The Courier Week 98 by TKO UK

Edition 98

www.thecourier.es

Friday, January 4, 2013

NOW FOR THE GOOD MEWS!

Glimmer of hope in PAWS despondency DONNA GEE reports

THE seemingly-doomed animal-rescue group PAWS could yet be saved. But spokeswoman Irene Wallace admitted in an exclusive statement to The Courier that at present this is ‘’very unlikely’’ and that there Is ‘‘much despondency’’ among supporters of the group. In an expanded explanation of the organisation’s demise – announced in a press release just before Christmas – Pauline said: ‘’We have been operating under the title of PAWS Animal Rescue, but the crux of the matter is actually a well-planned programme of neutering and health of the feral cat population. ‘’Linda, our dedicated cat catcher, is well known to the local police and residents as the lady who sits beside bushes with her metal handbag (the trap) well into the small hours to trap a specif-

ic female. The animal goes straight to Sonia at St. Anton Veterinary practice. Sonia is a passionate believer in PAWS and gave us special attention. The cat is neutered, checked and ear clipped for identification, then returned to place of origin. ‘’All the cats seriously maimed and deformed by

cancer and feline AIDs have been humanely removed. Very few people without a halo would consent to such testing work conditions especially when sampling the sweet aroma inside Linda's car! All unpaid! “Money has been raised by volunteers largely by sale of donated items on the open forecourt of Banco

Sabadell in all weathers, again, not a job for the faint hearted! Also by direct donation and collection tins. “Cessation of our work has caused us much pain, especially for Linda, because as soon as new cats move in unmonitored, a blink of an eye will see a population explosion, and seven years work ruined.

“Feedback from our original press release has been mostly positive but Linda has also had to endure abusive 'phone calls, one in particular, so loud it was witnessed by most shoppers in a large local supermarket, threatening to sue us. For what? And whom? An animal group with no money or at least nine indi-

viduals who have done no more than held a collective belief in the truth! It is illegal to abuse by 'phone anyway. “At this moment, it is very unlikely that PAWS will be saved. There is much despondency, but we do still have to feed some remaining cats, so time will tell. “San Fulgencio Ayuntamiento La Marina are in full support, suggesting that a full license could be achieved in a matter of months. “We will step back and see what the New Year brings. “As for the new law, originated in Madrid (not a local bylaw), our understanding is that it is intended to ensure that all organisations and individuals purporting to be fundraising must have registration, and will be required to present this for trading or at venues. “If not, heavy fines will be imposed upon both fundraisers and venues.’’

Friday, January 4, 2013

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

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

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Picture of the Week

JUNGLE DRUMS

Photograph taken by Christine Birkett at Los Narejos

KILLER OF BEACH BRIT SET TO CHEAT JUSTICE

THAI beach cops triumphantly paraded a local charged with a British reveller’s murder — despite fears he may dodge jail over the New Year gun horror. Handcuffed Ekkapan Kaewkla, 26, claims innocent reveller Stephen Ashton died when his pistol went off accidentally, so faces a suspended sentence. At most he might serve just two or three years for the manslaughter of 22year-old Stephen (pictured), who was blasted as he danced with fellow holidaymakers at a bar. He was seeing in the New Year on the rave island of Koh Phangan when gang violence erupted. He fell dying from a wound to his side as fleeing Kaewkla allegedly fired wildly into the packed Zoom Bar. Stephen had quit his high-flying City job to travel the world to get over the death of his businessman father. Dad John, 51, who ran a wholesale fishmongers, died from a brain tumour after confronting a burglar — who hit him in the head — at his home. The loving son, who started his career as a barristers’ clerk, took time out from his job as a City trader to look after him as he slowly lost his battle for life. Stephen’s shattered mother Diane, 48, said she was “devastated” by the latest “cruel” tragedy. “We cannot comprehend how someone can carry out such a reckless act,

Piste as a brute 1,000 STRANDED SKIERS RESCUED FROM GALES

giving such little value to human life,” she said. Her brother, whose sporty Audi TT was still on the drive of the five-bed house yesterday, stopped off in Thailand en route to Australia. Kaewkla was arrested hours after the shooting — and a home-made gun recovered. Murder detectives took him back to the death scen, where he appeared to re-enact a shooting pose. A friend who went to school with Stephen told how the popular pupil was nicknamed “Big Hands”. Tayler Mitchell, 22, said: “He was one of the nicest blokes you will ever meet. Everyone loved him. No one had a bad word to say about him.” Fellow pal Lewis Collins said: “There was a leaving party for him before he went. “That was the last time we saw him.”

Friday Sunny High 14° Low 8° Chance of rain 0% Monday Sunny High 18° Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

Tuesday Sunny High 19° Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

AROUND 1,000 skiers had to be airlifted to safety when gale-force winds left them trapped on the Spanish piste. Staff at the ski station in Panticosa (Huesca) had to shut down the ski lifts for safety reasons, meaning those who were still out on the slopes could not get down. The regional ski resort company, Aramón – which owns the stations throughout the provinces of Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza – said winds reached over 110km per hour, making it dangerous to be out on the piste and even more so to use the lifts. All 1,000 left the slopes and sought refuge in the cafés and restaurants at the resort until rescue workers could carry them back to terra firma.

Saturday Sunny High 20° Low 9° Chance of rain 0% Wednesday Sunny High 19° Low 8° Chance of rain 0%

Guardia Civil officers and members of the Civil Protection squad, together with employees from the ski station, brought the skiers down to the base in groups of 50. The mission was completed at 6am with no reported injuries

Sunday Sunny High 18° Low 62° Chance of rain 0% Thursday Sunny High 15° Lo 8° Chance of rain 0%

Friday, January 4, 2013

A MATTER OF HONOUR By HEIDI WARDMAN ANGELA KEAY, co-founder of Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur, has been awarded an MBE for her hard work and dedication to assisting elderly people in the community. When Angela and her husband Fred relocated permanently to Spain 17 years ago, she was keen to keep busy and offer support to her new community, so began to do voluntary work for a local charity. Her enthusiasm was quickly noted and in 1997, she was asked to help to establish a new Age Concern organisation and in January 2000 was nominated President of AC CBS - a role which she held for seven years, until personal health matters forced her to step down. At the same time, she also became a Caseworker for the Federation's National Casework Service (ACASA) which she is still involved in today. As if that is not enough, Angela was at the same time a member of the Board of the Federation of Age Concern España where she also served as President for two years. She continued to attend Board meetings until 2009, adopting several personal assignments, including collaboration in the launch of Age Concern Costa Calida She says: “It was certainly a busy few years and I would pay tribute to all those Committee Members I worked with and all the other AC CBS volunteers who took on the various tasks in my Presidency. “There are so many tasks to do in a busy organisation, none of which can be done without the dedication of the volunteers.” Among Angela’s many triumphs during her time as President of Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur, were • The purchase of a van for the Charity Shop in Torrevieja • Purchase of a vehicle to transport service users, which was achieved through donations A VACCINE which holds back HIV developing into AIDS has been devised by scientists in Barcelona's Hospital Clínic. And they say this is 'just the start' in the ongoing search for a cure. The jab's effects last 12 months, meaning it will need to be repeated, but will lessen the need for HIV-positive patients to take immune-boosting drugs. These have to be taken for life and are expensive, difficult to acquire in the third

MBE for charity angel Angela -and for our Mac’s sister ALISON BORGESE

ANGELA KEAY by local clubs and societies • The establishment of the Residential Home Visiting Team, who support Englishspeaking residents in local Care Homes • And her greatest achievement came in 2004, with the complete renovation and inauguration of the Age Concern Centre in La Siesta. The centre was born following two years of negotiations with Torrevieja Town Hall, and has become a godsend to senior members of the community. The launch of the Torrevieja Charity shop followed in 2005. Angela commented: “Through my work I was privileged to give talks to numerous local groups and clubs, which I enjoyed enormously, and from which AC CBS received very welcome donations. I am extremely proud now to receive an MBE!” Today, Angela’s work is centred around ACASA, whose Costa Blanca arm is under constant pressure. During 2012, they assessed over 50 people and effected numer-

ous repatriations to the UK of people whose life in Spain was unsustainable. Meanwhile, The Courier’s sports correspondent John McGregor received the exciting news that his sister, Alison Borgese, has also been awarded an MBE. The 59-year old mother of three, from Slough, received the title accolade for her dedication to education. “It's such an honour - I'm so touched that anyone would think me worthy of an award,” she said modestly. Alison is Deputy Head Teacher at All Saints Junior School in Maidenhead, where she has been employed for nine years. “Whatever I have done, it's no more than most teachers do every day,’’ she added. “It's a pleasure to be in any classroom with children. Every child has a talent and it is wonderful finding that talent." Big brother John enthused: ‘No-one deserves recognition more than Alison for all her efforts as a terrific teacher over a very long period of time.’’

Barcelona medics in AIDS breakthrough world and can have unpleasant side-effects as well as causing longterm, permanent damage. A 19-year-old Madrid girl infected at birth by her mother – who died when she was two – says medication left her with broken bones on one occasion because it stripped the calcium from her body.

Such drugs are in themselves a massive step forward for a condition that guaranteed premature death just 30 years ago, but for the majority of sufferers, access to them is limited or non-existent. But a vaccine is cheap and longer-lasting, say researchers behind the discovery. “We're not there yet,

but we're getting close,” says Dr Josep María Gatell, head of the infectious illnesses department at Hospital Clínic, who calls the achievement 'a very significant step' towards the ultimate aim of eradicating HIV and AIDS altogether. Around 150,000 people in Spain are HIV positive –30,000 of them

living in Catalonia. Worldwide, the figure is in excess of 30 million. Whilst once considered to be almost exclusively a disease affecting gay men, figures in recent years have shown that there are more HIV-positive women who have had a high number of casual sexual partners without using protection than HIV-positive homosexual men. But huge progress in the last 30 years means it is even possible for a man and woman to have a baby free of HIV where one or both parents are infected.

LOCAL FOCUS During his traditional New Year q speech, Valencian Government president Alberto Fabra predicted that the next 12 months will become "a turning point" for a community that is reportedly suffering from the crisis more intensely than the rest of Spain. The PP Party has been in office in Valencia for 17 years, and is now technically bankrupt, indebted to central government for supporting its recovery. The president said that, for 2013, priority will be given to boosting the economy, reducing unemployment figures- a problem which now affects 700 000 people in Valencia, and to put an end to the debts which have marred the image of the region. He confirmed that the Government will introduce drastic reforms to “reduce spending and ensure sustainable services” for the community. He admitted the Government’s delay in making payments for certain services has contributed to the problems, but declared: “We now have solutions to address these issues”. The first Alicantino baby of 2013 was born in Denia Hospital just 47 minutes into the New Year. Baby Amir, who was expected on December 28, weighed in at a healthy 3.82 kilograms (8.4lbs). Parents Naiyma and Abdeslam are originally from Morocco but have lived in Javea for the past decade. Amir is their third child and was not planned. Having been unemployed since 2011, Abdeslam is now concerned for the family’s future, saying “the state support does not come close to covering the living costs for five people.” The second birth of 2013 in the province took place at 13:50 in Elche General Hospital. Baby Daniel, the first child of parents Maria Teresa and Daniel, was delivered by Caesarean section after a 25-hour labour. A 10 year old girl remains in a critical condition at Alicante General Hospital after being shot in the eye with a pellet gun. The incident occurred at a finca in Altabix, Elche, where the girl was playing with her 13-year-old brother and other children. It is believed the brother took the weapon to his bedroom where they were playing, and accidentally released the safety catch. Specialists say the bullet has become lodged in the victim’s brain, and prognosis is poor. National Police have launched an investigation, but all signs point to an accident. Torrevieja firefighters were called to tackle two incidents in Urbanisation Villamartin, during the early hours of New Year's Day. The first occurred at around 2am outside a restaurant that is in the process of being refurbished. The fire destroyed a 10metre pergola which was still smouldering well into the afternoon. Two trees also caught fire and it took an hour and 40 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which early indications suggest was caused by a stray firework. After returning to the station, the department was called to an incident which occurred only metres away from the first. This time the private vehicle of a security guard is thought to have been set alight deliberately.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Going down! Spain’s jobless figures get lift

THE number of people registered as unemployed in Spain fell by 1.2% in December to 4.85m - the first decline since July 2012, the country's labour ministry said. This was the best December performance since records began in 1996, with young people, women and first-time workers benefiting the most. When seasonally adjusted, Spain's jobless numbers fell by 41,023 people, or 0.8%. Over the year, however, the ranks of the jobless surged by 426,364 people, or 9.6%, the data showed. Engracia Hidalgo, Spain's labour minister, highlighted a slowdown in the rate of job cuts, however, saying the jobless queue had grown by 233,000 people in the second half of 2012 compared with 300,000 a year earlier. Mr Hidalgo said that analysts should "treat the December figures with caution and to closely follow the trend in the next months".

A broader, quarterly household survey by the National Statistics Institute provides the official unemployment rate, which hit 25% in the third quarter for the first time in modern Spanish history. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government predicts that the unemployment rate will fall to 23.3% in 2013. Separate data on Thursday showed that unemployment in Germany increased slightly in December to 6.7%, from 6.5% in November. The seasonally-adjusted jobless total was unchanged at 6.9%, according to the Federal Labour Agency. "The German economy is feeling the pull of the recession in Europe. Indicators suggest that gross domestic product shrank in real terms in the fourth quarter," said agency chief FrankJuergen Weise. "So far, the labour market has held up fairly robustly to the economic deterioration. But the slowdown is leaving its mark," he cautioned.

in the best condition. Similar vases have fetched up to 20 000 euros at auction in the UK. The vase has been taken to the Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ) for security reasons. The antique dealer was arrested for crimes against historical patrimony and handling stolen goods. The Guardia are now trying to identify a French woman who, according to the dealer, left the vase there as a deposit for other goods purchased.

Habla Español, NO Valenciano!

A MAN from Castellón was due in court yesterday (Thursday) for speaking to Guardia Civil officers in the Valencian regional language. Carles Mateu Blay was en route to his son’s college in Almassora to deliver a present for King’s Day when he was stopped by the officers who asked to search the vehicle. Blay allegedly asked in Valenciano to make a telephone call to his son to inform him that he would be late. He claims that one officer responded: “I speak Spanish, we are in Spain”. The man was detained for an hour for disorderly conduct as well as failure to wear a seatbelt- an allegation he claims is completely false.

Civil officers have discovqGUARDIA ered a stolen Iberian vase that dates back some 2,200 years, hidden in an antique shop in El Campello. The vase was found hidden in a box during a routine search by Seprona agents. According to Valencian Cultural Heritage specialist José Luis Simon, the ancient artefact is “the most important finding of the last decade”. He said that 20 others have been discovered previously in the Valencian Region, although the latest is

ANGRY patients faced lengthy queues and waiting times at their local Health Centres in a New Year snarl-up. “The long delays are clearly due to the Health Centre being closed for four days, but surely the Directors realised this and should have taken steps to avoid the crush, such as increasing staff numbers, at least during this morning!” said one frustrated Spaniard. However, a spokesperson for the El Raval salud in Elche argued that the queues were not normal, so they did not foresee any reason to increase personnel levels. Several Alicante pharmacies reported similar problems.

Saturday, January 4, 2013

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

Orihuela’s best Christmas ever

CHRISTMAS has been wonderful in Orihuela Costa this year, definitely the best ever. With my budget being tighter than ever I was not able to spend as much as I normally would buying gifts or wining and dining and I thought I was going to be miserable. Then I got an email from the town hall telling me about free events and I decided “what the heck” I’m going to go to as many of these events as I can. It all started with the Jewish festival on Saturday the 15th followed by the lighting up of the beautiful red Christmas tree outside the town hall. The night was magical. Over the next few days, all around the coast Christmas lights appeared, brighter, nicer and

Filling the care gap for folk who need our help q

I'M sure you are not a Grumpy Old Gran, Donna. You're just telling it as it is. I can empathise with your situation regarding care of the elderly and I do know this is the case for 100s and probably 1000s of expats. This is exactly why we are developing www.suncity50plusclub.com which we hope will go towards resolving this problem in Spain. We have joined with others in Spain, including a major Spanish company who specialise in the care of the elderly. This includes rehabilitation and recuperation. Their centres across Spain include the Costa Blanca and can provide all care and assistance that may be required. The other very important point you raise is home care. My mother has this in the UK, but it’s not generally available in Spain. We are also going to address this with our Spanish partners. Our Sun City 50 Plus Club will be the hub for all the information, contacts and help for this. Perhaps your readers would like to take a look and maybe join to enable them to follow the progress and use the services the club will be offering. JIM REEVES

more than I’ve ever seen here before. The free Christmas Carol Concert in Orihuela came next with free buses laid on and plenty of time allowed for wandering around Orihuela; I never realised how many beautiful buildings we had on our doorstep before. This was a very special evening for me and my neighbours who accompanied me; we will definitely make some day trips to Orihuela in 2013. Christmas morning we walked from Consum in La Zenia down to the beach. There were more cars parked than on a hot summer’s day. There were thousands of people, mostly dressed in red on the beach. They were all in good form and the music was playing. People brought drinks and

sandwiches and the party atmosphere was fabulous. We stayed for two hours and only left because we had not brought any goodies with us. I wasn’t able to go to the free New Years Eve celebrations but I will definitely be going to the Three Kings event on January 5. I heard on the grapevine that there will be a hot air balloon at La Zenia Boulevard giving FREE rides from 5pm - I have always wanted to try this but never did, I think I’ll be on the queue at 4pm. It’s a long time since I’ve had so little and yet had so much. I just want to say THANK YOU to the people in the town hall who organised the best Christmas ever for me. Keep up the good work. PAULINE CLINTON

THANKS FOR NOT FORGETTING AFA AT the start of 2012 we felt very vulnerable as an organisation. We knew we needed to meet a budget 400,000 euros plus, just to maintain the level of care and support for patients and families suffering from dementia. The demand for which was increasing faster than we could accommodate.. We had been told that the donations from NGO’s ( banks and similar organisations ) who had previously supported us were not going to be able to do so during 2012 ! This could have so easily spelt disaster for AFA. However the Ayuntamiento of Torrevieja continued to support us, albeit slightly less than previously, and the clubs and associations etc. once again rose to the challenge. The Memory Walk in October had over 200 participants and many more supporters including the Nook Bar, thus we raised over 4,000 euros. Our thanks also go to our shop volunteers who work so hard for us, and to those customers and supporters of our shop. We would like to give all our sponsors a very big thank you individually, but it would be impossible to mention them all. So can we just say without all of you, more than 80 people (and their families and carers) each week would not be receiving the therapies and professional care to maintain a quality of life which is the minimum they deserve when suffer-

Are people still collecting bottle tops for Aitana?

ing from this very cruel and non curable disease. Our patients cannot get better, but the dedicated and professional care we give them, can delay the total breakdown of their quality of life for them and their carers. The Alzheimer’s Association of Torrevieja (AFA) covers the whole of the Puma 22 health area but only the Torrevieja ayuntamiento supports us financially. We would be pleased to attend any club or organisation to tell you more about the work that we do and to answer any questions or queries your members may have. Please call 636110250/610082593. Sincere and grateful thanks to you all, and Very Good Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year from us all . JUDY FERRIS

I HAVE been collecting bottle tops for Aitana for 12 months and have been dropping them off at a sports centre in Torrevieja. They have recently withdrawn the facility to deliver them and I am uncertain why. Could you kindly give me an update on the situation regarding Aitana - I hope it isn't bad news. KEN DARLING

Aitana is doing really well, Ken. A proper Foundation has now been formed which collects for various sick children, not just Aitana. Many places have halted their activities, but the Foundation itself never stops collecting. SEUR is still very involved and deals with all the transport, so we suggest you go to any of their offices, or call 965 987 777 to arrange a collection. Check the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/beg osantos71/?fref=ts Or take a look at the blog: http://www.unasonrisaparaaitana.blogs pot.com.es -EDITOR

MY £105 CASE AGAINST RYANAIR

JUST before Christmas I travelled to the UK to see family and do a bit of Xmas shopping. I booked a suitcase both ways, which is something I don't normally do. Coming back my hand luggage was overweight, so instead of trying to sneak it on the plane I tried to prebook it in the hold from my daughter’s house - ‘tried’ being the operative word. Three times we both tried (and

my daughter is a competent computer user) and three times it refused payment. If it had accepted the booking it would have cost me 35GBP, booking it on at the airport cost me 105GBP. I have written to Ryanair and sent them photocopies of documentation. The e-mail I got in response said it is not company policy to refund money paid - even though it was their website that

wasn't functioning correctly. Nor could we get in touch with them through their Contact Us tab on manage my bookings. I don't have a high opinion of Ryanair, but it has taken a nosedive and they have lost two loyal travellers. Loyal only because they are the cheapest. K.A.LAMPEN (Rojales)

Friday, January 4, 2013

The only weigh is down DUMPY OLD GRAN NEEDS YOUR HELP

NOW that I’ve made it to the New Year, I’m about to get a huge weight off my mind. And off my chest. And off the equine girth that used to be my 14 stone…and that is way, waist. Because this fat filly has had a ’mare of a festive season trying to prove that she really can eat a horse. I would NOT normally reveal my weight under any circumstances. But even allowing for the fact that I am, to use a colloquial expression, ‘big boned’, I’m ashamed to admit that in the last 12 months or so, my weight has mushroomed by some 16 kilos. Or around two-and-ahalf stone in old money. In mid-2011 I tipped the scales at a bit over 12st, still far too much for a 5ft 5in woman and considerably more than I weighed five years ago. Now I am well over

way heavier than I have ever been. Many expanding expats in their 60s would put the increasing corpulence down to the good life and do nothing about it. Which has been my strategy until now. I also have too many friends who enjoy the occasional Indian or Chinese banquet at least eight nights a week – and who refuse to take my incessant screams of ‘no, no, NO’ for an answer. (OK, that’s a little weight lie). Anyway, I have devised an ingenious plan (well, I think it’s ingenious) which will encourage me to lose weight and also raise money for a charity that means a lot to me.

