RTN Newspaper – Costa del Sol 18 - 24 August 2017 Issue 016

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Issue 016

18th-24th August 2017

Reporting The News

7,500 protest animal kennels

At least 10 killed in possible Spanish terror attack

by Karl Smallman AT least 10 people have died and dozens of people have been injured, according to a local radio report, after being hit by a van in the centre of Barcelona in the popular and very busy Las Ramblas area.

The incident, which is now being described by police as ‘terror related’ happened at the junction with Carrer Bonsuccés.

Witnesses have Described reported seeing an by police armed man fleeing

ALMOST 8,000 people have signed a petition demanding Torremolinos Council convert the municipal dog kennels into an animal sanctuary p6

as ‘terror related’

on foot.

Police have evacuated the area, while several ambulances are tending to the injured.

The security forces have asked the public to avoid the Plaza Cataluña area.

There are also now unconfirmed reports of a shooting incident in a restaurant involving two armed men and another reporting of a gunshot in a nearby market. Police are advising people to stay indoors.

See rtnnewspaper.com for latest updates

Ex Marbella mayor may return

By Staff reporter POLITICAL TURMOIL in Marbella looks set to be resolved by the end of this month.

And this could see the return to power of the former mayor Angeles Muñoz For many years the Partido Popular ran the Marbella Council but at the last elections the PP did not obtain an overall majority.

This meant that a triumvirate made up of the socialist PSOE, Izquierda Unida (IU) and Opción Sampedreña (OPU)

ran the council with José Bernal of PSOE being elected mayor.

Now, for a promise of €18 million for the town and greater autonomy, the leader of the OPU which wants to see San Pedro independent from Marbella has agreed in principle to support a vote of no confidence in Mayor Bernal.

The vote takes place on Tuesday August 29 and it appears more than likely that the PP will then regain control of the council.

Probable new Mayor of Marbella Angeles Muñoz Photo Credit: TEDxMarbella flickr

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Reporting The News

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WEATHER IN BRIEF

FRI Aug 18th

SAT Aug 19th

SUN Aug 20th

MON Aug 21st

TUE Aug 22nd

WED Aug 23rd

THU Aug 24th

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Mostly sunny and very warm

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Brilliant sunshine and humid

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Sunny and very warm

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Mostly Sunny

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Roundabout reprieve Digging deep MALAGA’S council has contracted a company to excavate and create an archaeological park in the city’s Phoenician ruins.

The €21,622 project, which is expected to take nine months to execute, will see a cultural site created in the Cerro de Villar reservoir, allowing, “people to find out about the importance of the Phoenician influence in the south of the Iberian Peninsula,” according to the council.

The works, which would take place on publicly owned land, would include building a bridge of the mouth of the Senda Litoral, a project which is pending approval from the Junta de Andalucia and which would cost €750,000.

Beatriz Olmedo has first hand experience of the dangers of the roundabout

by Sally Underwood BENALMADENA’S Council has agreed to modify the Avenida Antonio Machado roundabout following a series of accidents.

Residents had claimed the roundabout, which has been partially fenced-off, should be demolished, but it will now be narrowed instead after one motorist was hospitalised with a leg injury caused by a crash at the site.

The council voted unanimously to keep the roundabout and simply changing its layout after it emerged demolishing it would mean returning funding for the project to the Provincial Council. Oscar Ramundo, Councillor for Urban Planning, said the site "has not been put to use because it suffers from some design flaws that were noticed once the work was finished,” confirming it will be modified, "to avoid having to return the subsidy granted by

the Provincial Council for its construction".

The news comes after Councillor Beatriz Olmedo wounded a motorist after making an illegal manoeuvre on the roundabout, changing lane from one heading towards Fuengirola to one to Torremolinos.

Political party, Cuidadanos, demanded the roundabout be demolished following several accidents, however the party do not have representation in the council anymore after three of their councillors were expelled, leaving the governing parties free to push through the vote to modify the site unanimously.

Initial plans included restricting cars and taxis at the entrance to the roundabout, however this was discounted after councillors decided the area running from the Sunset Beach hotel to Torremolinos was so busy the move would cause large jams.

4

Children are the future

by Jemima Roberts

MIJAS Council has said it plans to create a multipurpose centre in the old firehouse it reclaimed from Fuengirola Council.

Councillors have said they want the building to be used for “social and cultural” purposes since the town already has its own firestation.

Francisco Martniez, a local politician, said "the council will evaluate whether the building can be immediately used for residents”.

Meanwhile, the council team is studying options to use the site for a sociocultural building which would meet the demands by associations and groups in Las Lagunas as well as providing space for shows of the Peña Flamenca El Gallo.”

The 762 square metre building, located on the border of Fuengirola and Mijas, could offer ample space for leisure activities, according to Mijas’ Mayor, Juan Carlos Mal-

donado. He explained, "one of our main goals today is to get residents involved, not only through debate forums such as the social council, but also through the physical spaces provided for locals so they can carry out work locally through associations and groups.”

The news comes after it was last week announced Fuengirola Council are preparing to hand over the fire station it had been using to Mijas Council within the month.

