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The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

THIS WEEK IN PAGE 1 – COVER PICTURE ­ OIA, SANTORINI, GREECE PAGE 3 – MONEY DOWN THE TUBE PAGE 4 & 5 – OPERATION CAPTURA / CRIMESTOPPERS PAGE 6 & 7 – SPANISH RELATED NEWS PAGE 8 – JULY 1940 – LET BATTLE COMMENCE PAGE 9 – LIKE IT OR GRUMP IT PAGE 10 – TOURIST CONSULAR ASSISTANCE PAGE 11 – SPANISH RELATED NEWS PAGE 12 – LAW ENFORCERS IN SPAIN PAGE 13 – TIME TO FIGHT THE COCKROACH PAGE 14 – SPANISH RELATED NEWS PAGE 15 – CROCKER’S CORNER PAGE 16 – READERS LETTERS & LOTTERY RESULTS PAGE 17 – THE CARD SHARP PAGE 18 & 19 – UK RELATED NEWS PAGE 20 – WORLD NEWS PAGE 21 – RUTH ELLIS – THE LAST WOMAN PAGE 22 – LIVE AID ‘85 PAGE 23 – THE VIEW THROUGH THE LENS PAGE 24 – CLAPPERBOARD PAGE 25 – OLLIE’S MOOD SPILLS PAGE 26 – THE VIEW ON NOSTALGIA – 10th JULY 1956 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 – RECOGNISE THESE? PAGES 38 & 39 – PUZZLE PAGES PAGE 40 – CAPTION COMPETITION PAGE 41 – MOTORING PAGE 42 – BUS JOURNEY – TORRE LA MATA PAGE 43 – TRAVEL AROUND SPAIN – LANZAROTE PAGES 44 & 45 – THE VIEW OUTLETS / CLASSIFIED ADVERTS PAGES 46 & 47 ­ SPORT

EDITOR’S WEEKLY MESSAGE Y

ou don’t need me to tell you that Spain is enjoying, if that’s the word to use, exceptionally hot weather at the moment. OK, it’s part of the reason we came to visit and live here in the first place, but even some of the Spanish locals are suffering more than they’re accustomed to this year – even complaining that the sea is too warm!

Over the past couple of weeks, Thursday has become the day for sad news from the world of entertainment and last week was no exception. No sooner had I completed my weekly missive the breaking news announced that Val Doonican had passed away. To quote his daughter, “his batteries simply gave out”. I grew up with Val on the television on Saturday nights in the ‘60s and ‘70s when his shows used to alternate throughout the year with Cliff Richard, Cilla Black and a certain antipodean artist! It was family entertainment at its best. I was always happy to play Val’s music on the radio – it was requested often. My favourite would be a difficult choice between The Folks Who Live On The Hill and Ring Of Bright Water.

We still continue to receive many calls and messages from you asking for the location of the front cover pictures selected by Paul, our excellent Head of Design. As well as giving you the information here in this column – it’s OIA, SANTORINI, GREECE this week – it’s also now listed at the top of THE VIEW index to the left of this piece.

THE VIEW continues to bring you the widest possible range of stories and articles each week as part of the “simply a good read” policy. This week includes the background to the last woman to be hanged in the UK, Ruth Ellis, and the anniversary of the beginning of The Battle of Britain. It’s also 30 years since Live Aid in July 1985. We

know, because you tell us, that you’re finding the FOR YOUR INFORMATION feature on page 27 more than useful. In next week’s edition, to coincide with the expected influx of summer tourists from the UK, there’ll be a special double page featuring all the bus and train timetables, market days, fiesta dates and events, and places to go.

My political anorak tendencies couldn’t keep me away from George Osborne’s first real Conservative Budget on Wednesday, and on the face of it I found little to disagree with in his speech. Yes, they have stolen some of the Labour Party clothes in respect of the introduction of the National Living Wage, but critics are now saying it’s not enough. Damned if they did and damned if they didn’t. I’ve always been brought up with the “nobody owes me a living without working for it” philosophy as well as the “if you can’t afford to have children, you shouldn’t have ‘em”.

From what I heard and have since read, there was nothing announced that directly affects UK residents in Spain, although if something appears in the small print later we’ll let you know in THE VIEW. The situation in Greece continues to concern many but it seems that there will be a negotiated deal over this weekend. I was delighted to learn that the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, had resigned citing the reason that he felt he wasn’t welcomed at the meetings of his European colleagues. The traditionalist in me wouldn’t want to deal with such serious and important matters with someone who doesn’t wear a tie. Do they really think they’re more like “men of the people” when they look like that?

Mind you, his replacement turned up to a subsequent meeting wearing a grey suit that hadn’t seen an iron in years!

Enjoy THE VIEW!

When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat (Ronald Reagan)

Editor – DEREK JAMES SHANKLAND

News Editor – DARREN JAMES The professional NEWSpaper The View is solely owned by the owners of TV CHOICE

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A 440 - 2015

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DISCLAIMER – THE VIEW, its publisher or members of staff do not accept responsibility for claims by advertisers or its contributors nor can it be held responsible for any errors in advertisements which are reproduced from poor quality artwork or inadequate instructions for text or any other features. Any artwork produced by THE VIEW remains the property of THE VIEW. Further, no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by an error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of any

advertisement, although all advertisements produced for advertisers are checked prior to insertion. We regret that we cannot accept responsibility for more than ONE incorrect insertion and that no re-publication will be granted in the case of typographical or minor changes which do not affect the value of the advertisement.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

MONEY DOWN THE TUBE O

By Darren James

ne benefit of living in Spain is many of us don’t have to rely on the London Underground to get to work anymore.

I did my 11 years using a combination of shanks’ pony, red bus, British Rail (as it was then) and the tube from either Upton Park to Embankment and then Collier Row to Great Portland Street and it’s something you never miss. Even though those journeys were made during the late 70s and 80s when there appeared to be industrial action of some kind somewhere in the country, I can only recall a couple of occasions when a total strike paralysed the Underground.

In recent years the public have learned a little more about what the London tube drivers earn and I can’t imagine much sympathy from the commuters as to their current gripe resulting in the 24 hour disruption in the capital which ended last night. On Monday, the unions rejected a 2% pay rise and

£50,000 for a 36 hour week a £2,000 bonus (before putting the offer to the members) or working on the all­night service due to begin in September and featured in a previous edition of THE VIEW. Are the drivers hard up then in the first place?

Thanks to the deal stuck with London Underground back in 2011 by the late RMT leader Bob Crow, tube drivers enjoy a starting salary of £49,673 a year, rising to between £50,000 and £60,000 after five years. These salaries totally dwarf the starting salaries of the police, fire­fighters, nurses and teachers with the highest being around £22,000. As for qualifications, they are required to have GCSEs in Maths and English in order to become a tube driver, with some medical or electrical knowledge being useful too.

As for annual leave, Tube drivers get 43 days in annual leave, significantly more than firefighters (28), nurses (27), teachers (24) and police officers (22) and when it comes to the number of hours a week they work for their pay, they work an average of 36 hours per week, which pales in comparison to how many hours a nurse will work on average (37.5), a police officer (40), a secondary school teacher (55) and a firefighter (57).

They also get paid more than the station staff and their supervisors. Is being a tube driver a cushy job or are they worth the money? The main grouse on this occasion is the introduction of the Night Tube and the effect this will have on family life.

Managing Director of London Underground, Mike Brown,

says: “We are not asking staff to work unlimited nights and weekends. In fact, no­one is being asked to work any more hours and most staff will not be affected at all. For the majority of those who are, Night Tube will mean a few extra nights per year within their existing working week.

“We have recruited 137 additional train drivers to allow all night operation and reduce the impact on our existing drivers.

However, in the short term we will ask some train operators to do more. After a short transitional period, train operators will have the choice whether or not to work the Night Tube shifts.”

Sounds a good deal, to me, and I’m sure there would be many tube drivers who would appreciate the extra money for the extra work. Some people will never know when they’re well off!

SEEING DOUBLES Whose baby solved

O T

hey say everyone has a doppelganger, someone who looks like you somewhere in the world.

I’m not the only person who’s noticed that mine has begun to appear on the TV in the shape of SKY breakfast newspaper reviewer Johnny Gould. I was on local radio last year with the TV on in the studio, sound off, and for a split second thought it was me on the box. And there’s me thinking they’d broken

the proverbial mould!

Part of the regular coverage from Wimbledon has featured John McEnroe who I couldn’t abide as a tennis player but think he’s matured beyond recognition and is one of the very best commentators and summarisers. I can’t help thinking, however, that you never see him and Derek Thompson – aka Charlie Fairhead from Casualty – on the screen at the same time!

ne of the strangest Spanish news stories I’ve read in many a long year has had a happy ending.

Heavily pregnant Stacie Cottle, from my old stomping ground of Newham in East London, arrived in Malaga in early June to look for some rental property for her mother.

Unfortunately, in this respect, her waters broke early and a baby was born at the property. Some reports say that it was two days later that she took the newborn to the Comarcal de la Axarquía hospital and that’s when Stacie’s problems began as the paediatrician expressed doubt about Anzelika’s stated date of birth, seemingly

based on her perceived age and examination of the umbilical cord stump.

The doubts seemed to be compounded by the fact the birth took place outside a hospital. It’s taken a DNA test to prove the baby was hers and she learned the results on Tuesday, “It was absolutely wonderful,” Stacie said. “She’s wonderful. She’s healthy and I’m just happy to be with her.”

She is threatening legal action against the hospital accusing them of negligence alongside the allegation that both staff and fellow patients at the hospital repeated called her a criminal. Somehow, I don’t think this is the last we’ll read of this story.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

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CRIMESTOPPERS – 900 555 111

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13 ft high digital screen broadcasting the faces of 18 of Britain’s Most Wanted fugitives is on tour around British ex­pat hot spots in Spain. It’s the latest push by crime­ fighting charity Crimestoppers and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to track down the 18 remaining individuals wanted as part of Operation Captura.

The fugitives are wanted by UK law enforcement agencies in connection with crimes including murder, rape, indecent assault of a child and drug trafficking.

And they are believed to be hiding among British communities in popular ex­ pat areas – including Benidorm, Malaga and Puerto Banus. THE VIEW has printed the faces of those wanted on page 4.

The digital screen, attached to the back of a van, is touring all these areas and parking outside nightclubs, bars, British supermarkets and restaurants It is hoped that going direct to the fugitives’ back yards and putting their faces in plain sight will help to flush them out.

Lord Ashcroft KCMG PC, the Founder and Chair of Crimestoppers, said: “Operation Captura has proved a huge success since it was launched in 2006 and the majority of individuals on our most wanted list have been captured.

However, there are still a number of criminals who are evading arrest. We must ensure these individuals are brought to justice.”

Steve Reynolds, NCA Deputy Director, added: “We’ve caught 68 out of 86 fugitives on the Captura list and the rest know we won’t stop until we catch them too. By taking our campaign directly into Spanish communities where we believe they are living and socialising, their lives will become

even more uncomfortable. We want British expats and locals to help us by being extra eyes and ears and telling us what they know.

“These fugitives are wanted for serious crimes. Anyone who is helping them stay on the run, such as girlfriends, wives, family members back home, or criminal associates, should know that assisting them is an offence too. There may also be people in the UK with vital information on the whereabouts of these fugitives and we would urge them to get in touch.”

Roger Critchell, Director of Operations for Crimestoppers, said: “This is something that we have never done before but we believe that broadcasting these fugitives’ faces right in their back yards will not only encourage the public to speak

up but show these individuals that there really is nowhere to hide.

“There will be no avoiding the faces on this screen – they’ll be broadcast in all the popular ex­pat areas. I would urge anyone who recognises any of those faces to contact Crimestoppers anonymously. We don’t take personal details and you won’t have to give a statement or go to court. Many of these fugitives are currently living a life of leisure funded by serious crime. They cannot be allowed to hide forever, they must be brought to justice. Do the right thing and help us find them.”

Captura, a multi­agency initiative between Crimestoppers, the NCA and Spanish authorities, is now in its ninth year.

Its aim is to track down British fugitives believed to be hiding among ex­pat communities in the Spanish Costas.

To date, 68 out of 86 wanted individuals have been apprehended.

A fresh appeal in March this year saw three fugitives captured within a matter of weeks. Among them was Paul Monk, 54, from Romford, Essex who was arrested in April at his home in Alicante, Spain. He was wanted for drugs offences.

Crimestoppers and the NCA work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Madrid and with British and Spanish law enforcement agencies as part of the campaign.

Information given to Crimestoppers can help locate the fugitives on the Captura list. For those people calling from Spain there is a special freephone Spanish number 900 555 111 which will be answered in the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents. A translation service is available upon request.

People can also pass on information anonymously via the Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers­uk.org

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BULLS FIGHT BACK TTubes unblocked

he road known locally as Carretera de los Tubos (Tube Road) that runs parallel to the Tajo­Segura aqueduct, reopened to traffic this week after being closed for nearly two years to enable work on the AVE High Speed train line between Alicante and Murcia to be completed.

Although it is a service road that belongs to the local Confederación Hidrográfica it’s become a vital link for residents of Arneva, Barrio Mariano Cases, Camino de Enmedio, La Aparecida and the Rincón de Bonanza with the N­340. It is also used as an alternative road between the coast of Vega Baja and Murcia.

The works carried out over the period consisted of dismantling the railway bridge and the construction of a new platform nearby to cope when the new infrastructure opens, planned for next year. The announcement of the opening of this road was made yesterday by the Local Police of Orihuela through social networks, which was celebrated by residents who had to make detours to gain access to certain roads.

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hree people, two Americans and a Brit, were gored on the first day of the Running of the Bulls at the annual festival in Pamplona, Spain.

A 38­year­old American was gored in the armpit, while a 27­year­old Californian was also gored. In addition, a 30­year­old Brit was gored in the groin.

Miraculously, all three survived and none are said to be in serious condition Eight others, including three Americans, were

treated for injuries, mainly just bruising, sustained during the 2­minute, 23­second run.

Throughout the weeklong festival, there's a run every morning at 8 a.m. involving six bulls. The bulls chase runners in red scarves along a 1,000­yard course to a holding pen in the city's bull ring. Every afternoon, professional matadors then slay the bulls.

All together, 15 people have died since the city began keeping records in 1924.

MISSING PERSON ALERT J

JOHN WOOLMER D.O.B 31/05/1949

ohn, aged 66, was last seen at the Alicante football ground on 3 June 2015. There are no confirmed sightings since.

His last known address was in the El Campello area – for a time at Bon Sol Camping – north of Alicante. He had been living in Spain for 2 years.

He has negligible Spanish and it’s understood that he has been surviving on the streets since the end of April. He has not been well and might be confused.

Also he does not have a passport so vague sightings in the UK or elsewhere are unlikely to be John. He has no family in Spain but his daughter is desperate for news.

If you see him or know of his whereabouts, please immediately contact the British Consulate in Alicante on 965 21 60 22.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

SPANISH DRIVERS HAVE GOOD POINTS

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ccording to figures released by the Spanish Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), 73% of Spanish drivers still have all the points on their driving licenses.

On the face of it, that may sound bad but the system in Spain is different to that of the UK. Since 2006, each driver begins with a number of points on their license and have them taken off if found guilty of driving infringements.

The intervening nine years have given the DGT a good idea of both the good and bad driving habits of the population and in particular where they can target their operations to help improve behaviour and prevent dangerous driving. Some insurance companies even use the points scale in assessing the premiums of their customers.

Since 2006, over seven million drivers throughout Spain have had some deduction of points – a total of 35.5 million, of which 21.6 million correspond to penalties issued directly by the DGT, 9 million sanctions from municipalities, 1 million issued by the Basque traffic department and a further 3.7 million imposed by the Catalan Traffic Service.

SPEEDING ­ The offence which causes most points to be subtracted from a driving license is speeding although the trend is

stabilising. In 2014, there were 640,996 reported for speeding of which 54% of cases were drivers between 35 and 54 years old and 20% for the under 35s. Speeding is also the offence where there is the highest percentage of female offenders, with 27%.

By provinces, it appears that the greater number of speeding violations is in Madrid and Barcelona. Much further down the list are Pontevedra, Coruña, Alicante, Valencia, Vizcaya and Seville.

ALCOHOL & DRUGS ­ The offences for driving with rates exceeding the permitted level of alcohol have increased since 2006, rising from 94,027 in the first year to 119,345 last year. 2011 was the year in which there was the highest figure of 141, 170.

The use of drugs behind the wheel has

seen an enormous increase in the same period for which figures are available. Whilst there were only 247 infringements in 2007, that had increased to 5,105 in 2014 attracting a total of 30,630 points deducted.

87% of drivers caught are repeat offenders and young men up to the age of 34 accounts for 59% of these relapses.

By provinces the list of highest drug and alcohol offenders is topped by Barcelona, followed by Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia, Pontevedra and Malaga.

MOBILE PHONE USE ­ In 2007, even though people using Smartphone’s wasn’t so important as present day, there were still 71,536 incidents. In 2014 the number of penalties almost doubled reaching the 139,671 that led to the loss of more than 400,000 points.

Surprisingly perhaps, it’s drivers between 40 and 55 that break this law more often, with 39% by repeat offenders.

SEAT BELTS ­ In terms of safety belts and other restraint systems, the number of offences has followed a downward trend. In 2007 there were 135,815 reported incidents compared to 2014 which totalled 122,822.

This reduction was a result of increased awareness by vehicle occupants of the importance of wearing a seatbelt.

Overall, since the implementation of the penalty point system in 2006, 203,283 drivers have lost their driving license due to reaching the zero sealing. 183,342 were men and 19,940 women.

When a driver loses their license, they are automatically banned from driving for six months. For professional drivers, it’s three months. They are also subjected to having to undertake a special driving course in one of the specialised centres where they are re­ examined before being issued with a new license. Driving without a license is a criminal offence as in Article 384 of the Criminal Code.

In a way of trying to prevent people reaching the zero point level, the DGT are sending a reminder to all drivers when they reach six points. In the past nine years, they have sent 352,687 such letters to drivers with that amount of points or less and a further 113,230 drivers with three or fewer points; a further offence would see them have their license taken away from them.

Keeping the change

LOTTERY COMES TO BENIDORM W

D

espite the almost unbearable temperatures of the heatwave last weekend, Benidorm’s local festival queen’s turned out dressed in full traditional costume dresses with sleeves and long skirts The reason? They were drawing the numbers out for the weekly Saturday National Lottery which this week had some extra special summer prizes. The final number sang out from the tops of their voices was the first prize winner – 90190 – that had been sold in Lezma (Vizcaya), Les Planes d'Hostoles (Girona), S. Miguel Dueñas­ Congosto (León) y Alfarràs (Lleida).

The proceedings began at exactly 1300hrs and lasted less than 30 minutes.

The assembled crowd got quite excited when the first two numbers were drawn out – 2 and 7 – followed by the next two numbers – 2 and 7 again! The bigger prize winners, the 3rd prize worth €200,000, was 44747 which caused spontaneous cheering among the crowd as it was announced that, among other places, the neighbouring town of Villajoyosa had some winners. The 2nd prize ­ €1,000,000 per series – went to

number 08081 and finally the 1st prize, mentioned above and winning €2,000,000 per series. In total, some €140,000,000 of prize money was spread across Spain.

The Mayor of Benidorm stressed that to host this special lottery was an important event for the city and the reason it had been chosen at this particular time was it coincided with the 275th anniversary of the discovery of the Virgin del Sufragio, the patron saint of Benidorm.

Staging for the event that was broadcast live on Spanish TV LA 2 was strategically placed with the beautiful background of the beach and the skyscrapers that make up the iconic view.

ith the ongoing problems in Greece and suggestions in many quarters that they may have to return to their pre­ Euro currency of the Drachma, those that have held on to the old notes and coins may be able to spend them sooner rather than later!

IF a similar problem happened in Spain, there are many up and down the country already prepared to start spending the peseta again as according to data from the Bank of Spain, as at May this year a total of €1.6 billion in pesetas still remain unredeemed, which is the equivalent of 276 billion pesetas, of which €856 million (142 billion pesetas) are in bank notes, and €803million (133 billion pesetas) are in coins.

Almost 14 years since Spain changed its currency, in May the Spanish exchanged €1 million worth of pesetas, the equivalent of 166 million pesetas. In 2014 a total of €11 million were redeemed, equivalent to 1.8 billion pesetas. The majority of the pesetas exchanged were in notes, to a value of €9 million (1.5 billion pesetas), while €2 million (332 million pesetas) in coins were exchanged.

The Spanish Government set a three month period for the coexistence of both

currencies, from 1st January 2002 – when the euro began to circulate – until 31st March of the same year, and from then until the 30th June, established a period for the exchange of peseta banknotes and coins in bank branches. From 1st July of that year, anyone still holding any of the old national currency was required to exchange it in the Bank of Spain.

The Bank estimates that 45% of the peseta coins which were in circulation before the entry into currency of the euro will never be presented at the Bank of Spain for redemption as some will remain in the hands of the Spanish as part of a collection, some will be lost or have deteriorated, and some will have left the country in the pockets of tourists.

The El Economista reported that the final date given by the Bank of Spain for the exchange of pesetas to euros is 31st December 2020.

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JULY 1940 – LET BATTLE COMMENCE

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p and down the United Kingdom this weekend, the 75th anniversary of the start of what became known as The Battle of Britain is being commemorated. Battle of Britain Day itself, is acknowledged every year on September 15th, when the Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack against London, in the hope of drawing out the RAF into a battle of annihilation.

Around 1,500 aircraft took part in the air battles which lasted until dusk. The action was the climax of the Battle of Britain.

The Battle of Britain is the name given to the Second World War air campaign, waged by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces and was also the largest and most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date.

The objective of the Nazi German forces was to achieve air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF), especially its Fighter Command. Beginning in July 1940, coastal shipping convoys and shipping centres, such as Portsmouth, were the main targets; one month later, the Luftwaffe shifted its attacks to RAF airfields and infrastructure. As the battle progressed, the Luftwaffe also targeted factories involved in World War II aircraft production and ground infrastructure. Eventually the Luftwaffe resorted to attacking areas of political significance and using terror bombing strategy.

By preventing Germany from gaining air superiority, the British forced Adolf Hitler to postpone and eventually cancel Operation Sea Lion, a planned amphibious and airborne invasion of Britain, although Germany continued bombing operations on Britain, known as The Blitz. The failure of Nazi Germany to achieve its objective of destroying Britain's air defences in order to force Britain to negotiate an armistice, (or even surrender outright) is considered by historians to be its first major defeat in World War II and a crucial turning point in the conflict.

The Battle of Britain has an unusual distinction, in that it gained its name prior to being fought. The name is derived from a famous speech delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons on June 18, more than three weeks prior to the generally accepted date for the start of the battle: ...What General Weygand has called, "The Battle of France is over. The battle of Britain is about to begin". Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilisation. Upon it depends our own British life and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to

break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink Into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of a perverted science.

Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour”.

The Battle of Britain marked the first defeat of Hitler's military forces, with air superiority seen as the key to victory.

Pre­war theories had led to exaggerated fears of strategic bombing and British public opinion was buoyed by coming through the ordeal. For the RAF, Fighter Command had achieved a great victory, successfully carrying out Sir Thomas Inskip's 1937 air policy of preventing the Germans from knocking Britain out of the war.

