, 15 Stamina, 16 NASDAQ, 17 Caress, 19 Ocean, 21 Evoke.

Scribble Pad

1 Rock (5) 2 Severe (5) 1 Scuttle (7) 3 Device that removes 5 Ill-defined (5) wrinkles (7) 8 Deluxe (7) 4 Peddle (6) 9 Post (5) 5 Jars (5) 10 Pitchers (5) 6 Wheat storehouse (7) 11 Immediate (7) 7 Liverpool football team 12 Brilliant (6) (7) 14 Ravine (6) 12 Assistants (7) 17 Fast sailing ship (7) 13 Computer accessory 19 Arise (3,2) (7) 22 Jottings (5) 15 African country (7) 23 Custodian (7) 16 Summary (6) 24 Wander off (5) 18 Sallow (5) 25 Ability to walk on a 20 Name (5) ship (3,4) 21 French capital (5) Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Purchase, 7 Roast, 8 Notre Dame, 9 Lip, 10 Earl, 11 Reside, 13 Sadden, 17 Sprain, 18/14 Bear in mind, 20 Lea, 22 Exchanges, 23 Eaves, 24 Assessor. Down: 1 Pence, 2 Retired, 3 Heel, 4 Scales, 5 Fable, 6 Stipend, 7 Reliant, 12 Berries, 13 Swollen, 15 Ice ages, 16 Discus, 17 Salvo, 19 Riser, 21 Take.

Across

Down

1 Ducks (birds) (5) 4 To be enough (6) 9 Terrace (7) 10 Square (town) (5) 11 Prueba (4) 12 Playa (costa) (7) 13 Law (3) 14 Wedding (4) 16 Tienda (4) 18 Taco (billar) (3) 20 Sister (7) 21 Cow (farm animal) (4) 24 Dew (5) 25 Avenue (7) 26 Arroyo (riachuelo) (6) 27 Tías (5)

1 Potato (6) 2 Neumáticos (5) 3 Jabón (para lavar) (4) 5 Aplausos (8) 6 Traffic (7) 7 Lector (6) 8 Pensamiento (botánica) (5) 13 Washing machine (8) 15 To offer (7) 17 Tiburones (6) 18 Beds (furniture) (5) 19 Ensaladas (6) 22 Aeroplane (5) 23 Eyebrow (4)

Friday, October 26, 2012 Across 1 Which strong-smelling pungent-tasting is used as a flavouring in cookery and in herbal medicine? (6) 5 What name is usually given to a person who steers a ship or boat? (8) 9 Which thin dry biscuits are typically eaten with cheese? (8) 10 Mr Bass Man was the only UK hit single for Johnny [Who]? (6) 11 Which soft modelling material, used especially by children, was formulated by art teacher William Harbutt in 1897? (10) 12 Which white salty Greek cheese is made from the milk of ewes or goats? (4) 13 Which soft leather slipper or shoe shares its name with a venomous American pit viper? (8) 16 In the Roman Catholic Church, what name for a papal ambassador to a foreign court or government is derived from the Latin for ‘messenger’? (6) 17 What name is given to groups of words established by usage as having a

meaning not deducible from those of the individual words? (6) 19 Which mythical reptile with a lethal gaze or breath, was ‘hatched by a serpent from a cock’s egg’? (8) 21 Which given name connects radio/television presenter Lamarr, comedian Steel and actors Hamill and Wahlberg? (4) 22 Which duo topped the UK singles charts in 1998 with Brimful of Asha? (10) 25 What name is given to a sliding gate or other device for controlling the flow of water, especially one in a lock gate? (6) 26 Which adjective means ‘considered likely or probable to happen or arrive’? (8) 27 Which range of mountains extends along the border between France and Spain from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean? (8) 28 Which playground device consists of a plank balanced at its centre so that children sitting on either end can rise and sink alternately? (6)

SUDOKU

Quiz Word

Down 2 Which month did T S Elliot describe in his 1922 poem The Waste Land as ‘the cruellest month’? (5)

3 What is the surname of the American film producer, screenwriter and director who is best known as the creator of the space opera

franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones? (5) 4 What title is often applied to priests or religious leaders, especially Christian or Muslim ones? (7) 5 Which strong, coarse fabric made from hemp is often used for sacks and upholstery? (7) 6 The name of which tall stand with a sloping top to hold a book or notes, from which someone, typically a preacher or lecturer, can read while standing up, is derived from the Latin for ‘to read’? (7) 7 Which adjective means ‘the round preceding the final, one in a tournament from which losers are eliminated’? (9) 8 What name for slaughterhouses comes from the French for ‘to fell’? (9) 14 By what name is the Central Criminal Court in central London better known? (3,6) 15 What was the title of the 1986 comedy film starring John Cleese as Brian

Stimpson, an uncompromising British school headmaster who finds himself beset by one thing going wrong after another? (9) 18 Which verb can mean both ‘to generate and separate from cells or bodily fluids’ and ‘place out of sight’? (7) 19 What was the surname of the British radio producer, intelligence officer and Foreign Office official who, along with Kim Philby, Donald Maclean and Anthony Blunt, was part of the Cambridge Four spy ring that passed Western secrets to the Soviets before and during the Cold War? (7) 20 What name is given to members of a Himalayan people living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, renowned for their skill in mountaineering? (7) 23 Which city is the legal capital and seat of the judiciary of Bolivia? (5) 24 Which is the last (24th) letter of the Greek alphabet? (5)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH APERITIVOS - SNACKS

Match these words with their Spanish translations then find them in the wordsearch. (Answers below)

bruja

hoguera

calabaza

huevos

caramelos

magia

demonio

mascaras

disfraz

miedo

duende

noche

fantasmas

película de

fiesta

terror

historia de miedo

truco o trato

music QUIZ

ANSWERS: 1. Simon Le Bon 2. Luther Vandross 3. Sheffield 4. HMV 5. Norman Cook & Zoe Ball 6. The Buzzcocks 7. Apple Computers 8. Travis 9. Bananarama 10. Iron Maiden 11. Copacobana & Somewhere In The Night

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Wordsolution Across: 8/3 Angela Lansbury, 9 Elf, 10 Veal, 11 Rock Island, 12 Ritz, 16 Constant, 17 Mondays, 18 Jaywalk, 22 Crucible, 25 Turner, 26/5 East of Eden, 27 Nutcracker, 30 Lego, 31 Nap, 32 Sordid Down: 1 Unto, 2 Meek, 4 Tenancy, 6 Ivory tower, 7/13 Martin Landau, 14 Ado, 15 Dedication, 19 Asterisk, 20 Lee, 21 Gestapo, 23 Reaper, 24 Banana, 28 Cure, 29 Elia.

Empareja estas palabras para animales - Match the Spanish and English animal words You will find the answers at the bottom of the quiz. 1.bruja, 2.calabaza,

15.monstruo, 16.noche,

j.ghosts, k.pumpkin, l.masks,

3.caramelos, 4.demonio,

17.película de terror,

m.scarey story, n.bonfire,

5.disfraz, 6.duende,

18.truco o trato.

o.devil, p.horror film, q.costume, r.eggs.

7.fantasmas, 8.fiesta, 9.historia de miedo, 10.hoguera,

a.night, b.trick or treat, c.goblin

11.huevos, 12.magia, 1

or elf, d.magic, e.fear, f.sweets,

3.mascaras, 14.miedo,

g.party, h.witch, i.monster,

Soduko

Span - Eng

Quizword

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

1. Which Future Member Of Duran Duran Appeared In A Persil Advert As A Child? 2. Who Recorded The Album 'Never Too Much' Was It Luther Vandross Or George Benson? 3. In Which City were The Group Pulp Formed? 4. Name The UK Label Associated With A Dog Named Nipper? 5. Woody Cook Born In December 2000 Is The Son Of Which Couple? 6. Which Pioneer Punk Band Signed To EMI's United Artists Label On The Day Elvis Presley Died? 7. What Was Advertised In 1998 With A Photo Of One Of John & Yoko's Bed Ins & Slogans 'Think Different'? 8. Which Band Sang Britney Spears 'Baby One More Time' At Glastonbury 2000? 9. Which Group Took Their Version Of 'Help' To No.3 In The Uk In 1989? 10. Who Had A UK No.1 Album With 'Number Of The Beast' In 1982? 11. Name One Of The Two Classic Tracks On A Barry Manilow Single Released In 1978?

Fill It In

Friday, October 26, 2012

TRELI ON THE TELLY Sky and mighty with ALEX TRELINSKI IT’s a hearty welcome from yours truly to the best brand-new American drama of the season. Just think of the Denzel Washington movie, Crimson Tide, and you’ll get a sense of what The Last Resort is all about on Sky 1. A US submarine goes rogue after being set up to take the fall for a major nuclear assault, but they have a few cards up their sleeves as well. There’s heaps of tension and excitement in a show created by Shawn Ryan, who brought us The Shield and The Unit, and it makes a change from the cop dramas that seem to appear on a conveyor belt. Let’s hope all the budget wasn’t spent on the first episode, as it really did have a big movie feel about it. And I’m in no doubt it’ll also be

picked up by a Spanish channel. Meanwhile, on the Fox channels in the UK and Spain, we saw the return this week of the crazy American Horror Story, just in time for Halloween. This black comedy horror send up was a big hit last year and having finished the storyline, the producers have come up with a completely different tale, but with pretty much the same cast.

