ISSUE NO. 1546
EWN FRONT EXTRA
Cultural week begins BENAJARAFE’S first cultural week will be held between February 21 and 28. There will be a great variety of free activities, including flamenco workshops, yoga, conferences and traditional games.
Snowy peaks The Axarquia mountain ranges of Sierra Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama and other mountains in the area above 1,000 metres were again covered in snow last Tuesday (February 17).
Top musicians MOTRIL pianist Juan Carlos Garvayo, together with the two other members of Trio Arbos, has won the Spanish National Music Award in the category of Interpretation. The award was delivered by King Felipe IV at the royal palace in Madrid.
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‘Tolkien’ theme park sparks copyright controversy THE theme park inspired by the universe and characters of JRR Tolkien set to be built in Rincon de la Victoria has met with difficulties regarding copyright issues. North American company Warner Bros in Spain has been analysing the project, which is to be called La Comarca (The Shire), since it was unveiled at the international tourism fair FITUR, as there was direct mention of JRR Tolkien. In addition, representatives from the council were accompanied during the presentation by an actor dressed up as Frodo, lead character in The Lord of The Rings’ films, and other characters, which significantly resembled those of the popular fantasy author. At the council, representatives stated that the park would only be based on “the magic of fairy tales, fantasy, elves, which are universally known and do not belong to any author.” Opposition parties have spoken out about the possible legal consequences of the construction of the park.
“The pictures used are really similar to those widely known from The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings’ sagas, and the font used for advertisements is practically identical. We could get in serious trouble,” said a representative of Izquierda Unida party.
The council claimed that the design of characters and spaces had been carried out by municipal experts, so that the town was not charged any copyright payments. “All the concepts will be original, they will not be able to be considered ‘copies’,” said a
council representative. Mayor of Rincon de la Victoria, Francisco Salado, guaranteed that the legal aspects had been taken care of and that the council’s goal was to have the park finished by the end of 2015, with a budget of €1.7 million.
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INDEX News 1 - 14 Finance 17 - 22 Letters 23 Leapy Lee 24 Daily TV 26 Time Out 28 - 29 Health & Beauty 31 - 32 H&G/Pets 33 Services 34 - 36 Classifieds 37 - 38 Motoring 39 Sport 40
ITV CENTRE: Motorists rushing to have their vehicles tested.
Fear of fines causes long waits for MOTs CAR-OWNERS in the province are complaining of the long waiting lists they face when booking MOT (ITV) appointments. Whereas lists are known to get longer at certain times of year and also when test centres suffer lack of staff, this time new measures put in place by the DGT traffic authorities are to blame.
Fines have begun to flood out since the authorities decided to use speed radars and road surveillance cameras to cross-check whether cars caught on camera had passed their ITV obligatory technical tests. This has caused friends and family of those who have been fined to panic and rush to get theirs done.
Meanwhile, the Junta de Andalucia regional government claimed that waiting lists were within the usual ranges at most centres. However, appointments for the one in Malaga’s Guadalhorce industrial estate, the busiest in Andalucia with an average of 1,250 inspections per day, could take a little longer.
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are running an illegal campsite. They offer huts and caves with beds, cupboards and even chairs and tables. They also offer spaces to place tents for visitors and a car park,” claimed Kundmüller, who continued: “They are well hidden within the bushes. They have hot water and a small pool as well as solar energy to charge electronic devices.”
Archaeological visit AN archaeological tour will be held at Almuñecar’s San Miguel Castle on Saturday (February 21) at 10.30am. In deep water THE spokesperson for Malaga’s PSOE socialist party, Francisco Conejo, has received a formal complaint after constructing a pool at his home in Rincon de la Victoria without the necessary permit. Classic piano AMBROSIO VALERO, the Almuñecar piano player, will host a concert on Monday (February 23) at 8pm in the town’s Casa de la Cultura. He will perform pieces by Bach and Beethoven amongst others. Bike day ALGARROBO will celebrate its Dia del Pedal (Bicycle day) on Saturday, February 28. The event will start at around 11am with its departure point at the town’s Healthcare Centre.
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He added that visitors are usually German and French citizens who find out about the place through online social platforms, and pay around €5 per person, per day. When questioned about the matter, the council said it had no knowledge about the alleged illegal site but that during last year, Local Police in Nerja had dismantled half a dozen illegal campsites.
Flamenco: an authentic taste of the real Spain PROUD AND FLAMBOYANT: Spain’s famous dance form.
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SIDE from bullfighting, Don Quixote, paella, sun, sand and sangria, nothing screams ‘Spain’ more than flamenco. The frilly dresses, the plaintive cries of the songs, the flowers in the hair, the intense finger strumming of the guitar and the staccato of clapping hands are so synonymous with Spain that flamenco has been featured in tourism campaigns for the country down through the ages. Originating in Andalucian gypsy culture, flamenco has become a worldwide, symbol representing all things Spanish. Visit any tourist shop in Spain and there will be row upon row of flamencothemed statuettes, dolls, pictures, fans, key-rings, ashtrays and dresses, as the tourism industry learned long ago that flamenco is one of the main draws for
Quote of the Week It’s not the worst injury I’ve seen, but it’s the biggest goring wound I’ve ever had to operate on,’ said Dr Enrique Crespo who was called to operate on an American man who was viciously gored by a bull at the Carnaval del Toro festival in western Salamanca.
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Political event PRESIDENT of the Andalucian Region, Susana Diaz, visited Velez-Malaga last Sunday (February 15) to present the PSOE Socialist Party municipal candidate as part of the political campaign leading to the elections on March 22.
A GERMAN resident of Maro (Nerja) has denounced the existence of an illegal campsite in the Maro-Cerro Gordo cliffs area. Patrick Kundmüller, who stayed at the alleged illegal site for three months, has raised complaints about a situation which he described as ‘embarrassing.’ “There are several plots where a German citizen and a French citizen
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Dealer caught GUARDIA CIVIL officers in Comenar (Axarquia) arrested a Colombian man who was carrying 88 grammes of cocaine ready for distribution.
Illegal campsite claims by expat
Photo: Francesco/flickr
Aiding Saharans A TOTAL of 4,000 kilos of food have been raised by the association ‘Friends of the Sahara People’ in VelezMalaga. It was donated by local schools and will be given to the Saharan community in the refugee camps of Tinduf (Argelia).
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foreign visitors. One of the country’s biggest flamenco festivals kicks off tomorrow (February 20) in Jerez, one of the birthplaces of the flamboyant and proud form of dance. The Festival de Jerez attracts the most famous flamenco artists in Spain, and performers and students from all over the world descend on Jerez to take part in specialised workshops and classes taught by only the best instructors. But for the casual observer, fan, or visiting tourist looking for some authentic Spanish flamenco, the outstanding list of shows over the two-week festival makes the Jerez event a must-visit if you’re looking for that genuine flavour of Spain. The Festival de Jerez runs from February 20 to March 7. For more information visit www.festivaldejerez.es
Number of the week
12.8
million is the number of people in Spain at risk of poverty and social exclusion, and the number finding themselves in the situation is still rising, according to the European Anti-Poverty Network.
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ews watch
Holy words
THE Semana Santa (Holy Week) official Speech of Almuñecar will be given at the Encarnacion Church on Saturday, February 21 at 8pm.
Scottish concert FIFTY young performers from Edinburgh will hold a concert at the Centro Cultural Villa de Nerja today (February 19) at 8pm, featuring popular and traditional pieces. Tickets €5.
Dancing show THE Casa de la Cultura of Almuñecar will host a Classic Dance Performance tomorrow (Friday, February 20) at 9pm. The show features dancers from the professional Dance School of Granada ‘Reina Sofia.’ Tickets are €10 at the door.
New location VELEZ-MALAGA’S Council has announced that the town’s Social Services Centre will be relocated in March from Calle San Cayetano to Calle Hojalateros.
Thieves jailed TWO men have each been jailed for three years for stealing petrol from two cars parked in a Velez-Malaga street and for breaking into a property on the same day.
Nerja flamenco PILAR SOTO’S Flamenco Dance Company will perform tomorrow (Friday, February 20) in the Cultural Centre ‘Villa de Nerja,’ with a show titled ‘Sacromonte.’ The event will start at 9pm and tickets are €10 at the door.
And finally... A WILD boar caused havoc at Madrid’s Barajas airport when it broke through a perimeter fence and caused runways to shut. The beast set off security alarms around 100 metres from the nearest stretch of runway, and an incoming flight from London was delayed by 20 minutes, and another from A Coruña by 10 minutes.
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Fun goes on CARNIVAL festivities will be celebrated in Villanueva del Rosario on Saturday (February 21). Events will start at 4pm in Plaza Blanca, with prizes for best costumes.
Jazz concert AUDITORIUM Villa de Salobreña Jose Martin Recuerda will host a concert by Jitterbug Jazz Group on Saturday (February 21) at 9pm.
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Nerja fills up for carnival HOTEL occupancy in Nerja during the carnival season reached 89.46 per cent. Head of the Tourism Development Department, Bernardo Pozuelo, said part of the
success was due to the advertising campaign carried out at the international tourism fair FITUR in Madrid. Dozens of calls were received at the tourist office by visitors
wanting information on the carnival festivities scheduled for 2015, which showed the great interest sparked by the event, according to council representatives.
Councillor for Popular Traditions, Sandra Jimena, announced that during the parade, many visitors said they had come to Nerja specifically to enjoy the festivities. Hotel balconies were full of tourists who wanted to enjoy the best view of the carnival parade. At the tourist office, 451 National Police station, the councillor was visits were registered charged and released. He during the weekend by then had a meeting with people seeking infortown mayor, Francisco mation on schedules, Salado, who commented: routes and festivities “We have decided it was related to carnival, aptly the best decision for all named ‘Festival of Tourist Attraction’ in 2013. parties involved.”
Resignation over fake training fraud A COUNCILLOR in Rincon de la Victoria has resigned and cancelled his membership of the PP conservative party after being linked to the ‘Edu’ fraud case. Dozens of people have already been arrested in
connection with the fraud which involved fake training courses, paid for by the Junta de Andalucia regional government, but which never took place. Councillor for Employment and Civil Protection in Rincon de la Victoria
Manuel Sanchez said the reason for his resignation was to avoid damaging his public reputation, his family and company, the council and his party and to facilitate his legal defence. After testifying at the
Our View
Headache-inducing motoring problems
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XASPERATING’ would be a fitting word to describe the recent spate of problems, confusion and rule changes regarding driving in Spain, particularly for expats. It would appear that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing when it comes to the Spanish system for implementing new road and driving regulations, and it is becoming increasingly frustrating to be a motorist simply wanting to get around. The issue of UK driving licenceholders needing to change to a Spanish licence is one that is interpreted differently in different parts of the country and national departments often contradict each other. People are now incorrectly receiving fines for €200 for an out-of-date ITV inspection because systems are not being updated immediately.
Speeding fines are due to go EUwide in the near future, and that is bound to throw up another plethora of headaches, questions and confusion. Put simply, nobody really knows where they stand. There needs to be nationwide agreement on motoring issues and better systems put in place so people are aware of what they can and can’t do on Spanish roads. We all love this country – it’s our home – but some of the inefficient systems in place can be at times testing. On a lighter note, we loved the story about the Malaga shoeshine man who, having registered the @riodejaneiro Twitter handle years ago, handed it over for free to Rio City Hall to help them promote next year’s Olympic Games. We think the Brazilian authorities should invite Javier Castano – who earns €30 a day shining shoes – for an all-expenses-paid trip to Rio.
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Malaga flavour NERJA has been chosen as one of the towns to be home to Gastronomy Fair ‘Malaga Flavour’ (Sabor a Malaga) in 2015, together with Marbella, Ronda, Cartama, Antequera and Malaga City.
New heliport THE new heliport in Archidona will be operational by next spring, according to the Public Works Councillor Juan Antonio Lara.
Double expo LOCAL artist Margaret Riordan has added new paintings to her two art exhibitions at Bar Choto Playa (Peñoncillo Beach) in Torrox Costa. The exhibition will be open until mid-March (not open on Tuesdays).
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Gourmet plans for market MOTRIL Council wants to turn the virtually abandoned second floor of its municipal market into a ‘gourmet area’. The market is set to undergo a programme of renovations, with a budget of €300,000, paid for by the town council. With contributions from private investors, the council expects to reach a total budget of €1 million. Infrastructure Councillor Nicolas Navarro and council experts have held meetings to plan the renovation project. “The renovations must be favourable to all parties involved, through an initiative that not only
PLANNING MEETING: Council officials discuss the renovation. upgrades the site but also boosts the market’s financial activity,” said Navarro, who added that representatives of the market
would also take part in the decision-making. So far, efforts are being put towards finding specialist
gastronomy companies, which would like to base their headquarters in the unused second floor of the building. “This would also allow for business owners on the first floor to benefit from modernisation works,” the councillor stressed. Obligations for the company that occupies the second floor would be to give it better accessibility, provide airconditioning as well as escalators, amongst other upgrades. Several companies have expressed interest in the project, which will be put out to tender shortly, the council said.
Cultural classes for foreign residents FOREIGN residents of Motril are welcome to participate in intercultural workshops to celebrate Andalucia Day (February 28). Councillor for Social Services and Immigration Angeles Lopez Cano launched a series of fun classes that seek to help familiarise the foreign community with the many fascinating aspects of the autonomous community they live in. The course runs until
February 25 at the Point for Cultural Exchange in Varadero (Punto de Intercambio Intercultural de Varadero). “These activities are aimed at helping foreigners understand the social, historic and cultural background they are part of, through an ‘Andalucian breakfast’, explanations of Andalucian emblems such as its flag, coat of arms and anthem, as well as the most
representative historic sites of the eight provinces,” said Lopez. She also stressed the importance of learning the Spanish language as, “it is the key that opens the door to social integration.” She also explained that the course was conceived to encourage intercultural education aimed at raising awareness and mutual respect between foreigners and locals.
