The view edition 1

FREE

Friday, May 15th 2015 - Edition 1

Tel: 602 604 213

E-mail: editor@theview.es Web: www.theview.es

WELCOME TO THE VIEW

2

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

THIS WEEK IN PAGE 3 ­ “I DON’T BELIEVE IT” A review of the 2015 General Election PAGE 4 – LOCAL VOTE 2015 PAGES 6 – SPANISH NEWS PAGE 8 – THE CABIN VIEW PAGE 9 – LIKE IT OR GRUMP IT PAGE 12 – THE VIEW FROM THE LION’S DEN PAGE 13 & 14 – SPANISH NEWS PAGE 16 – READERS LETTERS & LOTTERY RESULTS PAGE 17 – 5 4 3 2 1 – THUNDERBIRDS ARE BACK! PAGE 20 – WORLD NEWS STORIES PAGE 21 – 2015 LOCAL & NATIONAL SPANISH HOLIDAYS PAGE 22 – ALAS, NO SMITH BUT GARCIA PAGE 23 – THE VIEW THROUGH THE LENS PAGE 24 – ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 25 – RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPAIN PAGE 26 – THE VIEW ON NOSTALGIA PAGE 27 – ALICANTE TO CARTAGENA BUS TIMETABLE PAGE 28 – WHAT’S ON THE TELLY PAGES 28 TO 31 – CONCISE TV LISTINGS PAGES 32 & 33 – FASHION, HEALTH & BEAUTY PAGES 34 & 35 – FOOD & DRINK PAGE 36 – OVER 50s LIFESTYLE PAGE 37 – RECOGNISING THE VIEW – PRIZE COMPETITION PAGE 37 – SPANISH CONCERT DATES 2015 PAGES 38 & 39 – PUZZLE PAGES PAGE 41 – MOTORING PAGE 42 – BUS JOURNEY – CARTAGENA PAGE 43 – TRAVEL AROUND SPAIN PAGES 44 & 45 – THE VIEW CLASSIFIED DROP OFF POINTS PAGES 46 & 47 – SPORT Editor – DEREK JAMES SHANKLAND News Editor – DARREN JAMES The professional NEWSpaper The View is solely owned by the owners of TV CHOICE

Mobile – 602 604 213 E-mail – editor@theview.es Postal Address – Apartado De Correos 255, 03193 San Miguel De Salinas, Alicante

Deposito Legal –

A 440 - 2015 PETER JAMES is an international best­selling British writer of crime fiction.

He has written 26 novels, including the International best­selling series featuring Brighton­based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, which have sold 15 million copies worldwide and have given him seven consecutive UK Sunday Times number ones. He was voted the 2015 W H Smith “The Best Crime Writer Of All Time”.

His next book and the latest in the Roy Grace series – YOU ARE DEAD – is published in the UK on May 21st.

“How wonderful to see a new newspaper starting up ­ and even more so in one of my favourite parts of the world! I’ve always been a newspaper junkie, both devouring news stories and feature articles to keep informed ­ and also, at times, to be inspired for my

The View

EDITOR’S WEEKLY MESSAGE O

n behalf of all the team it’s a very warm welcome to a brand new local newspaper – THE VIEW! We’ll be out on the streets EVERY FRIDAY. So, what do I intend and hope to bring to THE VIEW and what qualifications do I have for being News Editor?

Some know me as controversial and opinionated with views that aren’t always shared. That’s fine by me, and these thoughts and judgements on a wide variety of subjects both local and world­wide will continue through my contributions to this newspaper. I actively encourage you to debate those views with me and others through our reader’s letters page. I want to see your participation more in THE VIEW, and there’ll be more and more ways in which you’ll be able to do that over the coming weeks.

This is my first involvement into the editorial world of newspapers, but I believe that my love (some would say obsession) of news – particularly current affairs and politics – coupled with almost 26 years living in Spain prepares me for the task and the challenges ahead. I also think that those years here have enabled me to understand a certain amount of what goes on in my adopted country, especially the wants and the needs of the expat community.

I want to bring you a NEWSpaper again.

Simply, a good read! I can fully understand the views of many when they complain about the amount of advertising in local free newspapers. The valued advertisers are what enables THE VIEW to be free in the first place, but I genuinely believe that an acceptable balance of editorial content and adverts can and will be reached. You will see there is more to read and digest than

you may be accustomed to without those pages being dominated by advertisements: but the adverts are still contained in THE VIEW on both dedicated and related pages to much of the feature content. I don’t like seeing people turn pages over and over and missing out on an interesting and important story – we’ve all done it ­ just because of the perception of too many adverts on that page. This new layout will give both readers and advertisers alike exactly what they want from a quality newspaper.

You’ll also see that there are pages full of popular puzzles, prize quizzes and competitions; concise TV pages and pages of local, Spanish regional and national, Europe, World and, UK news, sport and features. THE VIEW also recognise the overwhelming demographic that make up its current and future readership and make no apology for specifically targeting the Over 50s / Silver Surfer generation.

Official figures show that this age group account for almost 80% of British and Irish ex­pats on the Torrevieja Padron alone. To this end, many of the weekly and regular features will take a look at matters relative to this age group...and that includes me at the young at heart age of 54!

THE VIEW will also, from time to time, feature articles from well­known local and world­wide personalities and include some much needed investigative journalism. If you have a story or a problem that you’d like us to take on board as you feel you’re getting nowhere fast with your efforts, then contact me directly at the contact numbers or addresses contained on this page of THE VIEW. I’m very proud to have been asked to take on this job and to be working with some of the very best people with many successful and valued years of experience in many aspects of the print media behind them, both locally and in the UK.

Printed by – LOCALPRINT, c/Manuel de Falla, 16 Elche Parque Empresarial 03203 Elche, Alicante

Mobile – (0044) 077663 47461 E-mail – caroline@theview.es

Head of Design

Advertising Sales Hotlines

PAUL CAMPBELL E-mail – design@theview.es

Marketing Director

CLIFF ROBERTS Mobile – 602 600 816 E-mail – cliff@theview.es

UK Sales & Marketing Executive – CAROLINE KANE

CLIFF – 602 600 816 DEREK – 620 440 152

DISCLAIMER – THE VIEW, its publisher or members of staff do not accept responsibility for claims by advertisers or its contributors nor can it be held responsible for any errors in advertisements which are reproduced from poor quality artwork or inadequate

writing! Many of my past novels have directly been inspired by something I have first encountered on the pages of a newspaper, and I’m sure many of my future ones will be, too. I wish THE VIEW every possible success. PETER JAMES, Sussex."

CHRISTINE HAMILTON is an English media personality and author. She has been married to Neil Hamilton, the former Conservative MP for Tatton, since 1983.

Hamilton has described herself as a "media butterfly”, and has appeared on a variety of television shows.

Hamilton came third in the first series of the reality television programme, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2002, and reached the final of Celebrity Masterchef in 2010. She has appeared on

instructions for text or any other features. Any artwork produced by THE VIEW remains the property of THE VIEW. Further, no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by an error, inaccuracy or nonappearance of any advertisement, although all advertisements produced for advertisers are checked prior to insertion. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than ONE incorrect insertion and that no republication will be granted in the case of typographical or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement. THE VIEW does not guarantee distribution times.

Any change to distribution days will, where possible, be publicised a week in advance.

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/theviewnewspaper

numerous topical television programmes including GMTV, Loose Women, This Week, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, This Morning and The Wright Stuff. As a writer Hamilton published The Book of British Battleaxes in 1999 “I am delighted to wish everyone connected with THE VIEW every possible success with this new venture.

From personal experience, I am only too aware of both the positive and negative power of the printed word. I am pleased to know that a major policy of THE VIEW will be to investigate, find the truth, and put right certain injustices which affect the British ex­pat population on the Costa Blanca. Of course, more and more people get their entertainment, news and information from digital platforms but, happily, there are many who agree that there is nothing quite like reading a good book or a quality newspaper in its printed form. I’m sure THE VIEW will quickly establish itself as a popular and much looked­forward­to weekly read. CHRISTINE HAMILTON, Wiltshire.”

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

3

“I DON’T BELIEVE IT!”

by Darren James

A

nd whatever your political viewpoint is, that headline no doubt reflected what you thought whether you stayed up all last Thursday night or, woke up early to watch the closing furlong of the long 2015 UK General Election campaign.

We’d all, well most of us, followed the daily clutch of opinion polls, which continually showed the two main parties “neck and neck” and when we played with the BBC and SKY News website apps, we could convert those percentages into seats. The outcome always pointed to the same. It was going to be a Hung Parliament. No doubt about it. And then the exit poll at 10pm (UK Time)..........

The fact it showed the Conservatives as being the highest Party, possibly wasn’t a shock; it was the 316 seats that was, coupled with Labour being so low – at 239. Surely the impossible, the unthinkable and the unbelievable wasn’t about to happen? Could the Conservatives really get an overall majority, over the 326 figure, and cause all the plans for multi­party Coalitions to be shredded before they’d been discussed?

The traditional first three declarations of the night from Sunderland, gave an early insight as to what was about to unfold over the next 12 hours. The Labour majorities were higher as was their vote, but the Tory vote held up and the swing to Labour was less than required. Confirmation of my early belief as to the final outcome was confirmed, with the declaration of the first of the Conservative held seats, Swindon North. The Tory vote increased by 5.8% and Labour’s was down 2.7%. From that moment on, there was only going to be one outcome!

Whilst David Cameron was having an audience with HM The Queen lunchtime on Friday, news came through that the Conservatives had held The Cotswolds, pushing them to the magic number of 326. The remaining 8 seats to declare went to form, apart from Tory gains in the former Lib Dem seats of Berwick Upon Tweed and then, the final declaration of all, St Ives. It was a final result that, if anybody was being totally honest, they could never have foreseen.

WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO NOW? The Conservatives had only been in office less than a few hours when their policies were being accused of increasing unemployment. Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are still in the same overall company but with reduced pay and privileges after their self imposed return to the Back Benches. Ed and wife Justine were seen heading off to Ibiza on Monday morning – minus their children! The same can’t be said

for Douglas & Danny Alexander, Vince Cable, Jim Murphy, Ed Davey, Charles Kennedy, David Laws, Simon Hughes, George Galloway and finally, Ed Balls, who all officially join the rest in the net reducing dole queue.

The only big hitting Conservative to lose their seat was former TV presenter Esther McVey in Wirral West.

country one minute and then wants to help run England and Wales the next – were going to be in bed with Labour? It was probably a combination of the above.

SO, WHAT OR WHO AFFECTED THE OUTCOME?

For the next 5 years, the Conservatives can at least be true Tories at last, without needing every clause of every Bill to get the assent of Nick. Cameron has promised a spectacular first 100 days of the new Tory government with the promise of tax cuts and the first steps on an In / Out Referendum on Europe. The Queen’s Speech is due on May 27th and the first hurdle of the majority of 12 will be to get the measures through. Never has a Chief Whip’s job been so hard, BUT, if you believe the BBC, there are already splits in the Party over Europe. See what I mean about bias? They just can’t leave it alone, and the Conservatives will continue to have the media, not just to report and question their policies – that’s fine – but to oppose them in all but any other meaning of the word.

The Referendum and the £12bn of planned cuts and where they’re going to happen, will be the main policies to dominate the early months of the new administration. More austerity as well, certainly, but judging by the votes of more than 11m people, they’re quite happy with what they’ve “suffered” for the past 5 years.

Two words, if the truth is known.

Ed and Miliband! Listening to people since his appointment in September 2010 and, following even some of the staunchest Labour supporters on social media for some time, brought me to a very early conclusion, that the image of Mr Ed on the steps of No10 wasn’t going to happen. Very much in the same way of Foot, Kinnock and Brown. The latter made it through the black door only through Blair’s timely resignation.

Despite all the efforts of the BBC and SKY News (I never watch ITV News), they couldn’t convince enough of the electorate to go for Labour. With the exception of Andrew Neil, it reached the point, when the news presenters should have openly worn their “Vote Labour” rosettes on air.

As for the campaign itself, and it’s been raised by many of the Labour grandees in recent days, the Party just alienated themselves from those it was attempting to attract; those that had supported them in droves in 1997. Putting my own political views to one side, I tried to take a neutral look at things and it was so obvious that the main thrust of both the Labour and the SNP campaign was simply, “Get The Tories Out”, said in an aggressive, even threatening style and with little or no policy detail. It was very negative, whereas the Conservative line was let’s carry on with what we’ve started and stop the others from returning to earlier times. Labour appeared to be very anti­business, anti­enterprise, anti­ wealth creators and yes, anti­rich, which in itself, was, ever so slightly hypocritical, considering the well­known wealth of many of their own senior politicians.

Possibly, just possibly, the British electorate did feel better off than they did in 2010. Perhaps they were happy that they or members of their family had a job – whatever the number of the contract – and saw a future and thought that if they can do it, so can others.

Perhaps they had much better experiences of the NHS than the opposition and the media told them they had. Did immigration not really bother people who lived in traditional or marginal Conservative areas and did they genuinely believe, despite denials to the contrary, that the SNP – who want independence for their

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Memories of the 1980s appear to be about to haunt the Labour Party, as they seem doomed to another long spell on the Opposition benches. Political history would suggest that, it will be impossible for them to get the required number of seats to achieve a majority. They are 99 seats short of the Tories and that kind of gap takes time to claw back. It took the Conservatives four elections in 13 years to whittle down the massive Labour majorities of the 1990s and 2000s (179, 166 and 62). The number of seats is due to reduce from 650 to 600 by 2020 and the LibDem blocked boundary changes will now get through the Commons. Both measures are expected to hinder the Labour cause. Indeed, there is talk that Labour will never be in government ever again! I wouldn’t go that far, but there must be some worry in their ranks that UKIP are in 2nd place in 118 seats – more Labour than Conservative.

SPANISH SAFE AFTER SECOND NEPAL QUAKE TRAGEDY

S

panish Foreign Office staff has managed to contact all 152 Spaniards known to be in Nepal following the second earthquake, which reached 7.4 on the Richter scale, and confirm they are all alive and well.

However, six remain on the missing list after the first quake which devastated the Himalayan country and reduced the capital, Kathmandu, to rubble, but sadly the Spanish government does not hold out any hope of finding them alive.

There have been no further Spanish victims of the latest quake – among these is at least one doctor who was visiting the country on holiday and decided to stay behind to help the victims. Many others are expatriates who did not want to be repatriated after the first tremor, which reached 7.8 on the Richter scale and has left over 8,000 dead.

A Spanish diplomat and National Police officer

remain on duty at the Spanish Embassy in Delhi, India, the nearest capital city to Kathmandu, to continue coordinating operations, whilst three forensic officers from Spain are in Nepal to help identify bodies of victims of all nationalities.

Residents in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, which border Nepal, and in Delhi say they felt their houses tremble for 'at least a minute'.

Similar reports came from residents in Bangladesh, which borders India to the north­east.

The epicentre was in Namche Bazar, about 18 kilometres outside of Kodari, some 76 kilometres north­east of Kathmandu, and only slightly less intense than the first quake. The second one was 19 kilometres below the surface, as opposed to 15 kilometres below, on April 25.

The nearer the surface an earthquake is, the more likely it is to cause damage.

4

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

LOCAL VOTE - 2015

I

n just 9 days time, Sunday 24th May, it'll be time to make your mind up once again as to who is going to be running your local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall).

There's no putting an "X" in a box against your favoured candidate in these elections; just select your preferred party in the Polling Station, pick up the corresponding piece of coloured paper that represents your party, fold it in half, put it in an envelope, seal it, queue up, show your Poll Card (which you should’ve received through the post) and proof of ID. Watch about 5 of 6 people or more tick off your name and then, and only then, can you put your envelope in the clear plastic ballot box. "Vota!" they exclaim, and out you go! Your enfranchisement is complete for another 5 years!

We at THE VIEW have decided, in view of the timescale involved, not to feature any policies, manifestos, or interviews with members of the political parties standing at these elections. There are just so many local areas where you live that it just wouldn’t be possible to feature all those involved and givie them equal and unbiased coverage. What we will do, once the local mayors are in place, is to arrange to interview them and question them in more detail as to their plans for their localities.

The results of these will be published in future editions of THE VIEW.

To give some background to Election 2015, we’ve put some numbers together in the form of the chart below, covering all the Ayuntamiento’s with a significant number of British and Irish residents. We’ve come to some fascinating conclusions.....

The much reported sudden drop in the numbers of people registered on the local Padron last year resulted in a few of the Town Halls being forced, by law, to reduce the number of councillors. Torrevieja and Los Montesinos lost 2, whereas Rojales (including Ciudad Quesada) and San Fulgencio (covering Urb La Marina) lost 4. Numbers of councillors are dependent on the Padron figures and not the electoral roll (Censo). So it’s interesting to note that Torrevieja’s drop in Padron and councillors coincides with an increase of almost 3,000 on the Censo. Despite all the promotion in local press and social media to ensure people were registered on the Censo, the actual increases since the 2011 were in some places negligible and in the case of Rojales, resulted in a drop.

Figures never lie, so these highlight – with one or two notable exceptions – that the non­Spanish have little or no interest in local politics. In areas such as Orihuela and Torrevieja that have a large number of non­Spanish on the Padron, the same cannot be said for the Censo. Taking into

account that people of all ages are on the Padron and over 18’s only are on the Censo, only 11% in Orihuela and 12% in Torrevieja have taken the trouble to register to vote.

Compare that to San Miguel (30%), Rojales (37%), Benijofar (38%), Algorfa (40%) and San Fulgencio (56%).

It’s when you look at the British that live in these areas, that some worrying figures come to light and perhaps show an even bigger apathy among this group. In Algorfa, there are 2,030 British on the Padron but only 718 non­Spanish on the Censo. It’s repeated in Orihuela (13,991 Padron – 5,259 Censo) and Torrevieja (7,338 Padron – 5,800 Censo). The exception to the rule is San Fulgencio, where with 3,980 British registered on the Padron and some 3,256 non­ Spanish on the Censo. – A closer margin – shows the success of this area in getting the word out to the British electorate.

However, the overall Censo numbers for San Fulgencio show a very small net increase of 160 compared to the 2011 vote.

Is the general lack of interest among non­Spanish and particularly British voters in the areas with the accepted higher concentrations in the urbanisations – San Fulgencio (49%), Torrevieja (53%) and Rojales (61%) – shown up as them being amongst the lowest in terms of actual turnout?

Will the Apathy Party rule again this time around?

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

5

6

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

A CLEANER GUARDAMAR OVER 55? RESIDENT IN SPAIN? FANCY A HOLIDAY?

D

R

esidents of Guardamar, have you noticed that since April, three new sweepers have joined the fleet of the municipal cleaning company GESNET? The cost to the Ayuntamiento was €345,000, which, thanks to a tendering process actually saved €17,000 from the original budget.

In addition, they have invested in 2 large 135hp tractors to replace the existing machinery, which will be used for cleaning beaches and support in general maintenance and landscaping in the area.

They are due to begin work at the start of the summer.

After “cleaning up” the municipal accounts in the past 4 years, the Guardamar team has been able to invest €1m in renewing the entire fleet of

cleaning vehicles that were becoming obsolete. Most vehicles were over 15 years old and incurred heavy expenses due to ongoing repairs and service deficiencies.

This was especially true in the case of the tractors ­ 37 years old in the case of one of them!

Keeping the city clean and preserving the popular areas of the municipality is essential for a tourist destination.

Guardamar has recently acquired more than a hundred new recycling containers.

The City of Guardamar is famous for its community spirit. It undertakes two annual events to raise awareness among residents and tourists on the importance of keeping the streets and squares of the city clean and to respect their valuable natural environments.

IT’S “SPAINING” CATS AND DOGS! D

og lovers in Spain are more likely to have Yorkshire Terriers, German Shepherds or Labradors, followed by French Bulldogs, Cocker Spaniels and Chihuahuas, according to a survey on pet­owners in the country.

Research conducted

by Veterinary Management Studies for QVET says the majority of dogs kept as pets in Spain are pure­breeds, although if ‘mongrel’ was a breed it would be the most common at 52.1% of the total. Dogs in Spanish homes are getting smaller, with the number of smaller breeds going up from 47% to 49% in the last three years.

Maltese and Chihuahuas have grown in popularity since the end of 2011, followed

by Golden Retrievers, and the mean average age of a pet dog is five years and three months, even though the majority are puppies.

The most popular mongrels are crosses with Yorkshire Terriers, German Shepherds or Labradors, with Yorkshire Terriers most likely to be crossed with Chihuahuas, mongrels or Staffordshire Bull Terriers. A total of 1.5% are aged over 16 years.