The battle also significantly shifted American opinion.

During the battle, many Americans accepted the view promoted by Joseph Kennedy, the American ambassador in London, who believed that Great Britain could not survive.

Roosevelt wanted a second opinion and sent "Wild Bill" Donovan on a brief visit to Britain; he became convinced Britain would survive and should be supported in every possible way. Before the end of the year, American journalist Ralph Ingersoll, who had been in Britain, published an influential book concluding that "Adolf Hitler met his first defeat in eight years" in what might "go down in history as a battle as important as Waterloo or Gettysburg". The turning point was when the Germans reduced the intensity of the Blitz after 15 September. According to Ingersoll, "a majority of responsible British officers who fought through this battle believe that, if Hitler and Göring had had the courage and the resources to lose 200 planes a day for the next five days, nothing could have saved London"; instead, "[the Luftwaffe's] morale in combat is definitely broken and the RAF has been gaining in strength each week."

Both sides in the battle made exaggerated claims of numbers of enemy aircraft shot down. In general, claims were two to three times the actual numbers, because of the confusion of fighting in dynamic three­dimensional air battles. Post­war analysis of records has shown that between July and September, the RAF claimed 2,698 kills, while the Luftwaffe fighters claimed 3,198 RAF aircraft downed. Total losses and start and end dates for recorded losses vary for both sides. Luftwaffe losses from 10 July to 30 October 1940 total 1,652 aircraft, including 229 twin and 533 single­

engined fighters. In the same period, RAF Fighter Command aircraft losses number 1,087, including 53 twin­engined fighters. To the RAF figure should be added 376 Bomber Command and 148 Coastal Command aircraft, conducting bombing, mining and reconnaissance operations in defence of the country.

A considered view of the battle also has to take into account the vital role of the Royal Navy. It was widely acknowledged by both sides that the only way of achieving a successful invasion of the British Isles, was through the establishment of naval supremacy. Given the inability of the Luftwaffe to effect real damage on the RN throughout the battle and during the Dunkirk and Norwegian campaigns, as well as the lack of surface assets in the Kreigsmarine's inventory, sea control of the Channel by Germany was impossible. As one of 'the Few', Wg Cdr H R Allen said, "It was sea power that ruled the day in 1940 and fortunately Britain had a sufficiency. The air situation was of course important, but by no means fundamental. Without doubt the five hundred or so section, flight and squadron commanders in Fighter Command earned their laurels. But the real victor was the Royal Navy, the Silent Service."

The Germans launched some spectacular attacks against important British industries. But they could not destroy the British industrial potential and made little systematic effort to do so. Hindsight does not disguise the fact the threat to Fighter Command was very real and for the participants, it seemed as if there was a narrow margin between victory and defeat. Nevertheless, even if the German attacks on the 11 Group airfields which guarded southeast England and the approaches to London had continued, the RAF could have withdrawn to the Midlands out of German fighter range and continued the battle from there.

The British victory in the Battle of Britain was achieved at a heavy cost. Total British civilian losses from July to December 1940 were 23,002 dead and 32,138 wounded, with one of the largest single raids on 19 December 1940, in which, almost 3,000 civilians died. With the culmination of the concentrated daylight raids, Britain was able to rebuild its military forces and establish itself as an Allied stronghold, later serving as a base from which the Liberation of Western Europe was launched.

Winston Churchill summed up the effect of the battle and the contribution of Fighter Command with the words, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few", and the pilots who fought in the battle have been known as The Few ever since.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

LIKE IT OR GRUMP IT DONNA GEE’S VIEW The Great Escape: When expats go bats in the UK sun T

hose of us who live in the Costas call it The Great Escape. For the uninitiated, I'm talking about the annual expat exodus from Spain to the warm, wet UK during the months of July and August.

The summer retreat to the green, green grass of our roots is a delight which serves a double purpose. It provides us with respite from the baking heat of Spain's two hottest months ­ and it spares us the summer curse of boozed­up Brits bent on bringing banal behaviour to every bar from Benidorm to Benalmadena. With respect to the millions of decent folk in the UK, the Costa cocktail of sun, sand and sangria seems to send the nation's sozzled scallies even more senseless.

The thermometer and the thickos

had nothing to do with my own decision to flit back to Britain for an early­July break. Normally I sweat out July and August alongside the other perspiring expat hotheads... and don't go near the beach. There's eight kilometres of golden sands within a 10­minute drive of my villa but you're more likely to find me relaxing indoors with the air­conditioning on full blast and window shutters firmly closed.

Now that's what I call really cool.

The plan for my UK visit was to undergo some medical checks in Manchester before flying back to Alicante next week, family posse of pale­skinned grandchildren in tow following the end of the school term.

The only problem as I set off from my Guardamar home was that I was

leaving a 35­degree Spanish hothouse for a 35­degree English greenhouse, courtesy of the predicted British summer heatwave. That was on June 25, since when I've experienced just one day when the temperature in Manchester matched the crippling heat that every July day brings in the Costas.

The absence of an extended spell of high temperatures came as a blessed relief in a country where few homes have air conditioning, leaving no option but to fling the windows open in the rare event of oppressive night­ time humidity.

As luck would have it, the impending arrival of thunder and lightning prompted one member of the local bat community to cause the biggest flap of my entire visit. Bats in the belfry is one thing...but a bat in the bedroom? That's just not cricket.

For their impending invasion of Casa Donna, my daughter's offspring will, as ever, be armed with their obligatory baggage excess. Half­a­dozen giant­ sized tubes of Factor 65 sunscreen will swell my already bulging bathroom pharmacy to the size of a Boots department store.

I'll inevitably trip over it all on my way to the shower ­ and wish I had joined my neighbours in The Great Escape.

NO PUSSYFOOTING AS IMPACT TEAM TAME FERAL FIVE IN JUST ONE WEEK I

They all showed signs of mild cat flu, runny headed off to the UK a fortnight ago noses, bad eyes and sneezing. happy in the knowledge that the "Giving a kitten its first vaccination latest additions to Casa Donna's feline when it is like this can sometimes be lethal. family were in safe hands. Even so, I They all need to recover before had huge doubts as to whether vaccinations start.

Christine Hoggett and her Impact "Reggie is free of all these symptoms.

Charity volunteers could really This boils down to us splitting him from convert the five sickly feral kittens his siblings in the first 48 hours.'' into gentle, loving family pets.

And there I was, convinced I'd return to So imagine the shock when, just six Spain next week to find a cage full of days after they had been trapped and snarling mini­moggies dumped in my taken to Impact HQ in La Marina, I overgrown garden behind a hastily­ received the following Mission Almost scrawled placard reading 'Wild and Accomplished message from Christine.

Untrainable'.

"One week on from trapping the How could I ever have doubted kittens and their mum, and everything Christine's assertion that feral kittens can has gone far better than we could have become loving family pets with a little help imagined,'' she reported, reflecting on the from those who really care? OK, there is settling­in period and successful spaying still a long way to go, but I'm now of Mum convinced the experiment will have a "We can already say that Reggie, the happy ending. black kitten we separated from the Tamed: One of the two feral tabbies Whether it's Impact or any other animal others early on, is 'domesticated'. He still likes to have a nip at you when you play with him, but this is charity, just to know there are people out there who really care gives hope to every cat and dog lover in Spain. down to the fact he is still learning.

"The process over the coming weeks will be pretty much Particularly in an increasingly cash­strapped Spanish society more of the same stuff ­ spending time with them, stroking where the dumping of unwanted pets is in danger of them, eye cleaning. They are all touchable now and able to becoming a national pastime. be handled.

WANT TO REPLY TO DONNA? Email your "As these kittens have effectively come straight from the comments to donnagee1@aol.com street we have to be careful how the vaccinations are done.

SORRY, MR O’LEARY, YOU’RE STILL TAKING THE MICHAEL I wasn’t fishing for compliments when I took issue last week with Ryanair's claim to be the 'world's favourite airline'.

What my article did confirm is that there are a few happy sardines out there who seem to enjoy the claus­ trophobic experience of being jammed into a flying fish bowl.

My grouse was not so much aimed at the ridiculous ‘rule’ I fell foul of (a rule that Ryanair has since abando­ ned, by the way); it was more a reality check on the true status of the Irish cheapskates in the eyes of the trave­ lling public.

If anyone actually believes Michael O'Leary's airline soars above all others in the planet’s popularity stakes, I suggest they check the Skytrax Global Airline Ratings, which brackets both Ryanair and their arch­rivals Eas­ yJet as one of the world’s 15 WORST operators.

Skytrax says the Dublin­based carrier "isn't just a bud­ get airline, it’s an ultra­budget airline. They’ve taken the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ to the extreme and with their cheap fares comes a cheap product as well.

They’ve seemingly built their business on cutting corners in order to offer the lowest fares possible, but as a result customer experience is pretty atrocious.’’

Enough said by Skytrax and myself…now over to the happy sardines for a ticking off and a spell in the naughty corner.

JUDGING by your Ryanair article, you seem to be one of the increasing number of people who leave the house lo­ oking for problems. I presume you read Ryanair's terms before you booked with them and by booking AGREED to these terms. So do not complain about the staff when they ask you stick to them. Also, you give no thought to the other passengers you are inconveniencing because they have to wait for you to sort out a problem caused by YOU. It seems to be on the increase. Accept the terms then do not stick to them, then complain that it is some­ one else's fault and inconvenience other people. I hope I am not behind you when I go anywhere. ­ IAN, Almoradi FIRSTLY, may I say what a terrific paper the editor and staff of The View are providing.Having said that, I would like to reply to your remarks about the world's favourite airline. We have used this airline many times from Sco­ tland to Spain and the only problems we have encounte­ red are other passengers. As the years have gone on we noticed the size of carry­on luggage has increased, some people taking what looks like two weeks' clothing in hand luggage cases they could not even lift them into the overhead lockers without assistance ­ and so­called handbags the size of large Mercadona shopping bags which take up one and a half seats resting on fellow pas­ sengers' knees for the duration of the journey. Simple solution ­ if the boarding instructions say your baggage limit is 15kg only travel with 15kg and you will be char­ ged no more. If said hand baggage is X cm wide and X cm long and by stuffing your other bag inside your hand lug­ gage makes it larger, don't be amazed when you are asked to pay more. I am sure the rules for sizes of bags are worked out by numbers so if you are last on the plane carrying only a backpack and cannot fit it in the overhead locker because half the other passengers have large bags I am sure you would be the first to complain when you travel with a backpack at your feet and your knees up to your chest. So a little consideration and fo­ llowing the boarding instructions would make flights a bit more comfortable for you and others around you. PS. I do not work for the world's favourite airline. ­ D ALLAN

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

TOURIST CONSULAR ASSISTANCE

M

ost British holidaymakers dread the thought of misplacing a passport while on holiday. Yet every year more than 6,000 are either lost or stolen in Southern Europe – at least 4,000 in Spain alone ­ forcing the victims to rely on the services of the local British Consulate.

If your passport has been stolen you will need a police report before an Emergency Travel Document (ETD), can be issued by the British Consulate. You can make a police report at the nearest Guardia Civil or National Police office, or you can make a provisional police report in English by calling 902 102 112, then go to the nearest National Police station to collect the final report. If you have lost or had items stolen other than your passport, that you would be looking to claim for under any insurance on your return to the UK, then it is also essential to get this report, (denuncia) as many companies will not pay out unless you possess this document.

In addition to arranging for an ETD, for British nationals needing emergency consular assistance, they can: • provide information about transferring funds • help people with mental illness • offer support and help in a range of other cases, such as child protection and abductions, kidnappings, or someone who is missing abroad and how to make a missing persons report • provide consular assistance to British nationals who are

victims of rape or serious sexual assault, or any other serious crime • help in contacting your family or friends when you are not able to do so yourself, either because you are ill, in hospital, have been arrested etc • provide advice following the death of a British national in Spain, where possible we will try to notify the next of kin • make special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil disturbances or natural disasters • offer support and information when a British national is detained or arrested outside the UK Although the British Consulate will try to help British nationals in a wide range of situations as possible, they cannot: • get you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedings • help you enter a country, for example, if you do not have a visa or your passport is not valid, as they cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or procedures • give you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out searches for missing people. They can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases • get you better treatment in hospital or prison than is given to local people • pay any bills or give you money • make travel arrangements for you, find you work, accommodation, or make business arrangements on your behalf • get involved in private disputes over property, employment, commercial or other matters • renew or replace a full British passport Should you need their services, the nearest British Consulate is in Alicante on 6º (Sixth Floor), Rambla Méndez Núñez, 28­32, 03002 Alicante. Telephone ­ 965 21 60 22. The consulate is open to visitors, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 1.30pm, excluding public holidays. Consular phone lines are open from 9am to 5pm

To get to the Consulate by car, approach the city along the coast road N332, or if approaching by motorway take the exit “Alicante Norte/Avenida Denia”. When you reach the marina, you will find an underground car park, and the consulate is five minutes’ walk from there.

If you go by bus, the bus station is located 15 minutes walk from the consulate. When you exit the bus station, turn right and continue until you reach the Rambla Méndez Núñez on your left. Turn onto the Rambla Méndez Núñez and walk up until you see the consulate on your right. Alternatively, take a taxi from the taxi rank located outside the bus station.

The View

11

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

BENIDORM IS BOOMING

F

igures released following a survey undertaken by the Hotel Business Association of Benidorm and the Costa Blanca (HOSBEC), during June, hotel occupancy registered the highest figures for that month since 2004.

The study's findings serve to reinforce the optimism shown by hotel owners and local business people at the beginning of the summer season, as they reflect the success during the first month of summer. In fact, occupancy reached 91.6%, exceeding by six tenths the figure for the same period of 2014, and achieving the best results for more than a decade.

Keep in mind that hotel

occupancy in Benidorm in the second half of June was 92.2% on average, which is just a little less than the same period last year. But the average figure for the month has been positive with a small growth compared to last year.

The significant recovery experienced by the domestic market has been undoubtedly one of the factors that have enabled the increase in employment. Spanish tourists alone have accounted for more than 465,000 overnight stays during June and the growth of the domestic market is estimated at more than 7% and accounts for 43.4% of total market share.

Despite the success of the Spanish market, British tourists

continue to lead the way over other nationalities although only just. In fact, they only beat the local trade by just two percentage points with a share of 45.7% to 520,000 overnight stays during June.

As for other nationalities visiting the tourism capital of the Costa Blanca, visitors from Portugal have made a welcome return ranking as the third largest at only 3.1% of the total and show the dominance of the British and Spanish market that makes up 89% of tourists. Other nationalities and their percentage of tourists are Belgium (2.6%), Netherlands (2.2%) and Russia and Eastern Europe with 1%.

The forecast from HOSBEC for July is slightly lower at 87%

occupancy but the president of the organisation, Antonio Mayor, was delighted that "few Spanish tourist destinations have exceeded the 92% occupancy in June”, and estimated, adding to the bullish

market trend, that "the activity during the first half of July may exceed the 90% occupancy and grow about three points compared to 2014, returning to normal levels for this time of year."

EMBARRASSING BRITS ON TOUR

A

s reported on this page, tourism figures are on a very welcome rise for Spain in general and Benidorm in particular, but every silver lining has its cloud. Not in Benidorm, which has seen its fair share of unpleasant sights and trouble over the years, but in Magaluf – again – and in Tenerife, although in the latter the trouble maker hadn’t even landed.

Shocked passengers onboard the ‘plane described how the man, named as Stewart Kennedy, was forcibly removed from a Ryanair flight at Tenerife South Airport last week by Spanish police following a request by the plane's pilot.

The 30­year­old from Portsmouth has since been barred for life from flying with the low­cost airline following his behaviour on board. It was alleged that he tried to "touch female passengers inappropriately" before trying to "punch and kick" airline staff and is also alleged to have grabbed a nine­year­old boy and aggressively swore at him.

One of the Eyewitnesses on the flight from Bournemouth to Tenerife, said: "Some other passengers were moved forward from the back to behind us and said he kept trying to touch the girls sat in front of him.

"I think it all kicked off because a bloke stuck up for them.

He tried to fight him but then he passed out in the toilet for at least half an hour, maybe an hour. It all calmed down a bit but kicked off again when we landed."

Spanish police were waiting for the aggressive passengers as the plane landed. The eyewitness continued: "The captain said the police needed to come on board and when they took him off they literally had to carry him off by his feet and arms.

He tried to punch one of the staff as he was taken off and he kept having a dig at the police officers as well, that's why they kept putting him on the ground when they got him outside."

Others told of their respect for the cabin crew who had to

upon arrival at Tenerife. We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behaviour at any time and we sincerely apologise to other customers for any inconvenience caused."

MAGALUF

endure physical and verbal abuse for over two hours, saying the way they dealt with it was “fantastic". The offending passenger, who was travelling alone, was detained overnight

by Spanish police. He was dealt with during a fast­track trial in a private hearing the following day in Granadilla de Abona, and was given four months to pay the €500 fine.

Allegations about his behaviour on board the flight, where he is said to have allegedly harassed female passengers and tried to fight with a man who stood up for them before passing out in the toilet, did not form part of the charges.

He was later freed after appearing a local magistrate court, although it’s not known whether he was fined or deported.

Ryanair said they have since handed the man a lifetime ban from using the airline.

A spokesman said: "The crew of this flight from Bournemouth to Tenerife requested police assistance after a passenger became disruptive in­flight. The aircraft landed normally and police removed and detained this individual

Mobile phone footage shared on social media showed club­goers running in fear from local police who allegedly ran at a group with steel batons.

Police have been involved in a huge crackdown on anti­social behaviour in the resort of Magaluf in an attempt to stop "youth tourism" shying quiet families away. After meeting with hotel officials, officers have now made it clear that they are not prepared to tolerate disruptions on the street.

MAGA MADNESS: Police are seen bearing batons in the large crowd of revellers Some tourists appeared to receive blows to their backs during the violent outburst.

Those that posted the footage to Facebook probably explained in their own comments as to why the police took the action they did. "So last night there was a big group of people blocking the main road in Santa Ponsa, blocking cars, banging on cars, smashing bottles etc. this is how the police dealt with it."

Authorities have denied any injuries being caused during the incident, and according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo, local hotel president Toni Roses had made it clear he wants to stop family visitors being replaced by young tourists.

Deputy Mayor Andreu Serra, who is in charge of security, announced the town hall would begin to levy fines ‘imminently’. He told local reporters last week: "Those who breach the regulations will be fined from this week. I believe the introduction of the new regulations – and the fines that will be levied if they are breached – will make this year calmer than last."

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

LAW ENFORCERS OF SPAIN W

PART ONE – THE NATIONAL POLICE CORPS

e see them on a daily basis as we go about our business in Spain and we’re pleased to see them more than not. I’m talking about the Police.

In the UK, we became used to essentially seeing just one type of police officer – the P.C. (before that had two other completely different meanings) and the good old bobby on the beat. There are members of the Special Constabulary doing a fantastic job backing up their full­time counterparts, but, in essence there is just one police force, albeit, broken down into different geographical areas and control.

In Spain, there are three separate forces all doing completely different jobs and functions. Over the space of three editions, THE VIEW takes a more detailed look at our law enforcers beginning with the youngest of the services, the National Police Corps.

Under Francisco Franco, a tripartite system of police was formalized: the Civil Guard in rural areas; the Armed and Traffic Police (renamed the National Police in 1979), which fulfilled normal police functions in communities with a population of more than 20,000; and the Higher Police Corps of plainclothes police, with responsibility for investigating crimes and political offenses. Separate municipal police forces under the control of local mayors, were concerned mainly with traffic control and with enforcement of local ordinances.

During the Franco era, the police had been regarded as a reactionary element, associated in the public mind with internal surveillance and political repression. The Civil Guard and the Armed and Traffic Police were legally part of the armed forces and their senior officers were drawn from the army. The 1978 Constitution effects the separation of the police from the military and it emphasizes that one of the functions of the police is to safeguard personal liberties. Article 104 of the 1978 Constitution states that, "The Security Corps and Forces, responsible to the Government, shall have as their mission the protection of the free exercise of rights and liberties and the guaranteeing of the safety of citizens."

Although considerably delayed, a subsequent statute, the Organic Law on the Security Corps and Forces, was enacted in March 1986, to incorporate the mandate of the Constitution to redefine the functions and the operating principles of the police forces. With its passage, the final legal steps had been taken to make the police system conform to the requirements of the democratic regime; although most observers concluded that it would be years before the reforms were fully in effect.

The new organic law provided a common ethical code for police practices, affirmed trade union rights, recast the role of the judicial police serving under the courts and the public prosecutors, combined the uniformed and the non­ uniformed police into the single National Police Corps, and redefined the missions and the chains of command of the various police elements. The Civil Guard remained a separate

paramilitary force, although in operational matters it was under the direction of the Ministry of Interior rather than the Ministry of Defence, although in time of war or emergency, it would revert. In 1986, a new post of secretary of state for security was created in the Ministry of Interior, to coordinate the activities of the National Police Corps and the Civil Guard.

The National Police Corps (CNP) is mainly responsible for policing large urban areas. They mostly handle criminal investigation, judicial terrorism and immigration matters, the latter explaining why many have to go to a National Police Station in order to secure residency papers.

The 1986 organic law, unifying the separate uniformed and plainclothes branches of the national police, was a major reform that required a considerable period of time to be brought into full effect. The former plainclothes service, known as the Superior de Policía (Higher Police Force), but often referred to as the "secret police," consisted of some 9,000 officers. Prior to 1986, it had a supervisory and coordinating role in police operations, conducted domestic surveillance, collected intelligence, investigated major crimes, issued identity documents and carried out liaison with foreign police forces.

The uniformed service was a completely separate organization with a complement of about 50,000 officers, including a small number of female recruits who were first accepted for training in 1984. The Director General of the National Police Force; a senior official of the Ministry of Interior, commanded 13 regional headquarters, 50 provincial offices and about 190 municipal police stations. In the nine largest cities, several district police stations served separate sections of the city.

The chief of police of each station was in command of both the uniformed and the plainclothes officers attached to the station. A centrally controlled Special Operations Group (Grupo Especial de Operaciones ­ GEO), was an elite fighting unit trained to deal with terrorist and hostage situations.

The principal weapons regularly used by the uniformed police were 9mm pistols, 9mm submachine guns, CETME and NATO 7.62mm rifles and various forms of riot equipment.

Their original uniform consisted of light brown trousers and dark brown jackets.

The initial training phase for recruits to the National Police Force was nine months, followed by a year of practical training. Promotions to corporal, sergeant and sergeant

major were based on seniority, additional training and performance. In the Franco era, most police officers were seconded from the army. Under a 1978 law, future police officers were to receive separate training and army officers detailed to the police were to be permanently transferred. By 1986 only 170 army officers remained in the National Police Force. Under the 1986 organic law, military­type training for police was to be terminated and all candidate officers were to attend the Higher Police School at Ávila, which previously had served as the three­year training centre for the Higher Police Force.