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Caravanners are told to move on SALOBREÑA Council has forced the removal of caravans and motor-homes from sites in La Guardia and El Gambullon. Owners received notice on February 11 that they would not be able to keep their vehicles parked on the sites and had one day to clean up the area. Salobreña mayor Gonzalo Fernandez Pulido stated that the town was not
rejecting caravan tourism, which helps the local economy in the low season. He explained that there were regulations to be followed and the plots did not have the appropriate electricity supplies or safety measures in place for them. As an alternative, the council has been working on a project to open an appropriate camp-site in the area located behind Avenida de Andalucia.
Flagship pedestrian precinct finished
Tenders roll in for fire station
PEDESTRIANISATION work on Calle del Mar in Torre del Mar has been completed. The street has now become the main access to the promenade, together with Paseo de Larios. Roads and pavement have been levelled and LED lighting installed at ground level. Works were aimed at converting the street into the town’s main pedestrian precinct to strengthen commerce in the area, especially during the summer.
A TOTAL of 43 companies have submitted tenders to build Nerja’s new fire station. Mayor Jose Alberto Armijo said: “It goes to show the interest that large companies have in the construction of these facilities.” The project will be paid for by Malaga Provincial Government, providing €700,000, together with the town council, which will contribute more than €500,000.
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Water supply to be cut in Lobres for one day only SALOBREÑA COUNCIL has announced that the water supply will be cut in Lobres district today (Thursday, February 19), between 9am and 3pm approximately, due to cleaning work. Once the service is resumed, the council has advised
residents to let the water flow for five minutes. In case of having a water cistern or deposit, the council has advised residents not to let any water in until the service goes back to normal. For more information call 958 610 540.
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Better access for Almuñecar school DISABLED pupils at the San Miguel public school in Almuñecar will have easier access as the council has carried out work to eliminate several barriers. Work has reduced the height of the kerb to make life easier for pedestrians and wheelchair users, and three streetlamps that presented obstacles for wheelchairs and prams have been removed. Inside the facilities, a ramp has been constructed between the two playgrounds and unnecessary stairs eliminated.
EASY ACCESS: Several barriers have been removed.
Rincon de la Victoria film promotion TWO short film projects featuring Rincon de la Victoria and made by local directors will receive financial backing from the town council. Head of the Tourism Department, Marta
Martin, explained that the council would support the projects with €500 each, as the films would help promote tourism in the town. The projects will be directed by Alberto Pons and Martin Crespo .
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Business group helps disabled community AN AGREEMENT between a traders’ association and an association for the disabled in Rincon de la Victoria will encourage cooperation between both communities. The Association of Traders and Business Owners of Rincon de la Victoria (ACERV) have signed an agreement to provide the Association of Disabled People of Rincon de la
Victoria-Axarquia (AMIRAX) with financial aid, as it is currently undergoing a critical situation in funding for day care services. AMIRAX has launched a campaign calling for the Junta de Andalucia regional government to fund the maintenance of their new facilities, located in Torre de Benagalbon. Head of the
Association, Mari Angeles Rodriguez, sent a letter to president of the region, Susana Diaz, to explain the situation and another to former queen Sofia to request her attendance at the inauguration of the centre, scheduled for March 20. The traders association ACERV will encourage its affiliates - around 300 local companies - to become members of AMIRAX, with a monthly fee of €10, promoting solidarity from the town’s businesses. Amirax will, in return, 8.50am and 2.30pm as well provide subscribers with a as from 4pm to 5pm. Motorbikes must go certificate of cooperation, through the first ITV which owners can display inspection three years after in their premises to let registration, and every two customers know that, by years after that, according purchasing items there, they are also helping to current legislation. disabled people in Rincon de la Victoria.
Motorbike inspection unit A MOBILE unit for vehicle technical inspection (ITV) will visit Almuñecar so local motorbike owners can use the service. On February 23 and 24, as well as on March 9 and 13, the mobile unit will be
at the town’s sports centre Francisco Bonet. The unit will be open 10.50am until 2.30pm and from 4pm to 5pm, except on February 24 when inspections will be performed between
NEWS EXTRA
Memory training
PARKOUR AD: Filming took place on the beach in Nerja.
Nerja gets physical for filming parkour advert BURRIANA BEACH in Nerja was chosen as the setting for a new advert featuring ‘parkour’ athletes. Parkour is a French, non-competitive sports discipline, in which participants leap and vault from one place to another
as quickly as possible, overcoming in the most efficient way all sorts of barriers and obstacles, usually in an urban environment. Parkour athletes are called traceurs, and their sport requires dedicated training, skill and great physical condition. Malaga athlete Santi Traceur, known for his YouTube channel, took part in the filming in Nerja, which was organised by production company Euromedia for a Dutch bank called Florius, who specialise in providing loans to young people.
A MEMORY training workshop aimed at senior citizens aged 60 years and older has been launched in Almuñecar. Inscriptions can be made at the ‘Los Marinos’ cultural centre. Workshops will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays between 4pm and 6pm.
Poetry victory ALBACETE poet Andres Garcia Cerdan has won the 2nd International Poetry Award ‘City of Almuñecar,’ with his book titled ‘La Sangre’ (The Blood). Prize for the contest is the publication and distribution of the book.
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Arrested for kicking partner in the street A 36-YEAR-OLD man was arrested last Monday (February 16) in Motril when he was caught allegedly kicking and screaming at his girlfriend by Local Police. The incident took place in the area around the hospital, where the
officers were patrolling and were alerted after neighbours called the emergency services. Police say that they witnessed the man screaming at the woman and kicking her in the middle of the street. Officers confirmed that
she was his partner and that they had children together. The woman was lying on the ground with minor injuries and was taken to a medical centre in an agitated state. The man was taken into custody and is waiting to appear before a judge.
Fire in Benajarafe forces relocation
Two injured in accident
A FIRE that broke out on February 12 at a seniors’ home in Benajarafe left an 88-year-old woman injured. She was taken to the Axarquia Regional Hospital. The rest of the 14 elderly residents were relocated to other homes in Velez-Malaga and Torre del Mar in good health. Authorities were alerted at around 5.30pm when a fire started inside a cabinet in the home’s kitchen. The fire brigade was able to put out the fire in a few minutes, preventing damage to any other rooms.
TWO men sustained injuries last Sunday (February 15) after being involved in a car accident in Velez-Malaga. The men were driving on the A-7 motorway towards Cadiz when the vehicle swerved off the road and rolled over. Both men were taken to Axarquia Hospital, where they remain.
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Blood trail leads to stab victim A MAN who allegedly stabbed another man in the leg has been arrested in Salobreña by the Guardia Civil. The incident took place on February 7 at around 3am in Calle Carretera de la Playa in Salobreña, when the victim and the 31year-old suspect reportedly got involved in a fight. The detainee allegedly stabbed the other man up to three times in the thigh with a kitchen knife, then went back to his home while the victim took shelter at the home of one of his relatives. Officers followed a trail of blood back to
the victim, who was lying down on a sofa, bleeding profusely. One of them placed a tourniquet around the victim’s leg and he was taken to Motril Hospital, where he underwent surgery. The victim had not revealed the identity of his attacker but the Guardia Civil investigation led to the man they have now arrested, who has an extensive criminal record. Local Police picked up the man, who allegedly resisted arrest, and carried out a home search, where they report finding a knife and a bloody piece of cloth.
Marihuana greenhouse dismantled in Velez-Malaga NATIONAL POLICE officers have dismantled two marihuana greenhouses at properties in Velez-Malaga. In a search, police found 175 marihuana plants in
different stages of flowering, as well as 100 grammes of marihuana, five grammes of hashish and 10 grammes of MDMA ready for consumption.
In addition, €850 in cash was confiscated as well as mobile phones and devices used to create the optimal environment for the plantation. Four people have been taken into custody, one of them a minor. Two of the detainees have also been charged with another crime for manipulating the electricity supply system. The investigation began when the police were alerted to an unusually large gathering of young people at two properties in the area of La Villa.
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Chef training for jobless FIFTEEN unemployed residents from Molvizar (Costa Tropical) have been given training courses at local restaurant Gasparrico to become chef assistants, thanks to a project launched by Granada Provincial Council.
New archive ALMUÑECAR has inaugurated a new municipal history archive. The 200-square-metre facility was completed in five months and has modern technology to guarantee the preservation of all public documents.
Art expo THE San Francisco Convent in VelezMalaga will hold a painting exhibition on the history of art school San Telmo, which will be inaugurated on February 21 at 12pm and will be open until March 23.
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No charge JAVEA Town Hall opposed Generalitat regional government plans to privatise parking at the port. Parking is already a problem in the area and restricting the harbour would be detrimental to the fish market, sources said.
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Need to know PINOSO asked the central government whether crude oil will finally be stored there. Two six-year licences granted to Invexta Recursos to study the project have now expired, the town hall reminded Madrid.
COSTA DEL SOL
Zombies in Coin ALMOST half the scenes of a Spanish Walking Dead-style television series, Rabia, have been filmed at locations in Coin and the Guadalhorce valley. The series is due to be launched in April.
Greener lighting LED streetlights are being installed on Marbella streets in an attempt to save energy, reduce bills and make the area as attractive as possible, while caring for the environment.
English guide TWENTY thousand copies of Disfruta Mijas Senda Litoral, a user’s guide for the recently completed coastal path that runs along Mijas’s beaches, will be printed in English and distributed at establishments along the route before Easter.
STUDENTS from the University of Almeria have spent some time in the Almanzora valley visiting goat farms. The visits were to learn more about the management of the farms.
Fire fire
Clear speech
THREE graffiti artists were arrested for defacing five carriages of a train held up at Alcoy station. Rail operator Renfe intends to prosecute and will reclaim the cost of cleaning the carriages.
Agricultural visits
SEVEN entrepreneurs in Almeria are benefiting from a cash injection intended to launch new businesses. The businesses include Whatsabi Sushi Tapas, El Patio de Vecinas and Kebap Mag.
A SECONDARY school in traditional fishing town Villajoyosa has introduced a vocational course on fishing to the syllabus. It hopes to attract young people to a rapidly-disappearing occupation.
Paint job
COSTA DE ALMERÍA
Lucky seven
Fishing tackle
FOREIGN tourists reporting crimes at Benidorm’s SATE office increased by 40 per cent last year. Of the 1,750 people seeking help in their own language, 1,148 were from the UK or Ireland.
NEWS DESK
COW SHARK: Had to be winched from the beach.
Two sharks visit TWO sharks recently visited the Marina Baja. One, a bluntnose sixgill shark commonly known as the cow shark, was washed up in Albir where it was found early in the morning by two beach cleaners. The 2.7-metre shark was probably young as an adult grows to around five metres, municipal biologist Jose Manuel Perez believed. It had been dead for around 15 hours, but bore no external wounds and possibly died from the same virus that has recently killed dolphins, Perez said.
The harmless cow shark, which would normally live at a greater depth, could also have approached the shore in search of fish. It was winched from the beach by the Local Police and later collected by Valencia University biologists. The other, a four metre thresher shark weighing 109 kilos, was caught in the nets of Benidorm fishing boat, La Cartagenera, as it trawled a few kilometres from the coast. It later fetched €3 a kilo at Villajoyosa’s fish market.
Russian film festival
Victim protection
MARBELLA will be hosting the third edition of the International Russian Cinema Festival from March 1-6 at the Palacio de Congresos Adolfo Suarez. Original versions of 11 popular Russian films will be screened with Spanish subtitles.
MORE than 8,000 victims of gender violence in the Valencian Community are safeguarded by a computer system that allows police and Guardia Civil to control and protect victims’ movements.
Wanted man caught TORREMOLINOS police arrested a 19-yearold Estonian man upon discovering a Tallin court had issued a European detention order for him. The youth had a pending 18month jail sentence in Estonia for drugtrafficking.
COSTA BLANCA SOUTH
New jobs JANUARY saw 1,050 work contracts signed in Elda, more than any other municipality in Alicante Province municipality. Despite the town’s extensive number of footwear factories, most of the new jobs were in service industries.
ALMOST 30 per cent of 1,087 call-outs for the fire service in Almeria City were for bins and containers. In total, the fire station in Almeria City attended 162 fires in bins, 91 in homes and 75 in cars.
Chacon triumphs FRANCISCO CHACON EGEA from Mojacar Bike has triumphed at the 40 kilometre MTB race in Turre. He was announced the winner after a photo finish with Daniel Estevez Fernandez from Filabres.
Plastic cover ALMERIA Province has 29,596 hectares of agricultural land under plastic cover, 10.5 per cent more than 2010. El Ejido accounts for 41 per cent of the total with 12,286 hectares.
Fines lights ALMERIA Province has provided €50,000 to finance the replacement of 725 street lights in Fines. The new lighting is expected to save the town approximately 60 per cent on its annual electricity bills.
MALLORCA
Gas theft
Tourism fair
SEVEN people have been arrested in Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia, for stealing 200 butane gas bottles from a warehouse in the town.
THE Balearic Islands’ Tourism Agency took part in the International Tourism Fair of Milan, to promote the islands’ tourism attractions to the Italian market.