I’ve been in the UK over Christmas and the New Year, but when I return to Spain next Tuesday (January 8) I plan to get myself weighed professionally and then launch the official Dumpy Old Gran Diet 2013 on this page next Friday. If you want to join in the fun (not that I’ll be having any!) I’m looking for sponsors from 10 cents per pound, which amounts to just 3.5 euros if I reach my 35lb weight loss target. If I don’t make it, I’ll put in an equivalent amount myself to compensate. All the sponsorship money will go to CICRA, a charity dedicated to creating a wider understanding of Crohn’s Disease in childhood.

Crohn’s is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease - and incurable. The choice was easy for me because two of my granddaughters have Crohn’s. For my own health’s sake I simply MUST lose weight – and what better way to do it? I already have three stents keeping my coronary arteries open while my leg muscles and joints are becoming increasingly weaker as Parkinson’s Disease begins to its toll. Great fun, this life. Never mind a Prima Donna, I want to be a Leaner Donna…and the quicker the better. Because, to paraphrase the old Hollies hit…She Ain’t Heavy, She’s All Blubber.

Gone to pot...family photo shoots are heavy going for Donna these days

Friday, January 4, 2013

I HOPE you all had a good Christmas. Which reminds me . . . I once had an excruciatingly awful Xmas. No state of nirvana on that nutty Noel. And it had all started so merrily. 'I'll fetch the turkey in from the kitchen,' Mrs S said after she had first fetched me in from the pub. 'And I'll fetch in the first-aid box before Dad starts to carve,' my daughter said. 'We don't want a repeat of last year's dinner which comprised a chocolate bar and a cup of weak tea from the vending machines in Accident and Emergency.' 'Oh, we didn't have that bad a time,' I argued. 'I remember pulling a cracker with the triage nurse.' 'Not quite,' said Mrs S icily. 'You described the triage nurse as a cracker and tried to pull HER.' 'I was in shock,' I said. 'From a cut finger?' she said. 'Let's change the subject,' I said, changing the subject. 'Isn't it lovely that we're all together at Christmas,' commented the stranger at our table. 'And who are you?' I asked.

Friday, January 4, 2013

TURKEY LEGS IT

'I'm your son, Dad,' the stranger said. 'I live here but our paths don't seem to cross much these days.' 'Pleased to meet you again,' I said, shaking his hand. My dog Brian was under the tree, clawing at the gift-wrap on his new rubber bone. 'Hmm,' I hmmd. 'This is most unusual, Brian being in the same hemisphere as Spud.' Spud was my daughter's hyperactive cat. My girl didn't live with us any more but her manic moggy went with her everywhere. Unfortunately, the frenzied feline drove our Brian crazy. The cat would stalk the dog and now Brian refused to be anywhere near Spud. 'Funny that,' my daughter said, looking around the room. 'You'd think that Spud would be here at the table with us. He loves the taste of turkey stuffing.' Alarm bells began to clang

in my head. They merged with the sound of a crash from the kitchen. The dining room door flew open -- and in raced the dead turkey! The sight was indeed a

spooky one. Protruding from the rear end of the cooked bird's golden roasted torso were two black and white furry legs and a long tail. In doing his darnedest to get at the sage and onion, Spud the cat had managed to jam his front half inside the festive bird. Unable to extricate himself, the trapped moggy was now charging around the room in a literally blind

panic, the muted sound of wild miaowing emerging from the front end of the deceased turkey. We all realised what had happened apart from Brian. My poor doggy must have thought that the hybrid creature charging around the room had been summoned up from Hell by the Devil himself. In his terrified state Brian had what I must diplomatically call an accident of the bladder variety. Unfortunately, he had his incontinent moment over the fairy lights -- and the Christmas tree blew up. In the ensuing chaos, my daughter turned on me. 'It's your fault, Dad! If only you had let Spud wear a party hat he would have joined us at the table instead of creeping into the kitchen to sulk.' 'I tried, Daughter,' I argued. 'But every time I tried to attach the hat's elastic over his whiskery chin, that darned cat adopted a confrontational stance.'

'He was only teasing you, Dad. If Spud had wanted to tear out your throat he would have given no warning.' 'If I might interrupt,' interrupted the stranger at our table. 'And who are you again?' I enquired. 'I'm your son but that's not important right now. Someone left the front door open and our Brian has legged it, hotly pursued by the turkey . . . I mean, the cat.' 'Call the police,' Mrs S urged. 'Tell them you want to report a missing dog.' 'And a missing cat,' my daughter said. 'And a missing turkey,' said my son the stranger. 'And a missing person,' I said. 'Because I'm off to the home for the bewildered.' Anyway, Brian was eventually found in the comforting paws of his friend, the Jack Russell at No.14. As for Spud, the exhausted moggy was rescued after a turkey was spotted scooting along the hard shoulder of the motorway. Despite being teetotal, the startled motorist who had reported that weird sighting to the police insisted on being given a breath test.

Friday, January 4, 2013

SAY IT IN SPANISH Learn the lingo - with a little help from JEANETTE ERATH Spanish 52

ed on how good your Spanish is. Keep up the great work and I´ll be back next week with the answers. No remedies for hangovers though I´m afraid, will leave those to the other columnists in this paper!

WOW! Where has the past year gone? If you´re anything like me you´ll be scratching your head at how quickly the time has passed; it We will start with some basic translating. Write the followhardly seems possible that this time last year I ing in Spanish: was writing my first lesson for The Courier and I want to go to the shop, I like cats, I have a big house, I now look at how much you have learned! prepare dinner, I live in Spain, I don´t work every day, do you You have progressed incredibly well and I am sure you now are more confident and have a wider vocabulary than when you started, and hopefully it´s been a bit of fun too. So, as we look towards a new year, you are hopefully wondering what the next year will bring you in terms of learning Spanish. Well I can promise you that I will be doing my best to make sure you keep learning at a constant pace, too fast and we forget, too slow and we get bored, so I will be doing my utmost to keep you interested and enjoying learning Spanish. Firstly here are the answers to lesson 51’s homework: If you study physics (física) you can become an engineer (ingeniero(a)) - si estudias física puedes hacerte ingeniero/a, When our team does not win we become sad – Cuando nuestro equipo no gana nos ponemos tristes, if you eat too much you become fat – si comes demasiado te pones gordo/a, I wake up at seven o´clock - me despierto a las siete, I call myself Anna – me llamo Anna, Ted prepares himself for the party – Ted se prepara para la fiesta, Ángel takes off his shoes - Ángel se quita los zapatos. Now for the fun.. I am going to give you some revision from the past year’s lessons, I hope that by now you will get the majority of them correct. Try this with friends, and whoever gets the lowest score has to buy the coffee! Make it fun because nothing feels as good as standing talking to a Spanish person who doesn´t speak English and having them understand everything you say and even being compliment-

drink tea or coffee?, I bring wine to the party, I have to go

¿Cuál es la capital de España? now, It is hot, my travel agent always finds special rates (tarifas), I sleep in a bed, I am in Spain, I am a woman, Tomorrow is my birthday, I am bored, I am leaving now, my wife is drinking a cup of tea, we don´t work Sundays, I don´t speak German, It´s one o´clock, A pear is a fruit, I have a big house, this house is mine, who wants to be a millionaire?,

you are my best friend. Now rewrite the following paragraph inserting the correct Spanish word where I have written the English word: La semana que viene (I am going) a la playa. Me gusta mucho la playa (because) me gusta tomar el sol y (I read) mi libro tranquilamente. (when I go) a la playa (I go) en mi coche. (I have) un coche pequeño pero (it is) bien para mi. (It is cold) en la playa ahora pero llevo mi (coat) y mi (woollen hat) y no siento muy frío. (I sit) en una tumbona y (sometimes) llevo una manta para poner sobre mis (legs). (I don´t go) temprano porque (it is very cold) por las mañanas, por eso normalmente (I go) después de las once. (I am there) más o menos dos horas y después (I like) volver a mi casa para (have a bath). (sometimes) corro en la playa (as well/also), (I like) hacer ejercicio y deportes, y la playa es un buen sitio para correr y andar. We are going to continue with a quiz, in Spanish of course. Take your time to answer in Spanish as fully as possible, try to answer with more than just one or two words: 1. ¿Quién es el rey de España? 2. ¿Dónde está la Sagrada Familia? 3. ¿Cómo se llama el día 31 de diciembre en español? 4 .¿Cuál es el nombre del actor español que es la voz de Puss in Boots en Shrek la película? 5. ¿Cuál es la capital de España? 6. ¿Dónde está el Alhambra, en España? 7. ¿De dónde es el tenista Rafael Nadal? 8. ¿Cuál es el nombre del presidente de España? 9. ¿Qué deportes practican Pau Gasol y Fernando Alonso? 10. ¿Más o menos cuántos habitantes hay en España? I hope you have enjoyed our revision week and are looking forward to using your Spanish more and more in 2013. Have a great January, try to keep warm and I´ll be back next week with some more learning.

Friday, January 4, 2013

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

WHY THE AGGRESSION?

I am often asked quickfire questions by people wanting advice about their dogs, the most common being, “How do I stop my dog from being aggressive”? Many people think the answer will be quick and decisive, but there is no one answer to one question when it comes to dogs. The reason for this is because everything is connected and everything you do with your dog will have a particular meaning. As an example, take a dog that is showing signs of aggression. I have to look at many aspects of what and how the human is interacting with the dog, to find out where the problem lies. All of the following need to be discussed: How are you exercising the dog and how often, how are you correcting the dog, at what times are you giving affection, the recall, separation anxiety, what happens at feeding times, along with one of the most important aspects, which is, the emotions and thoughts of the human, not just when they are with their dogs, but when they are on their own. So, as you can see, there can never be a quickfire answer. Take us, the human race, for example. Many of the problems we go through in life are not down to one specific aspect. There will be many facets that contribute to a certain problem or negative emotion. It could be how we were raised, the environment we are now living in, the people around us, a medical problem, constantly living your life at 150 miles per hour, a lack of understanding to your situation or a certain situation and many more. When I say to people that they need to book a consultation or attend one of my seminars, to gain a complete understanding of their dogs and the answers to the problems they are experiencing, I do not suggest this for the benefit of my bank account. I am simply not made that way. My goal is to make sure that all of my clients, after a consultation, or seminar, have a very clear and easy to understand

consultations lasted seven hours. Learning a new language is fascinating, but learning the language of your dog, who has stood by you faithfully for many years is mind-blowing for my clients, who begin to look at their dogs and life in a completely new and positive way. You can only gain a successful relationship with a dog, or even another human being, when you understand the whole picture and not just part of it, which is why the consultation or seminar is so important. In February, I travel to Spain for my first ever seminar outside London. In the seminar I talk about the whole picture, which includes, the dog, the human, the subject of calm in yours and your dog’s life and how to achieve this, exercising your dog, how to correct a dog using their own language, when to and how to give a dog affection that nurtures calm, understanding and how to prevent separation anxiety, the recall, the feeding ritual, understanding aggression and how to prevent it, the body language of your dog and finally the last and emotional subject is the spirit of the dog. I was honoured when the Daily Express attended and reviewed my seminar and said the following, “Peter at The Dog You Need turned out to be very much the canine counsellor needed. Separation anxiety, nervous aggression with other dogs, distinct nervousness with strangers – Peter addresses them all. And he did it in a positive way which exuded a confidence that was transmitted to all. He is heartily recommended”. To buy tickets for the seminar in Spain on Saturday February 9, you can email me at peter@thedogyouneed.com or go to my website www.thedogyouneed.com and click on courses. Learn how the mind of a dog works The seminar will be fun as well as educational and honest, route of how to gain calm, balance and peace for both as I will explain to you my biggest mistake I made that human and dog. That is why the average time I spend in a thankfully led me to appreciate why we need dogs a lot consultation is four and a half hours and one of my latest more than they need us.

PETS’ CORNER: CAN YOU TAKE IN A HOMELESS DOG OR CAT? DUMPLING & DIAMOND are two of three pups who are now 8 weeks old. They are well socialised and are currently receiving their appropriate vaccinations. 966 710 047

Diamond

JEWEL is a 3 year old Labrador type crossbreed. Jewel is a very friendly and happy dog who could be a very loyal and loving companion and, I would expect, quite easy to train; she is now fully vaccinated, micro chipped and spayed. 966 710 047

LUNA is a 2 year old female Lab crossbreed. She was in a very good condition when she came into the kennels but her owner was in a very difficult situation and was no longer able to care for her. She is fully vaccinated, micro chipped and spayed. 966 710 047

Martha is 10 weeks old, she was found with her siblings on a doorstep just 6 days old. All 9 survived and are looking for new homes. To see all 8 puppies please visit our website www.apahrescue.org or contact Natasha on 616210850

Jewel

Luna

Martha

BRUNO is a large Mastin cross. He was abandoned with no food or water,he was very thin. After a visit to our vet he was declared in good health. Bruno is very friendly.He has been castrated. PHONE 600 84 54 20

Luna is about a year and a half old now and is a collie, husky mix. She has been spayed, had her vaccinations and loves other dogs. Call: 655 027 676. www.petsinspain.com

Petra

Petra is a beautiful 1 year old German Shepherd was taken to the animal crematorium 5 days ago. She looks in very good condition, seems to understand English commands and is very friendly with people and other dogs. Call: 645 469 253. www.petsinspain.com

Trigger TRIGGER was abandoned with six litter mates when he was only 6 weeks old. He is now 1 year old and is very loving and affectionate, fully vaccinated, micro chipped & castrated. 966 710 047

Bruno

Luna

Friday, January 4, 2013

Línea Directa reports: HOW TO COMPLETE AN ACCIDENT REPORT FORM • This document is essential for determining who is responsible for a traffic accident, which has a direct effect on the price that customers pay when renewing their insurance.

What is an accident report form? An accident report form is a document which outlines the circumstances which have occurred in a car accident. In addition to the personal details of the drivers and their vehicles, the document includes a jointly agreed description of the manoeuvres carried out by the drivers when the accident took place, which plays a key role in determining who is responsible for a traffic accident.

How should it be completed? Línea Directa offers the following advice to complete the form: 1. Columns A and B (blue and yellow), are for the personal details of the drivers and their vehicles. 2. In section 12, (Circumstances) the numbered column on the left describes the manoeuvres of car A and the one on the right those of car B. If you are unsure which box to mark, leave it blank. Make a drawing of the accident in section 13 indicating the manoeuvre of each car. 3. If anybody has been injured or if you think they might have been injured, complete section 24. 4. If there is more than one car involved in the accident, also complete section 23, on the reverse side of the form, and include it in the sketch. 5. Sign the form and keep a copy.

Call now for more information on 902 123 104

Friday, January 4, 2013

NEW YEAR, NEW START AS we embark on another year, the Mayan prophecy has been proved wrong and we are ready to face 2013. But what will the New Year hold for those of us still surviving life here in Spain? A lot has happened in the past year, I guess we have all had our ups and downs and the next year will be no different. However, is there anything we can do to ensure we have a good year? Certain things may seem out of our control, for example our job situation may change as may our relationship status and there may be nothing we can do about it. However, there are things we can do to keep ourselves content with our lives and to look forward to the future. We all have dreams, places we would like to visit, things we would like to accomplish, or people we would like to meet. I wrote a few months ago about a woman who was dying of cancer, she wrote a bucket list, which is a list of all the things she would like to do before she dies. I began to think about this and thought, why should we be staring death in the face before we write a bucket list? There are things that every person reading this wants to do so why not sit down and write your list. It can be anything you really want to do, anywhere you want to see, anyone you want to meet, and then during the year make the list happen. Some things like world travel may

not be possible due to work or financial restraints but you can make it achievable by lessening the ambition, for example instead of world travel chose a country you particularly like or even a part of Spain. You should spend some time on your list, I think I´ll call it a´ Living List´ rather than a ´Bucket List´ as

it is all about living our lives to the full and making every day count. Last year for me was a fantastic year, as was 2011, years that I believe I fully deserved after the years before which were less than great. However, I fully expect 2013 to be a great year too. I always try to see the glass as half full, I constantly remind

myself that there are plenty of people in the world worse off than me and even in Spain there are people living on the streets, people who have lost everything and I am grateful to have a roof over my head and food on the table. So, back to the new year, as always it will begin with fresh hope for a future yet unwritten, and that is the main thing we should remember as we sit down with our pens ready to write our living list: keep the ideas possible, flying to the moon is probably not going to be achievable but meeting our favourite pop star/actor may be. Visting La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or going shopping in Madrid is a definite dream we can fulfill. Whatever you decide, if anything, remember that the decisions you make are yours and your destiny is in your hands. Time flies so quickly, it certainly doesn´t seem a year ago that I was starting this column and in another years time I hope to be receiving your letters telling me that you have managed at least a few of your chosen dreams on your living list, I think I´ll start my list with the new years favourite of losing a bit of weight and I´m going to teach my son to swim without floats or armbands. These will start my living list, now to think of a few more. Have a great 2013, I look forward to spending at least some of it with you.

Friday, January 4, 2013

GONG WITH THE WIND

THE UK Honours system always gets the pulse racing, though the latest spin has been to focus on the successful 2012 Olympians. But even that part of the list produced an almighty blunder when Mo Farah (one of only seven men to do the Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 metres double), was incredibly snubbed for a knighthood, whilst Kelly Holmes became a Dame for doing a shorter track double back in 2004 in Athens. That’s not good enough, especially when Hector Sants, ex-head of the discredited Financial Services Authority, was knighted for doing nothing to sort out the c r o o k e d goons in the banking industry. It’s a classic “jobs for the boys” and

who can forget the honour bestowed on the disgraced Fred Goodwin, who brought the Royal Bank of Scotland to its knees? Meanwhile, two distinguished MPs were knighted, and I actually don’t have a problem with it because they deserve it. Margaret Beckett celebrates 30

years as a Derby MP this summer, and even when she was a Cabinet Minister, including the first female Foreign Secretary, she’d always treat her constituency as her main priority, as well as being a pleasure to deal with. Over in the West Midlands, Richard Shepherd has been in Parliament for 34 years, and like Beckett, would have liked to become the Commons Speaker. He’s also never been a puppet of the Tory whips, and has earnt respect as a defender of Parliamentary rights. He’s been a good constituency MP, too, and an interesting and pleasant guy for yours truly to i n t e r v i e w.

Good luck to them both. By the way, I equally respect ex-London Mayor Ken Livingstone and film director (and Olympics ceremony mastermind) Danny Boyle, for having turned down their gongs. Ken said that politicians shouldn’t get honours. I commend him and Boyle for maintaining a principled position, though I think they are wrong. Congratulations to Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy for joining the school of the blinking obvious. In his New Year natter to journalists, he said that 2013 would be a hard year but he was going to press ahead with the economic reforms. I agree with what Rajoy has to do, but some of the predictions he makes leave him more exposed than a prostitute in the company of Silvio Berlusconi. He says that IVA will not rise this year (I’ve heard that one before). He says that things will improve in the second half of 2013 (Where is the evi-

dence?). He says he’ll try to stop unemployment reaching six million (How?). He’s denied reports of an increase in the retirement age (Let’s wait and see). Rajoy’s painful policies are needed, but why oh why does he continue to make such rash statements, which you know he’ll have to contradict sometime in the future? Over in Britain, we had David Cameron using his New Year message to tell everybody that the UK is “heading in the right direction”. Despite the fact that things are tough and nobody is doing any cartwheels or cracking open champagne bottles, key figures on inflation, employment and production are looking positive, though more is needed to be done. Mass unemployment, predicted by Labour’s gloom merchants, hasn’t happened, and the country is in a better state than many in Europe. But with the clock ticking down the two years until the next General

Election, Cameron has a heck of a lot more work to do to convince the voters of a turnaround that they can really vouch for. A year ago I made two predictions for 2012. I wrote that Barack Obama would be re-elected as US President, and that Ed Miliband would no longer be leader of the Labour Party. A 50 per cent success rate is my personal spin on what I wrote, and to be fair, I think Miliband has improved his image and is sincere in what he believes. That’s important, but his massive headache is what to do about that big bag of wind that is Ed Balls, who still lives in denial about he and his mate Gordon Brown mucking up the economy when they were in charge. Ed M needs to sweep away Ed B to show that he’s the big boss and that you need new ideas. But has he the guts to do it? That’ll show us what kind of Prime Minister he’ll be, come 2015.

Friday, January 4, 2013

It’s time for a diet OVEN BAKED FISH AND CHIPS Ingredients

880g/ 1lb 12 oz floury potato , scrubbed and cut into chips 2 tbsp olive oil 50g fresh breadcrumbs zest 1 lemon 2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley 4 x 140g/5oz thick sustainable white fish fillets 200g/ 7oz cherry tomato

Method

1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pat chips dry on kitchen paper, then lay in a single layer on a large baking tray. Drizzle with half the olive oil and season with salt. Cook for 40 mins, turning after 20 mins, so they cook evenly. 2. Mix the breadcrumbs with the lemon zest and parsley, then season well. Top the cod evenly with the breadcrumb mixture, then drizzle with the remaining oil. Put in a roasting tin with the cherry tomatoes, then bake in the oven for the final 10 mins of the chips' cooking time.