Franco's Armed and Traffic Police had once been dreaded as one of the most familiar symbols of the regime's oppressiveness. During the 1980s however, the police effected an internal transformation, adopting wholeheartedly the new democratic spirit of the times. The police unwaveringly supported the legally constituted government during the 1981 coup attempt. Led by the new police trade union, the police demonstrated in 1985 against right­wing militants in their ranks and cooperated in efforts to punish misconduct and abuses of civil rights by individual officers.

Duties of the CPN are regulated by the Organic law 2/1986 of March 13 1986 and their areas of responsibility are: 1. The issuing of identity documents ­ ID cards and passports. 2.To control receipts and outgoings of the foreign people and Spaniards. 3. Immigration law, refuge and asylum, extradition and expulsion. 4. Gaming enforcement. 5. Drug enforcement. 6. Collaboration with Interpol and Europol. 7.

Control of private security companies and, 8. General law enforcement and criminal investigation.

The ranks of the National Police Corps above the cadet ranks, of which there are five, are: Policeman / policewoman, Police Officer, Sub­Inspector, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Commissary, Senior Commissary, Chief Superior, Commissary General and Divisional Chief (equal ranks), Sub­ Director General, Operational Deputy Director and finally, the Director General of Police.

The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

13

TIME TO FIGHT THE COCKROACH

T

he hot and humid nights are bringing them out in their droves.

Nearby earthworks disturb their habitats and the lack of water at this time of the year makes them seek out wetter climbs. The odd night’s sleep is violently shaken with the pitter­ patter of tentacles running over the floor or worse, the body.

This year, more than ever, people are complaining at the number of cockroaches they’re seeing and finding. THE VIEW studies a little of the critters themselves and suggests some ways of exterminating them!

The name cockroach comes from the Spanish word for cockroach, cucaracha, originally used for the wood louse, but later was used to mean the palmetto bug (the flying cockroach).

Cockroaches live in a wide range of environments around the world. Pest species adapt readily to a variety of environments, but prefer warm conditions found within buildings.

Many tropical species prefer even warmer environments and really do not fare well in the average household.

Cockroaches are mainly nocturnal and will, like the famous Gremlin’s, run away when exposed to light. A peculiar exception is the Asian cockroach, which is the complete opposite and attracted to light.

The spines on the legs were earlier considered to be sensory, but observations of their movement on both sand and wire meshes, have demonstrated that they help in locomotion on difficult terrain. The structures have been used as inspiration for robotic legs.

Cockroaches leave chemical trails in their fæces, as well as emitting airborne pheromones for swarming and mating.

These chemical trails transmit bacteria onto surfaces, for which other cockroaches will follow to discover sources of food and water and also discover where other cockroaches are hiding.

They are regarded as being among the hardiest of insects, with some species capable of remaining alive for a month without food and able to survive on limited resources, such as the glue from the back of postage stamps! Some can go without air for 45 minutes. In one experiment, cockroaches were able to recover from being submerged underwater for half an hour and a type of Japanese cockroach, which hibernates in cold winters, survived twelve hours at ­5°C to ­ 8°C in laboratory conditions.

It is popularly suggested that cockroaches will "inherit the earth" if humanity destroys itself in a nuclear war.

Cockroaches do indeed have a much higher radiation resistance than vertebrates, with the lethal dose perhaps six to 15 times that for humans. However, they are not exceptionally radiation­resistant compared to other insects, such as the fruit fly.

General preventive measures against household pests includes, keeping all water and food stored away in sealed containers, using rubbish bins with tight lids, frequent cleaning in the kitchen and regular vacuuming. Any water leaks, such as dripping taps, should also be repaired. It is also helpful to seal off any entry points, such as holes around baseboards, between kitchen cabinets, pipes, doors and windows with some steel wool, copper mesh or cement.

CHEMICAL METHODS 1. Insecticide Spray There are many chemical insecticide sprays available in the market that contains Cyfluthrin, which is very effective in getting rid of the roaches completely. Spray the insecticide in the hiding places of roaches such as cracks in the wall, vents, drainage area, in the trash can etc. Cockroaches usually breed in warm and damp areas.

solution to the nest to make the cockroaches come out of their nest and you can kill them manually.

4) Ammonia Solution Ammonia also has a pungent smell which will irritate and repel the roaches. Add two cups of ammonia in a bucket full of water and flush it through your kitchen sink and bathroom outlet. The smell of the ammonia will keep away the cockroaches. Repeat this remedy once in two weeks to keep your home free of roaches.

5) Boric Acid Bait This is a homemade bait to kill the cockroaches. Mix one part of powdered boric acid with one part of white flour and one part of sugar and make dough using it. Place small dough balls in various areas in the home where roaches visit frequently to get rid of the cockroaches. The flour and sugar in the mixture will attract cockroaches and the boric acid in the mixture will kill the roaches.

2. Cockroach Traps This is another effective method to remove roaches from your home. The cockroach trap available in the market, contains an adhesive material as the bait and once the cockroaches enter the trap to taste the bait, they get entrapped by the adhesive.

3. Cockroach Bait The cockroach bait contains a chemical gel which works as slow poison for the roaches. The roaches will be attracted to the bait and will bring more of the family to the bait. The entire cockroaches will be killed within two weeks.

4. Liquid Concentrates Applying liquid concentrate, which acts as a poison or deterrent for cockroaches, keep away the cockroaches for up to 2 weeks when used once.

5. Professional Pesticides If your home or apartment is having worst roach infestations, then you may need to use strong professional pesticides that contain chemicals such as Cypermethrin. The residual effect of these chemicals will last for at least three months and will kill all sorts of bugs and insects in your home.

Most of the cockroach prevention or repellent methods available in the market contain harmful chemicals and many of you do not want to use them to get rid of cockroaches.

There are many home remedies for cockroaches, for people who would rather get rid of cockroaches without using harmful chemicals.

NATURAL METHODS 1) Using Sugar And Baking Soda This is an easy method to get rid of cockroaches. You can make a mixture of baking soda and sugar by taking equal parts of the items and sprinkle this mixture near the roach infested areas in your house. The roaches feeding on this mixture will die, as the baking soda reacts with its stomach acid cause it to gas up.

2) Bay Leaves This is a cheap and easily available remedy to get rid of cockroaches permanently. Bay leaves are fragrant leaves mainly used in Indian cooking. It has a pungent but nice aroma. You can place the ground bay leaf powder near the nest and other areas where the roaches frequent. The smell will make the cockroaches move out of your home. The roaches will be removed without the need to kill them.

3) Soap Solution You can use regular bathing soap to get rid of the cockroaches.

Prepare the mixture of soap and water with a good amount of soap and sprinkle this solution directly on cockroaches. Most of them will die instantly as their breathing pores get covered by the soapy water. You can also spray the

FUTURE TIPS The above given home remedies for cockroaches are highly useful in eliminating roaches from your home, however, you need to take care of certain things while attempting to get rid of cockroaches: 1. If you are using insecticides and chemicals to get rid of roaches, care should be taken to prevent the inhalation of chemicals, as these chemicals may cause breathing problems and lung irritation in humans.

2. The baits and chemicals used for terminating the roaches may contain certain ingredients harmful for pets and children. Always keep the baits and chemicals in places not accessible to pets or children but accessible to roaches.

3. Try to keep the kitchen area and bathroom, damp free to prevent them from being the breeding area of roaches.

4. Cleaning the kitchen counters and floors using disinfectant liquids will keep away the roaches 5. Deny access to food by keeping the food containers sealed. Make sure that dirty dishes are not kept outside overnight.

6. Cockroaches cannot live without water for more than one week. Deny access to water by fixing any water leaks.

7. Always store your cooking vessels and pots upside down so that there will not be any cockroach eggs or droppings in them

8. If you kill cockroaches manually, clean up the place immediately.

9. Keeping naphthalene balls in different parts of the house and inside the cabinets, will prevent cockroaches as they hate the smell of naphthalene.

10. Do not allow clutter to accumulate in your home.

Anything from old paper to clothing can be their breeding house.

If you cannot eliminate the cockroaches using the above methods, you may get the help of professional pest controllers. They will be well equipped to do the job using chemicals and they will have the know how to use it safely even when your children and pets are around.

14 SPAIN’S NEW ‘GAG LAW’

S

pain's highly controversial anti­protest law has come into effect amid criticism that it hands the government the "judge and jury" right to silence its critics.

The new law, approved by the governing right­wing Partido Popular led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, is seen as a threat to basic human rights such as the freedoms of expression and assembly, with some already saying that this takes Spain back to the fascist days of Franco.

The Citizens’ Security Law ­ also called the 'Gag Law' by its opponents ­ has been heavily criticised by opposition parties, judges, lawyers, NGOs, civil society and human rights experts from both the UN and the Council of Europe.

According to a survey undertaken by Metroscopia, only 7% of citizens support the law.

The reforms to the law came after years of social unrest in Spain aggravated by the economic crisis, widespread political corruption and the failure to renew Spanish

politics. This provoked an increase in demonstrations, protests, sit­ins, blocking of home evictions and gatherings in front of politicians' homes. All opposition parties have already said they will void the law if they reach a majority in the Spanish general election later this year.

“The 'gag law' will last as long as the government of Rajoy. Once we are in the government it will be repealed”, said social democrat leader Pedro Sánchez on last week when the law came into force.

Pablo Iglesias, leader of the leftist Podemos party said, “We will continue, change cannot be silenced.”

Restrictions include demonstrating near the parliament, senate and regional parliaments, which could lead to fines of up to €600,000. The police will also be able to fine people taking part in peaceful resistance or sit­ins in public places if a “relevant authority” has ordered the break­ up of the gathering.

The new law also criminalises the blocking of home evictions ­ an

IN THE NAME OF ART

S

ometimes, areas of social networking deservedly take the blame for appearing to be doing nothing good, and the latest fad can certainly be added to that. Sun Tattoos!

It’s the newest fashion which people are happily showing off across the world without realising the damage they’re doing to their skin. The method is to put either an object or use a very high sun protection cream through a stencil leaving the rest of the skin unprotected and overexposed creating different designs.

Via the hashtag of #sunburnart, the photographs are multiplying on Instagram and elsewhere.

Understandably, dermatologists have announced their concern at the danger of this practise with the proven fact that the sun’s rays can cause serious burns and an increase of the risk of skin cancer.

In a statement to the Skin Cancer Foundation of America, the organization warned about the dangerous behaviour: “We encourage the public to avoid sunburn at all costs. The burns are not only painful but dangerous and have consequences. They can cause damage to the DNA of the skin, accelerate the aging process and increase the risk of cancer; in fact, suffering from five or more severe bouts of sunburn in young age increases the chance of contracting melanoma by 80%” The Spanish Guardia Civil has also echoed via the networks, the dangers of this new trend.

activity that has become very common in Spain since the beginning of the economic crisis where many have lost their homes as they have lost their jobs and been unable to pay their mortgages.

The police will also be able to impose a fine on anyone “climbing buildings or monuments without

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015 authorisation when there is a clear risk of damage to persons or goods”.

The new law also goes beyond the streets and puts limits on what is allowed on social networks ­ one of the major channels for the social protest movement.

People writing on their Twitter or Facebook account that, for example, “there will be a demonstration today at Puerta del Sol at 7pm” can be held responsible for that same demonstration.

Minor offences will see penalties of €100 to €600, serious offences between €601 and €30,000, and very serious offences between €30,000 and €600,000.

What hasn’t been highlighted are some of other and possibly more positive aspects of these series of new laws concerned with anti­social behaviour.

The Botellon ­ the Spanish tradition of getting together with mates for outdoor drinking sessions looks to

The View be officially over – drinking in public will be hit with fines of €600 under the new law. And teenagers won’t escape – parents will be held responsible for the payment of their offspring’s fines.

People will also be fined for taking unauthorized photographs of the police, a measure introduced with the argument that being publically identified could understandably put officers and their families in danger.

Spaniards who are asked to show their ID card and do not have it on their person could be in trouble under the new law. If they cannot immediately locate it at home and have failed to report it missing, they are liable to be fined and finally, showing a "lack of respect" to those in uniform or failing to assist security forces in the prevention of public disturbances could result in an individual fine of between €600 and €30,000.

The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

Crocker’s Corner W

ell­known and time­served broadcaster CHRIS ASHLEY shares more of the wealth of stories collected over a 40 year period with readers of THE VIEW. This week’s instalment explains how he might have had a hand in starting a war, justifying his religion (or otherwise) and gives a teaser as to the start of his UK based radio career.

Along with a Coventry housewife called Hilda I may have started the Yom Kippur War in 1973! I was talking with the very fine Donna Gee about this writing malarkey and she told me “Always have a kicker Crocker (sounds like Mrs Crocker the 2nd), an attention grabber to start with”. I don't think you can get much better than starting a Middle Eastern punch up aided by a Midlands Mum called Hilda to capture your undivided attention – do you La Gee?

Anyway how did all this come about? In 1973 I spent a very short time on a pirate radio station based on a rust bucket of a ship called the Voice of Peace (VoP) moored in international waters off Israel (Don't bother putting my name in Google I wasn't there long enough to register – the ships cat lasted longer – and if I may plagiarise the late Terry Scott in Carry On Loving the cat was called Cooking Fat or something sounding like that Dr. Spooner).

The ship was rumoured to have been bankrolled by John Lennon or the CIA, or both, and transmitted in mainly English, Hebrew and Arabic floating on the Dead Sea (which rather cruelly Mrs Crocker the 3rd called our 1970s water bed).

This stretch of water is very, very salty – you can't drown in it you just lie on the top.

If Natalie Wood had fallen (accidentally?) in this sea instead of the Pacific she'd still be with us today. Now I don't want to start a theological barney,

but maybe that's how Jesus did the walking on water miracle? Wish we could work out the water to wine conundrum that glibly. The daft thing is I have no recollection of how I was press ganged into this entire farrago, although copious amounts of the local firewater Arrack had been consumed.

A detail I did recall was that apparently one of the female disc jockeys was gorgeous. If I may use a 50% up to date 50% retro analogy, she made Scarlett Johansson look like Ingemar Johansson (Ed the Pugilistic Anorak ­ Swedish World Heavyweight Champion defeating Floyd Patterson by a TKO June 1959.)

However as I was getting OFF the pilot boat that took you out to the VoP this vision of knocked down pretty was getting ON to the pilot boat to leave me with a bunch of scurvy knaves and Captain Codpiece who was, how can I put it, a tad camp. In fact, tad doesn't cover it; more like as camp as a pink two­man tent in a Millets shop window.

All right, all right, I hear you. What has this got to do with Hilda & the Yom Kippur War of 1973? Well, if you are slumped comfortably I will begin. On my first evening on the ship I was presenting a show that ground to a halt

at 10pm, so I went on deck to take the air.

Suddenly in the distance I heard the sound of a craft approaching at speed and out of the night mist came a heavily armed patrol boat which started circling us. Now I had never seen a real life Rambo; well not entirely true.

My old school chum Barry Feast was around 6'4” at 11 years old, built like a loosehead prop and prone to random acts of violence.

Fortunately he befriended me after I took a thorn out of his paw.

The real deal Rambo, Uzis”R”Us, was eyeballing us – no not us... ME... as muggins was the only one on deck. All of a sudden a searchlight came on the beam unerringly finding me – it was like Sunday Night At The Palladium. I started doing the old soft shoe shuffle and going into a routine “My wife was really chuffed this morning she's found something that still fits her from her schooldays.....a pair of earrings...I thank you I'm here all week... matinee on Wednesday.”

Then the bullhorn boomed out “Identify yourself” so I squeaked and stammered “Ccccccchris Aaaaashley and my Gran is Jewish. I love Woody Allen films, seen Fiddler On The Roof eight times and I've had my bagel circumcised.” Why oh why did I tell them the last bit? Back came the bullhorn “Listen carefully now – this is an order ­ play Mouldy Old Dough for my fiancé in Tel Aviv who has just dumped me and I want her back.”

Now with the greatest respect to Lieutenant Pigeon and his opus it doesn't work on any level as a romantic beseechment in a case of unrequited love, but I was back in that studio faster than a robbers dog. I played the blooming thing 20 times on the spin whether it reunited the star­crossed lovers I know not: but I didn't get shot, so a result. However, it did precipitate a crisis that pushed us a step closer to World War III. This all happened October 5th 1973. The next day a coalition of Arab States led by Egypt and Syria attacked

15

Israel starting the Yom Kippur War. My theory is that record is so annoying it would drive any sane person or outright nutter to a violent reaction. It was all down to the really irritating ragtime boogie­woogie piano player – Ladies & Gentlemen I give you (Drum Roll) HILDA...Hilda Woodward to be precise, mother of Lieutenant Pigeon aka Rob Woodward and the only mother and son combo to have a UK number one hit, and they recorded the dread Dough in the lounge of their Coventry semi little knowing the mayhem that would ensue.

After that Henry Kissinger moment, Blighty was calling and Crocker Junior (I wore a younger man's budgie smugglers in those far off days) got a job presenting a sports show on Radio Trent in Nottingham. I have always felt the city doesn't know if it's Arthur or Martha. It's not (“Trouble at mill”) north or (“ello John got a new motor”?) south. It's a half­way house on no man's land, but my friends assured me before I arrived that “There are 4 women to every one man in Nottingham.” I spent much of my time looking for the bloke with eight wenches.

Don't get me wrong I had a terrific time there apart from working alongside a now nationally known TV star who in the late 70s was a chubby irritating egomaniac D.J. (Ed the Equal Opportunities Anorak ­ “Steady Crocker pots & kettles”). But more of that soon in The View @ Crocker's Corner.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 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, I am wondering if you or any of your readers can help with this annoying little problem. I have recently just got married to a lovely man (he´s not the problem!)

I recently moved to a villa in Playa Flamenca which is lovely, especially the pool, and that´s the problem – it’s covered with Palm Tree Seeds.

There are three neighbours who have huge palm trees which have been allowed to go to seed and therefore have shed all their seeds into our pool. My new husband who is understandably upset, but cannot abide confrontation, is getting himself in quite a state over this and I am worried about him.

He had approached two of them (the other is not here) nicely, a couple of months ago about pruning and was assured this would be considered, but has not been addressed, because they are under the impression the palms should be lobbed at the end of July, which of course is too late as we already have a full bucket load of seeds retrieved from the pool. Someone said give the seeds back, but hubby says two wrongs don’t make right, and I agree.

Do others have similar palm tree problems?

Please could you enquire when is the best time to lob these palms to avoid the mess next year and the upset with neighbours? I think it should be when the pods appear but I am not an expert.

It’s so sad and upsetting when neighbours can’t respect each other and be kind, and I hope you or someone has the answer Marion

Editor’s Note: If anybody can advise Marion, please contact us at THE VIEW at editor@theview.es Dear Editor, Firstly let me say what a great paper with very good content and information.

Hope you can help about personal taxation in Spain.

We read in another free press that the personal allowance was €11,200 but when asking our Gestor she said this was per couple. We don't consider our pensions particularly high but we were both taxed.

When looking on an expat forum everyone is telling a different story with some getting €22,400 tax free, others not. Some being converted at €1.20 to £, others €1.37 Does anyone know the correct amount we are allowed.

Thank you in anticipation of your assistance, hopefully by printing some correct figures we can all understand.

Regards ­ Linda Ley Editor’s Note: I replied to Linda to say that with around 10 months until the next round of tax declarations in Spain, THE VIEW will attempt to get the definitive answers to the many similar questions that I’ve received and publish them accordingly. I advised her to stay away from forums too!

Dear Head of Design, Many, many thanks for the great full size photo of the above.

I've had two happy holidays there, and walked up the path to the church to ring the bell, where, if you think of who you want to marry as you ring it, it's supposed to come true, though not for me!

The area is so much like Switzerland, with mountains, wooden chalets and red geraniums; indeed it has a border with Austria, where it is easy to visit.

Slovenia really is a beautiful country to visit if you get the chance!

Thanks again ­ Janice Gray Dear Editor, I, like many people of my age, have deep seated old fashioned values, such as respecting peoples’ rights, privileges and privacy. I am therefore appalled by the introduction of draconian, Gestapo like, measures under the banner of fighting fraud and money laundering by the UK and Euro countries alike. If the measures were successful I would have a degree of sympathy with them, but they demonstrably do not.

The worst offenders have sufficient money and advisors to enable them to avoid the imposition of the measures placed on ordinary decent middle class people who have worked all their lives to have a modest income in retirement. Even worse is the way the courts in Spain having found public officials guilty of feathering their own nest, then hand out sentences of less than two years so that the offender need not go to prison, and I ask myself why they would do that if they really meant to stamp out fraud.

Take the Modelo 720 as an example of the worst kind of invasion of privacy where you

need only declare the money you have abroad. We are promised by politicians that this is for declaration purposes only with no prospect of it being taxed. Would you trust a politician’s promise (do they only last the length of their current term of office), and why do I hear people talk of being taxed after they made the declaration?

Should you decide to risk the security of your old age, by giving sufficient of your money away to family, so that you stay below the level at which you must declare, then they are interrogated as to where the money came from; and as the exchange rate rises in favour of Sterling so the Sterling equivalent of your holding reduces, which would be disastrous should you need to return to the UK, perhaps for family reasons. As a resident in Spain I am denied the opportunity to open a new UK bank account, in order to seek a bank which respects its customers rather than treats them with contempt, even though there is no legal restriction to prevent the banks doing so.

We are denied access to things like ISA´s whose rates are derisory, often little more than 1%, and falling rapidly, whereas the banks earn 7% and probably more on our money that they hold. When I inform my solicitor of the amount of tax I pay, I am told that I pay far too much and I am told that architects, surveyors, solicitors, lawyers and the like declare an amount less than half the truthful figure that I declare, and there appears to be no comeback.

Yours respectfully ­ The White Crusader (Full name and address supplied)

SPANISH & UK LOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS

The View

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

THE CARD SHARP

By Barry Haslam-Walker

N

othing worse than a cheat at cards.

My Traveler was staying with an old friend in London, a partner in an exclusive gaming Club in Mayfair. They were enjoying a very pleasant dinner and the conversation inevitably got round to the Club, to the high rollers and to the winners and losers. That’s when his friend told him about a particular female poker player.

She always played exclusively ‘standard draw poker’ and she always came out a winner, with average takings of between ten to twenty thousand pounds a session.

‘Not bad’ said MT ‘but what makes you suspicious, ‘draw’ is a hard game to cheat at’ ‘ I agree, but there is something bugging me, this lady is just too good to be true. How about we finish dinner, call in at the Club and you can let me know what you think’.

It was close on 11.30 pm before they arrived and it was a further half hour before the ‘lady’ arrived. With purpose, she moved to the private poker room where the game of ‘draw’ was being set up. Around the table were four players, all male and respectfully standing. The lady took her reserved seat to the right of the dealer.

NOW there are 52 cards in a pack comprising four suits; diamonds, hearts, clubs and spades. They each number from one to ten plus a Jack, Queen and King. All

variants of poker are based upon the high card being the winner, the highest being number one – the Ace. In five card draw or stud, the card rankings are lowest; a ‘single high card’, this is followed by a ‘pair’, then ‘three of a kind’. Next comes ‘five cards in a consecutive run of different colours’, followed by a ‘five card flush of the same colours’. The next ranking is a ‘full house’ of three cards of a kind and a pair of a kind, followed by ‘four cards of a kind’. The penultimate best hand is a ‘running flush’, comprising all five cards in a continuous run of the same suit. Finally, the top ranking and very rare is a ‘Royal’ of a running flush of the same suit ­ 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. Now in ‘draw’ poker, each player receives one card at a time until they have all been dealt a total of five cards – all face down. The players will look at their cards and the betting will begin, the player to the left of the dealer starting the betting. He may either pass or bet. The next player can either fold, call matching the bet or call and raise. This will go all round the table until an even call is made by all players and the game moves on to the next stage.