Motorway fire
Classic cars record
A VEHICLE caught fire a few metres from the exit of Orihuela-Benferri on the A-7 motorway. Firefighters extinguished the flames and no one was injured.
A TOTAL of 365 classic vehicles (290 cars and 75 motorcycles) paraded through Palma last Sunday (February 15) in the largest classic vehicle meet-up ever registered in the history of Mallorca.
Earthquake AN earthquake measuring 2.1 on the Richter scale occurred about seven miles off the coast of Torrevieja. It is the fifth earthquake in the area in four months.
Fallen lamp FOUR people suffered minor injuries last Sunday (February 15) when a street lamp fell on them in Avenida del Tren (Inca).
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business & legal Spain acted on Falciani List in 2013 SPAIN knew about the Falciani List of HSBC clients with Swiss bank accounts almost two years ago. In April 2013 national daily El Pais published dozens of names on the list leaked by former bank employee Herve Falciani. They included that of Santander’s late president Emilio Botin, who paid Spain’s tax authority €200 million to
legitimise a €2 billion fortune held in Switzerland. Other Spanish names included Alfons Godall, former vice-president of Barcelona football club, former Supreme court judge Ramon Lopez Vilas and Fernando Alonso. The Formula 1 driver stressed that he was a Swiss resident and HSBC client until 2011 but neither had, nor
Scramble for Aena shares DEMAND for Aena’s €58 shares was five times greater than anticipated. Part-privatisation plans for Spain’s airports operator were shelved last November following auditing doubts, but flotation finally went ahead without hitches. The government benefited from the delay as the original share price was intended to range from €41.50 to €53.50 but this was raised to between €43 and €55 and then €53 and €58. The final price at the top end of this range put Aena’s equity at €9.7 billion. A relatively low 88,972 requests from small investors allowed a minimum allocation of 25
shares, although just over 9 per cent of the total was set aside for bigger orders. Maximum investment was set at €19,720 for 340 shares. Despite the demand, the government decided not to increase the number of shares available to private investors, although the 21 per cent initially reserved for anchor investors was not taken up. The quintupled demand meant that the offer price was three times higher than London-based TCI, plus Spanish fund Grupo Alba and Ferrovial - one of Heathrow airport’s biggest shareholders had agreed to pay.
B
usiness extra
Blow-out SPAIN’S wind farms had 22,986 megawatt output by the end of 2014. Despite possessing Europe’s second mostimportant capacity, it inaugurated the fewest installations last year, sufficient to produce 27.5 megawatts.
Film facts CINEMAS in Barcelona, La Coruña, Alicante, Oviedo and Madrid are dearer than in any other Spanish city, charging at least €8 per person. Cheapest are Huelva (€4.90), Almeria (€4.75) and Granada (€4.50).
Rumasa makes a profit RUMASA, now publicly-owned, made €191,000 last year. The group was almost bankrupt and its founder Jose Maria RuizMateos owed Hacienda millions in unpaid taxes when it was expropriated in February 1983. It has assets of approximately €160 million through selling Rumasa companies and subsidiaries. This amount must cover
reprivatisation contracts and lawsuits launched by the former owner’s family, the government explained. Last year’s profit came from the interest on investments in Spain’s public debt but Rumasa now employs nine workers instead of 60,000. They deal with court cases and collection and settlement of payments from privatisations.
LA VEU DEL PAÍS VALENCIÀ LA MAREA
A EURO WEEKLY NEWS 6 PAGE SPECIAL SECTION // WWW.EWNBUSINESS.COM
STAT OF WEEK THE 4.48 billion journeys made on all types of Spain’s public transport fell by 0.2 per cent in 2014. Rail travel increased by 0.6 per cent and air travel by 2 per cent.
has, any problems with Hacienda. Spain’s Finance ministry, then headed by Elena Salgado, advised those involved beforehand so they could put their tax affairs in order. This earned Hacienda €250 million in what was described as the biggest regularisation operation ever known. EMILIO BOTIN: Paid taxman €200 million.
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E W N 19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
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C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 16
C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) 3i Group 472.20 Aberdeen Asset Mngmnt 453.75 Admiral Group 1,449.00 Aggreko 1,675.50 Anglo American 1,213.75 Antofagasta 736.00 ARM Holdings 1,059.00 Ashtead Group 1,071.00 Associated Britsh Foods 2,888.00 AstraZeneca 4,513.25 Aviva 540.75 Babcock International 1,063.50 BAE Systems 522.50 Barclays 256.00 Barratt Developments 482.80 BG Group 966.95 BHP Billiton 1,577.50 BP 452.63
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G. -0.90 -0.19 4.85 1.08 -10.00 -0.69 -6.50 -0.39 9.25 0.77 5.00 0.68 -3.00 -0.28 -2.00 -0.19 -17.00 -0.59 -37.75 -0.83 -0.25 -0.05 -3.50 -0.33 -0.50 -0.10 -0.45 -0.18 0.90 0.19 -7.85 -0.81 8.50 0.54 -1.57 -0.35
NET VOLUME 4,602.56 5,990.93 4,064.69 4,309.19 16,878.77 7,214.01 14,906.73 5,415.98 23,029.80 57,581.29 15,976.57 5,368.48 16,516.43 42,394.21 4,787.19 33,369.48 33,138.41 83,059.53
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1.35016
0.74064
Units per €
US dollar ...................................................................1.14153 Japan yen..............................................................135.407 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.06379 Denmark kroner...................................................7.44411 Norway kroner ....................................................8.63291
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PRICE(P)
British Amrcn Tobacco British Land Co BT Group Bunzl Burberry Group Capita Group (The) Carnival
3,610.25 831.00 440.20 1,877.00 1,853.00 1,146.50 2,879.50
C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G.
DOW JONES
NASDAQ
C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 16
C LOSING P RICES F EBRUARY 16
C O M PA N Y MMM 3M Co AXP American Express Co T AT&T Inc BA Boeing Co CAT Caterpillar Inc CVX Chevron Corp CSCO Cisco Systems Inc KO The Coca-Cola Co DIS Walt Disney Co DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil Corp GE General Electric Co GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc HD Home Depot Inc IBM International Business Machine... INTC Intel Corp JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co MCD McDonald's Corp MRK Merck & Co Inc MSFT Microsoft Corp NKE Nike Inc PFE Pfizer Inc PG Procter & Gamble Co TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc
PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 165.94 78.08 34.66 149.73 85.13 112.78 29.43 41.99 104.17 76.18 93.37 25.15 189.00 111.89 160.40 34.36 99.62 59.67 95.65 58.81 43.87 92.04 34.64 85.90 108.00 121.25 109.44 49.31 269.63 85.81
+0.03 -2.40 +0.05 +1.64 +1.60 +1.92 -0.03 -0.18 +0.59 -0.11 +1.00 +0.26 -0.78 -0.27 +1.88 +0.235 +1.18 +0.10 +0.56 -0.07 +0.78 +0.04 -0.23 -0.13 -0.04 +1.66 -0.40 -0.21 -1.28 -0.08
+0.02% -2.98% +0.14% +1.11% +1.92% +1.73% -0.10% -0.43% +0.57% -0.14% +1.08% +1.04% -0.41% -0.24% +1.19% +0.69% +1.20% +0.17% +0.59% -0.12% +1.81% +0.04% -0.66% -0.15% -0.04% +1.39% -0.36% -0.42% -0.47% -0.09%
1.8M 34.9M 16.1M 3.4M 5.6M 7.5M 50.7M 10.8M 5.2M 2.3M 12.1M 33.1M 2.7M 5.1M 3.7M 18.0M 11.2M 16.5M 6.8M 7.9M 40.3M 3.8M 23.4M 6.3M 2.2M 3.8M 3.7M 14.6M 2.1M 5.6M
C O M PA N Y
18.25 -0.50 1.10 -5.00 -8.00 -11.50 -20.50
0.51 -0.06 0.25 -0.27 -0.43 -0.99 -0.71
NET VOLUME 66,927.21 8,476.82 35,679.76 6,299.23 8,276.98 7,667.65 6,268.80
PRICE
CHANGE NET / %
$ 18.43 $ 51.50 $ 2.09 $ 13.84 $ 3.7499 $ 52.52 $ 12.90 $ 3.58 $ 6.29 $ 6.92 $4
4.33 ▲ 30.71% 7.91 ▲ 18.15% 0.30 ▲ 16.76% 1.88 ▲ 15.72% 0.4999 ▲ 15.38% 6.83 ▲ 14.95% 1.61 ▲ 14.26% 0.42 ▲ 13.29% 0.69 ▲ 12.32% 0.73 ▲ 11.79% 0.42 ▲ 11.73%
Zynga Inc. $ 2.24 Career Education Corporation $ 5.34 MediciNova, Inc. $ 3.62 Presbia PLC $6 Ballard Power Systems, Inc. $ 2.66 Moneygram International, Inc. $ 8.6013 Ambarella, Inc. $ 50.71 VelocityShares 3x Inverse Silver ETN $ 50.26 Hollysys Automation Technologies, Ltd. $ 23.45 Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. $ 28.78 Dawson Geophysical Company $ 6.89
0.42 ▼ 15.79% 0.925 ▼ 14.76% 0.56 ▼ 13.40% 0.67 ▼ 10.04% 0.26 ▼ 8.90% 0.8387 ▼ 8.88% 4.46 ▼ 8.08% 4.39 ▼ 8.03% 2.02 ▼ 7.93% 1.88 ▼ 6.13% 0.42 ▼ 5.75%
Most Advanced Rocky Brands, Inc. Columbia Sportswear Company Amyris, Inc. SkyWest, Inc. SAExploration Holdings, Inc. CyberArk Software Ltd. VisionChina Media, Inc. ReachLocal, Inc. InnerWorkings, Inc. Alcobra Ltd. Energy XXI Ltd.
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C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Centrica 279.30 -7.70 Coca-Cola HBC 1,160.50 -3.50 Compass Group 1,118.00 -1.00 CRH 1,819.00 -1.00 Diageo 1,834.25 -2.75 Direct Line Insurance 316.25 -0.75 Dixons Carphone 424.20 -1.80 easyJet 1,723.00 16.00 Experian 1,197.50 -0.50 Fresnillo 854.50 -24.50 Friends Life Group Limited 410.65 0.15 G4S 284.15 -1.65 GKN 378.90 -0.10 GlaxoSmithKline 1,552.00 -1.00 Glencore Xstrata 290.85 4.25 Hammerson 690.00 -1.00 Hargreaves Lansdown 1,008.50 2.50 HSBC Holdings 601.05 2.85 Imperial Tobacco Group 3,014.00 -11.00 InterContinental Hotels 2,601.00 -18.00 International Cnsldtd Air 558.25 4.25 Intertek Group 2,525.00 -70.00 Intu Properties 372.30 -1.70 ITV 230.00 -0.50 Johnson Matthey 3,444.50 -2.50 Kingfisher 343.90 1.10 Land Securities Group 1,246.50 -3.50 Legal & General Group 269.00 -1.00 Lloyds Banking Group ORD 75.60 0.25 London Stock Exchange 2,397.00 -3.00 Marks & Spencer Group 494.40 0.40 Meggitt 554.25 2.75 Mondi 1,258.00 1.00 Morrison (Wm) Sprmrkts 184.15 0.65 National Grid 880.25 -9.95 Next 7,230.00 5.00 Old Mutual 216.00 0.00 Pearson 1,363.00 1.00 Persimmon 1,661.00 3.00 Prudential 1,598.50 -1.00 Randgold Resources 5,092.50 -12.50 Reckitt Benckiser Group 5,612.50 -47.50 Reed Elsevier 1,159.50 -0.50 Rio Tinto 3,152.50 1.00 Rolls-Royce Group 932.75 -11.75 Royal Bank of Scotland 386.90 -2.10 Royal Dutch Shell 2,134.50 -14.50 Royal Dutch Shell 2,221.25 -15.25 Royal Mail 451.50 5.00 RSA Insurance Group 443.25 -1.15 SABMiller 3,538.00 80.50 Sage Group (The) 469.15 -2.25 Sainsbury (J) 267.00 0.20 Schroders 2,946.00 1.00 Severn Trent 1,994.00 -25.00 Shire 5,112.50 -17.50 Sky 929.50 10.50 Smith & Nephew 1,158.50 -4.50 Smiths Group 1,182.50 -3.50 Sports Direct Interntnl 681.00 -0.50 SSE 1,545.50 -22.50 St James's Place 897.50 -1.50 Standard Chartered 955.40 -1.00 Standard Life 401.10 1.90 Taylor Wimpey 141.15 0.65 Tesco 242.90 1.30 Travis Perkins 1,973.00 -7.00 TUI AG 1,145.00 -10.00 Tullow Oil 407.80 2.80 Unilever 2,768.00 -21.00 United Utilities Group 943.00 -11.00 Vodafone Group 231.83 -0.57 Weir Group 1,851.50 -40.50 Whitbread 4,979.00 -21.00 Wolseley 3,876.00 -9.00 WPP Group 1,452.50 5.50
% C H G. -2.68 -0.30 -0.09 -0.05 -0.15 -0.24 -0.42 0.94 -0.04 -2.79 0.04 -0.58 -0.03 -0.06 1.48 -0.14 0.25 0.48 -0.36 -0.69 0.77 -2.70 -0.45 -0.22 -0.07 0.32 -0.28 -0.37 0.33 -0.13 0.08 0.50 0.08 0.35 -1.12 0.07 0.00 0.07 0.18 -0.06 -0.24 -0.84 -0.04 0.03 -1.24 -0.54 -0.67 -0.68 1.12 -0.26 2.33 -0.48 0.07 0.03 -1.24 -0.34 1.14 -0.39 -0.30 -0.07 -1.43 -0.17 -0.10 0.48 0.46 0.54 -0.35 -0.87 0.69 -0.75 -1.15 -0.25 -2.14 -0.42 -0.23 0.38
VOLUME 14,270.68 4,234.03 18,669.33 14,870.32 46,195.29 4,757.25 4,912.87 6,790.27 11,868.68 6,477.30 5,783.45 4,441.44 6,293.41 75,670.71 37,595.21 5,413.60 4,774.02 115,153.73 28,923.29 6,193.36 11,305.69 4,195.41 4,915.76 9,295.57 7,066.59 8,052.59 9,877.70 16,055.47 53,865.76 8,330.43 8,084.70 4,421.69 4,619.89 4,284.87 33,451.12 11,056.58 10,617.82 11,154.51 5,084.18 41,097.32 4,732.70 40,601.30 13,149.37 44,665.81 17,656.66 24,807.90 83,893.97 54,714.01 4,471.50 4,508.76 55,845.15 5,076.51 5,113.82 6,656.36 4,835.79 30,283.68 15,793.47 10,401.28 4,671.92 4,072.55 15,481.00 4,671.13 23,666.13 9,569.12 4,567.86 19,657.64 4,924.32 N/A 3,692.73 35,789.26 6,515.44 61,642.59 4,038.24 9,082.89 10,080.80 19,042.47
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
www.euroweeklynews.com
19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
EWN
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There is no easy solution IF you are in business chances are there are going to be occasions when you have to address an audience. When you are watching someone else speaking at an event it comes across as a bobby’s job. Don’t believe it. For many people, standing up in front of a packed audience, and setting one’s stall out, can be the most unnerving experience of their lives. Curious as to how speakers respond to such situations a test was carried out. Several heroic figures, including a mountaineer and a fighter pilot, were wired up. Whilst doing their ‘day
Talking shop Mike Walsh Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.
