Weekender Alicante North Issue 099

E E FR

ISSUE 099 - Friday 21st June 2019

Your Weekend Starts Here!

HOGUERAS DE SAN JUAN BONFIRE BOOM FOR HOTELS

NINE out of ten Alicante City hotels are already booked up as people flock to celebrate the Hogueras (bonfires) over this weekend, the biggest fiesta of the year in the provincial capital. The figures are a 5% improvement on

by Andy Mansell

last year, boosted by an excellent weather forecast and the fact that the main celebrations fall over the weekend.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

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Black day for local beach A beach in the Safor area of Valencia has had the unenviable honour of being awarded a “Banderas Negra” - or black flag, at a ceremony held in Santander last week. Playa La Goleta de Tavernes was the area’s beach singled out for the unwanted accolade (a counterpoint to the Blue Flag awards) by the Ecologists in Action environmental group.

Bad management, urban pressures, destruction of sand dunes and poor maintenance following winter erosion were among the reasons cited.

There were 48 beaches across Spain

La playa de La Goleta de Tavernes

by Simon Russell

singled out for the dubious honour, with the most common reason being discharges

of untreated water and waste. Others included urban encroachment, coastal erosion, rubbish and heavy industry.

“Touristification” was

also cited, the unchecked impact of too many visitors that many think is occurring in places such as Barcelona and Mallorca.

Local candidate charged with paedophile offences A man who stood as a candidate for the Ciudadanos party in Villena (Alicante) last month has been arrested and charged with various charges relating to children on the internet.

He allegedly posed as a girl to gain the trust of at least ten minors and then asked them for sexual images.

He also tried to arrange face to face meetings with

by Simon Russell

some of them, although he was arrested before any took place. The 21 year old detainee stood as the number five candidate on the Ciudadanos local election list but failed to gain a counsellor role. The party have suspended the man pending the outcome of the police investigation.

Francisco Gabarre / Facebook

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

MOSQUITOES BLAMED FOR INFECTION AN Icelandic family who was on holiday in Alicante last month have been confirmed as contracting the chikungunya virus, commonly transmitted by tiger mosquitoes. The group, a mother, her sister and young daughter, were on holiday for two weeks at the end of the month and went to their doctor after falling ill on their return to Iceland. Tests were taken for chikungunya and also the Zika and dengue viruses, with the latter two proving negative but the former positive. The infection can cause fever, chills, headaches, eye disease, back

by Simon Russell

pain and arthritis in the joints.

It can last from a few days to several months and can cause serious problems if not correctly and quickly treated.

The Ministry of Health has launched protocols for such an outbreak, although there is no record of any other infections in the area. An Alicante University team will increase surveillance in the area. Health Centres and hospitals have also been asked to be on alert for signs of infection and all parties are coordinating their actions.

The tiger mosquito.

Hotel boom for San Juan

FROM FRONT PAGE This evening (Friday) at 5pm there will be the judging and naming of the best figurine and bonfire display and at 7pm there is the traditional flower offering at the Virgen del Remedio, following a route through the city from Plaza de los Luceros to San Nicolas Cathedral. At eleven on Saturday morning the prize delivery parade will take place along the same route while on both weekend days there will be

region while Alicante City has an extra day off on the “Mascletas” - fireworks Tuesday. If you are planning display - at 2pm in Plaza de to attend any local event Luceros. (Please take care if you have pets or young children as this is always an extremely noisy event).

Sunday night is the shortest of the year and will see the lighting of the beach bonfires, not just in Alicante City but in municipalities up and down the Valencian Community. Monday is a bank holiday across the

by Simon Russell

it is best to check with the local town hall or tourist information office for full details.

Finance Feature provided by...

Is leaving money in the bank all that safe?

Time flies, and seems to get faster as you get older! How often do you reminisce about the past and then realise it was 10/20/30 years ago!

Let’s take 1997 for example; the year the world mourned the death of Diana, the Princess of Wales, and the UK saw a landslide general election victory for the Labour Party under Tony Blair. Katrina and the waves won the Eurovision song contest with Love Shine a light and the year that channel 5 was launched. The average price of a house was £68k and a litre of petrol?... 61p.

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That was until I calculated the effect of inflation on his £70k, in today’s terms his £70k is worth the equivalent of £46k meaning he’d lost £24k in spending power – and people think the bank is the safest place to keep your money!

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Over that same period, if my client had placed his money into a cautious investment, returning 4% after fees,that £70k would now be worth £153k beating inflation by £33k.

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Aircraft from the aerial unit were called in to assist the firefighters.

Benidorm firefighters battled for hours to prevent a forest fire endangering one of the resort’s top visitor attractions earlier this week.

The fire broke out on an elevated slope of the Sierra Gelada Mountain close to the boundary fence of the Aqualandia Water Park, at around 17.00h last Monday.

Four fire tenders were initially dispatched to the scene of the blaze,

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which began in a highly inaccessible area of the mountainous Nature park.

They were accompanied by two forest ranger vehicles and an environmental specialist, using the only available access road, which leads to the Cruz de Benidorm.

As the fifteen firemen began to battle the flames, four aircraft from the aerial unit

were also despatched, collecting water from the sea to drop onto the burning scrubland.

The blaze was classed as a Level 1 incident, by fire officials concerned with its proximity to Aqualandia and the safety of the hundreds of visitors enjoying the various rides, although evacuation of the water park was not considered necessary.

As skies darkened, around four hours later at 21.00h, the fire was

considered to be under control, enabling the rescue vehicles and aircraft to return to base, leaving a small number of firefighters on site to prevent any further break out of flames.

At the height of the blaze, smoke from the fire could be seen from as far away as Villajoyosa, Finestrat and Altea, with videos and photos appearing almost immediately on social media networks.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

FOOLISH PLUNGE

A SCOTTISH teenager is believed to have made a false insurance claim after being videoed jumping into a tree from his Mallorca hotel last week.

The 17-year old tourist is understood to have broken his collarbone and several ribs after the tiny tree failed to support his weight and he smashed onto the ground below.

Reports suggest that he had been left with a 33 thousand euro hospital bill after claiming he had suffered an accident in his Magaluf hotel swimming pool before footage of his

FINANCING TERROR

by Alex Trelisnki

NINE men and one woman have been arrested in Madrid province under suspicion of funding Syrian terror groups through money laundering operations in Spain. The detentions follow an operation by around 350 police and took place simultaneously in the towns of Algete, Torrelodones, Valencia and Toledo.

Paperwork and other records were seized and it is

by Alex Trelisnki

balcony plunge emerged on social media.

He is currently in a private hospital, whilst the rest of the teenage group, who were on a Jet2 holiday package, were thrown out of the hotel and moved to apartments.

They were turfed out after the hotel management saw the footage, and told the boy´s insurance company that it was no accident, The teenager will have a lot to answer for, as his parents are allegedly having to remortgage their home to pay for his hospital treatment.

alleged that the ringleader had several businesses that were being used to launder money and cheat the tax office. Four of his children are believed to be among those arrested and the group have been charged variously with belonging to a criminal organisation, collaborating with a terror group, financing terrorism, money laundering, tax fraud, forging documents and illegal immigration.

Revealing footage.

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No age limit on fraud AN 80 year old woman from Gandia is facing charges after admitting to attempting to defraud her insurance company. She called the police to claim that she was the victim of an aggressive robbery, with the thief making off with €300. In her

by Simon Russell

account she claimed that she was mugged after exiting the lift in a supermarket then her purse stolen with the cash. However, a medical check could find no injuries and as her story started to

unravel she admitted to making it up. It transpires that she had actually lost the €300 in the shop and was hoping to claim it back on her home insurance.

The octogenarian is facing probable charges of simulating a crime and wasting police time.

Final withdrawel

A GANG that used tow trucks to rip out nine ATMs from banks have been arrested by the Guardia Civil in the south of Alicante province.

The seven-strong crew, consisted of four Albanians, two Serbs, and a Spaniard.

Their spree started in January, as they tore out the machines in Altea, Pilar de la Horadada and Santa Pola, and struck further afield in the Murcia region, as well as in Bélgida and Llanera de Ranes in Valencia province.

The gang even stole

by Alex Trelinski

the trucks that they used in the robberies, and had a sophisticated operation of swapping vehicles at designated points, as well monitoring key roads for

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any police presence.

The men were arrested last Friday in Almoradi and Gran Alacant, shortly after they had stolen 48 thousand euros from an ATM in Archivel in Murcia.

Cycle safely

by Simon Russell

MOTOR company Hyundai held its third #JuntoEnElAsfalto road safety campaign in Valencia this week. The aim is to make the Spanish roads a safer place for cyclists by educating both them and the drivers of motorised vehicles. Many top professional riders attended the day as well as representatives from the DGT, RACE and organisers of La Vuelta road race. 8,000 club cyclists have benefitted from the training since 2017. However, there is still a long way to go, with a total of 36 cyclists being killed on Spanish roads in 2018.

Leopoldo Satrustegui, general director of Hyundai Motors Spain (centre) with other attendees.

by Simon Russell

Electricity thieves plans go to pot POLICE investigating a property in Elche whose occupants had been suspected of stealing electricity found 4,000 mature marijuana plants when they searched the house. They were made aware that the power had been illegally hooked up to

by Alex Trelinski

street lighting and launched a surveillance operation on the large house. They identified seven suspects and, after gathering sufficient evidence, raided the property at the end of last week. They

found the house divided into several different zones for growing and cultivating the illegal crop and arrested seven men aged between 25 and 33. They have been charged with crimes against public health and defrauding the electricity company.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Brit lost on jet ski still missing

ANGRY DADDY

by Alex Trelinski

A medical malpractice investigation has been opened in Valencia after the leg of a month old baby was allegedly removed due to a hospital error.

The baby in question was born prematurely in Castellon General Hospital and still remained very ill after 28 days. The parents asked about bruising that appeared on the child’s leg and the chief paediatrician conceded that a medical procedure had been wrongly carried out.

The bruising started to turn purple and the vascular surgeon said that the tips of the toes would need to be removed. He changed his diagnosis and the amputation was eventually made just below the knee, something the parents are alleging could have been avoided without the clinical error that led to the eventual removal of the leg. The files have now been passed to the Valencian Prosecutors Office.

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A huge land and sea search has failed to find any trace of a young British national who disappeared while out jet-skiing last weekend, with the authorities starting to fear the worst.

Ricard Scott Santana, 23, was on holiday in the Tenerife resort of Los Cristianos

Ricardo Scott Santana vanished Saturday morning

FALSE PROMISES

THE NATIONAL POLICE have freed 11 women, most of them Ukrainian, who travelled to Spain thinking they were taking jobs as hotel chambermaids but were forced to work as prostitutes.

Two Spaniards and two Ukrainians

by Alex Trelinski

were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and criminal organization, among other crimes.

The women were lured by online advertisements

offering a loan to travel and wellpaid hotel jobs in Burgos, in northern Spain.

After arriving, they were forced under threat of violence to work as prostitutes 10 hours a day, seven days a week.

Fines ensured the loans were never paid, with police seizing a large quantity of money.

The gang had apparently forced more than 200 women into prostitution in the same way since 2015.

when he travelled to nearby Palm Mar and took a jet ski out last Saturday morning.

The search began after the vehicle was found floating in the sea without any sign of its rider. Divers, helicopters and boats have all been involved

Seized cash.

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in the search while friends have put up posters and messages onto social media appealing for help if anyone is spotted matching Ricard’s description.

The authorities believed the young man went for a swim while out at sea and got separated from his jet ski.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Truly Gartered

by Alex Trelinskil

KING FELIPE VI had a day to remember on Monday, when he was invested with the Order of the Knight of the Garter at Windsor Castle.

The Spanish monarch, pictured with Queen Elizabeth II, and his wife Queen Letizia, was granted the title on a state visit to the UK two years ago.

Knights of the Garter are chosen personally by the British sovereign to honour those who have held public office, who have contributed to national life or have served the sovereign personally.

CELEBRITY WEDDING

by Alex Trelinski

Sergio Ramos & Pilar Rubio.

SPAIN´S wedding of the year took place at Sevilla Cathedral last Saturday, as Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos married television reporter Pilar Rubio.

After the ceremony, the 500-strong party made the 30 minute drive to the Ramos 109-acre farm in Bollullos de la MitaciĂłn.

The glittering entertainment and sportsdominated guest list included David and Victoria Beckham, who broke wedding protocol by wearing a white dress.

Reception entertainment was provided by top Latin singer Marc Anthony and veteran rock band, AC/DC. Phones and all photographic equipment were barred from both events, with the paparazzi having to be content with some after-ceremony photos of the newly-weds outside the cathedral.

Sergio Ramos & Pilar Rubio.

Help with hunger THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has announced it will be distributing just under 3,000 tons of food across the Valencian Community as the first phase of its Food Aid Programme. 117,000 of the areas needier citizens will benefit from

the distribution which will be carried out over three phases, the first starting shortly, the second later in the year and the final one in February 2020. 85% of the costs are being met by the European Union Aid Fund and the rest by the state.

