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Around the valle January 2016 Issue no. 1
Chairmans report by carol caldwell Happy New Year to Everyone!! I hope everyone has had a fabulous Christmas and that 2016 will be a good year for everyone. We spent Christmas at home the first time in 3 years. Ben's son Brian came over from England to spend the festivities with us .We took him to Malaga to
see the lights they were spectacular even better from the top of the Marriott hotel it gave you a panoramic view of Malaga. We enjoyed Tapas and drinks in the many bars; the ambiance was great, a good start to the Christmas week. On the 5th of January, we are off to the Pantomime to see Mother Goose in Fuengirola and then
to see the Three Kings. For the people who have booked this trip, there has been a change in the pickup time, we will now be leaving Mis Tapitas (Hotel Romero) at 1pm we will be going to the afternoon matinee which starts at 3pm, so, see you all there I am looking forward to it.
Happy & healthy new year
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contents CHAIRMANS REPORT DECEMBER MEETING DECEMBER WALK
LVPC REPORT & NEWS FRO SAT.CO FORTHCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS & WALK SCHEDULE
December meeting report by alan impey
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DETAILS OF CADIZ TRIP
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NES FRO SOHA & MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR XMAS DINNER
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COMMITTEEE
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MONDAY 7th DECEMBER 2015 THE PLACE TO BE CAMPING BAR, VINUELA. On the above date at 7.30pm excitement was mounting as over 100 ElValle members gathered for the annual appearance of the El-Valle mixed voice choir!!!! The choir had once again agreed to perform for absolutely no cost to entertain the assembled masses with a rendition of well known and well loved carols. By pure coincidence, also on this night, there were to be free wine and mince pies and the drawing, until won, of the El-Valle cash box!!!!!!!!!!! As usual the meeting was opened with an overview of already arranged and future social events all details of which are available at the usual places, website/newsletter/Friday meeting point at Meson Sara's. A moments reflection was also asked for in memory of Ian Harris, a long standing and valued member of El-Valle who tragically and unexpectedly died recently. The first event of the evening was a Christmas Quiz, prepared and hosted by Sue and the eventual
winners, (see photograph) received a bottle of wine each, all SIX of them, no
expense spared at El Valle!!!!! We were all now served with our wine and mince pies by committee members. After a short break to replenish drinks an expectant hush fell over the room as the choir members made their way to the front and took their places.
There now followed some 20 to 30 minutes of outstanding caroling, including a solo performance of the classic Elvis carol "Blue Christmas" by David.
From the rapturous applause, (led by the choir) it was apparent that the choir could chalk up another successful appearance. (See photographs)
There now only remained the mundane item of drawing the cash box until it was won. â‚Ź1,150.00 was the prize on offer and everyone settled down for what would normally be 30 minutes or so of mounting excitement as keys were drawn and discarded so it came as a big surprise when the third key drawn opened the box and scooped the prize. Congratulations to Garry Monks. (See photographs) For those wishing to send
begging letters I can supply Garry's address in return for a small commission of any monies received!!!!!It was now time to close what had been a very successful and enjoyable monthly meeting and more than ever we need to thank the committee, choir master and organist for helping to make it a success.
Photo's by Neil Marland
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December El valle walk by rod & Christine martin “Only one steep bit” - he said, but did we notice a ‘tongue in cheek’ expression’ or even a glint in his eye? We like the idea of the Thursday Walk being led by friends who live in the different areas. This month’s walk was lead by Elaine and Stewart and we all, about 30, gathered a few kilometres from their house at the village of Los Romanes. It is usual for us to gather for the photograph in a quiet country road with peace all around us. Not this Thursday !
The road leading into the village is being re-built so there was a lot of noise and dust from the machinery. This combined with everyone greeting each other and discussing what clothing to be worn, coupled with much opening and slamming of car doors, made it quite a bustly area. The gentle incline took us to the approach proper and, amazingly, a local street market. Those who wished they had brought an extra layer, had a chance to stock up fr
om the many colour coordinated items on display.
lovely Yorkshire? accent. He seemed to be selling second-hand baths – or is this start of another Naturist resort? A feature of these walks is the genial chat and the variety of vistas and there was plenty for us to enjoy.