As for pet cats, the majority are short­ haired (85.7%), and this figure is going up, with 12.1% long­haired breeds such as Persians and 2.1% somewhere in the

middle.

The mean average age for pet cats in Spain is just over five years, although again, the majority are only just a year old – but cats live longer than dogs, meaning the number of felines in Spanish homes aged over 16 sits at 4.1%.

Cats, most commonly kept as pets, are the European variety at 32%, followed by moggies (26.8%), Common European (22.7%), Persian (8.8%), and Siamese (5.8%).

Smaller numbers of British Shorthair, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest, Exotic, and Russian Blue are found, with the first two having risen in popularity in the last three years. Moggies are most commonly crosses with European, Siamese or Persian cats – in fact, one in two Siamese crosses are half­Persian, with many of the remainder being half­European or half­ Burmese.

Madrid and the Basque Country have the highest ratio of mongrels amongst their dog populations than elsewhere in Spain.

Although in terms of numbers, the most are seen in Murcia, Valencia and Aragón.

Navarra and Catalunya have the most pedigree cats – 85.4% and 83.3% of the total of pet cats in these regions are pure­ bred. Over half of all pet cats in the Basque Country and just under half in Valencia are moggies.

id you know that if you fulfil certain requirements, you can qualify for organised and reduced price holidays to a variety of destinations, all courtesy of IMSERSO? IMSERSO (El Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales) is the Spanish government for Social Services for the elderly.

These special deals are available throughout the Valencian region.

Pensioners over the age of 55 and of all nationalities can now apply for these special pensioners’ holidays BUT you must apply before June 5th.

You must be:  A resident of Spain and 65 years old and above OR  In receipt of a retirement pension or

widowed if you’re 55 plus OR  Other types of pensioners or pre­ retirees, 60 years old and above.

All you need to do, is to visit the Social Services Department in your local town hall with your name, address, phone number, e­ mail address (if you have one), Residencia Certificate and Pension certificate (stating the amount you receive monthly or annually).

Finally, you need to choose whether you wish to visit the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands. All the holidays include outbound and return journeys, full board in double rooms, collective insurance, medical services and full entertainment programme.

Please be warned that spaces are limited and there may be a waiting list.

The View

7

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE! DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD...OR YOUR LIFE!

M

icrosoft’s near­instant translation tool for Skype was previewed last December, but the company’s made it widely available since Monday.

After a five­month testing period, the sign­up requirement for Skype Translator has been removed.

“Skype Translator makes it possible for people to communicate irrespective of what language they speak.”

Microsoft revealed the ambitious Skype Translator at Re/code’s 2014 Code Conference.

A creation of Microsoft’s Research Lab, it’s comprised of voice translation and Bing Translate­ powered text interpretation. When you speak, your words are translated, recorded to a transcript, and relayed in your Skype video call partner’s native language (Italian, Chinese, English, Spanish, or Mandarin are supported).

Text translation is comparable to Google Translate and other such online services which have improved to an incredible degree in recent years.

In a blog post following last year’s unveiling, Skype executive, Gurdeep Pall, couched Translate as “a new chapter of communication” capable of “allowing humans to bridge geographic and language boundaries to connect mind to mind and heart to heart in ways never before possible.”

The new system was rigorously tested to see if it really could help you converse in any language.

The overall impressions are mostly positive, but both the voice and text translation have a way to go before they can substitute for an interpreter or foreign language

I

skills.

Microsoft is aware of this and says it’s using machine learning to improve the quality of translation over time. The more it’s used, the more accurate the translations supposedly become.

Microsoft’s made it clear that it’s in the translation software game for the long haul and believes machine­powered language software has the potential to transform industries. As one example, Microsoft in a blog post highlighted “Pro Mujer”, a non­profit development organization based in New York that uses Skype Translator to provide women in Latin America with services typically out of reach.

“As we enter an era in which computing experiences need to be more personal, Skype has looked at ways to help communities create stronger connections and be productive,” Pall said. “[Skype Translator] is now removing another barrier to make it possible for people to communicate irrespective of what language they speak.”

Skype Translator is still exclusive to PCs running Windows 8/8.1/10 — you can grab it from the Windows Store, but you’ll have to uninstall the standard edition of Skype and switch on Translation in the settings menu to use it.

On mobile, it’s still exclusive to Windows Phone, but Pall said the goal is to “deliver the best Skype Translator

n the dim and distant parts of this brain, something told me that there was a by­law in Chester that allowed you to kill a Welshman on certain times of the day or night. A quick investigation came up with this explanation from the website of Chester City Council: “The story about the Welsh being excluded from Chester after dark originated during the Glyndwr rebellion of 1403. Henry, Prince of Wales (future Henry V) was also Earl of Chester and on 4 Sept 1403 he ordered that all Welsh people and Welsh sympathisers should be expelled from the City; none should enter the city before sunrise or stay after sunset on pain of decapitation (not hanging, but it would have the same effect!). There are records of people standing surety for the good behaviour of Welshmen arrested under the order. The text books don't refer to anyone ever paying the maximum penalty for this 'crime'. Concern over 'the Welsh threat' continued into the 15th century and Chester was seen very much as a border town. There is no record that Henry V's order was ever repealed.”

The Chester story came to mind after reading of a similar issue which affected people from northern Spain. A law in Iceland allowing people from the Basque Country to be murdered has been repealed 400 years on.

This was sealed with a handshake between the MP for the province of Guipúzcoa, the capital of which is San Sebastián and the Scandinavian country's minister for education and culture. “It's safe for Basque people to come here now,” says Jónas Guðmundsson, commissioner for the coastal village of Hólmavík.

Back in the year 1615, an agreement between Icelanders and the Basque people having set up for a whale­hunting station to be installed on the island nation's coast which both would benefit from, a particularly harsh season with sparse catch caused hardship for both the northern Spaniards and the Scandinavians. Huge blocks of

ice formed on the coast of Iceland, causing Basque fishing boats to crash and sink.

Although the majority managed to swim to safety and got back to Spain alive, 31 Basques remained in Iceland. Conflict broke out between the locals and the Basque people, and local sheriff Ari Magnússon ordered the latter to be executed.

Since then, the law allowing the Basques to be murdered in Iceland has never been repealed – until now. The execution of the 31 Basques has become known as 'the Spanish slaughter' by the Icelanders, and a plaque in their memory has been set up, written in Icelandic, Spanish, English and the Basque language, Euskera.

“Obviously, the law change and the plaque unveiling is no more than a fun gesture, given that there is already other legislation in this country which would forbid the assassination of Basque people,” pointed out Guðmundsson.

When asked whether more Basque tourists were expected to be seen in Iceland as a result of the law change, he said: “At least it's safe for them to come here now.”

8

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

THE C ABIN VIEW!

M

ore and more people since their retirement to the Costa Blanca have been on a dream of a lifetime cruise.

Cruising from this part of the world has been made easier thanks to the popular ports of ALICANTE, CARTAGENA, VALENCIA and BARCELONA relatively nearby! But what if you don’t want to go on a cruise, but simply want to go and visit and perhaps photograph some of the world’s greatest cruise liners?

How many times have you read a report about one of the famous ships docking in the area AFTER the event and end up kicking yourself that you missed it?

THE VIEW will have a regular feature showing some of the principal arrivals in the three nearest ports, so you can plan a future day out. If you’re going to Alicante or Cartagena and don’t fancy driving, why not use the local bus? The timetable is on page 27!

MAY & JUNE DOCKINGS ALICANTE 25th May SEVEN SEAS VOYAGER 0800 to 1600 17th June BRITANNIA Early afternoon to early evening CARTAGENA 24th May SILVER CLOUD 0800 to 1700

AIDAAURA

BRITTANIA WIND SURF

QUEEN VICTORIA 28th May & 18th June AIDAAURA 1000 to 1800

24th June ANTHEM OF THE SEAS 0800 to 1700

23rd May SILVER CLOUD 0800 to 1800

27th June SILVER WIND 0800 to 1800

28th May NAUTICA 0800 to 1800

25th June THOMSON DREAM 0900 to 1700

24th May SEVEN SEAS VOYAGER 0800 to 2100

30th June STAR FLYER

11th June MV AEGEAN ODYSSEY 0800 to 1800 16th June WIND SURF 1100 to 1800 23rd June BRITTANIA Early afternoon to early evening

VALENCIA 19th May COSTA MAGICA* 1400 to 2000 19th May SEVEN SEAS MARINER 0600 to 1800 21st May MSC PREZIOSA* 0900 to 1430

26th May MS EUROPA 0800 to 1900 29th May AIDAAURA 0900 to 1900 1st June QUEEN VICTORIA Morning to early evening

*Both COSTA MAGICA and the MSC PREZIOSA are often visitors to the port of Valencia a few times each month as they form part of regular Mediterranean cruises to and from Italy.

BRITTANIA and ANTHEM OF THE SEAS are new to the cruise lines for 2015 and are two of the most impressive ships on the seas.

The View

9

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

LIKE IT OR GRUMP IT Donna Gee’s View

An open litter to vigilante Paxman and the mucky pups L ast year it started when I found the residue of a half­ eaten McDonald’s big­belly burger, or something equally ob­ noxious, jammed between the balustrades on my garden wall.

The Britterbugs were back to de­ clare their annual war on overseas territories – and the streets of the Costa were about to be adorned with the summer trappings of the chip­butty brigade. The self­same chip­butty trappings that litter Britain's streets and countryside with everything from chewing gum and cigarette ends to beer cans, cola bottles and of course fast­food waste.

Informed observers reckon Britain is the dirtiest country in western Europe – and I have no doubt that observation is correct.

Whenever I go back to the UK there seems to be more litter on the streets than in the dustbins. But local councils can hardly expect their citizens to keep Britain tidy when they allow their territory to be littered with smelly bins that they empty a couple of times a month at best? Black, brown, blue, green – my family in north Man­ chester are so confused that they in­ variably put the wrong waste in the wrong bin. And that prompts a curt note left on the unemptied bin when collection time eventually ar­ rives.

If UK authorities weren’t so stu­

pidly blind to the ideas of Johnny Foreigner, they’d switch to the Spanish refuse collection system to­ morrow. Here’s why.

UNITED KINGDOM ­ Method: Individual wheelie bins for recycla­ ble rubbish, non­recyclable waste, cans/bottles and garden refuse; daytime collections once a fortnight at best. Problems: Pile­up of household waste because of insuffi­ cient collections; traffic disruption during collections, particularly in side streets and cul de sacs.

COSTA BLANCA ­ Method: Large communal bins for various types of waste within easy walking distance; collections every evening. Advan­ tage: No unsightly bins outside houses; no interference with traffic; no pile­up of waste. Problems: None (as far as I can see).

As for cleaning up the mess that's already there, we have a ready­ made workforce in our prisons. A close friend was talking recently to a man who had just completed a three­month jail sentence for as­ saulting a man who had abused his daughter. The released man said it was the easiest three months of his life.

Never mind digging into UK Treasury coffers. It's time to get those chain gangs working to clean up Britain, American style. With proven litterbugs and pooper­non­ scoopers sweating alongside the jailbirds. We also need to take the

Jeremy Paxman approach to litter louts – and reprimand the perpetra­ tors. Easier said than done, you might say, considering that the 6ft 3in TV inquisitor is as physically in­ timidating as he is verbally with those he interviews.

Paxman says: “I have found when you confront people and say 'excuse me, you just dropped this', nine times out of 10 they will say 'oh, sorry' and will take it away.

“It's a beautiful country and I just don't understand why people want to make it full of sh**."

Spain is also a beautiful country, Jeremy. So please can we set you loose on the mucky pups responsi­ ble for making it impossible to tread the pavements of El Raso without kicking up a stink.

BLACK TO THE FUTURE

WHY, you may ask, has Grumpy Old Gran been mum (or should that be mum's mum) this past few months?

Well, I've been investigating the ultimate question...the meaning of life. And I dug so deeply into the significance of the Black Hole that I've beaten the world's greatest scientists to the most sought­after expla­ nation of all. Not that I rated their thinking too highly in the first place.

If a Black Hole is the best they can come up with to explain how all existence began, it doesn't say much for the intellect of the best brains on Earth. My three year­old grandson could have come up with a more creative explanation.

Anyway, I can finally reveal that NOTHING exists. There is no Sun. There are no Stars or Planets. There is no Earth and no Moon. There is no sky, no sea, no land . There is no you or me, no other people, no trees or flowers, no animals, birds or insects. And no food chain. There is no anything, just that Black Hole invented by imaginary scientists.

Yes, folks, everything is a figment of the Black Hole's imagination.

Even the padlock on this straitjacket and you guys holding me down.

Flat Blattery is puncturing football I

couldn't resist buying the birthday card, even though it was nobody in particular's birthday. The words on the front said simply: Football is 90 minutes of pretending to be injured. Rugby is 80 minutes of pretending not to be.

Not strictly true, of course. But one of the many reasons why the round­ball game is in danger of being overtaken by the William Webb Ellis boys as Britain's No.1 ball game.

Professional football is blessed with considerably more money than sense, both on and off the field. It also has a uniquely deluded leader in senile Swiss ostrich Sepp Blatter, whose head is buried so far up his backside that he wouldn't know a foul from a bowel.

The geriatric FIFA president's stubbornness is not only holding the game back. He has also made football a beacon of darkness in a shining new era where every other major ball sport utilises video technology.

In professional tennis, cricket and both codes of rugby, contentious issues are

adjudicated by video cameras. And the bald fact, Herr Blatter, is that the technology enables referees and umpires to make decisions that are invariably correct.

Welshman Nigel Owens (pictured), the world's top rugby union referee, believes football confrontation and abuse could be wiped out by fitting match officials with microphones. His own game is renowned for the mutual respect between players and officials and he says: “I’m watching football games and thinking 'Why the hell is the ref allowing the players to run up to him and give him abuse?'

“I don’t know why they just don’t mic the refs up. At first there would have to be a lot of bleeping out but eventually the

players would realise that everyone can hear what they say to the ref.

“And why don’t they introduce the 10­ yard rule (where the referee can march the offending team 10 yards nearer their own goal)?

“I certainly don’t think you can officiate at the top level in rugby without the technology that helps you get the key decisions right. That’s what we want to achieve across all sports. It’s still not perfect but it’s definitely something I believe football would benefit from.''

As things stand, football officials are on a loser from the moment they step onto the field. They face the prospect of 90 minutes of abuse from foul­mouthed prima donnas who dispute decisions against them, and diving divas trying to cheat their way to victory.

There are, of course, many honest footballers who are ideal role models but until referees are permitted to give the abusive element the red­card treatment they deserve, soccer will remain a blighted industry.

Conversely, state­of­the­ art marketing has helped to spark an explosion of interest in rugby since the union game became fully professional. One only has to look at the size of crowds at club matches to realise just how far the game has come this past two decades.

In March this year, an English Premiership match between Saracens and Harlequins – who were lucky to attract a couple of thousand fans a few years back – was watched by a world record 84,068 at Wembley. And who can forget the breathtaking final day of this year's Six Nations Championship, which has to be the highlight of the sporting calendar this year. Not just for Ireland, who pipped England and Wales for the title in a 220­ point final­day extravaganza of tension, twists and tries.

The excitement of that unique occasion is unlikely to be surpassed in any other sport this year. With the possible exception of the Rugby World Cup, that is.

And in case you are unaware of it, that is being staged in England this autumn.

10

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

11

12

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

THE VIEW FROM THE LIONS DEN

I

AIN BENNETT has been a well­known and highly respected name and face in the local community for a few years thanks to his work with the Torrevieja Lions Club. Sadly, the local branch had to close a couple of months ago due to a lack of members. Iain has joined THE VIEW as one of our regular contributors and you’ll see him around and about at events in the future. In the first part of “THE VIEW FROM THE LIONS DEN”, he explains how he became a Lion.....

It has always amazed me why an organisation with 1.3 million members worldwide and over 40 thousand Clubs internationally, continues to be relatively unknown by the average man/woman on the street. If I had a euro for every time I have been asked what are or who are the Lions I would be very wealthy indeed. The most common question is "are the Lions a rugby club"?

There was one occasion where a little more explanation than normal was required, in order not to unnecessarily disappoint the questioner. There was this very charming gentleman from Madrid who was holidaying in Guardamar del Segura for the summer. He took part in a Lions prize draw although he didn’t know who or what the Lions Club was. Furthermore he was keen to come along to the Club to find out more and he asked where our Club was and all the usual information you would need to visit the Lions Club. About ten minutes into the conversation it became apparent that he thought the Lions Club was similar to other "Clubs" in Spain and that there was more on offer than helping the community!!

Needless to say he rapidly lost interest when everything was explained to him!

From a personal perspective, my introduction to Lionism was some forty odd years ago, when my father joined his local Lions Club in Helensburgh on the Clyde Coast of Scotland in 1970. I joined my local Lions Club in Stirling in 1982; however due to work commitments and having a young family I had to sever my connections in 1985.

Moving on twenty or so years and retirement from full time employment, my wife and I decided to move to live in our holiday home here on the Costa Blanca. Like most people once you get over the initial euphoria of a permanent holiday in the sun, I decided to look around for a pastime, hobby or something that would help "fill my day."

Over many years I had been involved with charity work, initially with Stirling Lions Club and then for 13 years as Fund Raising Chairman for what was then known as the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund ­ now called the Firefighters Charity. In addition, I was also a committee member for the Central Regional Council Charity Fund which helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for local needy

people and organisations.

So you could say that charity work was in my blood.

I scoured the local news outlets, to determine which organisations were available locally that I could consider joining.

There were many organisations and groups doing, what on the surface looked like good work. However some did not stand up to scrutiny on closer inspection. Unfortunately a number were more interested in lining their own pockets than helping others and were immediately discarded by me.

Some organisations that I came across were less than helpful when asked what percentage of funds raised from public donation actually reached the intended "good cause".

Many paid fundraisers a salary, others paid expenses including, believe it or not, one group who leased a car for the personal use of a senior member all from publicly funded money! None of these groups satisfied my criteria.

The Torrevieja Costa Lions Club had just been formed and I toyed with the idea of re­joining the Lions Club. In 2007 we had an excellent holiday in Goa, and there the call of the Lions was both loud and clear. Everywhere we went we would come across many references to Lions Clubs, such as hospitals built by them; and one that really struck home was a sign stating "Malaria eradicated in Goa with the help of Lions Clubs International", another Lions hospital.

On return from that holiday I sought out the membership director of the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club and made

enquiries about re­joining the Lions, here in Torrevieja.

In order to become a member of Lions International, every potential member is invited to attend Club meetings and events, so that firstly the Lions Club can ensure that the potential member has the qualities required to become a Lion and, equally importantly, to afford the potential member the opportunity to see Lions work at close quarters.

As with many Service Organisations in the past, Lions had been a totally male domain with the wives of Lion members doing all the work in the background but receiving little credit in public at least.

Thankfully common sense and the introduction of gender equality changed this and ladies were allowed to become Lion members on an equal footing with the men, so when I first spoke to the membership director Terry Crandon, I was delighted to hear that the Torrevieja Lions had many female members. When I had spoken with Terry my wife was out of the house, so on her return home I announced ‘WE’ are going to the next Lions Club meeting.

This news slightly startled her as, she at that time had no knowledge of Lions, what they did or who they were, and had had no thoughts on becoming a member, although having seen the good work done in Goa she decided to go along with me to the meeting.

On arrival we were met by a fine group of jovial Lion members and welcomed by everyone present including Lion President Ray Lockley. Whilst the business meeting was generally conducted in a light hearted manner, it was obvious to me that the more serious side of Lionism, helping those less fortunate than themselves, was never to be compromised and much discussion ensued on matters of fund raising activities, disbursement of funds, welfare and press relations.

I was made aware very early in the initial series of meetings that not one single cent of public money was frittered on expenses of any kind. Indeed, Lion members had to pay a substantial annual subscription to Lions Clubs International and to the Federation of Spanish Lions Clubs for the privilege of becoming a Lion member. This annual payment however was a bone of contention for some, although what it actually meant was that Lions Clubs could function without the need to take a percentage from publically raised funds. This was to be exactly the type of organisation that I wanted to be a part of.

At the February business meeting of 2008 both my wife and I were inducted as full members of Torrevieja Costa Lions Club. And so the story begins.........

The View

THE TAXMAN WANTS MORE OF YOUR DOUGH!

T

13

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

his year, the taxman will be targeting tourism.

The Tax Agency’s newly released 2015 Fiscal and Customs Control Plan, a guide of priority action, focuses on one of Spain’s most reliable industries and one of the few sectors that has continued to perform well in the midst of the crisis.

Agency workers will also use computerized search programs to find relevant online information about inspection targets, and keep tabs on self­employed workers, shell corporations and celebrities from the world of arts, entertainment and sports.