GREEK PORK PATTIES WITH RADISH TZATZIKI & TOMATO SALAD Ingredients 1 small red onion 400g extra-lean minced pork 70g soft breadcrumbs 1 tbsp dried oregano 1 egg , beaten 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 10 radishes, sliced 200ml 0% fat Greek yogurt 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut

into wedges 2 wholemeal pitta breads, to serve

Method 1.Cut a ¼ of the onion into thin slices and then finely chop the rest. Mix the pork with the breadcrumbs, chopped onion, oregano, egg, half the garlic and some seasoning. Mix well and form into 12 small patties. Mix the remaining garlic with the radishes and yogurt in a small bowl. Chill until needed. 2. Rub the patties with a tiny bit of oil and chargrill in a pan or on the barbecue for 4-5 minutes a side until cooked through. Mix the sliced onions and tomatoes and serve with the patties, tzatziki and some warm pitta breads.

CHARGRILLED STEAK WITH SWEET POTATOES & SALSA Ingredients 2 small sirloin steaks, all fat removed 2 tsp sweet paprika 1 large sweet potato, cut into wedges 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 150g cherry tomatoes, quartered ½ red onion , chopped a small bunch of coriander , chopped 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Method

1.Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Rub the steak with 1 tsp of the paprika and season well. Toss the potato with half the oil and season, then roast for 25 minutes until browned and crisp. 2. While they're cooking, mix the tomatoes, onion, coriander, vinegar, remaining oil and paprika in a small bowl and toss. Season. 3. Chargrill (griddle) the steak for 2-3 minutes on each side and serve with the potatoes and the salsa.

SPICY SPAGHETTI WITH GARLIC MUSHROOMS Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 250g pack chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced 1 garlic, thinly sliced small bunch parsley , leaves only 1 celery stick, finely chopped small bunch parsley, leaves only 1 onion, finely chopped 400g can chopped tomatoes 1⁄2 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped, (or use drieds chilli flakes) 300g spaghetti

Method 1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the mushrooms, then fry over a high heat for 3 mins until golden and softened. Add the garlic, fry for 1 min more, then tip into a bowl with the parsley. Add the onion and celery to the pan with the rest of the oil, then fry for 5 mins until lightly coloured. 2. Stir in the tomatoes, chilli and a little salt, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins until thickened. Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti, then drain. Toss with the sauce, top with the garlicky mushrooms, then serve.

SALMON & SPINACH WITH TARTARE CREAM Ingredients 1 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil 2 skinless salmon fillets 250g bag spinach 2 tbsp reduced-fat crème fraîche juice ½ lemon 1 tsp capers, drained 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley , chopped lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, season the salmon on both sides, then fry for 4 mins each side until golden and the flesh flakes easily. Leave to rest on a plate while you cook the spinach. 2. Tip the leaves into the hot pan, season well, then cover and leave to wilt for 1 min, stirring once or twice. Spoon the spinach onto plates, then top with the salmon. Gently heat the crème fraîche in the pan with a squeeze of the lemon juice, the capers and parsley, then season to taste. Be careful not to let it boil. Spoon the sauce over the fish, then serve with lemon wedges.

LEMON SPAGHETTI WITH TUNA & BROCCOLI Ingredients 350g spaghetti 250g broccoli, cut into small florets 2 shallots, finely chopped 85g pitted green olives , halved 2 tbsp capers, drained 198g can tuna in oil zest and juice 1 lemon 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

Method

1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water for 6 mins. Add the broccoli and boil for 4 mins more or until both are just tender. 2. Meanwhile, mix the shallots, olives, capers, tuna and lemon zest and juice in a roomy serving bowl. Drain the pasta and broccoli, add to the bowl and toss really well with the olive oil and lots of black pepper. Serve with a little extra olive oil drizzled over.

Friday, January 4, 2013

OPEN PRAWN COCKTAIL SANDWICH Ingredients 2 tbsp extra-light mayonnaise 1 tbsp reduced-sugar ketchup 2 tbsp chopped dill 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges 100g pack cooked and peeled North Atlantic prawns ½ cucumber, deseeded and diced 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, halved 20g bag rocket 2 slices wholemeal bread

Method

1. Make the dressing in a medium bowl. Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, half the dill, the juice from 4 of the lemon wedges and some seasoning. Toss in the prawns cucumber and tomatoes. 2. Arrange the bread on 2 plates, top each with rocket and pile on the prawn filling. Scatter with remaining dill and serve with the lemon wedges, for squeezing over.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA Ingredients 85g Parmesan 2 eggs, preferably organic 200g frozen peas 350g spaghetti (we used De Cecco) 1 tbsp olive oil 100g lean back bacon, fat removed, bacon chopped into small pieces 2 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped handful snipped chives

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Then get everything ready. Grate the cheese and beat the eggs in a bowl with a little pepper. Cook the peas in boiling water for 2-3 mins, drain and set aside. 2. Cook the spaghetti to al dente following pack instructions. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the oil in a large, deep frying or sauté pan. Fry the bacon for several mins until it starts to go crisp. Stir in the garlic and cook briefly until pale brown. Tip in the peas and if the spaghetti isn't quite ready, keep warm over a very low heat. 3. When the pasta is done, take the pan with the bacon in off the heat. Lift the spaghetti out of its pan with a pair of tongs and drop it into the frying pan with the garlic, bacon and peas. Mix most of the cheese into the eggs, keeping back a handful of cheese for sprinkling over each serving. Quickly pour in the eggs and cheese, lifting and stirring with the tongs so everything mixes well and the spaghetti gets coated. Ladle in some more of the pasta water, enough to coat the spaghetti and create a bit of sauce in the pan. 4. Spoon or twirl the pasta into shallow serving bowls using a long pronged fork. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of

the reserved cheese, some snipped chives and a grating of black pepper.

TOMATO AND THYME COD Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 400g can chopped tomatoes 1 heaped tsp light, soft brown sugar few sprigs thyme, leaves stripped 1 tbsp soy sauce 4 cod, fillets

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion, then fry for 5-8 mins until lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, thyme and soy, then bring to the boil. 2. Simmer 5 mins, then slip the cod into the sauce. Cover and gently cook for 8-10 mins until the cod flakes easily. Serve with baked or steamed potatoes.

TANGY TROUT Ingredients 4 trout fillets 50g breadcrumbs 1 tbsp butter, softened 1 small bunch parsley, chopped zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve 25g pine nuts, toasted and half roughly chopped 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Heat the grill to high. Lay the fillets, skin side down, on an oiled baking tray. Mix together the breadcrumbs, butter, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and half the pine nuts. Scatter the mixture in a thin layer over the fillets, drizzle with the oil and place under the grill for 5 mins. Sprinkle over the remaining pine nuts, then serve with the lemon wedges and a potato salad.

MEXICAN LIME CHICKEN Ingredients 2 chicken breasts 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp crushed coriander

seeds 1 tsp grated limes zest ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp muscovado sugar 1 lime 6 unpeeled garlic cloves 2 fresh red chillies

Method

1. Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tsp each crushed coriander seeds and grated lime zest and 1⁄2 tsp each paprika and light muscovado sugar. 2. Put 2 chicken breasts in a baking dish, spoon the marinade over, then squeeze over a little lime juice. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes. 3. Slip 1-2 lime slices under the skin of each breast and season. Tuck 6 unpeeled garlic cloves and 2 fresh red chillies around the chicken. 4. Roast the chicken breasts in a baking dish, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven (190C/gas 5/fan oven 170C). To check if they are done, prod the chicken with your finger - if it's still a bit soft, give it a bit longer. 5. Serve with salad and salsa.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Weird news stories of 2012 The Courier runs through the weirdest news stories that made us laugh in 2012, including an errant haggis, Jack Nicholson and 30 squirrels.

Haggis causes security meltdown in Scottish railway station

Underage drinker caught using Rodney Trotter fake ID

An unaccompanied haggis dressed in a tartan pink kilt caused a major security scare in January after turning up at Inverness train station unannounced. The 4ft papier-mâché model, which had a label, attached that read ‘this haggis needs friends’, travelled 114miles to its final destination where it was met by British Transport Police officials who escorted it off the premises.

A cheeky underage drinker was left looking like a right plonker after being caught attempting to enter a pub using a fake Rodney Trotter ID. Featuring a photograph of actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, the card and Nelson Mandela House address quickly aroused suspicions among amused door staff.

Cold soup row leaves frozen husband stranded in forest for a month A Russian man must have wished he had kept quiet after a row with his wife over cold soup left him stranded in the middle of a forest in sub-zero conditions for over a month. After storming out of his house in a huff, the man inadvertently walked deep into the heart of dense woodland and quickly became lost. ‘I walked and walked but after a few hours I didn’t have any idea where I was and I couldn’t find my way back,’ Yuri Ticuic explained after he was eventually found weeks later by agricultural workers. Batman pulled over by traffic officers for having wrong plates on Batmobile Crime-fighting comic book hero Batman found himself on the wrong side of the law after being pulled over by US traffic cops earlier this year for failing to display a valid license plate. The Caped Crusader was later named as charity worker Lenny B Robinson who regularly visits sick children in hospitals across Montgomery County dressed in full Batman attire. ‘I’m just doing it for the kids,’ he told the Washington Post. Brazilian man attempts to open bank account using fake Jack Nicholson ID A Brazilian man was arrested after being caught attempting to open a bank account using a photograph of famous Hollywood actor Jack Nicholson on a false ID. It was a case of ‘as stupid as it gets’ for the alleged fraudster who used one of the world’s most recognisable faces in an attempt to fool bank staff before they notified police officials about the chancer’s preposterous plan. Chicken nugget resembling George Washington attracts 5k eBay bid A three-year-old frozen chicken nugget bearing a slight resemblance to first US president George Washington attracted over 70 bids on eBay after a bidding war between patriotic Americans earlier this year. The presidential poultry eventually attracted an offer of £5,000 before the highest bidder chickened out of the deal to own their very own chunk of American history. Well-meaning OAP transforms Christ fresco into ‘monkey in ill-fitting tunic’ A well-meaning pensioner became an overnight internet sensation after transforming a cherished 200-yearold Jesus Christ fresco painting hanging in a Zaragoza church into a ‘monkey in an ill-fitting tunic’. OAP Cecilia Gimenez, 80, reportedly later hired a team of lawyers in a bid to secure royalties from the fees church owners began charging tourists. Her amateur restoration attempts also inspired an online painting game and a popular Halloween outfit before she began selling more of her amateur artwork on eBay. Stolen cash returned… to bank robber Bank manager Otto Neuman embezzled £150,000 in cash

and gold from the Erste Bank in Vienna in 1993. He covered up the theft by having accomplices stage a robbery. Of the total, only £51,000 and some gold was recovered when police arrested Neuman. The gold went to the insurer, and the cash was kept as evidence for 19 years. Now, the Austrian Justice Ministry is returning the money to Neuman! The insurer compensated the bank for its loss, the gold had appreciated so much in the intervening years that the insurer suffered no loss in the long run, and the ministry feels it has no claim on the cash. How do you re-home homing pigeons? Roy Day of Northfleet, Kent, England had 20 homing pigeons in his garden shed. Neighbours complained of the noise and smell, and the Gravesham Borough Council notified Day that the pigeons were a health problem and that he would have to sell or give his pigeons away. Day says that if he took the pigeons somewhere else, they would come back, because that is what homing pigeons do. "They gave me a seven-day deadline to get rid of them, but even if they went 150odd miles away, they'd still come back — they are homing pigeons." Scottish village gets a "sister city" — on Mars Many cities and towns around the world have a link to another city or town far away, for friendship and cultural exchanges. The village of Glenelg, on the western coast of Scotland, has announced it will "twin" with another place with the same name. Glenelg, Mars, is the designated name of the spot that the Mars Curiosity rover is headed toward. Officials in Glenelg, the Scottish one, held an official "twinning" ceremony on Oct. 20. It was a smashing success, and pictures are posted at the Glenelg and Arnisdale Community Portal. Although there were no Martian natives at the ceremony, American astronaut Bonnie Dunbar did attend.

Why the tortoise wouldn't eat Margaret Parker of Carlisle, England, found a fiveinch-long tortoise in her garden. The miniature tortoise was cute, so she brought it inside and tried to feed it. Parker's daughter brought some lettuce for it, but it still wouldn't eat. So the women called Knoxwood Wildlife Rescue Centre for advice, and a volunteer was sent out. Pauline Adams picked up the tortoise and figured out the problem. She said: "At first when I arrived I didn't have my glasses on and I thought it was a baby tortoise. It was sitting there in the shoe box, on a bed of lettuce and tomato. Then I put my specs on, and thought: 'Oops — what's this?' When I picked it up I saw the CE mark and the words made in China, and I just cracked up. I laughed even more when she told me her daughter had

been to the Co-op to buy tomato and lettuce for it. She was very apologetic. Judging by the moss on it, it had been in the garden a long time." Adams and Knoxwood founder George Scott both said Mrs Parker did the right thing by calling them. German civil servant did nothing for 14 years An unnamed German man retired at age 65 when his civil service position was eliminated. In an email letter addressed to his colleagues in the city of Menden, he boasted that he had done no actual work since 1998. However, in that time he had gone to his office and collected 745,000 euros ($980,000) in pay from the municipal state surveyor's office. He blamed the waste on authorities who hired another surveyor to do the same job, leaving him with nothing to do. The man had been in the same job since 1974. Mayor Volker Fleige was upset when he received the email, and said the employee had never once complained before now. Wanted man turns himself in for reward Taliban Commander Mohammad Ashan saw his face on a wanted poster and noted the reward was $100. So he grabbed one of the fliers and went to a police checkpoint in the district of Sar Howza, Afghanistan, where he demanded the reward. Afghan officials arrested him instead. He was wanted for plotting attacks on Afghan security forces. When U.S. troops went to confirm that Ashan had in fact come forward to claim the finder's fee, they were initially incredulous. "We asked him, 'Is this you?' Mohammad Ashan answered with an incredible amount of enthusiasm, 'Yes, yes, that's me! Can I get my award now?'" recalled SPC Matthew Baker. A biometric scan confirmed that the man in Afghan custody was the insurgent they had been looking for. "This guy is the Taliban equivalent of the Home Alone burglars," one U.S. official said. Police officer chased himself In a story that was shared with a monthly police magazine, a police officer in Sussex, England, ended up chasing himself around for 20 minutes. A CCTV (closed circuit TV) operator saw a suspicious man on the streets, and called a plainclothes officer for help. The operator gave directions to the areas where the suspicious man was caught on camera, and the officer always seemed to be close, but could not see any evidence of the man. That is, until they realized that the "suspicious character" was actually the plainclothes officer! The date of the misadventure has been lost in the retelling, as all police officers involved were too busy laughing. 30 squirrels escape from zoo; 38 recaptured A typhoon wrecked the squirrel enclosure of the Inokashira Park Zoo in Tokyo in July, resulting in the escape of 30 squirrels. Attempts to recover the animals were quite successful; at one count, 38 squirrels had been "recaptured." Zoo officials have offered three different explanations for the discrepancy: 1. They miscounted how many squirrels had escaped 2. The squirrels reproduced while on the loose and 3. Some wild squirrels may have been picked up by mistake. The zoo implants microchips in their animals, so all recovered squirrels will eventually be scanned.

Friday, January 4, 2013

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS:

I want to lose weight I want to get fitter I want to knock a few years off my appearance I want to feel more confident Do you find it difficult to keep to your resolutions? Most of us do, but help is at hand. Here at MedAesthetics we can offer you all the help and support you need to achieve these four resolutions and in a relatively short time. One of the problems is that when goals take a long time to achieve, we get bored or run out of steam. Our approach is to get you to achieve your desires quickly and importantly to help you to stay on track. How can we make these promises to you? Quite simply because we have the best team of professionals and the best products on the market we can make your dreams a reality. The Cambridge 800 Weight Management Plan assures you a safe, nutritionally bal-

anced, medically researched and one to one supported product to help you lose weight in a controlled way and offers you a maintenance programme of on-going support. Your health will improve as your weight diminishes and your feeling of well-being and confidence will soar. Our Whole Body Vibration exercise machine helps weight loss, assists in toning but also improves joints, muscles and circulation, adding to already boosted confidence and hopefully adding years to your life. Our team of professionals in Aesthetics, Hair, Beauty, Holistics and Cosmetic Surgery can improve your confidence in a short time and help you to maintain that feeling. Here at Medaesthetics you are assured of a courteous, friendly welcome, safe in the knowledge that we are all professionally trained and offer you a clean, well maintained environment in which to achieve your New Year Resolutions!

Tomato juice for healthy bones Milk’s not the only drink that builds healthy bones. According to new research published in the journal Osteoporosis International, drinking tomato juice reduces the risk of osteoporosis too. Is sipping tomato juice twice a day the key to healthy bones? Tomatoes and tomato juice are a rich source of natural plant compounds called lycopenes. This member of the carotenoid family of phytonutrients has already been recognised for its health benefits. Lycopenes in tomatoes may lower the risk of heart disease, and some studies show they prevent prostate cancer — although recent studies have called this into question. Nevertheless, lycopenes are a good source of cell-protective antioxidants — and tomato juice is one of the best sources of lycopene around. The Power of Lycopenes in Tomatoes When researchers gave sixty postmenopausal women tomato juice, a lycopene supplement, a combination of the two, or a placebo for four months, they made some interesting observations. The women who received the lycopene supplement, the tomato juice, or a combination of the two had significant increases in the amount of lycopene in their blood. This isn’t surprising since the women were drinking tomato juice or taking a lycopene supplement. What’s more interesting is the women who

WHY YOU NEED SUPPLEMENTS It is true that the best sources of nutrients for the body are natural plant and animal foods. Fifty years ago, you will be well advised to rely only on the foods you eat for your vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential proteins and other nutrients required for maintaining excellent health. Today, the same advice will most likely put your health at risk. It is now a well-established fact that the nutritional content of many foods have severely declined in the past decades. Several studies of historical food compositions

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

now show that the amounts of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin, vitamin C and many other nutrients in conventionally grown fresh fruits and vegetables have declined significantly. Wheat grown today contains half the amount of protein as wheat grown 60 years ago. One published scientific report found that common garden fruits and vegetables have lost almost half of all nutrients they contain when

compared to those from several decades ago. An apple for example, contained 8 mgs of magnesium in 1963 and less than 4 mgs today. The same apple contained 28 mgs of magnesium in 1914. This alarming decline in nutritional content has also been observed with animal foods. Ground beef had robust amounts of vitamin A (40,00IU) in 1963, but today it no longer contains this

essential vitamin. Chicken has also lost close to 70% of its vitamin A content in the same time period. Other minerals that are significantly lower in meat include; vitamin B1, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium. Milk from commercial dairy farms has lower concentrations of fats, proteins, vitamins and other nutrients than milk from dairy operations 20 years ago. Experts blame our modern day agricultural practices for the decline in food nutrients. The average yield of corn in 1950 was about 40 bushels per acre. Today the yield has increased four times on the same piece of farm land. While the yield of major food crops have gone up, farmers the world over, have continued to use fertilisers that supply only 3 nutrients to plants- nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, without any consideration to dozens of other essential minerals required by plants. Food processing also has a huge impact on the nutrient content of foods. When wheat is refined into flour, it loses more than half of its content of minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, man-

drank tomato juice or took the lycopene in supplement form had lower markers for bone breakdown in their blood as well as greater antioxidant capacity. These factors are both important for healthy bones and for reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Prior to giving them lycopene supplements or tomato juice, the women were asked to avoid eating any tomato products for thirty days. During this time, they found a chemical in their blood stream that serves as a marker for bone breakdown — more evidence that lycopene is important for healthy bones. Lycopenes in Tomatoes: How Much Do You Need for Healthy Bones? According to this study, drinking two glasses of tomato juice a day can improve bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. What about eating raw tomatoes? This wouldn’t necessarily have the same benefit. Lycopene are most readily absorbed when they’re processed, so tomato juice, tomato sauce and ketchup are better sources than raw tomatoes. Drink Tomato Juice for Healthy Bones: The Bottom Line? Don’t give up milk. It has the calcium the body needs to build stronger bones, but add more lycopenes to your diet by drinking tomato juice too. Give your bones the nutrients they need to keep you standing tall for a lifetime.

ganese, zinc and potassium. Most canned fruits and vegetables have very little or no essential nutrients. Only canned tomatoes are known to contain more beta carotene than raw tomatoes. Even the so called ‘fresh fruits’ found in supermarket shelves may not be so fresh. A well-known report found that the vitamin C in fresh oranges from the same grower had fallen to zero by the time it was stacked in the supermarket a few weeks later. Furthermore, cooking is known to destroy between 20 – 50% of vitamins contained in raw foods. The current economic crunch in Europe, especially Spain, has led to huge cuts

in public healthcare spending. With waiting lines for medical appointments growing longer, and the standard of public healthcare slipping, the emphasis is now on preventative healthcare. Taking good quality supplements will keep you healthy and speed-up your recovery time when you fall ill. Ultra Preventive X is an award winning high quality pharmaceutical grade supplement from Douglas laboratories, formulated with over 40 of the most essential nutrients for maintaining excellent health. For more information call 965071745 Contact Dr Machi Mannu for Full Body Diagnostic Scan and Therapy

Friday, January 4, 2013

When a stroke leads to forgetfulness… Q

About six years ago my wife had a stroke. Since then she has made a good recovery, but we have both noticed recently that she is more forgetful than usual. When she had the stroke, we were told that she might have problems with her speech and memory, but nothing was prescribed to help with recovery. Do you think something can be done to help her?