www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932
jobs’ the stress of their doing so was barely noticeable. However, wired up when public speaking their heart rate and blood pressure shot up to the red section on the gauge.
Constantly referring to notes as you are speaking, or reading from a written speech, is a no-no. You will still trip over your own tongue, your delivery will be met with polite response, but the impact of what you want to say will be negligible. There is no easy solution. Like much else, some can and some can’t. These fortunates tend to be the exhibitionists of life, the selfconfident. For the rest of us, we would prefer a visit to the dentist. Those called to the soapbox have their own tricks to help them through the ordeal. I cottoned on to mine
when in my early 20’s. I had two tricks up my sleeve. I never look at the audience. It is there, but for me it is wallpaper. What I do is deliver as though I were talking to myself. It works, for me. It might for you too. My other ploy I learned quite early on. I noticed that amongst the hundred or so faces staring up at me, there was one soul who appeared to be responding well to my presentation. Ignoring the rest of the audience, I spoke directly to her as though we were having a one-to-one meeting. Again, for me, it worked like a charm.
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E W N 19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL
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Money remains the top source of stress Loose change A look at finance for females
Jane Plunkett jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com
WE’VE got our mind on our money and our money on our minds - constantly, according to a new survey. Apparently, even more than family responsibilities and personal health concerns, a massive 72 per cent of adults say they are stressed out about money. While another 22 per cent say that they have extreme stress about money. The main triggers that lead people in general to panic about money include paying for unexpected expenses, paying for essentials and saving for retirement. Basically, handing over money for anything and everything.
And it’s women, not men that seem to be having sleepless nights over money worries. Fifty-one per cent of women surveyed say they lie awake at night worrying about money, versus just 32 per cent of men. Another effect of money stress is that women are more likely than men to say stress affects their eating, with 41 per cent saying they’ve eaten too much or had unhealthy food during the past month because of stress - for men it’s 24 per cent. This is of concern since medics often point out that serious
stress can lead to obesity and illnesses such as cancer. From those surveyed in this recent study, when asked how they try to de-stress, the
majority said by watching TV or surfing the internet, while these activities were then followed by napping, alcohol and smoking.
To de-stress meet a friend and have a chat about it
MONEY WORRIES: Causes include paying for unexpected expenses, essentials and saving for retirement.
Bank did not pay council tax Q. I purchased an apartment in Mallorca in 2013. I was assured by the solicitor and the Notary, and the contract confirmed, that no debt was owed on the property. I am now receiving bills for 2010 and 2011 from Calvia Town Council for the yearly Council Tax.
The property we bought had been repossessed by the bank several years ago for non-payment of the mortgage. I no longer remember which bank it was. Can you please advise me on how to resolve this matter? S.M. (Mallorca)
You and the Law in Spain By David Searl
A. There may be good news for you. First, if you have a sales contract signed by the bank stating that the property is sold clear of all debts, this makes them responsible for the payment of any back Council Tax. If you want to know who sold you the property, try looking at your contract. It might be the bank itself or a company set up by the bank to handle the many thousands of repossessed properties that Spanish banks now hold. These banks quite often do not pay all the back taxes on their properties, especially Council Tax, also known as the rates, and in Spanish as ‘IBI,’ short for the ‘Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmobiliarios.’
Because the Statute of Limitations restricts collection of this tax to four years, the town halls generally send out
notices only when the cut-off date approaches. If it takes the bank six years to move the property, they have escaped two years of Council Tax. Yes, your lawyer should have checked to make sure this IBI was paid up to date, and the Notary should have asked to see paid-up receipts. These lapses indicate poor legal service, but they are not sufficient grounds to bring a case against either of them. However, the bank has made a false statement in its contract with you. Have your lawyer start proceedings against the bank to recover the amount. He may advise you to pay the tax first and then act against the bank, or perhaps the bank will simply pay the bill. Spanish banks usually pay up promptly in these cases because they are in fact guilty of false statements in a contract.
Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.
These are a worrying combination of ‘de-stress’ activities as they are largely unsocial, and to combat money stress, experts recommend seeking emotional support from family and friends. It’s found that people without a shoulder to lean on tend to suffer worse from stress. For example, 43 per cent of people without emotional support said their stress has increased in the past year, compared with 26 percent of those with support. So instead of de-stressing by watching box sets, it’s better to meet a friend for a coffee and have a chat about money worries if needs be. And if money issues are taking their toll on your stress levels, then start to look at how you deal with money. Break bad habits and slowly begin to implement small changes that can create big differences!
BUSINESS EXTRA
Madrid helps out STANDARD & POOR’S calculated that borrowings by Spain’s autonomous communities and town halls will drop by 30 per cent this year. The €26 billion needed to refinance their debts and €11 billion to finance budget deficits will be covered by the government’s funding system for local entities, the rating agency said.
Subway contract CONSTRUCTION company ACS won a €380 million East Side Access contract, boosting the US expansion plans of the group headed by Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez. The company has been present in New York since 2005 when it won its first contract to work on the city’s subway system.
Happier bunnies INDITEX, owners of the clothing label Zabel, confirmed that it stopped producing garments using angora after the animal defence association PETA revealed abuse in Chinese factories where rabbits are skinned alive for their hair. The chain, which stopped using fur last year, has blocked all orders while they investigate suppliers.
OPINION & COMMENT
Rapid service I AM one of the first to complain about poor service, particularly when it’s the result of government cutbacks or trade union blackmail. The UK’s Passport Service seems to have suffered dreadfully during the last year with the most horrendous backlogs. It is only fair that, with great pleasure, I can now acknowledge the current situation in that particular department. On January 18 I Googled ‘How to renew a UK passport from overseas.’ I immediately got a lot of information and the opportunity to complete an online application. The next day I posted the old passport and a couple of photos to Belfast as instructed. On February 4 our friendly local courier-delivery man knocked on the door and handed me a package which contained the new passport! That’s 19 days from start to finish. I am very grateful for such efficient service and thank those concerned most sincerely. I don’t think I’ll be making the same sort of report about changing my British driving licence for a Spanish one. It’s taken two weeks just to get the application form! John Westwood, Tormos (Alicante)
Pat on the back WE’RE staying in Calahonda and I just wanted to say how much we enjoy Leapy Lee’s articles. Thank you for stating the obvious and having the gumption to write it publicly! I wish our politicians back home would take it on board. Diane and John (Wales)
Drying up I WAS interested to read about Cortijo Grande and the majestic environment that it once was. Today all I can say is: “What is happening to that wonderful valley formerly an oasis in an otherwise arid landscape?” As Ric Polansky points out, the golf course was a challenge to golfers of all levels. Now it is a dried-up shadow of its former self. Why? No-one knows for sure. The owner remains silent
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19 - 25 February 2015/ Axarquía - Costa Tropical
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Not so cheap EXPATS are quite right to object to losing their vote. I think it is disgusting that only five countries in the world do not give their expats the vote and Britain is one of them. As for Michael Warren of Fuengirola, how lucky he is to afford to spend five winter months here! My husband served six years in the Second World War and was wounded in Germany. I worked from 1942 and came to Spain when my husband retired. There were no company pensions in our day unless you were a civil servant and we had his 89-year-old mother to look
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we would be nowhere near the £10,000 threshold, he informed us that Hacienda talks to HMRC. We would still be liable here in Spain as they would be told that we have paid nothing in the UK. Also, if not covered on time we would also incur Spanish tax fines. So whilst Michael thinks ‘expats are really in heaven, unlike nonexpats,’ it is not all profit. Having said that, we would still not move back to the UK. Richard Prowse, Cartagena (Murcia)
Just wonderful AN operation was necessary and I found myself in Torrevieja hospital. A place of dedication, professionalism, and above all, tremendous kindness. The staff’s attention to detail was simply marvellous. Rita Tobin (by email)
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on the subject. Rumours abound. One suggests that the underground irrigation system is badly broken in various places. Whatever the reason, the simple truth is that the course is no longer watered and it would appear that all but one staff member has been released. This, reputedly the oldest golf course in Almeria, would appear to have been tragically abandoned by its owner. The beautiful valley of Cortijo Grande is simply being allowed to wither and die in front of our very eyes. What future do homeowners face when the golf course finally yields to desert and scrub in the absence of life-saving water? Derek Martin, Turre (Almeria)
EWN
Why not us? NELSON MANDELA was a great man and our daughter is on the short side, but this photo from Johannesburg really brought it home to me. Andrew Martinson (by email)
after. Her husband died in his 50s due to wounds received in the First World War and she could not exist on £20 per week. That is why she had to live with us. Now Spain has had nearly all my money. In my 87th year with no family, I can assure Mr Warren the cost of living is very high. I just hope I die before my money runs out. (Name and address supplied)
Ups and downs I NOTE Michael Warren is an expat pensioner living here for five months only. I understand he is tempted to become a permanent expat as we are doing so nicely with the exchange rate increasing our pensions, thus rendering our heating allowance unnecessary! I beg to inform him that in December 2008 the euro and pound reached parity on the
exchange rate, giving us a vast drop in our pensions for a very long time. The rate was way below our average and forced many expats to leave Spain, particularly if renting their homes. It caused great hardship to those only on state pensions when they dropped by a third of their value. As far as I can see we are only back where we started with the euro. Love the Euro Weekly though! Jean Mudge (by email)
Tax snag MICHAEL WARREN is right about the higher exchange rate, but there is a downside. When you are tax resident here you are only allowed to earn €6,000 per annum before tax kicks in. On telling our accountant that we would move our tax paperwork back to the UK where
THE Labour party ignored us during 13 years in office. The Conservative party has had nearly a full term to correct this anomaly. My French and German neighbours here in Spain have a vote for life. UKIP, give us back our vote please! We are in the European Union because...? Brian Johnston, Benalmadena (Malaga)
Streets ahead I DON’T usually bother to write to papers, but I would just like to say how much I prefer the Euro Weekly News to its competitors. I find its format and content better than ever. Your writers too are excellent. A case in point is Nora Johnson’s recent article about the House of Lords. An anachronism in a modern democracy, it’s way past its sell-by-date. The unrepresentative, undemocratic House of Lords should be scrapped without delay and replaced with a much-reduced and democratically-elected second chamber. Hardly surprising so many of the electorate don’t bother to vote! Chris Taylor, Granada
The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.