Products being handed out include long life goods such as tinned tuna, pulses, rice, pasta and tinned tomatoes as well as baby food, milk and oil. This has been changed slightly from last year after feedback from consumers. The process will be

by Simon Russell

co-ordinated by the Red Cross and the Spanish Federation of Food Banks and will involve 267 points in Alicante, 154 in Valencia and 78 in Castellon province.

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No age limit on fraud AN 80 year old woman from Gandia is facing charges after admitting to attempting to defraud her insurance company. She called the police to claim that she was the victim of an aggressive robbery, with the thief making off with €300. In her account she claimed that she was mugged after exiting the lift in a supermarket then her purse stolen with the cash. However,

by Simon Russell

a medical check could find no injuries and as her story started to unravel she admitted to making it up. It transpires that she had actually lost the €300 in the shop and was hoping to claim it back on her home insurance.

The octogenarian is facing probable charges of simulating a crime and wasting police time.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

SPYING ON PIRATES

by Alex Trelinski

La Liga has been hit with a 250 thousand euro fine for using fans’ mobile phones to spy on them going into bars to watch pirated tv feeds of football matches.

600 criminal cases have been filed against bars and restaurants in the last year, including some on the Costa Blanca, with the National Police coordinating a series of raids last year.

Via its own app, La Liga would remotely turn on the microphone function of users’ phones to listen for the sound of a match broadcast.

The geolocation function was then used to establish the position of the person watching a televised game in order to check whether they

were in an establishment with a paid subscription to an official La Liga package, or if it was using an illicit signal.

La Liga has said previously that it loses 400 million euros a year in television royalties, and that half

of Spain’s 120 thousand establishments showing La Liga use pirate decoders or just a domestic subscription.

Spain’s data protection agency (AEPD) issued the fine over the app, after finding that up to 50 thousand La Liga users’ phones were

affected.

The AEPD ruled that La Liga had committed a “very serious data protection infringement” by failing to disclose their device includes a microphone.

La Liga says that they intend to challenge the ruling.

Plastic plague snags turtle

THE Red Cross filmed their rescue of a sea turtle which was caught up in so much plastic that it was unable to submerge itself and was in danger of a painful death. The creature was spotted by a canoeist off the coast of Mazarron (Murcia) at the weekend who then notified the maritime authorities. The turtle was hooked to four small plastic bottles, probably some form of home-made fishing float. It was also badly sunburnt as it had been unable to dive below the water.

The Red Cross volun-

by Simon Russell

teers were able to get the animal onboard their inflatable vessel and eventually untangled the floats as well as a large amount of fishing line which had damaged its mouth. The creature, a rare loggerhead, was taken ashore and then to a veterinarian for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery; if all goes well eventually it will be returned to the sea.

The Red Cross said the incident highlighted the dangers of plastics to marine life of all shapes and sizes.

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Unwanted honour FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

BRITISH travellers have topped Spain’s list of shame for the most unruly airline passengers.

Figures released by the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency show there are more incidents involving Brits hit with fines for bad behaviour onboard planes than any other nationality.

The Madrid-based agency, responsible for fining problem passengers who have been identified by police at Spanish airports, was notified last year of incidents involving 862 passengers.

British travellers led the list of bad behaviour,

by Alex Trelinski

followed by Spaniards on 203 and Germans in third place with 61.

The agency also revealed it has fined 729 people just over 580 thousand euros between 2017 and the end of March this year.

Britain also came top of the list for 2017.

Recent incidents on Ryanair flights to AlicanteElche airport saw a drunken hen party on a service from Birmingham “taking over the plane”, and a bunch of inebriated Benidorm-bound men misbehaving on a Stansted-originated flight.

Brit in court for boss stabbing

A British man appeared in an Alicante court earlier this week, facing an eleven year jail term, charged with the attempted murder of a Benidorm bar owner, who was also his employer.

He is accused of stabbing the boss, who had refused him a shot and ordered him to leave his kitchen.

The incident, which led to his arrest, occurred at around 16.15h on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, last year, in the kitchen of an unnamed pub in the Rincon de Loix area of the resort.

Giving evidence to the court, the victim, said, “I had to start preparing the food and I went to the kitchen. He went in there with me and I told him to leave because I was very busy.”

He admitted the pair had been joking all morning, as the defendant was an occasional worker at

by Simon Russell

the bar, who regularly drank in the premises.

When the owner asked him to leave and refused him the shot, the employee left without further argument.

“I turned around and he was gone,” said the victim, “but when I went to get the knife to cut the chicken I couldn’t find it.”

“Suddenly I noticed a very strong pain in the back and I noticed that it was beginning to bleed.

I screamed for help, “he told the court.

National Police officers, called to the scene, arrived to find the victim with the knife stuck in his back.

Acting on information provided by the bar owner, the agents visited the suspect’s home.

However, although he was not at home, but his partner was able to call his mobile and speak to him, when he admitted that he was very scared

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SUMMER OPERATION SPAIN´S annual peak tourist season sweep of using over 40 thousand police officers to patrol busy areas will start on July 1st and will run until August 31st.

Operation Summer will see Guardia Civil and National Police units concentrate on tourist spots like airports, ports, beaches, hotels and campsites.

Following last week´s British Foreign Office warning that a terrorist attack in Spain was “likely”, certain elements of the UK media have seized upon

by Alex Trelinski

the extra policing as some kind of indication that Spanish authorities are worried, but they failed to report that the police boost happens every year during the summer.

Officers, as is the norm, have been briefed to watch out for any potential activity that could be viewed as terrorist nature, but their main duties are to deal with more mundane matters like extra traffic, thieves, or drunk and disruptive tourists.

TERROR ARRESTS

TEN SPANIARDS of Syrian origin accused of financing “Al Qaeda terrorist militia” in Syria, have been arrested in a National Police sweep.

With Europol’s collaboration, more than 350 officers took part in an operation in Madrid, further south in Toledo, in addition to Valencia

by Alex Trelinski

province.

Fourteen homes and other premises were searched by officers, with the family-led gang using a legal business to hid their illegal work, including laundering large amounts of money that ended up in terrorist hands.

ELDERLY DEALER

because he had just had a big fight at the bar.

The accused was arrested and held for more than five months in pretrial detention.

The defendant accepted his right not to testify at the beginning of the trial, although at the end of the hearing he apologised to the victim and his wife and offered

to make a compensation payment.

His lawyer stated that the defendant was affected by the use of alcohol and drugs and that the accusation of attempted murder seemed disproportionate, claiming he should be convicted of injuring the victim under the

influence of drugs.

Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel ruled out applying any extenuating circumstance for drunkenness or drug addiction, on the understanding that the accused was aware of what he had done.

The trial continues.

A RETIRED Guardamar del Segura man decided to boost his income by selling cocaine around the town´s local bars and has paid the penalty by being remanded into custody after a court appearance.

The 64-year-old was spotted by Guardia Civil officers acting strangely on Calle Luis Rivera, as he constantly drove up and down the road,

by Alex Trelinski

which is full of bars.

He would then get out of the car, and pop into a few establishments, before getting into his vehicle again to repeat the routine.

Officers stopped and searched him, and found cocaine on him, as well as in the car, in addition to 240 euros in cash from his illegal deals.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

One for the petrol-heads ONE of the regions biggest motor fairs start in Oliva today (Friday) and runs over the weekend. There are over 30 major motor brands exhibiting as well as the sale of electric scooters, caravans, motorbikes and other automotive related products. IES Gabriel Ciscar pupils will have a technology display and

by Simon Russell

there is a bric a brac type stall with proceeds going to local charities. There are a few exhibitors and stalls that are not motor related as well as food, drink and kids entertainment. The venue is the main paseo (where the weekly market is) and many stands stay open during the middle of the day.

Baby didn’t want to wait

AN expectant woman in Picassent (Valencia) called for an ambulance after suddenly going into labour in her home at around 2pm on Tuesday.

Two emergency teams went to the address but it soon became clear that the baby was too close to appearing to risk the trip to

by Simon Russell

the hospital. Fortunately, a midwife was with the medical team, and safely delivered the newborn in the house. The 44 year old mum and the child are both doing well and are now at their original destination, Valencia’s La Fe Hospital.

Junior drug dealers

THE National Police have said that the 8 and 12 year old children of two drug traffickers were used to sell drugs in their parent’s absence.

They had been trained to distribute and even weigh the marijuana that was being cultivated and sold from the family home in Valencia. When raiding

by Simon Russell

the property the police found three marijuana laboratories, totalling 243 plants and 30 bags of buds.

They have arrested a 32 year old man and 27 year old woman, both Spanish nationals and charged them with drug trafficking and stealing electricity.

Killed after two days on the job A 45 year old road maintenance worker who is reported to have been on only his second day on the job, was killed on Wednesday after a refrigerator truck overturned and hit the vehicle he was in. The incident happened in Alginet (Valencia) on the A-7 motorway after the upturned truck slid into

by Simon Russell

the hard shoulder and into the back of the van the victim was driving.

The lorry driver and two other maintenance workers were unharmed.

The incident will almost certainly be classified as a workplace fatality and the normal protocols opened.

Beach ban

PEOPLE enjoying the sunshine last week at three of Valencia Cities major beaches, Malvarrosa, Cabanyal and Patacona, were banned from going in the sea due to issues with water quality. Tests on Friday showed a high level of microbiological particles with their point of origin is unclear. Beaches Councillor Pilar Soriano said that “the well-being of people had

by Simon Russell

to come first, leading us to take this measure”. The problem later resolved itself and the beaches were reopened 24 hours later, in time for the weekend. Blue Flag beaches are obliged to regularly test the quality of the water as part of the criteria for being awarded that status.

BROTHER SOUGHT AFTER THE police say they urgently want to speak to the brother of a girl, aged either 13 or 14, who was found dead in an apartment in Mataro (Barcelona). He has not been named and is aged 16 or 17 and a Russian national. His sister was found dead in her bedroom on Tuesday with deep lacerations to her neck.

The family are new to the neighbourhood and little is known about them by local residents according to press reports. Some said that the pair were often left alone in the houses, sometimes for several days despite being minors.

In this instance, the mother had been on a trip to Russia and left the children behind and then became worried after not being

by Alex Trelinski

able to contact them. A locksmith was called after she contacted friends in the area, and eventually one of the friends entered the house via a neighbours balcony.

They then discovered the body of the young girl but there was no sign of her elder brother. The corpse has been sent for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

The police stress that they are keeping all options open regarding the case and that it is not clear at this stage if a crime has been committed or if the case is suicide or tragic accident. However, they are obviously keen to find the teenage boy, both to talk about the tragedy and for his own well-being.

Mossos d’Esquadra officers.

MASTERPIECE APPROVED BARCELONA´S big tourist attraction, La Sagrada Familia cathedral, has at last been given a building permit, some 137 years since its construction started in 1882.

Barcelona council has issued a permit effective until 2026 for the cathedral to be completed in seven years time, which will be the anniversary of architect Antoni Gaudi´s death after

by Simon Russell

he was hit by a tram.

The cathedral started construction in 1882, but authorities discovered in 2016 that no permission had been granted in the first place!

The cathedral famous for its unique exterior was designated as a world heritage site, by the UNESCO in 2005, and nearly five

million tourists pay to look around Gaudi’s masterpiece every year.

Ever since Gaudi died, when just one side of the cathedral was completed, the building has continued based on the architectural drawings he left.

The height of the central tower will end up at 172.5 metres, and it will become the tallest religious building in Europe.

La Sagrada Familia cathedral

Man arrrested following British teen rape case POLICE in the Balearic Islands have arrested a man last week described as a well known local pickpocket after a 15 year old British girl was raped in a hotel sauna. Details of the incident, which took place at the end of May, have been released to the press and have been widely reported in the UK media.

They said that the girl was alone in the sauna at the 4 star Best Delta Hotel in Llucmajor (Mallorca) when the incident happened. The alleged perpetrator was in the hotel with his wife where they were said to be looking for people to rob.

by Simon Russell

The victim identified the suspect from police mugshots and he was arrested and charged then released on bail, although his passport has been confiscated. A spokesman for the hotel said, “We deeply regret what has happened and from the very outset have focused all our attention and human and technical resources into helping the person affected and her family”.

They have said that they are helping the police with their enquiries but are not authorised to give further information.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Local&WhatsOn All that jazz Weekendergram - Pic of the Week

Photo by #JackRichards- Aqualandia, Benidorm

Share your photos with us for a chance for them to be featured here! #Weekendergrams or email , Pics@Weekender.News

Don´t forget to tag your location!

THE “Circuit Musica als Bars” cycle of Friday night jazz music continues throughout June and into July with local bands playing at different venues to kick off the weekend in the town. Tonight (21 June) has the Felip Santandreu Trio playing at Bar Gladis. Comprising piano, bass and drums the group will be performing the Plays Petrucciani concert, a homage to legendary composer Michel Petrucciani.