Some memory loss after a stroke is common, but sometimes it remains hidden until the victim has to perform complicated tasks or, as in the case of your wife, it occurs many years after the injury. Recently, medical researchers found that ‘silent strokes’ which are undetectable stroke symptoms due to tiny dead cells in the brain can be the cause of a quarter of memory lapses in elderly people. A number of nutrients have been found to be very useful for preventing and even treating memory loss especially when it is caused by a cerebrovascular accident (stroke). Magnesium has been found deficient in stroke victims, and a clinical study noticed a 50% improvement in the brain functions of stroke patients when they are given magnesium supplements. Magnesium also plays a role in relaxing blood vessels which in turn reduces high blood pressure, a

common cause of stroke. Co-enzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) has also been found to be deficient in stroke sufferers. CoQ10 is a vitamin like nutrient required for the production of energy in cells. Several studies have shown that supplementing with CoQ10 improves memory loss in stroke victims. A new vitamin-like supplement PQQ (Pyrrolloquinoline) has shown great promise for treating all kinds of memory problems. In one study middle-aged and elderly people supplementing on PQQ showed a significant increase in high end mental processing and other brain function tests. PQQ is now available in Spain.

Since the past few weeks, I have had a very painful and stiff left shoulder. My GP in England says that I have a frozen shoulder and prescribed painkillers and told me to rest the shoulder. But all that doesn’t seem to help very much. Any advice from you will be much appreciated.

Frozen shoulder is the common name for pain, stiffness and immobility of the shoulder joint caused by inflammation and thickening of the membrane (capsule) that surrounds the joint. In most cases it appears on its own for no apparent reason, but it normally occurs after a fall, a task involving repetitive movement such as

painting, or after strenuous exercises. The medication your doctor recommended is normally prescribed for relief, but if the inflammation is very severe as is possible in your case, you may not experience much relief. You should also try applying hot and cold packs to the painful shoulder. There are formulations of natural antiinflammatory compounds that have been found to be more effective than some prescribed pain killers. A typical example is a formula known as Resvera-Gold from Douglas Laboratories. It contains standardised extracts of Turmeric, Bowellia, Green tea and other potent compounds known to relieve joint and bone pain. After your pain has reduced, a physiotherapist or chiropractor will help improve immobility, but it may take many months before the range of movement in your left shoulder becomes normal.

I have heard that Black Cohosh can be used to reduce postmenopausal symptoms. Please tell me more about it.

Black cohosh also known as squaw root or blacksnake root is a wild plant found throughout Canada and Eastern USA. It has a long history of use by the Native Americans for treating all kinds of Gynaecological problems. Today it is main-

ly used to relieve menopausal hot flushes and night sweats, but is also used to help relax menstrual cramps, treat painful or irregular periods, low libido and hormone imbalances. It is equally very useful for reducing feelings of depression, anxiety, tension and mood swings. The dried roots of black cohosh contain a number of oestrogen-like hormones that have a milder effect on the body than normal oestrogen, making them excellent for treating gynaecological problems. Black cohosh is one of the most widely used and studied natural alternatives to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A study in Germany found that black cohosh when combined with St John’s Wort was effective in treating 78% of women with hot flushes and other menopausal problems. Most women experienced a reduction in their symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks. In another study, black cohosh out-performed diazepam and synthetic HRT in relieving depressive moods and anxiety. Many clinical trials indicate that black cohosh is safe, but side effects such as headaches, nausea and indigestion have been reported when people take too much of it. The normal recommended dose of the standardised extract is between 40 and 200 mg daily.

Friday, January 4, 2013

RICHARD CAVENDER

Bluemoon Solutions www.bluemoonsolutions.es

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

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

ADVICE: Julie was having problems with accessing her ADVICE: Val wanted more information on how to set up craft DVD’s in Internet Explorer UK TV access

Hi Richard, I have discovered that, I can't play my craft dvds I keep getting a message E:\inex.html this files does not have a programme associated with it for performing this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control panel. Why is this?

Hi Richard, I have loaded the above onto my computer. As my internet is via Chrome, and my email is via that, will this affect my using My Private Network. Having signed up, I cannot access any of the iPlayers etc. to get the programmes. Will I have to stop using Chrome? Hi Val, no this will not affect your use of Google Chrome at all. Have you set up the VPN connection on your computer yet? Once you have that set up, you can connect and disconnect from the servers as and when you need to access UK only provided services. You can find instructions on their website to follow at… Windows XP https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/windows/windows-xp/pptp.html Windows Vista https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/windows/windows-vista/pptp.html Windows 7 https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/windows/windows-7/pptp.html Windows 8 https://www.my-private-network.co.uk/windows/windows-8/windows-8-ssl.html

Q A

Gail had a problem sending email whilst here on holiday.

Q A

A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click Click Click Click Click

Hi Julie, it sounds like your .html documents are not defaulted to a web browser, this is not something that would have happened whilst I was there, but it could have occurred when you were adding and removing Google Chrome, you should be able to easily sort it out by doing the following… start, Default Programs “set your default programs” on Internet Explorer “set this program as default” ok

I am on holiday here in Spain, have my laptop with me which is windows 7. I can receive emails but not send or reply, can you help me? Gail

Hi Gail, this is likely caused by your Internet Service Provider (back at home) not allowing email to be sent from anywhere other than their network. So because you are not connected to your own ADSL Internet you cannot send email. Usually most email providers allow you to use some type of webmail service, if you try that they you should be able to send email.

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

Jo was having problems printing from her iPad to a wireless printer.

Q A

Hello Richard, I have purchased a Epson Wi-Fi printer and have an iPad, mum and dad have Wi-Fi but I just cannot set it up to print. Maybe I am just being ' blonde'? Hope you understand my jabbering! Regards Jo

Hi Jo, in order to work with an iPad, iPhone or iPod the printer needs to have AirPrint functionality and the Epson printer you mention doesn’t have this functionality. However there is an app that you can download from the iTunes Store called “Epson iPrint App”, here is link to the app in iTunes so you can read more about it… https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epson-iprint/id326876192?mt=8 … it will enable your iPad to work with the wireless Epson printer your parents have, just download it (its free) and you should be able to use it to print. Let me know how you get on.

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

Office: 902 906 200

Friday, January 4, 2013

NO SENSE OF TUMOUR

HATS off to the Department of Health for what is arguably the most shocking and disturbing antismoking advert yet - seeing a cancerous growth getting larger in the centre of a cigarette. I really cannot understand anyone stupid enough to smoke when the evidence is so clearly there that it is one of the greatest causes of premature death. And one of the most appalling deaths as well. The problem is that children, teenagers and those up to the age of around 40 believe they are invincible and that nothing will harm or kill them. Scientists have now established that every 15 cigarettes smoked triggers a mutation in the body which can lead to a cancerous growth. This must be £2.7m well spent and let's hope that it influences more to quit. Personally, I would ban the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, along with smoking in any public place. That would end the thoughtless smoking and wafting their killer fumes in the faces of others. I wish the campaign every success, but methinks those who ignore all the warnings are stupid enough to continue smoking.

LOST PROPHETS OF DOOM OH, how I hate doom-mongers! Widely reported in the British press is a prediction that Spain's property prices could fall by a further 50%. It comes from RR de Acuna & Asociados, one of Spain's leading economic consultancies, who predict the relentless gloom could stretch up to 15 years – with falls of up to half current values along the Costas, where around 400,000 Britons live or own homes. Group vice-president Fernando Rodriguez de Acuna says the market is broken and that there are almost two million properties in Spain waiting to be sold, with "no progress at all" over the last five

I cannot help thinking that this is the result of the British sad litigation culture, where, if police did not have the answer to every question thrown at them, lawyers on the insurance trail would be crawling all over them. All the litigation in the world will not bring those brothers back to life. Has Britain got its priorities badly skewed?

WHEELS WAILS IN WALES

years to clear up the backlog. He went on: "There are 800,000 used homes on the market. Developers are sitting on a further 700,000 completed units. Another 300,000 have been foreclosed and 150,000 are in foreclosure proceedings, and there are another 250,000 still under construction. It’s crazy." I agree with him that it's crazy building more houses when so many are empty or only half built, but at least that construction work is keeping some people in work who otherwise would be on the dole. The problem with doommongers is that people tend to listen to them and it becomes self-fulfilling. What Mr Rodriguez de Acuna has not taken into account is the British (and other northern nationalities) love of Spain and the desire of many thousands of Brits to come to the sun to live out their retirement. The appalling weather the UK has experienced over the past year has made even more determined to escape. In addition, house

prices in the UK have proved far more resilient and, although they might wobble in the short term, the force of demand will prevent any more serious downturn. It's my belief that increasingly people in the UK, and other more wealthy countries in Europe, will see Spanish properties as being well under-valued. With property there's always a tipping point when people start to spot a bargain - and that day is not far off. But Spain must stop spoiling its countryside with more house building and get its existing stock sold first.

CLEANING UP THE COSTA MY wife and I spent Christmas in Benidorm for the first time and loved the experience - or rather we loved the excellent food on offer in the hotel and the chance to explore somewhere new. We went for some long walks with friends, exploring Calpe, Altea and l'Albia, and were impressed by how clean, tidy and free of rubbish these places were compared with Torrevieja and the Orihuela Costa. Why is this? Could it be that these coastal resorts have more civic-minded residents who don't leave rubbish and dogs' mess every-

where? Or is it that their local councils are spending more money in keeping the resorts fresh looking, inviting and clean? I have just been writing about attracting new house buyers to Spain. They won't be attracted here if the area looks tatty, and there are plenty of unkempt spots hereabouts. The new La Zenia Boulevard is a gem which is attracting many thousands of visitors each week. It's clean, bright and inviting. Let's start making the areas within 10 miles of it just as inviting. Councils and every resident must play their part. Spain may be in an economic mess, but it does not have to be in a filthy mess too!

MOTORWAY MADNESS ONE of the saddest events of the holiday period was the Christmas morning motorway accident which took the lives of two brothers who were on their way to a family wedding in Greater Manchester. During the days following, British newspapers were full of complaints about the massive traffic snarl-up the crash caused, and the Christmas ruined for thousands as a result. Many people missed flights and family get-togeth-

ers as a result of the M6 being closed in both directions. Obviously this was necessary to get a rescue helicopter to the scene and for the fire service and ambulances to attend. But increasingly police turn an incident into a drama and a car crash into a crime scene, spending hours on meticulous measurements to examine every facet of the accident before moving the vehicles and allowing traffic to set off again. Not so on the continent, where far greater emphasis is given to keeping major motorway routes open than in the UK.

WARNING: Don't go to Gwynedd in North Wales. If you do, be very careful how you park and take a tape measure with you. Why? Because traffic wardens there have been issued with tape measures to check the distance of vehicle wheels from the kerb. If they are more than 19 inches away the driver will be slapped with a £70 fine, reduced to £35 if you pay promptly. Draconian, I think, and the danger is that this zealous council will frighten motorists from the town centre and into out of town shopping areas to escape the dreaded wardens. It's such a contrast to here in Spain where motorists park anywhere and seem to get away with it. I find the practice of allowing parking right up to pedestrian crossings extremely dangerous. So many times pedestrians suddenly appear from behind parked cars and I wonder how many accidents happen as a result. Far safer is the British rule of zig-zag markings on the approach to crossings to ban parking. Something I would welcome in Spain, coupled with enforcement.

Friday, January 4, 2013

The proceeds of the Harmonisers’ 6th Annual concert at Teatro Rojales went to buying non-perishable food for the Rojales charity CARITAS, to help the homeless and needy of Rojales. After a successful trolley dash in a local supermarket, helped by Harmonisers wives, they delivered the food to Maria Terasa Saef, who is in charge of the distribution. The Harmonisers would like to thank the kind customers at Super Valu, Campo de Golf, for their generosity in digging into their

Escuela Europa pupils at the Easy Horse Care rescue Centre

Schoolkids horse about at EHCRC PUPILS of the Escuela Europa of Alicante spent a morning at the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre’s charity shop in Guardamar. They also met some of the centre’s rescued residents and got to see vet Dorothea in action and ask her questions. The centre invites pupils from other schools in the area visit the Rescue Centre. “If your school, class or club wish to visit, please contact us,’’ is their message. “We will be offering Wednesdays afternoons tours to schools and other organisations.’’ THE EHCRC’s Guardamar charity shop team of volunteers won the local council's €200 first prize for the most colourful window display competition.. Can you spare a morning or an afternoon a week? For details of volunteering at the Rescue Centre in Rojales call Sue on 652021980.

Golden Girls the after-Kath! The Friends of Help At Home Costa Blanca are to run the former Golden Girls Social Club at the Emerald Isle La Florida. The first Social meeting is next Wednesday, January 9, from 2pm to 4pm - and thereafter every other Wednesday. All former Golden Girls and new guests are welcome to join at €10 per annum. A raffle, guest speakers, fashion shows and live entertainment will be offered throughout 2013. It’s the fantastic format which made the Golden Girls a success under founder Kath Rowe, who decided to retire and return to the UK in the New Year. HAH Costa Blanca need more volunteers who care to cover from Pilar de la Horadada, Orihuela Costa, Quesada, San Luis, La Siesta, La Mata to La Marina. Call 603 245 020 or email: helpathomecb@gmail.com.

A hand of 60s help for HELP A SIXTIES night will be held at The Lodosol, San Pedro del Pinatar on January 17 in aid of Help Murcia Mar Menor. The action starts at 7.30 for 8pm and tickets are €6.50, including entertainment and a two-course meal. Fancy dress is optional. On Thursday February 21, there’s a Bargain Hunt/Auction at Paddy Singh’s, Los Urrutias. Items for the auction to be brought between 10am and12 noon., hammer down at 2pm. The fee is €10 for three items and €4 for one. Thursday April 25 sees a dinner/dance at the Costa Narejos Hotel in Los Alcazares. For €40 per person you can arrive any time after noon, enjoy an evening meal in the dining room, then dance to the Big Band Swingtet, stay overnight and have breakfast in the morning. Every third Tuesday in the month, HELP MMM’s general meeting takes place at Las Claras, Los Narejos at 11.30 for 12 noon.

own purses to swell funds for the large shopping list! Male singers are invited to come along for a listen and a laugh at their rehearsals every Tuesday afternoon, between 1.30pm and 4pm at Restaurante Rosales, along the Lemon Tree Road in Guardamar. If you are interested in four-part acapella Harmony singing, why not come along - meet new friends and experience a fascinating new hobby. Visit www.theharmonisers.com or call 96 671 3342

Friday, January 4, 2013

KIDS’ BOXING DAY SPECIAL!

FOR the fourth year running an initiative from Pam Heath and Gillian Spiers of La Siesta Anglican Church resulted in over 130 shoe boxes, kindly supplied by 'Shoe-b-Shoe' of La Marina, being filled with Christmas gifts for distribution to underpriviledged children, living in the Torrevieja area, who would otherwise receive very little to cheer them at Christmas time. These boxes came, not only from the La Siesta Anglican congregation, but also from Los Balcones and Lago Jardin Anglican churches, Greenlands Bowls Club members, the Mothers

CLR Orihuela Costa public meetings and events for the next month include… Tomorrow (January 5), 5.30pm: The Three Kings Parade travels from Playa Flamenca Town Hall to the new Zenia Boulevard Commercial Centre. The event offers something for all ages but children will be the main focus of the evening. Fancy a ride in a hot air balloon? Dress up and take part in the parade you will get a free balloon ride voucher! Participants need to be at the town hall at 4.30pm to enter. There are still some adult costumes available at no rental cost. Contact dwesserling@orihuela.es or call 966 760 000 extension 34 to reserve items. Tues, Jan 15 (4pm-5.30pm): CLR Supporters' Group Orihuela Costa meeting at Sophia Wellness Centre in La Regia. Open to group members, their guests, the press and those interested in learning more about CLR and the Supporters Group. Meetings will generally be held twice a month on weekday afternoons. Wed, Jan 30: The first Pleno meeting of the year at Orihuela town hall in the morning. A report will be given in English by Alan McPhail at the CLR Supporter’s group at 4pm. From 6-8pm, a Question and Answer session will take place with Pedro Mancebo, Denise Wesserling and Raymond Kearney at the Sophia Wellness Centre. The session is designed to involve the community face to face with those working to improve Orihuela Costa. It is an open meeting and priority will be given to attendees whose questions were received in advance. Feb 1,2 and 3: Spain’s largest and best medieval market is right on our doorstep, more information will be posted as we receive it.

Union and the Royal Air Forces Association Costa Blanca Branch members, plus many other individual friends and acquaintances who wished to be involved. As with last year, these shoe boxes were taken to the International Mass held in the Inmaculada church in Torrevieja on December 14, after the Carols in the Square Concert, where they were blessed. All of these gifts were then taken by the Spanish charity 'Caritas' to be distributed to children known to be in most need. Grateful thanks are extended to all those who were involved and contributed to this most worthwhile cause.

NIGEL TUNES IN AGAIN WITH RHYTHM OF ‘60 s FOLLOWING the huge successes of 'The Magic of the Musicals' and 'An Evening with Disney', the Costa's leading popular chorus, Melody Makers International, are to stage another major concert event later this month. The 'Sounds of the 60s' will take place on Saturday January 26 in the exotic setting of the Orihuela Costa Resort Hotel at La Zenia. As usual there will be two concerts -- a Matinee performance at announced 2pm, and an evening a special deal for show at 8pm. This year director the Matinee performance Nigel Hopkins has whereby those aged 16

CLR on parade

Nigel Hopkins, Director and Conductor of both choirs

and under will only be charged 5€ and adults just 10€. All tickets for the evening performance are 12€. As usual, Melody Makers International will be joined by the outstanding Children's Choir,

'Cantemos!' and the whole production will be accompanied by a fivepiece professional band. The concert will feature 50 songs by The Beatles, The Seekers, Patsy Cline, Simon & Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Procul Harum, Burt Bacharach, Mary Hopkin and many, many more. Tickets are available from the Orihuela Costa Box Office, telephone 966 760 800, or CallNet Internet Cafe (down the alley behind Consum next to Paddy's Point) at La Zenia, Tel: 966 761 171. The concert, as before, supports the Costa Blanca Samaritans.

Volunteer drivers deliver hampers to Age Concern beneficiaries a few days before Christmas. Ten hampers were donated by Spud Murphy in Playa Flamenca, to whom Age Concern are most grateful.

Cathedral encore a smash success THE musical and choral arrangements at Orihuela’s second International Carol Concert on December 22 were even more spectacular than last year. The event was organised by Councillor for the Coast, Tourism and Infrastructures Pedro Mancebo who, together with Dean Jose Antonio Gea, welcomed international residents to the Cathedral. After a rendering of well-known Christmas carols played by a very impressive brass quintet, the second treat of the afternoon came in the form of TAABS choir, whose repertoire included favourite Christmas songs with solos performed by Cathy, Nina, Shirley and Les. A Boehm clarinet ensemble also entertained and the musical extravaganza finished all too quickly with Orihuela Cathedral’s own choir, Coro Mixto SA, accompanied by the cathedral organ.

Friday, January 4, 2013 Friday, December 16, 2011

Friday, January 4, 2013

Branching Out at “Cash in the Attic” With so little storage space available in Spanish properties, homeowners are not so accustomed to hoarding their old disused goods, as they may have in the past. And with money to be made by visiting Cash in the Attic, they simply can’t afford to! Cash in the Attic opened its doors at the Flamenca Beach Commercial Centre in Playa Flamenca 5 years ago, providing an Aladdin’s cave of quality second hand treasures at affordable prices. The business welcomed overwhelming success, and due to continuing demand, has now been forced to up sticks and move to a larger venue in Pilar de la Horadada. Situated just off the High Street, “Calle Mayor”, the new premises is crammed with even more unbeatable items for the home and garden, including furniture, beds, household appliances, bric a brac, electrical goods, children’s bedroom furniture, cots, and a plethora of other “must haves”, which are sold at a fraction of the normal high street cost! Business Owner, Ewan Dalgleish, said that he is delighted with the way which the business has taken flight, confirming that “I will be sticking to my winning formula of stack it high and sell it cheap cheap cheap!” Having larger premises has not only allowed Ewan to strengthen the volume of existing stock, but also to branch out into other things such as childrens clothing and baby equipment. Whilst stocks last there is a choice of over 600 items of clothing for children aged 0 to 12 years. All items are manufactured by high quality, fashionable designer brand names, such as Berkinstock, Ralph Lauren, Naf Naf, BMS Footwear, Replay, and available at only 5€ per item. Finally, Ewan will not only sell you a bargain, but will also offer you the best prices on your unwanted goods. Whether you want to sell a single item, or you require a full house clearance it is worth the call. Ewan and his team also offer their services to businesses, buying liquidation stock, and end of line goods. So why not give him a call today on 672 821 542. The all new Cash in the Attic is open during the extended hours of 10:00 to 19:00 and is found by turning off the N332 for Pilar at the Carrefour Express, and continue through the traffic lights. The store is set back 200 yards on your right hand side.

Friday, January 4, 2013

UK HEADLINES

YOU’RE NICK NICKED, JIM!

Savile probe cops arrest Davidson VETERAN comic Jim Davidson has been arrested by cops probing the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal. Davidson, 59, was one of two men arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of sexual offences as part of Operation Yewtree. His solicitor said later that the comedian vigorously denied the allegations. He is understood to have been detained at London's Heathrow airport after flying into the country ahead of a planned appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. Police said a 59-year-old man was arrested in West London at noon and taken into custody at a London police station. Uniformed police were stationed at Davidson's pinkcoloured home in Stockbridge, Hants on Wednesday.