“In the sphere of businesses aimed at leisure activities and the tourism sector in general, there will be controls over cash volumes at sales points, and there will also be action to uncover undeclared income from private tourist accommodation businesses,” said Santiago Menéndez, director general of the Tax Agency, in a congressional appearance earlier this year.

Menéndez warned that inspectors would check online offers for tourist accommodation.

The head of the Tax Agency had already told Congress that agency employees will rely a lot more on computer work to carry out their inspections. In particular, inspectors will look for special accounting programs that allow some businesses to channel transactions to a parallel, undercover ledger system whose income goes undeclared.

Businesses that deal in cash will also be particularly targeted, according to this year’s anti­fraud action plan.

Last year, 2,675 professionals were subjected to tax inspections, a 35% rise from the previous year.

The guidelines also mention major corporations and the possible use of tax havens for evasion. Last year inspectors claimed back €1.75 bn from large companies, representing 35% of all the back taxes obtained by the inspection service.

CRIME IN SPAIN DOWN AGAIN T he Spanish Interior Ministry (equivalent of the UK Home Office) has announced the national crime figures for the first quarter of 2015. The figures are based on returns supplied from the Guardia Civil, Policia Local and the Spanish dependant regional Police forces From January to March 2015 a total of 496,133 crimes and offenses were recorded, which is 3.7% less compared to the same period in 2014, which had amounted to 514,930.

This equates to a crime rate of 44.3 offences per 1,000 inhabitants and as such makes Spain one of

the safest countries in Europe.

The impressive drop in these recorded figures confirms the decline in crime in recent years proving the determination that Spain has as an international leader in the fight against crime. The fall in rates is widespread, although the decrease is larger in terms of manslaughter and murder (­25.0%), robberies in homes (­15.9%), robbery with violence and intimidation (­15.5%), violent crime in general (­14%) and robberies in general (­12.2%). The largest drops in crime levels are in La Rioja, Asturias and Cantabria.

THE CAR FOR LA GENTE! G

erman car manufacturer Volkswagen plans to invest €4bn in its Spanish plant between 2015 and 2019, according to a press release last week.

Global vice president of purchasing group, Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, announced the investment in a meeting with the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy.

The investment will go towards equipment, and R & D facilities in the factories of Volkswagen in Navarra and SEAT in Martorell. He said, “Spain is a key country within the Volkswagen Group’s strategy. This project is a guarantee for the future of the Group facilities in Spain,

which are preparing themselves for the assignment of new models,” The group's plants in Spain last year increased its production by 13.1% to 748,400 vehicles from the range of Audi models as well as Seat and VW Polo.

14

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

DID IT FIT FOR A PRINCESS? RAJOY UPBEAT ON SPAIN’S FUTURE T

T

he baby clothes worn by Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana during her first photo as she came out of hospital in the early days of May, were bought at a northern Spanish boutique in San Sebastián!

Ayago and Susana Villar, the owners of Irulea, didn’t realise straight away that the new daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was wearing one of their outfits.

“One of our customers told us about it,” Ayago Villar says. “She told me that the princess was wearing one of our bonnets.

After watching the images we started putting two and two together and realized that it was true, that the bonnet, the sweater and the booties had been purchased here.”

Since the news broke, many more people have been visiting the shop in the Basque coastal town, which was well known as being a holiday destination for Spain’s own royal family.

Apparently, an unidentified woman got in

touch with the boutique owners through Facebook, requesting pictures of baby clothes. Later, the individual showed up in person to buy several of the handmade outfits. “Everything she bought was either white or off­white, because she said she did not know the baby’s gender,” recalls Villar.

The owners think that the mystery woman may have been in contact with someone close to the British monarchy and was possibly a relative of María Teresa Turrión Borrallo, Prince George’s Spanish nanny. “She never mentioned anything, or told us who she was. But she was a charming person,” recalls Ayago Villar.

Irulea is a family­run business that was founded in 1932 by Susana and Ayago’s grandmother. It specializes in hand­made baby and children’s clothes as well as ladies’ hosiery.

In 2014, Turrión Borrallo became the first foreigner in history to be placed in charge of caring for a member of the British royal family.

he Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, said that Spain will have more years of job creation because the Popular Party (PP) has carried out the reforms that others haven’t done.

In an interview last Sunday with a group of regional newspapers which covered a variety of subjects, Rajoy has responded to those who accuse him that he "only talks about thr economy,” by saying "And what am I going to talk about? I'm talking about what people talk about," he said, whilst adding that "the economy is employment, health, pensions, education, unemployment insurance, services social, the AVE, highways, motorways, roads ".

Also, Sñr Rajoy has argued that, "It’s true when we say that in April we have created 175,000 jobs, it is good for those 175,000, but it’s also good news for all who haven’t yet found employment, as they now have that hope too."

He went on to say that, "In Spain 76% of the contracts are indefinite.

Before it was 71%. When I arrived in Government, they criticized me for not creating jobs. Then it was because the jobs were not of good quality.

Now they will have to invent something new."

Assuming Mariano Rajoy is still Prime Minister following the General Election due to be held here in either November or December this year, a tax cut has been promised for both personal income tax and corporation tax in 2016. "If the economy continues to grow, therefore increasing the economic activity and raising more revenue, we can return to lowering taxes.” The culture of lowering taxes could also include a lowering of the rate of IVA (VAT).

In a wide ranging interview, Sñr Rajoy spoke of the constant threat of Jihadist terrorism to Spain. He said that he wasn’t aware of “any specific threat” but acknowledged that the country must remain vigilant. "I see no element of concern now," he insisted. “However, without security and stability in a country there is nothing. There can be no progress on combating poverty and guarantee human rights or anything," warned Rajoy.

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

15

16

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

The Readers View on....

THE VIEW will feature a selection of your letters every week on this page. If you have anything to say about something you read in THE VIEW, or you have opinions or views on stories of the day, please contact us via e­mail at editor@theview.es or by post to Apartado De Correos 255, 03193 San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante.

For the first edition, here’s a further selection of messages received from people when they heard about THE VIEW! From the city of Torrevieja and specifically from the Office of Attention to International Resident, we welcome the new journal "The View", and wish, in their new adventure, all the best. Eduardo Dolon Celebrity author SEAN SMITH, whose latest book, Tom Jones: The Life is his sixth Sunday Times best seller. "I can't wait to see the first issue of The View. It's a great idea and I'm sure it's going to be a big success. All best wishes to all the crew!

There's always room for The View!'

Top novelist SHEILA O'FLANAGAN, whose No.1 best­seller, If You Were Me, is currently out in paperback. says: I've only just heard about The View and wish everyone involved the very best of luck. I hope it is hugely successful.''

Sheila has a holiday home in our circulation area, and her next book, My Mother's Secret, will be released n hardback and export format on July 2.

I'd just like to send you my best wishes and congratulations on your new venture with "The View". I look forward to reading it. Lots of love, Kathryn Congratulations on your new venture. May it grow and prosper and you have many years of success with it. Jeri Good Luck with your newspaper launch, Jocelyn M. Wishing you the best of luck with "The View".

I'm looking forward to a good read, Wendy Thank you for letting us know about your newspaper. Wish you lots and lots of success. I am sure we will all enjoy it. Patsy Wishing you every success with your new venture. Good Luck to all the talented team.

"The View" for news that matters!

Love Melanie

I would like to wish all the team all the best in their new venture. I am sure it will be a big success. Love Wee Maz xxxx

I am so excited for the launch of The View ­ as I'm sure you are. Wishing you all the best with your thrilling new endeavour. I hope it will be everything you want it be...and more. You can count on your gang to support you all the way.

Hugs and kisses. Angie

Say it loud, say it clear, say it for all to hear.......Good Luck with the launch of "The View", love Janette

Good luck with the launch of your newspaper look forward to reading it.

Love from Denise, Stuart & Elvis XXX

Many congratulations on your new venture "The View". All the best from Lisa Burns, across the pond.

New adventures always keep life exciting! My sincere wishes for much future success with the View Newspaper! ­ Deirdra, CT

Wishing you all the best with "The View" ­ G.W. Funke and Eamon C.

CLAUDE LITTNER is a British business executive and the current Chairman of Viglen. Since 2005, he has appeared in every series of The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s fearsome, straight­talking interviewers in the final stages of the process. After training as an accountant, Littner developed a career as a turn around specialist. It was in this role that he met Alan Sugar, and agreed to chair a number of Sugar's companies. In October 2014, Littner had the University of West London Business School named after him in appreciation of his exemplary business track record and contributions to the university.

"Business and enterprise has been my life for many years, and I'm delighted to be able to give my encouragement to THE VIEW. With the recent announcement that I’m to be Lord Sugar’s new right­hand man on “The Apprentice”, I too have something different and challenging to look forward to this year, in addition to my work as visiting professor of the Claude Littner Business School at University of West London.

I look forward to reading THE VIEW online from time to time and believe me, I’ll be taking notes and telling the team exactly what I think!!! Can I take this opportunity of wishing everyone connected with this new venture every success.

CLAUDE LITTNER, London.”

SPANISH & UK LOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

17

5-4-3-2-1 THUNDERBIRDS ARE BACK

T

he Editor of THE VIEW, Darren James, shares his view on the recent resurrection of a childhood favourite.....

Since it was first premiered on ATV on 30th September 1965, the original series of Thunderbirds seemed to be continually repeated over the next 25 years. Everyone had their favourite episodes and characters and it didn’t matter whether you were 6 or 96 – it came from a time when family entertainment was the norm, even if the concept was aimed at the younger end of the audience.

My favourite character was Parker; and I never realised until researching this piece that his character Christian name was Aloysius! Yes, one of the same middle names from an equally famous character of that era –Tony Hancock! ‘Yus, M’Lady’ came part of everyday language for many (it still is), and who could ever forget the line of the 32 episode series uttered by the loyal chauffeur himself as Parker brings Lady Penelope’s “tea on the lawn” and he enquires if he might have the h’afternoon off to “take Cook out for a punt.” It still brings the slightest of innuendo giggles for the line that’s worthy of any Carry On... script!

Filmed between 1964 and 1966, it was the brainchild of Gerry Anderson, and spawned 2 spin off films, “Thunderbirds Are Go” and “Thunderbird 6”. The up­to­date remake in 2004 was a great disappointment and was a flop at the box office. It cost $57,000,000 to make but only took just under half of that figure worldwide. During development, creator

Gerry Anderson was invited to act as creative consultant, but was left out when the studio felt there were enough employees on the payroll acting as part of the creative team. The studio offered him $750,000 (£432,000) to attend the premiere but Anderson could not accept money from people he had not worked for. He eventually saw the film on DVD and was disappointed, declaring ‘It was disgraceful that such a huge amount of money was spent with people who had no idea what Thunderbirds was about and what made it tick.’

He also said that it was ‘the biggest load of crap I have ever seen in my entire life.’ The only success story from the film was the theme song by Busted made No1 in the UK Charts and was named as Record Of The Year for 2004.

Gerry Anderson died in December 2012 at the age of 83, and the idea for a remake was being considered at that time.

In fact, the new series was formally announced by ITV in February 2013 and the new series of 26 x 30 minute episodes began on ITV and CITV at the beginning of April – 50 years since it was first shown.

The producer of the series – Giles Ridge – said that given that the brand celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, it felt right that they return to the wonderful collection of work and give Thunderbirds a go in the market, noting the show, aimed at ages six to eight but hoping for a wider audience, it will retain its original Barry Gray arranged theme. ‘We were very mindful of not wanting to mess too much with the original. It’s lasted 50 years because it is very special.’ he added.

Traditionalists will be disappointed that there are no marionettes in this remake, but are sure to be impressed by the superb quality of the CGI techniques mixed in with live­action miniature sets. However, one of the characters voices was immediately recognisable from the cult series.....

David Graham has been persuaded to voice Parker. ‘I am triple chuffed to be on board for the new series of Thunderbirds Are Go and reprising my role of dear old Parker with such a distinguished cast. My driving skills are in good nick and I am delighted to be behind the wheel again with M’Lady. Cheerio!” Another name from the past, although not from Thunderbirds, is Sandra Dickinson, famous for being cast as a dumb blonde in Hitch­Hikers Guide

To The Galaxy and was married to former Dr Who and Tristan Farnon actor Peter Davison for 16 years. She’s voicing Grandma, although was entirely unrecognisable; it was more like David Dickinson!

ITV made what at first seemed a popular decision to put the new series in a prime­time slot on Easter Saturday and there were many of us 50 plusses that were delighted to return to their childhood. Overall, I loved the first episode and really felt those criticising it were being exceptionally picky. Yes, it was very fast paced with every Thunderbird craft and character being exposed within the first 10 minutes. For me, among the many innovations to bring the series up to date (even though both the original and this were set in 2066) the best was Lady Penelope’s compact which featured a hologram of the person contacted rather than the image on screen.

Following the comments on Twitter during and after the showing, it was probably 70 / 30 in favour of the new production, with much of the negativity coming from some old­fogeys (not this one!) who actually wanted to see strings attached to the characters. My favourite Tweet – which I didn’t hesitate in responding to – was from someone who “hated those American accents!”!

Ignorance of the fact that they were American in the first place and, as any regular quiz goer will know, their names of Scott, Virgil, Alan, Gordon and John were based on the original five American astronauts.

My pleasure at enjoying the double edition first episode was tempered when I learned that future shows were to be shown on CITV only and at ridiculously early times on a Saturday morning. Those of us with certain TV systems can’t access this channel, so what was a much anticipated hour of enjoyment on an otherwise dreadful evening of weekend TV I was deflated! Not so F.A.B!

18

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

19

20 I

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

EUROPE CELEBRATES THEIR FREEDOM

t’s often forgotten that it wasn’t just the UK that celebrated the end of World War 2 in May 1945. Right across Europe, sombre ceremonies to mark 70 years since victory over Nazi Germany took place on Friday and Saturday as leaders warned of modern day threats such as the war in Ukraine and Islamic extremism.

Poland opened Victory Day celebrations with a midnight ceremony in northern Westerplatte, where the first shots of the war were fired on September 1st 1939 as Nazi forces swept across the border. In France, President Francois Hollande laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at a solemn ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris after urging citizens not to grow complacent about war. "We didn't experience the war, we see it as a far­off reality, sometimes abstract, even though it is not so far from us, in Ukraine, further still in the Middle East," he said.

Hollande also referred to the hundreds of French citizens who have gone to fight alongside jihadists in Syria and Iraq.

US President Barack Obama also marked the anniversary, expressing solidarity with Europe and hailing the victorious Allied

troops as a "generation that literally saved the world." In a radio address, Obama said, "For over five years, brutal fighting laid waste to an entire continent. Mothers, fathers, children were murdered in concentration camps. By the time the guns fell silent in Europe, some 40 million people on the continent had lost their lives."

US Secretary of State John Kerry, whose mother was born in France, also laid a wreath under the Arc de Triomphe as the anniversary coincided with a visit to Paris.

Kerry expressed his country's support to Europe in the face of the new threats it is

THE WHITE HOUSE GETS THE POINT!

facing, commending its "leadership in the fight" against the Islamic State."

"Together we stand firm with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression," he said.

Victory day is celebrated across Europe on May 8, the day Germany surrendered, ending WWII in Europe. Russia and former Soviet states mark the anniversary on May 9 due to a time difference during which the surrender became effective.

CANNES JEWELS

A T

he U.S. Secret Service has taken action in view of the spate of recent incursions of White House security. Are we talking of a multi­million dollar CCTV system?

No, that’s probably there already although wasn’t in evidence at the Pentagon 14 years ago –an equally important building! Wild Rottweiler’s, perhaps, that will eat any intruder alive? Not at all.....

Last week, the U.S. Secret Service announced plans for security upgrades that include adding a row of "sharp metal points" to the White House fence. The planned upgrade to the fence is only a temporary measure.

The planned upgrades were sparked by the embarrassing incident in September last year when Iraqi war veteran Omar J. Gonzalez jumped the fence on the Pennsylvania Avenue side and entered the White House "through the North Portico doors." Gonzales was able to overpower a Secret Service agent before he ran unchallenged through a large section of the main floor before being tackled by a counter­ assault agent. This intrusion was only the fourth time since April 1912, when Michael

Winter forced his way into the White House to speak to President William Howard Taft.

He was later apprehended.

The Service is still reeling from a number of security breaches that have tarnished its image as the protector of the president and first family that led to the resignation of the agency's director. Images of the new "pencil point" spikes have been released and in July will be bolted to the top of the fence pointing outward at a five­degree angle.

Doubts have already been raised by the American taxpayers as to the costs of this “temporary measure”, and have been accompanied by a certain amount of derision as to the effectiveness of the spikes.

According to a statement made by the Secret Service and National Park Service, "The feature is meant to deter and inhibit individuals who may attempt to climb over the fence."

The agencies are working on a new, permanent design for the White House security fence, and after review by other federal agencies, is expected to begin construction in 2016. They’re also working on "rearranging" officer booths at three vehicle checkpoints!

The war in the Pacific would end on September 2 when Japan surrendered to the United States after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Historians believe between 40 and 60 million people were killed in WWII, half of them civilians.

Germany marked its "liberation" from the Nazis in a joint session of parliament where speaker Norbert Lammert hailed the willingness of the country's neighbours to forgive. "Today we remember the millions of victims of an unprecedented annihilation campaign against other nations and peoples, against Slavs, against the Jews of Europe," he said.

German newspaper Die Welt hailed the changes in the country: "In a few decades a free society has been established. Children and grandchildren endeavour to understand this dark past." Germany's Foreign Minister Frank­Walter Steinmeier laid a wreath at the site of the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia as part of commemorations to mark the defeat of Nazi forces in WWII.

uthorities in France are on high alert with the Cannes Film Festival taking place until May 24th. It’s only five months since the jihadist attacks in Paris and with another daring jewellery heist taking place last week, there is a huge but discreet number of security forces.

The festival on the south coast of France has regularly been the target of major thefts and this year has proved no exception. Last Tuesday, four men ­ one wearing an old­man mask and armed with a pistol ­ burst into the Cartier store on the famed Croisette strip and made off with over €17m worth of jewellery and watches.

There are over 70 luxury stores making up the “strip” fully stocked with very high value items that they hope will be adorned by the rich and famous during the festival, but they accept it makes them prime targets for criminals.

In 2013, a man stole diamond­encrusted necklaces and other jewellery worth an incredible €140m from an exhibition at the illustrious Carlton Hotel, once the setting of Hitchcock classic "To Catch a Thief". In this case, this one hasn’t been caught!

For the security authorities, Cannes represents 12 long days trying to keep an eye on an enormous crowd, as the population of the film city triples to some 210,000. "There are more people and more riches. Thieves come especially for the event," said Cannes police commissioner Philippe Jos. Mayor of

Cannes, David Lisnard said, "I have received guarantees from the ministry of interior.

There will be a special effort behind the scenes ­ on intelligence and surveillance.”

Re­enforced patrols monitor the luxury villas, hotels and boutiques, looking for everything from pickpockets to illegal taxis to more serious robbers. They’re helped by the fact that Cannes is the most densely monitored town in the country, with 468 CCTV cameras ­ one for every 152 residents.

In the wake of those attacks in January against Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket that left 17 people dead, there is also a heightened vigilance about terrorism. Last month saw a plot to attack churches near Paris that was only disrupted because the suspected attacker accidentally shot himself in the leg!

And in Nice, just a short journey along the coast from Cannes, an extremist tried to attack three soldiers with a knife in February.

Regional prefect Adolphe Colrat said that “There isn't a particular terrorist threat, but recent events mean ‘security has been moved up a level compared to last year.’"

Alongside 500 police, there will also be four companies of reserve officers, as well as the huge number of private security guards that accompany the stars. A tight maritime security net has been put in place, drones have been banned from the skies, and the main roads in and out of town are being closely watched.

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

21

2015 REMAINING LOCAL & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

S

pain, the land of fiestas, but when are they held? We’ve all done it; we’ve planned a day out shopping only to arrive and find everything closed, especially when travelling from one town or village to another in our area.

Below is an official list supplied by the Diputacion de Alicante of the remaining local holidays for 2015. If your locality isn’t listed, sadly, it means there are no more days off for you this year!