The following Friday the Els Poblets Jazz Quartet

Felip Santandreu

by Simon Russell

will be appearing at Cafe Andreu playing classical jazz combined with bossa nova and Latino sounds. The last concert of the cycle is on 5 July when Lulu and Los Tigretones perform their pop and gipsy folk style music at the Almadrava and Arizona bars on Almadrava Playa. The quartet is made up of vocals, two guitarists and a double bass player and their music range from Janis Joplin to Stevie Wonder.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Local&WhatsOn

Once more unto the beach the craft market in Jávea port The weekly craft market that is being held every Saturday and Sunday morning by the sea front at the end of Avenida Jaime I in the port of Jávea, will only continue till the 16th of June. Because on Friday the 21st of June the traditional summer fair will start in the same spot (see Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ rx5uWDjHiYs or search for “Feria de Artesanía Xàbia”), opening every evening till the 2nd of September.

This is the seventh year running that Amata (the regional craft association) joins forces with the local shopkeepers to liven up the promenade along the sea front with a craft fair. A real craft fair, with real craft workers who make what they sell and hope to sell what they make. Not for nothing has Amata chosen the slogan “Artesanía de Autor®” - which means that what you see is made by the man or woman on the stall - nothing imported, nothing made by friends or from a small factory.

The stalls can vary from week to week, but you will alwayds find that every stall offers something different: leather bags, leather belts, original lamps from recycled

material, rag dolls, wooden toys and puppets, jewelry from silver, copper, ceramics, macramé or recycled tins, hand painted designer clothes and even some paintings and water colours. Many of the people will be at work in their stalls so you can get them to add a name or a detail or, if you can wait a few days, let them make something specially for you.

Amata was set up in 1998 and remains true to its original philosophy, which is that only goods made by the people on the stalls can be sold on the craft fairs it organises. That is why more and more aficionados have come to appreciate this special quality - the quality of a gallery even if it is sold in the street from a stall. Several stalls come for the whole summer, others just a few weeks so as to combine a holiday at the beach with the possibility of earning a living.

It’s a varied show, week by week.

Never boring.

A visit to the market can be combined with a stroll to the port (with its fishing boats and fish market) and back along the promenade with its attractive bars and restaurants, shops and terraces,

to enjoy the cool sea breezes and watch all the other visitors walking, jogging and cycling along. And, if you like modern architecture, you can have a look at the Virgen de Loreto church, a concrete structure shaped like a ship! You can even get to the market in the tourist train that runs every hour between the Arenal beach of Jávea and the Port: it stops right at the fair!

The market starts on Friday the 21st of June and opens every evening till the 2nd of September (except for a few days when the locals celebrate their fiestas) and opens at 7 in the evening till midnight.

For further details ring 639 979 678 (and Elvira speaks English).

There is also a page in Facebook ( h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / feriaartesaniajavea/) where you can find any news about special activities like live music in this fair and possible changes in the opening times.

Come and see for yourself the difference with other beach fairs!

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Alfas,Albir,Altea Local&WhatsOn

Sick kids get one thousand euro donation

by Andy Mansell

Organisers of a recent charity Rastro in Albir received an unexpected boost when another local charity gave one thousand euros towards their cause after reading an article in The Weekender.

Despite a quiet turn out for the event two weeks ago, Rob Adema and Hardy Janssen, fundraisers for the Make A Wish Foundation, a charity set up to make dreams come true for children with life threatening

diseases, were delighted with the 930€ raised over the two days.

However, they were even happier, when they were contacted, by fellow local fundraiser, Gary from the Giving4Giving charity, who offered one thousand euros towards their funds.

He told Rob, he had seen an article in The We e k e n d e r , regarding the rastro and the Make A Wish charity and wanted to make a donation. “I

Make A Wish Spain, makes dreams come true for terminally ill children.

was absolutely blown away by this extremely generous gesture from people I had never met,” said Rob. “Gary´s charity helps cancer charities in the area and had been in contact with the Make-a-Wish Foundation before, so Hardy and I are very grateful for this fantastic gift and it has encouraged us to raise hopefully a similar amount of money as last year for the Make-a-Wish Spain.”

Giving4Giving runs four local

charity shops in the area, located in La Nucia, Albir, Altea and Villajoyosa and are dependent on public donations to raise much needed funds. Meanwhile, Rob has invited Gary and Linda, manager of the Albir shop to the Make A Wish gala event at the Hotel RoberPalas on November 23rd For further information call Rob on 622 921 171 Or visit: www.makeawishspain.org

Food course full up

ALL 25 available places were taken up for the recent food handling course run by the Alfas del Pi Youth Centre. This was aimed at younger residents (16 to 35 years old) and significantly increases the attendee’s chances of getting work in

by Simon Russell

the hospitality sector with many bars and restaurants taking on extras staff during the summer months.

Youngsters who are still in full time education often hope to find work over

the peak season before returning to their studies in September. For more information on the schedule of training courses offered by the Youth Information Centre (CIJA), you can call 965 887 435 or WhatsApp 610 205 329.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Local&WhatsOnBenidorm

Hoteliers fightback against drunks

A group of Costa Blanca Hotel chiefs met this week to discuss measures aimed at curbing unsocial behaviour caused by groups of drunken guests.

The one day conference, organised by GrupoVía, took place at the MeliáVillaitana Hotel in Benidorm and was entitled Gran DebateHotelero.

Concerned delegates, spoke of the need to use modern technology to filter out guests, who could cause potential disruptions to other hotel users, during the booking process.

In addition to preventing groups of stags and hens booking into hotels in the region, they also called for stricter regulations and more severe penalties to anyone breaking the rules on drunk and disorderly conduct.

During the debate, the businessmen revealed the are already taking measures to fight against drunken tourism,

by Andy Mansell

specifically by placing their own, “filters or access criteria aimed at controlling group bookings of rooms.”

Delegates also demanded that authorities take a “more rigorous approach when enforcing the law against drunken behaviour and provide more support to improve the image of Benidorm”.

The conference also tackled the controversial government backed Imserso Programme, which provides off season holidays to qualifying pensioners at a set price paid to the hotel for each night.

This follows a recent decision by the Treasury backed, Central Contractual Court (TACRC), which dismissed an appeal by the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), against the specifications of the Imserso programme. The Hoteliers

believe that the current rate of 21 euros per day, all-inclusive,per person, “does not sufficiently compensate hotels economically, not even those who need to fill rooms out of season,” and puts off other tourists.

The consensus decision from the conference delegates, was that Benidorm abandons the Imserso programme and targets other tourist profiles instead.

The meeting was attended

by Francisco Quiles, general director of Grupo Don Pancho; Rafael Blanquer, general director of Port Hotels; Mario Villar, director of Tourist Intelligence of TurismeComunitatValenciana; Santiago Migueles, commercial director BCool Hotels; Dolores Pérez, CEO and founder of Hotel del Juguete; Daniel Agar, partner and general director Sonart Hotels and Carlos Díez de la Lastra, general manager Les Roches Marbella Global Hospitality Education.

Flying the flag

BENIDORM’S mayor, Toni Perez, officially collected the town’s Blue Flags that were awarded to Levante, Poniente and Mal Pas Playas earlier this year. The regions Environmental secretary, Fran Quesada, handed the flags out at a special ceremony in Cullera,

by Simon Russell

along with Valencian head of tourism Francesc Colomer.

The accolades are judged by Environmental Education Foundation, recognising the best beaches across Europe based on water quality, safety, services

and environmental awareness. Mr Perez said that the award was the result of “conscious and sustained work throughout the year from the town hall and beach concessionaire”, going on to say that the beaches are still the most important part of Benidorm regarding tourism.

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Local&WhatsOnCalpe Special school for special needs by Simon Russell

CALPE’S Gargasindi school for people with special needs has won the prestigious Franklin Albricias Award for its work in the region. The award is given annually

by Alicante’s Constant Alona Society and recognises outstanding educational contributions in the region, judged by a panel of experts in the field. The Gargasindi teaches students across the Marina Alta and Marina Baixa with serious educational difficulties and places emphasis on the performing arts and social inclusion for all.

The award is named after Franklin Albricias Goetz, former deputy mayor of Alicante and leader of the local League of Human Rights as well as being instrumental in the fields of progressive science, literature and education.

BENISSA’S health centre at the beach section of the town is well on track to be ready for the peak season as the last of the work is finished off. The auxiliary centre is on Avenida La Marina, next to the tourist office and will have a reception, waiting rooms, a nursing office and medical office. There are also toilet facilities adapted for the disabled and less able bodied visitors.

The site of the new health centre

Splashing the election cash THE PSPV de Calp have accused their rivals in the Partido Popular of “ostentatious” spending during the recent local election campaign. They have submitted an official complaint to the regional Electoral Board claiming that the PP exceeded the

by Simon Russell

expenditure ceiling. The left wing PSPV specified several specific incidents including the closing campaign party which featured a Beatles tribute act and meal for 200 guests. A week earlier

they allege they paid for food for 600 people at a political meeting in the Auditorium and a similar amount at a meeting in the Casanova university campus.

T-shirts, special stationery, social network advertising, banners and leaflets in

Beach health centre ready for the summer

several languages were also highlighted in the complaint. They have asked the electoral board to request invoices for all the items and activities they have listed, presumably to calculate the total spend and whether it exceeded the electoral limits.

by Simon Russell

The commitment to the new centre was made last year by Marina Salud with the promise it would be ready in time for July 2019.

Local residents have been requesting the new facility for several years, with 5,000 people living in the area and far more in the summer when the visitors flock to the beach.

Injured hiker rescued

A Swiss woman in her fifties who got into difficulty on Calpe’s Sierra de Olta on Monday was safely rescued by local firefighters. She was hiking in a forested area with four other people, including two children, when she injured herself on a narrow path and was unable to continue.

An off-road vehicle from the Benissa fire brigade was

by Simon Russell

able to reach the woman and then transferred her to an ambulance which then drove her to the local health centre. The local authorities always stress the importance of carrying a fully charged mobile when you are hiking anywhere remote, guidance this group followed.

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Helping the students

THERE was a new by Simon Russell addition to the graduation ceremony at the IES Collaborating companies Number 1 of Xabia when included Balearia they recognised the local Maritimas, Pons Quimicas businesses and public services that had helped their students throughout the school year. Department head Tere Gisbert said “without the in-work training programme student training would be very limited. This is where they acquire skills, knowledge and commitment as well as the reality of the working environment”.

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SL and the European Friends Association.

From the public sector thanks was given to Denia Hospital and the town hall.

JaveaLocal&WhatsOn Music, quiz and antiques

ANIMAL charity Akira has three events coming up before the end of this month, all contrasting enough that there will be something for everyone. Saturday 22 June is the Party Under the Stars with the OK Band at Finca Abril in Benissa. The €15 entrance fee includes a BBQ as well as the evening’s entertainment. There will also

by Simon Russell

be a bar - contact Pauline on 625 767 781 or e-mail finca. abril@gmail.com for more information (booking essential please). Thursday 27 June is the quiz night at El Martillo in Moraira, the last such event of the summer. The €10 donation includes a buffet supper, prizes and a raffle. Contact Christina

on 648 853 019 or e-mail Secretary@akira-animals. com for more information or to reserve a table. The final event of the month is the Antique and Collectors Fair at Salon Canor on Sunday 30 June which runs from 9am to 3pm. Entry is free with plenty of parking and food and drinks available - keep an eye out for Akira’s stall when you visit.

Death of a model citizen

JAVEA said goodbye to one of its best loved residents this week after Señora Carme Miquel died earlier in the week aged 74. Carme was a teacher who did a lot of other good work for the town for which she was awarded the 9 d’Octubre Vila de Xabia prize for civic values in 2006. She

by Simon Russell

was also a member of the Valencian Academy of Language, an author whose works included “A summer in the Marina Alta”, newspaper columnist and staunch supporter of feminism. Her funeral was held on Wednesday at the municipal cemetery.

Quartet of charity dinners JAVEA’S Parador Hotel is hosting a series of charity dinners over the summer, all to benefit local and national good causes.

Three of the charities are based in Javea, the Red Cross, Todos Juntos and the Asociacion de Autismo and the fourth is the Jaen Tara Animal Protection centre.

The dinners will be

by Simon Russell

an aperitif plus three courses and drinks for €40, all including live music. The Parador will donate €5 to each chosen good cause per diner. The first event is 29 June starting at 9pm in aid of the Javea Autism Association.

Future dates are the 6, 12 and 20 of July.

Junior chess champs T W E N T Y youngsters from all over Alicante province participated in the XXIV Fogueres Xabia Chess Tournament for schools last week.

All are members of chess clubs in their own municipalities, something the tournament aims to promote as both an extra curricular and school activity. There

were five different age categories from under 8 to under 16 as well as one for parents with the winners being Francesc Fernandez, Kiril Videmov, Angel Perez, Andrey Smirnov and Toni Perez. The 2018 outgoing Fogueres Queen presented the winners with their trophies.

Riding the waves OLIVA’S long stretches of beach and regular sea breeze make it one of Europe’s top spots for the sport of kite-boarding and the Spanish league is moving there for its second round this weekend.