We very rarely visit this village, can’t get passed Miguel’s ! It is a dozen or so years ago when we drove through its narrow streets. At that time, we were lucky not to damage the car’s wing mirrors! It was interesting to see a ”no through road” sign leading to the narrowest of openings. The surprise was that this “alley” led to the ‘steep bit’. Does anybody really believe they can drive a car up this steep road?
Everyone managed this test of endurance as it took us to the ‘walk proper' which began with lovely views to the north-west and the then cloudy mountains. We walked through the olive groves and were somewhere between the road to Colmenar on our right and Comares to our left. It is a fact that walking in the Campo involves up and down tracks. According to Alan Impey we up and downed about 230 metres. Stewart’s route was punctuated with isolated houses, a marvellous goat farm and a local “Spaniard” who spoke wonderful English with a
As we re-entered Los Romanes we were able to see and appreciate the ingenuity of the concreters. How do they conceive a road surface so full of curves and cambers with every front door step having its own smoothed out step? Having covered about 7 kilometres in lovely weather – some sweaters were removed! – we arrived at Venta El Charcos for a lovely Menu del Dia. With the extension to Miguel’s property, this is fast becoming a grand Citadel welcoming people to this lovely village. Our thanks go to Stewart and Elaine – well done!
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Lake vinuela photographic club by doug poplett “Colour Popping”, was the theme for our October technical challenge; besides being an art form, the technique is also used to highlight a focal point in photography, as in these examples. The theme for November is “The Generation Gap”; although family relations are the most likely of subject matter, there are many other scenarios that meet the criteria which, hopefully will be demonstrated in the entries submitted by our members. We’re entering a busy time of the year, we shall be judging our photo of the year, selecting entries for a forthcoming inter club competition and putting together an exhibition of our photographs which we hope will take place in May of next year, we’ll keep you posted on dates when finalised. Fancy dusting off that camera that rarely sees the light of day? Well, why not come and join us, we are a friendly group of people of differing abilities from novice to the more proficient, it’s all about learning from each other, but more importantly, enjoying photography. We meet on the first Thursday of the month (10.30am), currently at Restaurante La Era in Puente Don Manuel. If you are interested, contact us, leaving your contact details at lakevinuelaphotoclub@gmail.com, or, just turn up at a meeting.
News of sat.co by dick atterbury Around about February 2016 we will see the loss of BBC 3 from normal broadcasts as it moves to be an Internet Service along with BBC Red Button. More news on this when we have it. For those of you that are watching the Sky service on the Technomate range of boxes will have noticed that some channels have gone. Some have been moved to the European Beam on the Satellite and cannot be recovered at this time. Others such as Gold have moved frequency and can be recovered by a simple change of software. Free to all those who are Sat.Co customers. Bring your box to us and we will do it for you. The Technomate range of boxes can be used for recording pro-
grammes very easily. If you are having problems please talk to us so that we can help you resolve any problems. Many of you will be getting new devices for Christmas and maybe you will want them to connect to the TV. Talk to us we may be able to help with cables etc. When customers call us for some advice it is usually something connected to the internet. With so many devices in one household connected to the internet the routers can often get confused. When a situation like this happens follow some simple rules. First unplug the wireless router from the mains electricity. Wait about 3 minutes. Plug in the mains and try again. This allows the router to reboot.
We are still getting a lot of questions about Ultra HDTVs known as 4K,OLED TVs, and the new range of curved TVS. It would take for ever to put all down in writing. So come along one Saturday to one of our Demonstrations and we will endeavour to answer all your questions. Its Free and no obligation and you may save some money. Sound bars are all the rage at the moment and many will be purchased in the sales after Christmas. Go for one that requires no cables to connect it. If you are reading this in January I hope that Santa brought you everything you wished for. Happy New Year.