ALGORFA – Thursday 16th July ALICANTE – Wednesday 24th June ALMORADI – Thursday 30th July & Monday 30th November BENIDORM – Monday & Tuesday 9th & 10th November BIGASTRO – Monday 17th August CATRAL – Wednesday 24th June CREVILLENTE – Tuesday 13th October DAYA NUEVA – Monday & Tuesday 29th & 30th September DAYA VIEJA – Tuesday 8th September DOLORES – Tuesday 15th September ELCHE – Monday 29th December FORMENTERA DEL SEGURA – Monday 24th August & Tuesday 29th September GUARDAMAR – Wednesday 7th October LOS MONTESINOS – Thursday 30th July ORIHUELA – Friday 17th July & Tuesday 8th September PILAR DE LA HORADADA – Thursday 30th July & Tuesday 13th October ROJALES – Monday 29th June & Wednesday 7th October SANTA POLA – Thursday 16th July & Tuesday 8th September TORREVIEJA – Thursday 16th July REGIONAL AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS Tuesday 9th June – MURCIA DAY (REGIONAL) Saturday 15th August – ASSUMPTION DAY (NATIONAL) The Feast of the Assumption is a very important day in the Catholic religion. It is the principal feast of the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Jesus Christ. It commemorates two events ­ the departure of Mary from this life and the assumption of her body into heaven.

Friday 9th October – VALENCIAN DAY (REGIONAL) Known as 'Día de la Comunidad Valenciana', this holiday commemorates the capture of the city of Valencia from

Moorish forces in 1238 by King James I of Aragon Founded as Valencia by the Romans, the city has passed from Christian to Moorish control from the 8th century to the 13th century. In 1238, King James I of Aragon laid siege to Valencia and after five months, the Moors finally surrendered on 28 September. On 9 October, James took possession of the city. Whilst many people from different religions were allowed to stay, 50,000 Moors were forced to leave. After the Christian victory the city was divided between those forces who had participated in the conquest. James granted the city new charters of law (known as the Furs of Valencia). The changes brought by James redefined the city and the region in many ways, forming the basis of the character and key traditions of the Valencian regions. The Valencian region gained full autonomy in 1982.

Monday 12th October – HISPANIC / COLUMBUS DAY (NATIONAL) This national holiday commemorates the exact date when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas.

Columbus was attempting to find a western sea route to India. After leaving the Canary Islands, Columbus's ships had been sailing west for five weeks, when on the morning of 12 October 1492, land was spotted. The sighting is recorded as having been made by a lookout, but Columbus insisted that he had seen a light from land a few hours earlier, therefore making sure that he was awarded a lifetime pension from the Spanish Royal family for being the first person to spot land.

While the first voyage in 1492 was immensely significant, Columbus did not actually reach the American mainland until his 3rd voyage in 1498.

A military parade is a key part of the celebrations each year.

The Presidente del Gobierno (Prime Minister) has a special role in the ceremony, second only to the King. Apart from the huge parade in the Madrid, there are plenty of other celebrations that take place throughout the rest of the country.

Sunday 1st November – ALL SAINTS DAY (NATIONAL) All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows (hence Halloween ­ All Hallow's Eve) is celebrated on November 1 as a commemoration day for all saints.

The first All Saints’ Day occurred on 13 May 609 C.E. when Pope Boniface IV accepted the Pantheon in Rome as a gift from

the Emperor Phocas. The Pope dedicated the day as a holiday to honour the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs.

During the reign of Pope Gregory III, the festival was moved to 1 November and was expanded to include the honouring of all saints. In recent years, it has become common in many churches to commemorate those who died during the year on the day itself.

Sunday 6th December – CONSTITUTION DAY (NATIONAL) This public holiday is always celebrated on 6 December and marks the approval of the Spanish constitution by the Spanish people in 1978.

As part of the Spanish transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, a general election took place in 1977 to convene the Cortes Generales (Parliament) for the purpose of drafting and approving a constitution. The Constitution was approved by the Cortes on 31 October 1978, and by the Spanish people in a referendum on 6 December 1978, before being promulgated by King Juan Carlos on 27 December. The Constitution set out how the government would be run, what powers they had and determined the governmental system that Spain would operates on.

Constitution day is therefore a celebration of the day Spain became a democracy and 6 December has since been a national holiday in Spain.

Monday 7th December – IN LIEU OF CONSTITUTION DAY (MURCIA & VALENCIA REGIONAL) Tuesday 8th December – IMMACULATE CONCEPTION DAY (NATIONAL) The Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation whose meaning is often confused.

By the sounds of it, one would think we would celebrate the day Jesus was conceived. On the contrary, it is the day that the Blessed Mother Mary was conceived.

This day has been celebrated since at least the eighth century, but the idea that the word immaculate means that Mary was born without original sin divided many theological scholars over the centuries. It wasn't until 1854 that the argument was decided when Pope Pious IX proclaimed this belief to be an essential dogma of the Roman Catholic Church.

Friday 25th December – CHRISTMAS DAY (NATIONAL)

22

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

ALAS, NO SMITH BUT GARCIA!

S

eeing the surname Garcia on an ID is not unusual. In fact, according to recent statistics published by the National Statistics Institute, Garcia is the most common surname in Spain (and has been for many years), followed

by Gonzalez and Rodriguez. Plus, if this is preceded with a forename of Maria del Carmen or Antonio, this makes up the most frequently found names in this country.

(Juan Carlos King of Spain), and the winner Dolores Fuertes De La Barriga (Strong Stomach Pains). There was also a recent Basque Region politician called Jaime Mayor Oreja (James Big Ear)...judge for yourselves...and possibly the best of the newer and real ‘strange’ names belongs to Francisco Jose Folla Doblado (Francisco Jose F**** Bent Double)!!

Alejandro Sanz Sanz) for boys, names that still remain among the most popular today. In no way do Spanish parents seek out the weird and wonderful Christian names for their offspring as is an increasing trend in the UK.

Maria del Carmen and Maria are the two most common names for women in Spain. In fact, in the case of Maria del Carmen, 683,000 women have that name. The 20 top names on the list follow Spain’s Catholic tradition with Maria being part of nine of the names and four others being biblical names. As far as men’s names are concerned, the most common are Antonio, Jose and Manuel.

The increase in immigration, in particular the Muslim population, is also reflected in the most common names in Spain. In the case of the male population, names like Mohamed or Mohammed are found in the top 30 most common names. While for women, you would need to go to number 299 in the list to find Khadija.

Whilst we’re talking names, are you common? Common in the sense of do you have one of the commonest surnames in the United Kingdom? Let’s take a look at the Top 10 in each of the countries:

ENGLAND 1. Smith, 2. Jones, 3. Taylor, 4. Brown, 5.Williams, 6. Wilson, 7. Johnson, 8. Davies,

Having García as a surname is nothing special it would seem, as more than a million and half people have it as first name, another million and a half as a second surname and to top that off, just over 82,000 people have it as both names, according to data from the last census, dated January 2010.

There are fashions in many things, and in names too. In the 70s and 80s the most common baby names in Spain were David, for boys and Maria del Carmen and Laura, for girls. In the 90s Maria once again returned to popularity for the girls and Alejandro (following the popularity of singer Alejandro

Mayor Oreja (James Big Ear)

9. Robinson, 10. Wright.

SCOTLAND 1. Smith, 2. Brown, 3. Wilson, 4. Robertson, 5. Thomson, 6. Campbell, 7. Stewart, 8. Anderson, 9. Scott, 10. Murray The most common surnames among foreign residents in Spain remain mainly Latino: Rodriguez, Garcia, Gonzalez, Lopez, Sanchez and Perez, however names such as Chen and Singh are now beginning to appear among the top names on the list.

In Spain, people have two surnames (apellidos) – the first being the father’s surname and the second from the mother ­ and on occasions they are the same so someone could have a full name, for example, of Jose Maria Gonzales Gonzales. Over the years, there have been some amusing real combinations of surnames that resulted in a competition being held on Spanish TV during the 1990s inviting people to send in their favourite names which had to be backed up with proof as to their existence.

Those on the final list included Rosa Cortada Del Rosal (Rose cut from the Rosebush), Juan Carlos Rey Del España

WALES 1. Jones, 2. Williams, 3. Davies, 4. Evans, 5. Thomas, 6. Roberts, 7. Lewis, 8. Hughes, 9. Morgan, 10. Griffith

NORTHERN IRELAND 1. Wilson, 2. Campbell, 3. Kelly, 4. Johnston, 5. Moore, 6. Thompson, 7. Smyth, 8. Brown, 9. O’Neil, 10. Docherty

IRELAND 1. Murphy, 2. Kelly, 3. Sullivan, 4. Walsh, 5. Smith, 6. O’Brien, 7. Byrne, 8. Ryan, 9. O’Connor, 10. O’Neill

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

23

THE VIEW THROUGH THE LENS

A

s part of THE VIEW encouraging people from this part of the world, or those with a connection to it, to contribute on a regular basis to the publication, we will be running a weekly feature on photography. For Edition 1 and by way of an introduction, JR Photography may be a Guernsey based business, but as you’ll read, the owner has Spain well and truly in his blood......

I was born in Guernsey in the British Isles in 1986 and christened John­Ross Hainey. With a name like John­Ross you would expect me to be a Texan. However the truth is not quite so exotic; it was the result of my mother being addicted to the popular US television series of the time, Dallas! The name John Ross came from the initials J.R., and for those old enough to remember TV in the 1980’s, the name J.R. will no doubt be familiar from the American prime time television soap opera that ran for over ten years and revolved around a wealthy and feuding Texan oil family. J.R.Ewing grew to be the show's main character, whose schemes and dirty business became the show's trademark ­ something I’m regularly reminded of when I introduce and refer to myself as J.R.!

Lightning striking Fort Grey began to explore any option that was open to me.

THE VIEW asked J.R. a few questions to allow you to get to know him better...

Q. What is your connection to Spain and the Costa Blanca in particular?

A. I moved to Torrevieja at the age of two and grew up attending Spanish schools. With only a handful of English people to talk to I quite quickly learned to speak Spanish and in a very short time it became my first language; except at home where we spoke 'Spanglish'. The mid 90’s were the start of the property boom with low interest rates and almost immeasurable amounts of foreign investment. As the immigration grew and Spain became a desirable place to live, schools changed from traditional Spanish schools into International schools, with pupils from almost every nation in attendance. Property development was such that through my primary years I moved school no less than four times, as each school in turn was acquired and closed down and redeveloped into something more grand and of course profitable. At the age of 13 I was to leave school and start work; employment was plentiful, as long as you didn’t mind working on a building site or in one of the many bars and restaurants. I soon recognised my employment and lifestyle would both be difficult, if not impossible to advance in, and

Q. Why are you now living and working in Guernsey?

A. On my 19th birthday I made the decision to move from Spain to England. It was a bold transition as I had not been to England before; in fact I couldn’t even read or write English!

My skills were severely limited and I’d never even turned on a computer – however I knew that if I didn't make the move I would be in the same situation for the rest of my life. The first three months were spent in Plymouth on the south coast where I struggled to find good employment. Almost in desperation I decided to return to my place of birth, the little island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Unfortunately even though I was born in Guernsey, birth rights are not granted until you have spent a certain number of years living there. I won't document the legal detail, but suffice to say that 10 years on and I am just attaining my 'Guernseyman' status and by the end of 2015 I will finally have 'local status'.

Q. How did you get into photography and who, if anyone, was your inspiration to get into the career?

A. I picked up my first camera just over five years ago, shortly before my son “Koen” was born. The objective then was to gain the confidence and skill to properly record him growing up; however I was soon taking pictures of everything and anything – and surprisingly some of them were quite good! I quickly developed a real passion for photography and worked hard to learn how to use the camera and lenses effectively.

Five years on and the rest as they say is history!

Guernsey was, and still is, an inspiration for my photography; four well­defined seasons, beautiful landscapes, beaches and a sea that changes moods daily – it all really helps to drive me to take good pictures. That said, the true drive and inspiration came from my son and what started as a pastime has now become a successful business – a business that has been awarded the title of 'Most Loved Photographer in the British Isles' for two years running through the national Best of awards and voted for by my clients. JR Photography has over 200 regular clients in the Channel Islands and we are the official photographer for the beautiful Island of Herm. JR Photography plan to open a new studio this year which is supported by a consistent stream of new and repeat business.

It’s hard to believe that it all started with the simple desire to photograph my son…something I still do with a passion. Koen does not realise it yet but he played, and still plays a pivotal

role in what will one day, I hope, become his business – so I can retire to the sunny Costa Blanca!

Q. What is the best photograph you think you’ve ever taken and why?

A. As with most photographers who strive for that perfect shot, I am my own worst critic. However one of my favourites and one of the most popular images here in Guernsey has to be “Lightning striking Fort Grey” (a granite fortress on a small islet, locally known as the Cup and Saucer). It was a quick decision to head out and chase a storm that ended up being some of the most intense and scary hours of my life. I was in the middle of a huge storm in the middle of the night with a camera on a large metal tripod just waiting for the right moment, which was as exhilarating as it was dangerous as lightning was striking all around me. At the end of it all I 'got the shot' and came away with some incredible images.

Perseverance certainly pays.

Q. Is there a place in the world you’d like to visit to take a particular photograph and why?

A. As a landscape photographer I am slightly restricted on such a small island as there are few original images left to take. In saying that Guernsey has a huge tidal range – up to 10 metres, and a low spring tide actually doubles the size of the Island! As you may imagine these tides have the ability to transform landscapes in hours and this can help dramatically.

However a small island like this certainly does test your creativity to the limit. In answer to the question; there isn’t really one specific place, although Iceland and Spain would certainly be high on any list. Spain in particular, because I grew up there, I know the people and the language it would be a missed opportunity not to record its diversity and splendour through my lens.

MESSAGE FROM J.R.: I sincerely look forward to bringing some fresh ideas to the Costa Blanca and really hope you enjoy my pictures as much as I enjoy taking them. You can view some of my work either on my website or social media pages, as well as client feedback from the links below. www.johnrossphotography.co.uk www.facebook.com/JRPhotographyGSY https://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/guernsey/business ­guide/feature/jr­photo

24 GARY BARLOW HAS LOTS OF DATES

T

he Take That star is penning a new stage musical based on the Calendar Girls, and will be backed by “Welcome to Yorkshire.” The musical will be officially launched near the Calendar Girls’ home in Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales, when more details will be announced.

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “Our aim is for the Tour de Yorkshire to be one of the biggest and best three­day races in the world and this incredible line­up is evidence that we can achieve that. It’s a testament to our county that some of the top riders in the world want to come here. We are going to put on a show people will remember for the rest of their lives, whether they’re lining the route or watching on TV as it is

broadcast to countries around the world.

“To have someone of Gary Barlow’s calibre working on a Yorkshire musical is amazing and I am sure, like the Calendar Girls film and the stage play, this musical will be a huge success.”

“We’ve talked for several years about Yorkshire’s potential as a county and as a destination – and now our collective ambitions and dreams are becoming a reality. There must be millions of people around the world who now know of Yorkshire, who didn’t a couple of years ago – we’re firmly front of mind. Our ground­breaking work builds on that and together we will cement Yorkshire’s place on the world stage as a visitor destination.”

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

CARTOON TO LIVE-ACTION CONTINUES TO FLY

T

he Tony­Award winning actress, Audra McDonald, who also starred in TV’s Private Practice, is reported to be in final negotiations to join the cast of Disney’s live­action version of the Oscar nominated animation, Beauty And The Beast.

She will join a roll call that already includes Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast / Prince, Luke Evans as the vain villain Gaston, and Josh Gad as Le Foy – Gaston’s buffoonish and loyal sidekick. The live­action film, directed by Bill Condon, is aligning itself closely with the 1991 animated classic. McDonald is a stage star who has won acclaim for both her vocal and dramatic performances, reflected in her recent Tony wins; best performance by an actress in a musical for Porgy And Bess in 2012 and best performance by an actress in a play for Lady Day in Emerson’s Bar and Grill in 2014. She also has Tonys for her work in: A Raisin in the Sun, Ragtime, Carousel and others. Of her six awards, three of them came before the age of 28. In Beauty and

the Beast, she will be playing the role of Garderobe, the French word for wardrobe!

In Disney’s fairy tale, the Prince is placed under a curse which sees his servants turned into various objects in the castle.

The lady­in­waiting is turned into Garderobe. She, along with Mrs Potts, a kettle, assists Belle in her initial loneliness and takes part in the showstopper “Be Our Guest”! The character also sings a solo as part of “Human Again”, a song which was deleted from the 1991 movie, but later added to the 2002 special edition DVD. Production begins in May at the Shepperton Studios in London and is due for release in March 2017.

This is the latest in a long line of Walt Disney cartoon classics that have been transformed into live­action versions, beginning with the 1996 adaptation of 101 Dalmatians and starring Glenn Close. The current phenomenal success of Cinderella with Lily James and Cate Blanchett shows that given the right cast, the right story and the right director (in this case, Kenneth Brannagh), it’s a formula for success.

IT’S ALL HAPPENING AT THE MATRIX MADHOUSE!

T

he Matrix Studio, proud sponsors of the Entertainment page in THE VIEW, was created by Mark and Carla Farrow (probably better known locally as the multi­award winning duo Sunflower Valley) with the purpose of teaching music and musical exams in all forms, including vocal coaching and theatre skills.

Within the year their Rock Choir, R.O.A.R, had grown too large for the studio to hold, as had their Children's theatre company. Mark and Carla then took the plunge and opened the Matrix Studio Madhouse ­ a large venue specifically designed for theatre productions and live music.

An excellent example of the wide range of productions promoted by the Matrix Madhouse is tomorrow (Saturday) night’s spectacular ­ “Fusion”. A latin­inspired flamenco show brought to you by the Costa Blanca’s own Jay Markwick, together with his team and fresh from their

successful tour of England, that included the Lyric Theatre in London. Tickets (including Dinner served from 8pm) are €12.50. Call 666 551 816 for more details.

The Matrix Studio Madhouse came to the notice of more people in February of this year with both a critically and audience acclaimed run of “The Rocky Horror Show”, which many said was the best musical performance they’d seen on the Costa Blanca. The children’s theatre company production of “The Wiz” received similar plaudits from all those that saw it. This success has led to a string of more shows planned for the remainder of 2015 and into 2016.

The kids are already well into rehearsals for “Elf” whilst the adults are in the early stages of “Outside Edge” (due for September), and the Christmas Pantomime “Jack & The Beanstalk”. The good news for many is that due to popular demand “Rocky” will return sometime in late October. The “Time Warp” WILL be done again! Watch this space for details!

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

25

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPAIN F

rom time to time, THE VIEW will be bringing you official information supplied by the British Embassy in Madrid or the British Consulate in Alicante that affects your day­to­ day living in Spain. For this first in this series, it’s what you need to apply for residency in Spain, what documents are required, and information on the right to reside in Spain for British citizens.

From 28 March 2007, Royal Decree 240/07 required that all EU citizens planning to reside in Spain for more than 3 months should register in person at the Oficina de Extranjeros in their province of residence or at designated Police stations. We were issued with an A4 printed Residence Certificate stating name, address, nationality,NIE number (Número de Identificación Extranjeros) and date of registration. However, this document cannot be used as a means of identification.

CHANGES TO THE RESIDENCY REGULATIONS On 10 July 2012 the Spanish government introduced details of the new residency requirements for all EU citizens, including British nationals. This ONLY applies to NEW applicants and not existing holders of the Residence Certificate as listed above. At present, this Certificate has no expiry date.

Under the new rules, EU citizens applying for residency in Spain may be required to produce evidence of sufficient financial means to support themselves (and dependants).

Applicants may also be asked for proof of private or public healthcare insurance. The Ministerial Order sets out the new residency requirements and some of the documentation applicants may be asked to present.

The British Embassy has created an unofficial translation of the Ministerial Order below.

ARTICLE 1: RIGHT OF RESIDENCE FOR A PERIOD OF LONGER THAN THREE MONTHS Nationals of: • a member state of the European Union • other States party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) • Switzerland have a right to reside in Spain for a period of longer than three months if they meet the conditions laid down in Article 7 of Royal Decree 240/2007, of 16 February 2007, on entrance, free movement and residence in Spain of Nationals of European Union member states and of other states party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.

ARTICLE 2: ATTENDANCE AND REGISTRATION ON THE CENTRAL REGISTER OF FOREIGN NATIONALS 1. Applications for registration as residents by the nationals mentioned in Article 1 shall comply with the provisions of sections 5 and 6 of Article 7 of Royal Decree 240/2007, of 16 February 2007.

2. Applications will be filed in person in the Immigration Office of the province where they intend to reside or in the relevant Police Station.

3. If the application for registration does not meet the

necessary requirements for it to be processed, the interested person will be required to correct any faults or attach the obligatory documents within a period of ten days and he will be informed that, if he does not do this, it will be assumed that he has abandoned his application, by reasoned decision, which does not exhaust the administrative procedure and which may be appealed against.

4. The certificate will be issued immediately, once compliance with the corresponding requirements has been confirmed. This certificate will give the name, nationality and address of the registered person, his foreign national identity number and the date of registration.