Following protracted legal wrangling, the centre will be handed back to Fuengirola in the first two weeks of September. Mijas’ Mayor, Juan Carlos Maldonado, commented, "the station is set to return to the arms of Mijas, which it should never have left.”

The dispute looked set to reach eviction proceedings until Ana Mula, Fuengirola’s Mayor, wrote to her Mijas counterpart, Juan Carlos Maldonado, saying her council would vacate the building,

which is located in Mijas.

Fuengirola’s firefighters had been using the building for several years but have since built one within their own municipality, prompting Mijas Council to ask for the site back, even resorting to legal threats. According to media reports, Mijas’ request “was denied by former mayor and now Partido Popular member, Esperanza Oña, and by the current mayor, Ana Mula.”

Fuengirola Council took the issue to court, requesting the building be gifted as payment for €4.5 million worth

of services its says have been provided by its firemen. The court sided with Mijas Council, stating nothing was owed to Fuengirola Council and it did not make sense for Fuengirola’s firefighters to remain in a building not belonging to the council.

Mijas Council says it made numerous written and verbal requests to Ana Mula, asking her to vacate the building, sending a formal request on September 14, 2016, saying it wanted the building back within a month. A source says the letter went “ignored and unanswered,”

prompting Mijas Council to begin eviction proceedings.

Four months later, Ana Mula wrote back saying she would return the building but claiming she and Mayor Maldonado have “different interpretations” of the ruling, since it “does not contain any order imposing the building’s return and does not determine the legal status of the property,” adding the ruling only dealt with a “cost claim” between the two councils.

She says she will hand back the property on the proviso a document is signed clarifying the agreement.

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Photo Credit: Guardia Civil Seprona

7,500 protest animal kennels

Life boat saves 53 FIFTY-THREE migrants have been rescued from a small boat near Benajarafe, six of whom have been taken to hospital for “mild injuries,” according to media reports.

Of the six, three were pregnant and have been transferred to the Mother and Child Hospital in Malaga, while the other three were taken to the Hospital Civil de Malaga. Another 10 young people have were taken to hospital for tests to ascertain their age.

The fishing boat was rescued 14 miles off the coast of Benajarafe after attempting to cross from North Africa. The vessel, holding 10 women and 43 men, was spotted by a rescue plane in the late afternoon, before a ship from the maritime rescue service was despatched, collecting the migrants and taking them to Malaga port, where they arrived at around 8pm.

Bikini babes hit Marbella Distressing scenes from the original investigation

by Jemima Roberts ALMOST 8,000 people have signed a petition demanding Torremolinos Council convert the municipal dog kennels into an animal sanctuary.

Charity Animal Resistance has taken to campaign website, Change.org, stating dogs and cats are “totally abandoned” and “volunteers are not allowed in” to the municipal kennel, which is said to concentrate on removing animals from the streets rather than rehoming them.

The campaign comes in the wake of the Parque Animal court case, in which the charity’s former president, Carmen Marin, was sentenced to four years in prison for animal abuse and document forgery and currently faces a further trial for money laundering.

Earlier this month it was announced a Torremolinos court has granted the town council’s request to take part in her new trial, in which she is accused of using charity funds to pay for a luxury lifestyle.

Parque Animal was run from 1998 to 2010 by the accused, until she was jailed after Guardia Civil officers found the bod-

ies of dozens of animals in rubbish bins and freezers. At her trial, the judge found Marin had made a “lucrative” business out of the charity, which benefitted from zero tax, and carried out “culling session” on a “massive and unjustified” scale.

Marin currently faces further charges of using the charity’s money to fund luxury travel, restaurant trips and cars.

At her latest trial, the judge said he believes Parque Animal paid out €104,382 to department stores, using the funds to reform and decorate her daughter’s beauty centre. Marin is also accused of using public funds to pay for a lift in one of her buildings, supermarket purchases and car rental, after receiving tens of thousands of Euros from the council.

The Animal Park account, registered as a non-profit association, also served, according to the order, for Marín and his family to pay twenty practical classes in a driving school, fees in a gym, trips and meals in restaurants.

Last month the RTN reported the troubled charity’s future was unclear after a recent tender to find new

managers for the sanctuary failed to attract any offers.

The council will now reopen the application process, with the building’s current managers, Animal Home, continuing to take in animals in the meantime.

Torremolinos’ Environment Department had offered up to €67,000 to the successful applicant for taking over the shelter. Three companies were invited to take part in the tender, which would see the successful firm collect, transport and shelter the town’s lost and abandoned animals, but not one chose to submit an application. The Council is now said to be considering upping its offer to attract more companies.

Animal Home have managed the site since the investigation concluded in 2012, although the property continues to be owned by Parque Animal after it was given a 50-year lease in 1998. The fate of the site is now unclear, although a source at the council has reportedly said it is “not unusual” for these types of tenders to receive no applications.

All aboard!

A NEW cruise ship, Seabourn Encore, has made its first ever trip to Malaga after visiting Gibraltar.

The luxury ship measures 210 metres long, and can accommodate 640 passengers and 400 crew. The vessel, belonging to American company, Seabourn Cruise Line, was welcomed by Malaga’s Port Authority, the council’s department for tourism and company Cruceros Malaga.