The next round enables the players to replace any number of the five cards he

holds, in the chance he/she may obtain a stronger hand – hence the name ‘draw’.

For the next hour MT and his friend observed the lady from the observation booth. She was playing a cautious game taking no undue risks, but then MT sensed the change in her body language­ back straightened and focused.

When the next round of cards were dealt she concentrated her attention on each of the players as they looked at their cards, not even looking at her own card until it was her turn to bet.

AND so the game progressed and with an uncanny ‘gift’ the lady folded with a poor hand, called to tease and tempt and raised for the kill. In a short space of time her winnings mounted and she cashed in and left.

‘And what do you make of that ?’ his friend said.

A gem of an idea was taking shape. MT proposed that for next Friday’s game, he be invited as an immensely wealthy gambler, eccentric and with a love of old fashioned ‘standard draw poker’. He also suggested that there be no limit to bets and a guarantee to the house of a credit of two hundred thousand pounds.

The players taking their places, MT in the middle and opposite the dealer and the lady in her usual place to the right of the dealer.

For the first hour the game followed a usual pattern, no clear winners nor losers.

MT sensed a pattern shift in the game. The lady’s body language changed and again became more focused. As the hands were

dealt he noticed that again, she spent a split second looking at each of the players as they looked at their cards. As she was the last in the round of players to the right of the dealer, only then would she look at her own cards.

Just like a spider, she was waiting for the big hand that would snare the flies.

When the round of draws was made, the lady employed her gift of seeing through each player’s eyes the cards they were holding.

The player to the left of the dealer had three of a kind, the player next to him had a full house, Jacks over sevens, MT held four tens, the next player had a high flush and the ‘lady’ herself had four Queens – the winning hand.

The spiders web was set and the ‘flies’ were trapped.

The betting started at £500, the next player called and raised a £1,000. MT called the £1,500 and raised a further £5,000. The player to his left called passing the next bet to the ‘lady’. The call bet was now £6,500, a slight smile passed over the lips of the ‘lady’ and she called and raised £10,000.

The player to the left of the dealer with an instinct for survival folded.

The next player with a high full house held his nerve for a moment and then also folded.

NOW was the time for MT to bet – call your £10,000 and raise £50,000!

The player to his left let out a gasp and folded.

Just MT and the lady and the ball was in her court. After her initial table stakes she still had £200,000 credit available ­ this was the game and the night she had been waiting for.

Your £50,000 and raise £150,000!

MT looked up and with a twinkle in his eye called – £150,000 pounds.

With a confident smirk the lady had seen MT had only four tens and she was already counting her winnings.

MT nodded his head and locking eyes with the lady sent a silent message –‘two can play at your game’ and then turned his hand over: four Kings !

‘No’ she screamed, ‘ that wasn’t what I read, I saw four tens’ and then realizing what she had said to a stunned table, stood up and ran from the room and the Club.

‘And what was that all about?’ said his friend.

‘A very gifted person, one that can ‘read’ other persons minds and for a split second see through the players eyes as they look at their cards'.

‘But if she was so confident of winning having read your mind and seen your cards, how come you had the better hand?’

‘Well two can play at her game, mind reading has been a specialty of mine for some and once I twigged what she was doing it what not too difficult to out manoeuver her.

‘You see, when it came for my turn to look at my cards I ‘saw’ four tens, I saw what I wanted her to see not the four Kings I actually held. When it was her turn to look at her own cards, I read her mind and for a brief second ‘saw’ she was holding four Queens.

BINGO and the rest is history.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

NEW HOUSING INVESTMENT U

K Housing Minister Brandon Lewis announced this week that small builders will benefit from a £100 million cash boost to recognise and support their important role in keeping the country building.

The Housing Growth Partnership will act as a dedicated initiative that will invest alongside smaller builders in new developments, providing money to support their businesses, helping get workers onto sites and increasing housing supply.

The Partnership will also establish a network of builders, including experienced developers, who will act as mentors and advisers to those looking to expand and grow their businesses.

In the last 25 years, the number of firms building between 1 and 100 units a year has fallen from over 12,000 to fewer than 3,000.

That’s why the government has placed house building at the heart of its long­term economic plan, to get homes communities want built

and create jobs in construction and related industries.

The latest house building figures show starts have more than doubled since those seen during the same period in 2009 – with both starts and completions rising in the past year and the number of homes granted planning permission are at the highest annual total for 8 years.

Launched on Monday, the Housing Growth Partnership will help small builders to play their part in this success.

The government has matched a £50 million investment from Lloyds Banking Group to create the £100 million Housing Growth Partnership, which will be used to help smaller builders to invest in new projects and develop their businesses, allowing them to recruit and train skilled workers and become more competitive in their local area. The partnership expects to make around 50 investments, with the aim to provide an additional 2,000 homes.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis

said: “The 2008 economic crash devastated our army of small builders, with delivery falling from 44,000 homes to just 18,000 – seven years on, companies are getting back on their feet but we’re determined to give them all the help they need. Access to finance is one of the biggest challenges they face – so that’s why I’m launching this £100 million commitment which will help our smaller builders fund new projects, expand their businesses, create more jobs and build more homes.

“With housing starts at a seven­ year high and climbing and homes granted planning permission at 261,000 – the highest since 2007, this work will ensure we maintain this momentum and keep the country building.”

Andrew Bester, Group Director and Chief Executive, Commercial Banking, Lloyds Banking Group said: “The challenge of housing supply and affordability is one of the biggest issues facing Britain today, so we at Lloyds Banking Group welcome the government’s announcement of support for the Housing Growth Partnership, which will double the capability to support SME (small and medium sized) house builders. It will provide SME house builders with much needed equity to support residential development projects, to stimulate growth in their businesses and facilitate access to conventional property development finance.

“We believe building both a greater quantity and mix of homes will help Britain prosper and this partnership will help address the issue of housing supply in the UK.” Finally, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of Federation of Master Builders, said: “There has been a sharp decline in the numbers and output of SME house builders over the past 8 years. One of the biggest obstacles these firms have faced is a severe difficulty in accessing finance.

Without adequate access to finance they

cannot bring forward the number of new homes they would otherwise.

“The new Housing Growth Partnership will directly help to address this issue and the additional £50 million greatly increases the scale of what can be achieved. We commend Lloyds Banking Group and the government on their trailblazing approach and we hope this marks a real turning point in the fight to provide adequate finance to the SME house building sector.”

UNION JACK BACK

A

s from last Monday, all photocard driving licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales will carry the Union Flag alongside the existing European Union flag. The changes do not apply to motorists in Northern Ireland as driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.

The changes apply to all new and replacement licences issued to GB drivers from 6 July. Existing licences in circulation before that date remain valid and will not be recalled.

Transport Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: “Our flag is recognised and respected around the world and is something which British people take pride in. I am delighted to see it featured on driving licences.

We are bringing the country together. Adding our national flag to British driving licences is a true celebration of one nation Britain.”

The European Union flag has been displayed on full driving licences since photocards first came into use in July 1998. More than 132 million photocard licences have been issued since they were introduced. Last year alone, DVLA issued more than 10.4 million licences.

The View

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

Forth Bridge recognition SKIRTING AROUND THE LENGTH

T

he Forth Bridge in Scotland is now officially the UK's 29th UNESCO World Heritage Site. The decision came during a meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Bonn.

The bid to have the bridge recognised was put forward by the UK government following a joint project with the Scottish Government, partnering with Network Rail, Transport Scotland and Historic Scotland.

The World Heritage Committee have praised the bridge as ‘a masterpiece of creative genius because of its distinctive industrial aesthetic’ and ‘an extraordinary and impressive milestone in the evolution of bridge design and construction’.

The Forth Bridge is still the world’s second longest single cantilever span and was first opened in 1890, clearing the way for a fast rail link between the East of Scotland, Edinburgh and London. Over 100 years on, the bridge remains an important part of Britain’s rail infrastructure carrying thousands of passengers each day.

UK Heritage Minister, Tracey Crouch, said: “It’s fantastic news that the UK’s nomination has led to the inscription of the Forth Bridge. Recognition as a World Heritage Site will draw more tourists to the area as well as making sure one of the UK’s great engineering feats stands for future generations. The Forth Bridge is an important part of Britain’s shared national heritage, which is why the UK government put it forward as our nomination for World Heritage Site status last year.”

Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, also joined in the praise saying: “The Forth Bridge is an iconic piece of Victorian industrial engineering which has a proud place in the UK’s rich culture and heritage.

Being recognised as a World Heritage site is a fitting accolade for this bridge which has played such an important part in the lives of Scots for 125 years. The Forth Bridge joins an impressive list – including the Grand Canyon and the Great Wall of China plus, closer to home, New Lanark and St Kilda – which have secured the prestigious World Heritage status. I’m pleased that the UK delegation has been able to secure this status for the Forth Bridge.”

The iconic structure will be one of a select group of locations that have been awarded World Heritage Site Status in the UK. These include the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, the Derwent Valley Mills and the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd.

T

he headteacher of a Stoke on Trent high school wants staff to focus on 'teaching and learning' – rather than taking action against pupils wearing short skirts.

Complaints about girls showing off too much leg have been an increasing problem at Trentham High School in recent years. The girls are warned about their short skirts before the situation is reported to their parents if the matter has not been resolved.

But girls who go to school in knee­length skirts are even defying the rules by rolling them up to make them shorter.

Now headteacher Dr Rowena Blencowe is taking direct action by banning skirts from September. She said: "Girls in year seven, and possibly year eight, tend to abide by the rules. But as they get older, skirts get shorter. Staff are spending a lot of time making sure they are complying with school policy.”

"We did the same with clip­on ties two years ago.

Now, we don't have to worry about students having their ties done up properly and their top buttons being done up."

The current uniform policy allows girls to wear black trousers or black skirts – on the knee or just above the knee – with black tights. But the uniform will be restricted to black trousers from September.

Dr Blencowe added: "If a skirt is too short, the student is warned and a length of time is agreed for the issue to be resolved. That is then followed up by the pupil's form tutor. If the issue has not been resolved, we contact the student's parents. Another problem is some students choose to roll up skirts which are originally the right length.

"We've changed the culture and we're a school that focuses on learning and teaching and that's what we want to keep it as. We really take this seriously – I want the students to look smart."

School governor Terry Follows added: "The governors are unanimously behind the head teacher on this."

A Year 10 pupil, aged 15, said: "The new uniform

looks really good and is practical. I always wear trousers and most of my friends are not fussed about it."

The uniform change has divided parents at the Allerton Road School.

Marketing manager Julie Jones, aged 48, of Trentham, whose 13­year­old daughter, Ellie, attends the school, said: "It is a shame for the girls who like to wear skirts and abide by the rules on skirt length, but overall I am okay with the decision.

"The teachers are probably fed up of spending time talking to children about the length of their skirts rather than teaching."

But Clara Jamieson, aged 35, whose niece attends the school, added: "Most of the girls wear skirts at a respectable length. This has gone down badly with my niece and her friends."

And lollipop man Peter Chadwick – who patrols New Inn Lane – has hit out at the 'unfair' decision. The 79­ year­old, of Trentham, said: "I haven't seen short skirts and I'm there twice a day. In fact, people always remark about how smart the kids at Trentham look."

Former pupil Hannah Brearley­Jones, aged 25, of Trentham, who left in 2006, said: "We were allowed to wear skirts or trousers.

"I'm quite surprised at the ban. I can understand concerns over the length of the skirts, but not banning them."

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

NZ PUT GAG ON FREE SPEECH M

By Matt Collins

ention New Zealand and I think of lamb and the All­ Blacks rugby XVI doing the Haka, some fantastic scenery – thanks to the Lord of the Rings series ­ and in recent years, sadly, I recall the tragedy of recent earthquakes in Christchurch. You rarely see anything bad or otherwise about the country in the news, unlike its Australian neighbours and the impression is that it’s a demi­paradise full of freedoms.

It therefore took me by surprise when I saw that free speech had become the subject of some new control aimed at the nasty trolls on the internet. It’s called the “Harmful Digital Communications Bill.” Is it a case of Big Brother shutting down the prized possession of free speech, or are the Kiwi’s leading the way in curbing the antics of an increasing number of people in the world who can say what they like, under the cover of a certain degree of anonymity using Facebook or Twitter?

In a 116­5 vote, the New Zealand government have now passed a bill that essentially makes it a crime to speak ill of anyone on the internet.

“The Harmful Digital Communications Bill seeks to mitigate the harm caused to individuals by electronic communications and to provide victims of harmful digital communications with a quick and effective means of redress,” it says.

So what counts as harmful communication? The bill defines it as: 1. A disclosure of sensitive personal facts. 2. Threatening, intimidating, or menacing communication. 3. Grossly offensive communication. 4. False allegations.5. Breaches of

confidence. 6. Encouraging anyone to send a message to someone else to cause harm. 7. Causing or encouraging someone to commit suicide. 8. Being racist, sexist, bigoted, phobic, etc.

My first look at these above suggests to me, having suffered my own share of cyber abuse over the recent years that these new laws are long overdue. The only problem I foresee is how broad the rules are going to be interpreted. “Grossly offensive communication” has no specificity to it. “Menacing communication” can mean any number of things depending on who you talk to and racism and sexism are proven to have varying degrees of offensiveness depending on where the racism or sexism is coming from, or going to.

This didn’t escape the lawmakers either as it even says in the bill: “In determining whether a post would cause harm, the court may take into account any factors it considers relevant, including (a) the extremity of the language used; (b) age and characteristics of the victim.”

So what kind of action will the New Zealand government take?

According to the bill, reports will be handed over to a government organization – one that they will create in the future – that handles online abuse. This government agency will receive the complaints, investigate them, then use mediation or “persuasion (as appropriate) ” to resolve the problem. In the event that this agency cannot resolve the

matter, then it goes to court where the court may force the offending party to: take down or disable material; order that the defendant stop communication with the complainant; order that a right of reply be given; order that a correction be published; order that an apology be published; order that a correction be published, and order that the identity of an anonymous author be released to the court Failing to comply with any of this could result in “imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding NZ$5,000.”

The law doesn’t stop at individuals either, as websites that host the offensive material are themselves liable and may be subject to up to NZ$20,000 in fines, if they do not force the offender to remove the offending material, or the host doesn’t remove it themselves within 48 hours.

Are we entering a world where hurt feelings rule the day with legal force and speaking your mind may get you on the bad side of the wrong person. Soon you’ll find yourself being ordered to take it back and apologize… or else? Yes, people are offended – more on behalf of other people these days rather than them being directly so – and I’m sure some will try to take legal action. At least there will be the back­up of the court system to decide whether the intention really was intended to be offensive or threatening, or just a light­hearted throwaway comment.

UK PORK EXPORTS ROCKET

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nvironment Secretary Elizabeth Truss has announced that global UK pork exports have rocketed 44% in the last five years, generating £214 million a year for the growing economy.

The pork industry was given a significant boost after the UK Government opened up pork trade with China in 2012 ­ £30 million worth are now shipped there each year.

Visiting Hull’s Cranswick Country Foods, the country’s biggest pork exporter, the Environment Secretary praised the industry for grasping export opportunities and leading the way in new Chinese markets, setting a gold standard for the rest of the UK food industry.

Exports of UK pork around the world are now worth £214 million, up from £149 million in 2010. China is by far the biggest international export market for our pork, with a growing appetite for British produce.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “UK food has an excellent reputation the world over and China presents a fantastic opportunity for our farmers to take

advantage of a growing demand for top­class British produce. I have been impressed by the way the pork industry has embraced this new market and I want to see more British producers follow in the footsteps of successful exporters like Cranswick".

“I want to do all we can to increase access to growing markets like China. Opening new export markets is a central part of our ambition for the UK food and farming sector to lead the world and is a key part of our long­ term economic plan.”

China is now one of the UK’s fastest­ growing export markets, with over £280 million of British produce exported in 2014— more than double the 2010 figure. Pork is a significant British export, along with whisky, salmon and fresh fish.

In January, Elizabeth Truss visited China to discuss opening up the market further for British exports and expanding the number of UK plants that can export pork to China. As part of the trip she discussed pig’s trotters, which could bring an additional £7.5 million a year for the British pork industry and

negotiations with China are currently ongoing. The government is also working to extend markets for UK pig meat in other parts of Asia.

The new UK Agriculture and Food Counsellor, Karen Morgan, who accompanied the Environment Secretary on the visit, will be driving greater access to China’s growing food, so more British food producers can take on Asia’s booming market.

This paves the way for the dairy industry where British dairy products are in growing demand – dairy exports to China are now worth £24 million and infant formula milk and processed cheese could present an opportunity for British producers to diversify.

Food and drink exports from the UK were worth nearly £19 billion last year with around 16,000 new food and drink products introduced every year ­ second in the world only to the US. Food and drink remains the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector, with the whole food chain contributing £103 billion a

year to the UK economy and employing one in eight people.

Chris Aldersley, Chief Operating Officer at Cranswick Country Foods, commented on the Secretary of State’s visit: We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State to our Cranswick Preston site in Hull. Her visit reinforces the increasing work we are doing within the food export market around the world and our 10­years of consecutive export growth.

We are the second largest pig producer in the UK, processing 45,000 pigs a week across our facilities, 30% of which is exported. To China mainland alone, we are exporting on average 750,000kgs per week, with future potential opportunities currently being identified.

The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

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RUTH ELLIS – THE LAST WOMAN

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ith some barbaric crimes in recent years being committed by women, there may have been a few more added to the list of only 15 hanged in the UK in the 20th century, had Capital Punishment not been abolished.

Next Monday (13th) sees the 60th anniversary of the last woman to be executed in the country, Ruth Ellis. Who was she and what was it that led her to enter into the history books?

Ruth Ellis was born on 9 October 1926 in the Welsh seaside town of Rhyl, the third of six children. During her childhood her family moved to Basingstoke. Her mother, Elisaberta (Bertha) Cothals, was a Belgian refugee; her father, Arthur Hornby, was a cellist from Manchester, who spent much of his time playing on Atlantic cruise liners.

Ellis became a nightclub hostess through nude modelling work, which paid significantly more than the various factory and clerical jobs she had held since leaving school. Morris Conley, the manager of the Court Club in Duke Street, where she worked, blackmailed his hostess employees into sleeping with him. Early in 1950 she became pregnant by one of her regular customers, having taken up prostitution.

On 8 November 1950, she married 41­year­old George Ellis, a divorced dentist with two sons, at the register office in Tonbridge, Kent. He had been a customer at the Court Club, was a violent alcoholic, jealous and possessive and the marriage deteriorated rapidly because, he was convinced she was having an affair. Ruth left him several times but always returned. In 1951, she gave birth to a daughter, Georgina, but George refused to acknowledge paternity and they separated shortly afterwards.

RUTH ELLIS & DAVID BLAKELY Then, in 1953, at the age of 27, she became the manager of a nightclub. At this time, she was lavished with expensive gifts by admirers and had a number of celebrity friends. She met David Blakely, three years her junior, through racing driver Mike Hawthorn. Blakely was a well­mannered former public school boy, but also a hard­drinking racer. Within weeks he moved into her flat above the club, despite being engaged to another woman, Mary Dawson. Ellis became pregnant for the fourth time but aborted the child, feeling she could not reciprocate the level of commitment shown by Blakely towards their relationship. She then began seeing Desmond Cussen, an ex­RAF pilot, who let Ellis move in with him and became his mistress.

However, the relationship with Blakely continued and

and held on remand. became increasingly violent and RUTH ELLIS & She was twice examined, who embittered as Ellis and Blakely DESMOND CUSSEN failed to find evidence of mental continued to see other people. illness and she undertook an Blakely offered to marry Ellis, to electroencephalography examination which she consented, but she lost on 3 May that failed to find any another child in January 1955, after abnormality. While on remand in a miscarriage induced by a punch to Holloway, she was examined by the stomach in an argument with psychiatrist Dr D. Whittaker for the Blakely. defence and by Dr A. Dalzell on behalf On Easter Sunday, 10 April 1955, of the Home Office. Neither found Ellis took a taxi from Cussen's home evidence of insanity. to a second floor flat at 29 Tanza On 20 June 1955, Ellis appeared in Road, Hampstead, the home of the Number One Court at the Old Anthony and Carole Findlater and Bailey, London, before Mr Justice where she suspected Blakely might Havers – who later became Lord be. As she arrived, Blakely’s car drove Chancelllor and was the father of off, so she paid off the taxi and actor Nigel Havers. She was dressed walked the quarter mile to the in a black suit and white silk blouse Magdala, a four­storey public house with freshly bleached and coiffured in South Hill Park, Hampstead, where blonde hair. she found Blakely’s car parked “It's obvious when I shot him I outside.

At around 9:30 pm, David Blakely and his friend Clive intended to kill him.” This was her answer to the only Gunnell emerged. Blakely passed Ellis waiting on the question put to her by Christmas Humphreys, counsel for the pavement when she stepped out of Henshaws Doorway, a Prosecution, who asked, "When you fired the revolver at close newsagent next to the Magdala. He ignored her when she said range into the body of David Blakely, what did you intend to do?" The defending counsel, Aubrey Melford Stevenson "Hello, David," then shouted "David!"

As Blakely searched for the keys to his car, Ellis took a .38 supported by Sebag Shaw and Peter Rawlinson, would have calibre Smith & Wesson Victory model revolver from her advised Ellis of this possible question before the trial began, handbag and fired five shots at Blakely. The first shot missed because it is standard legal practice to do so. Her reply to and he started to run, pursued by Ellis round the car, where Humphreys's earlier question in open court guaranteed a she fired a second, which caused him to collapse onto the guilty verdict and therefore the mandatory death sentence pavement. She then stood over him and fired three more which followed. The jury took just 20 minutes to convict her. bullets into him. One bullet was fired less than half an inch She received the sentence and was taken to the condemned cell at Holloway. from Blakely's back and left powder burns on his skin.

Ellis told her mother that she did not want a petition to reprieve her from the death sentence and took no part in the campaign. However, her relatives urged her solicitor John Bickford to petition to the Home Secretary and he wrote a seven page letter setting out the grounds. The Home Secretary at the time, Gwilym Lloyd George, took all the papers away for the weekend and decided that there were not sufficient grounds to recommend any interference with the due course of law.

Much of the campaign to try to secure an appeal on her sentence centred on where she had got the gun from that had killed Blakely. Ellis later revealed that she had been drinking with Desmond Cussen for most of the weekend and that Cussen had given her the gun and some shooting practice.