The event starts today at Plaza PauPi and continues until Sunday with plenty of other

activities going on.

These include free demonstrations for children at the BoatKite school on Saturday and Sunday, from 11am until 1.30pm. Over 60 competitors are due to take part in an international field and good crowds are expected to watch as the event coincides with the San Juan fiestas.

Students a cut above the rest THE latest batch of students to finish their Denia Creama course were 15 youngsters aged between 15 and 21 who have been studying hairdressing and commerce. They were awarded their diplomas by

by Simon Russell

Denia’s newly re-elected mayor Vicent Grimalt after completing the course which started in October last year.

The programme is fully subsidised with Creama

helping both youngsters such as these find their first job and also older unemployed people who are given the chance to train or retrain. As well as Denia the pupils came from Benissa, Pedreguer, Javea and Pego.

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Business & Money

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BRITISH companies look set to cut their investment by the most in 10 years in 2019 as the Brexit crisis drags on, weighing on future economic growth prospects, according to a survey published this week.

Business investment - key for productivity and pay growth - was forecast to fall by 1.3% this year before growing by only 0.4% in 2020, the British Chambers of Commerce said.

The BCC nudged up its overall economic growth forecast for 2019 to 1.3%, reflecting a surge in stockpiling by companies before the original Brexit deadline in March.

But the employer’s group cut its

by Alex Trelinski

forecast for growth in 2020 to 1.0% down sharply from a previous estimate of 1.3% - before only a marginal pickup to 1.2% in 2021.

BCC Director General Adam Marshall said companies were unable to press on with long-term plans because of the continued uncertainty about Brexit, which now has a deadline of October 31st..

“Businesses are putting resources into contingency plans, such as stockpiling, rather than investing in ventures that would positively contribute to long-term economic growth,” Marshall said.

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Business communities expect the next prime minister to quickly find a sensible and pragmatic way forward to avoid a messy and disorderly Brexit.”

The contest to replace Theresa May will end next month with Boris Johnson the hot favourite to win.

In a blow to any possibility of renegotiating the withdrawal agreement, as most Tory leadership candidates have suggested, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg this week, have strongly emphasised that there was no chance of that happening, though the wording on the future relationship with the UK could be changed.

Drop in sales for sporting giant Absenteeism hits new high SPORTS equipment and clothing mega-store chain Decathlon had a 3% drop in sales across Spain in its last fiscal year, they announced this week. This equates to 1,500 million euros and CEO Javier Lopez said that the results were “not as satisfactory as we are

by Simon Russell

used to”. One of the issues has been new store layouts which Lopez admitted confused customers and undoubtedly meant some lost sales as people failed to find what they want. A poor online presence was

also cited, something that is now being addressed. One initiative from the retailer is extending their two hour delivery time, currently only available in Valencia, Vitoria and Tenerife, across the whole of Spain. Customers pay a fee for the premium service, currently €5.99.

ABSENCE from work through sick leave in Spain hit its highest level in 2018, slightly above the previous high in 2009. The average across Spain was 86.7 hours per employee over the year with an average contracted work hours of 1,630 per annum.

by Simon Russell

The Basque Country has the highest regional rate at 125.5 despite having the lowest agreed hours of work per employee. The Valencian Community has one of the lowest rates, 76.1 hours per employee

and the Balearics is the least overall at just 43.6.

A survey of businesses found that management thought that around 8% of the leave was unjustified or for very minor medical reasons that should not stop people from coming to the workplace.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

21

Business & Money

Investing in Volatile times

By Christina Brady BLACKTOWER Financial Management

through the various investment options with you and to tailor your investment to meet your needs and attitude to risk and to manage your investments and expectations.

Don’t get greedy and fall for a scam - if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

In these testing times, getting advice from a Financial Management Company that has weathered more than one or two downturns in the market, is essential for your financial wellbeing and peace of mind.

Blacktower Financial Management has been established for over 32 years and has worked with its clients through the good and bad times offering sound independent advice.

At the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019, we saw renewed volatility in the world’s stock markets. This volatility (markets going up and down) seems to have abated slightly in the last month, but investors shouldn’t become complacent as this could return at any time.

twitchy, which can make the situation worse and even less predictable.

It’s a time in the market that counts, not timing the markets - the So here are six principles to follow sooner you start investing and the to ease the ride: longer you invest, the more likely you are to have the potential for Have a plan and stick to it – healthy returns, regardless of shortkeep your focus on your long term term downturns. aims. Don’t let the current market conditions dictate what you do.

No Risk, No Reward - leaving your money in cash isn’t an option Naturally, some investors get Don’t keep all your eggs in one if you want at least the potential to basket – this may be a cliché but outperform inflation. it is so true. Diversification is key, spreading your risk across asset Take advantage of advice – the types sectors etc. role of a financial adviser is to go Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management

Blacktower will be by your side both now and in the future. We are here to help you weather the potential storms ahead. To arrange a professional and impartial consultation, please contact me by email christina.brady@ blacktowerfm.com or call me on 658 892 330. Website: www. theblacktowergroup.com The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

(International) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) 00805B and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

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Business & Money

SAVE MONEY ON A MORTGAGE! A NEW property mortgage law came into effect on Monday and is very important to you if you are looking to get a mortgage here in Spain because it now puts money in your pocket.

Sun Lawyers are right across this piece of legislation, which is good news for saving money whilst you get the mortgage as well as boosting your legal rights.

Under the changes, you will only pay the property valuation fee which will be between 300 and 600 euros, and you can choose any valuer to do the work.

The rest of the mortgage expenses will be paid for by the bank.

If you are thinking of applying to get a mortgage, then we are the people to help you.

Our team have experience in all property matters and all those all important changes to the law.

Sun Lawyers take all the stress out of dealing with all of the legal red tape, with a team that you can trust.

The new law has many aspects of it, but these are some of the key points that we have identified, as you have to pay less.

conditions clearly spelt out, including what their various rates will be in different situations, like changes in the interest rate.

You will also have to visit a notary at least a day before a formal signing to certify, free of charge, that you can keep your end of the bargain, and also that your lender has provided all the correct legal documentation.

Any clauses in any mortgage agreements that don´t comply with the law can see you take legal action, but Sun Lawyers will have made sure that you won´t be putting pen to paper for something that is nor correct.

We have the experts that will pour over all the details for you to make this process straight-forward.

CHEAPER REPAYMENTS Early mortgage repayments will be made cheaper and can only be charged for if the bank will make a loss. The limits will be different depending on the type of mortgage.

REPOSSESSION REDUCED If you get into trouble with your repayments, don´t panic. One of the big new changes in the law is that banks MORTGAGE TAX. cannot enforce a repossession until at least 12 months, and Before the changes, you as the customer had to fork out that can stretch to 15 months if you hit problems later on pretty much all of the costs for your mortgage, but now during your mortgage period. the emphasis shifts to the mortgage lender, though you still have to pay for the valuation.

FLOOR REMOVED Sun Lawyers will make sure that you only pay what the The new law sees the ban of applying a minimum new law says you have to, and you pocket the savings! interest rate to variable mortgages, which means that banks will no longer be able to apply the controversial floor clause BETTER CUSTOMER PROTECTION to mortgages.

A mortgage provider now has to offer written guarantees as to what they are offering to you, with all the terms and

MULTI CURRENCY Customers that have a mortgage in a currency like the British pound will have the right to switch to the Euro at any time, and the lender will have to say how much extra that would cost you HELPING YOU A new body to handle complaints over mortgages will be introduced, but at the moment, the Bank of Spain will be across such matters.

These are just a few of the headlines of the new law that Sun Lawyers have identified, but there are also many other aspects, which will vary from person to person.

If you are buying a property and looking to get a property, then get in touch with us a free no obligation quotation in the secure knowledge that we know what we are talking about, with years of experience on the Costa Blanca.

With all the new complexities of the law, which has boosted customer rights, it is vital to get the right sort of legal backing, which is why we at Sun Lawyers are here to help.

For more information, do get in touch with us at Sun Lawyers, and don´t forget that free consultation.

You can call on (0034) 965 321 193 or email us at admin@sun-lawyers.com

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Home&Garden Sunshine and breezes are lovely, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. A garden shade like a parasol and gazebo protects you from UV rays while a windshield blocks wind and nosey neighbours. Many of the fabrics in our garden shades are washable to keep your outdoors looking fresh.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Home&Garden Add some Style To Your Garden Pergolas not only provide shade, but also add a distinctive architectural design to the outdoor space.

There are a multitude of pergola designs you can choose from to create the unique backyard space around your hot tub. Some inspiring ideas include a retractable canvas shade, geometric screens, and etched roof screens. For extra entertaining value and comfort, seating around the perimeter of the pergola can be built in. You can even include hidden storage inside the benches for towels and hot tub maintenance supplies.

Most pergolas are built out of wood—redwood, oak, cypress, and teak tend to be the most popular choices. These structures are typically stained and sealed to maintain a natural look and offer protection from sun and water exposure. However, if you’re looking to add more personality, pergolas can be painted.

Expert Advice “The most important tip when creating a pergola is to take note of morning and evening shadows and sun positions over your hot tub area,” says an industry expert at AHC Painting and Remodeling.

Our expert goes on to say, “The benefits of a pergola over a gazebo are the openness and ease of maintenance since there’s no roof to clean.”

Different Ways To Get Some Shade Spending time outdoors is one of the most sought-after benefits of living in Spain and one of the main reasons so many people choose to call this country home.

While our comfortable climate allows us to enjoy backyard barbecues and alfresco dinner parties

throughout the year, there your children or dogs can are some steps we have play or relax outside. to take to ensure that our family and friends can Install a pergola. enjoy the fantastic climate Pergolas are permanent, in comfort. assembled and installed structures with an open roof After all, the reason we system. They are rather can spend so much time versatile when it comes to outdoors here is that most complementing a variety days are warm or hot and of architectural styles and the vast majority of days can significantly enhance are sunny. This warm, the visual appeal of outdoor sunny weather also means living areas. This makes that we need to make them a popular choice that sure our yards have lots we are seeing more of all the of shade to help keep our time. guests cool and provide protection from the sun for Install an arbor. our children and pets.

Some arbors are large enough to include bench Add a gazebo. seating on the sides, which Installing a gazebo provides a shady spot to read, instantly adds an outdoor enjoy your morning coffee or room that comes with its catch up with a friend. own shade and protection from the elements, so Build a fence or wall. this is a great option for Fences and walls do not homeowners who have offer protection from the the space and budget for sun while it is overhead, but this home improvement they do provide shade earlier project. As an added bonus, and later in the day when different areas around the properly positioned. This gazebo will also be shaded makes them a good addition as the sun moves through to a covered patio or canopy the sky, which can provide to offer a larger expanse of a protected space in which shade throughout the day.

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Home&Garden Gazebo vs. Pergola - What is the difference?

When it comes to outdoor living, nothing is more relaxing than sitting in a gazebo or walking through a pergola.

Every spring there are more and more gazebo and pergola designs to accent that special area of your yard. But how do you choose between the two? Will a gazebo fit your needs or would a pergola make a better fit? Which one will highlight your yard better?

Gazebos

A gazebo is a large, octagonal structure in a private or public garden space, often used as a location to congregate and relax.

In the late 18th century gazebos were built into hillsides to accentuate the grandiose countryside views and also

Gazebo

doubled as a way to watch for intruders.

They are typically open on all sides, but nowadays they can be screened in for protection from insects. Some communities build them large enough to double as a bandstand.

Most permanent gazebos are built of wood, but you can get a less expensive, less permanent gazebo as well. Less permanent gazebos are more like a screen tent. Even though they are temporary, they still add a bit of zing to your yard. The frames are usually aluminum and can be assembled within hours. Because most of them are square they aren’t a true gazebo, but that is what manufacturers are merchandising them as. Kits for gazebos can be purchased online or at big box hardware stores.

And for the adventurous, there are sites where you can design your own gazebo.

Pergolas

A pergola is a structure with posts or pillars supporting cross-beams and an open lattice, forming a shaded walkway, passageway or sitting area.

Pergolas are prominent garden structures in desert climates, but are growing in popularity elsewhere. They are more popular in warm climates because pergolas provide a place for vines to grow, and in turn, the vines provide shade. Currently, pergolas don’t necessarily have to have vines to provide shade. Some of the newer designs put lattice on top of the cross rafters that provide dappled shade, but still let a lot of sun shine through.

PERGOLAS

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Home&Garden

BricoMaderWood Specialists in wood When it comes to wood for your home then there is one particular company that has all of the credentials and tick all of the boxes to provide a first class product and service. BricoMaderWood are not only professional but also have the experiences for more than a decade to guide anyone through purchase for their home.

Helping you to decide on the best product solution for many popular home and garden improvements.

The products include Pergolas, Arbours, Porches, Gazebos, Decking and Fences, take a look at some of the examples here and then contact Bricomaderwood for a free no obligation quotation. Whatever your choice is the professionals at

Bricomaderwood will be able to offer you a fitting service using skilled carpenters that guarantee the quality of installation keeping your investment in safe hands.