The Sun

And, earlier in the afternoon three people - believed to be plain clothes police officers arrived at the house and let themselves in. At least one

windows on the ground floor. Police also confirmed a 53-year-old man was arrested at an address in Hampshire at 8am and taken to a nearby police station for questioning. They are the ninth and tenth people arrested as part of Operation Yewtree - the investigation into sex abuse allegations against Savile "and others". Other high-profile names include former pop star Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr, and publicist Max Clifford. In a statement, police said the new arrests were not directly connected to Savile, adding: "Both individwas carrying clear evidence uals fall under the strand of bags. Asked if they were the investigation we have police officers, one termed 'others'." answered: "We might be." Davidson's agent Laurie After entering the property Mansfield declined to comthey drew the curtains on ment.

Suction man tames terror dog NEIGHBOUR Stewart McGuinness stopped a vicious dog savaging a boy by bashing it with a Hoover pole. Stewart, 45, jumped into action when an English bull terrier pounced on Louis Currie, 12, as the lad rode on his scooter. Grabbing the first thing he saw, he ran outside with a vacuum cleaner tube to see the dog biting the boy’s leg, arms and

face. The terrier would not release its grip so Stewart was forced to hit it repeatedly, leaving deep dents in the pole. Louis suffered horrific injuries and now faces lifelong scars and plastic surgery. Stewart said: “My automatic reaction was to grab the first thing that came to hand, which happened to be the vacuum extension.

BBC refuses to reveal whether it gave staff chance to avoid tax THE BBC has refused to publish internal emails that could show whether it gave staff the chance to avoid tax, it was revealed today. MPs have asked to see the messages but BBC Trust finance committee chairman Anthony Fry has said no - and also refused to read them himself. Members of the Commons Public Accounts Committee have accused the Corporation of putting its 'head in the sand' over the issue. The BBC has previously admitted it has concerns about tax avoidance and has decided more than 100 of its highest-paid broadcasters should now be paid as staff, not as freelancers. They are currently given cash via controversial ‘personal service companies’, which the BBC admitted give individuals a ‘greater opportunity’ to reduce their tax liability. At least 124 top names

earn £150,000 or more via the companies. Another 54 freelance stars receive a similar amount, including Chris Moyles, Jeremy Paxman, Fiona Bruce and Emily Maitlis. There is no evidence that these individuals have avoided tax. Today Richard Bacon, a Tory member of the Public Accounts Committee, said that Mr Fry should read the emails and they should also be published to help restore confidence in the BBC. 'He can’t put his head in the sand on this. It’s his responsibility to check these things out properly and, if things are not in order, act accordingly,' he told The Times. 'The e-mails should also be published because sunlight is the best disinfectant. Public trust has fallen in the BBC and the best way to restore it is to be open.'

Friday, January 4, 2013

UK HEADLINES

CAMERON, 5, GETS HIS MILK TEETH INTO £9k

Daily Mail

A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy who had 13 milk teeth removed after suffering severe toothache has accepted a £9,000 payout from his dentist. Cameron Jackson was left with just seven teeth until his adult set come through after the decayed teeth were removed two years ago. His mother Wendy Jackson, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, took legal action against dentist Dr Raymond Matloa and has now accepted the £9,000 out of court settlement, which Cameron will receive when he reaches his 18th birthday. The Fountain Street Medical Practice, in Morley, has not admitted liability for the loss of Cameron's teeth. Mrs Jackson, 31, said she had grown increasingly concerned about Cameron's teeth. She said she had always taken him for check-ups and brushed his teeth but his toothache became worse. “He was on pain relief every night because he would wake up screaming in the night,’’ she said. In 2010, he had the teeth removed under general anaesthetic at a dental institute in Leeds. Mrs Jackson said Cameron could not remember the operation but was now very self-conscious about his appearance.

She said: “He doesn't like smiling because he's scared that somebody's going to say ‘Why have you got no teeth?’’’ Cameron has now adapted to eating without his teeth, and is even able to bite into apples with his gums. Mrs Jackson said she had explained the settlement to her son by saying it was like a visit from the tooth fairy. She said: “I'm glad that this is settled and we can begin to move on. “Cameron's doing really well and being very brave about the whole thing, which we're very grateful for.’’ The family's lawyer, Heather Williams, from dental negligence solicitors the Dental Law Partnership, said

Cameron's adult teeth will grow back when he is old enough. She said: “Although it is baby teeth that Cameron has lost, it will still be a few years before his adult teeth come through. In the meantime, he has to deal with having fewer teeth than he should - something that no one would like to go through, especially at his age.’’ It is not known why Cameron's teeth started to deteriorate when he was just 18 months old, but his mother has insisted he was not eating any sweets when it started. She said she started taking her son for the usual check-ups when he was nine-months-old. Mrs Jackson said: 'I first realised something was wrong when Cameron was

unable to eat solid food at about 18 months. He didn't eat solid food at all and wouldn't even touch sweets. He just drank milk. “When his brother, who was almost one at the time, was eating meals and Cameron could only manage milk I knew something was wrong. His dentist kept saying his teeth were fine but even I could see they were yellow, not white like milk teeth should be. “The dentist advised us to brush them more but when we did his teeth literally crumbled and ended up looking like little pegs. “Cameron would scream and his gums would bleed like crazy. He woke up every night crying uncontrollably and told me his mouth hurt.' Mrs Jackson had to give her little boy nurofen and

paracetamol every night to ease his pain. She said: “At first the dentist said he was eating too many sweets, which I knew wasn't right because Cameron never touched any solid food, never mind sweets. “Then I was advised to change his bottle to a cup to ease pressure put on his gums. “I also took him to see his GP but was told he was fine. “I don't know what changed his mind but in December 2010, when Cameron was three years old, the dentist referred him to Leeds General Infirmary. “At first they said I must have taken something when I was pregnant to cause the decay and asked if I had been on prescription drugs. “I actually offered to show him my medical records to prove I had never been on prescription drugs.’’ Mrs Cameron says she has been left without any answers as to why her son's teeth grew the way they did. She said: “The payout doesn't give me the answers I want and doesn't change what's happened, but it's good that Cameron can have that money when he's older.’’ Mrs Jackson's other childrens' teeth, ten-year-old Morgan, and two-year-old MacKenzie's teeth are both fine with no fillings at all. Cameron's dentist Mr Matloa declined to comment.

Emergency? I need dog’s temperature taking, says New Year’s Eve reveller A 999 time-waster phoned stretched emergency services on New Year’s Eve wanting a paramedic to take the temperature of a DOG. The North West Ambulance Service said it was "disappointed" to receive a number of inappropriate calls as it dealt with one emergency call every 10 seconds. NWAS received 2,265 calls from midnight on New Year's Eve until 7am on New Year's Day, of which 546 were serious and immediately life-threatening incidents. There were two people reported in the sea in Blackpool, at least 17 serious assaults, numerous road crashes and two firework injuries.The time-wasting came despite a plea to the public to use the emergency services wisely amid the traditional busy period. Derek Cartwright, director of emergency service at NWAS, said: "We will continue to push the importance of keeping ambulances free to attend to those patients with a genuine medical need. "All our staff worked very hard both in control rooms managing emergency calls, deploying vehicles, and frontline crews tending to patients."

Friday, January 4, 2013

SPANISH NEWS

ROSA, 99, GETS MAD WITH THE BANKERS

A 99-year-old woman protested in front of the SabadellCAM bank in the centre of Alicante last week, with a cross on her back. She wanted to show her solidarity towards all those who have been affected by the preferential shares crisis, and to demand that all those who invested in the shares have their money returned to them. Rosa Maria M was one of those affected by the bank-

ing mess. She invested the money she had made from the sale of several plots of land and houses, but it all disappeared and she now lives on her pension of 800 euros a month. The pensioner from Alicante, who was accompanied by her live in housemaid, decided to participate in the twice-weekly protest which takes place every Tuesday and Thursday outside the bank. Rosa Maria, who will be 100 next April, declared that

she didn’t have enough money to pay her gas and electricity bills, and faced being cut off She said she had lost the million euros through the banking crisis. She was advised by staff at the CAM bank to invest all her money in preferential stocks and shares. After speaking to the press she had a meeting with the bank manager of that branch, who promised to look into her case and find a solution.

Thieves take advantage of festivities NAVY MUM AND BABY IN XMAS to steal one ton haul of hashish GAS TRAGEDY A group of masked thieves took advantage of the distraction offered by celebrations to welcome in the New Year to rob 1,000 kilos of hashish from a customs warehouse in the southern port city of Huelva, police sources said Tuesday. The thieves entered the building just as bells rang out to herald the start of 2013 and made off with 30 bundles of the drug.

Residents in the area alerted police to the existence of people inside the warehouse. However, the

thieves had already made off with their haul when the security forces arrived.

S e c u r i t y arrangements in Andalusia for drugs seized in raids by the police had already been questioned after four separate previous robberies involving 747 kilos of illegal drugs last year from secure warehouses in the region. Three months ago, thieves made off with 290 kilos of cocaine in Cádiz.

Christmas will be a sad memory for the family of Marta D R, who was found dead in her home in Euroroda, San Javier, on December 26, together with her 10-month-old baby. Marta, originally from Colombia, was in the navy, based in Cartagena. It is believed the cause of her death was carbon monoxide poisoning from a heater in the living room. When he couldn’t get in touch with her, Marta’s partner called the police, who forced entry and made the sad discovery. Marta’s mother was also found unconscious after being overcome by the odourless gas in the poorly ventilated room. She was rushed to hospital, where she was reported to be in a serious but stable condition. Marta was well loved amongst her work colleagues and was described as hard-working and popular. Her partner, the father of the baby, had to be treated for shock when he was told the sad news.

Friday, January 4, 2013

SPANISH NEWS

Spain will start to create jobs at end of 2013 Despite the pain inflicted on consumers as a result of the government’s austerity drive and high unemployment, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos remained reasonably upbeat on the first day of the New Year about what the future holds for Spaniards in 2013. In an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, De Guindos (pictured) said he expects the economy to be growing at a sufficient pace to start creating jobs in the last quarter of this year. The government is sticking to its forecast of a contraction in GDP of 0.5 percent this year despite estimates by the IMF and the European Commission that put the figure at almost triple. The economy is estimated to have shrunk 1.5 percent last year when unemployment moved above 25 percent. De Guindos said that if the labor reforms introduced

by the Popular Party government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had been applied earlier there would have been one million people fewer out of a job. “No country has suffered the destruction of jobs that Spain has,” the minister said. “That is why the first priority was labor reform. Unemployment increased because you won’t see the effect [of the reform] immediately, but it has managed to halt the impact of the economic slowdown from the point of view of employment. It we had had this labor reform two or three years ago, we would have saved a million jobs,” he added. According to figures from the National Statistics Institute, the number of people out of work at the end of the third quarter stood at 5.778 million. Experts expect this figure to move above six million this year, when the jobless rate is forecast to top 26 percent.

Man, 25, held after abducted toddler is found dead in well

THE lifeless body of a 16 month old girl has been found in an irrigation well in Almeria – after a week-long search. The mother’s expartner had been wanted in connection with the disappearance after he drove off with the toddler, then went on to demand a ransom for her safe return. The infant’s body was found in a water storage tank in Fiñana after police had arrested 25-year-old Jonathan Moya González. The suspect, according to law enforcement authorities, has a history of perpetrating swindles by posing as a police officer. The young girl’s body was found six metres down at the bottom of the tank. A preliminary investigation showed she may have survived between two and five days before she was found. On December 20, Moya González was travelling with

the baby and her mother in a vehicle near Gérgal. After faking a breakdown, he told the woman to get out and push before driving off with the girl, sources said. The Civil Guard arrested the suspect at his father's house last week in the small village of Fiñana, some 50 kilometres from Almeria City. A massive search operation involving helicopters,

dog-handling units and judicial police was put into effect after Gemma María C. reported her child missing. According to witnesses and residents of the isolated parish, González and the child's mother had arranged the tryst through a website, and spent a few days at the farmhouse. After the suspect had driven off with the child in his car,

Gemma María C. walked through the mountains in search of aid and was found by two locals who took her to a restaurant, from where she alerted the Civil Guard. She was then taken to hospital suffering from an anxiety attack The baby died from blows to her head after surviving some days in captivity, authorities said on Friday.

Thatcher feared Spanish attack on Gibraltar The Spanish media's support for Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982 raised British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's fears that rogue elements within the Spanish military might try to seize

Gibraltar, prompting her to beef up Britain's military presence on The Rock, newly released Cabinet papers reveal. On April 7, five days after Argentina's ruling military junta seized the British dependency in the South Atlantic, Thatcher called

for an "urgent assessment" of Britain's ability to defend Gibraltar, prompted in part by the "jubilant reaction" to the invasion in the Spanish press. A joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Ministry of Defence report on the situ-

ation sought to reassure the prime minister. But Thatcher's concerns are shown in a handwritten document: "This is suspiciously like the Falkland Islands assessment before invasion. 1,000 soldiers with a land boundary, no air cover etc.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Horoscopes Aries March 21 - April 19 It's a nose-to-the-grindstone week this week, although, of course, as a bossy Aries-ian, the nose doesn't necessarily have to be yours. Your week will be chockfull of things to delegate - do not hesitate to push your impressive Aries ass about to achieve your goals. Berets and polo necked shirts are both poorly and well starred depending on which chart we use.

Taurus Aprilinanimate 20 - May 20 rhythmically Slapping objects A cantankerous old man has you in his sights - you are blamed for an incident which left him wobbling at a supermarket or bowling green around Wednesday. You will be surprised by the vehemence of the old geezer's determination to do you harm. In any scuffle based incidents go for his stick and try to leave no marks.

Gemini May 21 - June 20 A game of football is unlikely to end the way you would want it to as the referee wrestles with Uranus. DVD and CD players are inversely aligned with the stars, which may present itself to you in the form of the tray jumping in and out unexpectedly even when the power is switched off.

Cancer June 21 - July 22 Latin American dictators will, at times, make things awkward this week, especially ones that speak in Spanish and point violently when delivering their speeches. Be particularly wary of South American related commemorative plates which arrive unexpectedly in the post. A spasm in your lower back bodes ill for your well-being in the coming weeks.

By Pandora Leo July 23 - August 22 A friendly dog will make itself known to you by the means of the 'nose in the groin'. The trick, in these circumstances, is to not grab your groin too quickly when you see the dog going for that area, as it could encourage the mutt to go in harder. However, avoiding to protect that area at all could be seen as sluttish in some circles.

Virgo August 23 - September 22 Soft chewy toffees and baby dogs are badly matched this week, unless you want to do that thing where you put toffee around a mutt's mouth so that when the dog licks his own lips you pretend they are talking by throwing your voice. Practice your ventriliquisting skills during dull moments.

Libra September 23 - October 22 Your worst fears over a dodgy magicians set, given as a gift to a youngster, are to be confirmed this week after â&#x201A;Ź27 goes missing during the trick in which a youngster asks someone from the audience to give him a 5 euro note. The charms of a stranger will enthuse your risk taking nature, however avoid wearing thongs upon your naked self

Scorpio October 23 - November 21 Unfortunately, as the local junior hood broke into your car last week and reprogrammed the chip responsible for station settings, you may inevitably need to embark on a journey of discovery that is the appreciation of Andy Williams. This will include his dress code which you will be encouraged to mimic by a person who looks similar to your mother.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21 Saturn is experimenting with a new rage and may use you for its evil machinations around Tuesday. The new rage will make itself apparent to you in the form of a cross between supermarket trolley rage and road rage and may involve water, but not pot plants. A dog with a limp will look into your eyes this week in an attempt to doggy-hypnotise you.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19 Welcome memories of times past into your life this week, especially regarding books, movies and friends you have kissed only on the lips. Avoid drop-kicking a ball of paper that you screw up on Thursday as you are at risk of a complicated incident ensuing... you will miss the waste basket in any case.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18 You have always enjoyed rearranging furniture ever since your college years when you shared a flat with two Fengshui extremists. This evil side of your personality has lain dormant for far too long... When invited to your next sleep over, get up in the middle of the night to rearrange the furniture downstairs.

Pisces February 19 - March 20 You will come up with a new arrangement for the romantic hit 'Nothing Compares To You' - discovering that there is an option for a sort of hiccup effect at the end of the third line (in the coming years this effect will surpass the 'ooooiiioooiii' voice warbling many vocalists have introduced into their singing style).

Friday, January 4, 2013

NEW M-WAY SCREENS TO STOP RUBBERNECKERS

The Highways Agency has spent £2.3 million on 3,000 screens to stop drivers rubbernecking and causing unnecessary traffic jams as accidents are cleared up on motorways. 105 sets of the new screens, each costing £22,000, will be rolled out nationwide during 2013 as part of a government initiative to help keep traffic moving. Highways Agency officials hope the new screens, which are two metres high and can stretch 75 metres in length, will also cut accident clear-up times. The new anti-rubbernecker screen sets are part of a wider Department for Transport initiative to help make motorways reopen faster after accidents. Currently, motorways can remain closed for many hours after serious incidents: ministers are planning a range of initiatives to help reduce this. The DfT initiative is called ‘CLEAR’ –

Collision, Lead, Evaluate, Act and Reopen. Roads minister Stephen Hammond told

the BBC: “This will be another great advantage to hopefully clearing up collisions but also getting the roads mov-

ing rather more quickly afterwards. “People will recognise these screens, recognise that something’s happening behind it, but actually realise it won’t impact on their motorway – there’s nothing to see, and we want to keep the motorways flowing.” Other initiatives under the CLEAR initiative include the use of 38 3D laser scanners, which are helping the police capture collision evidence more quickly. The DfT says tests have shown these are already saving 44 minutes per investigation, a big saving that’s actually 5 minutes better than first expected. Figures estimate traffic caused by road incidents cost the economy £750 million a year. In August, Northamptonshire police actually filmed rubberneckers – who themselves were filming a crash scene on the M1 in which a truck driver was being recovered. 80 drivers were identified and sent warning letters.

Ambitious new Chinese brand Qoros has revealed its first car, the GQ3 – a saloon rival to family hatchbacks such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf. The Qoros GQ3 will make its official world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013, marking the first time this ambitious Chinese firm has shown cars in Europe. It’s the first fruits from Qoros star designer Gert Hildebrand’s team. He’s the former MINI designer who led the creation of many of the firm’s current models; Qoros poached him after leaving MINI to set up the firm’s new design talent. And on first glance, he’s done a good job. This appears a thoroughly contemporary saloon that shows more premium elegance than other small saloon rivals such as the Chevrolet Cruze and VW Jetta. The styling appears Germanic, with traces of VW CC, boasting a particularly strong rear and a fairly distinctive face. The design is more cohesive and well proportioned than is normal for a brand new firm. Qoros says the styling represents the brand identity that will be rolled out across all

its cars: the GQ3 is the first in a range of new models planned by the firm, including an SUV and larger saloon. The interior is also fresh, based around a clever touchscreen infotainment system in the middle of the dash. The firm calls this an automotive industry first and the capacitive touchscreen functionality replaces a mass of switches: it even has smartphone-style finger ‘swipe’ functionality and cloud connectivity. Qoros says interior quality sets new standards for Chinese brands and is comparable with the best sellers in Europe. That means comparable with Volkswagen, then… Notably, Qoros is also aiming to achieve maximum ratings in European and Chinese crash tests (Euro NCAP). This is an area Chinese brands haven’t performed well in to now: helping crash safety will be standard front, side and curtain airbags. No engine or price details have been announced yet but we’d expect it to be very competitive: prices from £15,000? More details will emerge at the Geneva Motor Show 2013.

New Chinese brand Qoros reveals first car

Friday, January 4, 2013

Cars 'stolen in 10 seconds'

THIEVES are stealing cars in just 10 seconds, more than six times faster than a decade ago, according to a new study. Insurance firm LV= said criminals now preferred to steal keys and drive a car away quickly, rather than force the ignition. The study, which involved interviews with over 200 convicted car thieves and victims, revealed a growing trend of keys being stolen from an owner's home during a burglary. The research suggested that up to 40% of car thefts go unreported in official figures as they are classified as burglary if keys were stolen from a house. Some thieves now lift cars onto trucks before driving it away. One told researchers: "Flat bed truck and a luminous vest and people think you're a clamper. They're lifting more for tax and insurance now, so as long as you look the part, no-one cares." London tops a league table of car thefts, followed by the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, said the report.

John O'Roarke, managing director of LV= car insurance, said: "Improvements in car security mean that criminals now place a greater emphasis on stealing the keys rather than forcing the ignition.

"There are some basic things that motorists can do to try and prevent theft, such as parking in well lit areas, fitting the car with security devices, and keeping car keys out of sight and out of reach."