The ship’s captain was also given a commemorative plaque to mark the inaugural visit at a reception held on board. The cruise liner stopped in Malaga to enjoy the city’s feria, before moving on to its next stop, Cartagena.

Another cruise, Panorama II, also stopped for a night at Malaga’s Palermal Terminal for the feria. The small, exclusive vessel, measuring 50 metres, is run by Greek company, Variety Cruises.

YAZMIN OUKHELLOU, star of The Only Way is Essex, has been snapped alongside two of her co-stars, Maddie Hooper and Ruby Lacey, soaking up some sun on the beach in Marbella.

The twenty-four-year-old beauty was photographed in a daring red strappy bikini and gold high heels which showcased her toned figure. The brunette stunner, who is going out with co-star, James Lock, jetted into Marbella Airport last week following corrective surgery to her nose in Turkey in July after an accident left her with a “small bump.”

Yazmin was joined at the beach by the show’s newest additions, Maddie and Ruby, both aged 26, who wowed in one-piece swimsuits. The trio posed for photographers before joining castmates Diags and Dan Edger on luxury sun beds to enjoy cocktails.

7 Photo credit: Shutterstock

Beach wars

by Sally Underwood SUN BED business owners on Torremolinos’s beaches are at war after it emerged some are exceeding their allotted space to make higher profits.

The average 500 square metre space permitted by law to owners of sun bed businesses is increasingly being surpassed, leading to visits from inspectors and conflict with beach-goers who are finding it ever more difficult to find a place on the beach to sunbathe.

Business owners who do keep to their allocated space, which can house an average of 100 beds, have now voiced their concerns with their council about those who choose to exceed their area with the addition of further beds and table.

Maribel Tocon, the town’s Councillor for Beaches met with dozens of beach workers who complained about the “unfair competition and bad image” irresponsible businesses bring, calling the issue an “invasion.” Councillor Tocon asked for the “collaboration” of all business owners and promised to meet with the Junta de Andalucia to increase allotted spaces, which some workers have called “insufficient.”

Political party Izquierda Unida (IU) claimed they had received “complaints from some users of La Carihuela beach that it is sometimes difficult not only to walk along the shore but just to be on it.” A spokesman from a coalition of left-leaning parties, David Tejeiro, asked the council’s minority-governing

party, PSOE to increase beach inspections “to avoid abuse by a minority of business owners who exceed their areas.”

One business owner commented, the situation “is not

positive. It gives the impression it is impossible to find space to put a towel down in Torremolinos,” adding, “it is damaging to us all.”

8

Photo Credit: RTN

Laser duo face €600,000 fine

POWERFUL: Some laser pointers are reported to be powerful enough to light a match stick from 30cm.

by Richard Johnson A BRITISH father and his son, aged 41 and 15, face a multi-thousand Euro fine for allegedly dazzling pilots at Malaga airport with laser pointers.

If found guilty, the men could be handed fines of between €30,000 and €600,000 for breaching the Citizen Security Law, according to the Provincial Commissary. Meanwhile, the British Government say they are now considering a series of proposals to restrict the

use of potentially dangerous pointers.

The accused were identified by an off-duty National Police officer who was staying at the same hotel, the Don Pablo de Torremolinos. The policeman allegedly saw two people on a sixth-floor terrace pointing lasers “indiscriminately” in the air and at three planes, as well as vehicles driving in the area at around 11pm.

The National Police officer called 091, telling his colleagues about the incident.

A patrol car was sent to the hotel, where staff helped the police locate the room of

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

pushing and spitting on her.

The woman explained one of the people then ripped her veil from her head, which she said caused her a great deal of pain because it is fixed in place with pins. The victim said she explained to the group she was Spanish, which only increased their hostility. One of the alleged assailants then produced a lighter, saying, “now we are going to burn you,” according to the woman.

She explained the group only stopped when a married couple with a baby walked passed.

A woman in a full veil near Sharm el Sheik

MORE THAN 5,700 kilos of fish and shellfish have been seized in a dawn raid in Mercamalaga after the fisheries inspectorate found it did not comply with traceability regulations.

Any confiscated food which was fit for consumption was donated to charity while the rest was destroyed. Inspectors, who were carrying out the work as part of their yearly inspection plan, also issued six penalties, three to transporters, two to wholesalers and one to a seafood expedition centre.

The raid, which was carried out in collaboration with the Guardia Civil’s Service for the Protection of Nature (Seprona), resulted in 5,755 kilograms of fish being seized, among which were 4,716 kilograms of anchovies, 696 kilograms were sardines, 90 kilograms were mackerel, 76.65 were hake and 38.5 were tuna.

the accused, which officers then searched, finding small, green laser pointers.

Police confiscated the pens and took statements from the two, who apparently accepted their guilt, according to media reports.

At the same time as the incident, several pilots alerted Malaga Airport’s air traffic control tower they had been dazzled by lasers, saying they believed they came from the Bajondillo area, where the hotel is. It is not believed anyone was injured in the incident.

Veiled threat A MUSLIM woman in Malaga has complained to the National Police after claiming four people attacked her in the street, ripping off her veil and insulting her.