ARTICLE 3: SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION 1. All applications for registration must be accompanied by the applicant’s passport or national identity document, which shall be valid and in force. If these documents have expired, a copy of these and the application for renewal must be produced 2. In addition, the following documentation will be required, depending on the applicant’s circumstances: • a) Employed workers must produce a declaration to the effect that they have been hired by the employer or a certificate of employment. These documents must include, as a minimum, details of the name and address of the company, tax identification and Employer’s Social Security Number.

Presentation of an employment contract registered with the corresponding Public Employment Service or a document of registration or situation similar to registration with the

corresponding Social Security System will be accepted, although it will not be necessary to produce these documents if the interested party agrees to have his details checked against the General Social Security Finance Office files “Ficheros de la Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social” • b) Self­employed workers must produce evidence to the effect that they are self­employed. Registration on the Economic Activities List “Censo de Actividades Económicos” or proof of their establishment by means of registration in the Mercantile Registry “Registro Mercantil” or a document of registration or situation similar to registration with the corresponding Social Security System will be accepted, although it will not be necessary to produce these documents if the interested person agrees to have his details checked against the General Social Security Finance Office or Taxation Office files “Ficheros de la Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social o de la Agencia Tributaria” • c) People who do not work in Spain must produce documentation proving that they comply with the following two conditions: • i.) Public or private health insurance contracted in Spain or in another country, provided that it ensures cover in Spain during their period of residence equivalent to the cover provided by the National Health System.

Pensioners will be considered to meet this condition if they can prove, by means of the corresponding certificate, that they are entitled to health care paid for by the State from which they receive their pension • ii.) Have sufficient resources, for themselves and their family members, not to become a burden on Spain’s social assistance system during their period of residence. Proof of the possession of sufficient resources, whether from regular income, including work income or income of another kind, or from ownership of assets, will be given by any legally admissible evidence, such as property deeds, certified cheques, documentation proving that income from capital is received or credit cards. In this latter case, an up to date bank certificate proving the amount available by way of credit on the aforesaid card shall be produced. The assessment of sufficient resources must be carried out on an individual basis, taking into account the applicant’s personal and family circumstances. The possession of resources that are more than the amount established each year by the State General Budgets Act “Ley de Presupuestos Generales de Estado” that justifies the right to receive non­contributory benefits, taking into account the interested persons’ personal and family circumstances, will be regarded as sufficient proof to meet this requirement • d) Students, including those who are taking vocational training courses, must present documents proving fulfillment with the following conditions: • i.) Enrolment in a public or private establishment, accredited or financed by the competent educational administration • ii.) Public or private health insurance contracted in Spain or in another country, provided that it ensures complete cover in Spain. However, this condition will be deemed to be met if the student has a European Health Insurance Card that is valid for a period that covers the entire period of residence and that allows him to receive, exclusively, any medical assistance that are necessary from a medical point of view, taking into account the nature of the assistance and the envisaged duration.

• iii.) Sworn Statement that he / she has sufficient resources for themselves and their family members, so that they do not become a burden on Spain’s social assistance system during their period of residence. Participation in European Union programmes that promote educational exchanges for students and teachers will be regarded as sufficient proof of compliance with these requirements

26

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

THE VIEW ON.....NOSTALGIA 15TH MAY 1965 Each week on this page, we’re taking you back on an entertainment journey by reminding you of the BBC Radio and TV programmes, and the UK Top 30 on this very day! This week and for the first edition of The View, we look at 1965.

If you have a special or important day in the past 60 years (1955 to date), let us know here at The View, and we’ll reproduce it just for you. Also, if it’s someone’s birthday or anniversary and you’d like to surprise them with their own personalised greeting and listings in The View, contact us at editor@theview.es explaining why the date you’ve chosen means so much.

RADIO THE LIGHT PROGRAMME 5.30 WEATHER: NEWS followed by MORNING MUSIC BBC NORTHERN DANCE ORCHESTRA Conductor ­ BERNARD HERRMANN HAROLD GELLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA THE ROGER WEBB TRIO 7.35 BAND PARADE ­ Introduced by PAUL MARTIN 8.15 GEORGE MARTIN invites you to START THE DAY RIGHT 8.55 METCAST 9.00 CHILDREN'S FAVOURITES Requested records played by CHRISTOPHER TRACE 10.00 SATURDAY CLUB – Introduced by BRIAN MATTHEW Featuring THE EVERLY BROTHERS, MANFRED MANN, DANNY WILLIAMS, HEINZ AND THE WILDBOYS, DODIE WEST, THE IN CROWD, ARTHUR GREENSLADE AND THE GEE MEN 12.00 L.P. TIME ­ PETER CLAYTON takes a critical look at some of the recent releases 12.31 JACK JACKSON with his RECORD ROUNDABOUT

13.30 THE BILLY COTTON BAND SHOW Featuring ALAN BREEZE, KATHIEKAT, THE BANDITS and MR. WAKEY­WAKEY himself!

14.00 SATURDAY SWINGS – Introduced by BRUCE WYNDHAM Featuring THE SEARCHERS, THE SEEKERS, KENNY MILLER, JACKIE TRENT BBC NORTHERN DANCE ORCHESTRA Conductor by BERNARD HERRMANN THE SATURDAY STRINGS­ Conducted by PAUL FENOULHET 16.00 TOP GEAR with Brian Matthew An express delivery of Pop Packages and Discs including SANDIE SHAW, THE CHECKMATES, KEITH POWELL, THE LADYBIRDS, THE KEN WOODMAN GROUP 17.00 ROUNDABOUT '65 ­ Switch on the off­beat circuit with JOHN ANTHONY for news, views, comments and the best on record plus STAN REYNOLDS AND HIS MUSIC. 18.30 ALL TOGETHER ­ Join the RHOS MALE VOICE Choir and their friends for another programme of community songs from Wales with BARBARA ROBINSON (mezzo­soprano), JOHN MORGAN (Baritone), MARY KENDALL (Piano)

11.25 CRICKET ­ M.C.C. v. New Zealand Presented by ALUN WILLIAMS A visit to Lord's to see play on the first day 19.00 NEWS RADIO NEWSREEL and of the match between the Touring Team and Cricket Scoreboard.

19.30 LIGHT UP THE NIGHT – the M.C.C. 13.30 SUMMER GRANDSTAND Introduced by DON ARROL TODAY'S TIMETABLE: 1.40 Dinghy Sailing, 1.50 Racing, 2.10 Cricket, 2.35 Dinghy sailing, 2.50 Racing, 3.5 Cricket, 3.20 Racing, 3.35 Cricket, 4.15 Dinghy Sailing, and 4.35 Cricket 17.00 THE TELEGOONS PETER SELLERS, HARRY SECOMBE, SPIKE MILLIGAN BBC radio's world­famous Goons in a puppet series for television 17.15 JUKE BOX JURY – Hosted by DAVID JACOBS A new disc ­ a Hit or a Miss?

Comments and opinions on the latest pop releases This week's panel: TSAI CHIN, RUSS A galaxy of stars featuring comedy from CONWAY, SUZY KENDALL & LES REED BILL PERTWEE, CHRIS CARLSEN & 17.40 DR. WHO: The Final Phase by Glyn GEORGE WILLIAMS. Guest singer: ROLF HARRS. Resident performers: ANITA HARRIS, Jones An adventure in space and time starring ANDY COLE, THE ADAM SINGERS Music provided by RONNIE PRICE AND HIS WILLIAM HARTNELL, WILLIAM RUSSELL, JACQUELINE HILL and MAUREEN O'BRIEN QUARTET Dr. Who is the subject for an experiment, MALCOLM LOCKYER conducting THE and the Tardis is captured by the Moroks.

GALAXY ORCHESTRA 18.05 THE NEWS and THE WEATHER Script by DENIS GOODWIN 18.15 THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW 21.00 TAKE YOUR PARTNERS A comedy film series starring SYDNEY THOMPSON AND HIS OLD TIME DICK VAN DYKE with MARY TYLER MOORE DANCE ORCHESTRA 18.40 THE FLYING SWAN 22.00 NORD­DANCE with MARGARET LOCKWOOD, JULIA Tonight you are invited to dance or listen to some of the top orchestras in Northern LOCKWOOD, WILLIAM MERVYN & NERYS Europe. TORLEIF ESTERENG'S BIG BAND HUGHES 19.25 THE ROY CASTLE SHOW with JAN BERGER and ANITA THALLAUG in Oslo; THE DANCE AND LIGHT ORCHESTRA OF N.D.R. Conductor, ALFRED HAUSE in Hamburg; KEN MACKINTOSH AND HIS ORCHESTRA from the Empire Ballroom, London 23.00 LATE NIGHT SATURDAY with PETE MURRAY, a few friends and “Records All The Way”, L.P.s, E.P.s, singles, new releases, current hits, old favourites and featuring the AL MARTINO L.P. We Could.

2.00 NEWS SUMMARY and Weather Forecast 2.02 Closedown Appearing with ROY CASTLE are PETER BUTTERWORTH, PAT COOMBS, PENNY MORRELL, KENNY BAKER & CHRIS LANGFORD 10.15 THE CHANGING WORLD ­ An Written by S. C. GREEN and R. M. HILLS introduction to geology 20.10 CLUFF by GIL NORTH 4: A QUESTION OF TIME ­ Man is a late Starring LESLIE SANDS with MICHAEL arrival on the surface of the earth. He has BATES. Guest star: WILFRED PICKLES been here for less than a tick of the geological Animals trained by JOHN HOLMES clock.

21.00 HOLLYWOOD AND THE STARS Introduced by Professor F. H. T. Rhodes Hollywood's fabulous past and exciting 10.45 KOMM MIT! ­ Wir sprechen Deutsch present narrated by JOSEPH COTTEN 24: AUF OEM CAMPINGPLATZ ­ Heidi and This week ­ AL JOLSON Dieter face the problems of a camping site.

21.25 THE BEST OF POWELL Introduced by Sabine Michael and Paul A selection of the finest films from The Dick Hansard.

Powell Theatre 11.20 NOTICE BOARD ­ Public Service Tonight's programme: The Price of announcements Tomatoes

22.10 NEWS and SPORT 22.25 HOT LINE ­ Introduced by David Jacobs A live programme in which viewers have the opportunity to discuss any subject they like with any member of the panel via the Hot Line telephone Answering calls this week are: PIETRO ANNIGONI, RANDOLPH CHURCHILL, GINETTE SPANIER, PETER USTINOV Please, do not try to telephone the BBC during the programme 23.10 THE WEATHER: Closedown

UK TOP 20 SINGLES CHART – SATURDAY 15TH MAY 1965 1. KING OF THE ROAD – ROGER MILLER 2. TICKET TO RIDE – THE BEATLES 3. A WORLD OF OUR OWN – SEEKERS 4. TRUE LOVE WAYS – PETER & GORDON 5. WHERE ARE YOU NOW (MY LOVE)? – JACKIE TRENT 6. HERE COMES THE NIGHT – THEM 7. BRING IT ON HOME TO ME – THE ANIMALS 8. POP GO THE WORKERS – THE BARRON KNIGHTS 9. THE MINUTE YOU’RE GONE – CLIFF RICHARD 10. SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK BLUES – BOB DYLAN 11. WONDERFUL WORLD – HERMAN’S HERMITS 12. OH NO, NOT MY BABY – MANFRED MANN 13. THIS LITTLE BIRD – MARIANNE FAITHFULL 14. CATCH THE WIND – DONOVAN 15. LITTLE THINGS – DAVE BERRY 16. STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE – THE SUPREMES 17. I’VE BEEN WRONG BEFORE – CILLA BLACK 18. NOT UNTIL THE NEXT TIME – JIM REEVES

TV - BBC 1

19. CONCRETE & CLAY – UNIT FOUR PLUS TWO 20. THE TIMES THEY ARE A­CHANGIN’ – BOB DYLAN

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

27

28

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

WHAT’S ON THE TELLY?

SO, BRITAIN DOES HAVE TALENT

S

ometimes, actually quite a lot of times in recent years, the BBC get it VERY wrong. But when they do get it right, they’re superb and “VE DAY 70: A CONCERT TO REMEMBER was proof positive of that! From start to finish, the 2 hour show told the story of the war years with a perfect mixture of entertainment, readings, archive footage and the inevitable emotion.

I’m not the greatest fan of Chris Evans but, looking like he’d borrowed his suit from Dermot O’Leary (X­Factor fans will know what I mean) he held together a spectacular cast of British and essentially contemporary stars performing the songs of the era with a couple of surprising but understandable exceptions.

Dance group Diversity set the scene with a spectacular routine that only they can perform backed by a real live Big Band pumping out “Sing Sing Sing” originally made famous

by Benny Goodman and a regular radio playlist favourite of mine. The mood changed when Richard E. Grant and the silky smooth voiced Colin Salmon read out official Government warnings from the time. The phrase “Anderson Shelters” caused my own Mum to shout out, “Stinking things”! She’d been there and lived through it.

Other poignant readings came from 86 year old Bernard Cribbins, Robert Lindsay as Churchill – as alone on the balcony of the Horse Guards Building as Brian May was atop of Buckingham Palace on another famous occasion – Martin Shaw reciting “For The Fallen” and Ian Lavender. A greeting from the crowd of “Don’t Tell Him Pike!” received the reply

of, “There’s always one!”, but in no way stopped the Stupid Boy from recounting the story of a Home Guard officer.

An early and unexpected star of the show was Alexander Armstrong proving that his singing voice was in no way “Pointless”! His version of “All Stick Together” was backed by the BGT winners Collabro who, from a back view resembled Cameron, Miliband and Clegg but all wearing Clegg’s trademark blue suits. He’s no real use for them now!

Armstrong later returned with “London Pride” accompanied by some genius camera direction showing just how great London looks.

The stars continued to adorn the stage. Status Quo with

the appropriate “In The Army Now” in tribute to a Chelsea Pensioner caused this correspondent to air­drum the “EastEnders” doofs in the middle of the piece! The glamour, both in looks and voice was left in the very capable hands of Laura Wright, Pixie Lott, Rebecca Ferguson (who teamed up as an excellent Andrews’ Sisters), Elaine Paige – with a Vera Lynn medley but looking like a Joan Rivers Tribute act – and finally Katherine Jenkins with a stunning version of, for me, a previously unknown song – “He Wears A Pair of Silver Wings” ­ a 1942 hit for Kay Kyser & His Orchestra.

The ever present employee of the BBC, Gregory Porter – complete with trademark hat and scarf (he could’ve worn “zee flying helmet, with zee wet celery and zee egg­whisk) was there, and so were Blue, nattily dressed as RAF officers; possibly the weak link of the night for me! Jane Horrocks somehow managed to read out a genuine final letter from a son to his mother...actually, she didn’t manage to. She, like millions of us, was in floods of uncontrollable tears as the last sentence arrived. She wasn’t acting........

It was a good old­fashioned evening of entertainment of the type that used to grace Royal Variety Shows of a bygone age, concluding with Katherine Jenkins and Alfie Boe leading the 15,000 strong audience in a rendition of “We’ll Meet Again”.

At 98, Dame Vera Lynn was unable to attend and sent a message, and I was secretly hoping that she would’ve made an appearance during the final song. Had she done so, the blubbing after Jane Horrocks readings would have transcended into complete and utter bawling of the eyes!

Friday 15th May 00:45 This Week 01:30 Holiday Weatherview 01:35 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 12:45 Oxford Street Revealed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Land Girls 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Decimate 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 The Vicar of Dibley 22:00 Have I Got News for You 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

00:15 Weather 00:20 Wastemen 01:20 Panorama 01:50 Inside Harley Street 02:50 Channel Patrol 03:35 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Operation Cloud Lab: Secrets of the Skies 05:30 Schools - Real World Chemistry 06:00 Schools - Planet Dinosaur 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 08:45 Oxford Street Revealed 09:15 Gardeners' World 09:45 Cowboys and Angels 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Coast 14:10 Cagney & Lacey 15:00 Glorious Gardens from Above 15:45 The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge 16:45 Are You Being Served?

17:15 'Allo 'Allo!

17:45 Just Good Friends 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites 21:30 Gardeners' World 22:00 Britain's Greatest Generation 23:00 The Clare Balding Show 23:30 Newsnight

00:10 Piers Morgan's Life Stories 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 Tonight 04:25 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 11:55 ITV News 11:59 ITV London Weather 12:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV London Weather 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 ITV London Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Paul O'Grady Show 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Man and Beast with Martin Clunes 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Cape Fear (1991)

00:05 The Night Bus 01:05 The Secret Millionaire 02:05 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 02:55 Grayson Perry: Who Are You? 04:50 Sarah Beeny's Selling Houses 05:45 Hugh's 3 Good Things: Best Bites 05:55 Double Your House for Half the Money 06:50 Deal or No Deal 07:40 Will & Grace 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss 11:25 Come Dine with Me 12:55 Channel 4 News Summary 13:00 Come Dine with Me 14:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 15:00 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Posh Pawnbrokers 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:35 Unreported World 21:00 Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 23:00 Alan Carr: Chatty Man

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Gotham 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:25 Great Artists 05:45 House Doctorr 07:00 The WotWots 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Lily's Driftwood Bay 07:30 Fireman Sam 07:40 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:40 5 News Lunchtime 13:45 Big Brother 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS: Los Angeles 16:10 Rosamunde Pilcher's Shades of Love 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Car Crash TV 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Gadget Show 20:55 5 News Update 21:00 Lusitania: 18 Minutes That Changed World War One 22:00 Big Brother 23:30 Big Brother's Bit on the Side

The View

29

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

Saturday 16th May 00:20 Peter Kay's Car Share 00:50 I Love You, Man (2008) 02:30 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:35 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Paul Hollywood's Bread 13:00 BBC News; Weather 13:10 Football Focus 13:50 Saturday Sportsday 14:00 Athletics 15:00 Live Challenge Cup Rugby League 17:30 Final Score 18:20 Celebrity Mastermind 18:50 BBC News 19:00 BBC London News; Weather 19:10 Pointless Celebrities 20:00 Atlantis 21:30 The National Lottery: In It to Win It 22:20 Casualty 23:10 BBC News; Weather 23:30 National Lottery Update 23:30 Match of the Day

00:00 Weather 00:05 Later - with Jools Holland 01:05 Question Time 02:05 Secret Britain 03:05 Channel Patrol 03:50 This Is BBC Two 07:20 Animal Park 07:50 In Search of the Castaways (1961) 09:30 The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936) 11:20 Homes Under the Hammer 12:20 Escape to the Country 13:05 Living Famously 14:05 Rope (1948) 15:25 Talking Pictures 16:05 North by Northwest (1959) 18:20 Flog It! 19:20 Gardeners' World 19:50 Modern Times 20:50 Britain's Greatest Generation 21:50 Dad's Army 22:20 Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013) 23:45 Rory Bremner's Election Report

00:55 Live at the Apollo 01:25 The 51st State (2001) 02:50 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:55 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 08:30 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 MOTD2 Extra 14:00 BBC News 14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 14:15 Bargain Hunt 14:55 Homes Under the Hammer 15:55 Escape to the Country 16:25 Shark 17:25 Lifeline 17:35 Points of View 17:50 Songs of Praise 18:35 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 19:35 BBC News 19:50 BBC London News; Weather 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell 23:00 BBC News 23:20 BBC London News; Weather 23:30 Match of the Day 2

00:15 W1A 00:45 In the Loop (2009) 02:30 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 07:30 The Big Allotment Challenge 08:30 Countryfile 09:30 Gardeners' World 10:00 The Beechgrove Garden 10:30 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:00 Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites 12:30 Paul Hollywood's Bread 13:00 Scott of the Antarctic (1948) 14:45 Live Challenge Cup Rugby League 17:30 Triathlon 19:00 Hotel India 20:00 A Very British Airline 21:00 Demolition: The Wrecking Crew 22:00 The Detectives 23:00 Made in Dagenham (2010)

Sunday 17th May

02:00 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:25 Pat & Stan 07:35 Dino Dan: Trek's Adventures 08:00 Canimals 08:15 Sooty 08:30 Super 4 08:45 Nerds & Monsters 09:00 Thunderbirds Are Go 09:25 ITV News 09:30 Weekend 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:30 ITV News and Weather 13:35 The Jeremy Kyle Show 14:40 Doc Martin 15:40 Who's Doing the Dishes?

16:40 Freaky Friday (2003) 18:35 ITV News London 18:45 ITV News and Weather 19:00 New You've Been Framed!