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E W N 19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
OPINION & COMMENT
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Anti-British BBC at it again LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT
T
HEY’RE at it again, aren’t they? Once again the BBC’s antiBritish ‘aunties’ have attempted to undermine and basically insult our heroes of yesteryear. Their coverage and biased reporting of the Dresden bombing anniversary was not only a disgrace, but had they adopted this stance at the time of the event, would probably have resulted in them all being hanged as traitors. With hardly a word about the brave air crews who lost their lives during this and many other dangerous missions, they paraded a biased bunch of ‘survivors’ who made our brave airmen sound like IS in the sky. One after another these ‘eye witnesses’ reeled off a
BIASED: BBC’s coverage of the Dresden bombing anniversary. succession of horrific tales of the death and destruction that rained down from the allies onto the ‘innocent’ citizens of the German city of Dresden. With suitably pained, sympathetic expressions, the news vendors of this so-called British institution delivered what can only be described as a damning indictment of the allied forces
involved in these operations. Typical. You know what their main problem is? Ninety per cent of these newscasters are too young. Too young to remember the thousands of Britons who were also wiped out by the relentless onslaught of the German luftwaffe. Too young to have been among the citizens of our great cities, who
crowded into tube stations and cellars as the indiscriminate bombing of the enemy flattened their homes and institutions. Too young to remember the blood and gore as our own innocent men and women ‘exploded’ in the streets. This terribly misplaced sympathy for the enemy is a most dangerous path to traverse. It is the attitude that loses wars and brings disaster and defeat to those who are weak enough to practise it. Thank God Churchill never had this type of pacifist attitude. We were coming to the end of an horrific war - for the second time! Millions of military personnel and civilians throughout Europe had been lost to the animals of the German Nazi party. Despite protestations of innocence, I have no doubt that the citizens of Dresden and Berlin took to the streets in triumph and celebration at every victory
Hitler and his psychopaths announced. Horrific and wrong as it may have been, it was war. A war that through the sacrifice of millions the allies had won. The people of the allied forces needed to teach these people a lesson, they wanted revenge. And why not? Their bravery in the face of often overwhelming odds must never be forgotten and never ever undermined, particularly by a bunch of BBC pillocks who, when the time comes - as surely it will - will probably hand us all over to IS on a pacifist plate. Well, we wouldn’t want to ‘offend’ anyone, would we? Keep the faith Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com
Sensible ban or Nanny State? IT has been announced that the UK is to ban people from smoking in RUTH REILY of The Sleep Centre, cars when children are present. Should Spain follow the UK’s lead, or is Albox would be in favour of a similar the Nanny State going too far in telling people what they can do? ban in Spain. “My husband and my daughter are both asthmatic, so I am already in favour of banning smoking in enclosed spaces such as cars. “Our children are precious so I completely agree with the UK’s ban on it and would be happy to see Spain go down the same route.” Dr Helen Webberley, who runs online GP service MyWebDoctor.co.uk believes smoking in vehicles should be banned in the UK and Spain. She said: “We are all very aware of the dangers of smoking these days and it is very distressing to see people smoking in cars when there are other non-smoking passengers in the car. “It is even more distressing when those passengers are MARK: Thinks it will be BOB: Smoking should be a DR WEBBERLEY: Smoking children. Smoking should be should be banned everywhere. unenforceable. banned everywhere and especially personal choice. in enclosed spaces.” Alan, the owner of Eurodog smoke in a confined space where Mark who is The Sky Doctor, Kennels, Mijas Costa, said he thought there are children, and as a parent Internet installations thinks that it that it was inconsiderate of adults to they are being irresponsible. would be an unenforceable law:
STREET TALK
“Although I think the ban would be a good thing, I think it is one of those laws that will never happen, I mean where do you stop. I think it is a good thing to deter kids from smoking, as kids usually follow what their parents do. “I do think, however, kids are wiser now and will choose for themselves.” Michelle, the owner of Ace of Shades Blinds and Awnings, Mijas Costa, commented that “if you are alone in your car and wish to smoke, then that is up to you, but when there are others in the car, especially children, then you should refrain from doing so.” Bob Pratt, owner of The Royal Oak, believes it should be everyone’s personal choice whether they smoke in a car or not, but, as a non-smoker he doesn’t allow smoking in his car: “I don’t like smoking in cars as a non-smoker, but I don’t think it should be illegal and I won’t let people smoke in my car, but I wouldn’t ask them to stop if I was in their car. Each to their own.”
26
E W N 19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
Thursday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:30pm Death in Paradise 10:30pm EastEnders 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:45pm Question Time 12:45am Artificial Intelligence: AI
BBC TWO 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Cycling 9:00pm The Great British Sewing Bee 10:00pm Reinventing the Royals 11:00pm Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe 11:30pm Newsnight 12:20am A Cook Abroad
ITV 5:00pm Mel and Sue 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:45pm Emmerdale 8:45pm UEFA Europa League Live 11:10pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:55pm The Great War: The People's Story 12:55am River Monsters
CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm Cucumber 11:00pm My Tattoo Addiction 12:05am The Romanians are Coming
CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Classic Car Show 9:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 10:00pm Britain's Biggest Primary School 11:00pm The Mentalist 11:55pm Castle 12:50am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours
SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Arrow 10:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 11:00pm The Making of Critical 11:30pm Quiz Nights 12:30am NCIS: Los Angeles
Friday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News at Six 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm EastEnders 10:00pm The Musketeers 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm The Graham Norton Show 12:20am Bluestone 42
BBC TWO 5:15pm To the Manor Born 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Food and Drink 10:00pm Italy Unpacked 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am 2001: A Space Odyssey
ITV 5:00pm Mel and Sue 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Barging Round Britain with John Sergeant 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights 12:40am Air America
CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Million Pound Drop 10:00pm Gogglebox 11:00pm The Last Leg 12:10am Catastrophe
CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm The Billion Dollar Wreck Hunt 9:00pm Secrets of St Paul's Cathedral 10:00pm NCIS: New Orleans 11:00pm NCIS 11:55pm Law and Order: Special Victims Unit 12:50am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours
SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Flintoff: Lord of the Fries 10:00pm Stella 11:00pm Quiz Nights 12:00am Bruce Almighty
Saturday BBC ONE 5:30pm Final Score 6:20pm Pointless 7:10pm BBC News 7:20pm Regional News 7:25pm Weather 7:30pm Now You See It 8:00pm The Voice UK 9:25pm The National Lottery 10:15pm Casualty 11:05pm BBC News 11:20pm Weather 11:25pm Match of the Day 12:50am The Football League Show
BBC TWO 4:45pm The Go-Between 6:35pm The Great British Sewing Bee 7:35pm Flog It! 8:30pm How We Got to Now with Steven Johnson 9:30pm Dad's Army 10:00pm Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South 11:00pm Gambit 12:20am Spider
ITV 3:05pm The Chase 4:05pm Doc Martin 5:05pm Big Star's Little Star 6:05pm Local News and Weather 6:15pm ITV News and Weather 6:25pm You've Been Framed! 7:30pm Planets Got Talent 8:00pm Saturday Night Takeaway 9:25pm Take Me Out 10:40pm The Jonathan Ross Show 11:40pm ITV News and Weather 11:55pm I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry 1:55am Jackpot 247
CH4 5:15pm Come Dine with Me 6:15pm The Big Bang Theory 6:45pm The Simpsons 7:10pm The Simpsons 7:40pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Homes by the Sea 9:00pm The World's Weirdest Weather 10:00pm Silver Linings Playbook 12:25am Green Zone
CH5 3:10pm Ice Road Truckers 4:05pm Columbo: How to Dial a Murder 5:35pm Columbo 7:25pm NCIS 8:05pm NCIS 9:00pm 5 News 9:05pm Law and Order 10:00pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 11:00pm World Championship Boxing: Live From Monte Carlo 1:15am Super Casino
SKY1 3:00pm Inside RAF Brize Norton 4:00pm Sun, Sea and A&E 5:00pm The Simpsons 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00pm Hawaii Five-0 10:00pm Bruce Almighty 11:55pm Hawaii Five-0 12:55am NCIS: Los Angeles
TV LISTING
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Sunday BBC ONE 3:00pm Escape to the Country 3:45pm Eat Well for Less? 4:45pm Your Home in Their Hands 5:45pm Lifeline 5:55pm Songs of Praise 6:30pm BBC News 6:50pm Regional News 6:55pm Weather 7:00pm The Big Painting Challenge 8:00pm Countryfile 9:00pm Call the Midwife 10:00pm The Casual Vacancy 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm Regional News 11:25pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:40am Super League Show
BBC TWO 5:30pm The Wonder of Animals 6:00pm Alaska: Earth's Frozen Kingdom 7:00pm Speed Dreams: The Fastest Place on Earth 8:00pm The Fifteen Billion Pound Railway 9:00pm Top Gear 10:00pm Dragons' Den 11:00pm Meet the Ukippers 11:50pm Blackthorn 1:30am Countryfile
ITV 3:10pm The Chase 4:10pm Tipping Point 5:15pm Octopussy 7:40pm Local News and Weather 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Get Your Act Together 9:15pm All Star Family Fortunes 10:00pm Mr Selfridge 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:20pm Bear Grylls: Mission Survive 12:20am Aviva Highlights
CH4 3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:25pm Love Happens 5:35pm Location, Location, Location 6:35pm A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 7:30pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Four Rooms 9:00pm The Auction House 10:00pm Indian Summers 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 12:05am Moonrise Kingdom 1:50am Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares USA
CH5 4:20pm Stand by Me 5:55pm Honey, I Shrunk the Kids 7:45pm WarGames 9:55pm 5 News 10:00pm Top Gun 12:15am Young Guns
SKY1 3:00pm Emergency Animal Rescue 3:30pm Emergency Animal Rescue 4:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm About a Boy 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Holidaymakers 9:00pm The Flash 10:00pm Hawaii Five-0 11:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles
Monday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Inside Out 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Panorama 10:00pm New Tricks 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Waterloo Road 12:45am The Graham Norton Show
BBC TWO 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Top Gear 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm A Cook Abroad 11:00pm House of Fools 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather
ITV 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm More Tales From Northumberland with Robson Green 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Broadchurch 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm ICC Cricket 12:40am The Jonathan Ross Show
CH4 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm Dispatches 9:30pm Food Unwrapped 10:00pm NHS: £2 Billion a Week and Counting 11:00pm Catastrophe 11:35pm Bodyshockers 12:40am 24 Hours in A and E
CH5 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Criminals: Caught on Camera 8:30pm Car Crash TV 9:00pm Police Interceptors 10:00pm Benefits Britain: Life on the Dole 11:00pm 10,000 BC 12:00am The Jackal
SKY1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Holidaymakers 10:00pm Arrow 11:00pm Modern Family 11:30pm Modern Family 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles
Tuesday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm The Gift 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Child Birth: All or Nothing 12:35am Growing Up Down's
BBC TWO 3:45pm Africa 4:45pm Open All Hours 5:15pm To the Manor Born 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm Natural World 10:00pm Inside the Commons 11:00pm Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather
ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm UEFA Champions League 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:40pm UEFA Champions League: Extra Time 12:40am Carry on Henry
CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm Mary Portas: Secret Shopper 10:00pm The Romanians are Coming 11:00pm Immigration Street 12:00am Kid Criminals
CH5 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News 8:00pm Police Interceptors 9:00pm Costa Del Casualty 10:00pm Killer Psychopaths 11:00pm 10,000 BC 12:00am World's Biggest Hips
SKY1 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Flash 10:00pm Critical 11:00pm Ross Kemp: Extreme World 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles
Wednesday BBC ONE 5:30pm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm The Great Comic Relief Bake Off 10:00pm The People's Strictly for Comic Relief 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm A Question of Sport 12:15am Film 2015
BBC TWO 5:15pm Three Up, Two Down 5:45pm Hi-De-Hi! 6:15pm Flog It! 6:50pm A Party Political Broadcast by the Labour Party 7:00pm Two Tribes 7:30pm Eggheads 8:00pm Wanted in Paradise 9:00pm Suffragettes Forever! The Story of Women and Power 10:00pm Wolf Hall 11:00pm Up the Women 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Weather
ITV 5:00pm 1000 Heartbeats 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm The Brit Awards 2015 11:20pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 12:00am Perspectives
CH4 5:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:55pm The Political Slot 9:00pm The Restoration Man 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Junk Food Kids: Who's to Blame? 12:05am CITIZENFOUR
CH5 6:00pm 5 News at 5 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Cowboy Builders 9:00pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 10:00pm Jack the Ripper 11:00pm Autopsy 12:00am Trauma Doctors
SKY1 3:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 4:00pm Modern Family 4:30pm Modern Family 5:00pm Futurama 5:30pm Futurama 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Fanatics 10:00pm Stella 11:00pm Flintoff: Lord of the Fries 12:00am NCIS: Los Angeles
COMMUNITY Photo: beingmyself/flickr
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SINGING BUTLER: Painting by Jack Vettriano.
Knowledge and skills AXARQUIA’S U3A groups are continuing a good start to 2015 with a new exhibition by the Photography Group, which opened on February 16 at Las Perlas Gastrobar in Torre del Mar. The same group has announced a pop-up studio workshop in March. Elsewhere, the Art Appreciation Group has been looking at the work of the legendary Scottish painter Jack Vettriano - famous for his ‘Singing Butler’ painting - and the Spanish History Group took a trip to the treasure caves at Rincon de la Victoria. The Petanque Group in Torre
del Mar is appealing for new members following a fall in numbers. The group meets every Monday at 3pm for around 90 minutes of play, and those new to the game are welcome. If you want to try the game first, the group invites you to come along on a Monday afternoon and give it a shot. More information can be found at www.u3aaxarquia.com. U3A (University of the Third Age) is a group aimed at providing an opportunity for people no longer in full-time employment to enjoy activities and enhance their knowledge and skills.
Women’s prayer day THE Lux Mundi Ecumenical Centre in Torre del Mar is holding the ‘World Women’s Day of Prayer’ on Friday, March 6. Men, women and children are invited to attend the event at the centre
at 5pm to join friends from over 170 countries in an international day of prayer. For further information please contact the centre at luxmundi@luxmundi.org or visit www.lux-mundi.org.
Tropical Tones present a night of music for cancer charity TROPICAL TONES present their third ‘Noche A Capella’ concert at 6pm on Saturday, March 7 in the Casa de le Cultura, Almuñecar. The performers include three lively barbershop choruses Cantaremos, Songbirds, Tropical Tones and a great ladies quartet Viva, singing four part close
harmony. Also featuring are Dairii and Altan, the colourful Mongolian instrumentalists and the traditional Spanish folk group, La Mimbre. The concert is in aid of the Asociacion España Contra del Cancer, AECC, which provides valuable support for cancer patients and their families throughout and beyond the illness. Tickets for the event cost €5.