AHS: Asylum takes us to a psychiatric facility in the ’60s, where torture and murder are prescribed by the medics, and where Jessica Lange is once again in award-winning form, this time playing a nun! There are stacks of wellknown faces in the cast, and although I’m not a natural horror fan, I love the way the whole genre is totally sent up whilst you are never sure whether to laugh or to gasp. ITV bosses are keeping quiet about it, but their weekday breakfast

show, Daybreak, has bombed under the new presenting partnership of Lorraine Kelly and Aled Jones. A newly appointed and very experienced editor, David Kermode, has been dumped and, all in all, there must be red faces at the channel cursing the fact that they scrapped GMTV over two years ago, and produced an absolute pig in a poke. Despite their BBC rival coming from Chernobyl (sorry, Salford), ITV’s offering has limped along badly. The boss of This Morning has been drafted in, but it’s

just a sad case of getting hold of as much sticking plaster as possible. Why don’t the management just admit that they got it wrong, and bring back the old GMTV team, plus the old name, as well as the easy moneygrabbing quizzes that even a drunken moron could get right? Stephen Fry and the QI team just carry on delivering the goods after a decade on the air. The show is a total delight on a Friday night on BBC2, though the amount of laughs does vary, depending on the guests. Ross Noble is as good as you can get, and last week’s discussion on waste matter was hilarious, so long as you weren’t tucking into a paella at the time. Before that, there was an uneasy air on Have I Got News for You over on BBC1, as Ian Hislop made a fool of convicted fraudster Conrad Black. I was counting the amount of edits in the show, and

since Black had never even seen the programme, I doubt he was expecting the verbal lashing that he got. At least the Canadian has one thing going for him - and that’s his hatred for the Murdoch empire! There’s one positive thing that can be said about ITV’s pathetic Sunday night revival of Surprise Surprise, and that’s the absence of past helpers Christopher Biggins and Bob Carolgees, whilst Cilla Black has wisely chosen to leave well alone, assuming that anybody had the common sense to ask her in the first place! Meanwhile, ITV have given us another cheap clip show on a Saturday early evening called The Golden Rules of TV. It’s the same old archive bits that Denis Norden would show us a 1,000 years ago, though Robert Webb’s commentary did at least raise the occasional titter.

The Courier Friday TV

November 2

00:35 01:20 01:25 01:55 02:40 03:40 04:10 04:40 04:45 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 06:45 07:00 10:15 11:00 11:58 12:00 12:30 13:13 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:15 16:00 16:05 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:30 18:00 18:15 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:25 23:35

00:20 01:20 03:10 03:40 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:40 05:00

This Week Holiday Weatherview Panorama Countryfile Antiques to the Rescue How We Won the War How We Won the War Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News HARDtalk BBC News World Business Report BBC News Breakfast Rip Off Food Homes Under the Hammer BBC News; Weather Robbed, Raided, Reunited Cash in the Attic BBC News; Weather Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Escape to the Country BBC News; Weather Trade Your Way to the USA Lockie Leonard Prank Patrol Down Under Shaun the Sheep Blue Peter Newsround Pointless BBC News Regional News Programmes The One Show Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day BBC News; Regional News EastEnders Miranda Have I Got News for You Me and Mrs Jones BBC News Regional News and Weather The Graham Norton Show

The Culture Show Things We Lost in the Fire The Culture Show Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Close Schools

07:00 Zigby 07:10 Finley the Fire Engine 07:20 Little Robots 07:30 64 Zoo Lane 07:45 Chuggington: Badge Quest 07:50 Rastamouse 08:00 Splatalot 08:25 Leon 08:30 League of Super Evil 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Shaun the Sheep 09:00 What's New Scooby-Doo? 09:25 Mister Maker Comes to Town 09:45 I Can Cook with You 10:00 ZingZillas 10:15 Baby Jake 10:25 Octonauts: Creature Reports 10:30 Wibbly Pig 10:40 The Koala Brothers 10:50 Get Squiggling! 11:05 Hoof and Safety with Nuzzle & Scratch 11:30 3rd & Bird 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Restoration Roadshow 14:30 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:15 Weakest Link 16:00 Real Rescues 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Breakaway 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing 20:00 Great British Food Revival 20:30 Coast 21:00 Gardeners' World 21:30 Autumnwatch 2012 22:30 Autumnwatch Unsprung 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:05 The Jonathan Ross Show 01:05 Jackpot247 01:05 ITV News Headlines 04:00 Tonight 04:25 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 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 The Dales 17:30 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Island Hospital 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Jonathan & Charlotte 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Public Enemies

DERREN BROWN: APOCALYPSE

The acclaimed showman concludes his two-part special in which he convinces one person they have survived a meteor strike on earth. The unwitting participant continues his adventure in a post-apocalyptic world as a series of challenges and staged situations begin to transform the way he sees himself and his life.

00:10 Random Acts 00:15 999: What's Your Emergency? 01:15 Jewish Mum of the Year 02:10 Jews at Ten 02:35 Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life 03:30 The American Road Trip 04:25 What's My Body Worth? 04:55 Dispatches 05:25 Deal or No Deal 06:20 Countdown 07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Channel 4 Presents 08:05 Freshly Squeezed 08:35 According to Jim 09:00 Frasier 09:30 Frasier 10:30 The Big Bang Theory 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:30 Unreported World 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Baggage 22:00 Derren Brown: Apocalypse 23:00 Alan Carr: Chatty Man

01:15 SuperCasino 04:55 Great Artists 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Monkey 07:55 Milkshake! Music Box 08:00 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Make Way for Noddy 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Shark 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Law & Order 14:10 Looney Tunes 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 Jane Doe: Eye of the Beholder 17:55 Looney Tunes 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Bomber Boys: Revealed 21:00 Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 22:00 The Mentalist 23:00 A Perfect Murder

The Courier Saturday TV

November 3

00:20 The National Lottery Friday Night Draws 00:30 Would I Lie to You? 01:00 EastEnders 03:00 Weatherview 03:05 Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight 04:05 Question Time 05:05 BBC News 05:30 On the Road With 06:00 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Football Focus 13:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 13:10 Formula One 15:15 Live International Rugby League 17:30 Final Score 18:20 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 18:40 Pointless Celebrities 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing 21:15 Merlin 22:00 Casualty 22:50 The National Lottery Saturday Night Draws 23:00 BBC News; Weather 23:20 Match of the Day

00:00 00:45 00:50 01:55 Witch 03:25 03:30 04:00 04:30

The Review Show Weather Later with Jools Holland Halloween III: Season of the BBC News The Week in Parliament BBC News Click

05:00 07:00 07:10 07:20 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:30 08:55 09:20 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:25 11:35 12:00 12:30 12:45 13:00 13:30 14:15 15:55 18:15 19:15 20:15 21:15 21:45 22:45 23:30 23:55

Close Zigby Finley the Fire Engine Little Robots 64 Zoo Lane Rastamouse Roar Bear Behaving Badly The Scooby-Doo Show Dennis and Gnasher Trapped Ever After Jedward's Big Adventure Sorry, I've Got No Head The Ministry of Curious Stuff Deadly 60 Bites Splatalot Prank Patrol Diddy Movies MOTD Kickabout Nigellissima Animal Park Bitter Victory The High and the Mighty Escape to the Country Flog It! Dambusters Declassified Dad's Army The Late Great Eric Sykes QI XL Sykes Arena: The Entertainers

02:05 ITV News Headlines 04:00 Before Sunset 05:20 ITV Nightscreen 06:30 ITV Morning News 07:00 CITV 10:25 ITV News 10:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 11:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 12:20 Dinner Date: Australia 13:20 ITV News and Weather 13:29 Meridian Weather 13:30 All Star Family Fortunes 14:15 Home Sweet Home 15:15 Home Sweet Home 16:15 Star Wars Episode V: the Empire Strikes Back 18:35 Meridian News and Weather 18:50 ITV News and Weather 19:05 The Golden Rules of TV 19:35 New You've Been Framed! 20:05 Take Me Out 21:20 The X Factor 23:05 The Jonathan Ross Show

00:05 Friday Night Dinner 00:35 Mercury Prize Awards Show 01:55 Random Acts 02:00 Comedy World Cup 02:55 My Name Is Earl 03:20 Bob's Burgers 03:40 Allen Gregory 04:05 Charlie's Angels 04:45 90210 05:25 Deal or No Deal 06:20 Countdown 07:05 Channel 4 Presents 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 Volkswagen Racing Cup 08:05 Beach Volleyball 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 4Music Video Honours 10:30 Ne-Yo: London Live 11:00 Made in Chelsea 12:05 Suburgatory 12:35 The Big Bang Theory 13:05 The Big Bang Theory 13:35 The Simpsons 14:10 The Simpsons 14:40 Channel 4 Presents 14:45 Channel 4 Racing 16:55 Come Dine with Me Down Under 19:25 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 21:00 Grand Designs 22:00 Green Zone

GREEN ZONE Action thriller starring Matt Damon. In the wake of the US-led invasion of Iraq, military officer Roy Miller is charged with finding the weapons of mass destruction that sparked the conflict. When no weapons are found, Miller begins to questions the accuracy of the intelligence and uncovers a conspiracy that makes him wonder who he can trust.