Wooden huts and sheds give you the best solution to extend the storage space and keep all garden and terrace products in order. Wooden Pergolas the

perfect complement for gardens, attics, terraces ‌ Provides a shaded area and sun protection Gazebos on one, two or four pillars, with personalized design and different types of finishes. It is Ideal to enjoy being in a terrace or garden all year round.

Porches with all style of Wo o d e n Porches can be used very usefully for expanding the outdoor space of your house and enjoy all year round. Wooden carports for protecting cars. A good solution for them, who do not have a garage at home or need extra space Fences & Lattices with a custom design and installation of fences for swimming pools and gardens, lattices and railings.

Wood decking, walls and ceilings for an interior and exterior as well (swimming pools, terraces Wide range of slats in various natural dimensions, solid autoclave, tables, tongue and groove, waterproof boards, pine modules, screws, fittings, waterproof fabrics and other materials. The timber

can be viewed at the yard in Ondara at Av Alacant 67, they also have some timber structures on display. You can discuss your requirements and find out all about the options available. Custom Designs and Personalized Projects Cutting size of Slats for Free Professional Consultancy THE BEST PRICES We offer high quality products for very competitive prices. Our huge experience made us devoted to the excellence and quality at a very affordable price.

TOTAL GUARANTY We work with premium pinewood from the Baltic countries, treated in autoclave to ensure their durability in the exterior. Professionalism We help our customers to turn their projects into reality. We carry out tailor-made projects adapted to their demands Find us in: Av. Alacant, 67 03760 Ondara (Alicante) Tel. +34 618 056 650 info@bricomaderwood.com

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DIY & Home Improvement Quick fixes anyone can perform

It’s a common misconception that you need at least some skill with your hands to improve your home. This simply isn’t the case. Here are some quick fixes anyone can perform, all of which come with little fuss and plenty of satisfaction.

Door hinges

One of the most irritating things in life is a squeaky door hinge. Simply spray a little WD-40 onto the hinges, moving the door back and forth to make sure the liquid is worked in, and you should be set. No WD40? No worries, rubbing petroleum jelly in can also do the trick.

Squeaky floor

Jammed sliding windows and doors

Use silicone spray lubricant, available from all good hardware stores, applied to a rag. Wipe the rag along the tracks, and soon you’ll have smooth runnings again. This works whether the tracks are metal, wood or plastic.

Old decals

Spray the decal with WD-40, and if possible try to work at the edges and get the liquid underneath a little. Allow to sit for a few minutes then gently begin to scrape from the edges using a credit card, ideally old just in case it snaps. If you need to degrease the surface afterwards use washing up liquid.

Although only a temporary solution, you’d Tired cushions be surprised what a little talcum powder Place the offending cushion(s) outside in can do when it comes to silencing creaking the midday sun for a few hours, turning them floorboards. over as you would a piece of meat halfway through. Thanks to the evaporation of any Worn caning moisture stored inside the cushions should Over time, the caning on chairs is likely start plumping up, providing there’s some to sag. You can easily tighten this up with a life in the old pillow yet. sponge and warm water, rub the water in and allow to dry overnight, repeating if necessary.

Linoleum scuffs Rub the scuff with white toothpaste, using Stained tub a dry cloth. Alternatively, you can use a Mix equal measures of cream of tartar pencil eraser. Or, if you have some to hand, with baking soda and enough lemon juice our old friend WD-40 can work just as well. so that a paste forms. Rub this into the stain Once you’re done degrease with washing up with a cloth, allow around half an hour for it liquid and water. to sit, and then rinse thoroughly with water.

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Health&Lifestyle

Euro Travel Zone Shrinks For Brits The regularly-voiced desires of family, friends and colleagues to jet off to the sun would make you think that Brits are constantly heading to the Continent.

But in fact, one in four UK travellers hasn’t ventured into Europe in the last five years as holidaymakers shun their dream destinations in favour of tried and tested locations.

And despite 88% of the nation wanting to see more of Europe, one in five of us has only ever been to one other European country in our lifetime, if any.

Cost, the prospect of over-complicated journeys and not being able to speak the local language are the most common barriers preventing us from exploring Europe, according to a new survey of 2,000 adults.

As a result, holidaymakers are now far more likely to opt for a tried and tested destination within their safety zone, rather than exploring the Nordic region of Europe that houses many of the dream destinations they actually wish to see. The top five countries on the UK’s wish list currently include Italy, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

Unfortunately, the decline in European travel has also had a detrimental effect on the nation’s general knowledge, especially among the under 45s whose prime travel years have been worst hit by the economic climate.

Over 40% of those quizzed didn’t know that Russia was a European country and a further 31% thought that Iceland fell outside of Europe too.

A third of those surveyed couldn’t name the countries that make up the Benelux and almost one in ten didn’t know that the Berlin Wall is in Germany.

When it comes to foreign currency the survey shows we are equally challenged, with one in five unable to recognise the Polish Zloty as a European tender and one in ten believing that Lev, the Leu and the Krona didn’t qualify as European currency either.

Almost half of us can’t speak a European language. Of those who do, French is by far the most popular with 31% being fluent in the language of love mere nine per cent who have Spanish.

Huw Williams, Marketing Director at Leger Holidays which conducted the research, says: “Europe holds some of the most exciting and vibrant destinations in the world and it’s disheartening to see that people aren’t making the most of these locations, especially since they’re right here on our doorstep.

“We were equally shocked to hear the reasons that people gave for limiting themselves to certain destinations and giving up on their ideal holidays. If the thought of visiting somewhere unfamiliar causes any concerns, there are numerous escorted tours and services available which offer additional support and

expertise.

“We’d also challenge people to look outside of the more obvious ‘budget’ sector where certain airlines or networks will dictate which destinations you’ll be able to access. There are plenty of other options available on the market; many of which offer great value for money and a chance to venture off the beaten track, or a specific holiday resort, to experience more of what that location has to offer. “There’s only so much you can learn from reading books and travel guides. Experiencing a country, and its cultures, first hand is one of the most valuable and memorable ways of truly taking in a destination and we’d encourage anyone wanting to know more about Europe to go and experience it for themselves.” The research also revealed that the average UK resident has only experienced 17% of Europe - seven out of 41 countries.

Top 10: Most Visited European Countries 1. France 2. Spain 3. Germany 4. Italy 5.

Belgium 6. Greece 7. Ireland 8. Netherlands 9. Portugal 10. Austria Top 10: Least Visited European Countries 1. Greenland 2. Albania 3. Ukraine 4. Serbia 5. Lithuania 6. Latvia 7. Bosnia 8. Estonia 9.

Liechtenstein 10. Romania

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Health&Lifestyle

Haemochromatosis

What is it?

Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition in which iron levels in the body build up slowly over many years.

This build-up of iron, which is known as iron overload, can cause unpleasant symptoms. If it isn’t treated, this can damage parts of the body such as the liver, joints, pancreas and heart.

Haemochromatosis most often affects people of white northern European background and is particularly common in countries where lots of people have a Celtic background, such as Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Symptoms of haemochromatosis

Symptoms usually start between the ages of 30 and 60.

Common symptoms may include: Feeling very tired all the time (fatigue) Weight loss Feeling weak Pain in joints Men, maybe unable to get or maintain an erection In women, irregular periods or absent periods

When to see your Doctor

See your Doctor if you have: Persistent or worrying symptoms that could be caused by haemochromatosis – particularly if you have a northern European family background A parent or sibling with haemochromatosis, even if you don’t have symptoms yourself – tests can be done to check if you’re at risk of developing problems

Treatments

There’s currently no cure for haemochromatosis, but there are treatments that can reduce the amount of iron in the body and reduce the risk of damage.

There are two main treatments.

Phlebotomy – a procedure to remove some of your blood; this may need to be done every week at first but can be done every few months once your iron level comes down to normal.

Chelation therapy – where you take medication to reduce the amount of iron in your body; this is only used if it’s not easy to regularly remove some of your blood.

You don’t need to make any big changes to your diet to control your iron levels if you’re having treatment, but you’ll usually be advised to avoid: Breakfast cereals containing added iron Iron or vitamin C supplements Drinking too much alcohol

Causes

Haemochromatosis is caused by a faulty gene that affects how the body absorbs iron from food.

You’re at risk of developing the condition if both of your parents have this faulty gene and you inherit one copy from each of them.

You won’t get haemochromatosis if you only inherit one copy of the genetic fault, but there’s a chance you could pass the faulty gene on to any children you have.

And even if you do inherit two copies, you won’t necessarily get haemochromatosis. Only a small number of people with two copies of this genetic fault will ever develop the condition. It’s not clear exactly why this is.

Complications

If the condition is diagnosed and treated early on, haemochromatosis doesn’t affect life expectancy and is unlikely to result in serious problems.

But if it’s not found until it’s more advanced, the high iron levels can damage parts of the body.

This can lead to potentially serious complications, such as: Liver problems – including scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) or liver cancer Diabetes – where the level of sugar in the blood becomes too high Arthritis – pain and swelling in the joints Heart failure – where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly.

For more information or to book an appointment call the Family Medical Centre on +34 966 865 072, emailing us at info@albirfamilymedicalcentre.com or on Facebook www.facebook.com/albirfamilymedicalcentre

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Health&Lifestyle

Advertising Feature

Erectile dysfunction

Erection problems (impotence) are very common, particularly in men over 40.

It’s usually nothing to worry about, but you should see a GP if it keeps happening.

Physical causes

Narrowing of penis blood vessels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Hormone problems h o r m o n e replacement – for example, testosterone, Side effects Causes of erection problems of prescribed medication Most men occasionally fail change to medicine following to get or keep an erection. discussion with GP. You may also be asked to make lifestyle This is usually due to stress, changes. tiredness, anxiety or drinking too much alcohol, and it’s E m o t i o n a l nothing to worry about. (psychological) problems It’s more likely to be an If it happens more often, emotional problem if you only it may be caused by physical have erection problems some or emotional problems. See of the time – for example, a GP or go to a sexual health you still get erections in the clinic if erection problems mornings but not during keep happening, It could be a sexual activity. sign of an underlying health Anxiety and depression can condition. be treated with counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Treatment for erection Your GP might recommend problems depends on the sex therapy, either on its own cause or in combination with other psychotherapy.

Treatments for erectile There’s usually a long wait dysfunction are much better for these services on the NHS. than they used to be, and the You can also pay to see problem often goes away. someone privately.

Call :965 837 553 or visit - www.clinicabritannia.com

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Health&Lifestyle

Stay in work to keep health, baby boomers told Everywhere you look these days it seems like someone is trying to stop you doing what it is you really want to do. From social occasions to wild spending sprees, responsibility is afoot in all corners of society these days. Teenagers aren’t even getting pregnant as much as they used to- a clear sign of the times.

on mental health, which in turn makes us feel more motivated to do things, resulting in either direct or indirect exercise. But when you throw into the equation taking on new professional challenges, you can also add to the benefits better maintained brain function, which could help stave off cognitive decline.

The powers that be- England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies- are now going after your pension, or rather retirement plans, too, and attempting to say this is for the good of your health. Anyone who has ever had a job will no-doubt have automatically raised an eyebrow upon reading that bit, but there could well be plenty of substance to back the claim up.

“People are living longer than ever and so retirement presents a real opportunity for baby boomers to be more active than ever before,” Prof Davies is quoted as saying in a BBC News article. “For many people, it is a chance to take on new challenges - it is certainly not the start of a slower pace of life it once was.

“The health benefits of this should not be underestimated.”

It’s estimated that a third of all British workers will be over 50 by 2020, and that number is only set to increase as economic demands mean more and more people are retiring later, although the actual numbers therein don’t have much room for growth. Already, three quarters of all people aged between 50 and 70 are in work, and 12% of those over retirement age are still in their jobs too.

Many common health problems associated with this age group are lifestyle based, and avoidable through change. This includes things like quitting smoking, drinking less, taking more exercise “Staying in work, volunteering and switching to a better, more Image credit: Michael Coghlan or joining a community group can balanced diet, and many of these are We all know the importance of make sure people stay physically easier to do if you are in a working feeling wanted and useful- it really and mentally active for longer. environment- with a greater chance each day, smoking bans in the of turning up drunk to the office, all does have a staggering impact of having to do some exercise workplace, and the obvious no-no major reasons for this.

#dermaclinicspain

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Health&Lifestyle

Passive Smoking Takes Its Toll On Pets

The dangers of passive smoking are well documented and most of us are fully aware of the risks.

But how many of us have thought about the impact smoking has on our pets - and exactly what damage we are doing to our so-called best friends?

The sad truth is that dogs can and do suffer because of the presence of smokers and continuous exposure to cigarette smoke.

Forced to be a passive smoker, your dog’s life is definitely in danger.

A vet with leading pet food manufacturer Butcher’s points out that cigarette smoke is toxic to humans and as dogs breathe the same air as us, they too inhale clouds of the toxic fumes. He warns: “Therefore their respiratory system is exposed to the effects of nicotine poison, those cells exposed to the deadly substance will result in their neurons dying - such as cells in the brain and nerve cells.