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19 - 25 February 2015/ Axarquía - Costa Tropical
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CROSSWORDS
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EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE
Axarquía weather
NEW ON DVD
for next 7 days
MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Eleven-year-old Alexander experiences the most awful day of his young life - a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair followed by mishap after mishap. So when Alexander tells his happy-go-lucky family about his terrible day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if only bad things happen to him. But he’s not alone when his mum, dad, brother and sister all find themselves having their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Directed by Miguel Arteta, starring Ed Oxenbould, Steve Carrell and Jennifer Garner. Run time 81 minutes. Rated PG.
TODAY
TODAY
ARCHIDONA
CASABERMEJA NERJA
VELEZ-MALAGA MALAGA R DE LA VICTORIA
ARCHIDONA
CASABERMEJA NERJA
VELEZ-MALAGA
TOMORROW MALAGA
R DE LA VICTORIA
Visit the stars, for details on our expanded range of services
Fri Sat Sun -
Mon - 19 11 S Tues - 17 8 S Wed - 16 9 Cl
15 8 C 18 10 S 18 11 S
tars
CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Refuse to be miffed by whatever disagreements or difficulties clutter your world. The sooner you get on with things, the better for your peace of mind.
6-Star Quiz
Fri Sat Sun -
SCORPIO (October 24 November 22) You’re not the only member of the zodiac who’ll have to toughen up. It’ll pay you to chill on Tuesday, be patient on Wednesday, and put your potent insights into orbit.
Sudoku Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.
SAGITTARIUS (November 23 December 21) The full moon in your own sign is a powerful ally against this week’s planetary fracas. Speak from the heart and reject any ambiguous emotional games.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
CAPRICORN (December 22 January 20) There’s a financial theme to many of your plans and ideas. Above all, spend with care and examine all offers carefully.
LOTTERY UK THUNDERBALL
IRISH LOTTO
EURO MILLIONS
Saturday February 14
Saturday February 14
Saturday February 14
Friday February 13
7
20
23
29
40
46
13
14 25
15 34
4
5
6
11
35
40
BONUS BALL
THUNDERBALL
BONUS BALL
22
5
10
12
24 42
LUCKY STARS 3
11
1
4
12
33
44
47
REINTEGRO 27
8
EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA 16
19 47
Fri Sat Sun -
Fri Sat Sun -
S Sun,
14 6 Cl 16 3 Cl 17 4 S
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Mon - 19 6 S Tues - 14 3 S Wed - 15 4 S
Mon - 18 8 S Tues - 16 7 Cl Wed - 17 7 C Cl Clear,
CLOUDY MAX 16C, MIN 9C MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun Fog,
Sn Snow,
MAX MIN
18 8 C 21 10 S 21 9 S
Mon - 22 11 S Tues - 20 9 C Wed - 19 9 C
C Cloud,
Sh Showers,
Th Thunder
Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case C) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.
Average: 7
Very good: 12
Good: 9
Excellent: 15
aper, cape, capo, carp, clap, clop, cope, corp, crop, kelp, leap, lope, opal, pace, pack, pale, pare, park, pawl, peak, peal, pear, peck, perk, plea, plow, pock, poke, pole, pore, pork, prow, rape, reap, rope, warp, wrap, caper, copal, coper, copra, crape, loper, opera, pacer, paler, pawer, pearl, place, poker, polar, poler, polka, power, prole, prowl, recap, carpel, cowpea, packer, parcel, parole, placer, plower, repack, ropewalk, WORKPLACE
Word Ladder SOFT
Move from the start word (SOFT) to the end word (RUSH) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder. You must only change one letter at a time.
38 48
REINTEGRO 2
MAX 14C, MIN 3C
Murcia
CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 6C 17 7 Sh 16 8 Cl 16 7 S
CLEAR MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Mon - 22 11 S Tues - 20 11 Cl Wed - 18 9 Cl
MAX MIN
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
Mon - 21 11 S Tues - 19 10 S Wed - 18 10 S
Madrid
Mallorca TODAY:
17 11 Cl 19 10 S 19 12 S
TODAY:
MAX 18C, MIN 8C
18 9 Cl 18 10 Cl 22 11 S
Sunday February 15
Saturday February 14
39 44
LA PRIMITIVA
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
Mon - 18 10 S Tues - 16 9 Sh Wed - 16 9 C
TARGET:
AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Your emotions, extra expenses and other domestic pressures are on the boil. Put off major decisions until next week.
UK NATIONAL LOTTERY
Fri Sat Sun -
MAX MIN
Mon - 19 13 S Tues - 18 12 S Wed - 18 11 C
SHOWERS MAX 16C, MIN 11C
TODAY:
MAX 14C, MIN 8C
16 9 S 18 9 S 17 9 S
CLEAR
17 10 Cl 17 11 S 18 12 S
Benidorm
SUNNY
MAX MIN
LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Scanning the rest of the star-signs, you’ll see that you have many things in common this week: challenging influences at work and play, and during other clogging capers.
LEO (July 24 - August 23) Move forward on this week’s positive waves of optimism. Treat yourself, but don’t overindulge your temptations. The planets aren’t dancing to all your wants and desires.
Fri Sat Sun -
Malaga TODAY:
CLOUDY MAX 16C, MIN 11C MAX MIN
Barcelona TODAY:
VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) If it doesn’t rain, it pours, so keep an umbrella of humour to hand. Have a much happier trend for your workaday, social and financial prospects.
Y S our
TODAY:
MAX MIN
MAX MIN
GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) You will see the advantage of working towards a new location, or even a specific makeover for your domestic scene. Either way, wait for a further green light, especially where money’s concerned.
1. According to Lewis Carroll’s 1871 book Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, what does the White Queen offer Alice ‘every other day’ as an inducement to work for her? 2. According to the title of Jeanette Winterson’s 1985 novel, what Are Not the Only Fruit? 3. Humble Pie was the title of the 2006 autobiography by which famous British chef and restaurateur? 4. In Roald Dahl’s children’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, what is the name of the eccentric chocolatier who owns the chocolate factory? 5. ‘To begin at the beginning: It is Spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters’-and- rabbits’ wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboat-bobbing sea’ is the first line of which 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas? 6. What is the one-word title of the 1999 novel by Joanne Harris that tells the story of Vianne Rocher, a young single mother, who arrives in the French village of Lansquenet-sousTannes at the beginning of Lent with her six-year-old daughter, Anouk and opens a shop called La Céleste Praline?
MAX MIN
www.fiduciarywealth.eu
TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Don’t jump from one financial frying pan into another. Take it easy on all fronts, especially where your money, emotions and other people's moods are at odds with your ideas.
LITERALLY FOOD AND DRINK
Almeria
CLOUDY MAX 14C, MIN 9C
RUSH
RUST RUSH
ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Your efforts to get your message across might be best delayed for seven days. Keep your ideas and emotions grounded.
Alicante TODAY:
SOFT LOFT LOST LUST
PISCES (February 20 - March 20) It’s both a vertical and horizontal week. What goes right somewhere could easily go wrong elsewhere. Sensitive Venus conspires with touchy Mars to trigger tensions and troubles.
1. JAM, 2. ORANGES, 3. GORDON RAMSAY, 4. WILLY WONKA, 5. UNDER MILK WOOD, 6. CHOCOLAT
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CROSSWORDS
Crosswords
19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
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Cryptic
Quick
Across 1 Unhappiness from conclusion of fracas or argument (6) 4 Shout angrily and the rebate is different (6) 9 Work-time entertainment (5) 10 A wild animal but it’s all right, a quiet one (5) 11 Tries out acts of worship (5) 12 Before the tiny tot became a recluse (7) 13 Goes to the top of musical ladders (6) 15 Estimate value of female donkey (6) 19 Nobility agree trouble in gym (7) 21 Get a double setting for a gem (5) 23 Heads turn in the gloom (5) 24 Break the chain or the porcelain (5) 25 Former PM on head of state’s case (6) 26 Calling for a rush (6) Down 1 Fields balls (7) 2 Kangaroo stampede reveals bird shelter (5) 3 Finished a bishop’s domain, boss (7)
5 Gradually remove the ruler’s poem (5) 6 Greedy for cooked caviare (7) 7 Former international the French deport (5) 8 Military trainee from Africa detected (5) 14 Top gallery needs artificial fibre (7)
16 It’s a man not exactly having staying power (7) 17 Slight change of lenders (7) 18 Fifty per head is enough to filter (5) 19 First of all Peter eats some tomato skins but they are nuisances (5) 20 A chap can be a catalyst (5) 22 Sailor consumed sink (5)
Code Breaker Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 2 represents G and 13 represents L, so fill in G every time the figure 2 appears and L every time the figure 13 appears. Now, using your knowledge of the English language, work out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you discover the letters, fill in other squares with the same number in the main grid and the control grid.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Sustains, 4 Arms, 7 Goats, 9 Acres, 11 Place, 12 Snaps, 13 Second, 15 Allege, 19 Terms, 21 Avast, 23 Space, 24 Swami, 25 Sago, 26 Stampede. Down: 1 Signets, 2 Sharp, 3 Neared, 5 Socks, 6 Iris, 8 Swain, 10 Stage, 14 Carps, 16 Leaps, 17 Erudite, 18 Lament, 19 Ticks, 20 Spat, 22 Tease. QUICK Across: 1/23 Wear down, 3 Vagaries, 9 Trounce, 10 Agile, 11 Drake, 12 Seesaw, 14 Assist, 16 Recede, 19 Endear, 21 Argue, 24 Overt, 25 Overawe, 26 Numerous, 27 Deed. Down: 1 Withdraw, 2 Aroma, 4 Averse, 5 Awake, 6 Imitate, 7 Stew, 8 Unless, 13 Reverend, 15 Sunbeam, 17 Elated, 18 Ormolu, 20 Enter, 22 Glare.
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Bacon, 3 Brezo, 7 Receta, 9 Cena, 10 Reservoir, 13 Años, 14 Suegra, 16 Araña, 17 Batas. Down: 1 Bird, 2 Owe, 4 Evening, 5 Orar, 6 Sabroso, 8 Cremosa, 11 Baya, 12 Cars, 15 Esa.
20 Institutions for the keeping,
22 At a later time than (5)
lending and exchanging of
23 Yield from plants in a single
money (5)
growing season (4)
English - Spanish The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English. Across 1 Houses (5) 4 Cousin (5) 7 There (near you) (3) 8 Godson (7) 9 Cobertizo (para animales, herramientas) (4) 10 Geese (6) 14 Almacenamiento (7) 16 As (naipes) (3) 17 Sour (f) (5) 18 Nave (de iglesia) (5) Down 1 Abrigos (prendas) (5) 2 Brillo (de tela, pelo, zapatos, superficie) (5) 3 Cicatriz (4) 4 Spring (season) (9) 5 Departure (3) 6 Gold (3) 11 Cisnes (5) 12 Seven (5) 13 Race (racial origin) (4) 14 Mar (3) 15 Remo (3)
Hexagram The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (YELLOW) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues. BARREL
RENDER
BORROW
ROBOTS
CREASE
SEEING
ELDERS
SHADOW
HOLDER
SHREDS
INLAID
SOLDER
KILLER
THENCE
MINDED
YELLOW (10)
MONKEY
YONDER
OTHERS
LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION
Funagram Unscramble the name of a famous contemporary sculpture (four words): LENGTH OF HERO ANT FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: RAY WINSTONE, ANGEL OF THE NORTH
Unscramble the name of a famous English film and television actor: WRY ESTONIAN
Across 1 Tame animals kept for companionship (4) 3 Alleys (8) 9 Person engaged in military service (7) 10 Once more (5) 11 Disturb the balance of (5) 12 Cause a liquid to spatter about (6) 14 Mistakes (6) 16 Soft rubber used to rub out (6) 19 Hairdresser (6) 21 Breaks off (5) 24 Have sovereign power (5) 25 Structure that provides protection (7) 26 Gratifying (8) 27 Compelling desire (4) Down 1 Grazing lands (8) 2 Stories (5) 4 Take into custody (6) 5 Little (5) 6 Spectacles (7) 7 Cause to go somewhere (4) 8 Carelessly dropped rubbish (6) 13 Keep in unaltered condition (8) 15 Comprehend completely (7) 17 Hurries (6) 18 Jail (6)
1 Treaty, 2 Treats, 3 Theirs, 4 Feared, 5 Starry, 6 Nailed, 7 Bearer, 8 Strain, 9 Bleary, 10 Basics, 11 Raging, 12 Resume, 13 Raking, 14 Slayer, 15 Suckle, 16 Tramps, 17 Charms, 18 Plates, 19 Prince
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OPINION & COMMENT
What a klass act - there are no klassroom prizes here!
arents have been making the headlines recently. The singer/radio DJ Myleene Klass took to social media after receiving a ‘bonkers’ email suggesting she paid £10 towards a ‘kindle and a desk’ for two of her daughter’s schoolfriends’ birthdays. However, Myleene’s ‘publicity stunt’ (the email reportedly sent over a year ago) seems to have backfired when she was confronted by angry mothers mortified at having their email correspondence publicised on Twitter, together with Myleene’s own joke reply (a ‘unicorn’ for her daughter’s birthday and a ‘Ferrari and Leonardo
Nora Johnson
Breaking Views A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers. To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/norajohnson
DiCaprio’ for her own). Whatever you think about such donations, Myleene shared her personal experience with the entire nation, humiliating those involved. Now, let’s face it, it’s not the kids at issue here, it’s the parents. Take, for instance, the parents of Alex Nash, five, who were invoiced for a £15.95 ‘child’s party, no show fee’ after he missed his classmate Charlie’s birthday party. Alex’s
MYLEENE KLASS: Her publicity stunt backfired. father subsequently found the invoice in his son’s schoolbag, went public and was threatened with court action if he didn’t pay up. In neither of these cases was it necessary to
publicise the issue the way they did. Why didn’t Alex’s parents simply discuss it with Charlie’s calmly and rationally? Myleene may have changed all the names in her tweet, but everyone
at her daughter Ava’s school will know who she was talking about. And it’s the children - Ava and Alex - who’ll suffer from their parents’ behaviour. They’ll be the ones ignored in the playground, not invited to future parties. As for Myleene, a more grownup approach would have been to buy the children gifts she thought appropriate, and make her views known privately to the offending parents. But where are the innocent times, back in the day, when money wasn’t such a big deal for kids? Now it's all about money and ‘how much will I get?’ What happened to: just be grateful you got
something? And what about: you don’t invite people so they give you something, but because you like them, want to spend time with them? We shouldn’t begrudge today’s kids having all the latest gadgets and whatever. But in so doing they risk growing up, to misquote Oscar Wilde, knowing the price of every gadget under the sun and the value of nothing. Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies,’ ‘Retribution,’ ‘Soul Stealer,’ ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore. Profits to Cudeca.
