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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

THIS WEEK IN PAGE 3 – MORTAL IN MAGALUF / BLATANT SCAREMONGERING PAGE 4 – WILL YOU BE AFFECTED PAGE 5 & 6 – SPANISH NEWS PAGE 8 – WE’RE NOT ALL LIKE THE POPE PAGE 9 – LIKE IT OR GRUMP IT PAGE 10 – SPANISH NEWS PAGE 12 – THE VIEW FROM THE LION’S DEN PAGE 13 & 14 – SPANISH NEWS PAGE 15 – CROCKER’S CORNER / THE CABIN VIEW PAGE 16 – READERS LETTERS & LOTTERY RESULTS PAGE 17 – SEALED, NOT SIGNED, 800YEARS AGO PAGE 18 & 19 – UK RELATED NEWS PAGE 20 – WORLD NEWS FEATURES PAGE 21 – WHY­DE­WHY NO MORE HI­DE­HI PAGE 22 – THE GREAT CENTENARIANS PAGE 23 – THE VIEW THROUGH THE LENS PAGE 24 – CLAPPERBOARD PAGE 25 – OLLIE’S MOOD SPILLS PAGE 26 – THE VIEW ON NOSTALGIA – 12 JUNE 1997 PAGE 27 – FOR YOUR INFORMATION 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 – TAKING A TRIP WITH GEORGE PAGES 38 & 39 – PUZZLE PAGES PAGE 40 – CAPTION COMPETITION PAGE 41 – MOTORING PAGE 42 – BUS JOURNEY – SAN PEDRO DEL PINATAR PAGE 43 – TRAVEL AROUND SPAIN ­ IBIZA PAGES 44 & 45 – CLASSIFIED ADVERTS / THE VIEW OUTLETS PAGES 46 & 47 ­ SPORT

The View

EDITOR’S WEEKLY MESSAGE I

have been known to have various reputations – most of them good! After this week, any credence I had in the areas of horse race tipping and weather forecasting has well and truly flown out of the ventanas.

Please accept my apologies for suggesting that you had a “cash investment” on Success Days at The Derby last Saturday. It came in last. And if you took the brolly with you on Wednesday and not Thursday morning, I’m sorry! Feel free to do an impression of Sybil Fawlty when you next see me and slap me on the back of the legs with one!

Before we receive another mountain of e­ mails about this week’s beautiful front cover on THE VIEW, I can tell you it’s of the spectacular Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland.

You’ll see from the list of contents alongside these scribblings that we have even more new features in this week’s edition. It’s a big welcome to Chris Ashley and his first “Crocker’s Corner” and anyone that’s ever followed Chris on radio will, I know, enjoy his regular wealth of stories and experiences. We also look forward to more contributions from Rob Barnes who shares his experiences of a fascinating few days in the country.

My thanks go to Malcolm who contacted me about people holding driving licenses for the longest time. He’s had his now for 63 years! Can anyone beat that? Please contact me at editor@theview.es We also have a feature this week called The Great Centenarians, on Page 22. We’re trying to find out who our oldest reader is and we’d love to do a story on them. Again, please contact me if you know somebody close to or over 100 in your locality.

I’m not watching it, but I see the spin and

the excuses are already emanating from the mouth of the coach of the England Women’s Football Team as they partake in the World Cup in Canada. They lost 1 – 0 against France on Tuesday but Mark Sampson said that they played a fantastic game and were excellent.

No, Mark. Your girls lost. If they’d played that well they would’ve won.

If it’s possible, since my involvement with THE VIEW, I’ve taken an even bigger interest in the world of news. Whilst understanding the humanitarian aspect of the exercise, I do think that Royal Navy warships collecting migrants and giving them transport to Europe is fuelling the immigration debate to dangerous levels. There’s a school of thought that if these people are paying upwards of $5,000 to illegal people traffickers for their freedoms, surely that money can buy a legal air ticket to the country of their choice and attempt to begin a new life there?

As I write this piece on Thursday lunchtime, I’m saddened at the breaking news of the passing of Ron Moody at the grand age of 91. Sir Alec Guinness played the first screen incarnation of Fagin in the 1948 David Lean adaptation of Oliver Twist, but it was Moody’s in the ’68 Lionel Bart musical that made him world famous. In recent months I’ve enjoyed my own limited experience of treading the boards, but I really would love to play the part of Fagin one day!

For me, “Reviewing the Situation” is one of the greatest performances in any film musical.

I’m loathe to bring a weather forecast to you again this week, and ‘am tempted to simply quote my previously mentioned and former radio colleague Chris Ashley when he often said, “It’s Spain. It’s June, and it’s hot and sunny! What else do you need to know?”

He’s more or less spot on for the coming week, with temperatures hovering around the late 20s, plenty of sunshine, a few clouds on Monday but getting muggier overnight.

Enjoy THE VIEW.

THE VIEW WANTS YOUR VIEWS We’re always looking for both experienced and budding contributors to THE VIEW, so if you have opinions and thoughts on a particular subject or an interesting life story that you’d like to share with our readers, please contact us at editor@theview.es If you or someone you know is looking for work in the area of sales, then please see our advert on Page 19.

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The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

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MORTAL IN MAGALUF

Barcelona attracting the wrong tourists too L

By Darren James

eave ‘em alone,” they say. “They’re only enjoying themselves.” In modern day speak, that translates to “they’re drunk”, for there can be no other reason to explain the appalling behaviour we’ve witnessed from the newly christened Mortal Magaluf.

Problem is, one person’s (or large threatening group’s) idea of enjoyment is another person’s hell and some of us have witnessed it first hand over the years here in Spain, but thankfully nowhere near to the consistent levels in Magaluf.

They may well have introduced tough new laws as a way of trying to clean up the image of the area, but after one day the local bar and club owners are already complaining about the increased police presence in a bid to stamp out drunken and sexually motivated activities. The punters though just continue to ignore the by­laws. Or is it a case they’re oblivious to them caused by their self­induced stupors The new laws took effect midnight on Monday but local people reported that there were no signs that the bawdy behaviour had changed, even though many of the areas had warning signs.

It’s just like those notices seen around public swimming pools; the ones where at a young age you weren’t quite sure what “no heavy petting” meant. No spitting; No urinating or defecating in the street; No nakedness; No going topless (for the women) and No drinking after hours in the street.

Another new regulation is “Don’t throw bottles and glasses on the floor”. Sounds obvious, I suppose, but if people aren’t doing it there’d be no reason to warn against it. Shops will also be barred from selling alcohol between the hours of

Midnight and 7am, so anyone wanting a drink outside of a club would have to return to their hotel. But the problems don’t end there.

Part of the new by­laws include a €1,000 fine for ‘balconing' ­ a craze for climbing between balconies or jumping into pools – which has seen another person end up in hospital and proudly boasting of that fact.

The girl posted a photograph of herself looking battered and bruised in her sick bed with the words, “So first few hours in Maga wasn’t a success. Managed to topple over the balcony.

Broke my arm and nose and fractured my hip. So lucky to be alive and I’ve still got all my teeth. Sorry to everyone I’ve given a wee fright to.

“Just to let everyone know I’m alive and kicking. Well not kicking, I’ll be wheeling instead. Wheelchair for me.”

In other words, she was drunk, blotto or any other words you want to use to describe this behaviour.

It’s a well­known fact that hotels closer to home in Benidorm are full to bursting most of the year with pensioners of all nationalities. When was the last time the UK tabloids featured the headline of “British Old Fogey Falls To Death”? There’s only one way you can “topple” over the vast majority of hotel balconies and you don’t need me to draw the pictures.

Meanwhile British tabloid reports indicated that tourists attracted to Magaluf had no intention of curbing their holiday drinking habits.

"We're here for a reason, we're here to get f****** mortal and just love life, we're not here to worry about drinking on the street, I do enough of that in Scotland,” Hannah MacDonald, 19, a mental health nurse from Perth in Scotland told The Mirror.

"Fine me, do whatever you want, I'm going to get mortal on the street and I don't care."

And doesn’t that last statement just sum up the attitudes of an increasing number of people? They don’t care. They have no respect for the law and have no concern for the consequences of their behaviour and actions as long as, in their sozzled minds, they’re enjoying themselves. What many don’t realise is if they end up in hospital, even if they have travel insurance, many of the policies don’t cover accidents or treatment caused by drink or drugs. I have no sympathy for them.

It’s not just on Majorca that tourism is causing a problem in Spain. Residents in Barcelona are having their own issues as many local buildings are being turned into drunken youth

hostels bring the Magaluf style antics to once quiet streets.

The problems are centred in an area known as Barceloneta – a tight grid of traditional narrow streets – which has benefitted from its cultural history and its proximity to the beach and a wealth of seafood restaurants. Tourism to this part has no doubt brought prized disposable income to this working class neighbourhood, but it’s now attracting the “wrong kind of tourist”.

Tensions have been high since last August when a series of street protests by residents of all ages began against the increasing amount of anti­social behaviour. Sergio Arnas, a spokesman for the La Barcelona Diu Prou (Barcelona Says Enough) group said, “The problems we’ve been experiencing are unsolvable. Many people have moved out of the area.”

Another campaigner said, "The fundamental problem is that you have people who are on holiday and on that timetable sharing a building with people who have to get up and work each morning.” He explains he was motivated to take action after several flats in his building began to be rented out to groups of holidaymakers. "It's like living in a youth hostel."

It’s not just British tourists causing problems. Outrage at three Italian tourists who ran naked through the neighbourhood and attempted to enter a supermarket sparked the protests last year. According to one resident, "[Tourists] have urinated onto my balcony, they have set fire to laundry, someone’s defecated in the building's hallway.”

I can sympathise with a final comment from Sñr Arnas who says, “Barcelona, in its rush to draw ever more tourists, has opened the doors to drunken, budget tourism, which brings little economic benefit but great social harm.”

“BLATANT SCAREMONGERING” T

he article featured in last week’s edition of THE VIEW (The Truth and the Consequences) generated one of our biggest postbags to date. We’ve reproduced two of them below: Dear Editor, Thanks for a great “Grown Up” news paper; we wish you well. Regarding the debate and possible vote on the Euro membership issue I would like to know the details of the future Health care to be provided to us rather old pensioners who have lived here in Spain for many happy years. We enjoy a health service here that is truly excellent. No one seems to mention this very essential part of our lives.

Nev Johnson, Torrevieja.

Dear Editor, Thank you for a most informative and balanced article in Edition 4 re the possible consequences for ex­pats of an EU Referendum in the UK. The one area that was not mentioned, and that is uppermost in minds of most ex­pats, is the business of our healthcare. Would we still have access to the Spanish National Health Service through our SIP Cards or would we be required to seek private health insurance.

Perhaps another letter/email to Robert Oulds of the Bruges

Group would ilicit a clearing of the air in this respect, and certainly make for another excellent article in your new newspaper.

Thank you and Best Wishes.

Declan Kehoe, Orihuela Costa So I did exactly what Mr Kehoe suggested and contacted Robert Oulds. My letter to him asked the following questions:

If the UK were to leave the EU, would expat residents in general and pensioners in particular still receive the same level of healthcare under the Spanish system? Would everyone need to take our private medical insurance etc? Are these issues covered by similar Articles in conventions and treaties?

His reply was very direct and to the point: Whatever they have they keep. Whatever rights one acquires, one will keep. It’s the same acquired rights.

There seems to be a lot of blatant scaremongering going on.

In other words, if the UK voted to leave the EU, the issue of healthcare would come under the cover of the same Article 70 of the Vienna Convention which, to remind you, says, “Does not affect any right, obligation or legal situation of the parties created through the execution of the treaty prior to its termination.” What rights you have you keep, and that includes healthcare.

Please bear in mind that the advice given by Mr Oulds from the Bruges Group comes from an organisation that contains many Eurosceptics, and so you’d think that they would be doing their very best to put forward views to convince people to leave the EU. What he has done is point me to the FACTS and the LAWS ­ not opinions, interpretations or beliefs.

As the debate about the UK’s future in the EU develops over the coming weeks and months, THE VIEW will continue to monitor any implications for residents of Spain and publish them accordingly.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

WILL YOU BE AFFECTED?

D

o you own a Spanish property? Are you normally resident in Spain or is your property a holiday home? Do you have an updated Will?

New regulations are due to come into force on 17th August 2015 which are intended to harmonise the differing, and sometimes conflicting, laws of the EU countries in relation to the succession of assets.

The intended effect of the new European Succession Regulations (Regulations) is to make things less complicated so that instead of different laws of different countries applying to different assets, just one country’s laws will govern the succession of all the assets in the deceased’s estate.

The default position is that the law of the country in which the deceased has their habitual residence at the time of death will apply and will govern the succession of the whole worldwide estate.

People will however be able to opt for the laws of the country of their nationality (or one of their nationalities if multiple) to apply to their estate instead by properly setting this out in their will.

The Regulations also state that the law chosen does not need to be the law of another EU Member State. This would therefore enable, for example, an Australian national who is habitually resident in Spain to choose Australian law to apply to his estate.

This directive of the EU 650/2012 deals with different aspects, but the reason UK citizens need to look at their will is what the directive says in articles 21 and 22.

Article 22 ­ “Unless otherwise provided for in this Regulation, the law applicable to the succession as a whole shall be the law of the State in which the deceased had his habitual residence at the time of death.”

This is very important for British people living in Spain, because under Spanish law (which has a system of obligatory heirs similar to the ones in France and Italy) you cannot leave everything to your spouse, as 2/3 of the estate must be left to children. In other words if you are resident of Spain, have children and do not establish on your will that you wish English Law (your national

law) is to rule your inheritance, your spouse will not be allowed to receive his/her inheritance as it would contradict the Spanish rules of obligatory heirs which would apply automatically because of the new directive.

There is a solution, as detailed in Article 22.

“A person may choose as the law to govern his succession as a whole the law of the State whose nationality he possesses at the time of making the choice or at the time of death.”

This basically means that you can override the obligatory application of Spanish law (determined by residency explained above) by simply stating in your will that your wish for your estate to be governed by English law.

To ensure this happens, you simply need to sign a new will containing that statement.

It is important to note however that these regulations deal with the laws of succession only i.e. who inherits the assets of the estate.

It does not deal with any tax matters, including inheritance tax. National law will continue to determine how inheritance tax is calculated and whether it is the estate or the beneficiary who is liable for the payment of the tax.

The last of his kind

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usician James Last died in Florida, aged 86, on Wednesday.

Last, born Hans Last, in Bremen in 1929, began his career at a military musical school during the Second World War, specializing in the bass stringed instrument and piano, which he had begun playing at the age of six.

In 1946, he and his brothers were members of a newly formed dance and entertainment band of Radio Bremen public broadcasting. He switched to public NDR broadcasting in Hamburg in 1956 and began orchestral arrangements.

Amongst others he arranged music for Freddy Quinn, Caterina Valente and Helmut Zacharias.

A recording contract with the Hamburg label Polydor in 1964 led to Last's world career as orchestral leader and music arranger. His first LP record had the title "Non Stop Dancing." As an acoustic trademark, background party sounds such as laughter were blended into his band's recordings. International tours followed to many destinations, including Canada, the

Soviet Union, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia and his home Germany.

He appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in the spring as part of a farewell tour he announced after becoming seriously ill last year.

The illness, which took a "life­threatening" turn last September, apparently forced him to face the fact that "a man full of plans, needs to not just slow down but give up his life on tour altogether".

But he said the tour would give him the opportunity to bid farewell to his fans.

"The main thing is that my fans have the best concerts of their lives and we will make this our 'happiest' concert yet.”

All EU countries will apply these regulations with the exception of the UK, Ireland and Denmark who have opted out.

Although the UK is therefore not a signatory to these regulations, the regulations are still of considerable relevance to UK residents and nationals with assets in participating EU countries.

After 17 August 2015, an English national (for example) will be able to create a Will that stipulates that English law is to apply to his/her entire worldwide estate, including property in other participating EU member

states. As such, any EU member state which is a signatory to the regulation would be required not to apply its own succession rules to those assets, and apply English succession law instead.

The Regulations also provide for the issue of a European Certificates of Succession. This is a document similar to a Grant of Probate and provides proof of who is entitled to the assets of the estate. The ECS will be issued by the authorities of the participating Member State in which the deceased was habitually resident and will be recognized by all of the participating Member States.

For example, the beneficiaries of a Spanish National, who dies habitually resident in France, with assets in France, Italy and Spain will be able to deal with all the assets on the basis of the one Certificate which will be recognised not only in the country issuing it (France) but also (in this example) Italy and Spain.

However because the UK has not opted in to the Regulations it is not bound by them or subject to their application. Therefore where a UK national who is habitually resident in Spain has chosen UK law to apply to his/her estate it may still be necessary to obtain a UK grant of probate to administer any UK based assets.

The advice of THE VIEW is to contact your legal representative in Spain for how this may affect you or otherwise. Remember, these new regulations come into force on 17 August and you can draw up a new will after that date. Any death on or after that date will be subject to the new regulations.

The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

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HOT TIMES AHEAD IN THE AREA

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he most important date in the festival calendar of Alicante is only a week or so away. This is the time of the year when the streets in Alicante, Torrevieja and one or two in Guardamar become full with large, strange shaped monuments that people spend all year designing and building only to be sent up in smoke.

The Bonfires of Saint John (Hogueras or Fogueres de San Juan), is a popular festival celebrated around Midsummer throughout many cities and towns in Spain; the largest one takes place in Alicante. The bonfires are particularly popular in Galicia and many Catalan­speaking areas like Catalonia

and the Valencian Community, and for this reason some Catalan nationalists regard 24 June as the Catalan nation day.

For this festival, people gather together and create large bonfires from any kind of wood, such as old furniture, and share hot chocolate while teens and children jump over the fires. If you’re a former fire­fighter from the UK, you’ll probably be in a state of shock when you see what’s allowed to go on in the name of festivals!

Before 1928, the bonfires of Saint John had been celebrated in Alicante as it had been elsewhere in Europe by burning old pieces of furniture on the night of Saint John on June 24. The Bonfires festival was originated in 1928. Jose María Py, the founder of the festival, felt that Alicante needed an important fiesta, and came up with an idea to combine bonfires with a Valencian tradition known as the "fallas" which are now known world­wide.

The modern “fallas” tend to be made up of grotesque, but nevertheless spectacular images often ridiculing the popular (or otherwise) politicians of the day and those in the public eye. They are on display for a couple of weeks before the night of the burning.

The separate bonfires are organised into commissions which fundraise and host the other events throughout the year. A commission usually represents one area, a place or an avenue in the city, but there are many areas with numerous commissions such as Alicante where there are more than 90.

During this time you’ll hear and see the word barraca. It’s a group of friends who don't take part in all the activities, but they raise money only to eat, drink and dance during the festival in a place in the street called a barraca.

The barracas and the racós are places in the street with tables, chairs, a bar, an orchestra and a dance floor. They are places for people to eat, talk, drink, dance and socializing during the festivities. The difference between the barraca and the racó is that the racó is for the entire district and admission is free, while entrance to the barraca is restricted and usually by invitation only. A very important source of financing for the festival is a lottery administered by the commission, although there are other sources such as

tombolas, raffles, or car boot­type sales.

This year, as always, the burning of the fallas takes place on the night of Wednesday 24 June around midnight, although the advice is to get to the sites earlier – especially in Alicante in the Town Hall Square. Wherever you go to experience this very special Spanish tradition, try not to get too close to the bonfires for both the obvious reason of safety AND the fact the local fire brigade not only extinguishes the fires after a short time, they also spray the spectators too!

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

Hottest may since ‘64

N

ot since 1964 have Spaniards seen a hotter month of May than they did this year.

The record temperature for that month, 51 years ago, only exceeded this year’s average 18.6ºC by one­tenth of a degree, according to figures released by eltiempo.es.

Besides being a warmer­than­usual month, rainfall was notable by its absence in most parts of the country.

All weather observatories across Spain reported higher than average temperatures compared to May 2014, and no provincial capital saw thermometers dipping below 0ºC last month.

More temperature records were also broken, with

Badajoz seeing the biggest change in monthly average: the previous high of 21.1ºC, from 2011, was exceeded by 1ºC in May of this year.

When it came to the absolute maximum temperature, Valencia broke the record, seeing a 5.8ºC increase on its previous high of 36.2ºC in 2010. Ávila and Murcia also recorded temperatures 2.4ºC and 3.5ºC higher than in 2006, when maximums reached 30.6ºC and 39.9ºC, respectively, that year.

As for the average maximum temperature, the biggest variations occurred in Girona (26.7ºC), Granada (30.7ºC) and Jaén (29.1ºC), all 1.3ºC higher than the previous records from 2011, 2014 and 2012, respectively.

FIRST CASE OF “SOLACY”

A

Spanish woman from Galicia who says she 'owns the sun' is taking auction site eBay to court ­ because they say she does not. Ángeles Durán sold plots of land on the sun in an online bid, snapping up thousands of euros from buyers.

Since then, eBay declared the auction null and void, saying the sun was 'not a tangible item' which could change hands.

But Sra Durán says the sun is indeed tangible because, in theory, it can be touched, and can be seen, and its rays can be touched and felt. And she says her buyers do in fact have something tangible to show for their money ­ she has given them official deeds, 'the same as those you get when you buy a car'.

Both parties are due to enter arbitration next month at eBay's branch in Madrid.

The seller is suing eBay for €10,000, which she earned from sales of the 'plots'.

A law court surveyor by trade and mother of four children, Ángeles holds a legal document which

THE RECOVERY CONTINUES

D

uring the month of May, 213,015 more people registered as employed via the Spanish Social Security system – an increase of 1.25%. This jump took to overall total to 17,221,31.

Taking the summer months of 2005 out of the equation when immigration regulations were altered, the May 2015 figure is the largest monthly increase registered.

Moreover, year on year, 592,937 people have been added to the system and more than double (261.361) compared to this time in 2014.