“Dogs with sensitive eyes that are exposed to the irritant smoke can suffer from tears or tearing and conjunctivitis.”

Dogs that regularly breathe cigarette smoke suffer mostly from cancer of the lungs and the sinus area and are more likely to develop serious conditions such as asthma. If more than one family member smokes the greater the risk your dog will be diagnosed with one of these conditions.

He adds: “Long-

snouted breeds are usually affected around the nose and sinuses while dogs with medium and short muzzles suffer from lung cancer.

“The difference is due to the length of the respiratory tract and, thus, the distance that must be overcome to the carcinogenic agent, from the smoke in the nostrils to the alveoli of the animal.

“One of the metabolites of cigarette smoke is found in high concentrations in the urine of animals whose owners smoke cigarettes and it is associated with the occurrence of bladder cancer.”

The impact is more severe on puppies as they have smaller lungs and their immune systems are less developed than older dogs, so this makes them even more vulnerable to infection. They also breathe faster, meaning they take in the chemicals very quickly.

Signs of distress to look out for include your dog wheezing, coughing or struggling to breathe - or if your dog tries to leave the room to get away from a smoker then this could be a signal that it’s making life difficult for them.

Dogs spend a lot of time sleeping indoors where they may be constantly breathing in stale smoke. But not only do they breathe in smoke, but it also accumulates in their fur, making them smelly and uncomfortable, and putting them at risk of ingesting harmful chemicals if they lick their fur.

Smoking also has a negative influence on the canine sense of smell. For working dogs, this is particularly important as smoke exposure dramatically impairs their heightened canine senses. And remember, cigarettes are poisonous to dogs. Make sure you dispose of cigarette butts safely and don’t leave them lying around where your dog could easily eat them.

The advice is not to smoke around your dog but go outside instead, as even going into another room is not effective because 85% of smoke is invisible and does not smell.

Even better, give up smoking altogether and get outside for some more fun with your dog - you’ll both feel much better for it!

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RESIDENCIA CANINA Y FELINA BOARDING KENNEL & CATTERY Habitaciones individuales Ozono Hilo musical Calefacción Parques ajardinados Servicio a domicilio Admitimos todas las razas

Individual rooms Ozono Music Heated floor system Landscaped playgrounds Free home delivery service All types of dogs & cats allowed

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by Yvonne Hollywood, Worldwide Horizons The Republic of Mauritius is an island nation found in the Indian Ocean, around 2000 km from the southeast coast of Africa. Including also the islands of Rodrigues, Agalega and St Brandon, is the largest town, also the capital city is Port Louis.

Initially, under Dutch rule, they decided to leave it to its fate in 1710.

A few years later in 1715, the French decided to take control, calling it the Isle de France. Following the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1814, France ceded Mauritius and it s dependencies ´ to The UK, receiving in return the island of Reunion. The island is renowned for its natural state, with Flora and Fauna found all over the island. This is the main source of Mauritiuś wildlife, with many of the plants here being unique to the island. Due to some species of mammals that have been introduced to the island, some of this fauna and flora is under attack and has been placed on the endangered species list. The island is also, sadly, the only known home of the Dodo, which was made extinct by human activities shortly after the island’s settlement. The Dodo was a distant descendant of a type of pigeon,

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

which, having settled in Mauritius thousands of years ago, and with no natural predator, had lost its ability to fly. This made it a target for the passing ships of the Arabs and Portuguese, being a source of fresh meat for the passing sailors. Coupled with the introduction of new species during the time when it was used as a penal colony for the Dutch, the Dodo was unable to sustain the attacks and died out in 1681. Mauritius honours the bird, including it in the coat of arms of Mauritius. Tourism is one of the mainstays of the island, with people visiting it to appreciate the most untouched landscapes. It is home to over 150km of pristine white beaches, where the Indian ocean offers warm waters to swim, snorkel and explore – it s also ´ home to a huge coral reef which has undergone a massive program of conservation and protection after years of sustained damage by aggressive fishing, land clearing and construction work. Slowly the coral is being cleaned and is beginning to regenerate. With lots of shallow bays and almost entirely circled by the coral reef, Mauritius is one

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Mauritius of the best snorkelling destinations for the whole family. Another attraction is swimming alongside the giant turtles that can be found in some of the bays.

Local travel agents offer excursions to see these, and also fishing and sailing days out too. As with all tourism, choose the operator that offers the most ecologically friendly visit, ensuring that these wonderful creatures will be around for us all to enjoy in the future. The island offers accommodation from North to South depending on your holiday requirements. The North is generally considered to be an all year round destination. Plenty of hotels are on offer in the area of Balaclava, with the closest beach the hugely popular Pereybere.

Most of the hotels in this area also have their own private beaches if you prefer something a little more exclusive. This area is also just a few miles from the

tourist town of Grand Baie, where you can find restaurants, bars and casinos to offer you plenty of entertainment for the evening. Whilst the north offers a more stable temperature all year round, the island does have seasonality, with a rainier season between December and April (the direct opposite of the Caribbean whose prime time to visit is in these months!). Best time to visit is from May to December. Although nothing is official, the main languages on the island are French and English and the currency is Mauritian Rupee, with an exchange rate of approx. 40MUR to 1€. A domestic beer will set you back around 90MUR and an inexpensive meal around 250MUR, making this a good value destination once you have paid for your transport. Hotel accommodation ranges from backpacker to luxury, and the prices range with the same

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

10 most scenic airport landings revealed Private jet booking service PrivateFly has conducted a global poll of the most picturesque approaches in international skies.

It sounds like something of a ridiculous survey, until you call into mind the last time you were airborne.

Night flights aside, few would argue that looking down at everything from the lie of the land to an endless expanse of ocean can be inspiring, and as that ground gets closer the detail in view increases.

After nominations were taken from professionals working in the travel industry the shortlist was put to the public vote, before a final countdown was unveiled which puts Malta as the number one destination to land in 2016.

Renowned for its history, year-round mild climate and jaw dropping natural beauty,

this tiny dot of land in the southern Mediterranean, along with neighbours Gozo and Comino, boast jawdropping vistas from the window seat as planes come into land. Previous winners include Queenstown (2015), Nice Cote D’Azur (2014), the Caribbean island of St. Maarten/ St. Martin (2013), and Barra in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides (2012).

Other notable mentions would be London’s City Airport, whereby passengers are landing straight into one of the world’s busiest and biggest metropoles (you can almost see into apartments just before the wheels touch down), LAX in L.A., which offers Hollywood-worthy views of the city’s compact downtown and intimidating urban sprawl, and St. Maarten, which sees planes almost landing on the heads of beach bums lazing on pristine tropical sands.

Here’s the complete top 10: Malta International Airport, Malta Nice Cote D’Azur, France Queenstown Airport, New Zealand Barra Airport, Scotland, UK Saba Airport (Juancho E Yrausquin), Caribbean Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Canada Donegal Airport, Ireland St Maarten Airport (Princess Juliana International), Caribbean Los Angeles International Airport, USA London City Airport, UK

Malta International Airport,

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PORTUGAL has brought forward plans to cap rent across the country, a measure that will take effect from 1 July. The price ceiling varies based on location and size of the property so the rent of a studio flat in the capital of Lisbon, for example, can not

now exceed €600 per month while at the other end of the scale the upper limit for a five bedroom property there will be €1,700 per month. In a complex system, the income of the tenant is also a factor in a move that will be watched with interest by Spanish

politicians. Socialist party Podemos had similar measures in their election manifest while the ruling PSOE party are known to be keen on reforming the rental system which is pricing many ordinary people out, partly due to the rise of sites such as Airbnb.

Av. de La Marina 44 (Calpe Moraira Coast Road) 03720 Benissa (+34) 965 74 78 74 (+34) 667 449 421 info@benimo-villas.com

by Simon Russell

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RENTAL REMOVALS

The number of people being evicted from their properties in Spain for not paying their rent has gone up in the first three months of 2019.

Official figures show that there have been over 10 thousand home evictions for non payment, a rise of five point two per cent on the same period last year.

Unpaid rent accounted for 67 per cent of removals,

by Alex Trelinski

with other factors like foreclosures accounting for the rest, with the overall figure standing at just over 15 thousand between January and March. That final statistic of 15 thousand is actually two point two per cent lower compared to the 2018 returns, which is a positive indication in

regards to the mortgage and buying markets.

There is concern though over problems for less well-off tenants, with consumer groups calling changes in the Urban Lease Law, and a restriction on the levels of rent that can be charged in less wealthy areas of Spain, and equated to the type of housing that is offered.

House under the hammer

ONE of Alicante Cities most emblematic buildings is to be auctioned off later this year, its owners have confirmed. They are the Alicante Association of Surveyors, Architects and Building Engineers who used it as their HQ until 2013 before moving elsewhere in the city. The

by Simon Russell

property is located in the heart of the city centre between Calles Rafael Altamira and Mayor and is actually two buildings purposed as one. It is zoned for residential use and is 1,450 square metres on a plot of 500 square metres. The

owners have promised that the auction, planned for September, will be transparent and fair. The Town Hall are likely to be among the parties interested in bidding for the property as it is rare for somewhere of this size in such a prime location to come on the market.

Half a million empty houses

DESPITE there being a lot of people struggling to get on the housing ladder, Spain still has around 460,000 empty properties.

This is down from the peak number of 650,000 in 2009 at the worst part of the housing crisis but well above the 2005 level of less than 200,000.

Analysts agree that the country is still working its

by Simon Russell

way through the housing stock that accumulated after the economic bubble burst. 85,000 of the unsold properties are in the Valencian Community, around 20% of the national total. Half of these are in the Alicante region, the highest for any Spanish province.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

When it’s time to... change!

A New Brand Identity that Reflects Our Values Benimo-Villas estate agency has been established on the Calpe-Moraira coast road for more than 25 years. Over the years, they’ve seen many changes not least, the passing of the business from father to daughter. The agency is now run by Karin Mühlemann, a native Swiss national who since taking over has infused the business with a modern dose of fundamental Swiss values.

that in order to reflect their values, adopting Swiss colours of Red and White was not only clear but perfect for standing out in a crowded market. Promotional materials have been changed to adopt this stronger identity and enhanced using imagery that amplifies these Swiss values. When you think of Switzerland you think of cows, alpine meadows, trains (that run on time), chocolate, cheese and the Alps. It’s no accident that these images appear In 2018, Karin realised that it was time to in Benimo-Villas’ marketing materials. change the look and feel of the company’s branding. Against a background of increasing Their new slogan “when it’s time to move” competition, she realised that it was important also plays on the Swiss quality of being on to let people know about the Benimo-Villas time. Not only does it address sellers, but heritage and explain what makes them clearly reflect that Benimo-Villas passionately different, helping them make an informed believe that getting things done on time is one choice as to why to choose Benimo-Villas to of the most important things any agency can either sell or find their property. do to alleviate the stress of selling or buying Benimo-Villas uniqueness comes down to a property. their Swiss heritage The Swiss are known As Karin put it “we couldn’t be more delighted for 3 main things: quality, timeliness and with our new branding and can’t wait to show friendliness. When you add Benimo Villas’ people why being Swiss gives us the edge in considerable experience it makes for the truly serving our customers needs and getting perfect cocktail of skills that clients require properties sold”. to ensure their property is sold with the minimum of fuss and maximum efficiency.

Benimo-Villas can be found on the Calpe-Moraira Coast road When it came to designing a new logo (Av. de La Marina 44) and can be contacted and brand identity, Benimo-Villas turned by phone on (+34) 965 74 78 74 or to ALGO-marketing. Through a series of by email at info@benimo-villas.com structured meetings and ideas, it became clear

BUYING OR SELLING YOUR PROPERTY?

www.benimo-villas.com

SWISS PEOPLE, SWISS VALUES! • • • •

Experience Quality Timeliness Friendliness

Trust us to sell your property

CALL TODAY TO LIST YOUR PROPERTY

Av. de La Marina 44 (Calpe Moraira Coast Road) 03720 Benissa (+34) 965 74 78 74 (+34) 667 449 421 info@benimo-villas.com

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Alex Trelinski’s

Back In

E M I T F O E T S A W A

waste of police ed and There´s just zi Na time, heavy-hand in ip a whiff of censorsh Soviet totally unnecessary.’‘Maybe Germany and thestory of if I’d put ‘this is just a Union about this veteran joke’ I wouldn’t have had a Falklands War lice after people on my doorstep.’ I being visited by po t Brexit presume that the same two making a joke abou cNally, coppers are part of a force on Twitter. Tony Mter from that has suffered big cuts a pro-Brexit suppor ´Maybe in resourcing but still had Cumbria tweeted: military time to make an appearance it’s time for a it out’. in something taken straight coup to sort Brex officers out of the playbook of Amazingly two tabulary a dictatorship. A force from Cumbria Cons me to spokesperson blandly said:appeared at his hoe. ‘The ´We were made aware of give him some advic gue-in- concerns and our officers tweet was just a t­onre­mark,’ gave advice regarding the cheek, off-­the-cuff n’t start post´. Britain really is going Tony said. ‘I could was a bonkers. a military coup! It

!