Malaga’s Prosecutor’s Office has now contacted the police, asking them to investigate the incident, which they believe could be a case of Islamophobia.

The assault occurred at around 8.30pm on Calle Ruta de Malaga, in an urbanisation in the city. The woman said she was looking at a for sale sign when she heard people shouting at her, calling her a “blackberry.”

She claimed the four surrounded her, insulting her saying “go back to your own country,” “you want to impose your laws on us,” and “we’re going to burn you all,” before

Fishy business

10

by Sally Underwood A FIFTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD Dutch man allegedly tried to urinate on members of the National Police after being arrested in Torremuelle, Benalmadena.

The man was detained alongside his friend, aged 48, after officers stopped the pair in their car. The two were driving along Avenida Sol when officers, who were attending an accident, saw their car had a foreign registration and tried to stop them.

The men allegedly ignored the request and tried to drive on leading officers to stand in front of the car. The forty-eightyear-old driving apparently slowed the vehicle before quickly accelerating again to get away before an officer stopped him by reaching through the window and grabbing the man’s key.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Man attempts to urinate on police

Peeing Statue

by David Cerny outside the Franz Kafka Museum in Prague Noticing the men seemed drunk, police asked the driver to submit to a breathalyser test, which he refused to give, instead picking up the device and pretending to play it like a flute. Realising neither occupant was fit to drive, officers impounded the vehicle, organising a tow vehicle to take it to a warehouse.

The fifty-three-year-old man, who owned the car, then tried to leave and allegedly reached for something in his pocket. Searching him, officers found he had a razor blade

on his person as well as a knife and gym dumbbells in his car. Trying to arrest the driver, police were met with aggression from both men, leading officers to detain both men, taking them to the National Police station where the men are said to have become more violent, allegedly hitting furniture and insulting police.

The car’s owner then pulled down his trousers and started urinating, apparently aiming at officers, but instead just hitting the floor.

Photo Credit: Té y kriptonita

Tourist trap HUNDREDS of passengers were left stranded at Malaga Airport during the current taxi strike after their planes landed after the last bus left.

The travellers emerged from the airport just after the bus service finished at around 1am, leaving them to stand with their luggage hoping for help to arrive. According to media reports, one woman said, “some people started calling family or friends,

but we don’t know what to do.”

Some passengers apparently started shouting at taxi drivers watching the scene with their lights off, telling them they should be doing something to help.

The strike, which began last Sunday, has seen travel chaos hit Malaga after taxi drivers have downed tools indefinitely in an effort to stop private hire company, Cabify, which they claim is taking their work.

Four injured in knife fight

by Jemima Roberts FOUR PEOPLE, aged between 21 and 29, have been hospitalised with knife wounds after a fight broke out at around 6am in Fuengirola.

National Police officers have already arrested eight people and have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests after the fracas, which took place on Calle Martinez Catena.

Of the four in hospital, a twenty-one-year-old is expected to live but remains the most seriously injured after he received deep stab wounds to his neck and forearm. The other three received injuries to various parts of their body but are not considered to be in a serious condition.

Local and National Police officers, as well as health workers, attended the scene after receiving several calls reporting the fight, finding several injured people on the promenade before transferring them to the emergency room of the Costa del Sol Hospital.

The National Police have started an investigation into the fight but have already identified the identities of those involved and are now working out each person’s involvement, as well as what started the confrontation and whether any other weapons, including bottles, were used.

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Drug dealer arrested A FORTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD Spanish man has been arrested in Malaga for driving without a licence, having false licence plates and carrying seven grams of cocaine.

Police have now arrested the man on suspicion of drug trafficking, crimes against road safety and document falsification after initially became suspicious of his “evasive” attitude after they stopped to help several people involved in a multicar collision in the heart of the city.

On searching the man’s house, they found €25,960 in cash, 109 grams of hashish, 64,61 grams of marijuana, 27,24 grams of MDMA and 6,19 grams of cocaine, as well as scales and other drug paraphernalia.

12

Burglary gang foiled

by Jemima Roberts POLICE in Benalmadena have brought down a criminal group accused of burgling more than 20 houses in Marbella.

The gang, who were forcing their way into homes, were brought to justice after police identified three members, arresting two Algerian men, aged 22 and 41, for robbery using force, car theft, crimes against road safety and assaulting a police officer.

The investigation remains open as officers try to find the third member.

The police have now recovered several of the stolen items and returned them to their owners after beginning their investigation in July when a spate of burglaries in which jewellery, money, handbags and glasses were stolen, was reported in residential areas of Marbella.

Police say the gang each had a specific role, including a look-out, with others forcing entry into the properties. On being found, officers say one of the gang tried to run over an agent.

The news comes after Local Police in Torremolinos last month arrested a group of five Spanish and Colombian thieves who had been targeting tourists.

The alleged criminals were found with a bag containing several mo-

bile phones and memory cards as well as a wallet.

The ring was brought down after police were approached by the owner of a tobacconist on the El Bajondillo promenade who said his shop’s CCTV cameras had caught the five mugging an individual for their mobile. According to media reports, the images showed alleged thieves “keeping watch and monitoring all customers, turning their heads on several occasions to stop people coming and going to the shop.”