On announcing these figures, the Spanish Secretary of State for Social Security, Tomas Burgos said, “What is really important is that every day we have more workers contributing to the system, and has seen sixteen months of positive growth.”

Notable increases in employment have been seen in the catering, construction, manufacturing, administration and support services.

Spanish wages get a boost

I

describes her as “owner of the sun, a spectral G2­type star, located within the Solar System and situated at an average distance from Earth of approximately 149,600,000 kilometres.” She got the idea from USA citizen Dennis Hope, who successfully logged his 'purchase' of the moon in a registrar's office in San Francisco, California.

Durán found out about it when she was researching online for one of the books she has written, Tú, yo y el Alzheimer ('You, me and Alzheimer's').

DON’T JUMP OFF THE ROOF: MAD!

T

he ultimate in extreme sports took place in Benidorm last weekend.

Some 31 of the world’s professionals in the world of jumping from high buildings were in attendance last Friday and Saturday as they competed in the 8th B.A.S.E Jumping World Championships from atop the famous landmark in La Cala – the iconic Hotel Bali. At 525ft (186m) high, it’s the highest hotel in Europe and is now into its 14th year of opening.

The term B.A.S.E is an acronym that stands for the four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: building, antenna, span, and Earth (such as a cliff).

The event got under way at 7am and lasted throughout the days, always dependant on the strength or otherwise of the wind which is the most important factor in these jumps taking place.

The winner of the title was the Italian Maurizio di Palma, considered one of the best in his game with over 3,000 jumps behind him; a figure that few are likely to better. Second place belonged to the only Spanish national that reached the finals, Miguel Gomez, who is a serviceman with the Air Force Parachute Acrobatic Patrol. Third was Frenchman Pascal Dupon.

Needless to say, the event provoked a tremendous degree of interest from locals and tourists alike as they positioned themselves on their hotel balconies and around the pools on sun beds to get the best views and some great action photographs that immediately went around the world via social media.

Firstly, it was the qualifying stages featuring the simpler jumps – if, indeed, there is such a thing in this

The View

sport. That was followed by the exhibition stage giving the participants the chance to demonstrate their acrobatic skills and trying to avoid teammates jumping at the same time.

Lone Spaniard Miguel Gomez told Spanish press that he felt it was one of the most technically challenging championships he’d ever taken part in, judging by the obstacles that needed to be overcome to reach the circular target on the ground. The majority manage to succeed, determined to miss the adjoining large swimming pool and join the bathers.

Saturday’s championship event finished with tributes to those who had been killed in recent years taking part in this extreme sport that is banned in some countries. Those remembered were Kedley Oliveti, Dean Potter, Graham Hunt, Abraham Cubo and Alvaro Bulto. Above all, they paid homage to local chef Dario Barrio, whose death was exactly one year ago to the day and exactly a week before the 2014 championships in which he’d planned to participate.

n another sign of the rebound in Spain's economy, Spanish unions and employer organisations signed an agreement on Monday to raise salaries after having kept wages frozen for the past three years.

The agreement could see salaries increase by 1% this year and 1.5% in 2016. The deal was concluded by the business owners' federations of CEOE and Cepyme, representing small­ and medium­sized businesses, and the main workers' unions UGT and CCOO. It covers a period of three years, but the amount of the increase for 2017 was not specified.

"This accord reflects the reality," said CEOE President Juan Rosell at a press conference, referring to the rebound in Spain's economy growth coupled with a drop in retail prices.

The eurozone's fourth largest economy returned to growth in 2014, with its GDP expanding by 1.4%, after five years of recession or stagnation.

At the same time, retail prices have fallen since July 2014.

But the Spanish labour market remains in difficulty with the overall unemployment rate at nearly 24%, the highest in the eurozone after Greece.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

WE’RE NOT ALL LIKE THE POPE D

espite being christened over 50 years ago, I have been allowed to grow up and make up my own mind on the subject of religion and my beliefs. From the age of five until 16 we had school assemblies, which included traditional hymns and prayers and as I think back to those days while composing this piece, people from all religious backgrounds, apart from one Jewish girl who was excused, took part.

Of course, the period I refer to was in the late 1960s / early 1970s before the current multiculturalism of the East End of London. I say this because I cannot recall any issue with Sikh, Hindu or Muslim schoolmates taking part in what were Christian assemblies.

I wasn’t forced to go to church by my parents and I was only ever in a church in the UK for christenings, weddings and funerals. Apart from one funeral, my only other church visit in Spain was to attend Midnight Mass in Campello, Alicante in 1990,mainly because I gave some elderly neighbours a lift. I stayed and I have to say enjoyed the experience of the music and the singing. Strangely, I’ve always enjoyed some of the great hymns and was a regular watcher of Songs of Praise, Highway and Stars on Sunday, on TV many years ago.

Now, when it comes to religion – a subject like politics, music and humour that shouldn’t be discussed in company – I may class myself as an agnostic verging on atheism, but I don’t disrespect people that are believers in God. Back in the summer of 2010, when my father was very ill and in his final days, I had many people contact me when I was on the radio passing on their thoughts, their wishes and their prayers. As a non­believer myself, prayer is a medium I’ve never turned to, but I would never ridicule or dismiss those that do. In the case of my Dad, if they thought that was their way of helping and caring, then that’s fine by me. It was appreciated.

I respect people’s religious beliefs, but like many, completely condone the fanatics that carry out evil deeds in the name of their God. But that’s another story for another edition. I mention this respect I have for the overwhelming majority as the background to this article, after witnessing one of the great Spanish traditions a couple of Sundays ago when having lunch.

April and May are the traditional months for the First Holy

Communion in the Catholic Church. I know that there are many Catholics in the UK, but was never aware of the Communions until living here, and it made me investigate a little further into the history of the event.

The First Communion, or First Holy Communion, is a Christian ceremony held in the Latin Church tradition of the Catholic Church, as well as in many parts of the Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion, although other parts of these denominations traditionally allow reception of Holy Communion after Confirmation.

First Communion is the commonly used name for a person's first reception of the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and in these Christian churches, occurs typically at age seven to twelve when separated from Confirmation, depending on national custom. In Spain, they tend to be between ten and twelve.

Catholics believe this event to be very important, as the Eucharist occupies a central role in Catholic theology and practise. Lutherans also traditionally observe First Communion.

The sacrament of First Communion is an important tradition for Catholic families and individuals. For Catholics, Holy Communion is the third of seven sacraments received; it occurs only after one's baptism and first confession (the Sacrament of Penance), the first two sacraments, and is practiced universally by all Roman Catholics.

Traditions of celebration surrounding First Communion, usually include large family gatherings and parties to celebrate the event, which was well in evidence in the village of La Marina when I recently witnessed the event. The first communicant wears special clothing that is often white to symbolize purity, but not in all cultures. Girls often wear fancy dresses and a veil attached to a wreath of flowers, or hair ornaments. In other communities, girls commonly wear dresses passed down to them from sisters or mothers, or even simply their school uniforms plus the veil and/or wreath. A

recent news story in THE VIEW, showed the Princess Leonor of Spain at her Communion, proudly wearing her own school uniform. Boys may wear a suit or tuxedo, or their Sunday best.

In many Latin American countries and certainly in Spain, in the ones I’ve witnessed and seen photographs of now grown­up friends, boys wear military­style dress uniforms with gold braid aiguillettes. In Switzerland, both boys and girls wear plain white robes with brown wooden crosses around their necks.

By the time the children attend their First Holy Communion, they know the difference between right and wrong and they are capable of taking responsibility for their own actions. Therefore, they make their First Confession before receiving Communion and they are prepared for this as part of the programme. Children must be baptised and capable of understanding the fact that they are receiving, not ordinary food, but the Body and Blood of Christ, and can receive the sacrament with reverence.

The children are mainly prepared by a team of catechists; parishioners who have a great love for the Eucharist and who wish to pass on their love and understanding to the next generation of Catholics. The family, the school and the priest also have an important role to play in preparing the children.

Of course, the celebration of the sacrament will mean more to the children if they are coming regularly to Mass and the faith is central part of their family life.

I hadn’t appreciated the importance to a Catholic of this significant event as they’re growing up and the amount of pride that their families have when they’ve completed the ceremony. The atmosphere in the church square I witnessed, was indeed that of a wedding, with the guests in their Sunday best and hundreds of group and individual digital photographs taken. I counted at least six children that had their Communion at this service, with standing room only, inside and outside the church. It was indeed a joyous occasion and proves just how important both the Catholic Church and family still is to the Spanish people.

DJ

The View

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

LIKE IT OR GRUMP IT DONNA GEE’S VIEW Poo dunnit? The mystery of the defecating dog T

o put it crudely, the crime story I’m about to tell is a load of poo.

It doesn’t need a Sherlock Holmes to deduce that the chief suspct is of canine persuasion. Anyone can see from the picture on the right that it is a dog. However, this particular dog has a unique talent.

It's a pooch that doesn't poo. At least not on the pavement opposite El Raso's busiest bar area, according to its Spanish owners.

Strange then, that holidaymaker Hayley Holmes (no relation to Sherlock, my dear Watson) recently witnessed it relieving itself of a sizeable brownish deposit.

“It was disgusting,’’ said Mancunian Hayley, who was on a family visit to the urbanisation with her partner Steve and their three-yearold son.

“The dog appeared from nowhere, ran into the road, nearly got run over on the roundabout, then came back and did its business on the pavement across the road. It then squeezed through the gate rails and jumped over the wall of the house where I’m told its owners live.’’

Hayley went on: “I can’t believe its owners don’t stop it from running loose and causing an accident.

A lot of cars and vans use that roundabout and dog poo is a health hazard, particularly for young children. Something needs to be done about it.’’

That’s easier said than done when the dog's owners, who are Spanish, show little concern for its safety and are also in defecation denial.

It also typifies the vast difference between the way the British and Spanish treat their pets.

El Raso community president Phil Hughes says that the poo issue has been taken up with the dog's owners, but nobody has offered to testify or produced video evidence of Pooperdog in action.

The owners insist that the mess is not left by their little darling, but by frightened dogs immediately before they go into the nearby Lagomar Veterinary Clinic.

Their argument, says Phil, is: “Everyone parks outside our house and the dogs do it on the pavement

before going in. Our dog does it in the garden or on nearby wasteland.’’

Really? That’s one clever dog, then. Simon Cowell please note.

There are of course two sides to any dispute and I suspect an element of revenge in the reluctance of the dog’s owners to tighten the lead on their wandering pet.

In the past, their complaints of excessive noise from the bars have resulted in middle-of-the-night insults, both verbal and physical, flying at them from boozed-up Brits.

The latest episode to disturb the peace apparently involved three middle-aged women singing and covorting at 2.45am.

President Hughes accepts that the residents’ complaints are sometimes justified.

On the other hand, Pooperdog’s owners were happy to buy their home at a bargain price knowing full well that holidaying Brits would be knocking back shedloads of booze barely 20 metres from their front door. Hardly the ingredients for a quiet life.

So what should witnesses do if they see Pooperdog performing on the pavement again? “I suggest they deliver it to the owners’ door,’’ says Phil Hughes. “In a pizza box.’’

If the box contains anything like the local pizza parlour served up when I lived in England, the dog’s owners may well think it’s the real thing.

Still, they can always get someone to vet it.

II’M FREE! Pooperdog on the loose near El Raso’s busiest roundabout before heading for home ground (below)

BUS AND BOTHER...

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rom the minutes of last week’s meeting of El Raso Presidents committee: Local bus timetables are printed in a new local paper called The View. They are nor­ mally posted in the bus shel­ ters.

Amusing anecdote ­ when the Secretary asked for a bus timetable in the bus station office he was told: “There aren’t any, you must ask the driver”.

Reply: “But I don’t know what time the bus comes”.

A cut above the rest, that’s EDP

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t was almost a waste of time trying to talk sense into the electricity dimwits of EDP. I say ‘almost’ because I did at least manage to extract a freeephone number to call if they cut your power off.

The communication fiasco over new contracts which I reported on last week had a sequel on Monday when an English­speaking (sur­ prise surprise) EDP employee phoned to confirm the terms of my new contract. A contract which most of my neighbours refused to sign, thanks to the fact the door­to­door agents charged with explai­ ning it spoke very little English.

Unfortunately my efforts to point out the futility of sending mono­ lingual Spaniards to talk business with monolingual Brits fell on ears

WANT TO REPLY TO DONNA? Email your comments to DonnaGee1@aol.com

that were either full of wax or completely disinterested.

So did my attempts to express the local expat community’s anger at homes being cut off recently as a result of an EDP administration mix­ up over direct debit payments. The fault was entirely at the suppliers’ end but I am not aware that they have apologised.

The EDP phone caller was certainly not prepared to make any con­ cessions in a conversation which was being recorded.

I did, however, manage to weedle out a freephone number which customers can call if they have any problems with EDP’s service. It’s 900 907 000 ­ but if you are banking on immediate action, don’t hold your breath.

Despite the fact the company have countless English­speaking cus­ tomers, I doubt the person you get through to will understand a word of what you say. It’s far more likely your call will be cut off.

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The View

FELIPE’S FIRST FORCES FLYPAST

K

ing Felipe VI of Spain oversaw his first Armed Forces Day Parade as reigning Monarch with the rank of Captain General on Saturday.

Although last year's parade which was held on June 8, 2014, was celebrated a few days after his father King Juan Carlos I had announced his abdication, the legislation to

allow that to take place had not been passed and Felipe was present in his role as heir to the throne.

This year's parade was held in Madrid's Plaza de la Lealtad and saw the presence of 600 military personnel, as well as a fly past by seven Spanish air force C­101 aircraft.

The ceremony began with a

solemn salute to the flag before the march past and the act, which lasted 25 minutes in total, also saw homage paid to Spanish military personnel who have lost their lives in the service of their country.

2015's Armed Forces Day kept in line with the austerity imposed in recent years; although the past week has seen the Spanish Armed Forces organize a total of 274 different events throughout the country.

ELECTION UNCERTAINTIES

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ndustry insiders have warned that political instability resulting from the recent municipal elections could be a problem for the Spanish property sector.

During a roundtable discussion at the XI Medcap Forum (mid­sized companies) industry representatives said that the uncertainty and fragmentation of the Spanish political scene is already scaring off investors.

Spain held municipal elections on Sunday 24th May, ushering in the likelihood of left­ wing coalitions in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, and a long process of political wrangling. Any negotiations and deals must be completed by today as Mayors up and down the country are sworn in tomorrow (Saturday) and the new administrations officially begin business on Monday 15th.

Ismael Clemente, head of the Merlin SOCIMI – a real estate investment fund – said a fund similar to his that has lost between €25 and 30 million in a recent financing operation. “This is money that will not be going in bonuses to their employees and by extension, isn’t taxable, leading to a loss in tax revenue,” he said. “The problem is that in Spain we don’t see the numbers.”

Cristina García­Peri, head of the Hispania

Invasion of the moss men

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SOCIMI, pointed out that international capital is “easily scared” and will not like the uncertainty thrown up by the election results, which could leave Spain harder to govern. “It’s not so much about who governs but about actually governing,” she said. “The problem is that the governability in many councils and regional governments is up in the air until the general elections [later on this year].”

She said that three new development projects in Madrid have already been halted because special permission is needed from the city council.

en covered from head to toe in moss have paraded through the streets of Bejar in western Spain to commemorate a daring raid that local legend says helped liberate the town from Muslim occupation some eight centuries ago.

Locals believe that during the reign of King Alfonso VIII of Castile (1155­1214) men camouflaged themselves in moss from local forests to enable them to approach the gates of a Muslim fortress.

Once there, they waited until the drawbridge opened before ambushing the unsuspecting guards. One version of the legend says the guards took fright at the

moss­men's appearance and fled.

Every June the parade coincides with Bejar's Corpus Christi celebration and town­ dwellers shower the moss­men with flower petals as dignitaries and youngsters who have done their first holy communion accompany them.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

THE VIEW FROM THE LIONS DEN I

A POSTSCRIPT

n all my years with the Torrevieja Costa Lions Club, I learned a great deal about others who involve themselves in fund raising activities for all sorts of reasons.

I came across many excellent groups of people who worked tirelessly to help those in the community less fortunate than themselves. However, I have also come across some whose fund raising tactics leave much to be desired.

I recall having spent a weekend fund raising with the Lions at an outdoor event. I happened to be walking past a stall occupied by another local charity group, when I was approached by a man who was standing at the stall. He asked me rather aggressively to purchase a prize draw ticket in aid of his chosen charity and when I asked what purpose the funds were being raised for, he said everyone knows what his charity did and wouldn’t provide me with any information; his tone was becoming more aggressive.

I tried to explain that the Lions had donated over €1,000 to his charity earlier that same year and that I would not purchase a prize draw ticket on this occasion and walked away. He then followed me shouting abuse which was seen and heard by many members of the public. For this reason and the fact that the reputation of the charity was already known for their aggressive tactics, The Lions never again supported the charity concerned.

The great thing about the Lions is that no request for help is accepted without a full and thorough investigation by the Club Community Service Director. You would be amazed at some of the things that were uncovered during investigations and although it is none of my business what people do with their own money, I would strongly advise that everyone should think long and hard before committing their time and money to a charity.

On more than one occasion we had visitors come to Lions meetings to ask for help. One in particular was asking for financial assistance and put forward a very strong case for us to consider. However, on investigation it was discovered that the person had greatly exaggerated the need for help and indeed at the time of the investigation it was decided that in fact there was no need for Lions assistance at all. The town where this request had come from actually has a Lions Club of its own, so to be fair and just in case they had a different perception to ours, I invited them to investigate which they did: they too found that Lions Club assistance was not necessary.

In one investigation the Club were very nearly conned by an individual who was in need of specialist equipment. The

Club had agreed that the person concerned would benefit greatly from the provision of this equipment and we undertook to source, purchase and deliver it, as well as organising some hands­on training in the use of the equipment. The equipment required was such that it could not be purchased "off the shelf" and had to be manufactured specifically to the needs of the intended recipient. At the time, this purchase was the most expensive to be purchased by the Club for a single individual.

As the equipment was duly delivered and said training provided, for some reason the individual decided that the equipment was not suitable after all and it wasn’t what was wanted; believe it or not the colour was an issue! After much discussion between the Lions and the individual concerned, the person said that they would agree to accept the equipment and would sell it privately keeping the money for themselves.

This caused absolute furore within the Club and at the following monthly business meeting the Club agreed unanimously to withdraw the offer of assistance. This left the Club with a very expensive piece of high specification equipment that had been built specifically for one individual.

Thankfully, the Club managed to come to an arrangement with the manufacturer and supplier, which meant that despite the huge costs involved, the Club would not suffer any financial hardship, such was the relationship that Lions have around the world with the business community. The Club later found out that the individual had previously lived in the Canary Islands and had done the exact same thing to a Lions Club there!

The saddest fact in all of this is, that in each case mentioned, those who were being economical with the truth were all British.

You can perhaps understand now why every single request for help was thoroughly investigated and reported and discussed at the Club before any decision was made.

Not all "charities" are what they seem and you cannot guarantee where your financial support is going to end up. I write charities with inverted commas as there are actually a number of "charities" that are anything but. Some individuals set themselves up as charity fund raisers for real charities, take a slice of the takings for themselves, then pass on a percentage to the charity. This practice is all

well and good, providing the public are made aware before they donate.

At a much higher level than local charity fundraising, it has been well documented and investigations have found, that many multi­national charity administrators cream off a high percentage of funds raised. Generally the public know who these organisations are and can decide for themselves whether to donate or not. Locally it is much more difficult to identify.

I once came across a person who raised funds in order to help feed feral cats on the streets. Now whether feeding feral cats at all is right or wrong, I leave that for you to decide, but the person concerned happily announced to me in conversation that in excess of €50,000 had been donated for cat food alone in just one year!

My advice, for what it is worth, is that you should always ensure that you know where your financial support is going and that you deal directly with the actual charity concerned.

I have highlighted a few cases to illustrate to you, that you should be careful when deciding which charity or charities to adopt as your favourite. Please do not stop donating to whosoever your favourite charity is, unless of course you think everything is perhaps not as it should be.

I must say that although all of the aforementioned did actually happen, the majority of local charity organisations can be trusted and I have been delighted to be associated with them over many years.

This postscript on The View from the Lions Den was intended to be short and concise, believe it or not it is, there are still many stories and anecdotes in the old memory bank and from today that is where they will remain.

Iain Bennett

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

GET ON ‘YER BIKE

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artina Scheurer from the Green Party in Orihuela announced the opening of the new cycle path linking the urbanisations of Cabo Roig, La Zenia and Playa Flamenca.

The track runs parallel to the coast for a length of 9.5 kilometres in total with the new works adding just over 6 kilometres to the existing lanes in La Zenia

alongside the N­332.

Although there are still a few weeks remaining to completely finish the works there are many people already using the route that starts at the Centro de Salud in Aguamarina. The challenge now, according to Martina, is to get as many cyclists as possible to use the new feature and at the same time educate users, drivers and pedestrians to respect it. In the sections where the new path actually runs on the road, plastic spacers have been installed to increase the safety of the cyclists and prevent vehicles from entering the bike lane.

Where it’s not been possible for the paths to have their own dedicated area, the speed limit for vehicles has been reduced to 30kph. However, with most of the construction going through various parts of the beaches, they’re unlikely to interfere too much with the traffic.

More work is due to be undertaken from November to link even more of the local areas to this network of cycle tracks.

GARAGE CRACKDOWN

T

he Guardia Civil have announced that following inspections of garages and workshops undertaken in October last year, 17.070 violations were found in 6,548 establishments.

To continue to fight against these illegal activities and to improve and develop investigations, a partnership has been formed between the ANFAC (National Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers), the GANVAM (National Association of Motor Vehicle Dealers) and the Guardia Civil.

This kind of illegal activity violating the regulations in the field of repair and maintenance of vehicles pose serious problems for so many, as they endanger both road and environmental safety.