SE E E H C Y A S T S JU to wed allo g bein te from I wonder what old Wallace was duces

from the Wallace and Gromit cartoons would make of the news that his favourite cheese is to help power hundreds of homes. The Wensleydale Creamery has signed a deal to supply whey from its factory in the Yorkshire Dales to a biogas plant. It will then be broken down to produce gas in a process called anaerobic digestion. It prevents food

rot in landfill where it pro carbon-rich methane, the company said. The white, crumbly cheese was first made by Cistercian monks in the 12th Century but was not produced on a commercial scale until the 1890s. I suspect that cheese fan Wallace, with all his great inventive abilities, would have strongly approved of this new venture!

SWEEPING STUPIDI TY

One thing that I don about Britain is the ´t miss load of rubbish. Sorry, I’m not nonsensical enforcement ofalways doing it. The broom stays. I’ve and safety laws, which health been managing factories for over baffling as the farce that is are as 40 years and never have I come Take the case of a London furBrexit! across such a joke.´ ´ ‘This isn’t something I maker, who says he has niture can told not to use a broom to been choose to do or not do. I’ve been sw eep told I have to ban the up because it can be har use of dry health. Michael Northcroftmful to sweeping and must confirm with cla ims them by a particu health and safety bosses warned complied with thelar date that I’ve him that sweeping sawdus ir requirement The Health and Saf s.´ dangerous, and he should payt was ety £2,000 industrial vacuum for a Executive have refused to cle ane r. comment to the me Mr Northcroft claimed He dia about Safety England (HSE) toldalth and this, as they have a policy of not him he speaking about individ was exposing his 10 wo ual cases ‘a substance hazardous torkers to that they are working on. hea lth, Perhaps they namely airborne wood dus t’ at his away and replac should be swept factory in Leyton, east Londo ed by a bod has common sense as a ma y that I liked his response:- ‘It’n. ntra? s a

Britain PRICKLY WARNING

as toads, or deer and I always hated the site livestock. a of a killed hedgehog on s The Department for UK road, so it´s good new Transport says it hopes idents that new signs featuring rn to help prevent acc them are to appear to wa l and reverse a decline in motorists of potentia wildlife numbers. hazards caused by the Recent estimates put er spiny creatures and oth the hedgehog population small wildlife. in England, Wales and They will be placed Scotland at about one in areas with largeh million, compared with 30 numbers of animals suc , million in the 1950s, and as hedgehogs, otters hopefully, this will help squirrels and badgers. us to turn round this massive Current signs foc h downturn. on smaller species suc

YELLOW STICK UP

Dorset Police said Vonderdell Laurence pointed the fruit, covered in a plastic bag, at a cashier in the branch in Bournemouth and demanded cash.

He escaped with £1,100 in cash and handed himself in shortly afterwards.

Vonderdell admitted robbery and possessing an imitation firearm at

Crown Bournemouth Court, after admitting to approaching one of the tills in March.

He told the female cashier: “This is a stickup, give me the cash,” before walking out of the branch.

Presumably, there will be plenty of bananas for him to chomp on during his stay at Her Majesty´s Pleasure?

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

BY ROYAL COMMAND

37

ol room to y through to the contrhad indeed da sy bu a en be ve ha st een It mu tlet in check if the Qu for a Domino’s Pizza ouled to ordered a pizza,’ they said.

London, after they fais being ‘The next thing the copper said realise that their leg wa a £46 was ‘Sorry sir, Elizabeth is the pulled as they fulfilled abeth’ name of the Queen – and she order to deliver to ‘Elize. The lives at Buckingham Palace. at Buckingham Palac ered to I think someone is winding pizzas were duly delivaddress you up.’ Domino’s said they the central London where tracked the order to a store earlier this month, ery guy in London Victoria, where security told the deliv ke and payment had been promised there had been a mista za. A upon delivery. Perhaps it was on a wind-up, there was no call for piz paper Wills or Harry sty really fancy aje source told the Sun news M r pped by or did He without that the driver was sto s. a deep crust special, cer offi e ? ow kn y od two armed polic yb ioed letting an ‘One of them then rad

Hard 38

Rose_0007_H1 Puzzles

ta Roset ROSETTA

STAR PUZZLE FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019 Difficult Star 0009-Grid_D1

5

1 2

Puzzle Star STAR PUZZLE

3

4

A Rosetta is made up of a 7 6 centre coloured hexagon Example encircled by 6 white hexagons.

To complete the puzzle, fill in all 7 Rosettas with each number between 1 and 7 in no particular order while also ensuring that :

www.weekender.news

Daily Codeword

CODEWORDS 24 January 19

To complete the puzzle fill in each of the empty hexagon cells with numbers between 1 & 7 following the 3 rules below; 1. No numbers in a horizontal line can be repeated.

2. No numbers in a diagonal line can be repeated.

3. No numbers in the 7 gray hexagons can be repeated.

1. No number is repeated in a horizontal row 2. Each number from 1 to 7 are represented in the 7 grey coloured hexagon cells.

© 2011 Engaged Learning

© Engaged Learning

Sudoku

Easy

* Note that each white hexagon belongs to a line of 7 that must contain each of the numbers between 1 and 7.

ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Hard

Medium

Copyright © 2018 Best for Puzzles

http://bestforpuzzles.com/dc/print.html?puzz=daily-codeword-190124

Puzzle Solutions DROP QUOTE

For a complete explanation on how this puzzle was solved visit www.hexaliagames.com “To judge the real importance of an individual, we should think of the effect his death would produce.”

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

CODEWORD

Stardoku

Star 0009-Solution

QUICK CROSSWORD

Facebook: @TheWeekenderSpain

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Puzzles & Tarotscope

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD Across

1. Laboratory glass for experiment underground? (4,4) 5. There’s still one abominable snowman (4) 8. Slender girls’s first object (5) 9. Brisk movement of small singer backing Australia (7) 11. Close to neckwear, item of lingerie (7) 12. Famous public school rejected by Duke (5) 13. Discrimination in moving images (6) 15. Leader of people entertained by splendid meal (6) 18. Dance in Burma, after a fashion (5) 20. Odd trinkets containing uranium (7) 23. Gently strike a girl – on the knee (7) 24. Horrible setting for old material (5) 25. Card game providing something for one to do (4) 26. Taste our fresh fish (3,5)

Aries

Down

21st Mar – 20th Apr Ten of Cups You are thinking of family just now, listen to your gut instincts maybe there is a good reason to contact them now. This is a happy card so watch where good news is coming from, life is becoming easier, but time now to remember you get out of life what you put in Lucky Number 27

1. Giant bird a non-starter (5) 2. Short cut in translating English (7) 3. Drunk reluctant to part with money (5) 4. Sculpture reportedly transported (6) 6. A bird regrets losing its wings (5) 7. Working properly as a monk? (2,5) 10. Back university for religious type (5) 13. Relevant article on surgery accepted by experts (7) 14. Southern shopping area that’s compact (5) 16. Condition is poor when ordered to take five (7) 17. Regard wise man we might hear in cold spell (3,3) 19. Accommodation for travellers in remote land (5) 21. Joiner in Rhode Island with former GI? (5) 22. Perspire when cooking a stew (5)

Drop Quotes Drop Quotes are similar to cryptograms, in that the goal is for the solver to uncover a hidden quote. A blackand-white crossword-style grid is set up for each quote, with a number of letters “hovering” above each column.

Your task is to “drop” each of those letters into the appropriate square in each column, until the entire quote is revealed. All punctuation (commas, periods, dashes, etc.) has been removed.

Good luck!

QUICK CROSSWORD

Taurus

21st Apr – 21st May The Emperor

Drop Quotes Source: Peter de Gaston Levis

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An Aries may upset you this week but no need they are not on your wave length anyways.You are the master of your own destiny and this is a great time to push yourself to your limit, get things done that you may have started a long time ago, bring positivity forward Lucky Number 19

Gemini

22nd May – 21th June Ten of Wands

Busy time just now you need to reorganise your life and get rid of anything or anyone that is hindering you. write everything down and choose from your list your new life path, to suit you and don’t listen to those around you who are being negative. Friday will awaken ideas Lucky Number 12

Across 1. Aviators (6) 4. Lump of gold ore (6) 8. Entice (5) 9. Obstacle (7) 10. Common wild duck (7) 11. Unripe (5) 12. True to life (9) 17. Aquatic mammal (5) 19. Aged between 12 and 20 (7) 21. American whisky (7) 22. Shatter (5) 23. A score (6) 24. Surpass (6)

Down 1. Harvest season (6) 2. Country walker (7) 3. Additional (5) 5. Honest (7) Copyright © Puzzle Baron June 20, 2019 - Go to www.Printable-Puzzles.com for Hints and Solutions!

6. Engrained dirt (5) 7. Seat of power (6) 9. Game played with a shuttlecock (9) 13. Gymnastic performer (7) 14. Ridiculous pretence (7) 15. Water ice (6) 16. Systematic procedure (6) 18. Ceasefire (5) 20. English county (5)

Cancer

22nd June – 22nd July King of Cups

It seems other people are ruling your life just now, give yourself a break and stop listening. A neighbour will be most helpful and maybe a new friendship will be opened up. Time also to look at your lifestyle & change those harmful habits. Buying a new garment will cheer you Lucky Number 35

Leo

23rd July – 22nd Aug Eight of Coins

Work should not be the most important thing in your life but it seems to be at the moment, take some time out and relax, things will work out for you and you can start to relax a little more. There will be an opportunity to learn something new and that could change your life Lucky Number 09

Virgo

23rd Aug– 22nd Sept Nine of Wands Your moods are on a bit of a roller coater at the moment, make sure you do not lose a friend by speaking too soon without thinking.

Words once spoken cannot be retracted. Your social life needs a bit of a boost find a new venture get out there and find yourself Lucky Number 39

Libra

23rd Sept – 22nd Oct Three of Coins

There are household jobs to do and you need to get on with those in order to free up some time and start to enjoy life more fully. One of your beliefs will be challenged this week, look to your inner instincts and know change is usually good, then you can decide your destiny Lucky Number 11

Scorpio

23rd Oct – 21st Nov Five of Cups

You seem to lack energy at the beginning of this week but by Wednesday you will be full of energy and things will look much brighter for you. News of a Pregnancy will surprise you & will be a further boost for you and family. A stranger will help you to untangle a small problem Lucky Number 21

Sagittarius

22nd Nov – 20th Dec King of Wands Good luck around work or hobbies this week, take your time with any decisions at this time as a quick decision may not be a good one.

You could well decide to acquire a new pet who will become your new best friend. Exercise is the order of this week, get fit feel good Lucky Number 15

Capricorn

21st Dec – 19th Jan The Lovers

There is a relationship of yours that needs some extra attention, whoever this refers to is feeling a bit left out, and needs some extra time spent with them doing this will bring them back onside and pay dividends for you. You are moving into a period of change go with them Lucky Number 14

Aquarius

20th Jan – 19th Feb Two of Coins

This week is all about balance within your life including work and relationships, saving money and spending money. Find the balance and you will have a good week, you also will need quite a bit of patience on Wednesday and Thursday as others test that patience Lucky Number 32

Pisces

20th Feb – 20th Mar Page of Cups

A wonderful week is foretold for you full of playful fun and imaginative happenings, this is a great time to plant seeds for the future, any plans you have on hold get them out and get on with them. A family member will need som cheering up but in your mood the will be easy Lucky Number 20

Andy Mansell’s

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Stars In

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Macawful

80 years of OZ

Hard to believe that The Wizard of Oz turns eighty years old this year and is still seen as a cinematic jewel.

It cemented Judy Garland has a major Hollywood star, earned numerous awards and five Oscar nominations (as well as a win for Best Original Score) and in the decades since has become one of the most watched movies ever and its song, ‘Over the Rainbow’, is a timeless classic. However, the actress was 17-years-old and on contract with MGM when she was cast as Dorothy and the producers put her through immense stress and suffering in order for her to look the childish part. MGM studio head Louis B Mayer was said to be instrumental in Garland’s subsequent narcotics abuse. He not only sexually harassed the young starlet but would send spies down to the Oz set to ensure she was sticking to her diet of chicken soup, black coffee and 80 cigarettes a day to curb her appetite. Worse than the Wicked Witch of the North was Louis B.

Judy was on 80 fags a day

Another returning supergroup has left their fans complaining about horrible sound issues at their UK concerts this week.

Last month it was the Spice Girls, who struggled with technical problems and now it’s Fleetwood Mac. Stevie or Ticketholders were Axl? asking for a refund after the first of the legendary band’s two London shows on Sunday night. In certain parts of the Wembley Stadium venue, fans praised the ‘amazing’ and ‘unbelievable’ show, while for others, the sound was described as ‘unbearable’.