01:15 SuperCasino 04:55 Motorsport Mundial 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Nick's Quest 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 07:30 The Mr Men Show 07:45 Abby's Flying Fairy School 07:55 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:00 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:15 Play! 08:25 Noddy in Toyland 08:40 City of Friends 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:10 Toby's Travelling Circus 10:25 Roary the Racing Car 10:40 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers: Super Samurai 11:35 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:10 Highland Emergency 12:40 Last of the Dogmen 14:55 The Staircase Murders 16:35 Dangerous Attraction 18:15 The Sea Wolves 20:35 5 News Weekend 20:40 Zulu Dawn 23:00 CSI: Miami

The Courier Sunday TV

November 4

00:45 The Football League Show 01:25 Bigga than Ben: a Guide to Ripping Off London 02:45 Weatherview 02:50 The Bottom Line 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Dateline London 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Talking Books USA 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click 06:00 BBC News 06:30 Politics Europe 07:00 Breakfast 08:35 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 Sunday Morning Live 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:10 Formula One 16:30 Nature's Miracle Babies 17:30 Points of View 17:45 Songs of Praise 18:20 Nigel Slater's Dish of the Day 18:50 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 19:20 Countryfile 20:20 Strictly Come Dancing 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Andrew Marr's History of the World 23:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 23:25 Match of the Day 2

01:05 Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel

02:25 Octane 03:50 Close 07:00 Zigby 07:10 Finley the Fire Engine 07:20 Little Robots 07:30 64 Zoo Lane 07:45 Rastamouse 08:00 Roar 08:30 Deadly Art 08:45 Copycats 09:15 Paradise Cafe 09:40 Wingin' It 10:00 12 Again 10:30 Gastronuts 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:30 Weather for the Week Ahead 12:30 The Great British Bake Off 13:35 Escape to the Country 14:35 Flower Drum Song 16:40 Flog It! 17:25 The Tuxedo 19:00 Fawlty Towers 19:30 Indian Ocean with Simon Reeve 20:30 This World 21:30 Space Dive 23:00 Harry & Paul 23:30 Hebburn

00:05 00:19 00:20 01:35 03:35 04:20 06:30 07:00 10:25 11:10 12:50 12:59 13:00 16:00 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 19:45 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:30 23:44 23:45

ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather FA Cup Highlights The Store Ladette to Lady: Australia ITV Nightscreen ITV Morning News CITV All Star Family Fortunes The X Factor ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather Live FA Cup Football You've Been Framed! Dickinson's Real Deal The Home of Fabulous Cakes Downton Abbey Meridian News and Weather ITV News and Weather Surprise Surprise The X Factor Downton Abbey ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather FA Cup Highlights

SURPRISE SURPRISE Holly Willoughby and roving reporters Dave Berry and Kian Egan make more dreams come true for unsuspecting members of the public. Tonight, a deserving sister is serenaded by James `Arg' Argent from The Only Way Is Essex and also meets the show's Sam and Billie Faiers, JLS provide a dance lesson for two of their biggest fans and a young football team has a kickaround at Wembley with Robbie Savage. Plus, a woman meets her birth father for the first time.

00:15 02:05 04:10 06:20 07:05 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:05 09:30 10:00 10:30 13:00 13:30 13:55 14:25 16:30 17:30 18:35 20:25 20:55 21:00 22:00 23:10 23:40

What Happens in Vegas Black Rain Hollyoaks Countdown Channel 4 Presents The Hoobs The Hoobs Extreme Sailing Series Ironman Triathlon Channel 4 Presents Will & Grace Frasier Frasier Sunday Brunch The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons Never Been Kissed Deal or No Deal Come Dine with Me X-Men Channel 4 News 4thought.tv How Britain Worked Homeland Friday Night Dinner Derren Brown: Apocalypse

00:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 00:55 Inside Hollywood 01:00 SuperCasino 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 Divine Designs 05:45 Rough Guide to Journeys 06:05 Hana's Helpline 06:15 The Milkshake! Show 06:35 Thomas & Friends 06:50 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 07:30 The Mr Men Show 07:45 Castle Farm 07:50 Abby's Flying Fairy School 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:05 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:20 Play! 08:25 Noddy in Toyland 08:40 City of Friends 08:50 Milkshake! Monkey 08:55 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:20 Mio Mao 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Toby's Travelling Circus 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:45 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers: Super Samurai 11:35 ThunderCats 12:10 Looney Tunes 12:15 Looney Tunes 12:25 Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 13:25 Stargate 15:45 Close Encounters of the Third Kind 18:20 Looney Tunes 18:25 Cats & Dogs 20:10 5 News Weekend 20:15 Hancock 22:00 Bangkok Dangerous

The Courier Monday TV

November 5

00:25 The Graham Norton Show 01:10 The Sky at Night 01:30 Weatherview 01:35 The Choir: Sing While You Work 02:35 Holby City 03:35 The Paradise 04:35 Servants: The True Story of Life Below Stairs 05:35 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Remembrance Week 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 12:30 Cash in the Attic 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 Nick Nickleby 16:00 BBC News; Weather 16:05 Trade Your Way to the USA 16:35 Lockie Leonard 17:00 Prank Patrol Down Under 17:25 Leon 17:30 Junior MasterChef 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 Panorama 22:00 Richard Hammond's Miracles of Nature 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Have I Got a Bit More News for You

00:00 00:30 02:25 03:50 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00

Never Mind the Buzzcocks American Beauty The Big Kahuna Sport Today BBC News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC News

05:30 HARDtalk 05:35 Close 07:00 Zigby 07:10 Finley the Fire Engine 07:20 Little Robots 07:30 64 Zoo Lane 07:45 Chuggington: Badge Quest 07:50 Rastamouse 08:00 School of Silence 08:30 Pet Squad 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 What's New Scooby-Doo? 09:25 Mister Maker Comes to Town 09:45 I Can Cook with You 10:00 ZingZillas 10:15 Baby Jake 10:25 Dipdap 10:30 Wibbly Pig 10:40 The Koala Brothers 10:50 Get Squiggling! 11:05 Big Barn Farm 11:20 Charlie and Lola 11:30 3rd & Bird 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Weakest Link 14:45 Live Tennis: ATP World Tour Finals 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two 20:00 Great British Food Revival 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 MasterChef: The Professionals 22:00 The Road to El Alamein: Churchill's Desert Campaign 23:30 Newsnight

00:30 Premiership Rugby Union 01:25 ITV News Headlines 03:30 Golden Balls 04:20 Motorsport UK 05:05 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 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 The Dales 17:30 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Little England 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Monroe 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 The Agenda

RICHARD HAMMONDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

00:40 Scary Movie 2 02:10 American Football Live 05:45 Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind 05:50 Grudge Match 06:00 Countdown 06:45 Make Do & Mend 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Celebrity Come Dine with Me 15:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 Food Unwrapped 22:00 999: What's Your Emergency? 23:00 8 Out of 10 Cats 23:50 Alan Carr: Chatty Man

MIRACLES OF NATURE New series. The Hamster enters the natural world to uncover animals' secret abilities and reveal how those skills have inspired a series of unlikely inventions. In the first programme, he discovers how scientists have been able to build a flying submarine, prevent jet pilots losing consciousness, safely protect a light bulb dropped from space and waterproof a mobile phone, all thanks to creatures as diverse as a vulture, a giraffe, a woodpecker and a South American butterfly.