Four officers looked at the tape and located the victim, a young Austrian tourist, who was staying with family at the Hotel Sol Principe. Police quickly distributed descriptions of the accused to other units and told them where they had been operating. Officers eventually found four of those shown on the tape, along with another person, 300 metres from the tobacconist, near the Los Corales beach. According to police they were “moving hastily” when officers approached them and seized mobile phones they were carrying.

After checking the identification codes of the telephones against a database they were sure they had found the ring. Four of the ring were arrested while one, who was heavily pregnant, remained in a health centre.

Taxi dispute ends Photo Credit: Loma Eade

PEACE has returned to Costa del Sol taxi ranks after four days of heightening tension which even led to violence.

The initial problem arose when private hire company Cabify brought 35 cars down from Madrid to increase its service during the Malaga Fair.

Taxi drivers were up in arms about what they considered to be unfair, cheaper competition and called a strike, initially for the fair but which spread to affect Malaga Airport and some towns across the Costa del Sol. So incensed were the taxi drivers that a number took the law into their own hands and reportedly threated Cabify drivers.

Those private hire cars are operated by drivers who are insured and hold a VTC licence which does allow them to operate, but under different rules to licensed taxi drivers.

A video shows that there was even an assault on Eduardo Martín, president of Unauto VTC, the largest organization representing VTC drivers in Spain.

Agreement has now been reached for the Spanish government to restrict the number of new VTC licences issued in order to keep a significant difference between the number of licensed taxi drivers and private hire drivers.

Drivers have also accepted that if they don’t work, they will lose large amounts of money at this busy time.

14

Gay pride

by Richard Johnson NINE LGTBI associations have registered in Torremolinos in recent months, it has been revealed The development comes after Torremolinos has become a destination for lesbians, gay people, transsexuals, bisexuals and intersex people, something which has been embraced by the current council.

The associations Transhuellas, Ojala Entiendas, Arcoiris Torremolinos, Positive Support Association, Fadisma Malaga, Colegandalus Malaga, Andalusca Diversity, Aepgalma and Acogat have all registered in Torremolinos, a massive increase from the one LGTBI organisation registered in the town in 2015.

The establishment of a Gay Pride event in June every year, as well as the annual Wonder Beach festival, confirmed Torremolinos’ position as an LGTBI destination, becoming the fifth Spanish municipality after Seville, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia to join the Paris Declaration, a project aimed at eliminating AIDS by 2030.

The town hall now hangs a rainbow flag from its balcony on international LGTBI day each year and at this year’s Pride event, Maria Jimena Rico and Shaza Ismail, the two girls whose plight being held captive in the Middle

East gained international attention this year, led the festivities.

The event, which was also attended

by Dana International; the first transsexual winner of Eurovision, celebrates and promotes equality. The girls were chosen to lead the parade because their sexuality “almost cost them their freedom.”

The women, who are 28 and 22, became embroiled in an internationallycovered ordeal after flying to Dubai to visit Shaza’s mother, who was supposedly sick. Once there, however, it became clear Miss Ismail’s Egyptian father wanted her to face trial for her sexuality, which is punishable by death in Dubai.

The couple fled to Georgia, where the man ambushed them and tore up their travel documents. Police intervened and took the girls to the Turkish border, where they crossed over.

Turkish police soon intercepted them though, and imprisoned them on suspicion of terrorism without access to legal advice or phones.

The Spanish Government became involved when Ms Rico’s family reported her missing after receiving voicemail saying she feared for her life. The authorities tracked the girls to a prison in Istanbul and quickly secured their release.

Feria casualty A MAN, aged 30, has been taken to Hospital Carlos Haya after receiving multiple stab wounds in the centre of Malaga during the city’s feria.

The young man was stabbed in the neck, chest and abdomen on Calle Carreteria and is said to remain in a serious condition. At last year’s feria, police confiscated 21 knives and seized 417 narcotic substances.

This year, the Local Police will carry out an average of 448 duties daily to avoid any incidents, while 346 members of the National Police will also be on hand in addition to the 900 members working in the city normally.

American dream Dr Iñaki Hormaza, head of the Department of Subtropical Fruit in La Mayora, has been made an honorary member of the Botanical Society of America.

The scientist is only the third Spaniard ever to receive the recognition after being chosen by Harvard University to carry out a study into pawpaws earlier this year.

Pawpaws are the only fruit of their species capable of growing in cold climates and the study may allow "cold areas to have this exotic flavour".

The project is expected to take around 18 months and similar studies are also being carried out on avocados in the hope of locating particular genes and improving the fruit.

15

Big Ben bongs to be silenced

A 19-YEAR-OLD Ukrainian suffered an unexpected awakening when he woke up on his sunbed.

Working as a lifeguard on the Lazurne beach, Mykhailo Doroshenko decided to spend the night aboard an inflatable mattress, only to wake up the following morning floating in the middle of the Black Sea off the Crimea coast. It was three days before he was finally rescued suffering from the effects of dehydration and sunstroke in temperatures of more than 40ºC. "The first day was fun, the second no so much," he explained to a Ukrainian-based newspaper.