20:00 Ninja Warrior UK 21:00 Britain's Got Talent 22:20 Play to the Whistle 23:05 ITV News and Weather 23:19 ITV London Weather 23:20 The Break-Up (2006)

00:05 Virtually Famous 00:55 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 01:25 (500) Days of Summer (2009) 03:00 Shameless USA 03:55 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 04:55 Double Your House for Half the Money 05:50 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 05:55 Deal or No Deal 06:35 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 06:50 How I Met Your Mother 08:05 Tarawera Ultra Marathon 08:30 FIM Superbike World Championship 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:30 Frasier 12:30 The Big Bang Theory 13:25 Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 14:25 Channel 4 Racing 17:15 Come Dine with Me 19:40 Channel 4 News 20:00 Walking Through History 21:00 The World's Most Extreme 22:00 The Hunger Games (2012)

00:30 Big Brother 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:20 Great Artists 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:20 Angelina Ballerina 07:30 Pip Ahoy!

07:45 The Mr Men Show 07:55 Chloe's Closet 08:05 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:15 Make Way for Noddy 08:25 Paw Patrol 08:40 Little Princess 08:50 Milkshake! Monkey 08:55 Wanda and the Alien 09:10 Zack and Quack 09:25 Olly the Little White Van 09:30 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:45 Jelly Jamm 10:00 LazyTown 10:30 Dora and Friends 11:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:35 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 12:30 Britain's Horror Homes 13:30 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 14:25 The Hotel Inspector 15:25 Columbo: the Most Dangerous Match (1973) 16:55 Make You Laugh Out Loud 17:55 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away 18:50 5 News Weekend 18:55 Police Interceptors 19:45 Spider-Man 3 (2007) 22:20 Big Brother 23:20 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

01:15 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 04:40 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:25 Pat & Stan 07:35 Dino Dan: Trek's Adventures 08:00 Canimals 08:15 Sooty 08:30 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 09:25 ITV News 09:30 Weekend 10:25 Judge Rinder 13:25 ITV News and Weather 13:30 Tipping Point 14:30 Britain's Got Talent 15:45 All Star Family Fortunes 16:50 Midsomer Murders 18:50 Ninja Warrior UK 19:45 ITV News London 20:00 ITV News and Weather 20:15 Celebrity Squares 21:00 Sunday Night at the Palladium 22:00 Home Fires 23:05 ITV News and Weather 23:14 ITV London Weather 23:15 Perspectives

00:50 Underworld: Awakening (2012) 02:30 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 03:25 Hollyoaks 05:35 Double Your House for Half the Money 06:30 The Common Denominator 06:55 How I Met Your Mother 08:05 Volkswagen Racing Cup 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 14:30 The Big Bang Theory 15:00 The Simpsons 16:00 The Parent Trap (1998) 18:35 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Speed with Guy Martin 21:00 For the Love of Cars 22:00 Grayson Perry's Dream House 23:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

00:15 NCIS 01:15 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Make You Laugh Out Loud 05:50 Make It Big 06:45 Angels of Jarm 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:20 Angelina Ballerina 07:30 Pip Ahoy!

07:45 The Mr Men Show 07:55 Chloe's Closet 08:05 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:15 Make Way for Noddy 08:25 Paw Patrol 08:40 Little Princess 08:50 Milkshake! Monkey 08:55 Wanda and the Alien 09:05 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:10 Zack and Quack 09:25 Olly the Little White Van 09:30 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:40 Mio Mao 09:45 Jelly Jamm 10:00 LazyTown 10:30 Dora and Friends 11:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:35 Access 11:40 The Dog Rescuers 12:05 Police Interceptors 15:00 The Money Pit (1985) 16:45 See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) 18:40 The Great Escape (1963) 21:50 5 News Weekend 22:00 Big Brother 23:00 The Rock (1996)

30

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

Monday 18th May 00:35 Athletics 01:35 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:40 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:15 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 16:45 Decimate 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:45 Have I Got a Bit More News for You

00:45 Hideous Kinky (1998) 02:20 Countryfile 03:20 Holby City 04:20 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 08:45 Oxford Street Revealed 09:15 Wanted in Paradise 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Italy Unpacked 14:00 Cagney & Lacey 14:45 Cash in the Attic 15:15 Athletics 16:15 Elephant Diaries 16:45 Are You Being Served?

17:15 'Allo 'Allo!

17:45 Just Good Friends 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 22:00 The Detectives 23:00 Episodes 23:30 Newsnight

00:25 The Graham Norton Show 01:15 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:20 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:15 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 16:45 Decimate 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 24 Hours in the Past 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:45 The Dog Factory

00:15 Weather 00:20 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) 01:45 Britain's Greatest Generation 02:45 Gallipoli: When Murdoch Went to War 03:45 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Schools - Divine Women 05:30 Strictly Soulmates 06:00 Schools - My Life, My Religion: Judaism 06:25 Schools - My Life, My Religion: Christianity 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 08:45 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 09:15 Collectaholics 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Italy Unpacked 14:00 Cagney & Lacey 14:45 Cash in the Attic 15:15 Athletics 16:15 Elephant Diaries 16:45 Are You Being Served?

17:15 'Allo 'Allo!

17:45 Just Good Friends 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 22:00 The Detectives 23:00 Later Live - with Jools Holland 23:30 Newsnight

00:15 Premiership Rugby Union 01:10 The Store 03:30 Motorsport UK 04:20 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 05:00 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 11:55 ITV News 12:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Paul O'Grady Show 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Wild Ireland 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Scammers 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 The Class of '92 (2013)

00:05 Jimmy Carr: Laughing & Joking 01:10 Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) 02:45 Undercover Boss Canada 03:35 Born Naughty?

04:30 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 05:25 The Renovation Game 06:20 Hugh's 3 Good Things: Best Bites 06:30 The Common Denominator 06:55 How I Met Your Mother 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss 11:30 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Deal or No Deal 17:00 Posh Pawnbrokers 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Damned Designs: Don't Demolish My Home 22:00 Benefits Street 23:00 The Night Bus

01:40 Bangkok Dangerous (2007) 03:30 SuperCasino 05:00 House Doctor 05:25 Make It Big 06:45 Angels of Jarm 07:00 The WotWots 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Lily's Driftwood Bay 07:30 Fireman Sam 07:40 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Monkey 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:40 5 News Lunchtime 13:45 Big Brother 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Wild Hearts (2006) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Car Crash TV 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Gadget Show 21:00 World's Angriest: Caught on Camera 22:00 Gotham 23:00 Big Brother

01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 UEFA Champions League Weekly 04:25 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 11:55 ITV News 11:59 ITV London Weather 12:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 ITV London Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Paul O'Grady Show 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Benidorm

00:00 The Island with Bear Grylls 01:00 The Shooting Gallery 01:30 24 Hours in A&E 02:25 Embarrassing Bodies Down Under 03:20 Supersize vs Superskinny 04:15 You Can't Get the Staff 05:10 The Renovation Game 06:05 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Undercover Boss 11:30 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Deal or No Deal 17:00 Posh Pawnbrokers 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Kirstie and Phil's Love It or List It 22:00 No Offence 23:00 Benefits Street

01:30 Jackass 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 05:00 Michaela's Wild Challenge 05:25 Great Artists 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 The WotWots 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Lily's Driftwood Bay 07:30 Fireman Sam 07:40 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Monkey 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:40 5 News Lunchtime 13:45 Big Brother 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Good Mother (2013) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Car Crash TV 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 The Dog Rescuers 22:00 Blinging Up Baby: You Won't Believe It! 23:00 Big Brother

Tuesday 19th May

The View

31

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

Wednesday 20th May 00:45 The Resident (2010) 02:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:15 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:15 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 16:45 Decimate 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 Inspector George Gently 22:30 Peter Kay's Car Share 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:45 A Question of Sport

00:15 Weather 00:20 Starter for 10 (2006) 01:50 Antiques Roadshow 02:50 Rip Off Britain: Food 03:35 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Schools - An Idiot's Guide to Politics 05:30 Biomimetics - Designed

by Nature 06:00 Schools - Ancient Voices 06:40 Performances from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 08:45 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 09:15 Britain's Supermarket Revolution: What's in It for Us? 09:45 Cowboys and Angels 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Lifeline 13:10 Italy Unpacked 14:10 Cagney & Lacey 14:55 The A to Z of TV Gardening 15:15 Monty Don's Italian Gardens 16:15 Elephant Diaries 16:45 Are You Being Served?

17:15 'Allo 'Allo!

17:45 Just Good Friends 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 22:00 Horizon 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:10 The Big Fish Off 01:10 Jackpot247 04:00 Loose Women 04:45 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 11:55 ITV News 12:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 ITV London Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Paul O'Grady Show 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Give a Pet a Home 22:00 Newzoids 22:30 The Delivery Man 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Come On Down! The Game Show Story

00:00 The Island with Bear Grylls 01:00 Poker 02:00 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:25 Tarawera Ultra Marathon 02:55 FIM Superbike World Championship 03:20 Shameless USA 04:15 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 05:10 The Renovation Game 06:05 Deal or No Deal 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss 11:30 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Deal or No Deal 17:00 Posh Pawnbrokers 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The World's Most Expensive Food 22:00 The Island with Bear Grylls 23:00 The Job Centre

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Autopsy: The Last Hours 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 Lusitania: 18 Minutes That Changed World War One 05:00 Nick's Quest 05:25 Great Artists 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 The WotWots 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Lily's Driftwood Bay 07:30 Fireman Sam 07:40 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Monkey 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:40 5 News Lunchtime 13:45 Big Brother 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 A Surrogate's Terror 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Car Crash TV 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 21:00 Make You Laugh Out Loud 22:00 Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 23:00 Big Brother

00:15 Robot & Frank (2012) 01:40 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 12:45 Saints and Scroungers 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:15 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 16:45 Decimate 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Watchdog 22:00 Shark 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:45 Question Time

00:15 Weather 00:20 Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) 02:00 Portillo's State Secrets 02:30 Hunters of the South Seas 03:30 This Is BBC Two 05:00 David Starkey's Magna Carta 05:30 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 2014 06:00 Schools: Ten Pieces 06:50 Schools - William Whiskerson 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Don't Get Done, Get Dom 08:45 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 09:15 Natural World 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Italy Unpacked 14:00 Cagney & Lacey 14:45 Cash in the Attic 15:15 Monty Don's Italian Gardens 16:15 Elephant Diaries 16:45 Are You Being Served?

17:15 'Allo 'Allo!

17:45 Just Good Friends 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2015 22:00 The Game 23:00 The Clare Balding Show 23:30 Newsnight

00:45 Tales from Northumberland with Robson Green 01:10 Jackpot247 03:30 British Touring Car Championship Highlights 04:45 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 11:55 ITV News 12:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 16:59 ITV London Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Paul O'Grady Show 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 The British Soap Awards 2015 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Newzoids

00:00 Bodyshockers 01:00 Street Sound and Style 01:30 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 02:20 Embarrassing Bodies Down Under 03:15 Weekend (2011) 04:55 Phil: Secret Agent Down Under 05:50 Hugh's 3 Good Things: Best Bites 06:05 Deal or No Deal 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 10:25 Undercover Boss 11:30 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Deal or No Deal 17:00 Posh Pawnbrokers 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Born Naughty?

22:00 The Island with Bear Grylls 23:00 High Class Call Girls

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 The Hotel Inspector 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 Person of Interest 05:00 Nick's Quest 05:25 Great Artists 05:50 House Doctor 07:00 The WotWots 07:10 Igam Ogam 07:20 Lily's Driftwood Bay 07:30 Fireman Sam 07:40 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 07:50 Peppa Pig 07:55 Pip Ahoy!

08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Show Songs 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:45 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:40 5 News Lunchtime 13:45 Big Brother 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Girl He Met Online 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Caught on Camera 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Cricket on 5 21:00 The Last Days of 22:00 The Hotel Inspector 23:00 Big Brother

Thursday 21st May

32

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

fashion forward Pair red with pink for spring’s cutest colour clash

STYLISH SPRING BAGS Aqua padlock bag, €395. aspinalof london.com

Snake­print suede bag, £55. riverisland.com

Croc leather effect bag, £99.99. zara.com

Premium leather bag, £105 topshop.com

Pink leather bucket bag, £450 lkbennett.com

JUMPER, £125 LK Bennett, lkbennett.com TROUSERS, £110 Jigsaw, jigsaw­online.com WATCH, £150, Nixon, nixon.com.

BAG, £29.99 H&M, hm.com.

SHOES, £68, Office, office.co.uk

DRESS, £189 Reiss, reiss.com BAG, £375 Lulu Guinness, luluguinness.com, SHOES, £79, Dune, dunelondon.com GOLD RING, €249, Pandora, pandora.net

JACKET, €39.95, Zara, zara.com JEANS, €155 Claudie Pierlot, claudiepierlot.com SUNGLASSES, £210, Eye Respect, eyerespect.com BAG, £295, Nichole Farhi, nicholefarhi.com SHOES, £139, Hobbs, hobbs.co.uk

Yellow leather bag, £199 radley.co.uk

Mini leather bag, £195 whistles.co.uk

The Iona Collection

Prestigious Textiles * Tel: 0044 1274 688 448 * Email: mail@prestigious.co.uk vwww.prestigious.co.uk

Drawstring bag, with front pocket £35 asos.com

The View

33

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

THE TOP BODS behind Celluence say that alternating between its two anti-cellulite formulas stops the skin-smoothing results you see from plateauing. Together, they contain a whopping 40 active ingredients to tackle seven skin issues that contribute to the dreaded orange-peel effect. £135 each, celluence.com.

We’re keeping a tube of Kiehl’s Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant Cream stashed in the pocket of our gym bag.

Not only does it ensure we stay smelling fresh, it keeps our armpits soft and moisturised. £11.50, kiehls.co.uk.

One of the best hand creams I have tried recently, Beefayre Bee Kind gives three per cent of profits to bee conservation. £12.95 beefayre.com

Because even hair wants to look super­fit these days, take Redken’s new Extreme Length, a brush­on, leave­in sealer that encourages locks to grow long and strong, £14, 08000 854956.

+ = Kitsch Sport Hair Ties, £4.41, mykitsch.com.

Nourish and revive your limbs with Aurelia's Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil, which is natural-ingredientrich using borage and macadamia oils £48 net-a-porter.com

Piled­up high à la Nanette Lepore at NYFW. Post­workout hair is having a moment.

It’s time to spring clean your beauty regime. First and foremost, proper cleansing will give your skin a new lease of life, so number one on your list should be Good Things Argan Oil cleanser (£5.99, boots.com). When turning over a new leaf clean make-up brushes are essential and Zoeva’s latest Rose Gold Luxury Set (from £56.95, beautybay.com) will look pleasingly pretty in your bathroom. For an effortless ‘running in the bluebells’ flush, apply Nars new Dual-Intensity Blush in Adorable (£30, liberty.co.uk) wet for an outdoorsy finish. I’m completing my spring swag with Memo Ihla Do Mel (£175, memofragrances.com), a juniper, vanilla and musky scent inspired by the tropical Honey Island, off the coast of Brazil.

Carolines view on.

Fighting age is out, looking fab is in.

At last, brands have realised that we don’t necessarily want to look younger, we want to look the best we can.

Imogen Matthews, author of OLDER WOMEN IN BEAUTY: The Golden Opportunity report, more than a third of women at 45 and over control 79% of disposable income (imogenmatthews.co.uk). So how to exercise that spending power with products that don’t put an age limit on beauty?

I am loving Weleda Evening Primrose Age Revitalising Day Cream, (28 euros, weleda.co.uk) which plumps and smooth’s mature skin. I have tried and tested lots and lots of “plumping” products at more than twice the price and find this one really delivers – love it!

W

G... ers at atued N I e c LOV ge of jui o.uk, f U. PicE R E’ YO ran tri es.c

u c e n ...th applian year i rful N W e 0 is sage rlier th e pow 150 h a t h e t Wi 9 d: utri ro, £299.9 ture N P er as or. basic Juic mot , w n 9 9 . r i Thei , £149 Buy r t by e Juic d Bes tests e nam rous u rigo H IC WH

34

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

The best BBQ chicken Sticky, glazed and delicious, this BBQ chicken is an absolute showstopper

Ingredients • 4 higher­welfare chicken thighs, skin on, bone in • 4 higher­welfare chicken drumsticks, skin on, bone in • 1 fresh red chilli, to serve

For the rub:

• 2 heaped teaspoons fennel seeds • 1 heaped teaspoon smoked paprika • 1 heaped teaspoon golden caster sugar • 1 level teaspoon cumin seeds • 1 teaspoon sea salt • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

For the BBQ sauce:

• 200 g light soft brown sugar • 200 g tomato ketchup • 200 ml fresh unsweetened apple juice • 100 ml bourbon whisky • 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce • 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar • 2 heaped teaspoons English mustard • juice of 2 oranges • a few splashes of chipotle Tabasco • 1 pinch of sea salt

You will need:

• a handful of wood chips

Method Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.

To make the rub, bash all of the ingredients in a pestle and mortar until fine. Massage the rub all over the chicken, then place into a low­sided roasting tray. Place in the hot oven for around 1 hour, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the BBQ sauce. Place all of the ingredients into a medium saucepan over a high heat. Whisk

well to combine, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it's sticky and coats the back of a spoon.

Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and reduce the temperature to 110°C/225°F/gas ¼. Take a piece of chicken and dunk it into the BBQ sauce. Using a slotted spoon, remove to a wire baking rack placed over a roasting tray (this will help the smoke to permeate the chicken as it cooks). Place each piece of chicken into the BBQ sauce, placing them onto the baking rack as you go. Return to the middle shelf of the oven for around 10 minutes, or until

Apple crumble

Simply delicious – serve with custard Ingredients

Method

For the crumble

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Peel and core the apples, quarter and cut in to chunks.

Put the apples into a pan with the sugar and water. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes and place in a small ovenproof dish.

Place the flour and oats in a bowl and mix well.

Cut the butter into small cubes and add this to the oats and flour. Mix with your fingertips until it resembles an even crumb texture. Add the sugar and mix through.

Cover the fruit with the crumble mixture. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the crumble is golden and the apple hot.

• 35 g rolled oats • 35 g wholemeal flour • 20 g caster sugar • 35 g butter

For the filling

• 400 g cooking apples, peeled, cored and quartered • 50 g sugar, to sweeten • 1 tablespoon water

turning lovely and sticky.

Meanwhile, place the wood chips into an old wire sieve (the sieve will help the smoke to distribute evenly around the oven) and carefully light with a match or over a gas hob.

Place the sieve into another roasting tray and pop in the bottom of the oven – this will add an incredible dimension of smokiness to the chicken.

After around 10 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and dip each piece into the BBQ sauce once more.

Return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes, or until sticky, glazed and delicious. Serve with sliced chilli scattered on top.

The View

35

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

Top 5 Most Popular Cocktails in the World M

any of today’s most popular cocktails are either variations of iconic drinks or based on old­ fashioned remedies for sicknesses that we now cure with injections or pills. The recipes might have changed, the liquors have become more refined and yet the enjoyment of a tasty cocktail remains the same.

From the sophisticated Apple Martini to the powerful punch of a Zombie, there are plenty of well­known cocktails available for patrons of any restaurant or bar. The presentation and experience of a fine cocktail defines the moment and even character of the person enjoying the drink.

Much like a brand of beer or a label on a fine bottle of wine, ordering a cocktail can say so much more than just a preference in taste.

There will always be the Martini, Screwdriver, Bloody Mary and even the Tom Collins are ordered with a fair amount of consistency at just about any bar. Even the Mimosa and Bellini have become standard additions to any bartender’s list. The following 5 cocktails, however, have become trendy and popular or have managed to maintain their popularity despite great pressure from fine wine and even craft beer.

5. Caipirinha

The World Cup introduced the world to the fun­ loving country of Brazil and one drink that Brazilians are always delighted to share with others is the slightly intimidating Caipirinha.

The national drink of Brazil is made with cachaca (spirit from sugar cane) or white rum, brown sugar and lime juice. Some formulations of cachaca can be over 100 proof and like magic, Caipirinha manages to hide almost all of the alcohol taste.

4. Mint Julep

2. Mojito

3. Mai Tai

The Mojito has become very popular as its fresh minty taste complements warm summer weather much like a cool glass of non­alcoholic lemonade. The mixture of white rum, mint, lime juice, sugar and soda water is crisp and clean with a relatively low alcohol content. Sprite or 7­up can often be used in place of the soda water and a good portion of the sugar. One of the keys to preparing a proper Mojito is to crush, not cut or dice, the mint leaves in order to unlock more of the oils of the mint, thus enhancing the minty flavor.