Friday, January 4, 2013

CODE CRACKER Code Cracker is a crossword puzzle with no clues; instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number. In this week’s puzzle, 6 represents G and 25 represents L, 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 Recalls rebuilt basements (7) 5 Books most number, funnily (5) 8 What one may do when in a sorry state? (7) 9 Just inside Balmoral Castle (5) 10 Castles in the air? (5) 11 Abandon hope as pride is wrecked (7) 12 Reportedly ready six guns for tail-bone (6) 14 Girl getting married accepts George Cross (6) 17 The model parent, keep teasing (7) 19 Animal stable is missing table top (5) 22 We hear the singer’s note (5) 23 Hearing about Violet is unimportant (7) 24 Plenty to join in game (5) 25 Somehow gets men apart (7) Down 1 Clothing right for a frolic (5) STANDARD CLUES

Across Across

Down

1 Whip (4) 3 Barracks (8) 9 Retainer (7) 10 Flat boat (5) 11 Momentary failure (5) 12 Call off (6) 14 Agree with (6) 16 Indifference (6) 19 Hang down (6) 21 Boundary (5) 24 Additional (5) 25 Inward-looking (7) 26 Freeloader (8) 27 Region (4)

1 Lethargic (8) 2 Fragment (5) 4 Fasten (6) 5 Small songbird (5) 6 Surplus (7) 7 Require (4) 8 Inn (6) 13 Frenzy (8) 15 Episode (7) 17 Shine (6) 18 Cease (6) 20 Provokes (5) 22 Grinding tooth (5) 23 Assist (4)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Scarper, 5 Setup, 8 Untie, 9 Trailer, 10 Different, 12/17 See saw, 13 Carpet, 14 Almost, 18 Sacrament, 20 Narrate, 21 Stain, 23 Sushi, 24 Tenuous. Down: 1 Sound, 2 Act, 3 Precede, 4 Rotten, 5 Smart, 6 Telescope, 7 Portent, 11 Fireworks, 13 Casinos, 15 Liaison, 16 Accept, 18 Swami, 19 Tongs, 22 Ado.

Scribble Pad

1 Basements (7) 5 Books (5) 8 Atonement for sins (7) 9 Ethical (5) 10 Chess pieces (5) 11 Lose heart (7) 12 Tail bone (6) 14 Club game (6) 17 Ideal example (7) 19 Coal black (5) 22 Male singing voice (5) 23 Unimportant (7) 24 Game of chance (5) 25 Section (7)

2 Log in incorrectly for jargon (5) 3 Pardon the mean organisation of pig pen (7) 4 Prompt agent bridges Scottish river flowing the wrong way (6) 5 The newspaper items are poorly written (5) 6 Dream I’m convulsed by an imaginary sea creature (7) 7 Display heart’s desire spend crazily (7) 12 Possibly London’s assets (7) 13 There’s nothing in the instrument but a crown (7) 15 You’re taking a chance on a troubled King, sir (7) 16 Bands together for new iTunes (6) 18 Star of the silent screen is buried in a big cigar box (5) 20 One given away in the Hebridean Isles (5) 21 Enthusiastic approval is lost in a terrible clatter (5) Down 1 Antic (5) 2 Jargon (5) 3 General pardon (7) 4 Quick (6) 5 Periods (5) 6 Mythical sea creature (7) 7 Spend extravagantly (7) 12 Funds (7) 13 Crown (7) 15 Taking a chance (7) 16 Combines (6) 18 Swedish-born American actress (5) 20 Newly-wed (5) 21 Glory (5)

Last weeks Solution Across: 1 Sector, 4 Borrow, 9 Abetter, 10 Cover, 11 Aster, 12 Sort out, 13 Kleptomania, 18 Tripper, 20 Vinyl, 22 Pluto, 23 Concern, 24 Emends, 25 Verses. Down: 1 Shaman, 2 Cleft, 3 Outcrop, 5 Oscar, 6 Ravioli, 7 Warmth, 8 Aristocracy, 14 Leisure, 15 Advance, 16 Staple, 17 Plants, 19 Proud, 21 Needs.

FILL IT IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words Am Ma 3 letter words Ale Bap End Fry One She Ski Two 4 letter words Ales Aloe Amen Amok

Cage Caps Cars Cava Cove Does Espy Grid Here Huge Hula Idol Late Live Mars Mass Mews Mite Obey Omit

Pine Pond Pore Raze Redo Sham Stab Warp 5 letter words Alarm Align Alter Apace Cadet Cards Carer Colds Dazed Dowse

Eager Eaves Magic Maize Mavis Needs Olive Oozes Radar Relax Remix Salad Sales Saris Solfa Strop Thane Thorn 6 letter words

Caress Gratis Peruse Posers Saline Shares Stooge Totals 8 letter words Pestered Salesman 9 letter words Baguettes Geniality

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

Across

Down

1 Edad (de persona, animal, árbol) (3) 3 Mecánicos (9) 8 Pájaros (5) 9 Cuentos (7) 10 Grifo (de agua) (3) 11 Perdedor (5) 12 Elected (7) 13 To leave (5) 15 Tiendas (5) 18 Tasty (7) 20 Garras (de animales) (5) 22 River (3) 23 Shelf (fixed to wall, in shop) (7) 24 Sobrina (5) 25 Storms (9) 26 Afuera (3)

1 Trees (7) 2 Condes (5) 3 To show (7) 4 Lawn (6) 5 Arriba (5) 6 Unlawful (7) 7 Fright (sudden fear) (5) 14 Langosta (de mar) (7) 15 Segundos (7) 16 Sospechoso (7) 17 Bosque (6) 18 Hoja (de papel) (5) 19 Onza (5) 21 Steel (5)

Friday, January 4, 2013 Across 1 Which adjective means ‘lying face upwards’ or ‘with the palm of the hand upwards’? (6) 4 What was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II by Allied forces? (8) 9/23 Which New Zealand-born crime writer is best known for her creation Inspector Roderick Alleyn, a gentleman detective who works for the Metropolitan Police? (5,5) 10 What name for a person who tells anecdotes in a skilful and amusing way is derived from the French for ‘to relate’? (9) 11 Which large wading bird with a long down-curved bill, long neck and long legs, usually feeds in a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans? (4) 12 What name is often applied to a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind? (4) 13 Which colourless, unstable toxic gas with a pungent odour and powerful oxidising properties, is formed from oxygen by electrical discharges or ultraviolet light? (5) 15 What is the name of the

soup or meat stew originating in Hungary, which consists of noodles and vegetables (especially potato), seasoned with paprika and other spices? (7) 16 What is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet? (4) 19 What nickname was shared by pianists Thomas Wright Waller and Antoine Dominique Domino? (4) 20 Which sequence of 31 lowbudget British comedy motion pictures produced between 1958 and 1992, drew on a regular group of actors, including Sidney James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Kenneth Connor, Peter Butterworth, Hattie Jacques, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor and Jim Dale? (5,2) 23 See 9 24 What is the surname of Alastair, the current captain of the England Test cricket team? (4) 25 Which word can precede: box, centre, sign, up and waiting? (4) 27 What name for buildings where animals are butchered comes from the French for ‘to fell’? (9) 28 Which 1973 play by Peter Shaffer tells the story of a psy-

SUDOKU

Quiz Word

30 Which street and small neighbourhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, is noted for cheap hotels frequented by homeless derelicts? (6)

Down

chiatrist who attempts to treat a young man who has a pathological religious fascination with horses? (5) 29 In rhyme, which adjective

means ‘having the same sound (especially the same vowel sound) occurring in successive stressed syllables’? (8)

1 The Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in which industrial city and naval port on the Pacific coast of southern California? (3,5) 2 Pt is the chemical symbol for which precious silvery-white metal? (8) 3 What name is often applied to a corner or recess, especially one offering seclusion or security? (4) 5 What is the highest military decoration awarded for valour ‘in the face of the enemy’ to members of the British armed forces? (8,5) 6 What was the stage name of the drummer who replaced Pete Best in the Beatles in 1962? (5,5) 7 Which medium-sized wild cat that has an orange-yellow coat marked with black stripes and spots, native to South and Central America, is also known as the ‘dwarf leopard’? (6) 8 Which English county was the birthplace of novelist and poet Thomas Hardy? (6)

10 What name is often given to the part of a pop or jazz group that plays percussion instruments, generally regarded as consisting of bass, drums and sometimes piano? (6,7) 14 Astana is the capital of which landlocked republic to the south of Russia and to the northeast of the Caspian Sea? (10) 17 Which port on the east coast of Sicily shares its name with a city in New York State, to the south-east of Lake Ontario? (8) 18 Ynys Môn is the Welsh name for which island off the north west coast of Wales, separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait? (8) 21 Which graceful African antelope with ridged curved horns, is often seen in large herds in open woodland in southern and East Africa? (6) 22 Which network of shallow freshwater lakes, traversed by slow-moving rivers, in Norfolk and Suffolk, were formed by the gradual natural flooding of medieval peat diggings? (6) 26 Which Roman Emperor, notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury, was said to have started a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64? (4)

SALLY’S SIMPLE SPANISH PROPÓSITOS PARA EL AÑO NUEVO NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

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

music QUIZ

ANSWERS: 1. B) Nightmares In Wax 2. The Supremes 3. A Kiss 4. REM 5. The 80's, 1983 (Baby Jane) 6. Philip 7. You Wear It Well 8. Guy Mitchell 9. The Timlords / Doctorin The Tardis 10. Yazoo/ The Flying Pickets 11. Malcolm McLaren

Last Week’s Solutions Code Cracker Last weeks Quiz Word Solution Across: 1 Graphic designer, 9 Closed, 10 Tertiary, 11 Cenotaph, 14 Cudgel, 17 Blood Brothers, 20 Angel food cake, 23 Geyser, 25 Molecule, 28 Sleepers, 29 Toyota, 30 Chinese chequers. Down: 2 Relief, 3 Pesto, 4 India, 5 Ditch, 6 Sirocco, 7 Guild, 8 Royalists, 12 Troll, 13 Pedro, 15 Grebe, 16 Analgesic, 17 Baggy, 18 Rodeo, 19 Thane, 21 Forceps, 22 Ulster, 24 Stein, 25 Music, 26 Latte, 27 Coypu.

9.la dieta

2.andar mas

10.organizarse

3.comer sano

11.ser agradecido

4.dejar de gritar

12.ser amable

5.dejar de tomar

13.ser saludable

6.el propósito

14.sonreir mas

7.estudiar mas

15.visitar amigos

8.hacer ejercicio Empareja estas palabras - Match the Spanish and English words You will find the answers at the bottom of the quiz. 1.ahorrar dinero, 2.andar más,

13.ser saludable,

i.walk more, j. get organised,

3.comer sano, 4.dejar de gritar,

14.sonreir más,

k.study more, l.be healthy,

5.dejar de tomar, 6.el propósito,

15.visitar amigos.

m.be grateful, n.eat healthily,

7.estudiar más,

o.do exercise,

8.hacer ejercicio, 9.la dieta,

a.be nice, b.the diet,

10.organizarse,

c.stop drinking, d.save money,

11.ser agradecido,

e.visit friends, f.the resolution,

12.ser amable,

g.stop shouting, h.smile more,

Soduko

Span - Eng

Quizword

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

1. Dead Or Alive Were Originally Known As A) Dead On Arrival, B) Nightmares In Wax, C) Shadows In The Dark? 2. How Are 'Florence Ballard & Mary Wilson' More Commonly Known? 3. What Did Hot Chocolate Say It Sterted With In The 1970's? 4. Who Went To No.1 In The Album Charts In 2008 With Their Album Accelerate? 5. In Which Decade Did Rod Stewart Have His Last No.1? 6. What Is Micks Middle Name? 7. What Was Rod Stewarts 2nd Number One After Maggie May? 8. Who Had A No.1 With 'She Wears Red Feathers' In 1952? 9. The KLF Had Their First No.1 Under A Different Name What Was It? 10. Only You Was A Hit Was For Whome? 11. Who Was The Manager Of The Sex Pistols?

1.ahorrar dinero

Fill It In

Friday, January 4, 2013

TRELI ON THE TELLY No Jimmy riddle why BBC is tops

with ALEX TRELINSKI DESPITE the problems with a dead cigar-smoking pervert, 2012 was a terrific year for BBC TV. In stark contrast, it was a dreadful time for ITV. The channel has lost all sense of direction with a lack of creativity and new ideas that have seen audience figures and critical acclaim disappear as fast into the distance as anybody that had previously claimed to be a friend of Sir Jimmy Savile! Look at drama, for example. Not a single new series from ITV that popped up in 2012 will be returning this year. Meanwhile the BBC took the bold and (I thought at the time) foolish step in pulling old favourites like Lark Rise to Candleford, Spooks and Hustle to make way for new shows. So guess what happened? In the last year, the Beeb gave

us Call the Midwife, Prisoners Wives, The Syndicate, Line of Duty, The Paradise and Last Tango in Halifax. A powerful set of debuts that struck a chord with critics and audiences alike, and they’re all coming back. On the other hand, ITV gave us nothing new of any merit, the nadir being an awful series about legal

angels, Eternal Law, which should have been strangled at the pilot stage. That, though, was pushed hard by the dreadful Titanic miniseries, which didn’t even have a decent iceberg to put us all out of our misery. One big mistake of ITV drama has been to brush aside nostalgia, and so Heartbeat and The Royal

were dumped a couple of years ago, and nothing replaced them on a Sunday night. Meanwhile, the BBC stepped in with the massive hit Call the Midwife, which melted away the viewing figures for Dancing on Ice. Midwife is not Shakespeare, and I much preferred the writing on my two personal new favourites of Prisoners Wives and The Paradise. But it has a lot of warmth and charm, which Heartbeat had in bucket loads, and so it beat ITV at its own game. That of course could change this Sunday night with the debut of Mr.Selfridge, the story of the American retail magnate and his plan to open a store in London. Running in the Downton Abbey slot, ITV badly need another massive drama hit, and this could just be it! Another ITV worry has been their top viewer-voting

shows, some of which have run out of steam. I mentioned the problems for Dancing on Ice last year, which explains the return to the judging panel for Jason Gardiner, whilst people have tired of the stage-managed circus of The X Factor. Hopefully Simon Cowell will take that show back to basics, and he had every reason to be pleased with the success of the re-vitalised panel on Britain’s Got Talent last year. The only show that put on figures was I’m a Celebrity… and that simply isn’t good enough for a channel that prides itself on entertainment. Like with their drama, there’s not one new format that’ll be returning in 2013, and it showed how desperate ITV became, when they flogged a dead horse for a second time, by inflicting another run of Red or Black upon us!

The BBC doesn’t escape my negative gaze, either, with a parade of unfunny comedies, including the potentially career-ending Royal Bodyguard for Sir David Jason and the recent stinkpot of Me and Miss Jones. I also thought Citizen Khan was a pile of tosh, but because enough idiots watched it, it’s coming back for a second run. The TV highlight of 2012 was without doubt the BBC coverage of the London Olympics. It was brilliant and comprehensive, and allowed us to wallow in something special as well as forgetting their shambolic coverage a few weeks earlier of the Diamond Jubilee Pageant. On the other hand, it was a year to forget for ITV, and for the sake of quality British television, the channel needs to get its act together sooner rather than later. In this multichannel era, ITV is looking dated and clueless, and that’s bad news for the viewer who has so many other places to go to these days. You just can’t build a successful channel on two popular soaps and a two-month run of a drama series set in a stately home!

The Courier Friday TV

January 4

00:35 Have I Got a Bit More News for You 01:20 Skiing Weatherview 01:25 Attenborough's Ark: Natural World Special 02:25 Countryfile 03:25 Antiques Roadshow 04:25 Great British Food Revival 05:25 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Saints and Scroungers 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 The Two Ronnies Sketchbook 15:45 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 Celebrity Mastermind 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Room 101 22:00 EastEnders 22:30 Live at the Apollo 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:30 National Lottery Update 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

00:40 01:40 02:10 02:40

I'm a Pop Star! Hebburn Twenty Twelve ABC World News with Diane

Sawyer 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:25 Close 07:00 Pingu 07:05 Timmy Time 07:15 Rastamouse 07:30 The Large Family 07:40 Andy's Wild Adventures 08:00 Naomi's Nightmares of Nature 08:30 4 O'Clock Club 09:00 MI High 09:30 Hero Squad 10:00 The Magic Roundabout 11:15 Coast 11:45 The Great British Bake Off 12:45 The Great British Bake Off 13:45 Great British Food Revival 14:15 Weakest Link 15:15 Inside Claridge's 16:15 Jason and the Argonauts 18:00 Great Continental Railway Journeys 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 University Challenge 20:00 Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight 21:00 Timewatch 21:50 The Young Victoria 23:30 QI

00:50 The Golden Rules of TV 01:10 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight 04:25 Pushing Daisies 05:10 ITV Nightscreen 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 Dinner Date 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Wild Britain with Ray Mears 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Benidorm 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 The Island

ROOM 101 New series. Frank Skinner returns with the light-hearted panel show, which sees comedy actress Miranda Hart, TV and radio host Reggie Yates and Countryfile presenter John Craven compete to have their pet hates banished to the infamous room for ever. Their gripes include stuffed marrows, spitting, yoghurt drinks, the hip-hop handshake, smartphones and Miranda's breasts.

00:05 The 15-Stone Babies 01:05 Catfish 02:45 Frankenstein: A Modern Myth 03:40 When Hell Freezes 05:00 Time Team 05:55 Deal or No Deal 06:50 Sali Mali 06:55 The Hoobs 07:50 Will & Grace 08:15 According to Jim 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:40 Frasier 10:15 Frasier 10:45 The Big Bang Theory 11:45 The Simpsons 12:45 Cocoon: the Return 15:00 Calamity Jane 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:25 4thought.tv 20:30 The Channel 4 Mash Up 20:55 Come Dine with Me Comedy Mash Up 21:30 Made in Chelsea Celebrity Mash Up 21:55 The Million Pound Chatty Man Drop 22:15 Chatty Man Mash Up 23:35 The Million Pound Chatty Man Drop

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 Divine Designs 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Nick's Quest 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:25 Roary the Racing Car 09:40 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Tickety Toc 10:10 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:15 Mist: Sheepdog Tales 10:35 Looney Tunes 10:45 Meerkat Manor 11:15 Emergency Bikers 12:20 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 5 News Lunchtime 14:25 Tornado Warning 16:10 Frozen Impact 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Emergency Bikers 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:30 Celebrity Wedding Planner

The Courier Saturday TV

January 5

00:20 I Love You, Man" 02:00 Weatherview 02:05 Room on the Broom 02:35 Who Do You Think You Are? 03:35 Great British Food Revival 04:35 BBC News 04:45 Newswatch 05:00 BBC News 05:30 On the Road With 06:00 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Baking Made Easy 13:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 13:15 Football Focus 14:00 Athletics 15:30 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:30 Final Score 18:10 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 18:30 Celebrity Mastermind 19:00 Animal Antics 19:30 Richard Hammond's Secret Service 20:10 Britain's Brightest 21:25 The National Lottery: In It to Win It 22:15 Casualty 23:05 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:35 BBC News; Weather 23:35 National Lottery Update 23:55 Pirates of the Caribbean: at World's End

00:45 Jools Holland: My Life in Music 01:45 Hebburn 02:15 Twenty Twelve 02:50 The Emerald Forest 04:40 Close 07:50 Sylvia Scarlett 09:15 The Little Minister 11:00 A History of Britain by Simon Schama 12:00 Meet the Ancestors 13:00 Indian Food Made Easy 13:30 Talking Pictures 14:15 Of Human Bondage 15:35 EastEnders 17:00 Great British Food Revival 17:30 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 18:30 The Choir: Military Wives 19:30 Flog It! 20:30 Dad's Army 21:00 Stanley Baxter: The Many Faces Of 22:00 QI XL 22:45 Cemetery Junction

02:00 04:00 05:40 07:00 07:25 08:05 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:00 10:25 10:30 12:20 12:50 12:59 13:00 16:00 2012 17:00 17:15 17:30 20:15 21:45 22:45 23:45 23:59

Jackpot247 Must Love Dogs ITV Nightscreen Handy Manny The Hive07:40 Dino Dan Fleabag Monkeyface Matt Hatter Chronicles Ultimate Spider-Man Victorious Jessie ITV News The Jeremy Kyle Show USA River Monsters ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather Live FA Cup Football Dancing on Ice Live Tour Meridian News and Weather ITV News and Weather Live FA Cup Football Splash! Take Me Out The Jonathan Ross Show ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather

00:05 Come Dine with Me Comedy Mash Up 00:35 Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2012 02:35 The Fly 03:45 The Silent City 04:25 St Elsewhere 05:15 Smallville 06:00 Deal or No Deal 06:55 Sali Mali 07:00 The Treacle People 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 International Volleyball 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Frasier 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 The Big Bang Theory 13:55 The Simpsons 14:30 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Come Dine with Me 19:10 Channel 4 News 19:40 4thought.tv 19:45 Is Our Weather Getting Worse? 20:40 The Day after Tomorrow 23:00 Inglourious Basterds

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW Disaster movie from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich, starring Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal. When climatologist Jack Hall tries to warn Washington that the planet is facing an imminent, catastrophic climate shift, government officials fail to take him seriously. But, when the Earth abruptly plunges into a new ice age, it soon becomes clear that the human race is facing extinction.