00:00 Hatfields & McCoys 01:00 Bomber Boys: Revealed 02:00 SuperCasino 05:00 The FBI Files 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 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Music Box 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Make Way for Noddy 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Mio Mao 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Shark 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Law & Order 14:10 Looney Tunes 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: NY 16:15 McBride: Murder Past Midnight 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Cowboy Builders 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Revolver

The Courier Tuesday TV

November 6

00:20 MOBO Highlights 2012 01:50 Weatherview 01:55 Watchdog 02:55 Wartime Farm 03:55 Lorraine's Fast, Fresh and Easy Food 04:25 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Remembrance Week 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 12:30 Cash in the Attic 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 Nick Nickleby 16:00 BBC News; Weather 16:05 Trade Your Way to the USA 16:35 Lockie Leonard 17:00 Prank Patrol Down Under 17:25 Leon 17:30 Shaun the Sheep 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 The Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Imagine

00:20 01:20 01:30 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00

This World BBC News HARDtalk Newsday ABC World News BBC News Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC News

04:30 Close 05:00 Schools 07:00 Zigby 07:10 Finley the Fire Engine 07:20 Little Robots 07:30 64 Zoo Lane 07:45 Chuggington: Badge Quest 07:50 Rastamouse 08:00 School of Silence 08:30 Pet Squad 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 What's New Scooby-Doo? 09:25 Mister Maker Comes to Town 09:45 I Can Cook with You 10:00 ZingZillas 10:15 Baby Jake 10:25 Dipdap 10:30 Wibbly Pig 10:40 The Koala Brothers 10:50 Get Squiggling! 11:05 Big Barn Farm 11:20 Charlie and Lola 11:30 3rd & Bird 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Weakest Link 14:45 Live Tennis: ATP World Tour Finals 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two 20:00 Great British Food Revival 21:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 22:00 Dara O Briain's Science Club 23:00 Later Live - with Jools Holland 23:30 Weather

00:05 The American President 02:05 Jackpot247 02:05 ITV News Headlines 04:00 Champions League Weekly 04:25 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 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 The Dales 17:30 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Live UEFA Champions League 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 UEFA Champions League: Extra Time

DARA OBRIAINS SCIENCE CLUB The comedian investigates a subject each week from different and unexpected angles, beginning with a look at the worlds of reproduction and inheritance. Dara chats to geneticist Steve Jones and finds out how the bicycle did more to improve the human immune system than any other invention, while standup Ed Byrne discovers just how closely related he is to a Neanderthal.

00:50 Random Acts 00:55 Shameless 01:55 The Good Wife 02:40 The Good Wife 03:20 Surviving Life 05:10 Supernanny US 05:50 Deal or No Deal 06:45 Make Do & Mend 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday 13:05 Come Dine with Me 13:35 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Come Dine with Me 14:35 Come Dine with Me 15:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 22:00 Heston's Fantastical Food 23:00 Fresh Meat 23:50 Random Acts 23:55 Homeland

00:20 Lock Up 02:30 SuperCasino 04:55 Great Artists 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Nick's Quest 06:35 Nick's Quest 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Milkshake! Music Box 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Make Way for Noddy 08:55 Milkshake! Monkey 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:40 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Mio Mao 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Shark 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Law & Order 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 Concrete Canyons 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News 20:00 Highland Emergency 20:30 Highland Emergency 20:30 5 News Update 21:00 Rolf's Animal Clinic 22:00 Body of Proof 23:00 CSI: NY

The Courier Wednesday TV

November 7

00:35 US Election Night 2012 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Remembrance Week 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 12:30 Cash in the Attic 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 Nick Nickleby 16:00 BBC News; Weather; Regional News 16:05 Trade Your Way to the USA 16:35 Lockie Leonard 17:00 Prank Patrol Down Under 17:25 Leon 17:30 Junior MasterChef 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Police Elections - Time to Choose 21:00 Pound Shop Wars 22:00 Brazil with Michael Palin 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 The National Lottery Wednesday Night Draws 23:45 Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow

00:20 01:50 01:55 02:55 (12A) 04:20 04:50 07:00 07:10 07:20 07:30

Space Dive Weatherview Storyville The Market: a Tale of Trade Close Schools - Vikings Zigby Finley the Fire Engine Little Robots 64 Zoo Lane

07:45 Chuggington: Badge Quest 07:50 Rastamouse 08:00 School of Silence 08:30 Pet Squad 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 What's New Scooby-Doo? 09:25 Mister Maker Comes to Town 09:45 I Can Cook with You 10:00 ZingZillas 10:15 Baby Jake 10:25 Dipdap 10:30 Wibbly Pig 10:40 The Koala Brothers 10:50 Get Squiggling! 11:05 Big Barn Farm 11:20 Charlie and Lola 11:30 3rd & Bird 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 See Hear 14:30 Coast 14:45 Live Tennis: ATP World Tour Finals 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two 20:00 The Dark: Nature's Nighttime World 21:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 22:00 How Safe Are Britain's Roads? 23:00 The Culture Show 23:30 Newsnight

00:35 America Decides 2012 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 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 The Dales 17:30 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 All Star Mr & Mrs 22:00 DCI Banks 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Exposure

SECRET STATE

01:05 European Poker Tour 02:05 Lunacy 04:10 Sailing 04:35 Bullrun: Cops, Cars and Superstars 05:00 KOTV Boxing Weekly 05:30 Beach Volleyball 06:25 Deal or No Deal 07:20 Channel 4 Presents 07:25 The Treacle People 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 15:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 The Great British Property Scandal 22:00 Grand Designs 23:00 Secret State

Political drama, starring Gabriel Byrne, based on Chris Mullin's novel A Very British Coup. Deputy Prime Minister Tom Dawkins vows to take on an American petrochemical company after a devastating industrial accident on British soil. Following the suspicious death of the PM in a plane crash, his understated ambitions are tested as two colleagues vie for the top job - but neither appears to have justice for those affected by the disaster at the forefront of their campaign. With Charles Dance, Stephen Dillane, Rupert Graves and Douglas Hodge.

00:00 CSI: NY 00:55 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 01:50 Forensic Files 02:15 SuperCasino 04:55 Great Artists 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Nick's Quest 06:35 Nick's Quest 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Make Way for Noddy 08:55 Milkshake! Monkey 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Mio Mao 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Law & Order 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Law & Order 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:10 Killer Flood 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 21:00 The Removal Men 22:00 Dallas 23:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 23:55 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The Courier Thursday TV

November 8

00:15 02:00 02:05 02:35 03:35 World 04:35 05:05 05:30 06:00 06:30 06:45 07:00 10:15 11:00 11:58 12:00 12:30 13:13 13:15 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:15 16:00 16:05 16:35 17:00 17:25 17:30 18:00 18:15 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:25 23:35

The Ring Weatherview See Hear Exploring China Andrew Marr's History of the Cash Britain BBC News Panorama BBC News World Business Report BBC News Breakfast Remembrance Week Homes Under the Hammer BBC News; Weather Robbed, Raided, Reunited Cash in the Attic BBC News; Weather Bargain Hunt BBC News; Weather Regional News and Weather Doctors Nick Nickleby BBC News; Weather Trade Your Way to the USA Lockie Leonard Prank Patrol Down Under Leon Junior MasterChef Newsround Pointless BBC News Weather The One Show EastEnders Young Apprentice Hunted BBC News Regional News and Weather Question Time

00:35 The Road to El Alamein: Churchill's Desert Campaign 02:05 Newsday 02:30 ABC World News 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Schools

07:00 Zigby 07:10 Finley the Fire Engine 07:20 Little Robots 07:30 64 Zoo Lane 07:45 Chuggington: Badge Quest 07:50 Rastamouse 08:00 School of Silence 08:30 Pet Squad 08:40 Eliot Kid 08:55 Newsround 09:00 What's New Scooby-Doo? 09:25 Mister Maker Comes to Town 09:45 I Can Cook with You 10:00 ZingZillas 10:15 Baby Jake 10:25 Dipdap 10:30 Wibbly Pig 10:40 The Koala Brothers 10:50 Get Squiggling! 11:05 Big Barn Farm 11:20 Charlie and Lola 11:30 3rd & Bird 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Weakest Link 14:45 Live Tennis: ATP World Tour Finals 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing - It Takes Two 20:00 The Dark: Nature's Nighttime World 21:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 22:00 Great Continental Railway Journeys 23:00 Hebburn 23:30 Newsnight

00:35 Take Me Out 01:40 Jackpot247 04:00 Columbo: the Most Dangerous Match 05:20 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 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 The Dales 17:30 The Dales 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 Emmerdale at 40 22:00 DCI Banks 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Corfu: A Tale of Two Islands

THE CONTRACTOR Action thriller starring Wesley Snipes, Eliza Bennett and Lena Headey. Former CIA agent James Dial is lured back into service on an assassination assignment in London. But he soon finds himself framed for murder and forced to go on the run in an attempt to clear his name.