The official drink of the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep, is a symbolic cocktail of the American South. The concoction of Bourbon, a little bit of water, powdered and granulated sugar and plenty of mint has long been a very popular way to drink a cocktail made with Bourbon in the region that produces most of the Bourbon in the United States. Simple and yet refined, the cocktail has gained acclaim elsewhere thanks in large part to its association with the crown jewel of horse racing, the Kentucky Derby The Mai Tai is a Polynesian­style cocktail that has a fruity tropical taste indigenous to the Western Region of the United States. The mixture of light and dark rum, orange curacao, orgeat syrup and lime juice has been a symbol of Tiki or Tahitian culture ever since it was first created. The cocktail was very popular in the 50’s and 60’s and was even featured in Blue Hawaii, a film staring Elvis Presley.

1. Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan is an ultra modern drink that has surged in popularity during the last 20­30 years. The tangy concoction of vodka, triple sec, lime juice and cranberry juice has managed to leapfrog the venerable screwdriver as many vodka drinkers prefer the Cosmopolitan’s cleaner and slightly tart taste. The keys to the preparation of a Cosmopolitan are a good brand of cranberry juice and Cointreau Triple Sec, two essential elements to the drink.

36

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

PENSIONS – YOUR NEW FLEXIBLE FRIEND

N

ew rules give you a lot more flexibility in how you access your pension, especially as you will be able to take more than one tax free lump sum.

The rule changes come as pensions go through a major overhaul. Changes in the law with the introduction of what’s known as “Automatic Enrolment” also mean that you could be getting extra money from your employer paid into your Workplace Pension each month.

Currently, you can draw up to a quarter of your pension pot as a single lump sum payment, tax free.

Many people have viewed this as an attractive option when weighed against using the entire pension pot to purchase an annuity – an investment vehicle designed to provide guaranteed income during retirement. As with income in general, the monthly payments you receive from an annuity are subject to income tax.

From April 2015, however, sweeping changes under pension reform designed to give people more flexibility and control over their pensions means that the over 55s will be able to take a number of lump sums from their pension pot, with 25% of each sum being free of tax.

So instead of just being able to take one lump

sum at retirement you will be able to take various lump sums on different dates. And what makes the changes particularly revolutionary is that you will be able to gain access to your pension in this way without having even retired.

Provided you are aged 55 the options will be: • Take your whole pension fund as one cash lump sum with 25% tax free and the rest taxed as income • Take smaller lump sums, as and when you like with 25% of each withdrawal tax free and the rest taxed as income • Take up to 25% tax free and a regular taxable income from the rest So what should you do? The best option for you is going to depend on your personal circumstances. For many people, taking one lump sum tax free payment may not be the most optimal choice that it was once. Having the freedom to do this on different occasions gives you a lot more flexibility.

You also need to remember that the money you have saved in your pension is intended to finance your retirement for the rest of your life.

Spending more in the early days of your retirement could mean having a lot less to live on in later years’.

At the same time, using a tax free lump sum withdrawal from your pension fund to pay down debt or reinvest in a tax efficient savings vehicle such as an ISA could be a good choice for some.

With so many more choices than before on how you manage your pension pot, it makes sense to seek independent financial advice. As you could easily spend 20 or more years in retirement, it’s important to ensure you secure enough income from your pension pot to last out your entire retirement.

COME ON CHAPS! YOU NEED TO CATCH UP!

M

en aged over 50 are less likely to know the symptoms of serious diseases than women, suggests a survey by Saga, a company focused on that age group. Just 50% of men said they were aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer, compared with 72% of women.

More than 11,000 UK men and women were asked about their knowledge of diseases and what makes them go to their GP. Men whose partners or children put pressure on them to get a check­up were more likely to see a doctor.

From a survey of 11,729 men and women aged 50 and over, 41% of men surveyed said they were unaware of the symptoms of prostate cancer. Men were also less likely than women to know the symptoms of lung cancer, skin cancer, arthritis and dementia while 82% of women surveyed said they knew the symptoms of breast cancer.

When asked how they knew about the signs of different diseases, government health campaigns were cited as the main way of learning about symptoms, particularly those of cancers.

People who were aware of the symptoms of dementia and arthritis, however, were more likely to have learned about the condition through family members who had been affected.

The survey found that men were most likely to go and see their GP when they found blood in

their urine (82%) or in their stool (78%) and when they felt severe pain (74%). These were all important triggers for women to see their doctor too.

But men (59%) were much less likely than women (80%) to go to the GP when they found a new lump in their body. If men over 50 needed encouragement to see a medical professional, they were more likely than women to go for a check­up when faced with pressure from their partner or children.

A recent study by Cancer Research UK found that bowel cancer rates among men have increased by more than a quarter in the last 35 years. This contrasts with a rise of just 6% in the rate for women over the same time. At the same time, bowel cancer survival rates are improving with half of all patients living for at least 10 years after being diagnosed.

Deborah Alsina, chief executive of charity Bowel Cancer UK said: “It is deeply worrying that men remain less aware of the symptoms of bowel cancer and are less likely to take part in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme than women. Bowel cancer is preventable, treatable and curable and should not be the UK’s second biggest cancer killer, yet currently only around 50% of people are living longer than five years.”

She added that targeted campaigns were the key to raising awareness among men.

The View

WHICH SPORT SHOULD YOU TAKE UP AFTER YOU RETIRE? R

etirement doesn’t (and shouldn’t) mean you have to stop having fun – think of it as a new window of opportunity; the next chapter in your life so to speak Many people find a whole new lease of life upon retiring, making them keen to try new things and get out and enjoy themselves. Whether that’s by making new friends, travelling the world, or just getting in some me­time, there’s a lot of fun to be had when you’re retired. Of course, it’s also important to maintain a healthy weight and good level of fitness. That doesn’t mean you should be in the gym every day doing press ups or lifting weights. A little bit of regular exercise offers great health benefits.

There are many benefits of exercise after retirement, including: • STRESS­RELIEF ­ If you’ve been used to working a nine to five day your whole life, it can be difficult to switch off and just stop.

Many people can feel anxious and stressed when their working life comes to an end – and exercise can provide a healthy relief for that.

• ENERGY BOOST ­ Exercise can also give you plenty more energy which is ideal if you’re leading an active social life and are constantly on the go.

• MOOD BOOST ­ You may already be aware that exercise is great for boosting your mood – that’s on account of all of those endorphins (feel good hormones).

• WEIGHT MANAGEMENT ­ It can be all too easy to pile on the pounds once you stop working. A lazy morning here and a lavish fry up there can make you feel a little heavier than you’re used to. Regular exercise will help you manage your weight and reduce the risk of weight­related illnesses.

• LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE ­ Exercise is good for lowering your blood pressure, reducing your risk of coronary heart disease as well as osteoporosis (brittle bones).

• BETTER BALANCE ­ Your balance and

coordination will improve with regular exercise, lowering your risk of painful falls.

• MAKE NEW FRIENDS ­ You may also find that you make some new friends from exercising – giving you further opportunity to be social.

As mentioned earlier, lifting heavy weights and holding the record for the most press ups in a minute is not so important when you’re at retirement age. Whilst many play and enjoy the benefits of playing Bowls in their retirement on this part of Spain, the most popular five sports and their benefits are listed below: 1. SWIMMING ­ Great for general fitness levels and can help to reduce your risk of illnesses, such as strokes, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

2. DANCE ­ Good for meeting new people and making new friends; doesn’t feel like exercise so ideal for people who have never really been a fan of sport.

3. WALKING ­ Join a walkers association and make some new friends. There will be walks for all abilities, helping to maintain your fitness level and keep you mobile.

4. NORDIC WALKING ­ Ideal for those with back or joint problems, Nordic walking uses poles to help support your weight.

5. STRENGTH TRAINING ­ Good for preventing osteoporosis as it keeps your bones strong and healthy. Also helps to speed up your metabolism so will burn calories.

NB: It is important to speak to your GP before undertaking new exercise for the first time.

FIT ENOUGH TO DRIVE? For residents of Spain that still possess a UK driving license (naughty!), or for those of you that are frequent visitors to these shores, are you aware of the following laws?

If you’ve developed a medical condition or disability that could affect your driving, you must tell the DVLA, even if you’re not yet due to renew your licence. This also applies if your condition has worsened since your licence was issued.

Many people worry that they’ll be forced to stop driving, but this is not necessarily the case. It’s a legal obligation for you to declare certain conditions. If you have an accident where your health condition may have been a factor and you haven’t declared it, you could be prosecuted and your insurance might not cover you.

Some of the medical conditions that you must declare are, Dementia, Diabetes (if it’s insulin­treated), Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, any chronic neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis, and any condition that affects both eyes, or total loss of sight in

one eye.

Other health conditions may need to be declared, depending on what kind of licence you have and how the condition affects you. For example, you may need to declare if you’ve had a stroke or have cancer, depending on how it affects you.

Having a medical condition doesn’t always mean that you will lose your licence. You should be able to continue driving if your condition doesn’t affect your ability to drive safely. Or else you may need some help to adjust or make adaptations to your car.

Sometimes the DVLA will issue you with a driving licence for 1, 2 or 3 years and then review things again in the future.

The DVLA can also give you a licence that shows you need to fit special controls to your vehicle to help you to drive with your disability. Unfortunately, it can also tell you to stop driving, if you’re not fit to drive.

For more information, go to www.gov.uk/health­conditions­and­ driving

The View

37

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

RECOGNISE THE VIEW? To coincide with the very first edition of THE VIEW, we’re challenging you to identify the COUNTRIES that have these equally famous views. Send your name, contact telephone number and answers by e­mail to editor@theview.es or by post to APARTADO DE CORREOS 255, 03193 SAN MIGUEL DE SALINAS, ALICANTE. Closing date and time for entries is 6pm on Friday 22nd May 2015.

The first entry drawn with the most correct answers will win a “€50 Restaurant Voucher”! You elect which of the many excellent restaurants in our coverage area you’d like to go to, and leave the rest to us!

B

A

D

ow many times have you discovered that one or more of your favourite singers or groups have been on tour in Spain after the event?

THE VIEW is giving you some advance notice of some of the big names due in Spain for the remainder of 2015. Why not combine a concert night out with a couple of days away touring and sightseeing some of the great Spanish cities?

More ticket details can be found www.worldticketshop.com/cou ntries/spanje

F

E

H

G

H

C

I

WHO’S PERFORMING IN SPAIN IN 2015?

14th June – BARCELONA 15th June – MADRID MAROON 5 18th June – MADRID 19th June – BILBAO 20th & 21st June ­ BARCELONA SPANDAU BALLET

6th July – MADRID BOB DYLAN 20th July – MADRID LENNY KRAVITZ

22nd September – MADRID 26th September ­ BARCELONA DIANA KRALL 5th, 6th, 9th & 10th October ­ BARCELONA U2 12th October ­ MADRID DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

1st July – MADRID PAUL WELLER

29th July – SANTIAGO 31st July ­ BARCELONA MARK KNOPFLER

24th October – SAN SEBASTIAN CHARLES AZNAVOUR 5th November – BARCELONA 6th November – MADRID NICKLEBACK 6th November – MADRID 7th November ­ BARCELONA SUPERTRAMP 19th November – BARCELONA FOO FIGHTERS 25th November – BARCELONA MADONNA – THE REBEL HEART TOUR

38

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

THE BIG CROSS WORD

9.

David

Bowie

10.

Danni

Summertime Blues 8. Yesterday His Own Write 6. Bing Crosby 7.

Music Man 4. Abbey Road 5. In 1. Tiger Feet 2. 1994 3. The

Answers:

7. What 1958 Eddie Cochran song became his biggest US hit and a rock classic?

8. What Beatles song did Dr. John remake?

9. Who Celebrated His 50th Birthday In 1997 In New York With Lou Reed And The Cure?

10. In 1993 Who Had A Hit With The Song ' This Is It '?

11. Name The Only Act To Have Had 3 Christmas No.1's In The 90's?

12. Eurovision:足 When Cyprus participated for the first time, what action was taken by Turkish television?

13. How Many Semi Quavers Are There In A Crotchet?

14. What Was The Jams Town Called?

15. In which year was the Summer Of Love?

16. Who Knew Major Tom Was A Junkie?

Minogue 11. The Spice Girls 12.

1. What Was Mud's First No.1 Single?

2. In What Year Did Wet Wet Wet Top The UK Singles Chart For 15 Weeks With 'Love Is All Around'?

3. Till There Was You' was originally from which Broadway musical?

4. Which Famous Album Included The Tracks 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' & Carry The Weight?

5. John's first published book was called:?

6. Who Partnered David Bowie On A Christmas Hit In 1982?

6. "___ don't!" (words of denial) 7. Country bumpkin 8. ___ Reader: bimonthly alternative magazine 9. Regain one's strength

Showed Ads During The Cypriot

MUSIC QUIZ

Down 1. Medieval fur 2. Egyptian dancing girl 3. One with a duster 4. Singer Clark 5. Bank book abbr.

Song 13. 4 14. Malice 15. 1967 16.

67. "Seascape" writer 68. Grafted, in heraldry 69. Do too much of 70. Schlemiel 71. Mae or Nathanael

10. Outline of a plot 11. ___ Highway (route from Dawson Creek) 12. Mirabile ___ 13. Gives (out) 18. Neural impulse transmitters 22. Molybdenite and cinnabar, e.g.

24. Pete Sampas org.

25. Pang 27. Vesicle, e.g.

28. Strip of wood in a latticework 29. Widemouthed pitcher 30. Untouchable Ness 31. New York city where Mark Twain lived 35. Bean足sprouts bean 36. 1250, in old Rome 37. High heel, e.g.

39. Vinelike vegetable 41. Sir Geraint's wife 44. Sonny of Sonny and Cher 46. Looks longingly 49. Like a Freudian slip 50. Reunion attendee 51. Prop for Rogers 52. Was sick 53. Cape Cod town 56. ___ contendere: court plea 57. Lessens 59. "The Last Days of Pompeii" girl 60. Monitors for PCs 61. Editor's annotation 64. Busy insect 65. Suffix with saw or law

David Bowie

Across 1. Seductive woman 5. Bring on 10. Gp. opposed to underage drinking 14. Insects' wings 15. "Rich Man, Poor Man" star 16. Main character in the musical "Xanadu" 17. Knockoffs 19. "To every thing there is a season" Bible book: Abbr.

20. Updike's "Rabbit ___" 21. Set off 23. Awkward person 26. Ariel's planet 27. New broom 32. Deviation in a rocket's course 33. Moonshine maker 34. Footballer Phil 38. Dance lesson 40. Genre of the Japanese film 'Ninja Scroll' 42. Vaccination reaction 43. Go pitapat 45. Word repeated before "gone" 47. Cpl., but not Pfc. 48. Soap opera staple 51. Of the late Iron Age 54. Chopper in a wood shop 55. In flight 58. "The Odyssey" and "The Aeneid" 62. Spin around a shaft 63. Cafe Carlyle singer 66. Vital fluids

The View

39

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

SUDOKU

FILL-IT-IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

Cryptic Across 7. A good line in credit and comfort (6) 8. Got on, round about, and got on (6) 9. Receipts for chopped up teak (4) 10. Bred lice indiscriminately?

Would you believe it!

(8) 11. Busy creatures include little Sidney as well (7)

changing timer (5) 17. Depression is beginning to threaten

Amp Bee Cos Elm Lee Lis Man Sad Say

4 letter words Ante

5 letter words Agent Alert Await Beryl Cabal Clean Crabs Easel Mater Nitre

Omega Owing Padre Reach Scale Sofas Speed Starr Thyme

6 letter words Detest Ladies Madcap Steeds

7 letter words Airmail Aniseed Fatally Maxilla

8 letter words

Distaste Nickname

the end of June (6)

13. Squander (5)

Italian one (8)

12. Start with what I

15. Value (5)

21. Will, from the

did in the restaurant?

17. Tooth doctor (7)

rear, looks dowdy (4)

(8)

20. Male singer (8)

22. Ready, stand on

14. See Earl gets a

21. Dull (4)

the seat (6)

face lift free (7)

22. Sofa (6)

23. Phased out and

16. Coating with

23. Fashioned (6)

formed (6)

female and males

Down

names (6)

Down

1. Being refined is

18. Rays cooked

1. Suave (6)

enough to rub Ena up

steaks (6)

2. Vegetable (4)

the wrong way (6)

19. No right in big

3. Arrived at (7)

2. Cabbage is an

Bob’s habits (5)

4. World­weary (5)

ingredient of cock­a­

21. Precious but

5. Nuisance (8)

leekie soup (4)

expensive (4)

6. Fanatic (6)

3. Got to each, in

Standard

wrong (5)

15. Advantage of

Axis Glad Sank

11. In addition (7)

20. Singer in pub,

4. Bored Jack’s dead

concoction (5)

3 letter words

leader gets a lot after

colour (7)

13. Blow as in wet

professional

practitioner (7)

5. To begin with I read revelation in Times’ article named the nuisance (8) 6. Fanatic Zionist

Across 7. Fold (6) 8. Decided (6) 9. Get (4) 10. Believable (8)

The Big Crossword Answers

12. Make the first move (8) 14. Let go (7) 16. Paint (6) 18. Glides across the ice (6) 19. Fine clothes (5) 21. Beloved (4)

Sudoku Solution

40

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

41

New look 2015 SEAT Ibiza Updated 2015 SEAT Ibiza revealed to tackle the Ford Fiesta but an all-new Ibiza supermini arrives in 2017

T

hese are the first pictures of the new facelifted 2015 SEAT Ibiza, unveiled at the Spanish brand’s home motor show in Barcelona. The car goes on sale later this year priced from around the £11,500 (€15,502) mark.

Although we’ll see a completely new Ibiza as early as next year, this updated version of SEAT’s compact hatchback debuts a more efficient engine line­up, extra safety equipment and new connectivity technology.

The Ibiza’s latest design is a subtle evolution of the previous car – the main changes include new LED running lights, as well as two new alloy wheel designs and two paint colours – both seen here on SEAT’s show stand in Barcelona.

There are also more customisation options now available.

Like the previous Ibiza, the car will be available in three body styles, including the five­door version, a sportier three­ door SC model and a more practical ST estate.

SEAT IBIZA: NEW INTERIOR TECHNOLOGY SEAT’s efforts with the exterior might be small, but it’s addressed the Ibiza’s interior tech more thoroughly, equipping this facelifted model with its second­generation Easy Connect system and even more gadgets.

Compared to sister cars like the Volkswagen Polo and Skoda Fabia, the old Ibiza was lacking connectivity features, but with the option of Mirror Link – reflecting certain apps on your smartphone on the car’s central screen – a DAB radio and

voice control as part of SEAT’s MediaSystem plus option, the Ibiza is now on a par with rivals.

It’s all wrapped up in a new interface that SEAT says should make it easier to use than on­board kit in previous Ibizas, with Apple and Android phones supported.

In addition to this,there is more emphasis on safety, including a new ‘Tiredness Recognition System’ to monitor driver fatigue on the move, as well as what SEAT calls Multi­ Collision Brake. This automatically slows the car down after a crash, and if the airbag is deployed it’ll even apply the brakes and flash the hazard lights to warn other drivers.

UPDATED ENGINE AND SUSPENSION While this extra safety is great, the Ibiza has always been at the sportier end of the hatchback marketand SEAT hasn’t forgotten this with the updated Ibiza. As a result there’s a retuned suspension setup with the option of adaptive dampers, and a new engine line­up.

The entry­level model gets a 74bhp 1.0­ litre three­cylinder petrol. If you want a bit more power you can opt for either a 94bhp or a 104bhp 1.0­litre Eco TSI unit – the latter available with SEAT’s DSG dual­clutch gearbox – which is a turbocharged version of the regular 1.0 petrol.

There’s also a 148bhp 1.4 Eco TSI with Active Cylinder Management, which shuts down two of the engine’s four­cylinders on the move to improve efficiency. This blends decent performance with low consumption, returning a combined figure of 58.9mpg, according to SEAT. If you want even more efficiency, the 94bhp 1.0 Eco TSI Ecomotive betters this by another 10mpg, kicking out just 94g/km CO2 emissions, meaning free road tax.

The 74bhp 1.4 TDI is the most frugal in the range, offering official fuel consumption of 83.2mpg combined and 88g/km CO2, while the 89bhp (also available with a DSG box) and 104bhp TDI turbodiesel units hit over 74.3mpg.

There’ll be three trim levels on offer in the UK from launch, kicking off with the entry­level S version. SE models get air conditioning and a colour touchscreen as standard, while the sportier FR version features some racier design touches.

42

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

CARTAGENA

W

e begin our journey along the Cartagena to Alicante bus route, with the southern most terminus at Cartagena; itself based in one of the most recognisable buildings in the city with its tall, imposing, lighthouse shaped clock tower that dominates the skyline and can be seen as you approach the city from the motorway.