00:30 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:15 SuperCasino 04:50 Motorsport Mundial 05:20 Divine Designs 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Nick's Quest 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 07:30 The Mr Men Show 07:40 Olive the Ostrich 07:50 Abby's Flying Fairy School 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:20 Castle Farm 08:25 Animal Antics 08:35 Make Way for Noddy 08:50 City of Friends 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:15 Toby's Travelling Circus 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:45 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers: Super Samurai 11:35 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:10 Inside Hollywood 12:15 Celebrity Big Brother 13:15 The Gadget Show 14:15 Shattered Silence 16:00 The Dam Busters 18:30 Random Hearts 20:50 5 News Weekend 20:55 NCIS 22:45 Celebrity Big Brother 23:45 50 Shocking Facts About Diet and Exercise

The Courier Sunday TV

January 6

02:30 Weatherview

00:15 Darts: BDO World

02:35 Brazil: Welcoming the World

Championships

03:00 BBC News

01:05 Darts Extra

03:30 Dateline London

03:05 Close

04:00 BBC News 04:30 Five Minutes With 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click

07:00 They Flew Alone 08:40 Yellow Canary 10:15 A to Z of TV Gardening

06:00 BBC News

11:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites

06:30 Brazil: Welcoming the World

12:30 EastEnders

07:00 Breakfast

13:55 Live Darts: BDO World

10:00 The Andrew Marr Show

Championships

11:00 The Big Questions

17:45 Coast

12:00 Helicopter Heroes 12:30 Bargain Hunt 13:30 Weather for the Week Ahead 13:30 BBC News

18:30 Flog It! 19:30 Blackpool: Big Night Out 20:30 Fawlty Towers

13:40 Countryfile

21:00 Neil Armstrong - First Man on

14:35 Escape to the Country

the Moon

15:35 Old Dogs

22:00 Tankies: Tank Heroes of WWII

17:00 Britain's Favourite

23:00 Speed Dreams: The Fastest

Supermarket Foods

Place on Earth

18:00 Songs of Praise 18:35 Africa 19:35 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Ripper Street 23:00 BBC News; Regional News and Weather 23:25 Bruce Almighty

00:00 01:30 03:30 04:15 07:00 07:25 07:40 08:05 08:40 09:05 09:30 10:00 10:25 11:40 12:45 13:45 14:45 14:54 14:55 16:30 16:45 18:45 19:00 19:15 20:45 21:30 22:00 23:30 23:44 23:45

FA Cup Football Highlights The Store Pushing Daisies ITV Nightscreen Handy Manny The Hive Dino Dan Fleabag Monkeyface Matt Hatter Chronicles Rated A for Awesome Big Time Rush The Aquabats Super Show FA Cup Football Highlights Dinner Date May the Best House Win Rosemary & Thyme ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather Columbo: Short Fuse FA Cup Football Midsomer Murders Meridian News and Weather ITV News and Weather Dancing on Ice All Star Family Fortunes Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off Mr Selfridge ITV News and Weather Meridian Weather FA Cup Football Highlights

MR SELFRIDGE New series. Andrew Davies' drama based on the life of American retail magnate Harry Gordon Selfridge, starring Jeremy Piven (Entourage) and Katherine Kelly. Harry arrives in London in 1908 with a grand plan - to open the biggest and finest department store in the world, and to do it within the year. With a frosty reception from the British press, the last-minute departure of a business partner and an ever-growing staff already on the payroll, not to mention his wife and family arriving from the US, the pressure is on for Harry to complete the project on time.

02:00 03:40 05:45 06:25 07:20 07:30 08:55 09:25 09:55 10:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 17:25 18:25 19:25 19:55 20:00 21:00 22:00

Hard Eight Hollyoaks Smallville Deal or No Deal The Treacle People Arctic Tale Will & Grace Frasier Frasier Sunday Brunch The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons The Simpsons Clueless Deal or No Deal Time Team Channel 4 News 4thought.tv Come Dine with Me The Hotel The Iron Lady

00:45 Forensic Files 01:15 SuperCasino 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:25 Great Artists 05:50 Rough Guide To 06:05 Hana's Helpline 06:15 The Milkshake! Show 06:40 Thomas & Friends 06:50 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Roary the Racing Car 07:15 Fifi and the Flowertots 07:25 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 07:30 The Mr Men Show 07:40 Olive the Ostrich 07:50 Abby's Flying Fairy School 08:00 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:10 Bananas in Pyjamas 08:25 Animal Antics 08:35 Make Way for Noddy 08:45 City of Friends 09:00 Little Princess 09:05 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 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:00 Inside Hollywood 12:05 Celebrity Big Brother 13:05 Once Upon a Time 14:00 Are We There Yet? 15:50 White Fang 17:50 Stand by Me 19:20 5 News Weekend 19:25 X2 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2012

The Courier Monday TV

January 7

01:00 The Sky at Night 01:20 The Celebrity Apprentice USA 02:40 Weatherview 02:45 Miniature Britain 03:45 Holby City 04:45 MasterChef: The Professionals 05:15 You've Been Scammed 05:45 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Rip Off Britain 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Privates 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Rip Off Britain 22:00 Miranda 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Have I Got Old News for You

00:00 Darts: BDO World

Championships 00:50 Darts Extra 02:50 Five Minutes With 03:00 BBC News 03:30 Asia Business Report 03:45 Sport Today 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 05:45 Close 07:35 Homes Under the Hammer 08:35 Saints and Scroungers 09:20 Cowboy Trap 09:50 Swing Time 11:30 The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Heir Hunters 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 The Battle for Malta 22:30 The Polar Bear Family and Me 23:30 Newsnight

00:45 Royal Babies 01:40 Premiership Rugby Union 02:35 The Store 03:55 Pushing Daisies 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 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 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Lewis 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 The World in Action Years

00:05 The Wedding Date 01:40 Venus 03:15 Jennifer Saunders: Laughing at the 90s 05:05 Smallville 05:45 Deal or No Deal 06:40 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Will & Grace 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Tobruk 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 The Horse Hoarder 22:00 Embarrassing Fat Bodies 23:00 What Happens in Kavos

EMBARSSING FAT BODIES

The return of the programme in which people who are or have been overweight seek medical advice to help solve issues caused by their shape, with the opening episode examining how obesity affects sexual activity. Dr Christian Jessen meets a 37st man whose weight is hindering him and his wife starting a family and Dr Dawn Harper helps a woman whose breasts alone push her body mass index into the obese category.

01:55 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 House Doctor 05:50 Rough Guide To 06:00 Hana's Helpline 06:15 The Milkshake! Show 06:35 Thomas & Friends 06:50 Roary the Racing Car 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 5 News Lunchtime 13:05 Looney Tunes 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Reza, Spice Prince of India 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:10 The Perfect Teacher 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 World's Craziest Police Pursuits 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 My Secret Past

The Courier Tuesday TV

January 8

00:05 Room 101 - Extra Storage 00:45 The Graham Norton Show 01:35 The Celebrity Apprentice USA 03:00 Weatherview 03:05 Barenboim on Beethoven: Nine Symphonies That Changed the World 04:35 MasterChef: The Professionals 05:35 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Rip Off Britain 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Privates 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Parking Mad

00:20 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:10 American Football

02:10 Darts Extra 04:10 BBC News 04:30 Asia Business Report 04:45 Sport Today 05:00 Schools - The Science of Space Dive 05:30 Schools - The Code 06:00 Schools - Little Stargazing 06:25 Schools - Stargazing Challenges 06:55 Primary Maths Promo Schools TV 07:00 Close 07:40 Homes Under the Hammer 08:40 Rip Off Britain 09:25 Cowboy Trap 09:55 The Sky's the Limit 11:20 Top Hat 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Heir Hunters 21:00 Stargazing Live 22:00 Stargazing Live: Back to Earth 22:30 The Polar Bear Family and Me 23:30 Newsnight 23:30 Weather

01:05 Monk 02:00 Jackpot247 04:00 River Monsters 04:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 05:45 ITV Nightscreen 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 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 River Monsters 21:00 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? 22:00 All You Can Eat 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Mickey Blue Eyes

THE UNDATEABLES

Return of the documentary following people with a range of restrictive conditions as they search for romance. Michael, 26, has struggled in relationships due to his autism, but he's hoping a speed-dating evening will help him meet his ideal woman. Brent, 21, has been living with Tourette's syndrome for years, but when he was in love, his tics virtually disappeared and he's looking to recapture that feeling, while Sarah, who suffered a stroke at the age of 18, is going boating with a city worker as she tries to find the man for her.

00:05 One Born Every Minute 01:10 Random Acts 01:15 Secrets of a Good Marriage with Sharon Horgan 02:10 How to Be a Good Mother with Sharon Horgan 03:05 The Promise 04:30 Supersize vs Superskinny 05:25 Supernanny US 06:05 Deal or No Deal 07:00 The Treacle People 07:10 The Hoobs 08:05 Will & Grace 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 13:55 Dragoon Wells Massacre 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Supersize vs Superskinny 22:00 The Undateables 23:00 Don't Blame Facebook

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Celebrity Wedding Planner 02:00 SuperCasino 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 Divine Designs 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:15 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 5 News Lunchtime 13:05 Looney Tunes 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Reza, Spice Prince of India 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Ice Twisters 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Great Northern Cookbook 21:00 Benidorm ER 22:00 Body of Proof 23:00 Celebrity Big Brother

The Courier Wednesday TV

January 9

00:25 The Rebound 01:55 Weatherview 02:00 Dara O Briain's Science Club 03:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 04:00 You've Been Scammed 04:30 You've Been Scammed 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Rip Off Britain 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Privates 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 21:00 The Food Inspectors 22:00 Africa 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 A Question of Sport

00:20 Darts: BDO World Championships 01:10 Darts Extra 03:10 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 - Seeking Refuge 05:20 Schools - L8R Youngers 2 06:00 Life Stories 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 07:55 Rip Off Britain 08:40 Cowboy Trap 09:10 Lucky Partners 10:45 Kitty Foyle 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Heir Hunters 21:00 Stargazing Live 22:00 Stargazing Live: Back to Earth 22:30 World's Most Dangerous Roads 23:30 Newsnight

01:30 Jackpot247 04:00 Loose Women 04:50 ITV Nightscreen 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 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Meridian Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 Weight Loss Ward

CHALEY BOORMANS EXTREME FRONTIERS

00:05 Random Acts 00:10 What Happens in Kavos 01:15 European Poker Tour 02:15 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:40 International Volleyball 03:35 Offside 05:10 Smallville 05:50 Deal or No Deal 06:45 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Will & Grace 08:25 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Kirstie's Handmade Britain 13:45 Miracle on 34th Street 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Gok's Style Secrets 22:00 One Born Every Minute 23:00 On the Verge of a Midlife Crisis with Sharon Horgan

New series. The intrepid traveller embarks on another epic motorcycle ride, this time experiencing the great diversity of people, landscapes and wildlife in South Africa. Charley begins in Cape Town and abseils from the summit of Table Mountain before crossing shark-infested waters to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years.

00:00 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 My Secret Past 02:00 SuperCasino 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 Divine Designs 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 5 News Lunchtime 13:05 Looney Tunes 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Reza, Spice Prince of India 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 McBride: Dogged 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Ice Road Truckers 21:00 Charley Boorman's Extreme Frontiers 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:30 Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side

The Courier Thursday TV

January 10

00:05 The League Cup Show 00:50 Film 01:20 Borderline Murder 02:45 Weatherview 02:50 Inside Claridge's 03:50 MasterChef: The Professionals 04:50 You've Been Scammed 05:20 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC News 06:30 World Business Report 06:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Rip Off Britain 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Privates 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News and Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:20 Darts: BDO World Championships

01:10 Darts Extra 03:10 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 - Welcome to the World 07:00 Close 07:35 Homes Under the Hammer 08:35 Rip Off Britain 09:20 Cowboy Trap 09:50 Vivacious Lady 11:20 Magic Town 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Heir Hunters 21:00 Stargazing Live 22:00 Stargazing Live: Back to Earth 22:30 The Polar Bear Family and Me 23:30 Newsnight

00:35 Safari Vet School 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 King Kong 06:15 ITV Nightscreen 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 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 Meridian Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 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 Nursing the Nation 22:00 Trouble Abroad 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 Meridian Tonight and Weather 23:35 The Jonathan Ross Show

SILENT WITNESS New series. The crime drama returns with five twopart stories, and with a new member of the team as pathologists Leo Dalton and Nikki Alexander are joined by forensic scientist Jack Hodgson. An ageing confectionery company owner is found dead in his London hotel suite, and while Nikki tries to convince the sceptical DS Gold he was murdered, several businessmen begin to circle as it turns out the dead man was losing a desperate fight to prevent the sale of his company to investors.

00:05 Embarrassing Fat Bodies 01:10 Random Acts 01:15 Abbey Road Studios: In Session 01:45 Spotlight 02:00 Revenge 03:40 Death Drums along the River 05:05 Deal or No Deal 06:00 Countdown 06:45 Baking Mad with Eric Lanlard 07:10 The Hoobs 08:05 Will & Grace 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News Midday Summary 13:05 Jamie's 15 Minute Meals 13:35 SuperScrimpers 14:05 7th Cavalry 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Restoration Man 23:00 True Stories

00:30 When a Stranger Calls 02:15 SuperCasino 04:55 House Doctor 05:20 Divine Designs 05:45 Michaela's Wild Challenge 06:10 Wildlife SOS 06:35 Wildlife SOS 07:00 Thomas & Friends 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Fireman Sam 07:30 Jelly Jamm 07:45 Peppa Pig 07:50 Olive the Ostrich 07:55 Little Princess 08:10 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Milkshake! Monkey 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 5 News Lunchtime 13:05 Looney Tunes 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Reza, Spice Prince of India 15:15 The Mentalist 16:15 Little Girl Lost: the Delimar Vera Story 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Benidorm ER 21:00 Great Northern Cookbook 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Bizarre Burials

Friday, January 4, 2013

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AUCTIONS

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CHURCH SERVICES International Christian Assembly, Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja. Evangelical non-denominational church. Sunday services 11am. Children's church 11am. House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier. Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am. Craft club, Tuesdays, 2pm. Pastor, Rafael Restrepo. All nationalities welcome. Call 966 799 273 or 660 127 276. Pilar Christian Community Church Calle Canalejas 3. Pilar de la Horadada. Sunday Service at 11am, and Thursday at 5pm for

Bible study and Prayer. Home groups meet during the week. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information contact Pilar ChristianCommunity Church@gmail.com or contact Reverend Eddie on 966 7693 00 or 650 509 606. Reg No:2009-SG/A The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) meet at 10.00 each Sunday at their Torrevieja meetinghouse in the Torreaguas building on the corner of Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia 104, close to the windmill in Torrevieja, 667 533 597.

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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

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

PROPERTY FOR RENT 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. (98) 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: 61, A lovely two bedroomed ground floor apartment, located in the centre of the small Spanish town of Los Montesinos, With a pleasant communal swimming pool adjacent & all amenities in walking distance. Long and short term rental available. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Ref. KBJ3 – Luxury duplex penthouse apartment located near the marina in

BLINDS

BUILDER

AUTO ELECTRICIAN

Guardamar. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, amazing panoramic views, inc.parking and storage. 600 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR21 – A rare chance to rent a frontline beach apartment in Torrevieja! Ground floor with large terrace, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, direct and full-on sea views. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR20 – Spanish style 4th floor apartment right on the beach! 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lovely balcony to soak up the amazing sea views. 500 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR19 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in sought after area beachside Punta Prima, with communal pool and fully furnished, only 400 € pcm. 966 923 963 CBR22 : Modern 2 bed apartment only 500m from Los Locos Beach. Fully furnished, inc.storage room, 350€ pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. CBR3 – 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse located in Algorfa, communal pool, fully furnished, 300 € pcm. 966 923 963 Ref. RS20 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment within private enclosed residential in San Luis, large terrace, 350 € pcm. 966 923 963

COMPUTERS

CAR HIRE

AIRPORT COLLECTION

BARBER ALARMS

CARPENTER

CLEANERS

Friday, January 4, 2013

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. 966 923 963 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. Ref. BRJ1 – 1 bedroom top floor renovated apartment in San Luis. Great sea and lake views. 55.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS96 – Charming 1 bedroom top floor bungalow, 300m from the sea in La Mata. 55.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS63 – 2 bedroom 2 bathroom townhouse in Torrevieja, with communal pool and lots of extras. 95.000 €. Tl. 966 923 963 Ref. RS59 – Detached 3 bedroom 2 bathroom villa in San Luis, plot of 350m2, private pool, and additional “granny annex”. 169.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963

COINS

Ref. RS1 – Detached 3 bedroom 2 bathroom villa with 900m2 plot located in Toretta Florida. Has private pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and much more! 345.000 € .Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS67 – 2 bedroom apartment with lovely sun terrace located in Playa Flamenca urb with communal pool. All amenities nearby. 61.500 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS58 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom second floor apartment located in La Mata, communal pool, fully furnished, 79.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS84 – Large 3 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment of 100m2 situated in Los Montesinos. Communal solarium upstairs with pool. 79.900 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS20 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment within private enclosed residential in San Luis, large terrace, 90.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS65 – 2 bedroom 1 bathroom penthouse apartment, communal pool and parking area, located near the beach in Guardamar. 79.950 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. RS90 – 2 bedroom detached villa all on one level, fully furnished, as new! Located in El Raso (Guardamar) 145.000 €. Tel. 966 923 963 Ref. KEIGUA – Luxury duplex atico apartment in Guardamar. 3 bedroom 2 bathroom, 118 m2, private parking, storage room, communal pool, magnificent views of forest, beach and sea. 169.000 € Tel. 966 923 963 Lovely Corner property in Novamar V, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms Being sold fully furnished including appliances, Has secure underground parking and faces large oasis communal pool. Walking distance to beach. 139.000 Euros, Call 627 711 155 and quote Ref No. K10 Ground floor duplex, with splendid views. Quiet loca-

DAMP PROOFING

tion in Gran Alacant. Immaculate condition. Price has just been reduced to 105.000 and includes everything. For viewing call 627 711 155 Ref. No K27 Rare opportunity to purchase on Mediterrania III, Gran Alacant. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Private Parking, F/Furnished, Large communal pools & Tennis courts S/W facing, Dramatically reduced for quick sale to 126.000 euros. Ref No. K58 Call 627 711 155 for immediate viewing Ref: 521, €105,000. This comfortable bungalow is located in San Luis with a new roof and solarium tiles. It is close to supermarkets, bars, restaurants and is on the local bus route. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Don Pueblo, Gran Alacant. 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, Large Kitchen with Galleria, Secure underground parking, Gas Central Heating, Glazed in Porch, Solarium with stunning views. Viewings absolutely essential. Very large property at reduced price of 190.000 euros. Ref No. K38 Call 627 711 155 Opportunity to purchase at the off plan price of 195.000 euros. Large 4 Bed, 3 Bath Brand new property. Secure underground parking for 2 cars and communal pool. Situated opposite Gran Alacant and over looks projected golf course. Ref No. K52. 627 711 155 Viva Villa and Vacation Services are pleased to offer property sales for the Torrevieja and Oriheula areas of the Costa Blanca, Spain. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 or Visit : www.villaandvacation.com 2 Bed, 1 Bath Ground floor duplex. Central heating, Grills, Fully furnished, Glazed in Galleria, 2 communal pools, private parking and walking distance to the Gran Alacant commercial centre. Situated in the popular urbanisation of Puerto Marino. Now only 96,500 euros for quick sale Ref No. K46. 627 711 155 Immaculate ground floor Duplex, 2 beds, 2 bath, Private Parking, Situated in Novamar, Gran Alacant. Price includes very tasteful furniture and white goods. Walking distance to all local

amenities and beach. Now only 129,750 euros. Ref No K24. 627 711 155 Gran Alacant Detached villa, located in a very sought after location.Situated on a 560m2 S/W facing plot and constructed in 2005. Comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 full baths), Lounge-Diner, fully equipped Kitchen, Porch and Solarium with Alicante & Sea Views. ref.L81. €258,000 neg. Tel. 680333242 Ref 533: Lovely 2 bedroom Townhouse located in the popular area of Punta Prima, the property has a large lounge and fully equipped kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, one with balcony, bathroom with double shower. €126,000 Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 Gran Alacant Town House with a difference. 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Glazed in Porch, Quiet Location, Extra storage areas, and South Facing Private Pool as well as 2 communal pools. Fully Furnished, All mod cons. Greenland Views and all local amenities close by. Ref. No L79. 179.000 euros 680 333 242 Top floor Duplex. Very good price of 108.000 euros for a quick sale. Furnished to a very high standard, 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, Lounge Diner, Glazed in Porch, Large Roof Top Solarium. Choice of Communal Pools, Private Parking. Walking distance to all amenities and on the First urbanisation as you enter Gran Alacant. Viewing essential. Ref No. K44. Tel. 627 711 155 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: 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: 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

INTERIOR DESIGN

DRAINAGE ELECTRICIAN

ELECTRICIAN

HOUSE CLEARANCE

Friday, January 4, 2013

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 roof- top solarium. Well established gardens and drive way for 2 cars, whilst also overlooking the projected 18 hole golf course. Comprising of fitted wardrobes, utility room, air con H/C, alarm system, electric wall heaters, intercom system, fireplace, ceilings fans, 8x7 gazebo, use of 2 large communal pools, immaculate condition with many extras. ref K12. €180,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant bargain, detached villa with pool on 400m2 plot. Briefly comprising of 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, Lounge Diner, independent kitchen, solarium

with views, well maintained gardens. Quiet location yet within walking distance of all amenities. Top quality furniture and appliances included in the price. Extras include, mosquito nets, grills, toldos blinds, built in wardrobes, gas fire, electric heating, ceiling fans, English & Spanish TV, tastefully tiled & graveled garden with irrigation system. ref K43. €229,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant South facing attractive corner house Situated in the sought after urbanization of Monte Faro, this secure gated urbanization offers a stunning oasis pool, with mountain views, tennis courts and football courts. Consisting of 3 double beds with balconies, 2 bathrooms, kitchen leading onto court yard which can easily be converted into an extra room, lounge diner with working fireplace, front garden with private parking for 2 cars. Being sold fully furnishes with white goods, built in 2006 so immaculate condition hardly lived in. Ref K48 €168,000 priced for quick sale Tel 680333242 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