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FORTHCOMING MEETINGS JANUARY 11th
PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE “WHERE IN THE WORLD” PICTURE BY ELAINE
FEBRUARY 1st
TALK BY GORDON WHATMAN - CRUISE DIRECTOR FOR ROYAL CARIBBEAN
MARCH 7th
BARBER SHOP CHOIR
TRIP TO FUENGIROLA FOR THE PANTO mother goose AT SALON VARIETIES FOLLOWED BY THREE KINGS PARADE Coach leaves ‘mis tapitas’ fuengirola at 23:00 €25 members €27 non To include theatre ticket and coach
January 22ND SUPPER NIGHT WITH A MOVIE la maroma church room Film San andreas €5 members €7 non Book now as places are limited
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February 26
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Race night camping bar, 7PM for 7:30 enjoy a night at the races including a meal €10 members €13 non members
March 31st day trip to sierra nevada & granada leave mis tapitas, (hotel romero) At 08:30
for a visit to the ski slopes (you don’t have to ski, just enjoy the atmosphere) then down to granada, free time for lunch or just to explore before returning at 5:30 pm €10 members €13 non members WALKS SCHEDULE JANUARY 14th
Led by Aan Clay. Meet in the carpark at entrance to Torrox Pueblo 11.00 am for the start.
FEBRUARY 11th
Led by Alan & Maureen Impey. Start take A7 from Torre towards Nerja. Take first Nerja exit towards coast and then take coast road back towards Torre. After the Repsol garage look for Venta San Miguel on right and park t here for start. (Also a garden center there) at 11-00am
MARCH 10th
Led by Val & Les Brown. Start TBA at 11-00am
APRIL 14th
Led by Terry & Jane Frost in Guaro area. Start 11:00
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4 DAYS 3 NIGHTS IN CADIZ & JEREZ \\word/media/image1.jpg
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ASOCIACION EL VALLE 4 DAYS Y 3 NIGHTS B&B 17th – 20th MAY 2016 1st DAY- HOTEL ROMERO- Hotel Bacelo, Cadiz Leave Hotel Romero at 07:00 in the direction of Cadiz. Free time for lunch. After check in at the hotel you are free to explore the surrounding area and possibly look for a restaurant for dinner.
2nd DAY- VISIT CADIZ Breakfast in the hotel then leave to visit Cadiz. A guided visit of the city , where we can see the important monuments of the city (duracion aprox. 2 hours). Free time for lunch After lunch afternoon & evening free.
3rd DAY- BODEGA SANDEMAN- JEREZ Breakfast at the hotel and at 11.00 am, visit one of the famous wineries of the city, Bodega " Sandeman " with tasting. Then lunch in the restaurant included. After lunch, visit Jerez with official guide in English, for 1.30 hours. From among its major monuments will visit the Museum of Clocks “The Watchtower ", “The Collegiate”, the “Church of San Miguel " ... among others.
4th DAY CADIZ - ROYAL ANDALUCIAN SCHOOL OF EQUESTRIAN ART – RETURN TO HOTEL ROMERO Breakfast at the hotel 11.00 and visit the Royal Andalucian School of Equestrian Art, at 12.00 enjoy the “Exhibition as the Andalucian Horses Dance.". Possibility of lunch in restaurant for €11 After lunch, return to Hotel Romero and end of our services.
PRICE PER PERSON: €220 members €250 non members
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NEWS FROM SOHA BY JOHN MUNNS SOHA working to legalise your home Thanks to the work of SOHA and the other housing associations, your home is now safer from demolition. Changes have been made to the Spanish Civil Law, and Spanish Penal Code. These give judges, presiding over cases where the authorities demand demolition, the right to insist that compensation is paid to owners who bought in good faith, before the demolition.
This is the direct result of pressure from the housing associations, and nothing else. In practice this has led to demolition demands being withdrawn, as in the town of Beue. Even more promising is the case at Chozas de Canales in Toledo, where the judge forbade demolition, as it would infringe upon the human rights of the 344 residents, who bought in good faith.
Further changes are expected to the Andalusian planning laws early next year, as outlined on the front page of Euro Weekly News. These will help owners of houses on “parcelled” land, who have had their licences revoked. Again, the pressure from housing associations has been the driving force for reform. Go to soha.es for more information.