Under the guise of “Operation Talleres Mecanicos” the Guardia Civil carried out their detailed inspections at a series of garages after becoming aware that so many of them were being operated by people who although they had knowledge of the industry, lacked any qualifications or operating license.

61.7% of those charged were for non­compliance with environmental regulations, 27.9% without the correct municipal licenses and the remaining 10.4% were violations relating to tax and social security issues. As a result, a total of 238 illegal workshops have been closed down and over 1,000 have had to improve their working practices.

Arsenio Fernandez de Mesa from the Guardia Civil has valued the important assistance received from the ANFAC and GANVAM associations in undertaking this

The line is improving

T

he railway organisation of Valencia (FGV) has awarded more than €26m for the modernisation of the railway that links Benidorm to Denia.

Known as Linea 9 (Line 9) it’s part of the large TRAM railway system that is based in Alicante. Millions of Euros have been invested in recent years in the entire system attracting increased numbers of users year by year.

The money will be spent on improvements to the current diesel rolling stock, renewal of the track between Altea and Teulada and renovation to the stations on that line including Teulada, Gata, Denia, Calpe, Altea and Benidorm.

Keep an eye out in THE VIEW for the train timetables for the Alicante to Benidorm to Denia lines in a future edition.

F

major exercise, saying that the advice they received was invaluable when entering and reviewing the garages. They certainly couldn’t have done it without them.

Over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in the number of violations as a percentage of the inspections undertaken. In 2010, there were 101 inspections with 56 infractions, 2011 (61 – 308), 2012 (640 – 2106), and in 2013 (1305 – 5406). The figures from 2014 above are confirming the activity.

Meanwhile Mario Armero, Executive Vice President of ANFAC said that there was a worrying trend in the repair of vehicles. Over the past six years there has been a 30% drop in the usual turnover, equating for more than 12 million repairs annually in the same period, and the blame has been laid as a result of consumers spending less and not carrying out essential repairs, especially in older vehicles

ans of both military and civil acrobatic aircraft are in for a treat at the end of the month.

Saturday and Sunday, 27 and 28 June sees the spectacular Aerial Acrobatics Festival in Los Alcazares, close to the sea between San Javier and Cartagena. It all begins on the Saturday evening, at sunset, featuring an international aerobatic team performing alongside the firework display.

Sunday is the main display in the skies close to the Yacht Club between 10am and 2.30pm. The best way to see the event is to drive close to the area, park up and look up.

cuisine and the establishments of La Mata. 5,000 brochures are available with the details of all the places taking part in the 2015 event.

As always, members of the public will be asked to vote for their favourite tapa and will be entered into a draw with the chance of winning a coffee machine courtesy of Esparcia.

he Archaeological Museum of Guardamar is currently hosting an exhibition with the title of “La Laguna de la Mata. Las Salinas históricas de Guardamar”. It’s all about the history of the Salt Lakes in the area and is part of a series of events under the cover of “Alicante – Land of Sea and Salt”.

You can find the museum in Calle Colon No60, Guardamar, just a couple of minutes walk from the Town Hall. There’s no rush to visit the exhibition as it’s planned to remain open until December 2016.

LA MATA JOINS THE TAPAS TRAILS

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is the season for the villages and towns in the area to bring the tastes and drinks of Spain to the people in the form of Tapas Trails. For this weekend and next, La Mata is the place to be.

Torrevieja’s Tourism Councillor, Luis Maria Pizana, along with some of the hostelry owners of La Mata, Tomas Arenas and David Lacal, announced on Wednesday details of the third "Tapas in La Mata". Some 25 bars and restaurants are taking part. Events got under way yesterday (Thursday) and will be held until Sunday June 14, and then next week from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 June from 12:00 to 16.30 and 19:30 to 23:00 hours. The tapas and the drinks on offer will only be €2.

Luis Maria also announced that as something new for La Mata this time around, and at a set cost of just €4, selected brands of Gin & Tonic will be available.

The councillor went on to say that the tapas trails have been very successful since their inception and that its continuation is intended to promote further the local

SKY FEST

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SALTED!

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

DOLPHINS HELP THOUSANDS

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ver the past ten years, hundreds of children from around the world affected by various conditions have visited Benidorm with their familes to undertake a very special treatment with a very different therapist. A dolphin.

In 2004, the Aqualandia­ Mundomar Foundation set up the project which no other activity park has in Europe, and to date some 3,000 children have taken

part.

Last year, 231 children with conditions as diverse as autism, spina bifida, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy benefited from this experience. Mundomar say that the dolphin therapy “is an established activity performed for the past ten years from May to October but no two treatments are the same, such is the complex nature of those being treated.”

The families of the children that

Killer condition returns

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atalan public health authorities have detected the presence of diphtheria bacteria in eight children who have had contact with a six­year­old boy from Olot (Girona), who was confirmed as having contracted the disease last week.

The youngster, who is stable but in a very serious condition in the Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, had not been given vaccinations due to the wishes of his parents.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the health chief for the region, Boi Ruiz, said the eight children in question “had not developed the disease thanks to them having been vaccinated,” but that they had been confined to their homes in order to prevent them infecting the three percent of children in the Garrotxa area who have not been vaccinated.

“We have carried out a blood smear test on 57 children who were close to the [confirmed case], and the bacteria is in eight of them,” Ruiz explained, adding that the children would begin receiving a course of penicillin in order to eliminate the diphtheria from their systems.

Despite the advances made by the regional health department, the authorities in Catalonia still do not know where the outbreak originated.

As such, Ruiz has recommended that all associations that will be organizing summer camps in Garrotxa, where the victim is from, require all parents to present their children’s vaccination cards.

The case has seen a huge increase in requests for vaccinations against the disease. Last week saw immunizations against diphtheria rise by 23%, particularly among adults (28.5%), babies aged less than six months (27%) and children aged over 18 months (22%).

In 1613, Spain experienced an epidemic of diphtheria. The year is known as "El Año de los Garrotillos" (The Year of Strangulations) reflecting the serious symptoms of the condition. This current outbreak in Spain is its first since 1986. In the UK, before a vaccination programme was introduced in 1940, diphtheria was a very common condition and one of the leading causes of death in children.

The vaccination programme has been very successful. Since 2010, there have been only 20 recorded cases of diphtheria in England and Wales, and one death.

have benefitted from this experience say that the smiles of their loved ones are the most rewarding. From a scientific point of view, the treatment improves concentration, attention span and speech and may show signs of improvement in their conditions following the sessions.

Mundomar has trained professionals in their field and a foundation was created in 2009 to establish the first school of dolphin therapy in Europe. It also collaborates with associations and NGOs such as Aspanion, Cruz Roja, Pequeño Deseo o Doble Amor.

Since celebrating their tenth anniversary last year, they have continued to launch projects on environmental conservation awareness especially related to marine biology.

The View

The View

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

Crocker’s Corner

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HRIS ASHLEY has been (with no hyphen) a well­known voice on both local Costa Blanca radio, in the UK (BBC and TalkSport), and all four corners of the world for more than 40 years. Known for his unique and whimsical broadcasting style THE VIEW is pleased to welcome “the Crocker” to share some of his anecdotes using the written word.

Welcome to Crocker’s Corner. Now that I am a self unemployed as a radio presenter let me thank THE VIEW Crew for doing their bit for care in the community and giving me a scribble zone...NO...not a dribble zone!

Apparently the great writers ­ Hemingway, Steinbeck, Wilde, Katie Price advise always to write about the things you know, so it is either cheese label collecting (Fromolgy, yes honest) or radio. Well, as the current & final Mrs Ashley trashed my cheesy collection because she thought it was childish and behind the times – that’s the last time she’s playing on my space hopper ­ it is the theatre of the mind. RADIO! Some puckish souls reckon I got into broadcasting two weeks before good old Guglielmo Marconi did his first broadcast in 1901, but no. It was early 1970s when I joined BBC Radio Brighton, and strutting his funky stuff through the portals on the same day was Des Lynam...not sure what became of him. My first task was driving the radio car for the newsroom (which was a bit odd because I didn’t have a valid driver’s license at the time; well the chap who was Head of BBC Blame & Rubber Bands never asked to see it), and the first job was reporting on the discovery of the body of a Hells Angel wrapped in chains sleeping with the fishes at the bottom of Shoreham Harbour.

On the same day a complete hand brake

Diva.

The daft thing was I had 6 copies from EMI of the record which in high dudgeon I turned into ash trays and Frisbees and when Larry/Freddie died in 1991 they were worth about a hundred quid each....doh.

turn covering a bowls tournament in Worthing...deep joy...although in fact it got a bit feisty when 2 octogenarians got into a punch up. There is no hell, there is only Worthing.

So an exciting start for this thick lump of a lad who stumbled at the first educational hurdle of the dread 11 plus at Our Sacred Lady of the Broken Windows & Bunged Up Bog – a very rough, tough school...we had our own in­house coroner.

I got to interview many mega stars...true giants of the pop world. Lieutenant Pigeon, the bass player with Freddie & the Dreamers whatever was his name? (Ed the Anorak ­ Pete Birrell), and Larry Lurex …who?...a.k.a.

Freddie Mercury trying to jump on the Gary Glitter bandwagon which is something you would avoid now like a Sepp Blatter endorsement. In 1973 he covered I Can Hear Music the Beach Boys hit (Ed the Anorak ­ which in turn was a cover of the Ronettes 1966 version). Ed is starting to annoy me.

The Lurex version sunk without trace just before Queen released their eponymous first album so Freddie was not too keen on talking about his alter ego. In fact when I did ask about it he told me to depart sharpish in staccato movements. Aaahhh! My first and certainly not my last joust with a bona fide

THE CABIN VIEW

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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

Soon after I was racially abused by....... dramatic pause....... Motown legends....The Temptations at the Brighton Dome where a year later an unknown Swedish acronym won The Eurovision Song Contest reminding us of a Belgium bloodbath. Bearing in mind this was the time of black power militancy in America and as I was the only white boy in the Temptations dressing room and their lead singer called me a “honky mother” I was automatically deemed a redneck....yes I like Charlie Daniels and his band and his close relation Jack.....but no I am not 2 eye holes in a pillow case away from joining the KKK. I am from good old Sussex by the Sea not Memphis by the Mississippi.

However it turned out the Temptations were equal opportunities bigots. They hated each other as well but you would not know it

Well that is it for now the curtain has come down on the theatre of the mind. Let’s us hope we can get together for another session of Radio Times at Crocker’s Corner soon.

COSTA MAGICA

nearest ports so you can plan a future day out.

JUNE & JULY DOCKINGS ALICANTE 17th June – BRITANNIA Early afternoon to early evening 15th July – AZURA Early afternoon to early evening 30th July – VENTURA Early afternoon to early evening

CARTAGENA

8th July – CRYSTAL SERENITY 0800 to 1700

16th June – WIND SURF 1100 to 1800

9th and 30th July – AIDAAURA 1000 to 1800

23rd June – BRITTANIA Early afternoon to early evening

10th July – RIVIERA 0800 to 1800

24th June – ANTHEM OF THE SEAS 0800 to 1700

16th & 30th July – MS EUROPA 2 0700 to 1800

25th June – THOMSON DREAM 0900 to 1700 2nd July – COSTA MAGICA 1400 to 2000 ANTHEM OF THE SEAS

on stage as they were pop perfection personified.

Ironically the lead singer was one Richard Street who died 2 years ago (Ed the Anorak ­ He replaced David Ruffin & Eddie Kendricks) ­ enough already Ed. About 3 years ago a franchised version of the Temptations appeared at a venue in La Zenia with Mr Street up front and I got to meet him and he was a true gentleman, so I kept my lips sealed and steered clear of the honky mothergate incident from some 40 years back.

21st July – AZURA Early morning to afternoon 22nd July – ANTHEM OF THE SEAS 0800 to 1700

16

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

The Reader’s 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.

We do our best to publish as many as we can and reserve the right to edit where necessary.

Dear Editor, Your article on page 14 detailing the proposed 15 minutes free waiting time, when dropping people off at departures was interesting. The current 5 minutes time is being abused as you say, but this (in my view) is not being caused by the people who are dropping people off.

It’s being caused by legions of people, who are collecting friends and relatives etc.

They tell their friends who arrive, to pop upstairs to the departures area, and just walk outside where they will be collected.

It's also caused by the many car parking companies who collect clients upon return.

You only have to see the many minibuses that hang around the departure area.

I guess it saves people who are collecting, from using the arrivals car parking facility, although by the looks of it, that may change.

Will the new area be manually policed, or will there be ANPR cameras, and fines then arrive in the post? Interesting times ahead.

Regards, Ed Dear Editor, It's Sunday afternoon, had lunch, now on subbed round pool for siesta. About a block away is Alameda Del Mar, a local meeting place for predominately Spanish folks, the music is blaring, the people are laughing, drinking the Spanish entertainer is singing his heart out in the most bleating way, and do you know what, for me this is Spain at its best, and I for one would not want to be anywhere else other than in this beautiful happy country.

Ok it's not everyone's cup of tea, but there is no doubt about it they do know how to enjoy themselves and it's only for a couple hours. How lucky am I.

Right got that off my chest, thank you.

Marion Dear Editor, I wish to add my congratulations on your paper/mag. Besides all the comments already made I would like to add that as a partially sighted 85 year­old, your large page of puzzles is a godsend. No more using magnifying glasses etc. Thanks a million.

Keep up the good work ­ oh yes ­ enjoyed reading about the position of ex­pats IF U.K. leave the EU. All the best, Colleen Pereira Dear Editor, Congratulations on a great, refreshing and well­presented new look at the world.

Do you have a legal writer who could look at the problem that has arisen this year as that of Double taxation?

In addition to my old age pension I have a military pension and a civil service pension. My old age pension was taxed here and both my other two pensions were taxed at source by the UK tax office. Since I have been here I have declared my three pensions but only the old age pension was taxed here with a statement that there is an agreement in place between Spain and the UK which allows the UK to tax them and Spain not to.

That has been the case until now when we are being told that both the UK and Spain will now tax the two pensions. I believe there is a statute in Europe which stops the double taxation by two countries of the same payment. This year I have been asked to pay an extra amount on my two pensions to Spain in addition to what I have

paid to the UK. There are so many rumours about this and having spoken to other tax consultants here no one seems to understand what’s going on.

Any help you could give me and others in the same boat would be greatly appreciated.

Mick Gossage Editor’s Note: As I replied to you Mick, I’m afraid you and others with certain pensions will be subject to extra tax following a law that came into force on 12 June last year. Watch out for next week’s edition of THE VIEW as we explain the new rules in detail.

Dear Editor, At last we have a free newspaper that is interesting to read.

Today, me and my husband read Gordon Oliver’s article and we were engrossed in what he wrote about (Fold it) and RNA. Very good and we can understand what is happening as he explains it all for laymen to understand. It was very interesting and thought I must look this up on the internet to see what is going on in our world. Please give us more on this sort of thing. Thank you Katrina Jackson P.S. ­ I went to see David Icke in a London show 3 years ago, sat there for 4 hours listening to him rabble on about other aliens etc. At the end of the show he sang a hymn and held his arms out, displayed his arms like Jesus on the cross and the audience was in rapture with him!! Who was he fooling? Think of all that money he got from the arena that night!

Gordon Oliver’s reply: Thank you for

the kind words. I am pleased you enjoyed the article about fold it. I received it in exchange for a small topiary from a bearded man with a pen and a notepad.

He seemed like a reliable source because he was smiling at me and sitting in a beer garden. We were in Prague at the time and although the article was written in English, he did not appear to speak the language. Still, he was genial and very happy to make the exchange. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a Czechs Cache.......?

Kind regards and viva la resistance!

Dear Editor, In reference to your write up on Dunkirk.

It brought back memories of that event as I was just nine years old at the time.

Two of my uncles were involved there.

My uncle John was on the Thames fire boat, The Massey Shaw, which is now a grade 2 listed boat. It made 5 crossing to Dunkirk and back and he was mentioned in dispatches.

His older brother Fred was a Sgt in the Royal Horse Artillery at Dunkirk and was injured whilst blowing up ammunition. He made it to the beaches with his lads and on climbing onto a boat he flatly refused to leave his rifle behind and brought it back with him.

Previous to this, my father had just returned from Norway on a fishing boat.

When he walked into our house, he had black stubble and was carrying a Thompson sub machine gun; the type the American gangsters used. It was very heavy!

As for myself, I had some hairy escapes during the London Blitz.

Ted Gilleland, Quesada.

SPANISH & UK LOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS

The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

17

SEALED, NOT SIGNED, 800 YEARS AGO P

ossibly one of the greatest documents in world history alongside The Doomsday Book and The American Declaration of Independence, the Magna Carta reaches another milestone on Monday, when it becomes 800 years old.

Over the years, it’s spawned a number of quiz questions.

Who signed the Magna Carta? Of course, it wasn’t signed but sealed. Where was the Magna Carta signed? The popular answer was always, “never signed and at the bottom”!

Historians and quiz geeks will know that it was Runnymede.

What do we know about one of the most famous documents ever produced?

Magna Carta (Latin for "the Great Charter"), also called Magna Carta Libertatum (Latin for "the Great Charter of the Liberties"), is a charter agreed by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury to make peace between the unpopular King and a group of rebel barons, it promised the protection of church rights, protection for the barons from illegal imprisonment, access to swift justice, and limitations on feudal payments to the Crown, to be implemented through a council of 25 barons.

Neither side stood behind their commitments and the charter was annulled by Pope Innocent III, leading to the First Barons' War. After King John's death, the regency government of his young son, Henry III, reissued the document in 1216, stripped of some of its more radical content, in an unsuccessful bid to build political support for their cause. At the end of the war in 1217, it formed part of the peace treaty agreed at Lambeth, where the document acquired the name Magna Carta, to distinguish it from the smaller Charter of the Forest, which was issued at the same time.

Short of funds, Henry reissued the charter again in 1225 in exchange for a grant of new taxes; his son, Edward I, repeated the exercise in 1297, this time confirming it as part of England's statute law.

The charter became part of English political life and was typically renewed by each monarch in turn, although as time went by and the fledgling English Parliament passed new laws, it lost some of its practical significance. At the end of the 16th century there was an upsurge in interest in Magna Carta. Lawyers and historians at the time believed that there was an ancient English constitution going back to the days of the Anglo­Saxons, that protected individual English freedoms.

They argued that the Norman invasion of 1066 had overthrown these rights and that Magna Carta had been a popular attempt to restore them, making the charter an essential foundation for the contemporary powers of Parliament and legal principles such as habeas corpus.

Although this historical account was badly flawed, jurists such as Sir Edward Coke, used Magna Carta extensively in the early 17th century, arguing against the divine right of kings propounded by the Stuart monarchs. Both James I and his son Charles I attempted to suppress the discussion of Magna Carta, until the issue was curtailed by the English Civil War of the 1640s and the execution of Charles.

The political myth of Magna Carta and its protection of ancient personal liberties persisted after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 until well into the 19th century. It influenced the early American colonists in the Thirteen Colonies and the formation of the American Constitution in 1789, which became the supreme law of the land in the new republic of the United States.

Research by Victorian historians showed that the original 1215 charter had concerned the medieval relationship between the monarch and the barons, rather than the rights of ordinary people, but the charter remained a powerful,

iconic document, even after almost all of its content was repealed from the statute books in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Magna Carta still forms an important symbol of liberty today, often cited by politicians and campaigners and it is held in great respect by the British and American legal communities. Lord Denning, the former Master of the Rolls, "the greatest constitutional document of all times – the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot".

In the 21st century, four exemplifications of the original 1215 charter remain in existence, held by the British Library and the cathedrals of Lincoln and Salisbury. There are also a handful of the subsequent charters in public and private ownership, including copies of the 1297 charter in both the United States and Australia. The original charters were written on vellum sheets using quill pens, in a particular style of abbreviated Latin. Each was sealed with the royal great seal using beeswax and resin, most of which have not survived. Although academics refer to the 63 numbered "clauses" of Magna Carta, this is a modern system of numbering introduced by Sir William Blackstone in 1759; the original charter formed a single, long unbroken text. The four original 1215 charters were displayed together at the British Library for one day, 3 February 2015, to mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.

Magna Carta continues to have a powerful iconic status in British society, being cited by politicians and lawyers in support of constitutional positions. Its perceived guarantee of trial by jury and other civil liberties, for example, led to Tony Benn's reference to the debate in 2008, over whether to increase the maximum time terrorism suspects could be held without charge from 28 to 42 days as "the day Magna Carta was repealed". Although rarely invoked in court in the modern era, in 2012 the “Occupy London” protestors attempted to use Magna Carta in resisting their eviction from St. Paul's Churchyard by the City of London. In his judgment, the Master of the Rolls of the time, Lord Neuberger, gave this short shrift, noting somewhat drily, that although clause 29 was considered by many the foundation of the rule of law in England, he did not consider it directly relevant to the case and the two other surviving clauses actually concerned the rights of the Church and the City of London.

Despite the above, Magna Carta carries little legal weight in modern Britain, as most of its clauses have been repealed and relevant rights ensured by other statutes, but the historian James Holt remarks that the survival of the 1215 charter in national life is a "reflexion of the continuous development of English law and administration" and symbolic of the many struggles between authority and the law over the centuries.

The historian W. L. Warren has observed that "many who knew little and cared less about the content of the Charter

have, in nearly all ages, invoked its name, and with good cause, for it meant more than it said". It also remains a topic of great interest to historians; Natalie Fryde characterised the charter as, "one of the holiest of cows in English medieval history", with the debates over its interpretation and meaning unlikely to end. In many ways still a "sacred text", Magna Carta is generally considered part of the uncodified constitution of the United Kingdom; in a 2005 speech, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Lord Woolf, described it as the "first of a series of instruments that now are recognised as having a special constitutional status".