He was found by members of the Crimea military more than 60 kilometres away from where he set off.

Photo credit: Wikimedia

by Lynn Whittaker THE FAMOUS bongs of Big Ben will fall quiet for up to four years as from Monday.

Parliamentary authorities announced that the Great Bell, which has rang out across London almost without a break for the past 157 will sound for the last time at noon on Monday August 21. Renovation work on the Elizabeth Tower isn’t planned to be completed until 2021.

Health and safety concerns have prompted this controversial move in some quarters, but spokesperson said: “The chimes are being stopped to provide a safe environment for the people working on the scaffolding.

Constant proximity to the chimes would pose a serious risk to their hearing, and would prevent efficient working.”

Mechanics who currently work on the clock get ear defenders but are only exposed to the bells ringing for short periods each week.

The spokeswoman added: “People will be working on the scaffolding day-

Unforgettable sunbed journey

Star shows off surgery results SILENCED: The iconic Big Ben will be quiet for four years in day-out throughout the works, and, while protective headgear could be provided, it is not desirable for individuals working at height to have their hearing obscured as there is concern the ability to hear each other and any alarms could be affected.”

Parliament’s specialist clock makers will however ensure Big Ben can still bong for important national events such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday, and one working clock face will remain visible at all times throughout the works.

LAUREN POPE, the thirty-four-year-old star of The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE), has been spotted showing off the results of her recent breast reduction on a beach in Marbella. The Essex-born stunner is in the town shooting scenes for the reality TV show over the summer. Wearing a high-cut, hot pink swimsuit, the star showed off her smaller bust and revealed her toned body in the backless one piece. Pope, who runs a successful hair-extensions business, explained she had her breast size reduced at the beginning of July when her size E implants were removed so she could to be taken more seriously in the business world. The star was photographed reclining on a sun lounger next to a female friend where the pair sipped cocktails before joining the rest of the TOWIE cast at the Bono Beach Club.

16

Steam back on the tube Photo credit: Wikimedia

Sickness claim thrown out of court

ALL ABOARD: Metropolitan Nº1 back on track for one day

by Ray Chadwick THE GOLDEN era of the steam train is to return to London in September...but only for one day.

A selection of steam locomotives pulling 1950s ex-British Rail rolling stock will be running on the Metropolitan Line between Amersham and Harrow-on-the Hill on Sat-

urday September 16.

The event, ‘Vintage Summer Steam’, has been organised by the London Transport Museum and train buffs will get the chance to ride on the Metropolitan Nº1 steam locomotive, Steam Locomotive Nº 9466, two class 20 diesel locomotives and the coaches resplendent in their red livery.

The first train will depart from Harrow-on-

the-Hill to Amersham at 10.20am, while the last will leave Amersham at 3.27pm and arrive in Ruislip at 4.11pm. Tea and cakes will be served from vintage crockery to day-trippers during some of the journeys.

London was the first city in the world to have an underground railway and the initial section built by the Metropolitan Railway ran between Paddington and Farringdon.

Look what the tide’s dragged in!

A BRITISH tourist who blamed poor hygiene in a hotel gave her diarrhoea has had her compensation claim thrown out by a judge.

Her boasting about her trip on Facebook went against her previous claims that she’d suffered “nausea and diarrhoea” during an all-inclusive Thomas Cook holiday in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh.

Marissa McLean, 27, alleged that "the way food was cooked and prepared" led to her suffering illness at the resort one minute supposedly back and forth to the toilet and yet the next was saying he was in “paradise.”

She claimed the posts were to provoke an ex-boyfriend back in the UK to jealousy.

In his damning conclusion, Judge Nadeem Khan said her evidence was "neither plausible nor credible" and he formally ruled her claim "fundamentally dishonest", allowing the tour operator to recover the money it had spent fighting her claim.

Instead she was ordered to pay £2,812 within 21 days, and refused leave to appeal.

After the hearing, a spokesman for Thomas Cook said: "We've been clear we won't hesitate to take action where we feel it's justified in order to protect the majority of honest holidaymakers. We're pleased that, for a second time, a judge has recognised the dishonesty in these cases, showing that the courts are increasingly aware of the levels of fraud we're seeing in holiday sickness claims."

Photo credit: Geograph

BEACHCOMERS in East Anglia had the shock of their lives when they took a stroll along a Norfolk beach.

Expecting to see the odd cuttlefish or chunks of seaweed along the shore, they were greeted by a number of gigantic plastic pipes that had been washed-up by Horsey and Sea Palling in Norfolk.

The Norwegian-made bore pipes – normally around two metres in diameter and 100 metres long – broke free when they were being transported to Algeria in mid-July and a passing container ship crashed into them - but they had only just come ashore. Those discovered on the beach ranged from between 200 metres to 480 metres long.

Authorities have said there was no danger from the pipes and that specialist companies Dutch Marine BV and Marine Towing Services were working on removing them.

Mountain rescue hoaxer slammed

Photo credit: Twitter

VOLUNTEERS responsible for mountain rescue in a part of Wales have described the maker of a hoax call as “irresponsible”.