NATO the flawed defender Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.
O
tto Von Bismarck Germany’s Iron Chancellor, who unified Germany in the 20th Century: “People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war, or before an election.” What about before a war, sir? There seems to be a belief that in terms of the unthinkable NATO America has the edge on modern Russia. This is selfdelusion on a par with the ‘home by Christmas’ canard spouted at the outbreak of the Great War. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) was ostensibly created in 1949 to thwart Soviet ambitions. This marketing arm of America’s vast arms industry takes the gold medal at starting
conflicts, in defiance of international law. It is remarkably inept at ending them. Stephen Lendman, 80-yearold Research Associate for the Centre of Research on Globalisation: “I was never scared through the Cold War. I am scared now. America won’t drop its idea of waging a full size war in the region.” Ukraine is Europe’s biggest country. He speaks for many. If America gets its eagerly sought for conflict with Russia, the battlefields do not stop at the end of your urbanisation. You read about the Western Front: in the next war you are the Western Front. The casualty rate will be far worse and irrecoverable. America hopes to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian, Pole, Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian. Dream on. The days of fighting trade wars on the soil of proxy states are over. America’s
AMERICA: Believes it has the edge on modern Russia. industrial heartlands, what is left of them, are firmly fixed in the cross-hairs of modern Russia’s formidable means of response. Not my opinion; I researched the beliefs of a wide range of experts on modern warfare. NATO is a busted flush. In 1990, Germany’s hippie-army, with US military hardware, had a total of 38,300 formidable
weapons, plus the back-up of the British Army of Occupation. It’s gone. Next year the last British soldier goes home too. As in 1939, Germany’s army is now significantly smaller than is Turkey’s or Poland’s. With or without Germany, a war with Russian cannot be won. It is conceded that the Baltic States would be occupied in 24-
hours. Brussels concedes that the Bloc’s (NATO) response will be enough for only two categories of missions. Limited participation in a humanitarian operation and operations (frontier customs) to enforce an embargo; Sleep well. NATO is a paper tiger capable of little more than doing what a sniper’s bullet can do more cost effectively, but less profitably when it comes to regime change. To bring NATO up to strength would require a drop of 20/25 per cent in European living standards. The performance of NATO’s fighter jets is an embarrassment, as is its means of submarine warfare; it is way behind that of modern Russia. We have not heard the term MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) since the end of the Cold War. Today, if America’s war lobby wins, as did Britain’s in 1939, we can all kiss our backsides goodbye.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
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Power naps good for you IT seems scientists are finally catching up on what the Spaniards have known for decades; the siesta can be good for you. New research found that indulging in a power nap can repair the damage caused by a lack of sleep and a 30-
QUICK NAP: Can boost the immune system.
minute power nap can help relieve stress and boost the immune system. The scientists hope their findings will help shift workers and those who suffer from insomnia, by showing a quick nap can reduce the damage caused by too few hours’ sleep.
The new health rules A NEW book claims to give readers tips on how to be take control of their own health and improve it. Dr Frank Lipman, an expert in integrative and functional medicine from New York, has used his 30 years’ experience to compile a definitive list of 175 health rules to give you a lifestyle for the better. ‘The New Health Rules’ covers tips from eating habits to healing, energising and getting active. Dr Lipman said he wanted to offer some clarity in a world where misinformation is rife. Here are some of his top tips: Yoga pose Dr Lipman said if you only learn one yoga pose let it be the supta baddha konasana. This is a heartopening, lung-stretching, deeply restorative posture you can do with or without props and is a beneficial way to start or end the day.
RAW NUTS: Better for you than energy bars. Energy bars Energy bars can actually sap energy as they are full of sugar so offer just a quick instant boost. Dr Lipman said: “They are convenient but are not healthy. When you’re grabbing something at a deli, make it raw nuts instead.”
Move every hour After 55 minutes of work, get up and walk around or climb a flight of stairs, just get up and be active for a few minutes to release your body from the shape it’s been holding for the last hour. Get your hands dirty Your body needs
microbes from outdoors to keep your immune system strong. Too many of us live inside, often inhaling processed air so go outside more, dig, play in the sand and walk barefoot: “If you take antibiotics or wash your hands with certain chemicals because you’re scared of germs, all you are doing is killing off the good bacteria that the body needs.” Foot care Roll a tennis ball under the bottom of one foot, then the other, for five minutes each to release the tiny muscles that hold up your frame all day to release tension and benefit your whole body. Be unproductive The brain can be the organ that needs the most care and attention and sometimes all it needs is to be switched off, so try an unproductive day where you have no to-do list, no phone and no computer.
Drinking, not eating
‘DRINKOREXIA’: On the increase.
AN increasing amount of women are suffering from what experts are calling ‘drinkorexia’ where they are substituting food with alcohol. Psychologists say that labels detailing the calories in bottles of alcoholic drinks are encouraging people with eating disorders to swap food for drink. Those
obsessed with calorie counting will often not eat to be able to drink. One psychiatrist said more people are drinking on an empty stomach, maximising the effects of the alcohol and whilst advertising calorie content can be beneficial for most, it can also be harmful for those with eating problems.
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HEALTH & BEAUTY
Toughest day of my life Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving
14th February I WAS diagnosed with breast cancer in August of last year, which was a tough time but little did I know the toughest day of my life was yet to come. On Sunday, February 8, I received a call from a Guardia Civil traffic officer informing me that Angus Julian Russell Watson had died in a cycling accident. Angus had been my husband for nearly 17 years and the father of my children. We had recently divorced, which made things all the sadder. Nothing can prepare you for a moment like this. Within a short time of receiving the call I had identified his body and signed for his possessions. I just could not believe it. Whilst at the Guardia Civil offices his mobile phone rang. Then I realised it was Oliver, our son, ringing his Daddy’s phone, wanting to know why he was taking so long. It was utterly heartbreaking. I did not answer the call. My head spun and my stomach twisted but now was not a time to buckle. I had to get to my children as soon as possible and tell them. The children had been spending the weekend with their father and were at his flat. I pulled up outside knowing the children were inside waiting for news. I wanted to prolong their blissful ignorance of the abhorrent thing that had just happened and protect them but I could not delay one moment longer. Two expectant faces greeted me. “Daddy has had an accident, hasn’t he?” they said. I told them their father had died. It was the worst moment of my entire life. I have never heard such sorrowful crying. The pain was tangible, utter devastation. We held each other until we could cry no more.
COMING TOGETHER: Angus’s family say a fond farewell. I then had to ring his family with the terrible news. It was just awful. They had spent such a happy Christmas together and Angus had recently visited his father, who is very ill. Noone could believe it or take it in. His mother, brother and sister were over on the first available flight. His father sadly was too ill to travel. The ensuing days were a whirlwind of organisation. In Spain, funerals are conducted within 48 hours of a death. This was very hard for his family as they just didn’t have time to come to terms with things. We had to arrange the funeral, invite guests, co-ordinate airport pick-ups, accommodation and flowers. It was all a blur.
The pain was tangible. We held each other until we could cry no more It was decided, as Angus had lived in Spain for 16 years, that he should have his funeral here locally. At the eleventh hour his two lovely children from his previous marriage, Amy and Joshua, managed to get a flight over. It would be the first time that my children had met their half-brother and sister. I can honestly say that despite the
pain it was a wonderful moment and provided us all with comfort and some level of relief because we were all running on empty. Oliver and Isabella instantly loved their brother and sister and the sentiment was entirely reciprocated. Having a big brother and big sister to put their arms around made all the difference. The funeral was at 4pm on Thursday, February 12. The turnout was massive. People had come from England, from Comares, the Spanish village where we had moved to initially, and from Benajarafe, where we both had lived for the last nine years. A veritable army of Angus’s colleagues also came to pay their last respects. His brother James, Joshua his eldest son and his dear friends Steve and Andy were pallbearers. Oliver brought up the rear followed by myself and Isabella, his mother Elizabeth, his sister Linzi and his eldest daughter Amy. We had organised two ceremonies. The first being a Catholic ceremony out of respect for the Spanish attendees and the second a more intimate gathering for our English family and friends, although our Spanish friends were welcome too. The English ceremony was extremely moving. One by one
each member of the family and dear friends stood up and spoke from the heart about Angus. It was beautiful and I know Angus would have been so happy. We went back to Benajarafe and had a bit of ‘morale’, as Angus used to call it. A glass or two was definitely required. We were completely drained but the following day would be a difficult one as his ashes were to be delivered in the morning. We decided that Angus would not have wanted to be trapped in an urn. So we picked a beautiful rocky outcrop and scattered his ashes into the sea along with flower petals and almond blossom. Those of you who knew Angus will know he had a wicked sense of humour and could be quite a devil at times so it was no surprise to me that he refused to come out of his urn! It took us half an
hour to prise off the lid. We had to laugh because it was almost impossible to cry any more. We watched as Angus floated off, we noticed, at haste in the direction of his favourite bar. My daughter said: “Look Daddy is off for a quick pit stop, i.e. a beer, and then off to England to see Grandpa.” I think she was probably right. With his ashes gone we will put some special things in his urn and bury it in the garden so that the children have a place to go when they want to have a chat with their Daddy. I finish by saying how outstanding my children are. Their behaviour has been exemplary. They were so strong on the day of the funeral, greeting all our friends and loved ones and holding it together when everyone around them was crumbling. I could not be prouder. Life is short and you never know what tomorrow holds so really appreciate each day. Chemotherapy is nothing compared to such a loss. Goodbye, Angus, may your soul rest in peace although I suspect you will be bringing a bit of your own special brand of devilment to Heaven!
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Growing from seeds How can I stop my puppy’s biting?
Dick Handscombe
Gardening Corner
By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.
WITH most of the winter cutback done, now is the time to think about growing things from seeds. Not so much flowering annuals as one would have done in the UK, but half hardy and hardy perennials and a few biennials such as hollyhocks that have grown in Spain since Roman times and of course vegetables. From now onwards one can start to raise seeds in trays or pots in propagators or heated greenhouse or on tables placed in front of a window in a sunny spare bedroom or underbuild. The seeds available include seeds that you might have collected from a favourite plant last summer and autumn, seeds from the limited collections available in Spanish horticultural shops and garden centres or selections from UK or French sourced seed catalogues or packets purchased in airport shops when travelling to exotic climes. Although many companies now have their catalogues on the internet it is still interesting to obtain the catalogue books from some companies to enable one to browse through ever increasing interesting offers and have a handy up-to-date reference book. Provided one makes an order, however small, once you get on a company’s mailing list the annual catalogue arrives auto-
GROWING SEEDS: Label pots and seed trays. matically each year. One set of catalogues I always enjoy receiving is those of Chiltern Seeds. If you wish to obtain catalogues for the first time they can be ordered from www.chilternseeds.co.uk or info@chilternseeds. co.uk. There are three catalogues available, namely a ‘Preview’ of new varieties on sale with good photos and descriptions, the main catalogue of some 4,000 varieties, many of which are rare or unobtainable elsewhere and the ‘VegBook’ catalogue with many newly discovered and heirloom varieties of vegetable and herbs. The main advantage of growing from seeds is the wide range of varieties available for both flowering and edible plants but care is required. There are six important success factors. 1. Obtain or make up your own fine seed compost. A useful mix suitable for most seeds is two parts of sieved and sterilised garden compost, one part peat or peat substitute, one part sharp sand, and one part vermiculite. 2. Label pots and seed trays with waterproof pens.
3. Keep emergent seedlings only just damp. 4. Warm the greenhouse until the risk of frosts are past and then shade to keep temperatures low. Our greenhouse is on the west side of the house to reduce the hours of sunshine, as in Spain the temperature in unshaded greenhouses can easily rise to a hundred degrees centigrade. 5. If growing plants in pots or trays, grow strong plants and harden them off before planting out in the garden or in containers. 6. Above all patience and constant vigilance. If you have never grown anything from seed there is a detailed step by step guide in the book ‘Your Garden in Spain - From planning to planting and maintenance.’ © Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com February 2015.