The document also continues to be honoured in the United States as an antecedent of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. In 1976, the UK lent one of four surviving originals of the 1215 Magna Carta to the United States for their bicentennial celebrations and also donated an ornate display case for it. The original was returned after one year, but a replica and the case are still on display in the United States Capitol Crypt in Washington, D.C. The 800th anniversary of the original charter will occur next week on 15th June and organisations and institutions are planning celebratory events. The British Library brought together the four existing copies of the 1215 manuscript on 3 February 2015 for a special exhibition. British artist Cornelia Parker was commissioned to create a new artwork, Magna Carta (An Embroidery), which was unveiled at the British Library on 15 May 2015 and will remain on display until 24 July. The copy held by Lincoln Cathedral was exhibited in the Law Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., from November 2014 until January 2015. A new visitor centre at Lincoln Castle will also be opened for the anniversary and The Royal Mint will release a commemorative two­pound coin.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

2 JAGS + 3 POINTS = BAN Zoo fun spoiled by humans L

L

ord Prescott has been banned from driving for six months after being caught doing 60mph in a 50mph zone in his Jaguar.

The Labour peer and former Hull East MP was driving through Lincolnshire after helping his son David move house when he was clocked by a police speed gun.

The extra points pushed him over the limit, leading to a totting up ban although he’ll be back behind the wheel at the end of November.

Lord Prescott, 77, said: "I committed an offence, I'm not arguing.

I've been involved in bringing speeding legislation in and I have to face the consequences but that's life and you can't have any excuse. At the end of the day, that's it, you're suspended."

The former Deputy Prime Minister and steward in the Merchant Navy had nine points on his licence when he was caught travelling home to Hull just south of the Humber Bridge at about 9pm.

The extra three awarded gave him 12, leading to an automatic ban.

He said he had been relying on public transport or lifts to get around since appearing at Grantham Magistrates Court on Tuesday, May 26.

Lord Prescott said: "I was helping David move into his house and this was late at night. There are a number of people who know in Hull because I'm not driving a car."

The peer has been suspended from driving before. He lost his licence in 1991, suffering a 21­day ban after being clocked at 105mph on the M1.

ondon Zoo has scrapped Zoo Lates in favour of a more toned down event this summer.

The evening attraction, which ran every Friday throughout June and July, saw beer tents, silent discos and live comedy draw in crowds of revellers – replacing the day­time families. But the spotlight was shone on Zoo Lates last year after stories emerged of alcohol­fuelled incidents including one man who allegedly stripped naked and tried to get into the penguin enclosure. Another reveller is said to have poured beer of a tiger’s head.

This prompted an investigation by Westminster City Council. But after staff from Westminster completed an informal inspection of a Zoo Lates event in 2014 their report found that ‘there was no evidence of any animal welfare implications as a result of the Zoo Lates events’.

Now, however, it appears Zoo Lates has been replaced by Sunset Safari – which will still run every Friday until July 17 – but will be more family­orientated.

A spokesperson for the Zoological Society of London said: “We regularly review our events to ensure we’re delivering exciting new experiences for visitors that fit with our core

values of science, conservation and education. Zoo Lates was an incredible success, but after five years was due for review and we’re now looking forward to the new Sunset Safari events this summer.”

The event looks like an attempt to move away from party reputation Zoo Lates was synonymous with. Attractions like live comedy in the aquarium and the silent disco have been ditched in favour of guided tours and theatre performances.

The opening hours of 6pm to 10pm remain the same, however, and alcohol will still be served.

The View

19

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

NEVER FORGET THEM

A

service to rededicate the Bastion Memorial took place yesterday (Thursday) at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Up to seven members of each family of the Fallen were able to attend the service, joining current personnel and veterans, in remembrance.

On the day the Bastion Memorial was dedicated with a one­ minute silence to remember and pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Royal British Legion hosted a reception for bereaved family and friends after the Service.

As from today, the public can visit the Bastion Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, the UK’s year round centre of Remembrance. The Arboretum, part of The Royal British Legion, is also home to the Armed Forces Memorial, the UK’s tribute to all servicemen and women killed on duty or by acts of terrorism since 1948.

Jacqui Thompson tragically lost her husband of over 20 years and father to their 5 daughters, Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, due to an Improvised Explosive Device explosion in Afghanistan on 13 April 2008.

Here she takes time to reflect on what the Bastion Memorial

rededication on 11 June means to her…

“It’s a little over seven years since we lost Gary, and to be honest, the sense of loss grows with each day.

Gary was a Reservist at RAF Cottesmore and I didn’t really know many details about this side of his life. But when I think of him in this role, I can’t help but think of all of our incredibly brave Servicemen and women.

That’s why memorial and remembrance services are so important to me. It gives me the chance to show my immense pride and respect for Gary and all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

I will find the Bastion Memorial rededication hard. My biggest struggle is that I wasn’t there for Gary’s final moments.

I didn’t get to hold him, I never got to say goodbye. After twenty years of cuddles and holding hands wherever we went, all I wanted was to hug him and hold his hand for his final journey.

I feel so blessed to have had someone as remarkable as Gary in my life. He gave me 5 beautiful children, over 20 years of hugs

and smiles and a lifetime of happy memories. It’s our wonderful memories of life with Gary that helps the girls and I to cope with life without him.

It means a lot that it was the serving personnel who built the original memorial at Camp Bastion. The new memorial physically represents just how much Gary and all our fallen heroes meant to everyone in Afghanistan and at home. It reminds us that they were never alone and that their friends were there with them until the very end.

There isn’t a more fitting place for the memorial’s final resting place. The National Memorial Arboretum is such an incredibly special place. Each time I visit I see the care and pride taken by all to ensure that it remains a fitting and honourable tribute, dedicated to all our heroes who sacrificed so much.

Most of all, it makes sure that Gary, and all the other brave Servicemen and women are never forgotten.”

Jacqui Thompson

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

ARE THERE ANY OTHER FIRST FAMILIES OUT THERE?

I

t’s still a mere 18 months away from the next elections in the USA, but it appears the finalists have already been decided.

The Clintons and the Bushes — America’s two pre­eminent political dynasties — could go head­to­head in the race for the White House in 2016, with Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush both lining up for a run at the presidency. Mr Bush announced last week that he will be formally announcing his candidature on Monday. As the son of one president and the brother of another, he would be the third member of his immediate family to sit in the Oval Office if elected.

Hillary has already announced her intention to run for the top job in the White House, while Jeb Bush’s hopes for the Republican Party nomination have been given a boost by brother George W Bush. ‘I think he wants to be president,’ George Bush told Fox News. ‘I think Jeb would be a great president.

He understands what it’s like to be president.’

Jeb Bush, a favourite among some establishment Republicans who believe he would be a prime opponent to an increasingly likely run by former secretary of state Clinton, has said he will decide next year. ‘(Jeb) and I had a conversation, I of course was pushing for him to run for president, he of course was saying, “I haven’t made up my mind”,’ the former commander­ in­chief said. But George Bush said,there was plenty of family presidential precedent to turn to in helping make a decision.

‘He’s seen his dad (George H.W Bush), he’s seen his brother,

so he’s a very thoughtful man and he’s weighing his options.’

Jeb Bush, 61, is viewed as a mainstream Republican and less ideologically rigid than the conservatives considering a presidential run, like Senator Ted Cruz.

Mr Bush served as Florida governor from 1999 to 2007 and has notably expressed support for immigration reform, including the mass legalisation of undocumented workers.

A survey of Florida voters earlier this year, showed odds­

Ferry cross the straits

F

erries carrying both passengers and cargo may soon ply the Florida Straits between Florida and Cuba for the first time in more than a half century.

The U.S. government granted licenses last week to at least five companies — Airline Brokers Co. of Miami, Baja Ferries USA, Havana Ferry Partners, United Caribbean Lines and America Cruise Ferries of Puerto Rico — to begin offering ferry services.

Some of the companies said they could begin to offer a service within weeks but the plans of others are still in development.

Among the departure ports being considered are Key West, Miami, Port Everglades and Tampa­area ports.

In the 1950s before the Cuban Revolution, ferries frequently plied the waters between Miami, Miami Beach, Key West and Havana, carrying Cubans on shopping excursions and Americans on getaways to sample Havana’s nightlife and explore the city. Today, the Cuban

government is interested in improving access for its rapidly growing visitor industry.

Before any service can begin, the U.S. Coast Guard must approve the potential Cuban ports of entry and the companies must negotiate matters such as dock access with the Cuban government, said attorney Robert Muse, who represents Baja Ferries USA. And just because the companies have been approved by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Commerce Department, it doesn’t mean Cuba has to strike deals with them. The United States still doesn’t allow Americans to go to the island for vacation, but it does allow family visits and educational, professional and other purposeful travel as long as it falls into 12 approved categories.

When President Barack Obama announced a new policy of engagement with Cuba in December last year and plans

on Democratic frontrunner Clinton ahead of all potential Republican rivals — including Bush and Florida native son, Senator Marco Rubio, in a hypothetical 2016 race. The Clinton­Bush matchup was closest at 46% to 44%, within the poll’s margin of error.

But the birth of Hillary’s granddaughter at the end of last September, may prove a game­changer in the election race, or, at least become a handy touch point as Clinton reaches out to prospective voters.

Speaking at a convention in Miami Beach, Clinton invoked the idea of legacy. ‘I believe together we can open the doors to full participation and shared prosperity, we can reach parity and equality and opportunity for all,’ Clinton told the audience. ‘That is the kind of country I want my granddaughter to grow up in.’

The former secretary of state, who often speaks on women’s issues, said it was vital that women take chances in life. ‘I cannot tell you how important it is for women like us ... to model that risk­taking, to get out of our own comfort zones, to be willing to fail,’ she said. ‘When I decided to run for president in ‘07, I knew it was a risk and I knew it would be difficult.’ Clinton said she would be giving her granddaughter three pieces of advice: ‘Do the best you can in everything you do,’ ‘Be kind,’ and ‘Find something you are passionate about, that you love to do, and again pursue it.’

Mrs Clinton is certainly practising what she preaches.

to resume diplomatic relations, he also outlined plans for expanded travel to Cuba and increased commerce. Under the opening, U.S. exports headed to private entrepreneurs are permitted as well as limited imports of the products they produce. Farm equipment, seeds and other farming­related items as well as

construction materials and tools are also allowed by the United States as long as they are destined for private hands.

“This not only opens up new travel possibilities but it enhances cargo capacity,” said Muse. The regulations, however, don’t allow for the transportation of motor vehicles, so no car ferries for now.

The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

21

WHY-DE-WHY – NO MORE HI-DE-HI

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or many, living full time in Spain is one long holiday and never a need to go anywhere else. There is an argument for that. DARREN JAMES reflects on the time when two weeks away in the summer, meant going somewhere very different from the day­to­day routine.

We are spoilt if we live in this great country and until relatively recently I never considered going away on holiday somewhere. Before working for a living during the day and being an evening worker on the quiz night scene, almost all my days were spent on our lovely beaches building up the tan.

The thought of going anywhere else never entered my mind.

Now, I go to Benidorm a couple of times a year. More on those experiences in a future missive!

My holiday experiences as a child were confined to one type of vacation; a holiday camp. From ever since I can remember until the age of 17, I went with my mum and dad to a wide variety of them in England, not only in location but the companies that ran them.

Warner’s, Pontin’s and Madisson’s camps in Essex, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight were THE places to go in the ‘60s and ‘70s as far as I was concerned. The phrase, “schooldays are the happiest days of our lives”, would for me, need to have schooldays replaced with holidays at holiday camps. Some 40 years down the line since I last went to one, the memories are still at the forefront of my mind. Incredible, when you think how much a maximum of only 20 weeks of my life had such an effect on me and still thought of with great affection. There’s probably enough stored in this 54 year old hard drive for a series of articles; but to begin with.

Please don’t believe that the great TV series Hi­De­Hi is a perfect reflection of holiday camp life, although there is much in it that I experienced firsthand. Every camp that I attended had the genial host, the camp comic, the “coloured” coats – who we all, as kids, called uncles and aunties – the sports organiser, the children’s entertainer and a Barry Stuart­ Hargreaves character, without the wife! I can’t remember a potty chalet maid, but I do remember thinking all the kitchen staff were scruffy with their dirty flip­flops!

Rather like the characters in the TV series, many were failures in their previous careers and working on the camp circuit enabled them to practise a chosen profession, get experience and who knows, get seen and move on to bigger and brighter things. Of the older generation Des O’Connor, Jimmy Tarbuck, Roger De Courcey, Dave Allen and the creator

of Hi­de­Hi himself, Jimmy Perry, were all coats of many colours. Brian Conley, Lee Mack, Stephen Mulhern, Shane Richie, Ian “H” Watkins (Steps) and the man who gets on ‘yer nerves, Joe Pasquale, from the more modern era all did their fair share of “Goodnight Campers.”

My earliest camp memory must be in 1964, I was three, when we went to Warner’s Coronation Camp on Hayling Island. It was the week after a major storm in the area and any grassed zone was a quagmire. I spent the whole week walking around in Wellington boots. Food­ wise, my mum recalls the runny eggs for me to dip my soldier’s in, were hard boiled and stunk to high heaven and the Brussels Sprouts were still frozen inside. When it rained heavy one night, water came in through a leak in the roof over the bar area and went straight into my dad’s pint of beer. It was later marketed as Watney’s Red Barrell!

Holiday camps certainly brought me out of my previous shyness as a person. I found it very easy to make friends, to go on the stage at the weekly talent shows and take part in the fancy dress competitions. I learned and came to love all the old songs that were part of the regular entertainment and was among the first on the dance floor every night with my mum, for the old time and party dances they taught throughout the week. I became quite an expert at the Valeta, the St Bernard’s Waltz and the Campers Eight to the tune of the Teddy Bear’s Picnic! The progressive dances were my favourites, when at a certain point in the dance the gent moved forward to the next lady in the circle to dance with them. Another way of meeting people and my first experience of sweaty hands and coming eye level to a buxom woman! I wasn’t always over six feet tall.

I loved every minute of our week and mum and dad hardly saw me apart from meal times and in the evenings. Holiday camps were very safe places and parents had no fear of letting their children roam free and mix with other adults. The problems of today’s society never entered the mind.

All the camps, apart from that Coronation Camp, had their strong points but, overall if I had to pick one out from the rest it would have to be Warner’s Woodside Bay on the Isle of Wight. A nudist camp in its early days, Woodside Bay was located at the end of a long country lane accessed from the village of Wooton, on the road between Cowes and Ryde at the top of the island. It was my first visit to the I.O.W, I was 8 and it was my first trip across any expanse of water, except for the Woolwich Ferry. We went in style though. By hovercraft!

In those days, all holiday camps had a Saturday to Saturday week and no alternatives. Our first family visit to Woodside Bay in May 1969 was originally planned just to last seven days, but by the Tuesday we were enjoying ourselves so much, that we booked up for a second week! We didn’t want to leave and so began a three year association with the Camp, returning time and time again – sometimes twice a year. We became friends with many of the regular Warner’s Greencoats and the memories always come flooding back during those episodes of Hi­De­Hi, when the coach arrives with the new holidaymakers and the Yellowcoats greet some of them like long lost relatives.

I was immediately fascinated by the Greencoats and simply

wanted to be one when I grew up. The Woodside Bay team all wore the smart blazers with red edging, cream trousers and beige corduroy shoes. I wanted a pair of those shoes and lived in a few pairs of them over the next few years. Kids nowadays wear football shirts with the names of their heroes – I wore beige corduroy shoes, because for me, at that impressionable age these people were my heroes! I eventually donned one of the prized Greencoats a couple of years later, when they let me wear a spare one they had backstage for an appearance on one of the talent shows. It was my “Peggy” moment!

I was very saddened a few months ago when I saw some pictures of what Woodside Bay looks like now. I was half­ expecting it to be flattened with a set of luxury beach­side houses on the site. It was actually worse than that. It’s been left abandoned and overgrown. The once beautiful pool area looks like a cesspit and the tree lined avenues of modern chalets are now overgrown forests. It’s apparently all been due to some disputed land agreement which has resulted in this impasse. But there’s good news for the site as the I.O.W council approved in October last year plans for a £15m redevelopment of the area.

The holiday camps of old could never exist in the same way today. The PC and the ‘elf and safety brigade would fill their proverbial boots, when I think of the things we were allowed to get up to every day. My dad once broke his ankle in a large pot hole in the middle of the “football pitch” at Camber Sands, that the Ministry of Defence could’ve used for tank traps. He could’ve sued them for thousands in compensation if it had happened now, but in those days you just accepted it as one of the risks that accompanied the holiday.

The camps have morphed into holiday centres, chalets and theme parks and don’t resemble those classic days of yesteryear. They now cater for a few thousand at a time, whereas some of those in the past averaged 600 to 900 people. The self­catering apartments and self­service canteens have taken the place of the large one ­sitting dining rooms, with umpteen waiters and waitresses and the loud cheers when they dropped the crockery!

Yes, there’ll be more reminiscences to come, but in the meantime, I salute wherever they may be, those glamorous grannies with the knobbly knees!

Did you go to holiday camps in the UK years ago? Let me know some of your memories at editor@theview.es

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

THE GREAT CENTENARIANS

C

entenarians used to be a rarity but more and more people aren't just living to 100, they're even making it past 105. How many of them are there?

The Office of National Statistics reports around 9000 centenarians today in The UK and Wales, a 90­fold increase since 1911, a 7% plus increase since 2005. At the current rate of expansion, UK’s centenarian population could reach over 40,000 by 2031.

As in other parts of the industrialized world people over 90 are the fastest growing segment of the population in the UK. THE VIEW had a look at some of the famous people who had reached that great age. Are you or somebody you know over here at or approaching that landmark? Let us know at editor@theview.es

GEORGE BURNS - 100

George Burns ­ (January 20 1896 – March 9 1996), was an American comedian, actor and writer and was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. His arched eyebrow and cigar­ smoke punctuation became familiar trademarks for over three­quarters of a century.

KATHLEEN HARRISON – 103

Kathleen Harrison (23 February 1892 – 7 December 1995) was a prolific English character actress best remembered for her role as Mrs Huggett (opposite Jack Warner and Petula Clark) in a trio of British post­war comedies about a working­class family's misadventures. To modern viewers she may be best remembered as the charwoman Mrs Dilber opposite Alastair Sim in the 1951 film A Christmas Carol, and as a Cockney charlady who inherits a fortune in Mrs Thursday.

BOB HOPE - 100

Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29 1903 – July 27 2003), was an English­born American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer, dancer, athlete, and author.

With a career spanning nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in over 70 films and shorts, including a series of "Road" movies co­starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.

HAL ROACH - 100

Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. (January 14 1892 – November 2 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, and actor from the 1910s to the 1990s, best known today for producing the Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang (later known as The Little Rascals) film comedy series.

QUEEN ELIZABETH, THE QUEEN MOTHER – 101

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes­Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was the wife of King George VI and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

MANNY SHINWELL - 101

Emanuel Shinwell (18 October 1884 – 8 May 1986), known informally as Manny Shinwell, was a British trade union official,

Labour politician and one of the leading figures of Red Clydeside.

Shinwell died in May 1986 holding the record for the second longest­ lived British MP (after Theodore Cooke Taylor). He became the longest lived peer on 26 March 1986, dying little over a month later on 8 May.

IRVING BERLIN - 101

Irving Berlin (May 11 1888 – September 22 1989) was a Russian­born Jewish­American composer and lyricist.

Widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history, his music forms a great part of the Great American Songbook.

EDMUNDO ROS - 100

Edmundo Ros (7 December 1910 – 21 October 2011) was a Trinidadian musician, vocalist, arranger and bandleader who made his career in Britain. He directed a highly popular Latin American orchestra, had an extensive recording career and owned one of London's leading nightclubs. Ros retired and moved to Jávea, Alicante, Spain.

CATHERINE BRAMWELLBOOTH - 104

Catherine Bramwell­Booth (20 July 1883 – 3 October 1987), Salvation Army officer, was one of seven children born to General Bramwell Booth and Florence Eleanor Soper, and was the granddaughter of the Salvation Army's Founder, General William Booth and his wife Catherine Mumford, known as the 'Mother of the Salvation Army'. In her later years Bramwell­Booth became well­known through her books and a famous television appearance on “Parkinson”.

ROSE KENNEDY - 104

Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald Kennedy (July 22, 1890 – January 22, 1995) was an American philanthropist and socialite. She was the wife of businessman and investor Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., who was United States Ambassador to the Court of St James's. Their nine children included President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and long time Senator Ted Kennedy.

SIR NICHOLAS WINTON 106

Sir Nicholas George Winton (born Nicholas Wertheim, 19 May 1909) is a British humanitarian who organized the rescue of 669, mostly Jewish, children from Nazi­ occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War, in an operation later known as the Czech Kindertransport. Winton found homes for the children and arranged for their safe passage to Britain. The British press has dubbed him the "British Schindler" and he was once featured on the TV series “That’s Life” sat among a group of people he’d saved many years earlier.

The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

23

THE VIEW THROUGH THE LENS

J

ohn­Ross Hainey from JR Photography gives his view on the luck involved on occasions of taking the perfect shot and shares some of his favourite photos...and one of a very fortunate reader.

While taking photos we strive to make the photo more interesting. However the most beautiful and interesting photos are created when we least expect it. These photos happen once in a lifetime, and are very interesting to analyse because they give an opportunity to see a moment that can’t be replayed ever again. They say that a picture tells a thousand words, and it is true, but I am more intrigued what happens after the photo is taken.

A perfectly timed photo occurs when two of the following conditions are met: perfect angle, perfect

place, perfect timing. It can be said that the dexterity to freeze the second and coincidence is equal to the desire to travel in time.

We had this perfectly timed image taken by Louis and sent in to us by Richard, his uncle this week, taking the meaning of selfie to the next level. He must have spent a hell of a long time trying to get this bird to feed out of his hand as he prepared to take the shot with his other hand on his phone, although we talk about being in the right place at the right time, anticipation is key for a photographer, this isn't something that comes naturally and it can take years of practice with different types Shot Info: Sony A77, 70­200mm at 70mm, f4, iso100 at 1/800th of a second. of photography to know when to take the shot.