Cussen had also driven her to the murder scene. Gwilym Lloyd Ellis was seen to stand mesmerised over the body and George later said that the police were able to make witnesses reported hearing several distinct clicks as she tried considerable inquiries, but that it made no difference to his to fire the revolver's sixth and final shot, before finally firing decision and in fact made Ellis's guilt greater by showing the into the ground. Ellis, in a state of shock, asked Gunnell, "Will murder was premeditated. Lloyd George also explained that you call the police, Clive?" She was arrested immediately by the injury to Gladys Yule – who was caught by a sixth bullet an off­duty policeman, who took the still­smoking gun from ricocheting from the pavement ­ was decisive in his decision her, put it in his coat pocket, and heard her say, "I am guilty, not to reprieve Ellis: "We cannot have people shooting off I'm a little confused." She was taken to Hampstead police firearms in the street! .. As long as I was Home Secretary, I was station where she appeared to be calm and not obviously determined to ensure that people could use the streets under the influence of drink or drugs. She made a detailed without fear of a bullet."

In a final letter to David Blakely's parents from her prison confession to the police and was charged with murder.

Blakely's body was taken to hospital with multiple bullet cell, she wrote, "I have always loved your son, and I shall die still loving him." wounds to the intestines, liver, lung, aorta and windpipe.

Thirty seconds before 9 am on Wednesday 13 July, the No solicitor was present during Ellis's interrogation or during the taking of her statement at Hampstead police official hangman, Albert Pierrepoint and his assistant, station, although three police officers were present that night. Royston Rickard, entered the condemned cell and escorted Ellis was still without legal representation when she made her Ruth the 15 feet to the execution room next door. The Bishop first appearance at the magistrates' court on 11 April 1955 of Stepney, Joost de Blank, visited Ellis just before her death and she told him, "It is quite clear to me that I was not the person who shot him. When I saw myself with the revolver I JUSTICE HAVERS knew I was another person."

Ellis was buried in an unmarked grave within the walls of Holloway Prison, as was customary for executed prisoners. In the early 1970s the prison underwent an extensive programme of rebuilding, during which the bodies of all the executed women were exhumed for reburial elsewhere. Ellis's body was reburied in the churchyard extension of St Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.

The headstone in the churchyard was simply inscribed "Ruth Hornby 1926–1955". Her son, Andy, destroyed the headstone shortly before he, himself, committed suicide in 1982.

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egarded as one of the first events of its kind, the original LIVE AID really was 30 years ago. Were you there? Send in your memories of the event to, editor@theview.es "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia and around the world it's time for Live Aid ...." They were the words used by Richard Skinner to open the event. Cue Status Quo....

Live Aid was a dual­venue concert held on 13 July 1985.

The event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine.

Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously at the old Wembley Stadium in London, which was attended by 72,000 people and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, USA, which broke the 100,000 barrier of people. On the same day, concerts inspired by the initiative happened in other countries, such as Australia and Germany. It was one of the largest­scale satellite link­ups and television broadcasts of all time: an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations, watched the live broadcast.

The concert was conceived as a follow­on to the successful charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" which was also the brainchild of Geldof and Ure. In October 1984, images of millions of people starving to death in Ethiopia were shown in the UK, in Michael Buerk's BBC News reports on the 1984 famine. Geldof saw the report and called his musical colleague from Ultravox. Together, they quickly co­wrote the song, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in the hope of raising money for famine relief. Geldof then contacted others in the music industry and persuaded them to record the single under the title 'Band Aid' for free.

On 25 November 1984, the song was recorded at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill and was released four days later. It stayed at No1 in the UK for..., was Christmas number one and became the fastest­selling single ever in Britain and raised £8 million, rather than the £70,000 Geldof had expected. Geldof then set his sights on staging a huge concert to raise further funds.

The idea to stage a charity concert to raise more funds for Ethiopia originally came from Boy George, not Bob Geldof, the lead singer of Culture Club. George and Culture Club drummer Jon Moss, had taken part in the recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" were undertaking a tour of the UK, which culminated in six nights at Wembley Arena. On the final night at Wembley an impromptu gathering of various stars of the Band Aid record joined Culture Club on stage at the end of the concert for an encore of "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

George was so overcome by the occasion, he told Geldof that they should consider organising a concert. Speaking to the UK music magazine Melody Maker at the beginning of January 1985, Geldof revealed his enthusiasm for George's idea, saying, "If George is organising it, you can tell him he can call me at any time and I'll do it. It's a logical progression from the record, but the point is you don't just talk about it, you go ahead and do it!"

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

LIVE AID ’85

Phil Collins famously performed at both Wembley Stadium and JFK, utilising the Concorde to get him from London to Philadelphia, something that could never happen now! A little known trivial fact was that Noel Edmonds piloted the helicopter that took Collins to Heathrow Airport to catch his flight. Aside from his own set at both venues, Collins also played the drums for Eric Clapton and played with the reuniting surviving members of Led Zeppelin at JFK. On the Concorde flight, Collins encountered actress and singer Cher, who claimed not to know anything about the Live Aid concerts! When they did arrive in the USA though, she did attend the Philadelphia concert and can be seen performing as part of that concert's "We Are the World" finale.

THE LINE UP In total, more than 75 acts performed, including Elton John, Madonna, Santana, Run DMC, Sade, Sting, Bryan Adams, the Beach Boys, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Duran Duran, U2, the Who, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton.

Status Quo were first on stage and started their set with "Rockin' All Over the World", also playing "Caroline" and fan favourite "Don't Waste My Time".

Queen galvanised the stadium with some of their greatest hits, in which lead­singer Freddie Mercury at times led the entire crowd of 72,000 in thundering unison refrains. In their 20­minute set the band opened with "Bohemian Rhapsody" and closed with "We Are the Champions". Prior to their taking the stage, Queen's sound engineer allegedly covertly switched out the limiters that had been installed on the venue's sound system so the performance would be louder than the others!

Queen's performance on that day has since been voted by more than 60 artists, journalists and music industry executives as the greatest live performance in the history of rock music.

Bob Geldof himself performed with the rest of the Boomtown Rats, singing "I Don't Like Mondays". He stopped just after the line: "The lesson today is how to die" to loud applause with the lyrics taking on a whole other meaning.

Elvis Costello appeared singing a simple but touching version of The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love” and U2's performance further established them as a pre­eminent live group – something for which they would eventually become

The View

superstars. The band played a 14­minute rendition of "Bad", during which lead vocalist Bono jumped off the stage to join the crowd and dance with a girl. The length of their performance of "Bad" limited them to playing just two songs.

Twenty five years later, the girl with whom he danced, revealed that he actually saved her life at the time. She was being crushed by the throngs of people pushing forwards; Bono saw this, and gestured frantically at the ushers to help her. They did not understand what he was saying, and so he jumped down to help her himself.

THE RESULTS AND THE LEGACY Live Aid eventually raised $127 million in famine relief for African nations and the publicity it generated encouraged Western nations to make available enough surplus grain to end the immediate hunger crisis in Africa. Geldof was later knighted by The Queen for his efforts.

It wasn’t all plain sailing though, as the Live Aid concert itself and the way the funds raised were used, attracted their fair share of criticism from various sources.

Andy Kershaw, one of the presenters of the BBC's coverage, criticised the event in his autobiography No Off Switch, stating, "Musically, Live Aid was to be entirely predictable and boring. As they were wheeled out – or rather bullied by Geldof into playing – it became clear that his was another parade of the same old rock aristocracy in a concert for Africa.

Organised by someone who, while advertising his concern for and sympathy with the continent, didn’t see fit to celebrate or dignify the place by including on the Live Aid bill a single African performer." Kershaw also described the attitude of Geldof and his show business associates as, "irritating, shallow, sanctimonious and self­satisfied" Although a professed admirer of Geldof's generosity and concern, Fox News Channel television host, Bill O'Reilly, has been critical of the Live Aid producer's oversight of the money raised for starving Ethiopian people, claiming (in June 2005), that much of the funds were siphoned off

by Mengistu Haile Mariam and his army (which included the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front).

Back in 2007, Jobs Selasie, head of charity African Aid Action, claimed that, such campaigns increase corruption and dependency on the continent. Selasie explained that he believed that the western media had an obsession with political correctness, which diverted from what he believes are the real causes of poverty in Africa.

The charity says since the original Band Aid campaign, the number of Africans living on handouts has increased by 500% and African governments who used to rely on only 20% of their annual budget from overseas aid are now dependent on a 70% contribution.

“Aid has failed because campaigners, charities and governments do not have the right plan and excluded African entrepreneurs and grassroots organisations from being part of the solution,” said Selasie. “You can’t impose change from without,” he continued. “It has to come from within and we won’t end poverty with handouts. Africans need to fight corruption and work hard.”

His words of eight years ago still ring true today. The fact is that, Ethiopia remains one of Africa's poorest countries and the whole of sub­Saharan Africa is, if anything, worse off today than it was after Live Aid. MC

The View

23

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

THE VIEW THROUGH THE LENS

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ohn­Ross Hainey from Guernsey based JR Photography shares some of his great work with the readers of THE VIEW. The Channel Islands didn’t escape the storms earlier this week which provided John­Ross with the opportunity to take these stunning images.

JR Photography were very proud to receive two awards in 2014 as part of “The Best Of” where businesses are nominated by local people.

Log on to www.johnrossphotography.co.uk/testimonials to see what many others say about his work.

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving, What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.

(Aaron Siskind)

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

CLAPPERBOARD

THE LEGEND OF BARNEY THOMPSON MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE

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cotland’s own Robert Carlyle, makes his directorial debut with this delightful jet­black comedy about a downtrodden barber, whose mundane life is turned upside down when he accidentally turns killer.

Carlyle also plays the lead role as mild­ mannered Barney Thomson, an old­ fashioned barber, who is slipping down the pecking order in the Glasgow barber shop where he works. After an accidental killing, he turns to his hilariously fierce mother (Emma Thompson) for help.

Based on a novel by Douglas Lindsay – the first of seven books about Barney Thomson – the film was shot in Glasgow, with the city a

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vibrant and vital backdrop to the hilariously black story. Locations include the East End (where the barber shop is located), Shawfield dog track and the Barrowlands, which doubles up as the bingo hall, where Barney’s controlling mother Cemolina spends quality time.

Emma Thompson is a revelation as

MAGGIE

aggie is a 2015 post­ apocalyptic drama film directed by Henry Hobson, written by John Scott III, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin and Joely Richardson.

Maggie Vogel (Abigail Breslin) is calling her father; she's trapped in the city as a curfew is in effect. She urges him not to come looking for her and she tells him she loves him.

Although most of the globe is plagued by the Necroambulist virus, which turns people into zombies, the majority of society continues to function.

Farmers burn their fields and crops to prevent further contamination. Maggie's father Wade, (Arnold Schwarzenegger) goes to

search for his daughter. Maggie is taken by armed officials and placed in quarantine at the hospital with other infected people. She has a bite wound on her arm and the infection is going to gradually spread throughout her body.

Wade sees a doctor who gives him three options on what to do with Maggie. He can take her to quarantine immediately, which he refuses to do. Or, he can give her the "cocktail" injection given in quarantine, permitting her to die at home, although the doctor notes that this would be extremely painful. The third option is to "make it quick".

Wade decides to make the most of his last days with Maggie.

The film is being released in the UK on 24 July.

the mother, complete with Glaswegian accent and a serious amount of make­up to help transform her into a truly memorable character.

The strong cast also includes Ray Winstone (as a fish­out­of­water London copper exasperated by his Scottish police colleagues), Martin Compston (as one of Bobby’s hairdresser rivals) and veteran actor Tom Courtenay (as the police chief baffled by a serial killer who is mailing body parts from a series of different Scottish tourist spots).

The Legend of Barney Thomson is a deliriously dark comedy to be cherished...plus, make sure you stay on for the hilarious outtakes over the credit reel.

– ROGUE NATION

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ission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, is a 2015 American

action spy film written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie.

It is the fifth instalment in the Mission: Impossible series and is four years since the previous story, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). It stars Tom Cruise, who reprises his role of IMF Agent Ethan Hunt. It is produced by Tom Cruise, J. J. Abrams and David Ellison of Skydance Productions.

With the IMF now disbanded and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) out in the cold, a new threat ­ called the Syndicate ­ soon emerges. The Syndicate is a network of highly skilled operatives who are dedicated to establishing a new world order, via an escalating series of terrorist attacks. Faced with what may be the most impossible mission yet, Ethan gathers his team and joins forces with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a disavowed British agent who may or may not be a member of this deadly rogue nation.

The film is scheduled to be released worldwide by Paramount Pictures on July 31 2015.

The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

25

OLLIE’S MOOD SPILLS It's All For a Good Cause?

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By Gordon Oliver

for one, think you can go forth and multiply, for all I care. Your social standing complete, you are now able to stand side by side with pride. A victory hard fought. But was it really worth it?

The value put on your rights, spread for the western world to splurge upon; it has successfully invaded every part of my life as well as any other person who has any form of media availability.

The oppressed have become the oppressive and won. Or have they? Should their focus not of been in a different direction? Has this not just been a selfish act of many, rather than the selfless of the few?

Personally, I believe you can dress up as a chicken and marry a giant rooster for all I care. As long as you respect my right to be who I am, how I am and not rub your beliefs in my face.

I am of course referring to the victory of the Gay Marriage lobby. It is now legal to marry, same sex, in many countries around the world, just in case you had missed that titbit of information being firmly planted in your guts, via a twisted fist through the mouth. Please do not misinterpret my meaning. I could not care less about what other people choose to do in their own lives, own homes, own heads and own bodies. I do care about when it is forced into my life, into my front room, onto my Facebook page and the misappropriate use of this form of reformation. After all let’s be completely honest, it should’ve ended when Civil Partnership was allowed in Western Countries. The laws were given to allow the rights needed by couples to continue their lives together without fear of loss of finance or property in times of crisis or death.

Instead it had to inflame and encroach. Grow larger and insert itself into the limelight. It just had to become splendid and the centre of all attention.

Let me explain why this bothers me. First of all, marriage is a sham. It is falling apart faster than the religion with which it was based upon. The same religions which not so many

years ago would brand, flog, bury alive and stone sodomites. Religion and marriage go hand in hand, and with religion on the demise, especially Catholicism and C of E, they decided to embrace the gay community, much to the distaste of many pastors around the world, who could no longer control the choir boys with the danger of being labelled if the pastor’s dirty little secrets were let out of the bag.

Let’s not forget, the very first gay couple who married, were divorced a year later. I always believed that they realised how dull it was and opted for something much louder and shiny.

But secondly and much more importantly, why this grinds me to the bone, is because, how many of these oppressed masses who now rush down to the registry office, to hitch up with their brand new gay partner and brand new gay life, because everything is now a rainbow and beautifully forced in favour of homosexuals? It is a good day to be gay. How many of these masses will go to Russia and fight for gay rights? How many of them are stood arms in rainbow clad arm, with their brothers in St. Petersberg trying to force open the iron closet?

How many of these enraged, oppressed, minority players, who have forced the law to change in democratic countries, where civil liberties are assured, stand against the iron will of Putin’s government, the man who claims he will "cure" the western disease of homosexuality? Now that makes me angry.

That winds me up. That makes me want to stand, take arms and fight for gay liberty. Just that sentence makes me want to take on the Kremlin and bring down the lead filled, gold laden walls, to take on the might of the Alpha.

So, where are the western gays? Am I allowed to call you gays? Am I not allowed anymore? Does it upset you? How about being imprisoned, beaten, tortured, for being gay? That is what should offend you, not the fact that you were not allowed to wear a white dress and walk down the aisle. It pulses volcanic blood through my veins that the gay community should be resolute in Russia. Bring down that mighty hunter. That giant bores head on the wall of planet earth. Strip the gay community of its mantle completely.

Refute homosexual and reclaim homosapien. Why is this activism being directed at getting married in the UK or the States, when its kin are being persecuted, prosecuted and executed for being gay? If the millions that are currently marrying their own sex right now formed together as an army and marched on Russia, what would happen? The governments of the world most certainly wouldn't stand by without contributing protection. There are homosexuals everywhere, including the top echelons of army and government.

Why has this movement not contributed something useful to the entire world, instead of just their own selfish needs?

No one could really care less about whether or not you are married; it’s not a big victory. Civil partnerships were a massive victory. That was the point of victory in the West.

I am going to make this clear again. I couldn't care less if you get off on introducing Mr. Johnson to Mr. Ed, as long as you accept it is not something I want in my life. The girl I met and spoke to briefly last night at the bar, who I told "not interested love”, has not started to claim my personality as oppressive. Hasn't started to claim I am a racist because she had different skin. She accepted I wasn't interested and I am not. I have no interest in any sexual nature she may or may not have. The same goes for other people too. It

does not make my attitude oppressive. I just don't care about what you do with your parts or your gold bands. But when people are murdered and imprisoned for being different, for enjoying things in a different manor to others that is quite a different tea party.

But then, come the next revolutionary evolution in my head. Why stop there? What good could be done by this body of people if they set their minds to it; if they were able to agree on something and attack it in a positive motion for humanity itself? Who could stop such a force? A consensus of many, rather than the opinions of one.

When a revolution has a figurehead, a face, it can be targeted it can be eliminated.

Look at how Assange and Snow have been slowly ebbed out of society and out of public access. Look at the wonderful good they did, mostly, for the further of the human race, the truth they brought to the table.

Now imagine how the world might be if millions joined to make one face, if millions stood together as an immovable force. Activists for the people, one common goal, disruption of oppression, disarmament of dangerous government. When a party has a leader that is when a party can be corrupted, when it can be used for mal intent.

When a party has a council of many, a voting collective, it should work with greater efficiency. For instance, the pyramid structures of modern governments are not any better than fascist dictatorships, because the decisions always filter to one person. The money.

These days, the Banks.

Governments today are run as businesses, they are run to be efficient and to turn profit. The human element is purely collateral and expendable. The Western world’s primary function is to make money. It’s all about Gold. Cash. Wealth.

Shiny crown and golden palaces.

Who has all this wealth other than the banks? The people who allowed you to marry as a homosexual. The Church, the Governments.

Don't forget, if you make it to death ‘til you part, which I sincerely hope you do. Inheritance tax. Where does that go again?

I leave you with this Tweet from the wonderful Seth MacFarlane, who I must mark as my prose for this piece.

Without him, there would be no Iraq Lobster.

Seth MacFarlane ­ 1 July at 03:43 ­ “Gay marriage and health care, we won! Hooray for us! Now we can FINALLY focus on climate change, which ­­ wait, where are you going? Guys?”

26

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

THE VIEW ON.....NOSTALGIA 10th July 1956 An entertainment journey reminding you of some of the BBC Radio and TV programmes, and the UK Top 20 on this very day! This week, we go back to 1956, where it’s fascinating to note there were more radio programmes than the television – which didn’t begin until 3pm on a summer’s day in July!

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. Just contact us at editor@theview.es explaining why the date you’ve chosen means so much.

BBC RADIO – THE LIGHT PROGRAMME 9.10 HOUSEWIVES' CHOICE Bryan Michie introduces your request records 10.00 JOHN MADIN at the organ of the Granada, Tooting 10.30 MUSIC WHILE YOU WORK Tommy Kinsman & His Dance Orchestra 11.00 MRS. DALE'S DIARY

20.00 CHARLIE CHESTER IN A PROPER CHARLIE With Deryck Guyler 20.30 HUGH BURDEN IN CRIME REPORT The second of four programmes in which Michael Gilbert traces the investigation of a murder.

21.00 ALL THE BEST OF LIGHT MUSIC 22.25 LET'S SETTLE FOR MUSIC 23.00 A BOOK AT BEDTIME 'THE SUMMER­HOUSE' BY ROSEMARY HARRIS 23.15 MOONLIGHT LULLABY FREDERIC CURZON AT THE BBC THEATRE ORGAN

BBC TV 15.00 JOHN SLATER with a story of his own 15.15 AMOS 'N' ANDY 15.45 WATCH WITH MOTHER ­ Andy Pandy

11.15 MORNING STORY 11.30 WINGATE'S TEMPERANCE BAND 12.00 YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT 12.15 CONCERT HOUR BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA 13.00 DAVE SHAND AND HIS ORCHESTRA 13.45 LISTEN WITH MOTHER Today's Story: The Clara Belle By Charles Bernard 14.00 WOMAN'S HOUR Introduced by Jean Metcalfe 15.00 TUNES FROM THE THEATRE 15.45 MUSIC WHILE YOU WORK Ford Motor Works Military Band 16.15 MRS. DALE'S DIARY 16.30 SYDNEY GUSTARD at the BBC Theatre Organ 17.00 MUSIC FROM AMERICA The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra 17.30 ERIC WINSTONE AND HIS ORCHESTRA 18.15 OUR KIND OF MUSIC 18.45 THE ARCHERS 19.00 NEWS AND RADIO NEWSREEL 19.30 CALLING ALL SPORTSMEN

17.00 CHILDREN'S TELEVISION 18.00 WORLD HORSE­JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS Commentator Dorian Williams 19.20 HIGHLIGHT Introduced by Cliff Michelmore 19.30 KENNETH HOME BRINGS TO CAMERA ONE Forty­Five minutes of non­stop variety with Ronnie Carroll 20.15 WITHOUT VISION 21.15 UP TO DATE 21.45 PICTURE PARADE Introduced by Peter Haigh 22.45 LLANGOLLEN INTERNATIONAL MUSICAL EISTEDDFOD

UK TOP 30 SINGLES 1. I’LL BE HOME – Pat Boone

2. LOST JOHN / STEWBALL – Lonnie Donegan 3. HEARTBREAK HOTEL – Elvis Presley 4. ALL STAR HIT PARADE – Various Artists 5. THE SAINTS ROCK N ROLL – Bill Haley & The Comets 6. I’M WALKING BACKWARDS FOR CHRISTMAS – The Goons 7. HOT DIGGITY (DOG ZIGGITY ZOOM) – Perry Como 8. NO OTHER LOVE – Ronnie Hilton 9. MY SEPTEMBER LOVE – David Whitfield 10. EXPERIMENTS WITH MICE – Johnny Dankworth 11. MOONGLOW & THE THEME FROM PICNIC – Morris Stoloff 12. SONGS FOR SWINGING LOVERS – Frank Sinatra

13. WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE – Frankie Lymon 14. TOO YOUNG TO GO STEADY – Nat King Cole 15. THE WAYWARD WIND – Tex Ritter 16. THE WAYWARD WIND – Gogi Grant 17. A TEAR FELL – Teresa Brewer 18. BLUE SUEDE SHOES – Elvis Presley 19. HOT DIGGITY (DOG ZIGGITY ZOOM) – Michael Holliday 20. PORTUGUESE WASHERWOMAN – Joe ‘Fingers’ Carr

The View

27

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

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

Thursday 16 July ALGORFA SANTA POLA TORREVIEJA

M

any of the local towns have their annual Moors & Christians Festival and Guardamar does have the reputation as being one of the most spectacular. This year’s events take place between next FRIDAY 17TH & SUNDAY 26TH JULY. THE VIEW will publish the full programme in next week’s edition.

IN NEXT WEEK’S EDITION OF THE VIEW, KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR A DOUBLE PAGE INFORMATION SECTION SPECIAL WITH BUS AND TRAIN TIMETABLES, MARKET DAYS, FIESTA DETAILS, IMPORTANT NUMBERS AND PLACES OF INTEREST FOR THE TOURISTS.

DON’T MISS IT!

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 SAN

FULGENCIO, GUARDAMAR & LA MARINA, PILAR DE LA HORADADA and CREVILLENTE. 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.