00:00 Random Acts 00:05 Geordies Overboard 01:10 Mercury Prize: 2012 Albums of the Year Live 02:20 Spotlight 02:35 Conspirators of Pleasure 04:00 The Thief 05:30 Deal or No Deal 06:25 Countdown 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 According to Jim 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 13:35 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Come Dine with Me 14:35 Come Dine with Me 15:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Kirstie's Vintage Home 22:00 The Inbetweeners Movie

00:55 The Mentalist 01:50 Forensic Files 02:15 SuperCasino 04:55 HouseBusters 05:20 House Doctor 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Nick's Quest 06:35 Nick's Quest 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 The WotWots 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Make Way for Noddy 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Mio Mao 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Law & Order 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Law & Order 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 Honeymoon with Mom 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Rolf's Animal Clinic 21:00 WW1's Tunnels of Death: The Big Dig 22:00 Hatfields & McCoys 23:00 The Contractor

Friday, November 2, 2012

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

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ACCOMMODATION Torrevieja Long Let 2 bed park home television, washing machine, aircon, 250€ + bills 617 599 470 (90)

CHURCH SERVICES

ADT Authorised Distributor Fully fitted alarm systems, approved by the Guardia Civil. Master keypad with remote control, wireless handset, 2 image movement detectors with sound, wall base unit and GPRS/GSM transmitter sends message to your mobile phone. All

International Christian Assembly, Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja. Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday services 11am. Children's church 11am. House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier. Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am. Craft club, Tuesdays, 2pm. Pastor, Rafael Restrepo. All nationalities welcome. Call 966 799 273 or 660 127 276. Pilar Christian Community Church Calle Canalejas 3. Pilar de la Horadada. Sunday Service at 11am, and Thursday at 5pm for Bible study and Prayer. Home groups meet during the week. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information

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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 Call Professional Business Support now for your quick quote for car insurance.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Excellent prices for expats, all policies available in English or German. We will call you back with a price. 966 923 963 Looking for a car We have a good selection of LHD & RHD vehicles FOR SALE OR EXCHANGE Quality cars bought for cash Tel 600 726 221 / 965 687 976 www.fwreurocars.com Kia Picanto 1.1 ex 2008 5 dr hatch, 1 owner, 87,000 kms, fully services, a/c, cd player, central locking, multi airbags, rear head restraints, elec windows, beautiful condition, economical, metallic silver 5250 euros Tel 600 726 221 / 965 687 976 www.fwreurocars.com Chevrolet Kalos 1.4 16v SE 2006, 5 dr hatch, 1 owner, 73,000 kms, full Chevrolet service history, a/c cd player, electric windows, remote locking, rear head restraints, met silver grey, lovely condition, economical 5950 euros Tel 600 726 221 / 965 687 976 www.fwreurocars.com Toyota Yaris 1.3 vvti 5 dr hatch, 2005, 2 owners,

87,000 kms, FSH, AC, Alloys, CD, electric windows front fogs, metallic silver, lovely condition, 5750 euros Tel 600 726 221 / 965 687 976 www.fwreurocars.com Renault Modus, 1.5 dci, 2005, 1 owner, 91,000 kms, alloys, AC, front fogs, electric windows, CD, multi function steering wheel, economical, metallic champagne, beautiful condition 5800 euros Tel 600 726 221 / 965 687 976 www.fwreurocars.com

Fridays 3pm at Bar Catorce, Benijofar. At side of ayuntamiento. Carole 692 215 753 / Carolyn 966 715 272. (93)

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

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Friday, November 2, 2012

offers you a quick and affordable solution, using the best private hospitals in the area. All policies available in English. Call us now on 966 923 963, and we will call you back with your quote.

CLUBS Caring, Beautiful, Sexy Lady, (35) offers relaxed Sensual Massage. Discreet air conditioned flat, Villamartin Tel 677 865 831 (93)

PROPERTY FOR RENT Ref: 61, A lovely two bedroomed ground floor apartment, located in the centre of the small Spanish town of Los Montesinos, With a pleasant communal swimming pool adjacent & all amenities in walking distance. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Viva Villa and Vacation Services, For Short or Long Term Rentals visit: www.villaandvacation.com or Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 2 or 3 bed / 2 bath apartments in San Miguel. Lift, communal rooftop pool & solarium, video entry system. Available for short or long term rent from 300 pcm. Tel 966723437 or 636615716. (91) Ref. RS69 – Spacious towncentre apartment only a two minute walk from the beach and well known Marina International in Torrevieja centre. 2 large bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, fully furnished, 350 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. KBJ3 – Luxury duplex penthouse apartment located near the marina in Guardamar. 3 bedrooms, 2

bathrooms, amazing panoramic views, inc.parking and storage. 600 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR21 – A rare chance to rent a frontline beach apartment in Torrevieja! Ground floor with large terrace, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, direct and full-on sea views. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR20 – Spanish style 4th floor apartment right on the beach! 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lovely balcony to soak up the amazing sea views. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR19 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in sought after area beachside Punta Prima, with communal pool and fully furnished, only 400 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR18 – Fabulous finca-style villa only metres from Punta Prima beach, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, garage, private pool, and much more! 900 € pcm (price inc. Gardener and pool maint.) 966 923 963 Ref. CBR3 – 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse located in Algorfa, communal pool, fully furnished, 300 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. RS20 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment within private enclosed residential in San Luis, large terrace, 375 € pcm. 966 923 963

ENERGY SAVER

DAMP PROOFING

ELECTRICIAN

Ref: 49, 2nd floor one bedroom apartment situated conveniently located in the town centre of Torrevieja, with a small sun balcony overlooking the lovely communal pool. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 CBR23 : Stylish new house in Los Montesinos, 3 bed 2 bath with large 65m2 garage, front and back terraces. 500 € pcm. 966 923 Ref 33, Ground floor spacious 2 bedroom apartment, located in Torre la Mata. Close to all amenities and beach. 3 month rental €300pcm Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 104, 2 Bedroom apartment in Torrevieja, (near gypsy lane), small balcony, near all amenities and Friday market. €350pcm Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 112, Spacious 3 bedroom detached villa with its private pool is located on the El Raso urbanisation near Guardamar. Convenient for all amenities, shops, supermarket, restaurants and bars. Short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 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. Short term rental €800PCM. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref 702: Beautiful 2 bedroom apartment, located near los Locos beach, beautifully furnished. Short term rentals from 175€ per week. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 El Chaparel/La Siesta Two bedroom apartment in a quiet gated urbanisation for rent €350 per month plus bills. Reference No 17 Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 709, A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach. There is a terrace outside with views to the sea. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

Ref: 117, A Lovely 3 Bedroomed 1st floor apartment on the outskirts of Torrevieja (Mar Azul). The Apartment is in walking distance of the excellent beaches and a good selection of restaurants, shops and bars. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 63, Two bedroom 1st floor apartment situated in Monino Blanco. The property overlooks a superb communal pool area, in within walking distance of bars, restaurants and shops. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

PROPERTY FOR SALE Comprehensive cover for house and contents with CASER Seguros - excellent prices for expats; policies available in English or German. Call 966 923 963 for a quote. Lovely Corner property in Novamar V, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Being sold fully furnished including appliances, Has secure underground parking and faces large oasis communal pool. Walking distance to beach. 139.000 Euros, Call 627 711 155 and

ELECTRICIAN

GARDENING

quote Ref No. K10 Ground floor duplex, with splendid views. Quiet location in Gran Alacant. Immaculate condition. Price has just been reduced to 105.000 and includes everything. For viewing call 627 711 155 Ref. No K27 Rare opportunity to purchase on Mediterrania III, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Private Parking, F/Furnished, Large communal pools & Tennis courts S/W facing, Dramatically reduced for quick sale to 126.000 euros. Ref No. K58 Call 627 711 155 for immediate viewing Ref: 521, €105,000. This comfortable bungalow is located in San Luis with a new roof and solarium tiles. It is close to supermarkets, bars, restaurants and is on the local bus route. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Don Pueblo, Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Large Kitchen with Galleria, Secure underground parking, Gas Central Heating, Glazed in Porch, Solarium with stunning views. Viewings absolutely essential. Very large property at reduced price of 190.000 euros. Ref No. K38 Call 627 711 155 Opportunity to purchase at the off plan price of 195.000

euros. Large 4 Bed, 3 Bath Brand new property. Secure underground parking for 2 cars and communal pool. Situated opposite Gran Alacant and over looks projected golf course. Ref No. K52. 627 711 155 Viva Villa and Vacation Services are pleased to offer property sales for the Torrevieja and Oriheula areas of the Costa Blanca, Spain. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 or Visit : www.villaandvacation.com 2 Bed, 1 Bath Ground floor duplex. Central heating, Grills, Fully furnished, Glazed in Galleria, 2 communal pools, private parking and walking distance to the Gran Alacant commercial centre. Situated in the popular urbanisation of Puerto Marino. Now only 96,500 euros for quick sale Ref No. K46. 627 711 155 Immaculate ground floor Duplex, 2 beds, 2 bath, Private Parking, Situated in Novamar, Gran Alacant. Price includes very tasteful furniture and white goods. Walking distance to all local amenities and beach. Now only 129,750 euros. Ref No K24. 627 711 155