Here are a couple of images I managed to capture over the weekend for a yearly event called Art Sunday. It’s one of my favourite events as all types of artists come together and show of their talent. Make sure you keep your camera beside you; you never know if you might be at the right place at the right time.

Keeping with the subject for the Photo Of The Week I’ve decided to go for this image of this young lad jumping the old bamboo.

Remember to check out our website and Facebook Page for the latest updates and images. www.johnrossphotography.co.uk www.facebook.com/JRPhotographyGSY Leave us your feedback at www.johnrossphotography.co.uk/testimonials

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

CLAPPERBOARD

TERMINATOR GENISYS

H

The View

e did say he’d be back! Whether anyone really believed that statement when Arnie finished his controversial term as Governor of California would be hard to prove.

Terminator Genisys is an American science fiction action film directed by Alan Taylor and written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. It’s the fifth installment in the Terminator series and is being used to reboot the series, which certainly suggests it won’t be the last.

So, what’s the plot? In 2029, John Connor, leader of the human resistance, leads the war against the machines. At the Los Angeles offensive, John's fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when John is notified by his army unit, Tech­Com, that Skynet will attack him from two fronts, past and future and will ultimately change warfare forever.

Now, faced with a new mission, Kyle, Sarah and the old ally Terminator, have to escape the T­800, the recent T­1000, as well as a new and horrific enemy, John Connor himself, who

A

THE VATICAN TAPES

has been converted into a nanotechnological film that is likely to hit the same nerve human­cyborg hybrid, the T­3000, all sent by of religious controversy as The Skynet to kill them. With John Connor Exorcist and The Da Vinci Code is due to compromised, they must find a way to hit the screens on July 24. prevent Judgment Day from happening.

Starring Dougray Scott, Djimon Hounsou, Peter Andersson, Kathleen Robertson, Michael Pena, John Patrick Amedori, Olivia Dudley and Alex Sparrow, The Vatican Tapes follows the haunting tale of 27­year­old Angela Holmes, played by Dudley, an ordinary girl who begins to have a devastating effect on anyone close to her, causing serious injury and death. The local priest, Father Lozano, played by Pena, examines Holmes and believes she is possessed, but when Vicar Imani, portrayed by Hounsou, and Cardinal Bruun, played by Andersson, are called from the Vatican to exorcise the demon, it proves to be an ancient satanic force more powerful than they imagined.

But, in a highly secured vault deep within the walls of Vatican City, the Catholic Church holds thousands of old films and video footage documenting exorcisms, or supposed

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. A

nyone that was around in the 1960s and early 70s would remember with affection the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E, featuring Robert Vaughan, David McCallum and Leo G. Carrol. Many wondered what U.N.C.L.E stood for.

Originally, nothing, but the creators/writers were pressed to come up with something. The result of their efforts was The United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.

By the time the first episode aired on 22 September 1964, this appeared in the end titles: "We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement without whose assistance this program would not be possible.''

Originally it was supposed to be UNITED NATIONS COMMAND FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT from a suggestion by Ian Fleming, but they could not get permission to use it, so they changed it to UNITED NETWORK. The enemies of U.N.C.L.E were T.H.R.U.S.H, adding to a growing list of giggly schoolboy jokes. That stood for the Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity. The TV series led to eight big screen outings for the team that included, The Spy In The Green Hat andThe Karate Killers, made during the tenure of the television series.

It may be a new version of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. due

ones, alongside other unexplained phenomena they feel the world is not ready to see. The first such tape stolen from these archives and exposed to the public by an anonymous source shows a botched exorcism and leads to horrifying results.

to be released on August 14, but the plot is set against the backdrop of the early 1960s period of the Cold War. The spy­fi action comedy film directed by Guy Ritchie and co­ written by Lionel Wigram, stars Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Elizabeth Debicki, Alicia Vikander, and Hugh Grant (who takes on the role of boss Mr Waverley – No 1).

The plot centres on U.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo (Cavill) and Illya Kuryakin (Hammer). The two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization and they must race against time to find her and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

During Daniel Craig’s run as 007, the tone of the films has shifted away from the camp and irony that was inherent before then. U.N.C.L.E seems to have taken its lead from the recently released Kingsman film and embrace more of that playful tone with its cloak and dagger antics. It also doesn’t appear to use the backdrop of the 1960s for laughs like an Austin Powers movie would, but it does seem to be presenting its setting with style – and harkening back to a spirit of escapism and allure that was popular during the decade itself. Critics have suggested a touch of the Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn classic Charade is in the U.N.C.L.E. production.

The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

25

OLLIE’S MOOD SPILLS

QATAR JUST LEAVES A BAD TASTE....

A

By Gordon Oliver

s Barcelona lift the European cup for the fifth time, showing many different levels of class, they return to the Nou Camp with the trophy they have won, forever.

After Real Madrid won the trophy last year for the tenth time, they also took their trophy home forever (but for the second time). As did Liverpool in 2005.

For on the fifth time of winning the competition, the club keeps the trophy lifted, forever, instead of returning it and having copies made. It makes this one for Barca more unique than any other. When a team wins the trophy and return it, their name is engraved onto the trophy along with the previous cup winners and the holders receive a copy, which would contain only their club name as winners, creating a differential between trophies.

However, seeing as this year’s trophy is brand new, with no previous winners, the singular title ­ Barcelona winners 2015 ­ is indeed very special. This goes hand in hand with the treble they accomplished this year, winning the Copa Del Rey and La Liga respectively. Indeed Barca have shown true class, grit and determination. They have a front three which would make all and any defence in the world very nervous, and a manager who has the very, very best in dress shoes. But by far the gleaming touch, was not from Neymars hand, or Suarez' fillings, but from Andres Iniesta, from Luis Enrique, from the whole team and willed by every lover of the Catalan giants; indeed every football fan the world around with possible Galician exceptions.

On the 78th minute of the Champions league final, at the Olympiastadion, Berlin, a man of immense quality made his way onto the pitch. A legend, a hero of the game, one of the most decorated footballers in European history, Xavi Hernandez accepted the Captains armband from the awesome Andres Iniesta, to complete the final game of his Barcelona career.

A man who has more than 750 caps for his beloved Barcelona since his debut in 1998, he was born in the neighbouring town of Terrassa and joined the famous La Masia at 11 years old, to make his debut in a friendly against Southampton 7 years later. His rise to becoming Barca’s main playmaker only came to fruition because of a bad injury to Pep Guardiloa in the ‘99/’00 season, opening the door to his career and creating arguably one of the greatest ever midfield combinations ever to grace the field. By handing him the armband, for the final 12 minutes of his Barca playing career, it gifted him the chance to lift the Champions league trophy; his last action as a player for his childhood team, was to raise this specific CL trophy for the first and only time as a winning captain. This was the dream send off. A memory forever. A treasure, along with the match ball which is normally only

given to a hat trick hero, everyone involved showed immense class.

None more so than the opposing teams legend. The Italian giant from the Italian giants. Pirlo led the applause as Xavi raised the cup and even at this moment writing this, it stirs emotion in my belly at the amazing show of respect, good football and passion, on one of the world’s largest stages. A showing of greatness, putting football back where it should be. Was this coincidence?

The week the recently reinstated and long­time allegedly corrupt President Blatter, resigned 4 days after being elected once again. 5 days after Jeffrey Web, Eugenio Figueredo Jack Warner, Eduardo Li, Julio Rocha, Costa Takkas, Rafael Esquivel, Jose Maria Marin, Nicolas Leoz, Alejandro Burazaro, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis, Mariano Jinkis and Jose Margulies, were indicted for accepting bribes totalling $150,000,000 dollars over 25 years.

A separate investigation has been launched by Swiss officials to investigate the 2018 Russian and 2022 Qatar World Cup bidding process. Previously, FIFA had employed American lawyer Michael Garcia to investigate the process.

Garcia quit a few weeks after FIFA released his findings, a 430 page report, containing 2 years of investigation, amounted to nothing with regard to the bidding process and Garcia complained FIFAs showings were erroneous.

It has been an ongoing and very unsubtle joke in footballing circles. FIFA has, for many years, been more corrupt than Jimmy Saville’s PR agent, with more holes than a teabag and more dirty money than a Chinese laundry. Yet while the major infrastructure of FIFA’s elite was all involved in the corruption, nothing could be changed. To remove the disease of a tyrannical power, you must not only kill the general, but all of his capos. Or in this case, to depose the president removed his protective hierarchy. In less than a week of the indictments, Blatman had removed his cape and hung up his cowl. There was clearly some deal made in order to protect him from further punishment. Step down quietly and no further action will be taken. Not too soon either.

Football has been spiralling out of control, with emphasis being cantered upon finance and media conglomerates, instead of the sport itself. It’s high time for a change and I for one, am ready for the sport to start aiming higher by concentrating on the game and not the profit. The money needs to be put back, into academies and charities, not into fat­cat coffers.

Let’s just for a moment look at the main corporate sponsors of football in recent times. Coca­Cola. One of the world’s most unhealthy sugar­laden drinks, guaranteed to cause tooth rot, sclerosis of the liver, block arteries and cause obesity.

McDonalds, the same as Coca­Cola, but add to that cutting down the rainforests and polluting the air with beef methane which in turn raises global warming. Alcohol, always advertised, destroys lives, causes violence and kills.

Are these really good adverts for our sporting heroes to promote? This is clearly why we are all so confused; it just doesn't make any sense. It’s a conflict of interest. Our children look to these role models and see the highest bidders’ adverts alongside. Where is the credibility? Where is the image? It’s about money, not good image or responsibility.

I love football, I am a football fanatic, but the corruption and image of the game has become a debacle of bad sport. It is time to change it for the better. Time for a revolution. Time to take our game back, to eradicate the filth and clean the house.

Get rid of the greedy elite and replace it with a council of well vetted, intelligent, businessmen and/or businesswomen who have a true love of the game. Run it as the hugely profitable machine it is, but with a better direction for our children to follow.

Last week’s Champions League showcase proved that football can be run diligently and respectfully. It proved that there is still elegance in the game. The heart has not gone; it was just oppressed for a long time.

It also proved if we can take back football we can take back our communications networks. We can take back our privacies. We can reclaim our freedoms. We can revolutionise our governments.

All it takes is consensus, commitment, passion and belief.

Viva la revolution! Oliver for President. I am taking “OllieWood” and everyone is welcome. It’s bring a bottle, clothing optional and price of admission is a classic joke or two.......

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

THE VIEW ON.....NOSTALGIA 12th JUNE 1997 Each week on this page, we take you back on an entertainment journey by reminding you of a selection of BBC Radio and TV programmes, and the UK Top 30 on this very day! This week, we look at 1997.

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. It doesn’t have to fall on a Friday – it can be ANY date in the year. 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 – BBC RADIO 2 6.00 SARAH KENNEDY

0.05 STEVE MADDEN 3.00 ALEX LESTER

TV – BBC 2 7.15 SEE HEAR BREAKFAST NEWS 7.30 TEENAGE MUTANT HERO TURTLES 7.55 BLUE PETER 8.20 FIREMAN SAM 8.35 THE RECORD 9.00 DAYTIME ON TWO 10.00 TELETUBBIES

7.30 WAKE UP TO WOGAN 9.30 KEN BRUCE 11.30 JIMMY YOUNG 13.30 DEBBIE THROWER 15.00 ED STEWART 17.05 CHRIS SERLE 19.00 DAVID ALLAN'S COUNTRY CLUB 20.00 PAUL JONES 21.00 RANDY CRAWFORD ­ The Celebrity Soul Show 21.30 THE WHAT IF SHOW Ken Bruce hosts a new six­part series of the sketch show.

22.00 SHELLEY A radio adaptation of Peter Tilbury's tv sitcom 22.30 RICHARD ALLINSON

10.30 DAYTIME ON TWO 12.30 WORKING LUNCH 13.00 DAYTIME ON TWO 14.00 FIREMAN SAM 14.10 TENNIS Sue Barker introduces tennis coverage from Queen's Club, London.

15.05 WESTMINSTER WITH NICK ROSS 16.00 TENNIS 18.00 STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

18.45 GARDENERS' WORLD LIVE 19.15 THEY WHO DARE Snowboarding. Andre Rhem and Jerome Ruby take their lives in their hands slaloming down the 70­degree slopes of Mont Blanc.

19.30 EAST Inside Out ­ The current affairs series with an Asian perspective 20.00 REGIONAL PROGRAMMES 20.30 TRACKS 21.00 ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS 21.30 THIS LIFE 22.15 A WOMAN CALLED SMITH 22.30 NEWSNIGHT 23.15 TROUBLE WITH BOYS 23.50 PICTURE HOUSE 0.00 THE MIDNIGHT HOUR Political chat show 0.30 OPEN UNIVERSITY

UK TOP 30 SINGLES CHART – 12th JUNE 1997 1. MMM BOP ­ Hanson 2. I WANNA BE THE ONLY ONE – Eternal (Ft Bebe Winans) 3.

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE – Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bochelli 4. MIDNIGHT IN CHELSEA – Jon Bon Jovi 5. FREE – Ultra Nate 6. CLOSER THAN CLOSE – Rosie Gaines

7. LOVE ROLLERCOASTER – Red Hot Chilli Peppers 8. COCO JAMBOO – Mr President 9. PARANOID ANDROID ­ Radiohead 10. THE END IS THE BEGINNING IS THE END – Smashing Pumpkins 11. BRAZEN “WEEP” – Skunk Anansie 12. I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU ­ Rembrandts 13. STRANGE – Wet Wet Wet 14. WHATEVER – En Vogue 15. YOU’RE NOT ALONE ­ Olive

16. DON’T WANNA BE A PLAYER ­ Joe 17. LOVEFOOL ­ Cardigans 18. HEAD OVER HEELS – Allure Feat Nas 19. TI AMO – Gina G 20. BELLISSIMA – DJ Quicksilver 21. SUNSTROKE ­ Chicane 22. WALTZ AWAY DREAMING – Toby Bourke / George Michael 23. YOU MIGHT NEED SOMEBODY – Shola Ama 24. SIX UNDERGROUND – Sneaker Pimps 25. I BELIEVE I CAN FLY – R Kelly 26. I DON’T WANT TO – Toni Braxton 27. WONDERFUL TONIGHT ­ Damage 28. SOMETHING ABOUT YOU – New Edition 29. CAN WE TALK – Code Red 30. NEXT LIFETIME – Erykah Badu

The View

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

LOCAL FIESTA DATES The following areas will be celebrating a “local” Red Day over the next week or so. Information supplied by the official Diputacion de Alicante.

Wednesday 24 June ALICANTE CATRAL Monday 29 June ROJALES

CINEMAPILAR PRESENTS

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

A SONG FOR MARION – Saturday 13 June at 5pm

THIRD PERSON – Thursday 18 June at 7pm & Saturday 20 June at 5pm

This week’s BUS TIMETABLES include the route from ALICANTE TO BENIDORM. Please note that ALL buses from ALICANTE go to BENIDORM BUS STATION, but only some of them stop at JAIME PRIMERA 1 and AVENIDA EUROPA in the town. Average journey time to the bus station is 50

minutes. Some buses in both directions serve the towns in between and the route is via the N332.

Direct routes go via the AP­7.

For the BENIDORM to ALICANTE journey, the advice

of THE VIEW is that it’s worth the few Euros for a taxi to go to the Bus Station to ensure boarding the correct bus as they also don’t always stop in the town centre.

NEW 24 HOUR DUTY CHEMISTS

T

he commitment of THE VIEW to bring you important information continues with more lists of 24 HOUR DUTY CHEMISTS in our coverage area. Known in Spanish as FARMACIAS DE GUARDIA, most towns have at least one chemist on the duty rota which changes on a weekly basis.

Please look at last week’s issue for ROJALES, BENIJOFAR & FORMENTERA, CATRAL & DOLORES and SANTA POLA. We will cover all the local areas during the next few issues of THE VIEW and repeat the major areas from time to time.

TORREVIEJA

There are two chemists that open 24 hours, 7 days a week: CALLE RAMON GALUD, 196 (Corner of Calle Virgen de La Paloma) AVENIDA ANTONIO MACHADO, 115 Of course, we hope you’ll never need to use the services of the emergency chemists. The advice of THE VIEW is to visit your local farmacia to see if they’re on the rota. There is usually a list posted outside the building if they are.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

WHAT’S ON THE TELLY?

This box is a wrong one

J

ust when you thought it was safe to go to the gym, British TV unveils yet another brand new series on food.

If having Masterchef, Professional Masterchef, Junior Masterchef, and the Little Chef on the A303 wasn’t enough already for starters, mains and dessert, we have The Great British Bake Off, Saturday Kitchen, Saturday Kitchen Best Bites – on a Sunday (not enough room to put it on a Saturday – too many cookery programmes) and Nigella Lawson drizzling cream on her breasts as she takes them out of the oven. Add to this Paul Hollywood rudely looking away from the camera as he kneads his cobblers and Mary Berry adding corn flour to firm up her “Absolute Favourite” soggy bottom and you have a recipe for overkill.

The Box with James Martin is the latest on the BBC’s plan to make people increase waist sizes even further than they already are. I do believe there’s even another new series bubbling away at regulo 5 called Obe Sity.

Readers of a certain age will remember Ready, Steady, Cook; well The Box is a corned beef rehash of the show which made Ainsley Harriot, and thus Percy Pepper, a star. In this case, three amateur cooks are given the same box of ingredients allegedly chosen by a celebrity who is revealed after they’ve produced a dish. The wonderful Prue Leith was an early surprise. From another three boxes of

bits labelled variously as “posh”, “world”, “pudding”, the winner then selects those his fellow contestants must use and he or she is left with the remainder. More “come on you’ve only got two minutes left, yes, ONLY two minutes” follows and it’s James’ turn to pick his favourite.

Like you reading this, by this point in the show I’d lost the will to eat and can’t even tell you what their prize was. No doubt it’s a much valued trophy for this pointless programme.

What has struck me about The Box is the look of the food. It appears stone cold. Not a whiff of steam coming off the dishes. I know filming schedules are taken into account, but

it does occur to me that if you’re the tenth cook in the first show of Masterchef, your sizzling duck is going to be well out of quack when John Tirode stuffs his face with it.

James Martin is certainly earning his BBC celery with the amount of times he’s on at the moment. Thankfully, he’s good at his job and an excellent presenter, or should I say good at reading the autocue unlike those who have deputised for him on Saturday Kitchen. They may be great cooks, but Cyrus Todiwala and Tony Singh are hopeless.....at.....the.....auto.....cue.

We’ve also all sat and shouted at the screen when Martin puts another enormous pat of bootur into an undercooked salmonella ridden omlette, but recent reports say he’s been right all along. It is good for you. Butter, that is.

My favourite TV chefs over the years would include the Two Fat Ladies, Rick Stein, Philip Harbin, Ken Hom (“if you’ve no rice wine, dry sherry will do”), Nigel Slater, and the man who invented the television drool, Galloping Gourmet Graham Kerr. But the doyens of them all must be the Craddock family.

Simple but entertaining programmes presented by a couple who appeared to hate each other on screen.

Through his wine and his monocle, Johnny Craddock probably uttered one of the best unintentional (or was it) innuendos ever said.

Johnny, fielding questions from the audience at a live cooking demo, back in the 60s, had just been asked the best way to ensure Yorkshire puddings rise when cooked. His wife took the question, told them where they were going wrong and put them right.

Johnny then hoped that had cleared up the query and said that “from now on, I hope all your Yorkshires turn out looking like Fanny’s” DJ

Friday 12th June 00:35 This Week 01:20 Holiday Weatherview 01:25 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Crimewatch Roadshow 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Claimed and Shamed 12:30 Family Finders 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Continent 17:00 The Box 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 The Vicar of Dibley 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 The Graham Norton Show

00:15 Weather 00:20 Kate Humble: Living with Nomads 01:20 Panorama 01:50 Inside the Factory: How Our Favourite Foods Are Made 02:50 24 Hours in the Past 03:50 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Claimed and Shamed 08:30 Family Finders 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 Cagney & Lacey 14:45 One Man and His Campervan 15:15 Cash in the Attic 15:45 Earthflight 16:45 Are You Being Served?

17:15 'Allo 'Allo!

17:45 Yes Minister 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Japan: Earth's Enchanted Islands 21:00 Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites 21:30 Gardeners' World 22:00 Kate Humble: Living with Nomads 23:00 The Clare Balding Show 23:30 Newsnight

00:40 Perspectives 01:35 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 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 Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Gino's Italian Escape 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Doc Martin 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Vicious

00:05 Dementiaville 01:10 Undercover Boss 02:05 Big Fat Gypsy Weddings 03:00 The Job Centre 03:55 One Born Every Minute USA 04:45 Dispatches 05:15 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:10 Deal or No Deal 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Car SOS 11:30 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:10 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Deal or No Deal 17:00 Benchmark 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 22:00 TFI Friday 23:00 Alan Carr: Chatty Man

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Cowboy Builders 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 HouseBusters 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 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS: Los Angeles 16:15 Jesse Stone: Sea Change (2007) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 World War II in Colour 21:00 Conspiracy 22:00 Big Brother 23:30 Big Brother's Bit on the Side

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

Saturday 13th June 00:20 SunTrap 00:50 The Ruins (2008) 02:15 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:20 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 11:30 Trooping the Colour 14:05 BBC News; Weather 14:15 Athletics 15:20 Bargain Hunt 16:20 Homes Under the Hammer 17:20 Escape to the Continent 18:20 Celebrity Mastermind 18:50 Pointless Celebrities 19:40 BBC News 19:50 BBC London News; Weather 20:00 Prized Apart 21:05 The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins 21:55 Casualty 22:45 The John Bishop Show 23:30 BBC News; Weather 23:50 Not Going Out

23:30 Julie & Julia (2009)

00:10 Total Recall (1990) 02:15 Jackpot247 04:00 Britain's Best Bakery 04:50 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 13:25 ITV News and Weather 13:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show 14:35 Tipping Point 15:35 1000 Heartbeats 16:40 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 19:10 ITV News London 19:20 ITV News and Weather 19:30 You've Been Framed!