28

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

WHAT’S ON THE TELLY? BBC SERVES UP A TURKEY A s I predicted last week, I’ve ended up spending most of the past week and a half working, of course, but watching one of the great annual BBC sporting occasions.

It must be something to do with the green stuff it’s played on as I rarely watch any other tennis throughout the year, especially the indoor tournaments. They do nothing for me.

I love the traditions of Wimbledon and as I’ve commented on a story in the sport section of THE VIEW on page 47, I fear for the future of the televised sport if SKY ever gets hold of the coverage when discussions as to the future are opened again next year.

The BBC has broadcast Wimbledon exclusively for almost 80 years but amid fears of cuts to its licence fee in the next round of funding negotiations in 2016, it is examining where it could make possible savings.

As was confirmed in the Budget on Wednesday, the BBC is going to

need to find an extra £650m to pay for the free TV licenses to the over 75s, and would they really dump coverage from SW19 – a big favourite of that age group? What I’ve learned is that whilst it’s been trailed for many years as being part of the British sporting crown jewels and enjoys protected status under broadcast regulations, they only apply to the finals weekend. The remaining matches could be shown live on a subscription­only channel,

provided highlights remained free­ to­air.

In sport, as in music, entertainment and things in life in general, I’m very much a traditionalist; an old­fogey. I hate the hype and the razzmatazz that surrounds everything and I hate all the analysis before and after a sporting event. For example, I come from the John Virgo school on how to win a frame of snooker. “Pot as many balls as you can.” It was the

same when I went out to bat during my time as a club cricketer with just one thing on my mind and that was to score as many runs as I could. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I imagine I’m not the only person who doesn’t really want to know that Andy Murray has returned 75% of Roger Federer’s lobs, and that, courtesy of Hawkeye, Nodyson Djokovic stood six inches further behind the baseline than he did in 2011.

A perfect example of what is wrong with much of modern sport coverage – and an insight into the possible future coverage post BBC (if it happens, of course) – was the appalling idea of the BBC 2 follow up show of “Wimbledon 2Day” hosted by the more than acceptable but becoming the ever so overexposed Clare Balding. The title is bad enough using numbers where letters should be, but whoever came up with the concept quite rightly described as “Top Gear with strawberries and cream” and in a set that was a cross between a

00:15 Weather 00:20 Children of the Gaza War 01:20 Panorama 01:50 An Hour to Save Your Life 02:50 The Met: Policing London 03:50 This Is BBC Two 05:00 The Genius of Invention 06:00 Schools - Little Stargazing 06:25 Spooky Science 06:55 Wonders of Nature: Meerkats - Friendship 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Call the Council 08:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:15 Gardeners' World 09:45 Nigel Slater: Eating Together 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 13:30 Wimbledon 2015 21:00 Wimbledon 2Day 22:00 Gardeners' World 22:30 Spitfire Women 23:30 Newsnight

00:10 Murder, She Wrote 01:05 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 Judge Rinder 16:00 Secret Dealers 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 Tonight 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Doc Martin 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Vicious

00:25 Big Fat Gypsy Weddings 01:25 Undercover Boss USA 02:15 From Russia with Cash 03:15 Running the Shop 04:10 Dispatches 04:40 Obsessive Compulsive Hoarder: The Big Clear Out 05:40 River Cottage Bites 05:55 Deal or No Deal 06:45 Draw It! 07:10 How I Met Your Mother 07:35 Will & Grace 08:20 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:15 Frasier 10:20 The Big Bang Theory 11:10 Come Dine with Me 12:50 Channel 4 News Summary 12:55 Come Dine with Me 13:55 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 15:00 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 A Place in the Sun 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 23:00 The Last Leg

Friday 10thJuly 00:35 This Week 01:20 Holiday Weatherview 01:25 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Neighbourhood Blues 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Call the Council 12:45

Helicopter

Heroes

Down Under 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 Wimbledon 2015 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Celebrity MasterChef 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Frank Skinner: Man in a Suit

stand at the Ideal Home Exhibition and a wedding in TOWIE, wants foot­faulting with a sharp boot from a great height.

At least people power won the day as thanks to a protest group set up by, of all people, the Radio

Times, the format returned for the start of the second week to something more sensible and traditional. The last time the people spoke in such large numbers about the attempted modernising of sport was back in the ‘80s when they dared to put trance music under the Saturday afternoon football results. One week that lasted!

This piece was being written at the height of the brilliant Wawrinka / Gasquet quarter final which saw the latter win 11­9 in the fifth set, and who will give Djokovic a run for his Serbian Dinar on Friday afternoon Can’t wait for Serena Williams against Maria Sharapova on Thursday...it’s going to be a scream! DJ

01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Divine Designs 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 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 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Cricket on 5 21:00 Conspiracy 22:00 Big Brother 23:30 Big Brother's Bit on the Side

The View

29

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

Saturday 11th July 00:35 Road Trip (2000)

00:10 Hard Target (1993) 01:50 Jackpot247 04:00 Britain's Best Bakery 04:50 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:25 Pat & Stan 07:35 Dino Dan 08:00 Canimals 08:15 Sooty 08:30 Super 4 08:45 Fish Hooks 09:00 Young Justice: Invasion 09:25 ITV News 09:30 Weekend 10:25 Murder, She Wrote 11:20 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:25 ITV News and Weather 13:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show 14:35 Surprise Surprise 15:30 1000 Heartbeats 16:30 All Star Family Fortunes 17:15 Tipping Point 18:15 Catchphrase 19:00 ITV News London 19:15 ITV News and Weather 19:30 You've Been Framed!

20:00 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) 22:45 Black Work 23:45 ITV News and Weather

00:05 Man Down

23:50 Not Going Out

00:00 Artsnight 00:30 Weather 00:35 Arthur Ashe: More Than a Champion 01:35 London River (2009) 03:00 Question Time 04:00 Protecting Our Foster Kids 05:00 This Is BBC Two 06:55 Homes Under the Hammer 07:55 Private's Progress 09:30 Wimbledon Classics 11:30 Baku European Games 12:00 Athletics 13:00 The Box 13:30 Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial 14:30 Talking Pictures 15:05 The Mummy (1959) 16:30 Flog It! 17:25 Edwardian Farm 18:25 Gardeners' World 18:55 Wimbledon 2015 21:00 Wimbledon 2Day 22:00 Mock the Week 22:30 The Battle of Britain

22:00 Ted (2012)

00:30 Big Brother 01:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:20 House Doctor 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:15 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:20 Angelina Ballerina 07:45 The Mr Men Show 07:55 Milkshake! Monkey 08:00 Chloe's Closet 08:15 Roobarb and Custard Too 08:20 Make Way for Noddy 08:30 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 11:40 Cowboy Builders 13:40 Away All Boats (1956) 15:55 To Hell and Back (1955) 18:00 5 News Weekend 18:10 Nightmare Tenants 19:05 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away 20:00 Cricket on 5 21:00 Transporter: The Series 21:55 Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 22:50 Big Brother 23:50 Wedding Disaster Specials

00:20 Would I Lie to You? 00:50 The 13th Warrior (1999) 02:25 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:30 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 Sunday Morning Live 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:15 BBC News 13:25 Weather for the Week Ahead 13:30 Bargain Hunt 14:00 Wimbledon 2015 14:50 Wimbledon 2015 19:00 David Attenborough Meets President Obama 19:35 BBC News 19:50 BBC London News; Weather 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Fake or Fortune?

22:00 The Outcast 23:30 BBC News 23:50 BBC London News; Weather

00:00 QI XL 00:45 Golf: Scottish Open 01:45 Dracula (1958) 03:05 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) 04:25 This Is BBC Two 07:30 Homes Under the Hammer 08:30 Countryfile 09:30 Gardeners' World 10:00 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 11:30 The Box 12:00 Wimbledon Classics 14:00 Escape to the Country 14:45 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 15:30 Prized Apart 16:30 Flog It! 17:20 Songs of Praise 18:00 Natural World 19:00 Wimbledon 2015 21:15 Dragons' Den 22:15 Odyssey 23:00 Family Guy 23:20 Family Guy 23:40 Wimbledon 2Day

00:00 State of Play (2009) 02:15 Jackpot247 04:00 Ejector Seat 04:50 ITV Nightscreen 07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:25 Pat & Stan 07:35 Dino Dan 08:00 Canimals 08:15 Sooty 08:30 Super 4 08:45 Fish Hooks 09:00 Young Justice: Invasion 09:25 ITV News 09:30 Weekend 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:30 ITV News and Weather 13:34 ITV London Weather 13:35 Love Your Garden 14:35 Long Lost Family 15:35 Overboard (1987) 17:45 Midsomer Murders 19:40 ITV News London 19:55 ITV News and Weather 20:15 Catchphrase 21:00 Surprise Surprise 22:00 Joanna Lumley's TransSiberian Adventure 23:00 ITV News and Weather 23:20 Bear Grylls: Mission Survive

00:05 Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) 02:00 The Last Leg 02:55 Hollyoaks 05:05 The Renovation Game 06:00 Secret Eaters 06:55 Draw It! 07:20 How I Met Your Mother 08:35 Ginetta GT5 Challenge 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast 14:35 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Simpsons 17:35 Location, Location, Location 18:35 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Grand Designs 21:00 Amazing Spaces Shed of the Year 22:00 Humans 23:00 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

00:50 Caught on Camera 04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Police Interceptors 05:50 Make It Big 06:45 Angels of Jarm 07:00 Peppa Pig 07:05 Bananas in Pyjamas 07:15 Milkshake! Bop Box 07:20 Angelina Ballerina 07:35 Pip Ahoy!

07:45 The Mr Men Show 08:00 Chloe's Closet 08:10 Roobarb and Custard 08:20 Make Way for Noddy 08:30 Paw Patrol 08:45 Little Princess 08:55 Wanda and the Alien 09:05 Toby's Travelling Circus 09:15 Zack and Quack 09:30 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:40 Jelly Jamm 09:50 Olly the Little White Van 10:00 LazyTown 10:25 Dora and Friends 10:55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:35 Police Interceptors 14:35 Every Which Way but Loose (1978) 16:45 Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) 18:35 Oliver & Company 19:55 5 News Weekend 20:00 Cricket on 5 21:00 Police Interceptors Unleashed 22:00 Big Brother 23:00 Harry Brown (2009)

02:05 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:10 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 The Box 13:00 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 Wimbledon 2015 18:55 Pointless Celebrities 19:45 BBC News 19:55 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

Sunday 12th July

00:40 Jimmy Carr: Being Funny 01:40 Mr Nice (2010) 03:45 Supernatural 04:35 The Hotel 05:30 The Renovation Game 06:20 Deal or No Deal 07:20 How I Met Your Mother 08:10 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:25 The Simpsons 13:55 Rude(ish) Tube 14:25 Channel 4 Racing 17:10 Come Dine with Me 19:40 Channel 4 News 20:00 Walking Through History 21:00 The Secret World of Lego

30

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

Monday 13th July 00:00 Live at the Apollo 00:45 Don't Tell the Bride 01:45 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:50 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Right on the Money: Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Call the Council 12:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 The Link 15:30 Escape to the Country 16:30 Channel Patrol 17:15 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 How Safe Is Your House?

21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:30 Mrs Brown's Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Have I Got Old News for You

00:40 Golf: Scottish Open 01:40 Countryfile 02:40 Holby City 03:40 This Is BBC Two 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Call the Council 08:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:15 Escape to the Continent 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 Athletics 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Golf: Scottish Open 16:00 Rowing World Cup 17:30 Glorious Gardens from Above 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Only Connect 22:00 Laurence LlewelynBowen: Cracking China 23:00 Hair 23:30 Newsnight

00:15 Piers Morgan's Life Stories 01:10 Jackpot247 04:00 Motorsport UK 04:50 British Superbike Championship Highlights 05:40 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 Judge Rinder 16:00 Secret Dealers 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 Vet School 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Rookies 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Plebs

00:00 Rude Tube 01:10 Red State (2011) 02:40 Secret History 03:35 Come Dine with Me 05:50 River Cottage Bites 06:05 Secret Eaters 07:00 How I Met Your Mother 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me Abroad 14:10 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 Superfoods: The Real Story 22:00 How to Get a Council House 23:00 Inside the Ku Klux Klan

00:50 Caught on Camera 02:15 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 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! Bop Box 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 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 The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Abducted: the Carlina White Story (2012) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 Stop! Roadworks Ahead 22:00 Big Brother 23:00 Under the Dome

00:05 Have I Got a Bit More News for You 00:50 Things We Lost in the Fire (2007) 02:40 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:45 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Right on the Money: Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Call the Council 12:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 The Link 15:30 Escape to the Country 16:30 Channel Patrol 17:15 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 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Imagine

00:20 The Women's Football Show 00:50 Odyssey 01:30 Watchdog 02:30 The Bank: A Matter of Life and Debt 03:30 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Schools - Play by Play 05:30 Schools - Body Matters 06:00 Spark 06:25 Lost Lands 06:55 Schools - Wonders of Nature: Polar Bear - Mother and Baby 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Call the Council 08:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:15 The £100K House: The Final Fix 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 The Super League Show 14:45 The A to Z of TV Gardening 14:50 Cash in the Attic 15:35 The Go-Between (1971) 17:30 Glorious Gardens from Above 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Two Tribes 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Antiques Road Trip 21:00 The House That £100K Built 22:00 Great Ormond Street 23:00 Hair 23:30 Newsnight

00:10 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 01:05 Jackpot247 04:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 04:55 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 Secret Dealers 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 Love Your Garden 22:00 Virgin Atlantic: Up in the Air 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Benidorm

00:00 Tattoo Fixers 01:05 Married at First Sight 02:00 24 Hours in A&E 02:55 Child Genius 03:50 One Born Every Minute USA 04:45 Mary's Bottom Line 05:40 Secret Eaters 06:30 Draw It! 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:30 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me Abroad 14:10 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners 22:00 Child Genius 23:00 Not Safe For Work 23:50 Career Criminals

01:15 Police Interceptors 02:10 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Divine Designs 05:45 House Doctor 07:00 The WotWots 07:20 Lily's Driftwood Bay 07:30 Fireman Sam 07:40 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 07:50 Peppa Pig 08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:30 Milkshake!

08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Bop Box 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 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 Nightmare Tenants, 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Killer Instinct (2003) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies 22:00 Benefits by the Sea: Jaywick 23:00 Big Brother

Tuesday 14th July

The View

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

Wednesday 15th July 00:45 The Greatest (2009) 02:20 Weather for the Week Ahead 02:25 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Right on the Money: Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Call the Council 12:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 The Link 15:30 Escape to the Country 16:30 Channel Patrol 17:15 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 Don't Tell the Bride 22:00 The Interceptor 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 A Question of Sport

00:15 Weather 00:20 Dragons' Den 01:20 Don't Tell the Bride 02:20 Napoleon 03:20 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Teenage Tommies 05:30 Schools - The Women of World War One 06:00 Who Are We? 06:20 Schools - Ancient Voices 07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Call the Council 08:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 09:15 Claimed and Shamed 09:45 Antiques Roadshow Detectives 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 The A to Z of TV Gardening 14:10 Animal Park 15:10 Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939) 17:00 Golf: The Open Championship 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 An Evening with Peter Alliss 21:00 Trust Me, I'm a Doctor 22:00 Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:40 Murder, She Wrote 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Loose Women 04:45 ITV Nightscreen 06:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 11:55 ITV News 12:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Secret Dealers 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 21:00 100-Year-Old Drivers Ride Again 22:00 Secret Life of Twins 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Girls with Autism

00:50 Rude Tube 01:45 KOTV Boxing Weekly 02:10 Gillette World Sport 02:40 Ginetta GT5 Challenge 03:05 How Britain Worked 04:00 The Renovation Game 04:55 Secret Eaters 05:45 Fifteen to One 06:35 Draw It! 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me Abroad 14:10 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Autistic Gardener 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 Dispatches

01:00 My Million Pound Council House 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Divine Designs 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 08:10 Little Princess 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Milkshake! Show Songs 08:50 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Monkey 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 Can't Pay? We'll Take It Away 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 The Wrong Woman 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 Sick Note Skivers Exposed 22:00 Nightmare Tenants 23:00 Big Brother

00:05 The Trouble with Mobility Scooters 01:00 Weather for the Week Ahead 01:05 BBC News 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Right on the Money: Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Call the Council 12:45 Helicopter Heroes Down Under 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:45 The Link 15:30 Escape to the Country 16:30 Channel Patrol 17:15 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 DIY SOS 22:00 Celebrity MasterChef 23:00 BBC News 23:25 BBC London News; Weather 23:35 Motorway Cops

00:15 Weather

00:45 Festival of Speed 01:35 Jackpot247 04:00 Ejector Seat 04:50 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 Secret Dealers 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 Coronation Street 22:00 Superhospital 23:00 ITV News at Ten and Weather 23:30 ITV News London 23:40 Sports Life Stories

00:00 How to Get a Council House 01:00 Four to the Floor 01:30 Undercover Boss USA 02:20 Amour (2012) 04:30 The Moonraker (1957) 06:00 Kirstie's Vintage Gems 06:10 Fifteen to One 07:00 Countdown 07:45 Will & Grace 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 11:00 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Come Dine with Me Abroad 14:10 Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Fifteen to One 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Grand Designs 22:00 Married at First Sight 23:00 Sarah Millican: Thoroughly Modern Millican Live

01:00 Benefits by the Sea: Jaywick 02:00 SuperCasino 04:10 Big Brother 05:00 Wildlife SOS 05:25 Divine Designs 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 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 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Police Interceptors 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Secrets of Eden (2012) 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Cricket on 5 21:00 The Holiday Airport 22:00 Big Brother 23:45 Big Brother's Bit on the Side

Thursday 16th July 00:20 Great Ormond Street

01:20 The Truth About Your Teeth 02:20 Arthur Ashe: More Than a Champion 03:20 This Is BBC Two 05:00 Armada - 12 Days to Save England 05:30 Schools - Children at Work: Circus 06:00 Schools - In My Shoes: Germany and the Netherlands 07:15 Homes Under the Hammer 08:15 Call the Council 09:00 Natural World 10:00 Golf: The Open Championship 21:00 Natural World 22:00 Coast 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight

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fashion forward

THINK PINK

Love it or Hate it....no other hue elicits such strong emotions among women – and by autumn, the shops will be full of it. Is PINK your curse, your joy, your fiddly diddly obsession over which you toil day and night in pursuit of your exact shade. Personally I love pink - it’s cheery, fun and feminine. Prices from 28 Euros to 310 Euros.

The View

ACCESSORIES This week I’m showing......big knickers Big pants are great. They are comfy and toasty and also remind you to pull your stomach in which, although initially annoying, in the end you feel better about yourself.

Granny panties are super trendy right now and Market Researchers have been predicting the “end” of the thong since the mid­noughts, although the majority of ladies still prefer the BIKINI BRIEF.

BHS – KYOTO BLUES FLORAL SATIN LINGERIE – 18€ BHS ESPANA – Pink Drop Hem Dress – 28€ www.bhs.co.uk

DOROTHY PERKINS­ Pink Leather Culottes – 45€ – www.dorothyperkins.com

HOUSE OF FRASER – Dickens & Jones Boucle Coat – 199€ www.houseoffraser.co.uk

BHS – KYOTO BLUES SATIN LINGERIE SET – 17€

MISS SELFRIDGE – Pink Super Soft Shorts – 28€

MISS SELFRIDGE ESPANA – Pink Suede Pinafore Dress ­ 60€ www.missselfrige.com

MISS SELFRIDGESPANA ­DOUBLE BREASTED FIT & FLARE COAT – 55€ ­www.missselfridge.com

BHS – LEOPARD SLIMMING PANTS – 16€ www.bhs.espana

DUNE – COURTNEY Pink Leather Strappy shoe – 115€ www.dunelondon.com

VEILED GREY FLORAL LINGERIE SET 23€ www.bhs.espana

Debenhams – RED HERRING – Pink Pom­Pom Block Heel shoe – 35€ www.debenhams.com

DOROTHY PERKINS – Pink Bag – 20€ www.dorothyperkins.com

HOUSE OF FRASER ESPANA – Michael Kors Pink Stripe Tote Bag – 310€ www.houseoffraser.com

The View

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

SHED HEAVEN

Gardening – GAME OF GNOMES No garden is complete without a guardian gnome to keep an eye on things.

The brightly coloured lawn ornaments are always a joy to come home to...

GAME OF GNOMES ­ £19.95 – 27€ www.red5.co.uk

T

his summer a girly getaway at the bottom of the garden is top of every gardenista’s wish list.......I want one now!

THE CHILL-OUT ZONE

Painting a shed a muted colour allows the garden plants to become the centre of attention.

Garden Affairs (www.gardenaffairs.co.uk) sells similar made­to­measure garden houses, with beautiful detailing such as lead flashing around the windows; expect to pay from £5,000 (3,700 Euros) for something similar.

NINJA GNOME – FOR HIM. SOLAR PANEL ­ £19.50 – 27€ www.thegreatgiftcompany.com

THE HOMESPUN HAVEN.

An antique iron bed provides the perfect spot for a postprandial nap. The cushions are made from scraps of vintage floral fabric. Vintage Flower Paintings (vintagefloralpainting.com) specialises in vintage floral artwork. Second­hand furniture vintage pieces will all love life at the bottom of your garden.

GNOME LIGHT – FOR HER ­ Pink, blue and green. £7 – 9€ www.50fifty­ gifts.com

THE HEATING FACTOR

Sheds lose heat from all sides – the roof, walls and floor will need to be insulated if you want to stay cosy.

The easiest way is to line the shed interior with rigid insulation. Heat will also be lost through sections of glass, so opt for double­glazing if your budget allows.

GOLD GNOME – HOME­ SENSE ­ £15.00 – 21€ www.homesense.com

AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE GNOMES YOU COULD ALWAYS SETTLE FOR THIS CUTE BIRDHOUSE...

SHED INTERIOR

Panelled walls and peg hooks help to break up the expanse of white walls here and give the space architectural interest. The Wall Panelling Company (thewallpanellingcompany.co.uk) Sells made­to­order panelling designed to fit the space you have for a similar limed parquet floor laid in herringbone pattern, try Fired Earth’s Seashell. www.firedearth.com

BEACH HUTS BIRDHOUSE ­ £15 – 20 Euros www.homebase.co.uk

SHED DECOR

This is an edited extract from SHED DECOR: HOW TO DECORATE & FURNISH YOUR FAVOURITE GARDEN ROOM by Sally Coulthard. Price £25 – 19 Euros

Carolines view on.....

N

atural Science A little bit flowery hippie, a little bit cleverly chemical, this overnight oil gets results.

I have a general dislike of overly chemical preparations – thinking “what is this stuff actually doing in the long term” ­ on the other hand I also have a suspicion of overly natural products – will they actually work?

However a good friend suggested I try SARAH CHAPMAN OVERNIGHT FACIAL OIL. Another facial oil? Okay, it smells nice and probably won’t do too much. Well. My skin

improved overnight, the dry bits were smooth, the oily bits seemed less oily (I have combination skin) and there was a definite improvement in texture.

What magic was this?