LOCKSMITH

NEWS AGENTS

PETS

included in this sale. Call: 965 707 188 or 626 397 397 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, 2 bath, large fully equipped kitchen,glazed porch sitting area, solarium, Attractive Pool with cover, well maintained Gardens. Central Heating, Air Con, Ceiling fans, Private Parking, Alarm system, Decorative working Fire Place complete with electric Fire. Outdoor workshop/storage area, Quality Pergola & BBQ. Constructed in 2006, on plot size of 380m2 and being sold fully furnished including white goods. ref L80. €234,995 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Ground floor south west facing apartment in Puerto Marino close to G.A commercial centre, comprising of 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathroom, Lounge-Diner, Independent Kitchen with Galleria, Porch area and large tiled front garden, The property is being sold fully furnished and includes all kitchen appliances, H & C Air con is fitted as well as sky TV. The apartment enjoys the use of 2 large communal pools and has private parking in an enclosed electronically gated car park. Competitively priced for a quick sale. Ref. K40 €91,000 Tel 680333242

Gran Alacant, this mid terraced Puerto marino townhouse has been priced low purely for a quick sale. Briefly comprising of: 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Lounge-Diner, Independent Kitchen with Galleria, Porch area, Front tiled garden, Private gated Parking & the use of 2 large communal pools Ref. K22 €123,000 Tel 680333242 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

PERSONAL TRAINER

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, Rare investment!! corner south facing opportunity on Novamar urbanisation.This immaculate ground floor duplex has been kept and maintained to a very high standard inside and out the position is fantastic, enjoys views over the lovely oasis communal pool, surrounded by lawned gardens. Comprising of plot size 100m2 Build Size 90m2, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fully furnished, AntiGlare Windows, Security Door, Security Grills, Built-in Wardrobes, Extra Storage, Galleria, Electric Panel Heaters, Heated Towel Rails, Air Con (h&c), Ceiling. Fans. Thermo Shower, Vanity Units and decoratively tiled throughout, exquisite garden, Underground private parking. Ref.K10 €139,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, detached villa in desirable road close to all amenities, comprising of 3 double bedrooms, 3 baths, lounge diner with working fire place, brand new kitchen with all appliances and black granite work tops, private pool, plot of 550m2, established irrigated gardens and fruit trees, private parking, solarium, also there is a converted under build giving more bedrooms ,bathroom & kitchen, this house has many extras and is being sold fully furnished. Ref.k47. €280,000 neg Tel 680333242

PLUMBERS

MASSAGE

POOL TABLES

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

PLASTERER

Friday, January 4, 2013 bathroom and patio doors leading to pool area. Internal & external access for under build. Extras include electric radiators, air con H/C, ceiling fans, gas fire, heated towel rails, extended walk-in shower, fitted wardrobes. Decorative tiling inside and out. Panoramic views towards Alicante Bay, Sky TV, phone line and Internet & Private parking, established gardens, water features and fruit trees. Being sold with exquisite furniture and all white goods. Immaculate finishes and decor. ref L84. €278,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant South facing attractive corner house Situated in the sought after urbanization of Monte Faro, this secure gated urbanization offers a stunning oasis pool, with mountain views, tennis courts and football courts. Consisting of 3 double beds with balconies, 2 bathrooms, kitchen leading onto court yard which can easily be converted into an extra room, lounge diner with working fireplace, front

garden with private parking for 2 cars. Being sold fully furnishes with white goods, built in 2006 so immaculate condition hardly lived in. Ref K48 €168,000 priced for quick sale Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant limited edition villa, not very often available on the market. Only a few of this type were ever constructed- Very large 5 bedrooms, 4 bathroom(2 ensuit) property, situated on a large corner plot with a 10 x 5 private pool and private parking. Lounge-diner with working fireplace, fully equipped kitchen with utility room. Large landing area, leading onto solarium, with extra storage external room. Front porch area leading into large well established gardens with irrigation system and fruit trees. Being sold fully furnished. Within walking distance to Gran Alacant commercial centre and 5 minute drive to Carabassi beaches. ref. K11. €270,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated on the very first urbanisation as

REMOVALS

you enter Gran Alacant, this 2nd floor duplex offers taste and quality. Comprising of 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge-diner, independent kitchen, full roof-top solarium with superb views and recently glazed in porch offering extra living area as well as extra privacy as the glass is mirrored. Ref.K44 €108,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant beautiful detached villa with very large pool and within walking distance to the Gran Alacant Commercial Centre. This villa comprised of 3 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, lounge-diner, Independent kitchen, roof top storage, solarium, porch & terrace. Large private pool, BBQ area, established gardens and private terraces, Private Parking, Solarium with Views to Alicante. 450m2 plot, fully furnished including white goods. Located in very quiet desirable road. ref.L96. €255,000 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,

RAG AND BONE

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 villa located in a very quiet area , situated at the end of a cul-de-sac means there is no through traffic.3 bed, 3 bath, 330m2 plot, established large gardens, working fireplace, solar panel for hot water,private parking, south facing great views, fully furnished, fantastic opportunity. ref. L85. €215,000 Tel 680333242 Gran Alacant, Situated in the central area of Gran Alacant and within walking distance to all local amenities such as a selection of different cuisine restaurants, bars, pharmacies, banks, popular GA market and Carabassi Beach. Comprises of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with a private garage and roof-top solarium. This property is part of a small urbanization which has the use of a large decorative communal pool. Ref. K36 €149,000 Tel 680333242 Ref: 513, €115,000. Two bedroom ground floor apartment, in Aguas Nuevas, close to all amenities includ-

SKY TV INSTALLATION

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

STORAGE

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

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

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

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

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

WANTED

ROLLER BLINDS

RECYCLING CLOTHES

Friday, January 4, 2013

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

World No.1’s with no pedigree

FIRST AND WORST HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s 2013 the world didn’t disappear in a puff of French hills, they just ran out of ink for the calendars’. So the golf club is still swinging into 2013 and it’s good to be with you. It’s that time of year when you sent your letter to Santa for that new Callaway RAZR Driver and ECCO Greenstreet shoes but it never got answered or you forgot to give your wife the piece of plastic PIN number and website details. So you have plenty of time to think about all those oddities in golf just in case you go to the Golf Club Captain’s night or dinner at the in-laws for The Chase quiz game. So here we go with a trivial discussion question.

WHO WERE THE WORLD’S WORST NUMBERS ONES?

The Official World Golf Rankings have been in existence since 1986, and in a little over a quarter-century, there have been 16 male golfers to rise to the coveted No. 1 ranking. While some of these — like Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman and Nick Faldo—have been truly worthy of being numero uno, others have been and still are really good, but not what you would call great Tour pros. Let's take a look at, in my opinion you understand, the five worst golfers to earn the No. 1 ranking.

TOM LEHMAN

On the whole, Lehman has had a career that any professional golfer would dream of. He is the only pro to have ever won the Player of the Year award on the Nationwide, PGA and Champions Tours. Unfortunately, naming him the worst No. 1 of all-time was rather easy, as he held the spot for just one week in April 1997, after winning the Open Championship the previous season. In terms of professional victories, Lehman's resume is equally as unimpressive compared to the likes of Woods and Faldo, for example, as he has only won on the PGA Tour five times. All in all, PGA winnings of $21.4 million are well-deserved, but the majority of the aggregate totals don't compare favorably to Lehman's peers who've also held the world No. 1.

TITTER ON THE TEE

There was this exclusive Golf Club and the Secretary and green keeper did not get on to well.In fact they despised each other. One New Year’s Eve the course was covered in snow, everywhere you looked it was white, but outside the Secretary’s window someone had written his name in the snow. Not with a stick or such but in urine. Knowing the green keeper like he did, the Secretary called him into the office, and accused him of the act. To which the green keeper readily confessed. But he added: “If you look closely, you will see it’s in your daughter’s handwriting”.

DAVID DUVAL

Duval has quite possibly had the largest fall from grace of any professional golfer this side of John Daly. Unlike Daly, though, Duval hasn't won a single tournament since his early days of dominance on the USPGA Tour. In the late nineties, there was a time when Duval was golf's hottest asset, and he battled with Tiger for the world No. 1 ranking throughout most of the 1999 season. Officially, Duval has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, with his signature victory coming at the 2001 Open Championship. It's worth noting that the lanky Floridian did notch a whopping ten top-ten finishes in 16 majors between 1998 and 2001, but his game tragically fell off a cliff shortly thereafter. Whether it's social anxiety, back issues or even vertigo, there have been many factors attributed to Duval's decline, and while it is extremely sad to see, the fact remains that he doesn't quite stack up to the rest of the world No. 1's. With only 15 weeks of the distinction, Duval experienced among the shortest trips at the top spot, and his mid-career journey to Q-School in 2011 makes him the only former No. 1 to hold that dubious distinction.

LEE WESTWOOD

It's likely that Westwood's inclusion on this list will strike a chord with many ardent golf fans, but the fact remains that in comparison to many other former No. 1's, the Englishman's resume just doesn't stack up. Let's start with the fact that Westwood hasn't won any major championships. His best year was 2010, when he notched a T2 at both the Masters and Open Championship, and he did finish in the top-ten at last year's Masters and US Open, but other than Luke Donald, Westwood is the only world No. 1 to have never won a major. In terms of total time spent as a world No. 1, Westwood again falls in the bottom-tier of his peers, as he held onto the spot for 22 weeks in total, most of them coming in the 2010 offseason. Of the 16 world No. 1's, multi-time major winners Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer have held onto the ranking for fewer weeks than Lee, which tells us that sometimes, getting the top spot is a matter being in the right place at the right time. There's no denying that Westwood has had a splendid career on the European Tour and a consistent showing in major championships, but these are not the attributes of a world No. 1.

KNOW YOUR RULES Question: What is the ruling if a player plays his/her ball out of turn? A. One stroke penalty B. No penalty and play the ball where it lies. C. One stroke penalty and play your ball again from the exact spot where you last hit it. Answer: B. Unless the competitions committee determined that all competitors have agreed to play in order.

MARTIN KAYMER

Kaymer spent only eight weeks as world No. 1, that time coming directly after his second place finish at the 2011 WGC-Accenture Match Play. Since turning pro in 2005, Kaymer has put together a solid, but not an otherworldly career, winning 10 European Tour tournaments and the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. He also won the Race to Dubai and the European Tour's Golfer of the Year award that year, but his reluctance to play in the USA full-time may have hurt his performance in golf's majors. In the time since winning the 2010 PGA, Kaymer has missed the cut in four of eight major championships, failing to make the cut in the last two majors he's played. Kaymer currently sits at 28th in the world, and is hoping that a full-time move to the PGA Tour in 2013 will cure his ills.

IAN WOOSNAM

Welshman Woosie is known for his solid career on the European Tour in the late eighties. His signature win came at the 1991 Masters, where he won the only major championship of his career, beating José María Olazábal by one stroke. Altogether, Woosnam has 29 wins on the European Tour, with just two on the USPGA Tour. Woosnam held the spot for a little under a year after he won the '91 Masters, but played rather uninspired golf at that year's remaining majors, finishing out of the top 40 in both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. After losing world No. 1 to Fred Couples the following year, Woosnam missed the cut in eight of his next 28 majors, and has failed to finish any better than a T3 at the 2001 Open Championship. There's no doubt that he is a talented golfer who deserves every award he has received, though there have been far better No. 1’s in the world. It is interesting that UK players have held the number one spot since October 2010 with an eight week break by Kaymer another trivia quiz question/answer.

Friday, January 4, 2013

FED UP WITH EASTENDERS? THEN TRY WESTENDERS!

NEW Year’s resolutions? Must get out less? Wanna watch more TV, but soaps bore? Why not tune in to the latest edition of ‘Westenders’ – nah, not life at the Bridge, although that’s pretty interesting with Spanglishy changes, nor Craven Cottagers creeping around the crypt. No, I’m referring to Life Wiv ‘Arry dahn Loftus Road. It’s brilliant: every episode brings something new, it’s never dull, unlike some soaps I could mention… The star is Harry Redknapp, late of Spurs, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and nearlyEngland-once. The plot is he has recently taken control of rock-bottom-of-thetable and football laughing-stock Queen’s Park Rangers, who couldn’t win a game this season under the dour druid Mark Hughes. Houdini Harry hasn’t earned that title for nothing, performing miracles before at ailing clubs (see above), not only keeping his teams from relegation, but takin ‘em back to respectability and glory again – particularly Spurs. But the task at QPR this time, well, it looks impossible… Harry’s a family man: he often brings his long-suffering wife, Sandra into the programme. When his sup-

posedly-hot Spurs striker Darren Bent somehow managed to head a crucial ball over the bar instead of under it from a yard out, Harry opined ‘my missus could’ve scored that one’. After ungrateful Spurs surprisingly sacked their saviour, despite getting ‘em back into Europe Harry was

Sergio gives the nod to Saladar

punditing on MOTD, strongly hinting he was available. ‘Me wife’s getting fed up with me around the place all the time, getting under her feet.’ he moaned. Hint taken, Rangers rang. At 65you’d have thought armchair studio work suited Harry more. No, the Redknapp’s smoothie-suit-

ed son Jamie, he of the trophy-wife, ex-Eternal singer Louise, had already got there with Sky Sports after retiring from playing. (Psst, look out, our Jamie - Gary Neville has spent his testimonial money well, picking up at last from where Andy Gray {who?} left off. Have you seen Gaz punditing and playing with his knobs on his super-Subutteo set-up? He’s good! It took hands-on Harry four games to get a QPR win, but he manfully managed where Mark muffed-it against nasty-neighbours Fulham 2 – 1 on December 15 to get the Christmas edition happily entertaining the fans. But the best bit for nosey neutrals like me is that Harry wasted no time in letting us into some cracking club secrets. Like how about the recently expensivelybought (not by Harry) from Chelsea Portuguese mercenary Jose Bosingwa refusing to sit on the bench, being sent home in disgrace and fined two week’s wages - £130,000, gasp! And Harry’s revelations after the defeat by nervy Newcastle? ‘There’s an awful lot of players at this club earning far, far, far too much money for their ability… more than any player earned at Tottenham. You shouldn’t be paying massive wages when you’ve got a stadium

A LATE own goal deprived CD Montesinos of victory in a 1-1 draw with promotion rivals Sporting Saladar before Christmas. Monte, one place behind their opponents in the league, drew first blood with a delightful goal after 39 minutes. Chulo threaded an exquisite ball through to team mate Edu, who slotted it past the visiting goalkeeper. The second half saw both sides step up a gear but Monte gave away too many free kicks around their own penalty area. It was one of these that brought about the equaliser five minutes from time when defender Sergio headed into his own net as he tried to clear. After the game, the Full Monte supporters club presented each player and the staff management with a Christmas hamper, as they did last season, and the club laid on a tapas banquet and drinks. SAN Fulgencio finished the first half of the seaq son in fourthplace after an impressive 3-0 victory over a hard-working Jove Español San Vicente “B”side, writes JORDAN LUCAS. Well-worked goals from Braulio, Juan Antonio Fernandez and Gary Williams were enough to ensure a happy Christmas for everyone involved with the club. San Fulgencio’s next game is at home to Algorfa on January 13 at noon.

BOBBY Gorrill (pictured receiving the trophy from Captain Alan Taylor) won the Wolfpack Golf Society Yuletide Cup at Villamartin with 35 points, ahead of Alan Gilbert (31) and Jim Mawer (30)

that holds 18,000 people. Newcastle holds 52,000 and most of their players will be nowhere near the wages some of the players are earning here.’ Love it, Harry - more, please! Wednesday evening’s episode showed Harry taking his QPR lads the short journey to Stamford Bridge to play fourth-placed Chelsea, the reigning European champions who were 28 points above them. Chelsea were poor, and Rangers just got steadily

better, eventually winning 1 –0. You just couldn’t make it up… So: the 64,000 dollar questions – not only who’s ‘not’ earning his 64,000 dollars a week, but can Houdini Harry now keep Rangers winning? To keep it Capital, after beating both Fulham AND Chelsea two more fellow London teams are coming soon, neighbours Spurs and West Ham. Don’t miss Harry’s next exciting episode!

Every Day’s a Football Day January

1st 1965 Stanley Matthews becomes the first British player to be Knighted. 2nd 1971 A black day for football when, with Celtic leading 1-0 against Rangers at Ibrox, Colin Stein scored a late equaliser. Hearing the roar of the crowd, some fans turn back to see what happened and met those trying to leave head on. On stairway 13 a steel barrier collapsed in the crush, leaving 66 fans dead and 150 injured. 3rd 1977 After just eight seconds of his side’s Fourth Division game with Cambridge, Pat Kruse of Torquay puts the ball past his own keeper to record the fastest own goal in English football. History. 4th 1908 Four Kilmarnock players fail to turn up for their game with Port Glasgow Athletic. Undeterred, Killie fulfil the fixture with the minimum number of players permitted (seven) and lose fairly respectably, 4-1 5th 1985 Leicester City beat Burton Albion 6-1 in their FA Cup tie. However, the Burton keeper, Paul Evans, is dazed by a coin thrown from the crowd. The FA order that the game be replayed behind closed doors at Coventry. Leicester sneaking a 1-0 win. 6th 1996 Ian Rush scores for Liverpool in their 7-0 FA Cup third round thrashing of Rochdale. The goal, his 42nd in 63 matches makes him the competition’s most prolific scorer. Rush’s first goal came in Chester City’s 5-1 caning of Workington in 1979. 7th 1946 Charlton become the only side to lose an FA Cup tie yet still appear in the Final thanks to an FA experiment with two legged matches in the early rounds. They go down 2-1 at Fulham but had won the first leg 3-1 at the Valley to win 4-3 on aggregate. 8th 1997 Kevin Keegan resigns as Newcastle manager. 9th 1996 It is announced that Roger Stanislaus of Leyton Orient has become the first player in the English league to be tested for a performance enhancing drug (cocaine) Stanislaus is banned for a year by the FA and then sacked by the club who felt the FA’s punishment was too lenient. 10th 1979 A ground record 31,033 turn up at Roots Hall to see Southend hold Liverpool to a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup third round. 11th 1961 The maximum wage is abolished. Johnny Haynes of Fulham becomes the game’s first £100-a-week footballer. 12th 1956 ITV screen their first ever live match, choosing the unlikely site of the Eyrie, Bedford as the venue. Arsenal came back from a goal down to beat Bedford Town 2-1 after extra time in their FA Cup third round replay. Compiled by STUART EVANS

Friday, January 4, 2013

NEW YEAR’S REVOLUTION

It’s Harry’s game as QPR shock troops storm the Bridge

John McGregor reports

YOU couldn’t make it up - bottom-placed no-hopers Queen’s Park Rangers went to mighty Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night to play reigning European champions Chelsea, some 28 points above them. And Harry Redknapp’s heroes steadily outplayed their noble neighbours, to win by the only goal ten minutes from the end from Shaun WrightPhillips – an ex-Chelsea reject, of course. QPR still have a mountain to climb (see over) but what a

start! Top of the Hot Shots? Who’s your number one striker as we go into the New Year? Topping the table United’s twin terrors tore Wigan apart 4 – 0. Twogoal-poacher extraordinaire Javier Hernandez possesses deadly reactions like a rattlesnake, or do you prefer the sheer silky skills of Robin van Persie? Traps it, feints left, switches right and sidefoots it into the opposite far corner all in one slick movement for his first, and his second was sweet– and Wayne Rooney’s not even playing! Best New Year’s quote? After his Stoke side had been pulverised and punished by Man City, punch-

drunk Tony Pulis was asked what he thought the difference was between the two sides. ‘About £220 million!’ was his perfect response. But worryingly-forCity, hamstrung Sergio Aguero will probably miss the FA Cup game against Watford this weekend, but more importantly the January 12 visit to unpredictable Arsenal. With barmy Balo still ballet-dancing, it’s a good job Edin Dzecko’s delivering, armed with amigo Aguero the deadly duo have scored five of City’s last seven. Hey, David Hasselhoff was watching at the Etihad - is he joining in January as mental Mario’s replacement? Baywatch this space… Merseyside magic? Liverpool’s Luis Suarez is currently electric (New Year’s joke). I still don’t like him, but he has almost single-handedly won the last two games for the Reds. On Sunday poor old QPR were two down to him alone inside the first 20 minutes. First lightning Luis went past his man inside five yards, and had the ball in the net before anyone could blink: second wasn’t bad either! Just to prove it wasn’t a fluke the Uruguayan did again with two more on Wednesday against suffering Sunderland, this time making the first for Sterling then winning the ball himself and single-handedly scorching through to score the second, and then on the receiving end from a great Steven Gerrard through-ball for his second and Liverpool’s third, his 18th this sea-

son. What are we going to do about Theo, Arsene? Down the middle, out wide or shall we just let him go, take the money and spend it at the January sales? Theo Walcott is one of Arsene Wenger’s problems, as after putting seven past neurotic Newcastle his Arsenal side looked inept – again – against Southampton in a dreary draw. Dodgy draw in the FA Cup away at Swansea as well. Papiss Cisse got Newcastle off to a much-needed great start against Everton, but Leighton Baines smashed them back into contention just before halftime. Substitute Victor Anichebe came on to score after 90 seconds to give Everton all three points, Toffees now fifth: Newcastle now worried in 15th, two points above the dreaded drop zone. Cardiff look cool at the top of the Championship, now seven points clear of second-placed Hull. It’s the FA Cup third-round this weekend with some crackers: West Ham v Man Utd, Southampton v Chelsea are biggies, dodgy banana skins are Everton’s visit to Cheltenham, and Middlesbrough entertaining Hastings United. Twenty-thirteen, here we go! You all ready, yes or no? Hope your team wins, brings good cheer, From Mac the Hack, Happy New Year!