20:00 The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey (2012) 23:15 ITV News and Weather 23:30 300 (2006)

00:40 Man Down 01:15 Virtually Famous 01:55 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 02:20 Benchmark 03:15 The Hotel 04:10 The Renovation Game 05:05 Four Rooms US 06:00 Deal or No Deal 06:50 The Common Denominator 07:15 How I Met Your Mother 08:30 FIM Superbike World Championship 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Frasier 12:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:55 The Simpsons 14:25 Channel 4 Racing 17:15 Come Dine with Me 19:40 Channel 4 News 20:00 The Trainer and the Racehorse: The Legend of Frankel 21:00 The Restoration Man 22:00 The 90s: Ten Years That Changed the World 23:35 TFI Friday

00:30 Big Brother 01:00 Cricket on 5 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:20 Jackass 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:20 Angelina Ballerina 07:30 Milkshake! Monkey 07:35 Pip Ahoy!

07:45 The Mr Men Show 08:00 Chloe's Closet 08:10 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:20 Make Way for Noddy 08:30 Milkshake! Bop Box 08:35 Paw Patrol 08:45 Little Princess 09:05 Wanda and the Alien 09:15 Zack and Quack 09:30 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:45 Jelly Jamm 10:05 LazyTown 10:30 Dora and Friends 11:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:35 The Secret Life of Pets 12:00 Cowboy Builders 14:55 Columbo: Requiem for a Falling Star (0) 16:20 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 17:20 The Dog Rescuers 18:15 Inside Manchester's Midland Hotel 19:15 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 20:00 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away 20:55 5 News Weekend 21:00 She's 78, He's 39: Age Gap Love 22:00 Big Brother 23:00 Live International Boxing

01:30 The Many Faces of 02:30 French Film (2008) 03:55 This Is BBC Two 07:15 The Big Allotment Challenge 08:15 Countryfile 09:10 Gardeners' World 09:40 Greatest Gardens 10:10 The Beechgrove Garden 10:40 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:15 The Box 12:45 The Box 13:15 Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites 13:45 Athletics 14:45 They Came to Cordura (1959) 16:45 Flog It! 17:45 Beat the Brain 18:15 Hotel India 19:15 Shanghai Knights (2002) 21:00 Dara and Ed's Great Big Adventure 22:00 The BBC at War 23:00 Protecting Our Foster Kids

01:40 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 13:20 ITV News and Weather 13:35 Long Lost Family 14:35 Jurassic Park (1993) 17:00 ITV News London 17:15 ITV News and Weather 17:30 Live International Football 20:15 Catchphrase 21:00 All Star Family Fortunes 22:00 Home Fires 23:00 ITV News and Weather 23:15 The Unforgettable 23:50 Euro 2016 Qualifier Highlights

01:10 In Bruges (2008) 03:05 Marvel's Agents of SHIELD 03:55 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 04:50 Hollyoaks 06:55 How I Met Your Mother 08:10 Caterham Motorsport 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 George Clarke's Amazing Spaces 14:35 The Simpsons 15:30 Evolution (2001) 17:35 Location, Location, Location 18:35 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Kevin McCloud's Escape to the Wild 21:00 The Secret World of Lego 22:00 Humans 23:00 Magic Mike (2012)

04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Caught on Camera 05:50 Make It Big 06:45 Angels of Jarm 07:20 Angelina Ballerina 07:30 Milkshake! Monkey 07:35 Pip Ahoy!

07:45 The Mr Men Show 08:00 Chloe's Closet 08:10 Milkshake! Bop Box 08:15 Roobarb and Custard 08:20 Make Way for Noddy 08:35 Paw Patrol 08:45 Milkshake! Monkey 08:50 Little Princess 09:05 Wanda and the Alien 09:15 Zack and Quack 09:25 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:40 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:50 Jelly Jamm 10:00 LazyTown 10:25 Olly the Little White Van 10:30 Dora and Friends 11:00 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:35 Chinese Food in Minutes 11:50 Ultimate Police Interceptors 14:50 The Man in the Iron Mask (1997) 17:15 Snow Dogs (2002) 19:05 Benefits Britain 20:00 Cricket on 5 20:55 5 News Weekend 21:00 Make You Laugh Out Loud 22:00 Big Brother 23:30 The Abba Years

00:00 In Our Name (2010) 01:30 Match of the Day Live 04:00 Question Time 05:00 This Is BBC Two 07:00 The Quick Gun (1964) 08:30 The Deadly Companions (1961) 10:00 Animal Park 10:30 Earthflight 11:30 The Box 13:00 Talking Pictures 13:30 Suspicion (1941) 15:05 Talking Pictures 15:40 Rebecca (1940) 17:45 Flog It! 18:30 Gardeners' World 19:00 Trooping the Colour: Highlights 20:30 Edwardian Farm 21:30 Dad's Army 22:00 The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 23:00 Mock the Week

Sunday 14th June 00:20 Old School (2003) 01:50 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:55 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 14:15 Prized Apart 15:25 Escape to the Country 16:05 The Truth About Your Teeth 17:05 Points of View 17:20 Lifeline 17:30 Songs of Praise 18:05 Nigel Slater: Eating Together 18:35 Animals Unexpected 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 Live at the Apollo

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

Monday 15th June 00:15 High Fidelity (2000) 02:00 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:05 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Crimewatch Roadshow 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Claimed and Shamed 12:30 Family Finders 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 17:00 The Box 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Nigel Slater: Eating Together 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 The Met 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Have I Got Old News for You

00:00 Secretariat (2010)

00:05 Have I Got Old News for You 00:35 The Graham Norton Show 01:25 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:30 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Crimewatch Roadshow 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Claimed and Shamed 12:30 Family Finders 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 17:00 The Box 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 The Syndicate 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Dara O Briain meets Stephen Hawking

23:30 Newsnight

01:15 Jackpot247 03:30 Motorsport UK 04:20 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 Jeremy Kyle's Emergency Room 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Johnny Kingdom's Wild Exmoor 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Vicious 22:30 It's a Funny Old Week 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Exposure

01:15 True Stories 02:45 A Better Life (2011) 04:20 Come Dine with Me 05:10 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 06:00 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:55 How I Met Your Mother 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Car SOS 11:30 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:05 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Deal or No Deal 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 Gadget Man 22:00 Kevin McCloud's Escape to the Wild 23:00 Man Down 23:30 Channel 4's Comedy Gala

00:30 Abba: Live In Concert 01:40 Muriel's Wedding 03:40 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 09:55 Milkshake! Bop Box 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 The Secret Life of Pets 12:40 5 News Lunchtime 12:45 Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:10 Crimes of the Mind 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 World's Busiest 21:00 Furious & Funny: Caught on Camera 22:00 Inside Manchester's Midland Hotel 23:00 Big Brother

00:15 Weather 00:20 The Clare Balding Show 00:50 Match of the Day Live 03:30 Watchdog 04:30 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Schools - Wave World 05:30 Schools - Get Lost 06:00 Schools - Human Planet: Change and Sustainability KS2 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Claimed and Shamed 08:30 Family Finders 09:15 Collectaholics 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Tennis from Queen's 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial 21:00 Natural World 22:00 An Hour to Save Your Life 23:00 Rev 23:30 Newsnight

00:45 Sports Life Stories 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 04:40 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 Jeremy Kyle's Emergency Room 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 A Great Welsh Adventure with Griff Rhys Jones 21:00 Me and My Guide Dog 22:00 The Enforcers 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Benidorm

02:00 24 Hours in A&E 02:55 Country House Rescue 03:50 The House the 50s Built 04:45 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 05:40 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:35 The Common Denominator 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:40 Channel 4 Racing 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Running the Shop 22:00 No Offence 23:00 Gogglebox

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:15 She's 78, He's 39: Age Gap Love 02:10 SuperCasino 04:10 The Dog Rescuers 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 HouseBusters 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 09:30 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Time of Death (2013) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00Ultimate Police Interceptors 21:00 The Dog Rescuers 22:00 OAPs Behaving Badly 23:00 Big Brother

01:55 Countryfile 02:50 Holby City 03:50 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Claimed and Shamed 08:30 Family Finders 09:15 Demolition: The Wrecking Crew 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Tennis from Queen's 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Big Dreams Small Spaces 21:00 The ÂŁ100K House: The Final Fix 22:00 Japan: Earth's Enchanted Islands 23:00 Episodes

Tuesday 16th June

The View

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Wednesday 17th June 00:25 Creation (2009) 02:05 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:10 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Crimewatch Roadshow 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Claimed and Shamed 12:30 Family Finders 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Continent 17:00 The Box 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 DIY SOS 22:00 The Interceptor 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 SunTrap

00:15 Weather 00:20 Napoleon 01:20 The Super League Show 02:05 Antiques Roadshow 03:05 Rip Off Britain: Food 03:50 Outbreak: The Truth about Ebola 04:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Drink and Drugs: My Story 06:00 Schools - True Stories 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Claimed and Shamed 08:30 Family Finders 09:15 Antiques Roadshow Detectives 09:45 Cowboys and Angels 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Lifeline 14:10 Tennis from Queen's 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Newsnight 21:00 Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial 22:00 Napoleon 23:00 The Bin Laden Conspiracy?

23:30 Newsnight

00:10 The Big Fish Off 01:05 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 Jeremy Kyle's Emergency Room 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Cube 22:00 Long Lost Family 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 The Enforcers

00:35 Secrets of the Living Dolls 01:40 Channel 4 Racing Highlights 02:10 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:40 Cycling 03:10 FIM Superbike World Championship 03:35 Caterham Motorsport 04:05 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 05:00 Come Dine with Me 05:55 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 06:45 River Cottage Bites 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:40 Channel 4 Racing 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Auction House 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 Bums, Boobs and Botox

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Benefits Britain 01:55 SuperCasino 04:10 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 HouseBusters 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 09:30 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:35 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Dangerous Attraction 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 21:00 Laugh Out Loud 22:00 Caught on Camera 23:00 Big Brother

00:05 The Met 01:05 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:10 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Crimewatch Roadshow 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Claimed and Shamed 12:30 Family Finders 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Continent 17:00 The Box 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 Celebrity MasterChef 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Question Time

00:15 Weather 00:20 The BBC at War 01:20 Portillo's State Secrets 01:50 Modern Times 02:50 The Detectives 03:50 This Is BBC Two 04:50 Schools - Matters of Life and Death 06:00 Ultimate Brain: Mad Lab - Mission Materials 06:30 Schools - Titch and Ted Do Maths: Measurements 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Claimed and Shamed 08:30 Family Finders 09:15 Horizon 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Tennis from Queen's 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Beat the Brain 20:00 Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial 21:00 The Hairy Bikers and Lorraine Pascale: Cooking the Nation's Favourite Food 22:00 Stonemouth 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight

00:40 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 Jeremy Kyle's Emergency Room 16:00 Dickinson's Real Deal 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Big Box Little Box 22:00 Britain's Busiest Airport - Heathrow 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 The Late Debate

00:00 Domino's Pizza: A Slice of Life 01:05 Wild Life Festival 02:05 Channel 4 Racing Highlights 02:35 Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA 03:25 Death & Life of Charlie St Cloud (2010) 05:05 Come Dine with Me 06:00 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 06:55 How I Met Your Mother 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Come Dine with Me 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me 14:40 Channel 4 Racing 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dogs: Their Secret Lives 22:00 The Tribe 23:00 17 Kids and Counting

00:00 Big Brother's Bit on the Side 01:00 Cricket on 5 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Person of Interest 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 HouseBusters 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 08:50 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 12:10 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Imaginary Friend (2012) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Trauma Doctors 21:00 Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 22:00 Big Brother 23:00 Person of Interest

Thursday 18th June

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

fashion forward

KAFTANS AND COVER-UPS

Perfect for covering up in the sunshine but chic enough for cocktails after sunset. A kaftan is the essential holiday must-pack.

The View

ACCESSORIES WHAT A JOY TO WEAR ­ JOID’ART

Jewellery with real character since 1981. Joid’art merges creativity, contemporary crafts and jewellery to shape character. Pieces that speak the language of femininity inspired

by REAL women.

ALINA GOLD & MULTICOLOUR NECKLACE €156.50

MONSOON – KAFTAN & TROUSERS Trousers – €102 www.monsoon.co.uk ­ Delivery £3.95 (5 euros) FREE on orders over £75.00

LA REDOUTE EMBROIDERED WHITE DRESS ­ €38 www.laredoute.es

CANDY GOLD & ENAMEL CUFF NECKLACE €97

CANDY GOLD EARRINGS ­ €36

ICONA SILVER & ENAMEL NECKLACE €466.50

MINT VELVET ­ Blue/White tunic ­ €102 www.mintvelvet.co.uk Delivery ­ £3.95 (4.95 euros)

DOROTHY PERKINS PAISLEY PRINT PONCHO – €32 euros www.dorothyperkins.com ­ Delivery – €6

LA REDOUTE DRESS ­ €76 www.laredoute.es

ICONA SILVER & ENAMEL RING €86.50

Visit our website for more fantastic offers – www.joidart.com

The View

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

Anthropologie has grown into a one-of-a-kind destination for those seeking a curated mix of CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES, GIFTS and HOME DECOR to reflect their personal style and fuel their lives’ passions.

Taking inspiration from the worlds of fashion, art and entertaining, they offer signature products and unmatched service, both online throughout the UK and SPAIN. Buyers and designers travel the world to uncover special products and to collaborate with talented artists. The result? – A unique assortment with influences ranging from vintage to global. They feel their main success lies at keeping the customer at the heart of everything.

FARM-FRESH TIPPLES: Sweet pea cocktail

Rose of Sharon grand vase­£24 (31 euros)

SURA DINING TABLE WITH MOSAIC TOP ­ £1700 Engineered hardwood – H 76cm – W 268cm – D 98cm MOSAIC TOP ­ Easy clean

June is the month when food markets come into their own – the sun is shining, stalls are bursting with bright colours and fruit and veg is all at its freshly­picked best.

Combine this with a penchant for a Friday tipple and you have our latest farmer’s market inspired cocktail.

Add thirst­quenching cucumber and a stick or three of celery and you’ve got a cocktail that’s as good as one of your 5 a day – wouldn’t you agree You will need:

VANILLA FIG CANDLE ­ £14 (18 euros)

CASSAVA MIRROR £68 (88euros)

Dreambirds vase ­ £98 (127 euros)

www.anthropolgie.eu Delivery – 3 to 5 business days ­ £8.00 (10 euros)

BEAUTY BUZZzzzz..

SUNSCREEN W

CHEERS....

Carolines view on...

Here are my BEST OF THE TEST:

hether we like it or not, sunscreen is a must for all of us, and on a daily basis we need an SPF of at least 15. For prolonged sun exposure we should be using a higher SPF of 30 or above and preferably with a water­ resistant formulation.

The amount of sunscreen you apply is also vital – a shot glass full of sunscreen for the average adult and reapplying “every one to two hours while outdoors”­ Okay it doesn’t sound like a fun way to spend your summer, but with these tips you won’t get sunburned and it will save your wrinkles!

6­7 SUGAR SNAP PODS shelled 10­12 PIECES CUCUMBER 2­3 CELERY STALKS, juiced or pureed ½ LIME. Juiced 2 ounces QUALITY GIN 1 ounce St.GERMAIN LIQUEUR CLUB SODA PEA SHOOTS – to garnish Separate peas from pods. Muddle all ingredients with a spoon or fork to extract as much liquid as possible.

Add rest of ingredients.

Top with club soda, ice & garnish with pea shoots.

Best for DRY SKIN • Clarins – UV Plus ­ SPF 50 So lightweight you forget that it is on • Coppertone clear sheer – SPF (runner­up) Perfect score for parched skin sans greasiness

Best for Oily/Combination skin • Hawaiian Tropic – Silk Hydration – SPF 30 Just enough moisture – Imparts a velvety matte “finish” to combination skin • Algenist – Sublime Defense – SPF 50 (runner­up) Oily/combination www.sephora.com

Best for Sensitive skin • Md Solar Sciences Mineral SPF 50 “Causing no sensitivity whatsoever” www.sephora.com • Aveeno – Sensitive­ Protect & Hydrate SPF 50 (runner­up) Infused with soothing oatmeal – No irritation, no residue.

And THE WINNER IS – Md SOLAR SCIENCES – MINERAL CREME BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 50. – This is an excellent fragrance­free sunscreen that is best for those with normal/oily skin. Lightweight it blends quickly & easily, delivering a moisturising, matte finish that helps even skin tone....A BEAUTY STEAL at 30 euros. www.sephora.com

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

Piri piri pork belly

Crispy pork belly roasted in a homemade piri piri sauce – a great alternative to traditional roast pork and perfect for Sunday lunch

Ingredients 6 fresh bay leaves 1 level teaspoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon olive oil 1.2 kg higher­welfare pork belly, skin on, bone in 2 red onions 1 sweet potato 4 cloves of garlic 2 fresh red chillies 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 x 700 ml jar of passata 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Tear out the stalks from the bay leaves, then bash the leaves in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt to make a paste. Add the paprika and muddle in the oil. Score the pork all over in a criss­cross fashion with a clean Stanley knife at 1cm intervals, just going through the fat, not the meat. Rub with the bay oil, getting into all the scores. Peel and roughly chop the onions and sweet potato, peel and finely chop the garlic and halve the chillies, then place it all in a snug­fitting roasting

tray or dish and sit the pork on top. Roast for 45 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven and remove the pork to a plate momentarily. Stir the vinegar and passata into the tray, half fill the empty passata jar with water, swirl it around and pour into the tray, then sit the pork back on top. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/325°F/gas 3 and roast for a further 1½ hours.

Twenty minutes before the end, remove the pork from the oven and skim the fat from the surface into a small

bowl. Strip in the rosemary leaves (discarding the stalks), toss to coat, then sprinkle over the pork belly and place back in the oven for the remaining time, or until the pork is golden and tender and the sauce is reduced (loosen with a splash of extra water at the end, if needed).The crackling should have puffed up nicely, but, if it hasn't (pork skin can sometimes be erratic), just pop it under a hot grill and watch it like a hawk until it's perfect. Serve in the middle of the table with your chosen sides (see below), and tuck in.

Orange & polenta cake Ingredients

• 200 g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing • 200 g demerara sugar • 3 large free­range eggs • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence • 200 g ground almonds • 100 g coarse polenta • zest of 2 oranges • 1 teaspoon orange blossom water • 1 teaspoon gluten­free baking powder • crème fraîche or plain yoghurt, to serve

For the syrup:

• 250 ml orange juice, (from about 3­4 oranges) • 30 ml orange blossom water • 5 cardamom pods, crushed • 125 g golden caster sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/gas 2½. Grease a 20cm

springform tin, line the bottom and sides with baking paper and grease again.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy – don't worry if it looks gritty, as the sugar will dissolve when it's cooked. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then stir in the vanilla essence.

In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, polenta, orange zest, orange blossom water and baking powder, then stir this into the cake mix. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 40–50 minutes, until the surface is light brown and the cake is coming away slightly from the sides of the tin.

Remove the tin from the oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. This cake will be quite moist and a little fragile, so handle carefully as you remove it.

To make the syrup, put all of the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over a low–medium heat until reduced and thickened slightly, it should take about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Prick the cake all over with a skewer, then brush generously with the syrup. Serve in slices with a dollop of crème fraîche or yoghurt and an extra drizzle of syrup.

The View

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The 10 new rules of healthy eating

T

rying to eat healthily in this day and age can be confusing. Almost every week we read about a new “superfood” or hear that the previous one isn’t so great.

I’m a big believer in listening to advice, trying it out on your body and then figuring out what’s right for you. We are all different: one person can benefit from a low­carb diet and another not at all; one can eat soaked oats every day, while another doubles up in pain the minute they go near them. Here are a few ways you can improve your health without having to restrict yourself too much.

Chew food really well

Chewing properly has many functions. First, it will slow you down so your stomach has time to catch up, and let you know when it’s full. Second, chewing not only helps to break down the food before it hits your stomach (so its nutrients will pass more easily through the stomach wall), but also encourages your stomach to produce acid to break that food down well.

Try old grains

The term “ancient grains” refers to grains that were eaten for centuries before wheat production became the most dominant form of grain production in the Western world.

These grains are now enjoying a revival. They include amaranth, barley, bulgar, buckwheat, kamut, millet, spelt, teff and quinoa. They provide more vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein than modern wheat. Some are also gluten free, which helps serve the growing demand for healthier products by consumers.

Choose grass-fed or organic butter

Haven’t you heard? Butter is not bad for us; in fact, it’s full of healthy fats, provided you’re eating the right kind. As with milk, what the cows that produced your butter ate is important in terms of the quality of your spread. While organic butter is better than regular butter because it contains fewer pesticides and herbicides

[transferred through feed given to cows before milking], grass­fed butters appear to include healthier ratios of healthy to less healthy fats and higher levels of vitamin A and E.

Add organic natural powders to smoothies for extra nutrients

Thought smoothies were healthy? Add some organic health powders to your fruit and veg when you blitz them and you’ll be upping the nutrient ante quite significantly. A teaspoon of Neal’s Yard’s SuperFood complex contains active greens and sea vegetables, including chlorella, wheatgrass, spirulina and spinach, to cleanse and purify your system. You could try baobab, raw cacao and maca powders, all of which contain antioxidants and boost immunity, while camu camu powder, made from a berry that grows in the Andes, contains 80 times more vitamin C than an orange.

Always soak your oats

If you want to make your breakfast porridge truly healthy, soak your oats overnight. Grains, including oats, contain phytic acid in their outer layer that can bind to certain nutrients in the gut and block their absorption. That actually means people who consume a lot of unfermented grains can be lacking in certain nutrients, but the best way to get around this is to soak them first (for at least seven hours)

as that breaks down the phytic acid.