SKINESIS OVERNIGHT FACIAL – a blend of jasmine, rose, frangipani and tuberose essential oils plus RENOVAGE and anti­ageing ingredient, dermaxyl peptide and VCIP vitamin C. This is by far the BEST facial products I’ve come across in months...£46.00 – 62 Euros. www.sarahchapman.net

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

Rescue me kedgeree

It’s breakfast, lunch or dinner – and the best hangover cure in the world

Ingredients • 250 g basmati rice fresh coriander, lea­ • 4 large free­range

ves picked, stalks

eggs

finely chopped

• 2 lemons

• 1 red chilli, desee­

• 2 fresh bay leaves ded and finely sli­ • 500 g undyed

ced

smoked haddock fi­

• 1 heaped tables­

llets, skin off, bones poon Madras curry removed

paste

• olive oil

• Optional:

• 1 knob of butter

• lemon wedges

• 1 onion, finely

• natural yoghurt

chopped

• chilli, sliced

• 1 small bunch of

Bring 2 large pans of salted water to the boil. Wash the rice till the water runs clear and all the starch has been washed away. Add the rice to one pan and cook for 2 minutes less than the cooking instructions.

Add the eggs and bay leaves to the other pan and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Add the squeezed lemon half to the pan and leave to simmer for 7–8 minutes, adding the haddock halfway through.

Meanwhile, get a large pan on a medium heat and add a drizzle of oil and the butter. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes, then add the coriander stalks and chilli and leave them to sweat. The slower you cook them, the sweeter they'll

be.

When the rice is cooked, drain it, and put aside. After 3–4 minutes your haddock should be flaking apart; carefully pour most of the water away.

Transfer the eggs to a colander and rinse them under the cold tap until they're cool enough to peel. Discard the bay leaves and lemon half.

Add the curry paste to the pan of onions and stir it through, fry for 5 more minutes then take the pan off the heat. Tip in your rice and stir it through – don't totally mix, it's nice to have a bit of a marbled effect.

Roughly chop your peeled eggs into the pan, then flake

Banana bread Ingredients

• • • • • • • • • •

olive oil 250 g self­raising flour, plus extra for dusting 3 ripe bananas 2 tablespoons fresh apple juice 125 g unsalted butter 2 large free­range eggs ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons runny honey Optional: 50 g pecans

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.

2. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 1­litre loaf tin with olive oil.

3. Dust the sides of the tin lightly with flour, then tap to get rid of any excess.

over the haddock. Roughly chop most of the coriander leaves and add most of them to the pan with the juice from the remaining lemon. Gently fold it all together.

Pop the pan on a low heat for 5 minutes to get nice and hot, then have a taste and adjust the seasoning. You shouldn't need too much as the smoked fish gives it lots of flavour.

Get a fork and fold it over a few times to keep it nice and light. When you hear a great sizzling, take it off the heat, scatter over the reserved coriander, pop in some lemon wedges and serve with yoghurt and sliced chilli, if desired.

A pint of Guinness with a swig of port in it is fantastic with this – it might sound weird but it tastes great.

4. Peel and add the bananas to a mixing bowl.

5. Using a fork, mash the bananas so you've got a mixture of smooth and chunky, then put aside.

6. Add the apple juice and stir to combine.

7. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with a wooden spoon until creamy.

8. Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before adding the next.

9. Fold in the flour, cinnamon, honey and banana mixture, taking care not to over mix.

10. Roughly chop the pecans on a chopping board, if using, then fold through the mixture.

11. Spoon into the loaf tin, then bake in the hot oven for around 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

12. To check if it's done, stick a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle of the loaf, remove it after 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the loaf's cooked; if it's slightly sticky it needs a bit longer.

13. Allow the loaf to cool slightly, then carefully turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

14. Transfer to a nice plate, cut into slices, then serve.

35 McDonald’s Surprising Start, 75 Years Ago The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

A

s the Great Depression strangled the mill towns of their native New Hampshire, a pair of young brothers headed west with dreams of making it big as Hollywood producers. The only work that Richard and Maurice McDonald could ever land in the film industry, however, was pushing around movie sets, and the small cinema they opened in suburban Los Angeles fizzled.

Thirty­seven­year­old Maurice and 31­ year­old Richard had to wonder if their hopes of becoming millionaires by the time they turned 50 were just delusions as they opened a tiny drive­in restaurant in San Bernardino, California, on May 15, 1940.

Little did they know that their new restaurant would be the meal ticket to fulfilling their American dreams.

The original McDonald’s at the corner of 14th and E Streets, just a few blocks from historic Route 66, bore little resemblance to today’s ubiquitous “golden arches,” beginning with the menu. Hard as it may be to believe, the future fast­food giant started out by serving up barbecue slow­cooked for hours in a pit stocked with hickory chips imported from Arkansas. The feature item at McDonald’s Famous Bar­B­Q was a barbecued beef, ham or pork sandwich with French fries for 35 cents. The eclectic 25­item menu included everything from tamales and chili to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to ham and baked beans. The 25­cent “aristocratic hamburger” sounded like an offering better suited for Burger King.

The octagon­shaped drive­in barbecue joint lacked inside seating and sported a few stools at its exterior counters, but female carhops in majorette boots and short skirts served most customers who pulled into its parking lot. As the brothers’ business caught on, sales topped $200,000 a year, and as many as 125 cars filled its parking lot on weekend.

After World War II, drive­in competition in San Bernardino grew, and the McDonalds discovered something surprising about their barbecue restaurant—80 percent of their sales came from hamburgers. “The more we hammered away at the

Richard "Dick" and Maurice "Mac" McDonald

barbecue business, the more hamburgers we sold,” said Richard McDonald, according to John F. Love’s book “McDonald’s: Behind the Arches.”

The brothers closed their doors for three months and overhauled their business as a self­service restaurant where customers placed their orders at the windows. They fired their 20 carhops and ditched their silverware and plates for paper wrappings and cups so that they no longer needed a dishwasher. According to Love, they simplified their menu to just nine items—hamburgers, cheeseburgers, three soft drink flavours in one 12­ounce size, milk, coffee, potato chips and pie.

“Our whole concept was based on speed, lower prices and volume,” Richard McDonald said. Taking a cue from Henry Ford’s assembly line production of automobiles, the McDonald brothers developed the “Speedee Service System” and mechanized the kitchen of their roadside burger shack.

Each of its 12­person crew specialized in specific tasks, and much of the food was preassembled. This allowed McDonald’s to prepare its food quickly and even ahead of the time when an order was placed. All hamburgers were served with ketchup, mustard, onions and two pickles, and any customers who wanted food prepared their way would have to wait. “You make a point of offering a choice and you’re dead,” Richard McDonald told the Chicago Tribune in 1985, “the speed’s gone.”

According to Love, the first customer at the newly reopened McDonald’s was a 9­ year­old girl ordering a bag of hamburgers.

The retooled restaurant struggled at first,

though, and fired carhops heckled the brothers. Once McDonald’s replaced potato chips with French fries and introduced triple­ thick milkshakes, however, the business began to take off with families and businessmen drawn by the cheap, 15­cent hamburgers and low­cost menu.

With labour costs slashed and revenue growing to $350,000 a year by the early 1950s, the McDonald brothers saw their profits double. They had already established a handful of franchises in California and Arizona by the time a milkshake mixer salesman named Ray Kroc visited San Bernardino in 1954. Kroc couldn’t understand why the McDonalds could possibly need eight of his Multi­Mixers, capable of making 48 milkshakes at once, for just one location until he set eyes on the operation.

Seeing the potential in the business, the salesman quickly became the buyer. Kroc bought the rights to franchise the brothers’ restaurants across the country, and in 1955 he opened his first McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois.

The relationship between Kroc and the McDonald brothers grew very contentious as the aggressive salesman and the conservative Yankees had different philosophies about how to run their business. Kroc chafed at the requirement that he receive a registered letter from the McDonalds to make any changes to the retail concept—something the brothers were reluctant to do. “It was almost as though they were hoping I would fail,” Kroc wrote in his 1977 autobiography, “Grinding It Out.” In 1961, Kroc purchased the company from the McDonald brothers for $2.7 million. While the name of the chain may have been McDonald’s, the face of the restaurants quickly became Kroc’s. Plaques with his likeness were mounted on the walls of many franchises with a description of how “his vision, persistence and leadership have guided McDonald’s from one location in Des Plaines, Illinois to the world’s community restaurant.”

The brothers who lent their name to the business and pioneered the fast­food concept faded to the background.

After selling the business, the founders kept their original San Bernardino restaurant, to the annoyance of Kroc, which they renamed “Big M,” with the golden arches on the marquee sharpened to form a giant letter “M.” To gain his revenge, Kroc opened a McDonald’s around the block that eventually drove the brothers out of business.

The original McDonald’s was torn down in the 1970s and replaced by a nondescript building that housed the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera before becoming the headquarters of another fast­food chain, Juan Pollo Chicken, which operates a small unofficial museum with McDonald’s artefacts inside. The McDonald brothers may finally get their Hollywood moment next year in the feature film “The Founder,” although Kroc, played by Michael Keaton, is slated to be the lead character in the story of the global growth of McDonald’s.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

NATIONAL PENSIONERS’ PARLIAMENT

H

undreds of campaigners from across the UK gathered in Blackpool during the middle of June for the annual NPC Pensioners’ Parliament.

The opening rally featured Paul Nowak from the TUC and Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett alongside Dr Brenda Boardman talking about fuel poverty, Dave Honeybone, a striker from the recent Care UK dispute and Carla Cantone from the Italian pensioners in CGIL. The theme, as with other years, was the need to unite the generations in the struggle for better state pensions, proper health care and an end to austerity.

Addressing the rally, NPC general secretary Dot Gibson said: “The current pension, health and social care and housing policies mean it is going to be even worse for this new era of pensioners than it has been for us.” We have to do everything we can to encourage them to join the fight today and for the future of their children.”

Throughout the three days, delegates also took part in sessions on pensions, social care, NHS privatisation, financial affairs, accessibility to public transport,

dementia and digital exclusion. The Parliament finished with a look at what the next five years could hold for society, with contributions from Prof Tina Beatty from Sheffield Hallam University and CWU general secretary, Dave Ward. The new pensions minister Ros Altmann was also invited to speak at the event, but was unable to do so.

PARKY BEATS PROSTATE CANCER

Do you plan to be in the UK during July? The 2015 50+ Show will take place at London Olympia for the 9th consecutive year on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 July 2015, in the famous National Hall.

In 2015, The 50+ Show in London will see a complete ‘make­over,’ to focus on four key topics that the areas that regular visitors are passionate about: Hobbies, Health, Crafts and Travel.

You can register online in advance for free entry but would need to enter a UK address, at http://www.onlineregistration.co.uk/shows/50plu sshow/london15/regfifty.php

Cashing in helps tax cuts

U

P

opular chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson has confirmed that after two years of treatment for prostate cancer, he’s been given the all­clear by doctors.

The 80­year­old broadcaster revealed he was receiving radiotherapy for the condition in 2013. Two years down the line, he said he still needed to have regular tests and have the "occasional" blood transfusion.

The transfusions, he told the BBC, are "to deal with a problem with anaemia which I have always had and which was exacerbated by the radiotherapy. Hopefully the gap between transfusions will get longer and maybe finally disappear altogether," he went on. "Otherwise I am feeling well and still have the odd gentle workout."

SYMPTOMS OF PROSTATE CANCER

As men get older their prostate gland often enlarges. This is usually not due to cancer. It is a condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH does not usually develop into cancer but an enlarged prostate may sometimes contain areas of cancer cells.

Very early prostate cancer generally does not cause any symptoms at all. Many prostate cancers start in the outer part of the prostate gland, away from the urethra. If a tumour is not large enough to put much pressure on the tube that carries urine out of the body (the urethra), you may not notice any effects from it.

The symptoms of growths in the prostate are similar whether they are non cancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). The symptoms include • Having to rush to the toilet to pass urine • Passing urine more often than usual, especially at night

• Difficulty passing urine, including straining to pass it or stopping and starting • A sense of not being able to completely empty the bladder Very rarely you may get • Pain when passing urine • Blood in the urine or semen Remember that if you have any symptoms you should be checked by your doctor. But most enlargements of the prostate are benign. That means they are not cancer and can be easily treated.

GPs in the UK have guidelines that tell them the symptoms to look out for, and when they should send you to a specialist for tests. The guidelines say that men who have symptoms that could be due to prostate cancer should be offered • A blood test to check the level of a protein called PSA • A rectal examination If your PSA level is slightly raised (a borderline result), the guidelines say you should have another PSA test in 1 to 3 months time. The second test checks if the PSA is going up or is staying the same.

The earlier a cancer is picked up, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely the treatment is to be successful. So it is important that you go to your GP as soon as possible if you notice worrying symptoms.

Editor’s Note: I was diagnosed with an inflamed prostate at the age of 39, so it can affect men of all ages. My only symptom was not being able to prevent toilet visits. You know something is wrong when you go 10 times in an hour! Don’t be put off visiting your doctor and certainly not any future “examination”. It could save your life. In my case, it was a blood test, a scan and a course of medication, and told to watch for any symptoms in future.

K Treasury figures have revealed that since April this year, 60,000 savers have cashed in their pension pots to the value of £1bn. But more than half of those taking advantage of the new pension freedoms that allow the over 55s to access their defined contribution pension schemes, are still at work.

Three quarters of the amount withdrawn is taxable, and this is expected to net the Treasury around £1.2bn this year. A number of financial commentators have now suggested that this money could be used to offer those earning over £150,000 a year a 5% cut in their tax rate to 40%. At the same time, the Chancellor is expected to use his emergency Budget on 8 July to deliver £12bn worth of cuts to

annual welfare spending. Given that Mr Osborne has already ruled out increases to income tax, national insurance or VAT fears are growing that cuts will affect the most vulnerable in society, including the disabled.

Any measures affecting pensioners announced in the Budget on Wednesday will be listed here in THE VIEW next week.

Is your Bond still good?

P

remium Bonds are among the most popular savings product in Britain with more than 21 million people putting money into them.

Rather than gaining interest the bonds are entered into a monthly draw with the chance of winning a prize ranging from £25 to £1 million.

The bonds are administered by the National Savings and Investments Department who recently increased the maximum holding to £50,000. There are now two monthly £1m jackpots and with interest rates so low they offer savers the chance of receiving no return on the Premium Bonds but the opportunity to win a big prize.

The Bonds were launched by Harold Macmillan in 1946 when he was Chancellor and came in units of £1 but now they can only be bought in blocks of £100 or £50 if you buy them by monthly standing order.

You need to be over 16 to purchase them, but they can be bought as gifts for your children, grandchildren, or even great grandchildren. It is not possible to buy them for other relatives such as nieces or nephews, or friends.

Premium Bonds are not recommended for someone needing a regular income and the odds of winning with each £1 bond is 26,000 to 1. Someone with average luck will have an equivalent return of 1.35% a year says the NS&I, but it is possible to go many years without seeing any return.

The odds of winning £1 million with £1 of bonds is 1 in 26.9bn but if you have a £40,000 holding then they increase to 1 on 673,000 Unlike most investments and cash saving accounts except for an ISA, the winnings are tax­free. This could make the return competitive in the current saving market but there are no guarantees, some will earn well and some not at all.

Premium Bonds work best for higher rate tax payers looking for a safe place to hold cash and hoping they will win a higher tax­ free return. They can be used as a temporary home for cash and the additional £10,000 subscription increases the prospect of winning a prize.

It is important to remember that these bonds are a lottery and not an investment.

To check if you have any unclaimed prizes visit: www.nsandi.com/do­i­have­any­ unclaimed­prizes

The View

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

RECOGNISE THESE? To keep you teased on these hot summer days, THE VIEW gives you 12 people for you to identify. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know them all, just send in your answers to editor@theview.es or post to APARTADO DE CORREOS 255, 03193 San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante. The first person drawn out with the most correct answers will win a €50 VOUCHER for the restaurant of your choice in THE VIEW distribution area.

Closing date and time is FRIDAY 17th JULY 2015 at 1800.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

THE BIG CROSS WORD

from lemons, butter, eggs, and sugar, is also known as lemon cheese? (5,4) 23 What title is given to a council convened to discuss ecclesiastical business? (5) 24 From the Greek for ‘vine branch’,

MOVIES/TV QUIZ 1. Cheers exterior shots featured a real bar, what was it's name?

2. Who played Billy the Kid in film 'The Left Handed Gun'?

3. Who is Warner Brothers' oldest cartoon character?

4. James H. Pierce was the last silent film actor to play which role?

5. John Huston scored a hit with his first film, what was it called?

6. In which film did Charlie Chaplain have his first speaking part in 1940?

7. On the show M*A*S*H where is Radar's home town?

which climbing plant of the buttercup family bears white, pink, or purple flowers and feathery seeds? (8)

Down

1 What is former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham’s nickname? (5) 2 What name was often given to the rulers of Muslim countries, especially of the former Ottoman

8. Margie Belcher provided the body movements for which character?

9. 'Eight Arms To Hold You' was the working title for which movie?

10. Mary Cathering Collins became famous as which Hollywood star?

11. Mr. Cat Poop was the Chinese translation of which Jack Nicholson film?

12. What job would a Foley Artist do?

13. Who played Commodious in the Oscar winning movie Gladiator?

14. On television what was Flipper?

15. What was the first feature length British cartoon?

Answers:

1 Which nine­aside game is played by the Cleveland Indians and the San Francisco Giants? (8) 7 Derived from the Greek for ‘bottomless’, what name is often given to a deep or seemingly measureless chasm? (5) 8/21 Meaning ‘one out of many’, what is the national motto of the USA? (1,8,4) 9 Which word can follow beer, bath, mouse, place and table? (3) 10 What is the standard monetary unit of the People’s Republic of China? (4) 11 What name is given to an open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers? (6) 13 German athletes Jürgen Schult and Gabriele Reinsch are the current world record holders in which athletics event? (6) 14 Which grass with wide flat leaves is cultivated in Europe and America for permanent pasture and hay and for lawns? (6) 17 Which two­piece swimsuit for women is named after an atoll in the western Pacific where an atom bomb was exploded in 1946? (6) 18 Which loose flowing outer garment was worn by the citizens of ancient Rome? (4) 20 Which dark, thick flammable liquid, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, resins, alcohols, and other compounds, is distilled from wood or coal? (3) 22 Which thick conserve, made

Empire? (7) 3 Lazlo who invented the ball­point pen? (4) 4 Which political party won the 1997, 2001 and 2005 British general elections? (6) 5 What general name is given to a member of certain peoples of very short stature in equatorial Africa and parts of SE Asia? (5) 6 In chemistry, what name is given to one of two or more atoms with the same atomic number but with different numbers of neutrons? (7) 7 The trials of the supporters of the Duke of Monmouth after their defeat at the Battle of Sedgemoor, held in SW England in 1685 were known as the Bloody what? (7) 12 Often regarded as an object of derision, what name is given to the husband of an adulteress? (7) 13 What title is given to a person who is qualified to treat the diseases and conditions that affect the teeth and gums? (7) 15 In which lawn game are wooden balls driven through a series of square­topped hoops by means of mallets? (7) 16 Which opaque or semi­ transparent glassy substance is applied to metallic or other hard surfaces for ornament or as a protective coating? (6) 17 What name is given to water saturated or strongly impregnated with salt? (5) 19 Which major mountain system runs the length of the Pacific coast of South America? (5) 21 See 8 Across

1. Bull & Finch 2. Paul Newman 3. Porky Pig 4. Tarzan 5. Maltese falcon 6. The Great Dictator, Adenoid Hinkel 7. Ottumwa ­ Iowa 8. Disney's Snow White 9.

Beatles Help 10. Bo Derek 11. As Good as it Gets 12. Incidental movie sound effects 13. Joaquin Phoenix 14. Dolphin 15. Animal Farm in 1954

Across

The View

39

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

SUDOKU

FILL-IT-IN

Complete the crossword grid by using the given words:

2 letter words Or Us 3 letter words Ale Are Art Ate Awe Axe Ban Coo Cot Dam Den End Ice Owe Pen

Pie Sap Six Son Sot Ten Tie Toe Tot Use 4 letter words Aide Alms Anon Ante Aria Bare Boat Caps

Clad Diva Eddy Edgy Emit Gain Gate Iced Land Lean Long Mode Neon Omit Once Peen Plod Revs Rods

Cryptic

Across 1 Gets Sid to sort out compendiums (7) 5 Arab leader heard frothy milk drink (5) 8 Not a journalist is famous (5) 9 Does pie tossing occur in this instalment? (7) 10 Extends new cat’s lease (9) 12 Card expert (3) 13 Point to the lock showing strain (6) 14 Left with the horrible cries of the fossils (6) 17 Sister gets nothing, we hear (3) 18 Green light for Clarence, a revolutionary (9) 20 An unstable ‘tec in age­old time (7) 21 Conclude a mountain fern is actually inside (5) 23 The fragrance is on its way, we are told (5) 24 Internet search aids

Sane Sent Viva 5 letter words Baste Saint Siren 6 letter words Staple Status 7 letter words Miracle Persist Statute Tensile 8 letter words Ancestor Scenario

for motors (7) Down 1 See 22 2 Obtain contract? (3) 3 Doctor Les adds burdens (7) 4 Good men digest small Scottish candies (6) 5 Mistakes made on the cricket field (5) 6 Scramble a Tornado I worship (9) 7 The peeled potato lacked sight (7) 11 Old hag left in charge in history (9) 13 Some slippers and also shoes (7) 15 The bauble is in the first year ringmaster’s possession (7) 16 Intelligent leader embraces a tender nature (6) 18 Credit record time moved slowly (5) 19 Laser treatment results in peers (5) 22/1 Exotic cabaret at a supporters’ ball (3,5)

Standard

Across 1 Absorbs (7) 5 Agitate (5) 8 Well­known (5) 9 Incident (7) 10 Intensifies (9) 12 Champion (3) 13 Emphasis (6) 14 Mementos (6) 17 Religious woman (3) 18 Taking away (9) 20 Antiquated (7) 21 Deduce (5) 23 Fragrance (5) 24 Motors (7)

The Big Crossword Answers

Down 1 See 22 2 Obtain (3) 3 Burdens (7) 4 Candies (6) 5 Slides (5) 6 Love (9) 7 Unseeing (7) 11 Account (9) 13 Summer shoes (7) 15 Jewellery (7) 16 Kind (6) 18 Crawled (5) 19 Peers (5) 22/1 Exotic cabaret performance (3,5)

Last weeks Crossword Solution

Sudoku Solution

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

CAPTION COMPETITION THE VIEW has reproduced an image found from the set of Carry On Cabby featuring Sid James and a young Prince Charles. 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 was of the Glastonbury Festival. The entry that made us laugh the most came in from Lynn Cavendish.

“There have been several complaints about the excessive overflow from the Portaloos at Glastonbury this year.”

The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

41

Is this the car that will save diesel?

D

riving a diesel is about to get a lot more exciting – and kinder to the environment – thanks to Bosch. The tech giant has created a highly efficient mild hybrid engine that aims to improve the reputation of diesels – currently under attack from new legislation – and Auto Express has had an exclusive first drive.