DENTAL

DRAINAGE

INTERIOR DESIGN

HOUSE CLEARANCE

FAST BROADBAND

Friday, November 2, 2012

Gran Alacant Detached villa, located in a very sought after location.Situated on a 560m2 S/W facing plot and constructed in 2005. Comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 full baths), Lounge-Diner, fully equipped Kitchen, Porch and Solarium with Alicante & Sea Views. ref.L81. €258,000 neg. Tel. 680333242 Ref 533: Lovely 2 bedroom Townhouse located in the popular area of Punta Prima, the property has a large lounge and fully equipped kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, one with balcony, bathroom with double shower. €126,000 Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Gran Alacant Town House with a difference. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Glazed in Porch, Quiet Location, Extra storage areas, and South Facing Private Pool as well as 2 communal pools. Fully Furnished, All mod cons. Greenland Views and all

LOCKSMITH

local amenities close by. Ref. No L79. 179.000 euros 680 333 242 Gran Alacant immaculate villa, 3 bedroomed, 3 bathroomed property maintained to a very high standard inside and out and the interior furnishings are top quality, offering a feeling of luxury and good taste. The plot size is 400m2 and has been beautifully tiles, and graveled and has established palms and plants. Oil fired central heating throughout, log effect fire place, ceiling fans in all rooms, towel heater rails, glazed in shower units, instant hot water, water purifier, free English TV, phone & internet lines, fitted double hanging wardrobes, safe, glazed in front porch, vanity units and much more. The pool is an 8 X 4 m2 salt water pool, meaning maintenance is much easier plus outside toilet and shower. Sea views to front with Greenland views to the rear. ref K51. €245,000 Tel 680333242 Balsares is opposite Gran Alacant where the proposed golf course is now being started so this property will virtually be on the golf course, it is an investment not to be missed. The property is on a small gated urbanisation of 18 houses with private underground parking for 2 cars and direct access to the house, communal pool and

toilets/changing rooms etc. The house is brand new and consists of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, lounge with working fire place, large kitchen 12 m2, large galleria/ utility room, bedroom balcony and front tiled terrace. This property also has a converted under build for an extra lounge or bedroom. ref K52 €198,000 Tel 680333242 Ref: 516, €39,999. Studio apartment in San Luis, close to amenities. Open plan fully equipped kitchen. Good sized lounge, bedroom and out onto balcony which has been glazed to create another room. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 510, €70,000. Bungalow located in San Luis. It is close to the supermarkets, bars and restaurants and is on the local bus route. An Opel Corsa car is included in this sale. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: KP3100, €183,000. Three bedroom, two bathroom detached villa, located in San Luis, on a 450sqm plot, with communal pool. Garage to side of house. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 78, €120,000. Three bedroom Quad in Jardin Del Mar VII. There is off-road parking and small storage shed in the enclosed garden

area, communal pool nearby. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref: 709, €60,000 A lovely 1 bedroom apartment in Aguas Nuevas, within a 5 minute walk of the beach. There is a terrace outside with views to the sea. Short or long term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Gran Alacant Opportunity to purchase a beautiful 3 bedroomed, 3 bathroomed,large kitchen, detached property with rooftop solarium. Well established gardens and drive way for 2 cars, whilst also overlooking the projected 18 hole golf course. Comprising of fitted wardrobes, utility room, air con H/C, alarm system, electric wall heaters, intercom system, fireplace, ceilings fans, 8x7 gazebo, use of 2 large communal pools, immaculate condition with many extras. ref K12.

KITCHENS

€180,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant bargain, detached villa with pool on 400m2 plot. Briefly comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Lounge Diner, independent kitchen, solarium with views, well maintained gardens. Quiet location yet within walking distance of all amenities. Top quality furniture and appliances included in the price. Extras include, mosquito nets, grills, toldos blinds, built in wardrobes, gas fire, electric heating, ceiling fans, English & Spanish TV, tastefully tiled & graveled garden with irrigation system. ref K43. €229,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant South facing attractive corner house Situated in the sought after urbanization of Monte Faro, this secure gated urbanization offers a stunning oasis pool, with mountain views, tennis courts and football courts. Consisting of 3 double beds with balconies, 2 bathrooms, kitchen leading onto court yard which can easily be converted into an

extra room, lounge diner with working fireplace, front garden with private parking for 2 cars. Being sold fully furnishes with white goods, built in 2006 so immaculate condition hardly lived in. Ref K48 €168,000 priced for quick sale Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Large detached villa with beautiful gardens set on 550m2 plot, built in BBQ area and large 10x6 pool.Comprising of 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Lounge Diner with fire place, Independent Kitchen, air con H/C, Solarium, front porch, converted under build with 3 extra rooms, private covered parking, irrigated gardens, close distance to beach and amenities. Ref. K18 €250,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant Gem! Fabulous detached Villa, with Alicante sea views to the front and wood land views to the rear, means this immaculate villa is very private and un-overlooked. Comprising of 2 large bedrooms with fitted wardrobes,

PLASTERER

KENNELS

SECOND HAND FURNITURE

PETS

PAVING

NEWS AGENTS

MOSQIUITO SCREENS

PERSONAL TRAINER PLUMBERS

MASSAGE

POOL TABLES

Friday, November 2, 2012 2 bath, large fully equipped kitchen,glazed porch sitting area, solarium, Attractive Pool with cover, well maintained Gardens. Central Heating, Air Con, Ceiling fans, Private Parking, Alarm system, Decorative working Fire Place complete with electric Fire. Outdoor workshop/storage area, Quality Pergola & BBQ. Constructed in 2006, on plot size of 380m2 and being sold fully furnished including white goods. ref L80. €234,995 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated front line to the famous blue flag beaches of Carabassi, the real beauty of this property is its proximity to the beach, but also on offer is a fantas-

tic communal pool situated in beautifully kept gardens with little Spanish walk ways.Comprising of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge diner, American style kitchen including all appliances, roof top solarium with stunning views, front porch area with front garden and a secure underground garage. fully furnished Ref. K23 €125,000 rare opportunity Tel 680333242 Ref: 520, €85,000. Two bedroom apartment in Dream Hills, with a fully equipped kitchen, large lounge, glazed-in terrace and a large solarium. This property comes with a large communal swimming pool. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397

ROLLER BLINDS

REMOVALS

Top floor Duplex. Very good price of 108.000 euros for a quick sale. Furnished to a very high standard, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, Lounge Diner, Glazed in Porch, Large Roof Top Solarium. Choice of Communal Pools, Private Parking. Walking distance to all amenities and on the First urbanisation as you enter Gran Alacant. Viewing essential. Ref No. K44. Tel. 627 711 155 Gran Alacant, corner property in Don Pueblo with no expense spared, comprising of 3 double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, 2 decoratively tiled bathrooms, very large independent kitchen with galleria. Included in the price are all kitchen appliances such as large fridge freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave to name just a few. There is a huge lounge complete with chimney, plus large fully transformed under build,and small workshop. Front and rear private garden area, secure underground garage, tennis courts, football pitch and communal pools. Ref. K14 €209,00 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated in the "Alto" part of Gran Alacant, this 3 bedroomed, 4th floor apartment, offers luxury accommodation, with absolutely stunning sea views, as well as views of Alicante bay and the famous Santa Barbara Castle.The apartment is 89 square meters with open plan kitchen / living room and includes all electrical appliances & furniture also there is a utility room, open terrace, and private parking. The urbanisation also offers many communal pools, tennis courts, restaurants and bars. Ref. K20 €109,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant large detached villa with 3 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge-diner, fully equipped kitchen, large porch, roof top solarium, 400 m2 Plot, with established low maintenance very private gardens with irrigation system, electronic gates, private parking, outside wc, sink & shower, terraces, air con ( h & c ), mosquito nets, grills, alarmed, large spa pool with separate Jacuzzi section. Within easy walking distance to Gran Alacant commercial centre and close to local bus and tram route. Ref K33. €260,000 neg Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant limited edition villa, not very often available on the market. Only a few of this type were ever constructed- Very large 5 bed-

rooms, 4 bathroom(2 ensuit) property, situated on a large corner plot with a 10 x 5 private pool and private parking. Lounge-diner with working fireplace, fully equipped kitchen with utility room. Large landing area, leading onto solarium, with extra storage external room. Front porch area leading into large well established gardens with irrigation system and fruit trees. Being sold fully furnished. Within walking distance to Gran Alacant commercial centre and 5 minute drive to Carabassi beaches. ref. K11. €270,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant Limited edition bungalow. Only six of this type available in Gran Alacant. Constructed in 2003 and immaculately maintained on a large plot size of 500m2 with a 10 x 5 pool.Comprising of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge-diner leading out onto front porch, independent kitchen including white goods, outside galleria, court yard, large garage with electric door, roof top solarium and private parking. Also built in wardrobes, Toldos blinds, air con H/C, security grills, alarm, security doors, bathrooms heaters, outside toilet, outdoor lighting, irrigation system, attractive and well kept gardens, beautifully tiled inside and out, fire place, English TV, phone line. Being sold with top quality furniture. ref L95. €275,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated in the central area of Gran Alacant and within walking distance to all local amenities such as a selection of different cuisine restaurants, bars, pharmacies, banks, popular GA market and