Soak oats either in water with a pinch of salt or make a bircher muesli – soaked overnight in natural yogurt, grated apple and lemon juice with the options of added honey, cinnamon, nuts, dried fruits, coconut and berries.

Eat mindfully

Essentially this just means being fully present while eating food – either sitting with others or just alone, but not checking emails, watching television or throwing something down your throat as you walk. Eating mindfully can have a drastic effect on satiation levels.

Bring your water to life

Here’s an easy, tasty and fairly economical way of looking after your body: introduce a fermented food into your diet. If you don’t fancy spending all your time fermenting vegetables, you could try water kefir. It’s full of beneficial bacteria, which will help support digestive, immune and brain health. It is similar to kombucha, a form of fermented tea, minus the caffeine.

Buy 'heavy’ bread, or bake your own, instead of going gluten free

If you suffer from coeliac disease, gluten­free bread is essential. But if you aren’t allergic, and just want to avoid the bloat associated with gluten, processed gluten­free loaves are not necessarily your best option. Try sourdough instead, whether you make it yourself, or buy it.

Vary your veg

Apparently it’s common in those who try to be healthy and eat too much of anything. Intolerances such as these are on the rise because gone are the days when certain fruit or veg were available only during a certain season. Now we can eat broccoli every night if we want, so varying your veg (the easiest way is to eat what’s in season) should help reduce the risk of developing intolerances, which might mean you have to avoid that nutritious food altogether.

Swap carbs for cauliflower

It seems we are finally getting the message that diets high in processed carbohydrates such as pasta and regular bread don’t work well for most of us. Enter the humble cauliflower. It used to be just boiled or covered in cheese sauce, but it can do so much more. To create an alternative to couscous or rice, try seasoning and roasting it in a little high­quality oil before putting it in a food processor. To make a cauliflower pizza base, add egg and finely grated cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino with some Italian herbs. Bake without toppings for 15 minutes, then add some toppings and bake.

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IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT

N

ot everyone has air­conditioning in Spain, so is it possible to get a good night’s sleep without it?

Tradition says yes. Ancient Egyptians used to moisten their bedclothes to sleep better and combat heat waves, which pose a serious risk to public health.

According to the results of a scientific study carried out by the Spanish National Research Council, mortality rates for those aged over 75 increase 20.1% for each degree that the maximum daily temperature rises above 36ºC. Our ancestors have passed down to us a long legacy of tricks for staying cool. You can sleep under cotton sheets, for example, which aid perspiration. At the same time you can also put your sheets in the fridge or freezer inside a plastic bag for a few minutes before sleeping – they won’t stay cool the whole night, but it will be long enough for you to fall asleep – or fill a hot water bottle with cold water to cool down your bed. Here are a few more suggestions.

1. Be creative. Come up with methods to stop hot air from entering the room. For instance, point a fan toward the windows, or place a bowl full of ice or very cold water in front of the fan to cool the air further. A damp sheet placed over the window also helps.

2. Wear light pajamas. That’s the advice from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though you can also sleep naked if you like. It’s a question of preference.

According to a study by the Association of American Cotton Producers Cotton USA carried out in the UK, 57% of people who sleep naked are happier in their relationship with their partner.

3. Apply compresses dipped in lukewarm water on parts of the body most sensitive to

heat, such as the neck, elbows, ankles and the backs of the knees. The contact with cool water has a refrigerating effect that triggers a narrowing of the blood vessels, heating up the skin. In turn, the heat cools you down as a result of the difference in the surrounding temperature, explains the CDC. 4. Sleep alone. It’s the best thing to stay cool. Sleeping alongside someone else increases your body temperature and makes the bedclothes cling, 5. Shower in warm water to reduce your body temperature. This is a good tip for feeling fresh and clean. Many people say that, even though the shock of a cold shower produces an instant feeling of coolness, it reactivates your body and energy consumption, which makes you feel the heat more quickly afterwards than if you had showed in warm water.

6. Eat salad for dinner. Avoid big meals and hot dishes such as stews, soups and roast chicken. These force the body to produce more heat in order to digest them. A yoghurt, salad or that Spanish summer favourite, cold gazpacho, are perfect for summer nights. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water, the WHO says: the body uses it to get rid of heat.

COMPULSORY PENSIONS ADVICE T

wo­thirds of people aged 55 and over believe financial advice should be compulsory at retirement.

New research from retirement specialist MGM Advantage finds that two­thirds (65%) of people aged 55 and over who are not yet retired, believe that it should be compulsory to receive financial advice at retirement. The provider is calling for a clear hand­off to regulated financial advice when people are seeking help to take the next steps at­ retirement.

More than one third (35%) of people polled said they were not comfortable managing their pension in retirement, which suggests that these people will require on­ going advice through their retirement journey. Only 11% of people said they were very comfortable managing their pension in retirement.

The research also shows that 62% of people who plan to use their pension funds before retiring, also think that financial advice should be compulsory. This follows the introduction of the new pension freedoms, which allow people with defined contribution pensions’ unfettered access to their savings.

Andrew Tully, pension’s technical director at MGM Advantage, said: “This research paints a clear picture of an appetite among the over 55s for financial advice, not only at the point of retiring but also during retirement. People are making difficult, life­ changing decisions, made all the more complex by the new pension rules. We’re seeing the majority of people recognise that without financial advice they may fail to realise the full implications and make decisions that end up costing them dearly.

The View

The walking of life

T

ens of thousands of lives could be saved each year in the UK alone if people got off the sofa and stretched their legs more, say charities.

The “Walking Works” report by the Ramblers and Macmillan Cancer Support said, walking was a free activity which could transform people’s health and that being physically active decreases the odds of heart problems and stroke.

But it also makes a difference in other conditions such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and many cancers.

A recent study in the British Medical Journal showed that exercise was as good a medicine as pills for some conditions including heart diseases. Another study showed that walking at least an hour a day significantly cut the risk of breast cancer.

The latest report said that, if everyone in England alone, did the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise every week it would: • Save 37,000 lives each year • Prevent 6,700 cases of breast cancer • Stop 4,700 people getting colorectal cancer • Lead to nearly 300,000 fewer cases of

type 2 diabetes.

The two charities run the Walking for Health programme in an attempt to get more people up on their feet.

Benedict Southworth, chief executive of the Ramblers, said: “We’re facing a serious crisis of inactivity, but there is a simple solution. We need to see greater investment in initiatives which support and promote walking as the most accessible and affordable way for people to get active.”

Ciarán Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “For cancer patients, being active can help manage some of the debilitating consequences of treatment and can even help reduce the chance of some cancers returning. Inactivity is a nationwide epidemic that must be tackled now before it is too late.”

Public Health England said inactivity had “life threatening consequences”.

Its director of health and wellbeing, Prof Kevin Fenton, said: “Inactivity increases the risk of serious illnesses like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.

“It makes it more likely that people will be overweight or obese. Supporting people to get active through walking can be a major part of the solution.”

PENSIONERS ARE TAKING THE MONEY

A “The Pension Wise guidance service is a good starting point for people. The service can help people understand the options available, but it may not be enough to help them make the choice that’s right for their personal circumstances. We need to provide a clear hand­off to regulated financial advice to help people take the next logical steps. My fear is many people will revert to their pension company and not shop around for either the best solution or the best deal.”

He concluded that, “we need to continue to work hard to promote the benefits of people actually taking the next step and getting proper regulated financial advice. This is the only way we can remove the status quo, ensure we improve the outcomes for people at retirement and make sure the new rules benefit as many of them as possible.”

The Pension Wise service aims to provide those at retirement with an understanding of their new pension options. There is a website (www.pensionwise.gov.uk) to support the service and provide more information about phone and face­to­face guidance.

ccording to Zurich, nine out of ten people taking advantage of the new pension freedoms that came into effect in April this year are choosing to take a cash lump sum. The remainder are opting for an annuity or drawdown.

Among the customers accessing their pension, 80% are taking sums of less than £10,000, with the average of these withdrawing £4,000.

Rod McKie, Zurich’s head of retirement propositions, said: “Customers are making the most of the new freedoms to access their pensions in a way that best suits them.

“While it’s still too early to draw any definitive trends, many of those making a decision on their pension are dipping into their retirement savings, with most taking less than £10,000.

He added: “Some people are withdrawing small pots in full, while others are taking out small lump sums using our partial uncrystallised funds pension lump sum (UFPLS) option, which is proving useful to customers.

“We have invested heavily in providing a full range of retirement flexibilities together

with tools to support customers as they make their choices. The evidence so far suggests savers welcome the freedom to access their pension as they wish.”

Mr McKie said only a small proportion of callers enquiring about their choices are going on to access their pots straight away.

“At the start of the freedoms, most callers wanted to make a claim immediately.

However, this has changed in the last few weeks with only a small number of first­time callers enquiring about their options now going on to access their pension pots,” he said. "As we move into a more stable position with pent up demand for cash beginning to dissipate the majority of people are taking time to consider their options before making a decision.”

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

37

Taking a trip with George

By Togas Not Compulsory

"Right" said navigator George, "Turn left towards La Romana, then keep on the CV840 oticing that my travelling companion & navigator, towards L'Alguena. Then look for the RM­A­30, George, was drifting back into snooze mode, well, it turning right onto the RA­M­10 at Can'ada De La was just after 10 in the morning, I felt it time for some Len'a, direction El Collado de los Gabrieles, can't stimulating facts relating on our eventual destination. miss it" Want to bet, I thought.

"Did you know there are over 200 registered thermal After a couple of wrong turns, one terminating springs in Spain, and that the one close to Fortuna, where in a farmyard, much to the surprise of what we we intend to visit tomorrow, was first discovered by the took to be the farm owner, who crawled out from Romans, in the first century?". under a very rusty Massey Ferguson tractor, Navigator George then surprised me by asking "Well, was I banging his head on the P.T.O. shaft at the rear, to aware that the water rises from the depths of the earth at 49 investigate our 5 point turn in his drive, we degrees C, at a rate of 16 litres per second, and that the water eventually made it to our guest house, in the contains some 10 minerals, and is considered to be one of the shadow of the Sierra de la Pila. Our B & B for two riches mineral waters in Spain." Remembering my science nights was once a farmhouse, which now had lessons from far off school days, "No, but are you aware been converted into comfortable accommodation George, that the waters are hypotonic, meaning the body for 16 guests, with a mix of double and family absorbs the minerals more quickly?" There was a slight rooms. I congratulated navigator George, on his pause, before George responded, "Well of course I knew that, exemplary map reading (rude not to) and swiftly One of two hot thermal bathing areas, Fortuna. but do try and remember, not to drink the water" unpacked. A swim in the pool soon followed. Our Concentrating again on the map, George tells me that the Just as our beers arrived, along with ham, and assorted host, Jenny, explained that the nearest bar is a walk of about small town of Aspe, where we intended to take a coffee break, 45 minutes, through the almond trees, following the track pickles, George went into panic mode again. "He's here again, and to stretch the legs, was fast approaching. This was our behind the house. And so it was. After a couple of beers, along look, over in the corner, that farmer chap" He was, but there first visit to Aspe. "It's a good job it's one way, look how with a plate of splendid local cheese and ham, George asked was certainly no recognition on his part. George relaxed, and narrow the streets are." that I look, without making it too obvious, at the chap in the decided to try a bottle of local red wine, which was decanted "I take it you missed the traffic lights then, controlling the into an earthenware jug, before arriving at our table. "Cheers" corner, sporting a quite a large plaster on his forehead. flow, it's actually two way", There was a slight pause from my "Isn't that the farmer chap we met earlier, you know, the said George, raising a toast to our Massey Ferguson friend in companion "Well, you’re the driver, I'm just the navigator." one who hit his head on the tractor?" It was, and it was some the corner. "They were made in Coventry." Yes, I know that, Guess he had a point. time before we were able to make a tactical exit, without but don't push your luck. We made it back unchallenged, for We enjoyed two large mugs of coffee, and a couple of slices another, and, peaceful night in our room. being noticed. We slept well that night! of what reminded me of a Victoria Sponge, compliments of Friday dawned bright and sunny, with breakfast again taken After breakfast, it was time to visit the Leana Balnerario the house. This small town has a population of just over on the terrace, overlooking the shimmering pool. Tempted as Mineromedicinal, just three kilometres before Fortuna.

20,000 souls, boasting a fine 18th century town hall, a The Romans called the hot spring water The Scared Snake. we were for quick, post breakfast dip, we decided to save museum, and on the outskirts, a ruinous castle. Our innkeeper In 1837 there was an earthquake, which caused the water to ourselves for our last visit to the thermal springs. With our told us that the main industry is with the grape. It was dry up, leading to the abandonment of the old spa. It was quite account settled at the guest house, we headed out towards certainly bustling on this Wednesday morning visit. This a few years later, that the landowners began to extract the Fortuna. town, located in the delightful valley of The Vinalop' Mitja, we "One could almost miss the turning to the spa" George waters once again, and build the bathhouse we see today. both agreed, warrants a return visit.

"You'll be o.k. here George, you can have commented. I wondered how his head was, following some Pharyngeal Spray Treatment, a nasal yesterday's encounter with the local red wine, but thought it douche, deep cleansing along with some wise not to ask. It seems to be a Spanish trait, to undersell a peeling face and body work." "Think I stick feature or facility. The only indication that this quite to the baths thank you" was his mumbled spectacular place exists, is a small sign picturing a fountain, on a post, only clearly visible once the turn off from the main reply. No spirit of adventure these days!

Having paid our entrance fee (10 euro road has been taken.

Our car was soon parked, alongside one of the two luxury weekdays, 12 euro weekends) and looking very fetching in our blue bathing caps, it was hotels in the complex. "There's a scale replica of the Vatican's into one, of two large swimming pools. "A Sistine Chapel, in that hotel, honest" remarked George, as he trifle hot" said friend George "And I've just adjusted his smart blue bathing cap. "Perhaps take a peep next visit old friend" I replied. swallowed quite at bit".

With the sun now dropping behind the hills, it was time to And so the day continued. Sun loungers, chairs and tables, along with a palm tree leave this delightful thermal experience, and for navigator fringed garden area, to relax in. It was soon George, to get us safely back to the coast, and home.

The Leana Historias Du Un Balneario is a "must visit". Our time to return for our second night at the guest house. Once back, a swim in the cool home from home guest house! Well, I'm sure you won't have much difficulty in locating it! Oh, and tell Jenny we shall be pool was order of the evening.

Later, we again made our way through the back very soon. Perhaps best to avoid talking tractors and almond groves to the village of Can'ada del P.T.O.'s when in the local, just in case.

Robert W Barnes.

Our secluded guest house, from the almond fields. Trigo, and its local bar.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

THE BIG CROSS WORD Across

medical name for what? (7)

3 Florian Cloud de Bounevialle

1 In which form of motorcycle

O’Malley Armstrong is the real

racing do the riders race four laps

name of which British­born singer­

around an oval dirt track, typically

songwriter? (4)

in a stadium? (8)

4 Ponta Delgada is the capital of

7/18 By what other name is iron

which group of volcanic islands in

pyrite also known? (5,4)

the

8 What name is normally given to a small airport or airfield? (9)

6 By what surname was the ‘song

10 Which hill in County Meath was

and dance’ man who was originally

the site in early times of the

named Frederic Austerlitz, better

residence of the high kings of

known? (7)

Ireland? (4)

7 A prancing horse on a yellow

11 Which city is the capital of Iran?

shield is the emblem of which

(6)

motor manufacturer? (7)

13/17D Which naval administrator

12 What name is given to a person

is particularly remembered for his

who makes a will? (7)

Diary that describes events such as

13 What is the name given to the

the Great Plague and the Fire of

day of religious observance and

London? (6,5)

abstinence from work? (7)

14 According to Daniel Defoe, what

15 Which is the highest mountain

was the surname of the character

in Wales? (7)

who was castaway on a remote

16 What was the surname of the

island? (6)

writer who created the sinister

17 Which volatile flammable

Chinese

mixture of hydrocarbons is used

22

Which

US

folk

rock

growing aromatic plant of the mint

singer/songwriter, who died of a

family are used as a culinary herb?

drug overdose in 1980, wrote

(5)

Reason To Believe and If I Were a

24 To what did Ceylon change its

Carpenter? (3,6)

name in 1972? (3,5)

SCIENCE QUIZ 1. Dugongs & Manatees Belong To Which Family Of Animals?

2. What Treatment Involves The Precise Use Of Needles?

3. Where Is Fibrin Found In The Human Body?

4. An alloy of iron, chromium and nickel makes what?

5. Which Sex Is Prone To Suicide?

6. Which British Car Was Driven By Paddy Hopkirk To Win The 1964 Monte Carlo Rally , And Also Featured In The Film The Ital

genius

Fu

Down 1 Which private eye was played on

17 See 13 Across 19 What was the title of 10CC’s first British top 10 hit single? (5)

screen in the 1970s by actor

21 Which British nobleman ranks

Richard Roundtree? (5)

above a viscount and below a

2 The tympanic membrane is the

marquis? (4)

7. Are Sunspots The Hottest Or Coolest Regions Of The Suns Surface?

8. What Is A Particle Of Light Called?

9. To what family does the hippopotamus belong?

10. From Where On 4th October 1957, Was The First Man Made Satellite Launched Into Space?

11. How Was The Misubishi A6M Fighter Aircraft Known?

12. what's the curved line between any two points on a circle?

13. And In Which Year Did This Happen?

14. Which substance has the chemical symbol 03?

15. Alphabetically, what is the last element?

Answers:

wax and honey, and lives in large

23 The leaves of which low­

communities? (3)

criminal

Manchu? (6)

1. Sirenia Or Sea Cows 2.

Acupuncture 3. B lood 4.

Stainless Steel 5. The Male Sex 6. Mini Cooper 7. Coolest 8. A Photon 9. Pig 10. Baikonur Kosmodrome , Kazakstan 11.

Zero 12. an arc 13. 1969 14.

Ozone 15. Zirconium

collects nectar and pollen, produces

of

the god of victory and the dead? (5)

ta Askatasuna usually known? (3)

18 See 7 20 Which stinging winged insect

west

was the supreme god and creator,

the Basque terrorist group Euskadi

mainly as a fuel in internal­

Ocean,

5 In Scandinavian mythology, who

9 By what much shorter name is

combustion engines? (6)

Atlantic

Portugal? (6)

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

SUDOKU

FILL-IT-IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words As Go Is Ma To We

3 letter words Ere Fat Gel Nee Put Rep

Rug Sae Sip Sit Sun Sup

4 letter words Agog Gory Leer Nine Saga Term

5 letter words Alias Alien Anise Balsa Banns Egret Grass Islet Mural Ought Prose Sagas Shrew Siege

Cryptic

Across 1/21 Undisputed astronomical fact still provokes an expression of surprise (7,5) 5 Put up a tent in the sports ground (5) 8 Dire note in a melancholy tune (5) 9 Birds migrating to caves (7) 10 Get rid off unstable ale in time (9) 12 Look both ways! (3) 13 Very angry about the beer (6) 14 Dallies in old clubs (6) 17 Shut up! ­ It’s only a joke (3) 18 Ones not in the group ousted sir badly (9) 20 An article may carry a little weight, but it’s literally confusing (7) 21 See 1 23 Look at manuscript, it appears (5) 24 Be in 19 down, though it’s an illegal bar (7) Down 1 Beat about the bush, or several (5)

Spire Stale Style Tempo

6 letter words Linear Safari

7 letter words Ruinous Wieners

8 letter words Snappers Trespass

2/7 Stewardess headed for 1 across (3,7) 3 Before the tiny tot became a recluse (7) 4 Gem cut with little science by a Middle Easterner (6) 5 Sounds like experts when it comes to writing (5) 6 As a result, a word of warning succeeds at that point (9) 7 See 2 11 Put together a chopped up giant tree (9) 13 Mendicants getting an egg in licensed premises (7) 15 One of the troops who’s not not very forthcoming (7) 16 Impresses with blows (6) 18 Monsters appearing in Pilgrim’s Progress (5) 19 The lady has a measure of polish (5) 22 Point to an alternative source of metal (3)

surprise (7,5) 5 Area of play (5) 8 Funeral song (5) 9 Shore birds (7) 10 Get rid of (9) 12 Look at (3) 13 Sour (6) 14 Eating utensils (6) 17 Suppress (3) 18 Strangers (9) 20 Wordplay (7) 21 See 1 23 Appears (5) 24 Unlicensed drinking establishment (7)

Down 1 Fence of bushes (5) 2/7 Woman steward on an aeroplane (3,7) 3 Christian recluse (7) 4 Beetle (6) 5 Writing style (5) 6 As a result (9) 7 See 2 11 Mix (9) 13 Mendicants (7) 15 Confidential (7) 16 Imprints (6) 18 Monsters (5) 19 Shine (5) 22 Mineral (3)

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

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CAPTION COMPETITION THE VIEW has reproduced an image taken from one of this week’s major news stories.

We’re challenging you to come up with a caption to fit.

We’ll publish our favourite suggestion next week.

E­mail your wit to editor@theview.es or send them to Apartado de Correos 255, 03193 San Miguel de Salinas. Alicante.

Last week’s image of FIFA President Sepp Blatter attracted a wide range of captions. The entry that amused us the most was sent in by John McGilvray.

“I'm now president of the 'Blow Football' Association”

The View

Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

Iconic 'Grease' convertible car up for auction

A

convertible driven by John Travolta's love rival in the iconic final scene of the film "Grease" is to be auctioned in Beverly Hills later this month.

Jet black and emblazoned with flames, the customised 1949 Mercury Series 9CM – nicknamed "Hell's Chariot" – is expected to fetch up to £390,000 (€529,000).

The 1978 cult classic musical culminates with a drag race between John Travolta's character, Danny, and leader of the rival gang the Scorpions – Craterface – for the affections of Sandy.

Despite dirty tricks from Craterface – including shunting Danny's car in the rear – Hell's Chariot eventually loses. The car up for auction features the original bent front bumper from that shunt.

Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, said: "This is one of the most historic film cars to ever come up for auction. It is being sold for the first time as it was a car thought to have been lost."

"It was actually stored away in a garage for decades

after the film was produced and only recently discovered."

The Mercury is covered with stickers from the rival "Scorpions" gang, complete with recreated licence plates VIN 9CM256273.

The car also comes with the razor hubcaps used to scratch Danny's vehicle in the film.

The Mercury was originally built and customised by Eddie Paul at Eddie Paul of Customs, who created all 42 cars seen in the film.

Two versions of Hell's Chariot were created by Paul – a stunt version that no longer exists and this one.

This vehicle is distinguishable by its square­top wing windows – the stunt version having rounded­top – and was used for every scene in the film except the stunt shots during the final race scene.

The car was additionally used in the films "Streets of Fire" and "Used Cars".

It has a lower price of more than £130,000 (€170,500) when it is sold at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on June 26.

41 IT'S A WRITE-OFF!

I

t is one of the world's most highly regarded manufacturers and its name synonymous with luxury, high­performance sports cars.

But despite Porsche's unique place in the psyche of the motoring industry, a group of mechanics have been left red­faced after misspelling the iconic manufacturer's name.

The owner of a £100,000 Porsche 911 was left stunned to discover the error following what should have been a basic repair job.

A photo of the vehicle revealed it had returned from the mechanic's workshop renamed a 'Porshce' Having taken his vehicle into the mechanics' to have a dent in its bumper fixed, it appeared to have been returned in perfect condition.

But upon closer inspection, he discovered the mechanics had misspelt the word 'Porsche' itself ­ renaming it a 'Porshce'.

The blunder was revealed by Ollie Martin on Twitter.

He wrote: 'A friend in Dubai took his 911 in for a prang repair, this is what Porsche did... BRILLIANT!' It was quickly retweeted by former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View

SAN PEDRO DEL PINATAR

S

AN PEDRO DEL PINATAR is a small town and municipality in the autonomous community and province of Murcia. The municipality is situated at the northern end of Murcia's Mediterranean coastline, the Costa Cálida and borders with the province of Alicante. It has an area of almost 22 km², and a population (2014) of 24,091.

San Pedro del Pinatar (Saint Peter of the Pinewoods) is about 49 km from the provincial capital Murcia and is situated between the Mediterranean Sea coast and the Mar Menor ("Little Sea"), a coastal saltwater lagoon which is the largest in Europe. The Mar Menor coast belongs to three other municipalities that have been featured earlier in our bus journey: San Javier, Los Alcázares and Cartagena. The latter is not by the Mar Menor itself, but in the Mediterranean. San Pedro del Pinatar occupies a small peninsula with 14 km of coastline between the two seas. The terrain is a mostly low­ lying, with an average elevation of only 13m above mean sea level.

Fishing and related processing industries have been a mainstay of the local municipal economy, with tourism and service–related industries playing an ever­increasing role.

The salt ponds have been worked in the area since the time of the Roman Empire.

A small port in the Mediterranean Sea exists, with activity based on the fishing and the transport of the salt; as well as a leisure port with a large number of berths. There is another marina in the Mar Menor next to the fish market and the fishermen's wharf .

San Pedro del Pinatar continues to be a very popular Spanish holiday destination and the population increases during the summer months as people from Madrid (and other Spaniards) with second homes descend on the area. Lots of free entertainment is provided by the council with the most popular being the Easter processions and parades. During the summer months, there is the fiesta of the "Apostle San Pedro" and on 16 July each year, the “romeria” of the Virgin of the Carmen.

PLACES OF INTEREST

• Ethnographic Archaeological Museum: Calle Dr. Mirón de Castro. It contains paleontological fossils, objects, etc. and has an exclusive room for submarine archaeology and another one for the ethnographic type dedicated to the 18th century onwards.

• Museum of the Sea: (Calle Ingeniero Lorenzo Morales, 2.)

• Conservation and research centre of the Humedales "Las Salinas" (Avda. de las salinas). This museum offers interesting exhibitions on the natural park and the work in the salt mines.

• "Casa del reloj" or Villa of San Sebastian (Avda. Artero Guirao): an example of modernist architecture. The Spanish president, Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, died here in 1899. Since the end of the 20th century it has been reconstructed and turned into a restaurant.

• Church of San Pedro Apostle (Plaza de la Constitucion): A temple that became a Franciscan hermitage in the 17th

century.

• Palace of counts Villar de Felices or Casa of the Russian (C/ Victor Pradera): A building in neo­mudéjar style, constructed in the 19th century by order of Baron de Benifalló.

Like many places in the area, San Pedro is famous for its beaches. In the Mar Menor, Villananitos, La Puntica and La Mota are among the most popular and along the Mediterranean itself are those at El Mojon, La Torre Derribada, Las Salinas, Penta de Algas and La Barraca Quemada

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

TRAVEL AROUND SPAIN IBIZA

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BIZA is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, 79 kilometres (49 miles) off the coast of the city of Valencia and the third largest of the Balearic Islands. Its largest cities are Ibiza Town, Santa Eulària des Riu and Sant Antoni de Portmany. Its highest point, called Sa Talaiassa (is 475 metres (1,558 feet) above sea level.

While it is one­sixth the size of nearby Majorca, Ibiza is over five times the size of Mykonos (Greece), or ten times the size of Manhattan Island.

Ibiza is considered to be a popular tourist destination, especially due to its legendary and at times riotous nightlife centred on two areas: Ibiza Town, the island's capital on the southern shore and Sant Antoni to the West. Well­known nightclubs are Privilege, Amnesia, Space, Pacha, Es Paradís and DC10.

completed and now demolished "Idea" nightclub in Sant Antoni and the ruins of a huge restaurant/nightclub in the hills near Sant Josep called "Festival Club", that only operated for three summer seasons in the early 1970s.

In 2013, Ibiza property prices generally remained above market value and many of the development projects on the island have now been completed or continue, as well as some new projects announced at the end of 2012. Since 2009, Ibiza has seen an increase in tourist numbers every year, with nearly 6 million people travelling through Ibiza Airport in 2012. The summer season has become concentrated between June and September, focusing on the "clubbing calendar" which is currently booming. In recent years, the luxury market has dramatically improved, with new restaurants, clubs, and improvements to the marina in Ibiza Town.

Ibiza together with the islands of Formentera and Minorca were invaded by the Norwegian King Sigurd I of Norway in the spring of 1110 on his crusade to Jerusalem. The king had previously conquered the cities of Sintra, Lisbon, and Alcácer do Sal and given them over to Christian rulers, in an effort to weaken the Muslim grip on the Iberian Peninsula.

HISTORY

During the summer, the top producers and DJs in dance come to the island and play at the various clubs, in between touring to other international destinations. Some of the most famous DJs run their own weekly nights around the island and many use Ibiza as an outlet for presenting new songs within the house, trance and techno genres of electronic dance music. The city has achieved renown worldwide fame as a cultural centre for house and trance in particular, with its name often being used as a partial metonym for the particular flavour of electronic music originating there, much like Goa in India.

Since 2005, the live music event, Ibiza Rocks, has helped to redefine the Ibiza party landscape. Bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, The Prodigy, and the Kaiser Chiefs have played in the courtyard of the Ibiza Rocks Hotel. Elsewhere on the island, underground music parties are common and enjoyed by the many international musicians, artists, and travellers that are drawn to the unique creative environment of Ibiza.

The season traditionally begins at the start of June with Space and DC10's opening parties and finishes on the first weekend of October. A typical schedule for clubbers going to Ibiza includes waking at noon, early evening naps, late night clubbing, and "disco sunrises." Due to Ibiza's notable tolerance toward misbehaviour from young adult tourists, it has acquired the sobriquet "Gomorrah of the Med." Since the early days of mass tourism on the island, there have been a large number of development projects ranging from successful ventures, such as the super clubs at Space and Privilege, to failed development projects, such as Josep Lluís Sert's abandoned hotel complex at Cala D'en Serra, the half­

In 654 BC, Phoenician settlers founded a port in the Balearic Islands, as Ibossim (from the Phoenician "iboshim" dedicated to the Egyptian god of music and dance Bes). It was later known to Romans as "Ebusus". The Greeks called the two islands of Ibiza and Formentera the Pityûssae ­ "pine­ covered islands". With the decline of Phoenicia after the Assyrian invasions, Ibiza came under the control of Carthage, also a former Phoenician colony. The island produced dye, salt, fish sauce (garum), and wool.

The island was conquered by Aragonese King James I in 1235. The local Muslim population got deported, as was the case with neighbouring Majorca and elsewhere and Christians arrived from Girona. The island maintained its own self­ government in several forms until 1715, when King Philip V of Spain abolished the local government's autonomy.

THE FUTURE

A shrine with offerings to the goddess Tanit was established in the cave at Es Cuieram and the rest of the Balearic Islands entered Eivissa's commercial orbit after 400 BC. Ibiza was a major trading post along the Mediterranean routes and began establishing its own trading stations along the nearby Balearic island of Majorca, such as Na Guardis, where numerous Balearic mercenaries hired to fight for Carthage.

During the Second Punic War, the island was assaulted by the two Scipio brothers in 209 BC, but remained loyal to Carthage. With the Carthaginian military failing on the Iberian mainland, Ibiza was last used by the fleeing Carthaginian General Mago, to gather supplies and men before sailing to Minorca and then to Liguria. Ibiza negotiated a favourable treaty with the Romans, which spared Ibiza from further destruction and allowed it to continue its Carthaginian­Punic institutions well into the Empire days, when it became an official Roman municipality. For this reason, Ibiza today contains excellent examples of late Carthaginian­Punic civilization. During the Roman Empire, the island became a quiet imperial outpost, removed from the important trading routes of the time.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and a brief period of first Vandal and then Byzantine rule, the island was conquered by the Moors in 990, the few remaining locals converted to Islam and Berber settlers came in. Under Islamic rule, Ibiza came in close contact with the city of Dénia and the two areas were administered jointly by the Taifa of Dénia.

The island's government is trying to encourage a more cultured and quieter tourism scene, passing rules including the closing of all nightclubs by 6 a.m. at the latest, and requiring all new hotels to be 5­star in an attempt to attract a more upmarket clientele.

Though primarily known for its party scene, large portions of the island are registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and thus protected from the development and commercialization of the main cities. A notable example includes "God's Finger" in the Benirràs Bay as well as some of the more traditional Ibizan cultural sites such as the remains of the first Phoenicians settlement at Sa Caleta. Other sites are still under threat from the developers, such as Ses Feixes Wetlands, but this site has now been recognised as a threatened environment and it is expected that steps will be taken to preserve this wetland.

Because of its rustic beauty, companies and artists alike frequently use the island for photographic and film shoots. A monument ("The Egg") erected in honour of Christopher Columbus can be found in Sant Antoni; one of several places purporting to be his birthplace.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

WIGGINS – A TOUR DE FORCE

S

ir Bradley Wiggins has smashed the UCI Hour Record, setting a new distance of 54.526 kilometres at the Lee Valley Velodrome in London last Sunday evening.

Wiggins set out to beat the mark of 52.937km recorded by Alex Dowsett on May 2 in Manchester, and easily passed the Essex man’s distance despite unfavourable high air pressure and a slower track.

The 35­year­old world and Olympic time trial champion started his attempt a couple of minutes earlier than the 6.30pm start time, and quickly set into a metronomic rhythm around the track that was the scene of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

After a hundred laps, Wiggins had averaged 54.612kmh and by the half­hour, half­way point Wiggins was a minute and 13 seconds up on the same distance ridden by Dowsett.

Wiggins then continued to make inroads into Dowsett’s mark for the remaining half hour, although his average speed did drop slightly in the final 15 minutes.

Throughout the attempt, Wiggins barely shifted his position in the saddle of his

Pinarello Bolide HR bike, with a perfectly level back. Even in the excruciating final 10 minutes Wiggins only dipped his head slightly, the only sign that he was pushing himself to the limit.

When he passed Dowsett’s distance with just under two minutes to go, it was a case of how much more ground he could cover. Rather than collapse on the floor, as other Hour Record riders have done, Wiggins hopped on a road bike for a victory lap of the velodrome, waving to the huge, sell­out crowd with tickets for the event sold out within 7 minutes of them going on sale.

The View

A Royal kick off

T

he final countdown to the Rugby World Cup 2015 kicked off on Wednesday at Twickenham Stadium.

Prince Harry, honorary president of England rugby 2015, and Rugby World Cup 2003 winners Jonny Wilkinson and Will Greenwood launched the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour on the 100 days to go milestone. The trio were joined by local schoolchildren from Richmond and Hounslow, to send the Webb Ellis Cup off on its 100 day journey around the UK and Ireland.

The tour will visit over 300 events including rugby clubs, sporting events, schools, community festivals and iconic landmarks.

The Trophy Tour will celebrate rugby and the hosting of Rugby World Cup 2015, providing as many people as possible with the chance to engage with the tournament and see rugby's greatest prize.

Speaking at Twickenham Stadium, Prince Harry said: "This is a very exciting day ­ just 100 days until the start of Rugby World Cup 2015.

"I am pleased to send the Webb Ellis Cup

on the Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour which will enable rugby fans from across the country to play their part in the build up to the tournament.

"Rugby is a game built on values – respect, pride, teamwork and discipline.

"In 100 days' time, England and Cardiff will play host to an incredible festival of rugby with the world's best players, the world's best teams and of course the world's greatest fans demonstrating these values.

"As we have shown with the Olympic, Commonwealth and Invictus Games, we are a nation of great hosts; a nation that seizes the moment.

"The world will be expecting us to deliver and I know we won't disappoint.

"I have no doubt the British public will make every nation feel at home and we will provide the best possible welcome to the 20 teams, and hundreds of thousands of fans coming to the UK. "This tournament – the most significant moment in English Rugby since that night in Sydney in 2003 – has the ability to broaden the reach of the game and deliver a long lasting legacy for the sport."

JOHN EDRICH STILL AT THE CREASE

D

espite in the year 2000 being diagnosed with a rare form of incurable leukaemia and being given only seven years to live, with treatment, at the age of 78, he’s in the very best of health and declared back in 2012 that he’d been given the all clear; completely cured and it was probably all due to mistletoe!

For obvious reasons, it normally only comes to public attention at Christmas time, but mistletoe may have beneficial effects on some cancer patients in terms of life expectancy and quality of life. In the past, its twigs and leaves were used as herbal remedies and the Celtics of 2,000 years ago considered it an “all healer” of many illnesses.

Following his diagnosis, John Edrich underwent gruelling chemotherapy for five years. Then he learned about the mistletoe treatment and began receiving twice­weekly injections. Mr Edrich, who now lives in Aberdeenshire, said he had been advised to contact Dr Stefan Geider, a GP and qualified anthroposophic doctor, at Camphill Medical Practice in Aberdeen. The retired Test cricketer said: "I've gradually got better and better and I've got to a stage where I'm doing everything. I'm probably better now than I have ever been and I'm playing golf three times a week."

"I'm certain it has been down to the mistletoe. Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't be here today."

Dr Geider said: "I've had experience with the treatment within the context of a German university hospital and had witnessed a number of patients who showed a marked

improvement with the treatment. I've used mistletoe therapy with patients here in Aberdeen for 16 years and have had similar successes."

"Typically you see an increase in energy levels, less pain, improved appetite, better sleep patterns and improved motivation. From my clinical experience, of seeing patients for mistletoe therapy on a regular basis, it becomes clear mistletoe; with some people – though not with all – has some impact on tumour reduction."

"Mistletoe has in my experience been helpful to many of my patients, both in terms of quality of life and life expectancy, but it does not work for everybody.

It should be stressed it is not a miraculous cure and we need to understand more fully how mistletoe works and why it does so for some people more than for others.”

The Mistletoe for Cancer UK website, which notes the plant has been used in cancer treatment for more than 90 years, says the introduction of the mistletoe extract from the whole plant into the body, is designed to kick­start and re­educate the immune system, so it realises something is wrong and starts to fight back against the cancer.

An Aberdeen University study found 70% of breast cancer patients have taken, or are taking, complementary and alternative medicines. One of these is mistletoe which is being taken on the basis of European studies suggesting there might be an anti­cancer effect.

Steve Heys, professor of surgical oncology at the university and a consultant surgeon, said: "Given the importance of complementary and alternative medicine to patients, there is an urgent need to understand what effects these agents have, both in terms of their own effects and possible drug interactions, so patients may have this information to facilitate them making an informed decision as to what is important for them."

John Edrich continues to be in excellent health and only last week formally opened the pavilion gate at the Kia Oval named after him.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

IT’S LOOKING A LITTLE MESSI

B

arcelona star Lionel Messi was brought back down to earth as a Barcelona court ruled he must face trial for alleged tax fraud.

Messi and his father Jorge are accused of evading €4.1m (£2.99m) of income tax in Spain through shell companies in Uruguay and Belize. Both men deny the charges, but Messi will now face trial after a Barcelona court rejected an appeal from his legal team to prevent the star from going to court.

Messi is currently training with the Argentina squad ahead of the Copa America tournament which kicks­off this weekend in Chile. The four­time Ballon d'Or winner enjoyed a spectacular season for Barcelona, scoring 58 goals as he guided the Catalan club to a record­breaking second treble.

Yet the man considered by many to be football's greatest ever player could now see his reputation damaged by charges of tax avoidance on lucrative sponsorship and image rights contracts signed between 2007 and 2009.

Messi denies having knowledge of the offshore shell

companies ­ arguing they were set up his father ­ but judges in a Barcelona court ruled that ignorance was not a defence as his name appeared as the sole administrator of the named companies, even if it was managed by others.

CAMPEONES

On the field for Messi and his team­mates, FC Barcelona have been crowned European champions for the fifth time – and the fourth in the past ten years – after seeing off a determined Juventus challenge in Berlin.

In an unusually open start to a final, Juve might have scored themselves before Barça did, Ivan Rakitić rounding off a slick passing move in the fourth minute. For a while the roof looked set to fall in on Juve, Gianluigi Buffon producing a sensational stop to deny Daniel Alves – yet the Italian champions are nothing if not obdurate and drew level ten minutes into the second half through Álvaro Morata.

Now it was Barcelona under pressure, but Luis Suárez restored their advantage and, with Juve throwing everything forward, Neymar blasted in a third with the final kick of the game.

TV COVERAGE SUFFERS

Sky’s coverage of the Champions League final drew fewer than 500,000 viewers, as its sports chief complained this has been the worst season ever for audiences.

Its coverage of the final on Saturday night drew an average of just 497,000 viewers, almost a third the audience it attracted for the 2014 final.

Sky and co­broadcaster ITV, which attracted an average of 4.18m viewers and a 22.5% share, have lost the TV rights to BT from next season after it paid an eye­watering £900m for exclusivity.

BT unveiled its Champions League coverage plans on Tuesday that included Gary Lineker as a presenter and a package priced at about £5 a month, although the telecoms group offers Premier League football for free to customers who take its broadband package.

Sky Sports head Barney Francis has attempted to take the sting out of BT’s launch, and dampen perceived impact of the loss to Sky, arguing that the Champions League is not the valuable asset it once was.

HIS LIPS ARE SEALED

S

pain coach Vicente del Bosque has refused to comment on reports linking Iker Casillas with a move away from Real Madrid this summer.

Spanish TV station TVE said on Wednesday that Casillas would leave the Bernabeu during the summer window despite having two years left on his contract.

Casillas, 34, regained his place in the Real Madrid team last season after losing it to Diego Lopez under Jose Mourinho in 2012­13. But he could now be set to follow sacked boss Carlo Ancelotti through the exit door.

"I've got nothing to say on that," Del Bosque said at a news conference ahead of Spain's friendly with Costa Rica. "Casillas is, for all intents and purposes, a Real Madrid player. It's a rumour and when it's confirmed I will give my opinion ­­ but not now.

"As we all know this is a time of extremes and anything concerning a great player like Iker Casillas is going to cause repercussions in the media. It's something which has caused debate and stoked

opinions amongst the public."

It's only five days since Barcelona won the Champions League by beating Juventus 3­1 in Berlin, but De Bosque insisted their players are ready for the game against Costa Rica, and Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Belarus.

MORE WORLD DOMINATION

E

uropean and world badminton champion Carolina Marín is now number one in her sport on the planet, according to the Spanish Olympic Committee on its Twitter site.

The young player from Huelva on the south­west coast clinched the top spot last week after India's Saina Nehwall crashed out of the quarter­finals at the Indonesian Open, and China's Li Xuerui did so in the previous round.

Carolina herself had already been eliminated in the first round by Japan's Yui Hashimoto, world number 30 – the Spaniard won the first set 10­21 and went on to lose the next two 21­15 and 21­17. But she only needed Saina and Li to lose in order to see her climb up a place

to number one in the world standings. This means she has effectively reached the most coveted position on earth without having to play any game to get there.

Probably her best­ever early birthday present – Carolina will turn 22 on Monday – reaching the world number one slot is an historic feat for the sport itself in Europe.

It has been five years since any European woman has reached the top of the standings, with the previous being Denmark's Tine Baun in 2010. And Carolina's meteoric rise to becoming the best female player in the world is even more astounding when considering she was at number 11 a year ago.

Already a highly­prestigious placing, especially for a Spaniard – given that the country has not produced any international superstars in badminton before now – number 11 was just the start for Carolina who has enjoyed a sensationally successful year, shooting up to number two within weeks. She briefly dropped down a place, but on Thursday this week, when the last ranking update went live, the young champion recovered her second­from­top position after netting the Australian Open title in Sydney. The next ranking update will see her officially rise to the top rung.

Talented Carolina, who has put badminton on the map in Spain and made her country known in a

sport it has been historically absent from at élite level, also won the All England tournament in March and the Malaysia Open in April.

Among other top­flight international competitions, she has her heart set on the Olympics in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

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Edition 5 - June 12th 2015

The View