While the car has all the hallmarks of a Golf GTD, Bosch’s prototype is no normal Volkswagen. Instead of a 2.0­litre turbodiesel engine packing 181bhp and 380Nm of torque, under the bonnet lies a brand new diesel engine.

The 1.7 litre four­cylinder turbo has 148bhp and 340Nm – but it’s far more technical than that. It’s fitted with Bosch’s Boost Recuperation System (BRS).

The company says the set­up aims to close the large gap between conventional stop/start and hybrid drivetrains, improving CO2 emissions by 15 per cent. It combines brake energy recuperation and torque boost with stop/start and coasting functions. Bosch has also fitted a 48­volt generator (rather than a standard 12­ volt set­up) and a drive­by­wire clutch called eClutch.

Once on the move, apply the brakes and the engine shuts down to coast along. The real development, however, is that

the car recoups the braking energy and sends it through the 48­volt generator to the 0.25kWh lithium­ion battery. Put your foot down, and the recouped energy is sent to the BRS – which then effectively becomes an electric motor – giving a surge in torque.

Unlike most other stop/start systems, the engine kicks back into life with no vibrations or noise. The eClutch is also a big step forward, as it prevents the possibility of stalling in busy nose­to­tail city driving.

Stop and then pull away in first or second gear, and you don’t have to use the clutch – it glides away just like an automatic.

There’s no word on the incremental cost, but the BRS mild hybrid diesel will be incorporated by mainstream manufacturers within the next two years and is a logical way for mega cities like London to achieve stringent nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions levels. “We are sure this system will be the solution to making the diesel far cleaner and liked again by people who are afraid these engines are bad for cities,” said Dr Michael Krueger, senior vice president diesel systems.

By 2017/18, London is targeting a cut in harmful NOx emissions by 40 per cent from 2005’s levels – and it’s believed this type of diesel engine will help achieve that. But the view at Bosch is that London and other mega cities will need a scrappage scheme to get old diesels off the roads. Bosch’s prototype Golf could be the type of diesel hatchback you’ll be incentivised to buy in the next few years.

2016 FIAT 500 FACELIFT UNVEILED

T

his is the ‘new’ Fiat 500; but it’s not the all­new model you may have been hoping for. The retro city car gets a raft of styling, cabin and powertrain revisions for 2016, and goes on sale in September 2015 priced from £10,890.

The reveal of the facelift comes at a significant time, as July 4 2015 was eight years to the day after the reborn 500 was first revealed, and exactly 58 years after the original Fiat ‘Cinquecento’ was first shown to the public.

This later­life refresh aims to breathe new life into the eight­year old 500 before it’s superseded by an all­new car on a new platform, although that’s unlikely to be for another couple of years. Fiat has pulled out all the stops for the facelift, claiming that no less than 1,800 changes have been made to help it compete with the likes of latest MINI hatch and the DS 3.

Fiat 500 facelift: design changes

Fiat hasn’t messed with the resolutely retro formula too much, as exterior styling revisions are minimal. The main headlamps are redesigned with Xenon units an option, while the halogen daytime running lights are replaced with smarter LED items. A new dual­bar top grille also combines with a tweaked bumper and air intake. At the back there are new LED lamps with a ring design, while the chrome bumper trim has been moved lower.

Fiat has also extended the 500’s famously bold customisation options with a new bodywork wrapping option. Dubbed ‘Second Skin’, it allows buyers to cover their 500 in some especially vibrant patterns, including everything from military camouflage to tartan, with wrap options extending from simple belt­line graphics to full body coverings. There’s also new alloy wheel designs and a wider variety of colour choices inside and out.

Fiat 500 interior upgrades

Inside the changes are more noticeable, with a refreshed dashboard layout designed around a new five­inch ‘Uconnect’ infotainment screen. On entry­level ‘Pop’ cars it’s a simple system with six­speakers and USB/AUX connection, but on top­spec Lounge models it comes with Bluetooth, DAB, satnav with TomTom’s Live connected traffic services and smartphone integration.

Also, while Pop and mid­range Pop Star spec retain traditional analogue dials, Lounge spec comes with a seven­ inch TFT instrument screen that can provide information on driving modes and all the Uconnect functions. Elsewhere in the cabin, there are more upmarket materials and new upholstery options, while seven airbags are now standard across the range.

New engines and lower emissions

All engines have now been tweaked to meet imminent Euro 6 regulations, with the 68bhp 1.2­litre and both versions of the TwinAir 0.9­litre petrols all available with start/stop. The TwinAir, available with 85 or 105bhp, offers CO2 emissions lower than 90g/km in both forms, while the former is capable of up to 74.3mpg combined.

The 1.3­litre Multijet diesel will be available later on in the year and now offers CO2 emissions of 89g/km. Also coming later in the year will be an ‘Eco’ variant of the base 1.2­litre petrol, which sees a smart alternator, aerodynamic bodykit and low rolling resistance tyres fitted to push CO2 emissions under 99g/km. Fiat has also updated the ‘Dualogic’ robotised semi­automatic transmission, which now gets steering column shift paddles.

Fiat also claims engineers have worked on the chassis, based on the previous­generation Panda, to ensure both comfort and handling are improved across the range, although the firm doesn’t specify exactly what has been revised. Also added is extra soundproofing to ensure improved refinement at high speed.

Fiat 500 facelift: prices and specs

Full prices and specs for the new Fiat 500 range will be revealed closer to launch, but it is known that prices will open at £10,890.(15.400€) It’s also not clear yet when these changes will transfer over to the racy Abarth models, but we expect those to appear alongside the regular 500 at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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The View

TORRE LA MATA

ast week’s stop on the Cartagena to Alicante coastal bus journey saw us in Torrevieja. Just a few minutes along the N­332 and we arrive at one of its suburbs.

La Mata, or Torre La Mata to give it its official name, is a traditional seaside village which has an iconic watch tower beside its main square.

The old Roman Dock is the town’s landmark located at the Plaza Embarcadero and is an ancient tower which was rebuilt in the 14thC and used in the Middle Ages to warn the local inhabitants of impending attacks from Barbary pirates. From there you get a fantastic view of the coast across to Santa Pola, and on the many clear days, Tabarca Island is also highly visible.

Backed by a large salt lake and natural park (The Parque Natural de La Mata y Torrevieja), La Mata has some fine sandy beaches and an attractive coastline, in the town are a good range of shops, together with cafes, bars and restaurants.

There is a long high street, a helpful tourist office, a medium sized market every Wednesday morning, and the Molino de Agua Park. The beach is sandy and you can walk along it going north to Guardamar (our next stop on the bus journey) or

south, via the wooden walkway all the way back to Torrevieja.

On the other side of the N332 is the Natural Park of La Mata, an important bird reserve and vineyard! There is a visitors centre, picnic tables, a sign posted wine walking route and many other unmarked but well worn walking and cycling trails.

Before tourism took over the economy of La Mata, it was a traditional, small Spanish village which relied heavily on the salt trade, with the lagoons of La Mata providing the necessary salt crystals.

Next week, it’s Guardamar.

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

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TRAVEL AROUND SPAIN

O

ur travel feature left mainland Spain a few weeks ago and we’ve since been touring the island groups. The third of our visits to the Canary Islands sees us arrive in LANZAROTE. Lanzarote is the easternmost of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 sq km, it is the fourth largest of the islands. The first recorded name for the island, given by Angelino Dulcert, was Insula de Lanzarotus Marocelus, after the Genoese navigator Lancelotto Malocello, from which the modern name is derived. The island's name in the native language was Tyterogaka or Tytheroygaka, which may mean "one that is all ochre" (referring to the island's predominant colour).

The dimensions of the island are 60 km from north to south and 25 km from west to east. Its landscape includes the mountain ranges of Famara in the north and Ajaches to the south. South of the Famara massif is the El Jable desert, which separates Famara and Montañas del Fuego. The highest peak is Peñas del Chache, rising to 670 meters above sea level. The "Tunnel of Atlantis," the largest underwater volcanic tunnel in the world, is part of the Cueva de los Verdes lava tube.

Lanzarote has a volcanic origin and was born through fiery eruptions and has solidified lava streams as well as extravagant rock formations. The island emerged about 15 million years ago as a product of the Canary hotspot. The island, along with others, emerged after the break­up of the African and the American continental plates. The greatest recorded eruptions occurred between 1730 and 1736 in the area now designated Timanfaya National Park.

HISTORY

Lanzarote was probably the first Canary Island to be settled. The Phoenicians may have settled there around 1100 BC, though no material evidence survives. The Greek writers and philosophers Herodotus, Plato and Plutarch described the garden of the Hesperides; a mythic orchard at the far West of the world, which some like to identify with the Canaries.

The first known record came from Pliny the Elder, in the encyclopedia Naturalis Historia, on an expedition to the Canary Islands. The names of five islands (then called Insulae Fortunatae, the "Fortunate Isles") were recorded as Canaria (Gran Canaria), Ninguaria (Tenerife), Junonia Major (La Palma), Plivalia (El Hierro) and Capraria (La Gomera).

Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the two easternmost Canary Islands, were only mentioned as the archipelago of the "purple islands". The Roman poet Lucan and the Greek astronomer and geographer Ptolemy, gave their precise locations. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Canary islands were ignored until 999, when the Arabs arrived at the island which they dubbed, al­Djezir al­Khalida and other names.

In 1336, a ship arrived from Lisbon under the guidance of Lanzarote da Framqua, alias Lancelotto Malocello. A fort was later built in the area of Montaña de Guanapay, near today's

Teguise. Castilian slaving expeditions in 1385 and 1393 seized hundreds of Guanches and sold them in Spain, initiating the slave trade in the islands.

Jean de Béthencourt arrived in 1402, heading a private expedition under Castilian auspices.

Bethencourt first visited the south of Lanzarote at Playas de Papagayo and within a matter of months the French overran the island, which lacked mountains and gorges to serve as retreats for the small remaining population of Guanches. Many of whom were taken away as slaves and it was said that only 300 men remained.

In 1404, the Castilians, with the support of the King of Castile, came and fought the local Guanches, who were further decimated. The islands of Fuerteventura and El Hierro were later similarly conquered.

In 1477, a decision by the royal council of Castile, confirmed a grant of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, with the smaller islands of Ferro and Gomera to the Castilian nobles Herrera, who held their fief until the end of the 18th century.

In 1585, the Ottoman admiral Murat Reis temporarily seized Lanzarote. In the 17th century, pirates raided the island and took 1,000 inhabitants to slavery in Cueva de los Verdes.

From 1730 to 1736 (for 2,053 days to be precise), the island

was hit by a series of volcanic eruptions, producing 32 new volcanoes. The minister of Yaiza, Don Andrés Lorenzo Curbelo, documented the eruption in detail in 1731. Lava covered a quarter of the island's surface, including the most fertile soil and eleven villages. One hundred smaller volcanoes were located in the area called Montañas del Fuego, the "Mountains of Fire".

In 1768, drought affected the deforested island and winter rains did not fall. Much of the population was forced to emigrate to Cuba and the Americas. Another volcanic eruption occurred within the range of Tiagua in 1824, which was less violent than the major eruption between 1730 and 1736.

In 1927, Lanzarote, along with Fuerteventura, became part of the province of Las Palmas.

In 2007, a team from the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and a team from the Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, uncovered the prehistoric settlement at El Bebedero yielding about 100 Roman potsherds, nine pieces of metal and one piece of glass. The artefacts were found in strata dated between the first and 4th centuries. The finds show that Romans did trade with the Canaries, though there is no evidence of settlements.

THE MODERN LANZAROTE

As of the 2010 census from which the most recent figures are available, 139,000 people live on Lanzarote. The seat of the island government (Cabildo Insular) is in the capital, Arrecife, which has a population of 59,000. The majority of the inhabitants (73.9%) are Spanish, with a sizeable number of residents from other European nations, mainly British (4.0%), Germans (2.6%) and Irish (2.5%).

The island has an international airport, Arrecife Airport, enabling tourism to be the mainstay of the island's economy for the past 40 years, the only other industry being agriculture. The emblem of Lanzarote is a demon, because the early settlers interpreted their first experience of a volcanic eruption as the work of the devil.

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The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View Distribution outlets Aguas Nuevas Mercaprensa 2

Albatera

Papeleria Cervantes

Algorfa

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Walsh´s The Electrical Shop Platinum Gerrys Supermarket The Nook Wolfie´s Restaurant Viva Hair Nations Bar

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Open All Hours Take A Break World Wide Travel Bed Specialist UK Supplies

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING is more effective than you think! All you need to do is complete and cut out the form opposite (and use an extra sheet of paper if your advert exceeds the limit) and take it to any one of the businesses listed on these pages.

Alternatively, call the CLASSIFIED HOTLINE on 602 604 213.

E足mail editor@theview.es or send to Apartado De Correos 255, 03193 San Miguel de Salinas, Alicante

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View

THE ASHES BEGIN

F

or cricket fans everywhere, the start of a new Ashes series between England and Australia is the highlight of the sporting calendar. The latest series began in Cardiff on Wednesday with England on a high after their successful and record breaking one day series against New Zealand and is the first test of their new Australian coach, Trevor Bayliss.

The term “The Ashes” originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, The Sporting Times, immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, their first Test win on English soil.

The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and the body

will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The mythical ashes immediately became associated with the 1882–83 series played in Australia, before which the English captain Ivo Bligh had vowed to "regain those ashes". The English media therefore dubbed the tour the quest to regain the Ashes.

After England had won two of the three Tests on the tour, a small urn was presented to Bligh by a group of Melbourne women including Florence Morphy, whom Bligh married within a year. The contents of the urn are reputed to be the ashes of a wooden bail, and were humorously described as "the ashes of Australian cricket". It is not clear whether that "tiny

silver urn" is the same as the small terracotta urn given to the MCC by Bligh's widow after his death in 1927.

The urn has never been the official trophy of the Ashes series, having been a personal gift to Bligh. However, replicas of the urn are often held aloft by victorious teams as a symbol of their victory in an Ashes series.

Since the 1998–99 Ashes series, a Waterford Crystal representation of the Ashes urn (called the Ashes Trophy) has been presented to the winners of an Ashes series as the official trophy of that series. Whichever side holds the Ashes, the urn remains in the MCC Museum at Lord's; it has however been taken to Australia to be put on touring display on two occasions: as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations in 1988, and to accompany the Ashes series in 2006–07.

An Ashes series is traditionally of five Tests, hosted in turn by England and Australia at least once every four years. As of December 2013, Australia is the holder—having won all of the five Tests, reclaiming the Ashes with a victory in the third Test. The 2013–14 series played in Australia was a rare "back­to­back" follow­up to the 2013 series played in England. Overall, Australia has won 32 series, England 31 and five series have been drawn.

THE ASHES ­ 2015 FIXTURES 8th July ­ First Test – CARDIFF 16th July ­ Second Test – LORD’S 29th July ­ Third Test – EDGBASTON 6th August ­ Fourth Test – TRENT BRIDGE 20th August ­ Fifth Test – THE OVAL

THURSDAY 16 JULY to SUNDAY 19 JULY

PREMIER LEAGUE ON SKY SPORTS

N

o sooner has the football season ended, the 2015/16 is only around the corner and kicks off in just four week’s time on Saturday 8 August 2015. SKY have released the LIVE televised fixtures for the first two months of the season. All kick­off times are Spanish (CET).

Monday 24 Saturday 29 Sunday 30 Sunday 30

AUGUST Saturday 8 Sunday 9 Sunday 9 Monday 10 Friday 14 Sunday 16 Sunday 16 Monday 17 Sunday 23 Sunday 23

CHELSEA v SWANSEA ARSENAL v WEST HAM STOKE v LIVERPOOL W.B.A v MAN CITY ASTON VILLA v MAN UTD CRYSTAL PALACE v ARSENAL MAN CITY v CHELSEA LIVERPOOL v BOURNEMOUTH W.B.A v CHELSEA EVERTON v MAN CITY

ARSENAL v LIVERPOOL SPURS v EVERTON SOUTHAMPTON v NORWICH SWANSEA v MAN UTD

2100 1830 1430 1700

SEPTEMBER 1830 1430 1700 2100 2045 1430 1700 2100 1430 1700

Saturday 12 Sunday 13 Sunday 13 Monday 14 Saturday 19 Sunday 20 Sunday 20 Saturday 26 Sunday 27 Monday 28

MAN UTD v LIVERPOOL SUNDERLAND v SPURS LEICESTER CITY v ASTON VILLA WEST HAM v NEWCASTLE MAN CITY v WEST HAM SPURS v CRYSTAL PALACE SOUTHAMPTON v MAN UTD NEWCASTLE v CHELSEA WATFORD v CRYSTAL PALACE W.B.A v EVERTON

1830 1430 1700 2100 1830 1430 1700 1830 1700 2100

The View

Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

47

WIMBLEDON WHINERS

T

wo of the biggest names in world tennis have been complaining about some of the rules, regulations, traditions and decisions taken at the All­England Club.

One thing you can always guarantee about Wimbledon fortnight is you’ll never see a multitude of coloured clothing on the players. No black socks, no turquoise shirts to match the sponsor logo, and no red and white check shorts as sported by Stan Wawrinka that would be more suitable for the beach than Centre Court. Clothing must be predominantly white, but this tradition is becoming less and less popular with players over the years, possibly due to the demands of sponsors unable to get their name to the crowds and the millions that make up the television audience.

Wimbledon's all­white clothing rule, and the possible relaxing of it, got a boost on last week when the seven time champion (at the time of writing) Roger Federer said he thought the policy as it stood was "quite extreme".

Federer, whose remarks probably carry more weight than some other players because as a former champion he is a member of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) that runs Wimbledon, said he did not object to white clothing.

But he said he thought the AELTC was pushing it by ruling out garments that are less than pristine white ­ which could come from repeated washes ­ and he spoke wistfully of the days when players like John McEnroe and Boris Becker wore striped T­shirts and colourful headbands that are no longer allowed.

"I mean, that it's all white, we're all for it. We get that. I just

find it quite extreme to what extent it's got to be white. We're talking white like it was in the '50s. If you look at the pictures then, it was all white," Federer told a news conference after his second­round win over Sam Querrey.

"The thing is, when I came on tour, when I was watching on TV, I still have the pictures in my mind where Edberg and Becker and all those guys, they had more colour. There were iconic T­shirts, iconic moments, I thought," said Federer, who was ordered by Wimbledon officials not to wear orange­soled Nike shoes on court in 2013 when he was the defending champion.

He said when he joined the tour the garments were 90% white but could still have some light blue or black. "But then it got to a point where stripes would be borderline here. I find that a bit of a pity because you can't do anything with it. No cream colour, no this, no that, fine.

"I would still be in favour of loosening it up a little bit. But, then again, it is what it is. You know, I'm happy, I'm proud to be here. So whatever, it's okay," he said.

The undercurrent of resistance to the all­white rule this season has included a woman player wearing a black bra which she concealed by wearing a white one over it.

Then American Bethanie Mattek­Sands, who is ranked 158th in the world and whose headshot for her WTA profile shows her with her hair dyed turquoise and lime green, turned up the volume after she upset seventh­seed Ana Ivanovic.

She said the all­white rule had "gotten a little excessive" and was disappointed that she could not wear tennis skirts she'd brought with coloured underwear.

"It was funny, because I was actually googling some players like when John McEnroe played, Arthur Ashe, they had colour everywhere. They had colour on their sleeves, big stripes; they were coming out in coloured jackets. So I feel it's actually gotten stricter," Mattek­Sands said. Given a choice, she said she would almost never wear white, and had not even worn a

white gown for her wedding!

Away from the clothing arguments, Caroline Wozniacki has accused Wimbledon of sexism after saying that women get fewer chances to feature on show courts.

The 24­year­old criticised tournament organisers after her 6­4, 6­4 loss to Spain's Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round.

She said she'd "love" to play on a big court but women weren't given the opportunity often enough.

"You only get one women's match on Court One and Centre Court," she said. Most of last week it was only one women's match on Court Two as well. It's definitely different, that's all I can say.

"I think a lot of us women feel like we deserve to play on the big courts in front of a big crowd as well."

A spokesman for the All England Club declined to comment.

Editor’s Comment: Keep to the all­white clothing rule and make the most of it until SKY Sport will eventually get the Wimbledon coverage and change it beyond recognition with names on the backs of the players and entering Centre Court through smoke, fanfares and their favourite pop music being played. As for Miss Wozniacki, she should address her comments to the BBC programme schedulers who I imagine have the ultimate say as to who plays on what show Court and when. Ratings, ratings and more ratings. Ever wondered why Andy Murray tends to always be on last?

THE STAR SHINES NO MORE

H

orse Racing fans were left saddened last week when news broke of the sudden death of five­time King George winner, Kauto Star, after he lost his battle following injuries picked up at the yard of Laura Collett.

He’d spent his days there since his retirement in October 2012.

His owner, Clive Smith, confirmed this week that Kauto Star’s ashes will be laid to rest underneath his bronze statue at Kempton Park. "Kauto Star was cremated on Monday and I've already arranged with Kempton that half of his ashes will be placed under the statue I presented to them on Boxing Day," said Smith. "I don't know yet when we're going to do it, it may even be on Boxing Day, although I'm not sure that would be the right time."

Kauto Star was days short of turning 12 when he won the last of his five King George victories in December 2011, and was subsequently pulled up in what turned out to be his final race when attempting to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup for a third time the following March. After leaving Paul Nicholls' yard, Kauto Star lived out his remaining days with Collett, who retrained him to a competent standard in dressage as part of a comprehensive package of retirement activities for a horse widely regarded as the best chaser since Arkle.

Since his death, however, there have been many whispers and rumours about just how the champion horse actually became injured in the first place, with suggestions that he got loose while being ridden out and then injured himself colliding with a wall.

Collett made a statement on the comments that had been made: "I can say hand on heart no­one else ever hacked him out, for the reason that if a freak accident happened while hacking on the road I didn't feel it was right for anyone else to have the responsibility because of the horse he was. I felt every time I got on that horse there was a huge responsibility.

No­one else has ever taken him out of the yard. That story is absolutely ridiculous."

She added on Twitter: "It's been a harrowing week, but I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has shown their kind support."

Collett was away showjumping at Hickstead when the accident happened and said her staff told her they discovered Kauto Star walking back into the yard when he should have been in his nearby field.

"We can only guess as to how it happened, but he must have jumped the gate and fallen on landing. There were no broken rails or anything," she said. “He walked around the corner and my yard manager found him. He had one small graze on his hind quarters but other than that no obvious injuries. There was no blood, nothing anywhere else, he wasn't in a state, and he wasn't sweating. He couldn't have been loose for long.

Sadly, there's no knowing, there's no explanation as to why he did what he did."

Collett saw Kauto Star for the last time on Sunday June 28 at the equine hospital, where vet Hattie Lawrence treated him.

"He had his ears pricked, he was standing quite happily, he was being the Kauto I knew and asking for treats like mints," she said. "From my point of view it was really, really touching that they said he recognised me. That meant more than anything.

"On the Monday when he deteriorated, Hattie wouldn't let me go down and see him and she said that's what I want you to remember him for ­ a happy, chirpy, lovely horse. As hard as it was not to go and say goodbye to him, I knew deep down I just wanted to remember him that way. He was a friend."

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Edition 9 - July 10th 2015

The View