STORAGE

RECYCLING CLOTHES

Carabassi Beach. Comprises of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with a private garage and roof-top solarium. This property is part of a small urbanization which has the use of a large decorative communal pool. Ref. K36 €149,000 Tel 680333242 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 Gran Alacant, Ground floor south west facing apartment in Puerto Marino close to G.A commercial centre, comprising of 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Lounge-Diner, Independent Kitchen with Galleria, Porch area and large tiled front garden, The property is being sold fully furnished and includes all kitchen appliances, H & C Air con is fitted as well as sky TV. The apartment enjoys the use of 2 large communal pools and has private parking in an enclosed electronically gated car park. Competitively priced for a quick sale. Ref. K40 €91,000 Tel 680333242 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

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Friday, November 2, 2012

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

GROUNDS FOR COMPLAINT OVER the past few weeks I have had letters of support about my comments regarding green fees and the condition of courses in our region. All of them have the same concern about the high cost of green fees and in particular to the poor quality of golf courses. Last week I had a letter from a reader who feels we should consider that, here in Spain, winter golf is a bonus, although he did agree that golf here was getting too expensive, and that the courses have a similarity to UK supermarkets as just money-making machines. He went on to say that it is not a God-given right to play golf here in the winter and perhaps we should play off temporary mats and on temporary greens to allow the green keepers to get on and do their job. Having played golf in Spain spanning 30 years, I have not experienced such dross until now; it is only in recent years that golfers have been asked to put up with the poor quality that is on offer. Perhaps the golf courses have served their purpose and because of the recession are not attracting the house buyer. I agree with some of his comments, but not that regarding winter golf, and question his reasoning on grasses. Yes, Bermuda grass does go straw coloured and dormant in the winter but the hybrid grasses are resistant to wear and quickly regenerate when the weather gets warmer. They are also water quality, drought and wear tolerant. What does create mud-heaps is not the winter season (Spain’s high season), but very poor course management and maintenance. When there are temporary greens there are no financial benefits for putting up with only part of a course. So why should golfers understand? There are courses around our region that have greens and tees in use all year round, because, they have designed and constructed the greens and tees correctly, I HAVE mentioned in the not-too distantpast what you get for your annual subscription to the Real Federacion Espanola De Golf (RFEG) - and have yet to be convinced that you really get anything. This was compounded by recent experiences. As part of the Vega Baja Premier Golf League we use the Slope System for all the handicapping and at each league match the handicaps are checked

they have good maintenance programmes and control the golfing traffic. We are not looking for Open Championship courses but courses of quality, which are aesthetically pleasing and provide a good test of golf and are kept in good condition. Green keeping on certain courses is below standard, uses unskilled labour, and does not have a passion for the job. Bare muddy areas on the tees are mainly due to the fact that they do not move the tee blocks on a regular basis. They should be moved daily, and then the previous day’s playing area divots should be sand/seeded. In most cases they are just left to become an eyesore. Golf green keeping is all about presentation. When golfers see winter work being carried out they also want to see the results of the labour. We see roped off areas around putting greens, but no maintenance has been carried out. Once you have a bare piece of soil it would seem

Handicapped by the handicappers against the course Slope Chart to ensure the correct handicap is being used. All this is done in advance - in ensuring that the Playing Handicap is correct, a check is made of the Slope Chart for the course. So far so good! Well, in my possession

is the Slope Chart from the course, the official guide RFEG produced and the website for the RFEG. As a league match was coming up I checked the Slope and Course Value. Now here comes the moan, they were all different! The same applies to the European Golf Association (EGA) Handicapping System and issued by the EGA and the

they rope the area off, and that’s it! Temporary tees and mats would only serve to remind golfers of municipal golf. Municipal golf is fine - I’m not knocking it, most golfers started playing on municipal golf courses. However, when you’re paying 50 euros for a green fee they are not acceptable. Constructors and course designers should build larger teeing areas to spread the wear, or construct a teeing area purposely for “winter golf”. I accept, as do most golfers, that from time to time you need to have temporary greens. But tees, NO! However, they must be a well prepared area that gives a true putting surface, not just cut out on the fairway as is nearly always the case. When these temporary greens are used, they should have temporary markers to show the distance of the hole, and not leave the golfer to guess the distance. Yes, winter maintenance is essential. Yes, there is more golf traffic in the winter than summer. This is Spain and the climate here is (normally) very mild; that’s why Spanish golf is advertised so widely. But courses can and should be constructed, managed and maintained accordingly, in line with the green fees that are being demanded. Keep your letters coming. I welcome your views.

Marking the marker’s card

LAST week I answered a rules query. Well, as a result I have another one, it really came up because one of my playing partners mentioned a fellow competitor who used a larger-than-usual casino chip as a ball marker. He said he found it very distracting, particularly when the playing partner's large ball marker was close to the hole, and said that all ball markers had to be round as stated in the Rules of Golf. Well this is not strictly the case. Ball markers come up in the official rules under Rule 20-1 (Lifting and Marking). Included in Rule 20-1 is the statement that the "position of the ball must be marked before it is lifted ..." More to the point is the Note to Rule 20-1, which reads: Note: The position of a ball to be lifted should be marked by placing a ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object immediately behind the ball. If the ball-marker interferes with the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be placed one or more clubhead-lengths to one side. So the rules only state that the marker should be (as opposed to must be) marked using a "ball-marker, a small coin or other similar object." The R&A consider it appropriate for players to use a small, round, relatively flat object whether a coin or something specifically manufactured for use as a ball marker, or something else But the governing bodies do not require such an object be used. (That's the difference between using "should" and using "must" in the note to Rule 20-1 quoted above.)

one issued by the RFEG So which one do you believe? I have a meeting with the RFEG so I should know more next week. Another example: I asked the RFEG about an ambidextrous golfer who had a handicap for left hand and another for right hand. Which one should be used? Their answer: In answer to their writing of date 30 of the past month of October, we informed you that the player should choose a form of playing, right or left, and apply the regulation. Sincerely. Committee of Rules REAL FEDERACIÓN SPANISH DE GOLF What! Two handicaps? No way, the real answer is GEORGE goes for an interview for membership at an you play off your LOWEST exclusive golf club, but unfortunately he has a problem with one of his eyes – it winks constantly. right or left handed. “We’d like to offer you membership” says the secretary “But your winking is too distracting.” “Wait! I can stop the winking by taking two Aspirin,” says George, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a dozen condom packets and places them on the table before finding two Aspirins. He takes the tablets and the winking instantly stops. “That’s all well and good,” says the Secretary, “But we do not condone womanising at this Club.” “No, no. You’ve got it all wrong” says George. “Have you ever asked for Aspirin at the Chemists while you’re winking?”

TITTER ON THE TEE

Friday, November 2, 2012

ANYONE remember that Likely Lads episode, when Bob was accusing Terry, who readily agreed, of irreverently writing off nations in one word? ‘The Germans?’ ‘Arrogant!’ ‘The French?’ ‘Smelly!’ ‘The Italians?’ ‘Cowardly!’ Well, I can do the same about some football clubs. Can you?. Here are the top three on my hit-list (or is it hate-list?) with a ‘Terry’ one worder, in order – and why! Before you pick up your pen, phone or gun, I hasten to point out that that was then, and this is now... 1. Leeds United – dirty. This goes back to Don Revie’s superbly-talented side of the sixties and seventies. Sadly that team possessed a nasty streak that ran right through the team and they took few prisoners. The main culprits (IMHO) were, in order of descending thuggery, Johnny Giles, Billy Bremner,

Which team do YOU hate most? Norman Hunter, Paul Reaney, Allan Clarke… Jack Charlton? Yes, but I actually let him off more

Jack Charlton... honest talk

lightly as he talked honestly about the subject in his 1996 ‘The Autobiography’, and swears in his case it was never personal . But he points out others, including that great goalpoacher ‘Sniffer’ Clarke as a man who caused big trouble in games by starting the sly, dirty stuff. To me Leeds United were just plain dirty too many times. And you know what? I think it finally rebounded on them, they never won half the trophies they should have, given their ability . Eventually Revie left, firstly to manage England and then financially lured abroad, leaving Leeds to gift Brian Clough his crazy 44-day pot of gold – and he told ‘em didn’t he? Only Cloughie had the testicular equipment to say it to their faces. Leeds eventually slid back down to our Championship of today, from whence Revie had

George Graham in his playing days

created them. But that team was from long ago, and today Leeds play good football. Whatever happened to that nice Simon Grayson? 2. Arsenal – boring, boring (that’s two words, John – like New York, New York I said it twice). The Gunners era I refer to is the highlysuccessful side of the nineties. George ‘Stroller’ Graham, self-styled dandy, ladies man and talentedfootballer from the Swinging Sixties, amazingly schooled his nice lads into a boring side - especially the famous back four (they trained,

Marco class keeps Saints top Hondón Nieves 1 Sporting de San Fulgencio 1 THE spoils were shared in a fiery and tense affair between fifth-placed Hondón and the league leaders, writes JORDAN LUCAS. Slightly against the run of play, Brazilian ace Marco Aurelio put the Saints in front with a gem of a free-kick placing the ball into the bottom corner, well out of the reach of the goalkeeper. Hondón raised their game in search of an equaliser and created a few openings, but the visitors came close to a second on the break, only a brilliant last-ditch challenge keeping Carl Kirby out. The mid-tablers found the net just before the half-hour mark when their centre-back powered a header under

the crossbar from a corner. That goal inspired Hondon and they continued to attack, but San Fulgencio almost snatched a second just before half-time, Gary Williams smashing Aurelio’s knockdown narrowly wide. This pattern continued after the break, with both sides creating half chances. Aurelio almost added another stunning free-kick to his collection, but this time the crossbar denied him. Hondon came closest to a winner in the last 10 minutes but San Fulgencio, still undefeated, remain at the top. On Sunday (November) the Saints are at home against Orihuela CF.