It prompted ‘hundreds’ of the 90,000-strong crowd, who paid up to £150 for tickets, to leave the venue early, saying it had ruined their night. ‘Sound is horrendous – Wembley staff can’t do anything about it,’ one fan wrote on Twitter. ‘Can’t hear anything but echo – £150 a ticket – annoyed doesn’t cover it and they’ve moved as few people as they can. Shocker.’

Even more shocking for me was the state of Stevie Nicks face …. She looks like Axl Rose on steroids.

n My Eyes FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Jess pulls out

One of the funniest celebrity s stories of the week for me wa o wh n ma wo ng you about a got a birthday cake with the face of Nobel prize winning physicist Marie Curie on it instead of Mariah Carey.

Siobhan Casey’s Canadian cousin, Harriet Lye, posted a picture of

Jess partied until dawn with Adele and Geri

She may have been on a stratospheric trajectory over recent years, but it seems that maybe the wheels are beginning to loosen on the Jess Glynne bandwagon. She is one of the UK’s most successful contemporary artists, having risen to prominence as a guest vocalist on tracks by acts including Clean Bandit and Tinie Tempah.

Glynne released her debut album, I Cry When I Laugh, in 2015, while her second album, Always in Between, released in 2018, was last year’s most successful new album by a female artist.

However, the singer ran into trouble last week and has been banned from performing at the Isle of Wight festival after cancelling her 16 June set at the last minute. Festival boss John Giddings told the Mirror

? e i r a M r o h a i r a M

that Glynne’s behaviour was “shocking” and “shows no regard for people that bought a ticket”.

Jess blamed anxiety and exhaustion for her absence, but she has now been accused of staying out until 7am with the Spice Girls after supporting the girl band at their final Wembley Stadium date. According to The Mirror, Jess was seen leaving Wembley at 5am on Sunday morning with friends, including Mel B, and went to a nearby hotel until 7am. “It’s so frustrating and a load of bullshit and I refuse to be made to feel like a bad person.”

Said Glynne.

Listen love, I don’t blame you for not wanting to sing at a rain sodden festival, but I could string you up for releasing that track used by Jet 2 Holidays ….. It does my head in!

e g r o e G l r i G Never one to back down from controversy, Boy George has recently opened a can of gender worms, by suggesting that Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner, would be ideal to play him as a younger man. Following on from the huge success of biographical movies, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, last month, it was confirmed that a biopic about the life and career of the Culture Club singer was in the works by MGM although there were no details on the cast.

Shutting down critics who might say Sophie, 23, can’t play the singer as she’s a woman, Boy George continued: ‘It’s really strange but that’s been a suggestion I think that will upset people, which I really like [people saying] “Oh she can’t play you, she’s a woman”. ‘But you know, when I was 17 I would have loved to have been her … that was the ambition.’ Responding to the speculation on being the frontrunner, the British actress Sophie, tweeted: ‘I’m SO down @BoyGeorge.’

George’s autobiography was actually titled Take It Like A Man …… I wonder if Sophie can?

the apparently erroneous cake on Twitter, saying her relative’s colleagues had misunderstood her request for a Mariah Carey-themed birthday cake and instead iced the face of “a very festive looking” Marie Curie on the sweet treat.

It was widely reported in the

Mariah Carey’s aged a little

international press on Sunday and Monday, shared by thousands, and even came to the attention of the American songstress, who responded on social media, saying: “This could’ve been me if only I hadn’t failed remedial math - happy birthday Siobhan.”Haha.

41

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FRIDAY 6TH JULY 2018

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45

Sports & Local News

Marina Alta Golf - Game on 17 June 2019

On Monday 17th June 2019 at the Oliva Nova course, the members of Marina Alta Golf Society teed off to play a singles Stableford game but to some of the players it was in fact a double game as the points scored today would show which player would also be named Player of the year. Of the thirteen players, three were at the top of the Player of the year table with only six points separating them and as such it was more than likely one would win the award as this was the last game of the season. But we all know that the game of golf can throw us a wobbly game now and then so anything could happen. Traditionally the winner will not be announced until at the Captain’s dinner which is on the 25th June 2019.

So, on another beautiful morning for playing golf the members teed off and at the end of the game the winner of the Stableford match was, In 1st place for the second week in a row, it’s that still long hitting David Reid with a score of 37points off a 14 handicap. Bet it was another steady game today Dave, well

done.

Also for the second week in a row in second place it was Peter Gardner with a score of 34 points off a 20 handicap. Betit’s taking the buggy again today that’s doing it, well done.

In third place was Ian Cross with 33 points off a 24 handicap.

NTP. Just two winners, Capt Tony Stevens in two on hole 5, while Peter Gardiner also did it in two on hole 18.

There was no two’s today and as the Capt was back playing we all know where the money went, his charity of course.

The Marina Alta Golf Society is a small but friendly group of players who play every Monday at the Oliva Nova course with first Tee time being about 10.40. If you want to join this friendly group of golfers as a guest then a warm welcome will be waiting for you. Anyone interested please contact Denis McVeigh at mcveigh1@hotmail.com or call tel 638401170 or Alan Tissington at alantissington@gmail.com or call tel 656831893.

GLENYS BEATS THE COURSE BY 4 SHOTS

PHEW A VERY CLOSE CALL With high winds forecast from about 1pm the SAMM Race Officer on June 9th again decided to try to get two races run back to back.

With numbers down slightly than of late as competitors started to leave Spain for the summer months 7 boats, with 12 crew members, came to the start promptly at 11.05am for the 1 hour race. Uno crossed right on the gun with the other close behind and Ginetta bring up the rear 11 seconds later.

Although only 5 to 7 knots the wind was very fluky, swinging from W to S and back constantly. This caught the Topaz out and she capsized at the first mark but was soon up and racing again. It also soon had the boats spread out all around the course as some competitors read the wind shifts better than others.

The last boat finished at 12.06 and the second race started at 12.20, in a 7-8 knot SSW wind, again with Uno fractionally in front and all over inside 10 seconds except the Radial which had returned to shore to adjust the rig and followed 1 minute later, by which time the wind had become S 9 – 12 knots.

This was a much better race with some close battles, especially between the Laser Standard and Uno

just ahead of the Radial and Cuatro, that saw the Laser Standard and the Radial both pull ahead of their rival by a minute at the end of lap 5.

At the finish, the wind had reached 12 – 13 knots and soon built to over 15 but, by then.

Everybody was safe onshore but it was still A VERY CLOSE CALL by the Race Officer.

The popular winner of both races on corrected time was Uno, sailed by Vernon O’Byrne and Paulo Johnston. Great performance gentlemen.

Photo Vernon O’Byrne left Paulo Johnston, right.

For full information about SAMM and the race, program go to https://sailingmarmenor. com/

Today 14th June Montgo G S played a Par or better, we also welcomed 2 guests ex Bogey competition sponsored by the society. member Phil Conisbee and Jason Webb.

Our winner was Glenys Cuming with a score of 4up, 2nd place went to Jan Jones 3 up and 3rd place was John Snelling 2 up. Our nearest the pins today were the 3rd& 16th and these were won by Ross Fletcher and Simon Fox respectively.

We had 2 x two`s and these went to Richard Fox & John Snelling who both received coveted Montgo G S balls.

We had a total of 24 players today and out of these 8 including the winners scored

There was a singles knockout result Richard Fox beat Simon Fox 5+4.

It is now several weeks since Oliva Nova carried out their course maintenance and the greens and the course are now in very good condition.

Next week is the Presidents Cup a medal competition sponsored by The Society.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Sport

FAST AND FURY-OUS!

by Alex Trelinski

Britain’s Tyson Fury says he will beat Deontay Wilder in a world heavyweight title rematch that looks set to take place early next year.

Fury stopped unbeaten German Tom Schwarz in round two in Las Vegas at the weekend, which was his first fight since the controversial draw with Wilder in December.

“I already beat him once so I’ll beat him again,” said Fury.

“He’s going to get a fully match-fit, sharp Tyson Fury.

It’s the biggest fight in world boxing.”

Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said he is likely to fight again in September or October, possibly in New York, before a rematch against American Wilder.

THRILLS AND SPILLS Everything went the way of Spain´s world champion Marc Marquez on Sunday, as he capitalised on a crash that took out four of his rivals to win the Catalunya Grand Prix to extend his MotoGP title lead.

Jorge Lorenzo slid on the second lap in Barcelona and, in the process, ended the races of Andrea Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales.

Marquez avoided the crash and took his fourth victory in seven races this

by Alex Trelinski

season.

The win moved him 37 points clear of Dovizioso in the overall standings.

“I feel really sorry for Andrea, Maverick and Valentino because they are fighting for the championship,” said Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo.

“For them, it is a big disaster and I feel sorry for them.”

Round eight of the 2019 series takes place in Assen, the Netherlands on Sunday, June 30th

CANADIAN QUERY

Ferrari has officially lodged a “right to review” the penalty that cost Sebastian Vettel victory in the Canadian Grand Prix.

The German won the race on the road at the start of June but was penalised five seconds for dangerous driving, which demoted him behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari said they would appeal but changed their minds, and now have chosen a different route to try to overturn Vettel’s penalty and secure a first win this season.

by Alex Trelinski

Right to review is an official process that requires teams to submit “a significant and relevant new element” to the situation to governing body the FIA. The next seven races are in Europe starting with this Sunday´s French Grand Prix in Le Castellet, with defending champion Lewis Hamilton seemingly unstoppable even at this comparatively early stage of the season.

BACK ON TOP Spain´s Fernando Alonso has become a world champion again - this time in sports cars - after a second successive victory in last weekend´s Le Mans 24 Hour race clinched the World Endurance Championship title.

Alonso and Toyota teammates Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi were on course to clinch the overall WEC crown with second place into the penultimate

by Alex Trelinski

hour of the prestigious Le Mans race, but a double puncture for the long-time leading sister car, shared between Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez, swung the race in their favour.

Alonso’s last motorsport championship came 13 years ago in Formula 1 when he won his second and final title.

FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

PLATINI QUIZZED Former Uefa president Michel Platini was taken in for questioning on Tuesday

by French anti-corruption investigators investigating the controversial awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. Platini was head of European football’s

by Alex Trelinski

governing body until being banned in 2015 for ethics breaches. The former France midfielder and three-time Ballon d’Or winner has always denied any wrongdoing.

Qatar beat bids from USA, Australia, South Korea and Japan in 2010.

Platini was taken into custody and questioned in Nanterre, a suburb in western Paris, on Tuesday, and released from custody later that night.

THOMAS CRASH

Defending champion Geraint Thomas says he will be fit to take part in the Tour de France despite crashing out of the Tour of Switzerland and being taken to hospital on Tuesday. Team Ineos said the Welshman suffered “abrasions to his shoulder and a cut above his right eye”, but the 33-year-old escaped serious injury.

by Alex Trelinski

“Clearly it’s frustrating and a small setback,” said Thomas. “But there’s plenty of time before we start in Brussels [on 6 July]”.

Thomas is expected to lead Team Ineos at the Tour de France after team-mate Chris Froome was badly injured in crash at the Criterium

du Dauphine last week, ruling him out of action for at least six months.

Team Ineos doctor Derick Macleod said Thomas had been given the “all clear”, but added that they “will continue to monitor him over the next few days and all being well he’ll be back on his bike very soon”, said Macleod.

ROOKIE MAJOR WIN

American Gary Woodland held off the challenge of world number one Brooks Koepka to claim his first major victory at the 119th US Open at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

by Alex Trelinski

The world number 25 shot a two-under 69 to win by three on 13 under from two-time defending champion Koepka.

“It was special. I never

thought the tournament was over,” said Woodland.

England’s Justin Rose took a share of the lead with a birdie on the first hole on Sunday but fell away with a 74 to finish on seven under par.

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FRIDAY 21ST JUNE 2019

Sport

Can you help us?

Raising Awareness & Fund Raising For Cancer Care Nursing & Advisory Service

OUR MISSION We endeavour to raise funds and distribute them where most needed.

BIG HIT MORGAN

England goes into their latest World Cup group game today against Sri Lanka at Headingley(11.30 am) still talking about captain Eoin Morgan´s devastating innings against Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Morgan scored an astonishing 148 from 71 balls in his side’s 150 run victory, with the innings coming despite the skipper having been a doubt for the game because of a back spasm.

by Alex Trelinski

“I didn’t think at any stage it was going to be my day,” Morgan said. “Getting quite old, running around with a bad back, you never think you can produce an innings like this.”

England is well placed in the group stages and have four matches left having lost just one contest, somewhat surprisingly to Pakistan.

After today´s clash with

Sri Lanka, they then take on the old enemy of Australia at Lords on Tuesday, Four teams will have semi-final clashes to look forward to in the second week of July, and net run rate could prove to be an important factor in deciding who goes through if points are shared, with England and New Zealand so far doing well in that department.

The final will be at Lords on Sunday, July 14th.

We Deliver Support & Care To Those Affected By cancer Please come along and visit both our shops and charity centre located in Javea Park just off Av.de Paris Javea.

Chat with our wonderful team of volunteers and find out about everything we do.

Telephone - 965796846 / 965790129 You can also contact our Lead Nurse

Jayne directly on 965796846.