David THE Dogman
Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10 thru 11. Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm
THERE are a few methods to stop your puppy’s biting. The most important thing to remember is to stop the bad habit before it snowballs into a bigger problem. Startle your dog and redirect his behaviour. Just as your puppy bites down, make a sudden, abrupt, high-pitched and loud ‘AWRP’ sound. It’s the same sound a littermate would make if bitten by the puppy. The sound should be so sudden and sharp your puppy is
immediately startled and stops the behaviour. If done correctly, you’ll be surprised how instantly your pup removes his mouth and looks bewildered. At that point, quickly substitute a toy, such as a ball, your puppy can chew on. This redirects your puppy’s biting behaviour to the ball. Also you can ignore your dog. Leave the room when your puppy bites. This is an easy training method that even children can use. Your puppy will learn that every time he bites he loses his playmate, and that’s no fun at all. No matter what method you use, do not entice your puppy to bite you. Games like tug-of-war and waving your hands in
BITING: Little puppies like to chew. front of your puppy could encourage him to bite. Little puppies like to chew on everything, from your fingertips to your socks. But now is your chance to redirect his bad behaviour onto his toys. If you help him during this stage, he will easily grow out of it. Good luck, have patience and always praise him when he stops any unwanted behaviour.
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WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309. (200726) AUTOMATIC BMW MINI COOPER ‘S’… 2008, only 41,000kms (approx 25,000mls), FSH. Black with white roof/mirrors, cream leather interior, one careful English gentleman owner leaving Spain, immaculate condition, sat nav, telephone, cruise and climate control, alloys, CD player, cost new 28,500 euros, bargain now 12,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson (The Car Couple) Tel. 952 832 173 / 608 658 785 see photo at www.robertsoncars-spain.com (234732) 4x4 DIESEL SUZUKI Sx4… 2007, 1.9 DDIS.GLX. Top of the range, only 66,000kms (approx 41,00mls), 5 door, 6 speed, black with black interior, alloy wheels, hatchback, FSH, owner leaving Spain, keyless go, climate control, parktronic, diesel economy, great on bad roads, save money 7,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson (The Car Couple) Tel. 952 832 173 / 608 658 785 see photo at www.robertsoncars-spain.com (234732) DIESEL BMW 116D… 2 litre 2011 with M. Pack, 6 speed, electric sunroof, only 38,000kms (approx 24,000mls), full BMW service history, one expat owner leaving Spain. Pearlescent blue with black leather, alloy wheels, climate and cruise control, Parktronic, CD player, ABS, cost new 26,350 euros. Our BMW bargain buy 15,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson (The Car Couple) tel. 952 832 173/ 608 658 785 see photo www.robertsoncars-spain.com (234732) DIESEL JAGUAR X TYPE ESTATE WAGON… 2 litre 2004 model, only 70,000kns (approx 43,000mls), 5 speed, one expat owner, full service history, silver grey with beige leather, climate/cruise control, CD player, every electric extra, very rare and excellent condition, new clutch/flywheel and timing belt kit, cannot buy better 8,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson Tel. 952 832 173 / 608 658 785. See it at www.robertsoncars-spain.com (234732)
4x4 AUTOMATIC (Hybrid) Lexus RX.350… ‘President’ top of the range, only 78,000kms (approx 49,000mls), full service history, sat nav, Spanish plates, one lovely English lady owner, class and economy, every extra, 18,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson (The Car Couple) tel. 952 832 173/ 608 658 785 www.robertsoncars-spain.com (234732) 3,995 EUROS!!! 2005 HYUNDAI ATOS… 1.1 prime, GLS, only 41,000kms (approx 25,000mls), 5 door, 5 speed, hatchback, air condition, CD player, expat lady owner leaving Spain, silver/black trim, stunning condition, a wee beauty 3,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson (The Car Couple) Tel. 952 832 173/608 658 785 see photo on www.robertsoncars-spain.com (234732)
PETS PET-COURIERS.COM – If you love your pet try us first – we are the best. Door to door service throughout Europe. Specialised vehicles – bespoke service. Full legal service including documentation if required. For further information call or e-mail us: Tel: (0034) 651 033 670 or (0034) 637 066 227. Email: info@petcouriers.com or www.pet-couri ers.com (231443) LAGUNA KENNELS AND CATTERY. Your pets lovingly cared for by English Mother and Daughter. Near Coin. UK Transport arranged. Tel 952 112 021 / 606 838 983 (231451)
PET TRANSPORT
CABRIO Mercedes Benz 500SL Sport… (new shape) 2001. Only 82,000kms (approx 51,000mls), FSH, electric hard top folds into boot, stunning condition, beautiful blue colour with grey leather, usual refinements, sat nav, always garaged, 15,995 euros. Samantha or Gordon Robertson (The Car Couple) Tel. 952 832 173 or 608 658 785. www.robertsoncars-spain.com (226426) BUYING a new car??? Do not trade in your car!! If you are an expat with a good quality, genuine mileage car, we will pay you more for it in cash than you will be offered at dealerships against any new car. Find out the real deal, ring Gordon or Samantha Robertson 952 832 173 or 608 658 785 or email us therobertson clan@gmail.com (234732)
PEST CONTROL
PROPERTY WANTED REAL ESTATE company urgently require properties for our international clients looking to buy in Nerja and the surrounding area. 951 254 144 or in fo@propertypointspain.com
REMOVALS/STORAGE
BRITISH Pest Control Service. All areas covered. Tel 952 449 591 www.localpest.es (231480)
EUROPEAN removals and transport with scheduled UK routes. UK company, fully legal, taking loads from 5kg to 24,000kg. Lowest prices and the best service. 952 816 582 or www.focus-transport.com (221351) CAR TRANSPORTER. Call for excellent rates, fully insured, professional service. 952 816 582, email move@freinterna tional.com / www.car-trans port-spain.com (215605)
Price per word: 0,42€ + IVA minimum 15 words - Discount: Book 10 weeks, get 2 weeks free - Deadline: 4pm Mondays Contact: Phone (0034) 952 561 245 • Fax (0034) 952 440 887 • email classifieds@euroweeklynews.com • www.euroweeklynews.com
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REMOVALS & STORAGE
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SWIMMING POOLS
READERS OF A SENSITIVE DISPOSITION MAY FIND SOME OF THE ADVERTISEMENTS IN THIS SECTION OFFENSIVE.
CARPENTER cabinet maker, Irish. Available for all types of property maintenance, plumbing, painting, electrical, kitchens and bathrooms renovated etc. 30 years experience. Very reliable. Tel: 952 441 955 / 677 087 575 (224853)
RIVIERA DEL SOL. Latin American girl, very likeable and affectionate, always horny and dying to have wild sex with passionate gentlemen with exquisite taste. I have a nice body, soft skin and natural breasts. Outcalls, Visa. 602 690 036 (234697)
COIN WINDOWS Aluminium windows, Doors, PVC, Blinds, Mosquito screens, Canopies, Glass Factory, shower screens, etc. All at village prices. Spanish owned business English 646 066 351 (231451)
SITUATIONS VACANT PROFESSIONAL TELESALES Are you able to produce excellent results working independently in a fast-paced office environment? Are you looking for a full or part time position with a contract and a good incentive scheme? If so, then contact: 952 561 245 or send your CV to: recruitment@euroweek lynews.com or Fax: 952 440 887 (11111)
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MOBILE SERVICE. ITV LEGAL. SOLAR REFLECTIVE TINT FOR GLASS CURTAINS, BALCONIES, YACHTS. STOP FADING, HEAT & GLARE. 958 496 571 – 644 546 176 SOLAR SHADETINTING@GMAIL.COM (229867)
XXX RELAXATION
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SITUATIONS VACANT
WINDOW TINTING
AFFORDABLE POOL MAINTENANCE - Professional maintenance from only €80 per month (exc. chemicals) Call Splash Pools on 952 591 053 - open 8am to 4pm (231442)
TELECOMS FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (0)
RIVIERA, 8 gorgeous and discreet girls. Pleasure, sex, very intimate, guaranteed orgasm. Surrender to the professionals and the ecstasy of pleasure in a comfortable environment with good music and a drink. www.butterflygirls.es 50€ day time 951 274 723 (234697) NEAR Calahonda. Call 602 690 036 to enjoy a delicious natural French, my kisses and caresses, kinky Latin passion in private chalet, discreet and welcoming. Visa, 24hrs. (234697) RIVIERA, Kamila, the gorgeous brunette you fantasise about, sexy, mischievous, naughty little mouth and great body, will make you intensely enjoy sex, no limits, very discreet, lots of pleasure. Outcalls, 24hrs. 951 274 723 (234697)
CLASSIFIEDS NEAR Elviria 5. Near Miraflores. Gorgeous brunette Latinas, friendly and classy, your full lover will satisfy your most intimate desires, new positions, 69, French, erotic shower, no rush, 26 years old, English, outcalls. 602 690 036 (234697) NEAR Elviria. Maria, young Bulgarian, 25, true Eastern doll, sweet, sensual, mischievous, will rock your world, sexy body, slim with small breasts and pert bottom. 24hrs 602 690 036 (234967) TORROX: Beautiful, horny, luscious, playful girls, natural French. 604 236 634. Discreet. (225537)
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MOTORING
19 - 25 February 2015 / Axarquía - Costa Tropical
otoring M TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
L
AST year was a momentous year for Husqvarna Motorcycles. Enjoying record figures in sales and turnover, a total of 16,337 motorcycles were sold. Passing the magical
EWN
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SPONSORED BY For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80
A great year for Husqvarna €100 million mark in turnover, this growth provided Husqvarna Motorcycles with production and sales figures never before
MOTOCROSS BIKES: Almost 6,000 sold worldwide.
achieved during the brand’s 111 years of motorcycle production. Husqvarna gained significant market share in the Enduro competition segment as well as making an outstanding restart into the Motocross segment, where close to 6,000 Husqvarna motocross bikes were sold worldwide. As such the brand has re-established its position as a key player within the offroad motorcycle segment.
Audi continues with growth in January AUDi has made its bestever start to the year in terms of sales. It delivered around 137,700 cars in January, up 10.3 per cent over the same month last year. Following the recordbreaking sales in 2014, the company once again saw growth in all regions of the world, particularly in North and South America, with sales up 15.1 per cent to 16,200 units. In particular, the popular A3 family (+58.1 per cent) and the new Audi TT (+15.0 per cent) contributed to the successful start to the year worldwide. “Audi has made a good start to the New Year even though the global economic uncertainties remain considerable,” said Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales at AUDI AG. “With the successful January results we have laid the foundations for further growth in 2015,”
AUDI SALES: Have made a good start to the new year. he added. In the United States, the company continued its string of record-breaking figures, achieving its 49th record-breaking month in a row. US deliveries climbed to 11,541 units (+14.3 per cent) in January. Sales in Canada grew even faster, up 26.3 per cent. Demand
for the Audi A3 and the Audi Q3 in particular helped drive sales. Both models went on sale last year. Audi also made a successful start to 2015 in Europe. The mid and full size models offered continued to prove popular among customers in Germany. Sales of the
Audi A4 increased by 36.1 per cent, sales of the A6 rose by 14.2 per cent, while sales of the A7 Sportback were up 35.2 per cent. Across all models, deliveries in the German market grew by 13.6 per cent to 19,804 units. In the United Kingdom (+8.1 per cent) and Spain (+7.0 per cent), Audi significantly exceeded sales compared with the same month last year as well. The Audi Q5 in particular proved a firm favourite in both countries. In the United Kingdom, demand for the mid-size SUV rose by 81.7 per cent; in Spain the same figure increased by 67.5 per cent. Audi achieved the largest growth in its top 20 markets in Turkey, with sales up 109.8 per cent to 1,785. In the Asia Pacific region, Audi topped the figure for the same period last year by 14.3 per cent
to around 59,700 units. The company achieved high double digit rates of growth in South Korea (+31.5 per cent) and in China (+15.1 per cent), the largest market in the region.
Worldwide, the A3 family (+58.1 per cent) and the Audi TT (+15.0 per cent) in particular boosted the brand’s sales. The new TT was launched in the initial markets last autumn.
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SPORT
www.euroweeklynews.com
port S MotoGP season looms Veteran soldier
Afghanistan Light Dragoons soldier Guy Disney has become the first jockey to ride over fences with a prosthetic leg, coming home third on Ballyallia Man in the RA Gold Cup at Sandown last Friday.
Axarquía’s best guide to local sport
THE first MotoGP race of the season in Qatar is drawing closer as the MotoGP teams round up the first of two preseason tests in the Far East. It has given many of the riders the opportunity to sample the new 2015 machinery. It became obvious that, yet again the man to beat
is reigning double World Champion Marc Marquez. He spent his time putting in laps aboard both the 2014 and 2015 RC213Vs, trying different set- ups and fine-tuning the new chassis. Day three of the test proved he wasn’t to be messed with as he smashed the Sepang lap record with a 1’58, the only rider to do so. Repsol team mate Dani
Pedrosa was also on fine form as he just missed out on a flying 1’58 lap due to a small mistake. He did however put in a blistering sub 2’00 race simulation and signalled his intentions to put a mediocre 2014 behind him. Surprise of the test was Italian Andrea Iannone on the Ducati. He ended the test third on a revised version of last year’s GP14.2. He and teammate Andrea Dovizioso are eager to ride the new GP15 to be launched in time for the second Sepang test. The two Movistar Yamahas of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo
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By James Warren
TO READ MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
MAN TO BEAT: Double World Champion Marc Marquez.
finished up fourth and fifth, both riders testing new exhaust parts and a new seamless upshift gearbox. It was also the first proper test of the new Suzuki GSX-RR with Aleix Espargaro and rookie maverick Vinuales, posting respectable 10th and 12th positions, putting the new prototype ahead of many other seasoned teams. The new Aprilia RS-GP however didn’t fare as well, still having much work left to do to be competitive in time for March 29. The teams stay in Malaysia for the Sepang 2 test on February 23.