By Jorge, Torry Gasch in! Gandia 1 FC Torrevieja 1 A weakened Torry travelled to Gandia on Sunday without suspended star men, Ernesto and Koeman, but a superb run and cross down the right by centre half Jorge, met by an even classier glancing header from Gasch, kept them in the hunt for honours, writes JEFF SCOTT. Gandia remain unbeaten at home and looked to be heading for victory until that 80th minute leveller. But Torry created more than enough chances to win the match. Gandia led through a first half penalty after their blatantly offside (and I mean 4 yards) winger was allowed to continue as the linesman was unable to keep up with play! Such is life at all levels of football - it's not just Chicarita who gets away with offside goals! Torry's only downside was the dismissal of energetic

Vicente Boix for two cautions. Given Rafa was in hospital with appendicitis, Torry are without their two recognised full backs, hopefully something that did not prove problemsome in Thursday night's clash with Utiel. No game for the lads on Sunday as it is their turn to be idle after Orihuela's return to 2B. But we are all back at the Vicente Garcia on Sunday 11 November for a Remembrance Sunday tie with Alzira. As always, it will be a 5pm kick off. Finally, it was a great night at the Municpal theatre in Torrevieja on Wednesday night, with Shani Ormiston, Benny Van den Berg and Footwork Dance all playing blinders to an appreciative audience. The entertainment was in aid of the club and all at FC Torrevieja are grateful for their efforts and the big turnout of fans. Thank you all.

roped together by George!). Sure, you Gooners, have won lots of trophies, but somebody should have told you you’re supposed to entertain as well. However, Gorgeous George remembered his roots and took a cool £285,000 bung: unacceptable to the Arsenal board. So ‘By George’ became ‘Bye George’ (ho,

ho!). I like Arsene’s teams, though… 3. Liverpool – conners! My problem was the sixties and seventies team’s unfair and well-organised practice of surrounding, haranguing and pressurising referee and officials over decisions (most of ‘em!), specifically practised at fortress Anfield. No names, they were all good at it. That team, packed with class, shouldn’t have resorted to such measures - but they did! I believe this behaviour helped to set an ugly precedent for official-baiting, still far too prevalent today. Sorry to bring Cloughie back, but it comes from the manager and it is within his power to stamp it out. Our Brian’s teams had their ball winners like Kenny Burns and Stuart Pearce - but they weren’t conners or Cloughie would’ve had ‘em. He didn’t like his players back-chatting to refs and linesmen, telling officials ‘You won’t get any trouble from my lot’. Pity some other managers didn’t/don’t preach that today, eh? Well, there you are! One word responses on a postcard addressed to: A. McNonymous, Alaska!

Every Day’s a Football Day November

1st 1996 Glenn Hoddle is slammed by women’s groups for including Paul Gascoigne in the England squad for the World Cup qualifier against Georgia. Their anger is caused by tabloid accusations that Gascoigne beat his wife. 2nd 1990 Spencer Trethewy, 19, who had been seen as Aldershot’s financial saviour, is suspended as a club director by chairman Colin Hancock 3rd 1996 Stranraer beat St Johnstone 1-0 in the final of the Scottish League Challenge Cup to win the first major trophy in their 126-year history 4th 1989 The Arsenal v Norwich match ends in a 21man punch up after Arsenal score their second dubious penalty in a 4-3 win. Referee George Tyson did not book a single player nor report the incident! 5th 1991 Robert Maxwell, the man who almost owned Man Utd and Spurs, is presumed dead after falling overboard from his yacht off Tenerife. 6th 1996 Tommy Lawton dies, aged 77. A prolific goalscorer from a tender age he became Britain’s first £20,000 footballer when he moved from Chelsea to Notts County. Lawton won 23 caps for England, scoring 16 goals 7th 1985 Bangor City transfer part time centre forward Vivian William (a chicken packer) to Athletico Madrid for £25,000 8th 1989 Sky break into live football, offering the football league £4.5 million for exclusive rights to cover the Full Members Cup and Associate Members Cup. Pundits everywhere scoff as they feel Sky have completely misunderstood the average’s fan’s appetite for the game 9th 1932 Bo’Ness are expelled from the Scottish second division when they cannot meet a £50 match guarantee. Compiled by STUART EVANS

Friday, November 2, 2012

TRICK OR TREAT? Chelsea Clattened by ref’s haunting Halloween howlers

AS this is a racism-free column it concentrates on football matters observed on the pitch, not any alleged comments! Robin van Persie ghosted in to score two early goals for Manchester United on Sunday, but in a bewitching comeback Chelsea fought back to level this fascinating match through a magic Juan Mata free-kick, and a fearsome Raul Ramirez header to set up a fascinating final phase. However…in the first of two ‘you-couldn’t-make-it-up’ incidents, Ashley Young, a dodgy-diver himself, was dramatically ‘Clattered’ after tangling with guess who? Why, poacher-turnedgamekeeper Branislav Ivanovich, who was promptly sent off as last man fouling. But the magic Marker wasn’t finished, with more tricks and treats to come… Ten-man Chelsea bravely battled on, as Fernando Torres set off down the middle intending to find his way past four defenders. He’d hardly begun when he tried ‘clattering’ down, Ashley Young-style - but magistrate Mark deduced diving, and sentenced the spluttering Spaniard to the dressing-rooms. Now against nine men, Fergie’s men stepped up the pace and a

John McGregor reports

suspiciously offside-looking Hernandez flicked in the late, close-range winner to take United (and obliquely nasty-neighbours Man City) to within one point of The Blues at the top of the Premiership. But somehow I don’t think we’ve heard the last from this game. United have more Capital content this weekend as Arsenal travel to Old Trafford. This week’s joke is that even Englelbert Humperdink has a better European record than Roberto Mancini, as his previous Champions League record reveals his failure to achieve success with Inter Milan got him the sack. After Ajax’s comprehensive win over confused-in-defence City in midweek, Mancini just must keep winning in the Premiership. Saturday’s odd goal victory over lively-but-luckless Swansea was unconvincing, City fortunate to have England’s goalie Joe Hart in great form. Carlos Tevez’s alert winner on the hour was just enough, but a bluntly accurate Alan Hansen opinion on MOTD stated ‘City need a flat back four’, where previous rock Vincent Kompany – and others - are struggling. City’s next stern test is at Upton Park, where up-anddown-but-big-‘n-ugly Samsammers play hosts. No defensive pressure there then, eh Roberto? Halloween horrors also haunt Arsenal, where Shalke shook ‘em in midweek! Mikel Arteta’s questionable late winner was enough to keep QPR - Quite

Possibly Relegated? – savagely Marked-down in trouble. But hey, this weekend fellow-strugglers and exciting draw-specialists Reading are nipping up the M4 to Loftus Road. Point taken in last week’s cracker, one for the neutral at the Madjeski: Reading and Fulham shared six goals in a pulsating 3 – 3 result. The lead changed hands three times, four goals coming in the last 13 minutes, with Fulham’s class act Dimitar Berbatov involved in everything for the Cottagers. The Bulgarian scored what looked like the winner three minutes from time – except Reading equalised in injury time to draw, yet again. Still can’t win, though… In the Championship unmanaged Palace’s surprising 2 – 1 win over Leicester took the Foxes off the top to second place, to leave Cardiff the undisputed leaders after the ‘Reds’ put four past Burnley. In a stillchanging top ten scene Boro are third, Palace fourth and Blackburn fifth. Hull stay sixth, and Forest made it three wins on the spin with a 4-1 win at Barnsley to go seventh. Palace v Blackburn looks the key fixture this weekend. It’s business as usual in Spain, where Barcelona still top La Liga , chased by the usual suspects, and locally in 2A, our Elche go marching on, five points clear at the top after a 1 -0 win over Racing Santander.