Message from the editor MAY I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2016. My apologies for the late arrival of the Newsletter, unfortunately I have not been too well since Christmas so was not up to it!! I do hope you all enjoy the monthly Newsletter as I enjoy producing it but I would welcome any feedback on how it could be improved, also any articles you might like to share with our members. I am not limited to the amount of pages produced each month so would be happy to include anything you would like to share. Likewise with the website, we are always trying to keep it updated so you have the very latest information on what is being planned for the future and also updated information on forthcoming events so as to ensure you don’t miss out.
As you will have seen in this edition, many events are taking place early this year including our very popular Race Night in February, this event has always been well attended in the past, if you haven’t been to one before I would suggest you put your name down as soon as possible as tickets tend to go very quickly. Before that however, is the Supper Night with film, this also sells out very quickly, this time the film is San Andreas which is a modern take on ‘The Big One’ in San Fransisco, it is non stop action with very impressive CGIs, if you like action movies don’t miss it. Our main trip to Cadiz is selling well with very few places left, can I remind all who have booked that the second payment is due this month please .
If you haven’t been to the Sierra Nevadas our trip on March 31st is a must, you don’t have to ski but it is a wonderful atmosphere, you can go up to the slopes on a si lift if you wish and enjoy a coffee or hot chocolate whilst watching the skiers. We will then rejoin the coach to take us down to Granada where you will have free time for lunch or just to explore before we head home, leaving Granada at approx. 5:30 pm I hope you will come and join us on some, if not all of these events.
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EL VALLE XMAS DINNER BY ALAN IMPEY entertained the El-Valle before at a Neil Diamond Tribute Night. He did not disappoint and the dance floor area was always full when he was on stage.
El-Valle Christmas Meal, Friday 11th December 2015. Once again the decision had been made to hold the El-Valle Christmas Dinner at Venta La Vi単a, Vi単uela Pueblo. It was a successful venue last Year and there was no reason to suspect it would not be just as popular this Year. It does however seem a far cry from the early ElValle days when we would all turn out in our finery for the El-Valle Christmas Ball at the Hotel Vi単uela. Eighty seven members/guests attended this event with a 7.30 for 8pm start time although when I arrived with my party at 7.10 it seemed that a lot of people had also chosen to arrive early.
Th an kfully our table had survived the influx and was waiting for us. Judging from the constant sound of conversation and laughter around the room everyone was in good spirits and before long the staff were serving the food and as we have come to expect at La Vi単a we were not disappointed. I say that in relation to our table where all of the meal options were being experienced and I heard of no
complaints from anyone else during the evening.
The meal choices along with a bottle of house wine per two people was extremely good value although I know that the evening was subsidised by the El-Valle. Our entertainment for the evening was provided by Alan Miles, a popular and well known singer/entertainer who has
From around midnight the event started to break up although at the time of my departure around 12.45am there were still people talking and drinking. It was another very good night for the El-Valle and some photographs are included. Thanks once again for the organisers from the committee who made it possible. A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Alan Impey.
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Asociacion el valle del embalse Committee 2015/2016
Chair : Tel: Carol Caldwell 635291532
Treasurer: Chris Wishart Tel: 609952926
Secretary: Stewart Common Tel: 647076177
Newsletter Editor Sue Jones Tel: 680407894
Almoner: Christine Goreham Tel: 635361233 MEMBERS
Elaine Edwards Tel: 647076177
Judy Maycock Tel: 673847608
Pauline Ward Tel: 665886471
Peter Girvan Tel: 676320615
Jane Harris Tel: 633615154
Barbara Jenkinson Tel: 616264067
Dorothy Girvan Tel: 676320615
David Evans Tel: 622690581
INFORMATION NEWSLETTER EDITOR newslettereditor2012@gmail.com WEBSITE - www.el-valle-asociacion.com A REPRESENTTIVE OF THE COMMITTEE WILL BE ON DUTY EVERY FRIDAY BETWEEN 11:30 AND 12:30 AT MESON SARA