Let’s investigate it a little more....

Like the city of Rome, Cartagena is surrounded by hills. Through the centuries, different civilisations built their cities upon the others within the peninsula limited by the five hills in the Cartagena Port.

Cartagena is the second most populated city within the Murcia region with a population of 200,000 inhabitants – a number that is far exceeded during the summer season.

The municipality of Cartagena has 65 kilometres of coast, beginning at the La Manga strip to the Bay of Mazarron. Within this coastline are two significant ports, The Cabo De Palos and Cabo Tiñoso. The inland area is known as the Campo de Cartagena and indicates the significant agricultural activity of this municipality. Thanks to the amount of annual hours of sun, the warm temperatures and the fertile soil, this plain is the most productive in the whole of Europe. A great part of the water used for the irrigation of this area comes from the Tajo­ Segura system and produces an abundance of lettuce, broccoli, artichokes, melons, water melons, and numerous lemon and orange trees.

The city of Cartagena has grown around its strategic port which has

been inhabited by numerous civilisations. It was founded by the Carthaginian General Asdrubal in the year 229 B.C. remaining under Carthaginian control until conquered by the general Cornelio Escorpion. Under Roman control, Cartagena became an important city and enjoyed many years of wealth and prosperity.

It was called Cartago­Nova (New Carthage) by the Romans.

Inhabited by the Visigoths and Byzantines, it was conquered by the Muslims and re­conquered by Alfonso X in 1242. In the 18th century it was named the capital of the Spanish Navy’s Maritime Department and the city was heavily fortified with numerous military constructions like the Arsenal, the Muralla Del Mar (Sea Wall) and the castles and barracks to protect its port. At the end of the 19th century, Cartagena became one of the richest cities of Spain thanks to its mining industry.

Cartagena is a city full of monuments, with many archaeological sites and outstanding buildings of historical interest, together with the charm of the sea and the typical bustle of a port city. Dirty and very polluted in the past (due to the nearby Refinery), the new redevelopments (like the initiative "Cartagena, Port of Culture") and restorations have turned it into a major tourist destination. It is a frequent disembarkation point for numerous cruises as the port is the third deepest in the world.

Cartagena is a charming,

compact, coastal city with so many things to see, with over 12 museums, 10 buildings of interest, 4 noteworthy churches and a whole host of monuments not to mention the archaeological sites. You can take the very informative Tourist Bus or perhaps sail out to sea on the Tourist Boat. You can explore the narrow streets of the old town that are jam packed full of character or relax at one of the bars, cafes and restaurants on the waterfront. The main places of interest are as follows:

MUSEUMS

National Museum of Underwater Archaeology ARQUA: large collection of artifacts from shipwrecks which mainly detail the history of trade. Naval Museum CIM: impressive collection of models of ships, maps and a room dedicated to Isaac Peral.

Roman Theatre Museum: discovered by chance in 1987, the theatre has been impressively restored. Military Museum: located inside the artillery headquarters it houses the largest collection of artillery in Spain. Centre for the Interpretation of the Punic Rampart Museum: showing remains of the Punic city wall dating back to 200BC. The House of Fortune Museum: the former home of a prosperous Roman merchant makes up part of the underground city. Augusteum Museum: remains of two public buildings used as a meeting place for the priest of the cult of Emperor Augustus, part of the underground

The View city. Decumanus Museum: the site of the main thoroughfare through the city during Roman times.

Centre of Interpretation of the History of Cartagena: situated on top of Conception hill, displays info about the history of the city including a good video, great views from here over the city.

Civil War Shelter Museum: tunnels into Conception hill completed at the end of the civil wall, now houses displays and information about the war.

Municipal Archaeological Museum: base for all archaeological activity in the city, the museum is situated on a Roman necropolis.

CHURCHES

Church of Santo Domingo: recently restored it has a stunning alter piece of multi coloured wood.

Church Santa Maria de Gracia: started in the 18th century the façade is still unfinished. Church of El Carmen: home to the order of barefoot Carmelites. Caridad Church: the former church of the Caridad hospital, it has an impressive interior with several sculptures by Salzillo.

BUILDINGS

City Hall, Campus Muralla del Mar, Midshipman’s Barracks, Arsenal Gate, Naval Headquarters Palace, Railway Station, Maestre house, Clares House, Cervantes House, Casino, Llagostera House, Grand Hotel, Pedreno House, Dorda House, Zapata House, Urban Expansion Company House, Regional Assembly.

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

43

TRAVEL AROUND SPAIN MADRID ­ is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be around 6.5 million. It’s the third­largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin and its metropolitan area is the third­largest in the European Union after London and Paris. The city spans a total of 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq. mi),

The city is located on the Manzanares River in the centre of both the country and the Community of Madrid; this community is bordered by the autonomous communities of Castile and León and Castile­La Mancha. As the capital city of Spain, seat of government, and residence of the Spanish Monarchy, Madrid is also the political, economic and cultural centre of Spain. The current mayor is Ana Botella from the Partido Popular (PP).

Due to its economic output, high standard of living and market size, Madrid is considered the major financial centre of Southern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula; it hosts the head offices of the vast majority of the major Spanish companies, such as Telefónica, Iberia or Repsol. According to the 2014 report in Monocle magazine, Madrid is the 17th most liveable city in the world.

While Madrid possesses a modern infrastructure, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighbourhoods and streets. Its landmarks include the Royal Palace of Madrid; the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House; the Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631; the 19th­century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives; a large number of National museums and the Golden Triangle of Art, located along the Paseo del Prado and comprising three art museums: Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, a museum of modern art, and the Thyssen­Bornemisza Museum, which completes the shortcomings of the other two museums.

Cibeles Palace and Fountain have become the monument symbol of the city.

BARCELONA ­ is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain and the country's 2nd largest city, with a population of 1.6 million within its administrative limits. The urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million people, being the sixth­most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan. It is the

important city in the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world­class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

Barcelona is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair/exhibitions and cultural­sports centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts, all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.

Barcelona is a transport hub with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles above 35 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network and a high­speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.

CÁDIZ ­ is a city and port in south western Spain. It is the capital of Cádiz province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia.

Cádiz, the oldest continuously­inhabited city in Spain and one of the oldest in Western Europe, has been a principal home port of the Spanish Navy since the accession of the Spanish Bourbons in the 18th century. It’s also the site of the University of Cádiz.

VALLADOLID ­ is a city in Spain and the de facto capital of the autonomous region of Castile and Leon. It has a population of 309,714 making it Spain's 13th most populous municipality and north western Spain's biggest city.

The city is situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within five winegrowing regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Tierra de León, and Cigales. Its name is linked to the 8th­century Muslim Caliph Al­Walid I who ruled the Islamic Empire between 705­715 while it included "Valladolid".

Despite its unique site — on a narrow slice of land surrounded by the sea — Cádiz is, in most respects, a typically Andalusian city with a wealth of attractive views and well­ preserved historical landmarks. The older part of Cádiz within the remnants of the city walls is commonly referred to as the Old Town (Casco Antiguo). It is characterized by the antiquity of its various quarters (barrios), among them El Pópulo, La Viña, and Santa María, which present a marked contrast to the newer areas of town. While the Old City's street plan consists of narrow winding alleys connecting large plazas, newer areas of Cádiz typically have wide avenues and more modern buildings. In addition, the city is dotted with numerous parks where exotic plants flourish, including giant trees supposedly brought to Spain by Columbus from the New World.

SEVILLE ­ (Spanish: Sevilla) is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, Spain. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir. The inhabitants of the city are known as sevillanos or hispalenses, after the Roman name of the city,

largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres (1,680 ft.) high.

Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an

Hispalis. Seville has an approximate municipal population of about 703,000, and a metropolitan population of about 1.5 million, making it the fourth­largest city in Spain.

Its Old Town, the third largest in Europe with an area of 4 square kilometres (2 sq. mi), contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Alcázar palace complex, the Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies. The Seville harbour, located about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain. Seville is also the hottest major metropolitan area in Europe, with summer average temperatures of above 35 °C. Seville was founded as the Roman city of Hispalis, and was known as Ishbiliya after the Muslim conquest in 712. During the Muslim rule in Spain, Seville came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Córdoba before becoming the independent Taifa of Seville; later it was ruled by the Muslim Almoravids and the Almohads until finally being incorporated into the Christian Kingdom under Ferdinand III in 1248. After the discovery of the Americas, Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire as its port monopolised the trans­oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratación (House of Trade) wielded its power, opening a Golden Age of arts and literature. In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan departed from Seville for the first circumnavigation of the Earth.

Valladolid was originally settled in pre­Roman times by the Celtic Vaccaei people, and later the Romans themselves. It remained a small settlement until being re­established by King Alfonso VI of Castile as a Lordship for the Count Pedro Ansúrez in 1072. It grew to prominence in the Middle Ages as the seat of the Court of Castile and being endowed with fairs and different institutions as a collegiate church, University (1241), Royal Court and Chancery and the Royal Mint. The Catholic Monarchs, Isabel I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, married in Valladolid in 1469 and established it as the capital of the Kingdom of Castile and later of united Spain.

Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid in 1506, while authors Francisco de Quevedo and Miguel de Cervantes lived and worked in the city. The city was briefly the capital of Habsburg Spain under Phillip III between 1601 and 1606, before returning indefinitely to Madrid. The city then declined until the arrival of the railway in the 19th century, and with its industrialisation into the 20th century.

44

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View

The View

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

45

46

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

MURRAY MINTS IT IN MADRID

E

ven before Andy Murray scribbled his signature accompanied by the words “Marriage Works” on a TV camera, tennis followers had already noticed that something in his life must have given the Scot a renewed boost to his performance.

His victory against local favourite and Spanish No1, Rafael Nadal on clay for the first time in his career came just a week after he claimed the Munich Open title – his first ever title on his least favourite surface. It took the No2 seed just

short of 90 minutes to stun Nadal and take the final 6­3, 6­2 and in doing so secured the 10th Masters title of his career. His achievement was the more remarkable as he didn’t lose a single set all week!

Rafa, ever the sportsman and perfect ambassador for his sport and his country, spoke during the presentation of the trophies following his defeat. He said: “It’s an honour to be able to play here, Madrid always gives me affection whenever I am here. Sincerely, there is no place in the world where you feel the affection of Madrid, so

thanks for everything.

“Congratulations to Andy, he was much better than me. It was not the match that I wanted, that I expected. I tried until the end but it is one of those days that we will not remember. Even so, it is not nice to finish this week like so. It has been an important week.”

Nadal’s defeat saw him drop to seventh in the ATP rankings when they were released on Monday. His uncle and coach Toni Nadal spoke to local media after the game and admitted that the match had gone badly. “Murray played very well

THE PERFECT GOAL IN ONE

S

pain has recruited some of their biggest names in football in the battle to stage the 2022 Ryder Cup, using both Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez to front up their bid to lure the event to the PGA Catalunya Resort, near Girona.

“Come and play the Ryder Cup at my home,” was the message from Catalan Guardiola, the former Barcelona manager who is now in charge of German champions Bayern Munich, in a video shown to Ryder Cup Europe officials during their visit recently to the area.

It also featured Barcelona midfielder Xavi while one of his team­mates, Andres Iniesta, owns a plot at the venue chosen by the Spanish as they attempt to come out on top in a bidding process that also has Germany, Italy, Austria and Portugal in the mix.

“Barcelona is a football town and we’d be silly not to use it,” declared bid manager Matt Wilson, who accompanied the Ryder Cup Europe delegation during a trip to the Nou Camp.

As well as seeing some of the officials hitting chip shots on the turf where Lionel Messi is normally scoring yet another hat­ trick, the visit also granted PGA Catalunya officials a golden photo opportunity by planting a flag bearing its logo in the centre circle.

While the help of such high­profile sporting figures has been appreciated by the Spanish bid team, they believe their “ace in the pack” is the Stadium Course at PGA Catalunya, both in

terms of the test it provides and also its overall suitability for a Ryder Cup. “We are trying to recreate the Scottish model,” revealed Wilson. “European Golf Design pretty much picked up the Gleneagles site plan, threw it in the air and plonked it down here and said it fits. The course configuration works and no major redesign is needed – it is there now.” That wasn’t the case when Spain lost to France in the bidding for the 2018 match. Then, Ryder Cup Europe officials visited Madrid to see what was controversially described as a “grassed over rubbish dump” as the proposed course there had still to be built.

Another strong element of this Spanish bid is the transport system in the area. The PGA Catalunya resort, designed by British veteran Neil Coles and Spaniard Angel Gallardo, sits between two main highways while the Costa Brava airport is only 15 minutes away. “We are also building a new rail station at Girona Airport to link with Barcelona station,” said Wilson, “and if we get the 2022 event one of the plus points for spectators will be getting from Barcelona city centre to the first tee in 45 minutes.”

The keenly­awaited decision was expected this October, though it is being rumoured that may now be moved forward.

“If we are successful,” said PGA Catalunya’s head green keeper, David Bataller, with a smile, “the icing on the cake would be for Sergio [Garcia] to be the European captain and Tiger [Woods] the American captain.

How good would that be?”

and us, terrible,” he said.

We have had problems with the backhand and that threw him off. He lacked everything to win. He had a pretty good tournament. He will be one of the favourites [for the French Open] and I trust that he will play as he did against Berdych and Dimitrov.

He will not be the top seed but he will have options [to win].”

Did anyone else notice a slightly bigger and brighter smile on Andy Murray’s face when he won?

The View

Marriage to Kim, perhaps, or was it possibly because he’s had some work on his top set of teeth?

A GOLD MEDAL FOR RAFA – FROM SPAIN!

O

ne of Spain’s greatest ever sporting superstars, Rafael Nadal, has been awarded a “Gold Medal for Merit in Work” – one of the top civilian honours in the country.

The Council of Ministers awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in Work in June last year, but Nadal was unable to collect the award as originally planned because he was recovering from an operation. It was appropriate that he collected it on May 1st – the day celebrating the workers. The AFP quoted Nadal as saying, “I never imagined getting a medal like this at such an important place for our country as this. I am very grateful. I always try to give all I have in everything I do. I think this has been one of the keys to my success in my sports career.

This has been a time of highs and lows, let’s hope that with the daily work I am doing I can recover my stability and the path to victory.”

In the ceremony held at the Palacio de la Moncloa – the official residence of the Spanish Prime Minister ­ it was pointed out that this award is given in recognition of a useful and exemplary conduct in the performance of any work. Mariano Rajoy stressed that Rafael Nadal was also given the award "for his efforts, for the demand on himself, for his enthusiasm, his balance, his modesty and the way he keeps his feet on the ground. It’s for a job well done that has led to the great successes that we all know."

Mariano Rajoy also had a message for everyone in the country as he presented the award to Nadal. “Many people in Spain may not have experienced it yet, but things are starting to get better and I am convinced that this year and in the coming years too, more people will find themselves with work. The challenge then is when you have a job to perform it decently; this is what has made Rafael Nadal.”

The View

47

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

PASS THE BALL, SI VOUS PLAIT!

G

areth Bale is reportedly becoming isolated in the Real Madrid dressing room because of his inability to claim a full grasp of the Spanish language.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, despite moving to the Bernabeu for a world record fee in the summer transfer window nearly two years ago, and having regular Spanish lessons, the Welshman is not confident enough to take part in interviews without a translator, Bale’s inability to communicate to a high enough standard with his team­mates and coaching staff is being cited as one of the reasons behind the frustration in the dressing room with him.

Despite having the £85m price tag, Bale has come under heavy criticism this season, most recently following a poor performance in Real's Champions League semi­final first leg against Juventus, which they lost 2­1.

Bale has only scored 13 league goals this season – a disappointing total when you look at the striking success of La Liga contemporaries such as team mate Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Jonathan Barnett, Gareth Bale’s agent, claimed that

B

the 25­year­old is enjoying a good season, despite the criticism, and if he was used correctly, he could be the best player at the club. “We’ve been vindicated by these statistics and it’s what we’ve been saying all along. It proves that people don’t know what they’re talking about when they criticise Gareth. Real have to work with Gareth and pass the ball to him more. Give him more of the ball and let him show everybody what he’s good at. He’s going to be the best player at Real Madrid when his team­mates work with him and help him.”

LEWIS STUMBLES IN BARCELONA

D

espite being beaten by his Mercedes team mate in all four of this season’s opening races, Nico Rosberg held off Lewis Hamilton in an almost perfect victory in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

He’s now cut the gap to 20 points at the top of the table.

Rosberg led from the 16th pole position of his career all the way to the chequered flag and was his first win since last November’s Brazilian Grand Prix and the

IT’S SPAIN “v” ITALY IN JUNE!

arcelona's Neymar struck twice to put the Spanish side in the Champions League final despite a 3­2 loss at Bayern Munich as they progressed 5­3 on aggregate and will face Juventus in next month’s final.

The tricky Brazil forward's double in 14 first­half minutes killed off the hosts' slim chances following the Spanish side's 3­0 first­leg win at the Nou Camp last week over their former coach Pep Guardiola's team.

The Spaniards are now one victory away from triumphing in each of the three titles they are chasing including a domestic league and Cup double and the Champions League where they will play in the showpiece game in Berlin on June 6.

Barcelona, into an eighth European Cup final, will make their first appearance since 2011, when they won the trophy under Guardiola.

It was Barca's first Champions League away defeat this term as Bayern ended a four­game losing run in all competitions, but Guardiola's aura of invincibility has been hit after he failed for the second season to reach the final with the German club.

Following the game, Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said, “Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is the best player ever! He is the best player of all time and I compare him with Pele. I am so happy to see this football.”

Messi, who is enjoying a sensational season and has scored 10 goals in Europe’s elite competition alone, destroyed Bayern in Barca’s 3­0 first­leg win after scoring twice last week.

“He is back, he is there where I had the privilege to train him,” Guardiola, who twice won the Champions League with the 27­year­old in his four years at Barca between 2008­2012, told reporters. “He is definitely back at his best.”

ninth of his career.

Hamilton, who slipped from second to third at the start of the race, made a great comeback and continued with his three­pit stop tactics, to finish behind Rosberg to deliver another one­two for the dominant Mercedes team. However, it was another day of disappointment for struggling McLaren­Honda, featuring former British world champion Jenson Button who finished 16th, who are yet to register any points this season.

PIETERSEN’S 326 PLUS MAJORITY

E

But he’s not on the front bench!

nglish crickets very own jar of Marmite, Kevin Pietersen, has been told by the newly appointed Director of Cricket, Andrew Strauss, that there is no chance whatsoever that he’ll ever adorn the 3 Lions of an England cap again.

This goes totally against the advice he took from the Chairman of the England Cricket Board (ECB), Colin Graves that Pietersen needed to get plenty of runs in County Cricket and let his bat prove he’s good enough to be selected.

In an interview with the media on the evening of his remarkable 326* at The Oval, he was bordering on the furious when he admitted that he’d given up the chance of a very lucrative contract to play in the IPL – currently taking place in India – so he could do all he could to get his England place back. It’s now not going to happen.

His 326 not out overnight was extended to an unbeaten 355, a career best score, and included 36 x 4s, 15 x 6s and from 396 balls. Surrey’s 10th wicket partnership was worth 139 runs, of which the No11 batsman, Matt Dunn, contributed 5 and saw Surrey bowled out for 557 in their game with Leicestershire.

Should Kevin Pietersen be picked for England?

Should his previous attitude and apparent disruptive influence override someone’s ability? Contact THE VIEW at editor@theview.es with your views.

Messi, who last made the final under Guardiola in 2011 when Barca won it, has also scored 40 goals in La Liga this season. “When Barca have the ball they are extremely strong. I hope in Berlin they can win the fifth European Cup,” said former Barcelona player Guardiola, who has failed to reach the final with Bayern in his two seasons in charge.

“We tried everything. But we had a lot of problems (with injuries) and when you play with so many problems for two months and the players keep charging forward then the team deserves a big compliment.” Bayern were without wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery plus defenders David Alaba and Holger Badstuber but, despite a 2­1 deficit in the first half, they dug deep to score twice and avoid a first home loss in the competition this season.

In the remaining semi­final on Wednesday, Juventus will face Barcelona in the Champions League final after Alvaro Morata came back to haunt former club and holders Real Madrid with the precious away goal in a 1­1 draw in the second leg to progress 3­2 on aggregate.

With Juventus leading 2­1 from the first leg, Cristiano Ronaldo’s first­ half penalty had put the hosts ahead on away goals. However, Morata, who left Madrid for the Italian champions last July, struck the vital blow when he volleyed home Paul Pogba’s knockdown on 57 minutes to take Juventus to their first final in 12 years.

48

Edition 1 - May 15th 2015

The View