As a result of three alleged emergency calls made to North Wales Police, 16 members of the voluntary Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation (OVMRO) were dispatched into Snowdonia to look for the ‘victim’. He was reported as being lost around Cwm Idwal, Devil’s Kitchen and Glyder Fawr at 7.30am. At the same time, another call came in from someone claiming to be lost on Tryfan.

Chris Lloyd of OVMRO called the hoaxer “irresponsible”. He said: “There were 16 of us searching

the whole area from about 7.30am in wet and frankly atrocious weather. The police received another call after 9am saying they were lost on Tryfan. We asked them to check the voices of all the calls and they realised it was most likely to be a hoax.

As a result, the search parties were recalled to base. “We had 16 very wet team members who were very upset,” said Mr Lloyd. “They have families and partners and there’s only so many times you can ask them to go out - it could affect them next time there’s a genuine emergency.”

Mr Lloyd said it was fortunate another genuine call didn’t come in while they were deployed.

17

Never too old to learn

by Glenn Scott A 91-YEAR OLD woman in Thailand has earned a college degree after spending more than 10 years studying for it and has received her diploma from the country's king.

Public television broadcaster Thai PBS says Kimlan Jinakul was granted the Bachelor of Arts degree in human and family development at the government-run Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University just outside Bangkok.

"If we do not study, do not read, do not know, then we won't be able to speak and make sense," she said.

Her diploma was handed to her by King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarang-

kun, who took the throne last year. Diplomas at Thailand's public universities are traditionally handed out by members of the royal family.

"I am happy and honoured that the king has graciously shown such limitless mercy," Kimlan said, using a phrase meant to show utmost respect to Thai royalty.

Kimlan traveled with her family from their home in Phayao province, 725 kilometers (450 miles) north of Bangkok, to attend the graduation ceremony.

"Sometimes she felt weary because of her body," Kimlan's son, Mongkol Jinakul, told Thai PBS. "But we as her children tried to cheer her on and mom studied until the end and it was a success."

King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun

Cancer scammer charged with fraud A WOMAN from Orlando who pretended to have terminal cancer was finally arrested and charged with fraud, according to U.S. prosecutors.

Vedoutie Hoobraj, 38, using the name Shivonie Deokaran accepted donations when she lived in Westchester County in New York during a period from October 2014 until at least March 2016. Hoobraj claimed to have seen doctors at cancer hospitals and had even posted pictures of her bald head

as a result of the treatment, but prosecutors said in court documents proved that she never actually underwent any.

Over the time, she raised more than $50,000 from at least 300 people in Westchester County towns from a series of events, Hoobraj claimed she had 18 months to live and was suffering from both leukemia and cancer of the liver.

Hoobraj faces a maximum of 20 years in prison after being charged one a count of financial fraud.

Sewbots are the new machinists

Trump isn’t the only Twitter chump PRINCE Laurent of Belgium has had his Twitter account deleted, and the speculation is that it’s been deactivated by his brother, King Philippe.

Photo credit: Twitter

The Prince, 53, has built up a reputation for being a firebrand and it’s understood that he’s had his account removed to stop him making further Twitter blunders.

The action has been taken as a result of Prince Laurent tweeting a picture of himself in full military uniform to his 5,000 followers when he recently attended a celebration marking 90 years since the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at Beijing’s Brussels based embassy. It was described by one Belgian newspaper as ‘a gaffe too far’.

Prince Laurent has a history of contentious meetings with foreign governments and faces a 10 per cent fine from his €308,000 annual endowment allowance.

His previous freelance diplomacy has included trips

to see President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who, after 16 years in power, refuses to stand down on the grounds that the country cannot afford elections!

He also enjoyed frequent visits to Libya between 2008 and 2010, where he had been hoping to go into business with one of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s sons.

The People’s Liberation Army event may have gone unnoticed but the wayward prince tweeted a picture of himself attending the ceremony at the Chinese embassy in Brussels, leaving the Belgian prime minister with little choice but to act.

The Prince is due to give his side of the Chinese incident to the government in September but the conservative Flemish party, the N-VA, is insisting he face the consequences of his actions.

ROYAL GAFFE: Prince Laurent of Belgium tweeting on duty

ADIDAS are investing $20m (€25m) in new technology in a series of robotic arms to make their world-famous shirts.

In raw numbers, 21 robot arms – known as Sewbots – will be able to produce 82,467 per day made up of 3,927 per arm and one shirt every 22 seconds!

Designed and built by the American company SoftWear Automation, Adidas will replace the workforce in its factories in China and Thailand during 2018 to both increase productivity and reduce manufacturing costs.

Each robot has a system of mechanical arms, needles and cameras that can cut and sew the fabric in four minutes. According to its creators, Sewbot is able to make a garment at a level of precision that not even the human eye can detect.

Chairman of the company that produces the shirts for Adidas, Tang Xinhong of Tianyuan Garments, said that they will eventually have 10 times the amount of Sewbots producing a predicted total of 800,000 units per day in the medium term, al made in American factories.

The idea is that not even the cheapest Chinese factory in the world could compete against the Sewbots.

18

Bus driver thrown off for drug use

by Richard Johnson SIXTY bus passengers in Benalmadena were delayed after their driver was stopped and removed by the Guardia Civil following a routine drugs check.

The vehicle was travelling from Hinojosa del Duque in Cordoba to Benalmadena when police boarded the bus and tested its driver for alcohol and narcotics, with the man testing positive for marijuana use.

After the driver was removed by police, the bus and its passengers were stuck un-

til around 11am when another driver, who tested negative for drink and drugs, could take over. Police roadside checks have recently been stepped up on journeys with coastal destinations in an effort to ensure drivers are complying with the law and reduce accidents.

A spokesperson for the Guardia Civil’s traffic department explained, "The dangerousness of accidents involving vehicles that transport people as it is the case that concerns us, as well as the social alarm generated by such accidents, advise to prioritize control over this type of transport.”

Holy smoke

EFFORTS to reduce the illegal sale of tobacco at this year’s Malaga feria are said to be a partial success after an authorised tobacconist was installed at this year’s event.

The retailer, located in the Real de la Feria, has attracted large crowds of smokers, although some illegal street vendors continue to trade, according to media reports.

The news comes after it was revealed almost half of drivers in Malaga stopped on suspicion of drug driving test positive for having narcotics in their system, according to figures released by the Spanish Government.

Minister for the Interior, Juan Ignacio Zoido, has said the Government is now considering a series of measures to combat the rising problem. He explained one option being explored is referring drivers who commit two or more drink or drug offences in under two years to health professionals to determine whether they have an addiction problem be-

Head of Security at Malaga Council, Mario Cortes, said although not many police officers are brought in to deal with the problem, more measures have been put in place to

fore they regain their licence. Police carried out 1,468 tests last year, 609 of which confirmed drug use, a total of 41.4%. The most commonly detected was cannabis at 60.92%, followed by cocaine at 24.46%, and then amphetamines at 6.36%, methamphetamines at 5.91% and opioids at 2.29%. The figures also showed the number of tests carried out in recent years had grown significantly from 77 in 2012 and 2013 to 1,021 in 2014 and 2,318 in 2015. Conversely, breathalyser tests carried to measure alcohol levels have dropped from 205,511 in 2012 to 132,145 last year.

stop the sale of illegal tobacco this year, leading to 200 packets of cigarettes being confiscated so far.

TOWIE stars hit Marbs

TWO STARS from ITV’s hit reality show, The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) have been photographed embracing this summer’s lace trend. Georgie Kousoulou, aged 26, and Chloe Sims, aged 34, were snapped strolling around Marbella, with Georgia opting for transparent black trousers and Chloe looking chic in a white see-through dress.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, one of the reality show’s stars, Megan Mckenna, aged 24, has been spotted puckering up to boyfriend and co-star, Pete Wicks, aged 28, after returning from filming scenes for the programme in Marbella. The on-againoff-again couple are back together after breaking up on their five-day trip when Pete was accused of exchanging flirty texts with other women.

20

What’s in YOUR medicine cabinet? by

Barry Duke

“Oooh,” grouched the other half who’d spent the best part of the afternoon on the beach turning himself the colour of a Christmas Island crab on one of the hottest days of August, “I’ve got a thumping headache.”

“Well, I’m hardly surprised,” I shot back, “but there are more painkillers in the medicine cabinet than you can shake a stick at. And while you’re at it I suggest you slather yourself with after-sun lotion.”

I heard Marcus rummaging around in the cabinet, then came the plaintiff cry, “which ones are the painkillers?”

Sigh. I broke away from a game of Scrabble I was winning (me v the computer) and peered at the mind-blowing array of pharmaceuticals the cabinet contained. “Er … these are some sort of paracetamol I said.” I handed him a bright red box of Dolorstop that I really

can’t remember buying.

“How many do I take?” was the next question. I suggested two, the number of paracetamol I normally take for a headache. So down they went. An hour later Marcus complained of feeling ill, threw up and went to bed early.

The next day he said he thought the tablets had made him ill. I believed it was sunstroke. But a quick Internet check revealed that over-the-counterin-Spain Dolorstop is almost FOUR times the strength of your bog-standard Boots’ paracetamol, and only one tablet is recommended.

This little episode prompted me to do a thorough check of everything I had in the medicine cabinet, and, much to my astonishment, I realised that I hadn’t the foggiest notion of what around two-thirds of the phials and packages contained.

There was a box of Doctril with seven tablets missing. Doctril? What was that for? And a blister pack of CoCodamols (six tabs missing). The Naproxeno sodica cinfa packet of blue tablets was less of a mystery because I’d scribbled the word “knee” on it. That was handed to me in a pharmacy when my right knee came the size of an Ogen melon after I fell down a flight of stairs about two years ago. Six of those brought down the swelling.

But what was Ilvico for? And Acoxxel?

It was clear that I needed to open Google and run all these medications through it. Doctril, I discovered, was given to me for toothache. CoCodamol is a mixture of codeine and paracetamol and have no idea when I acquired it and what I used it for.

Ilvico, I learned, was for sinusitis and Acoxxel was a gout remedy. Gout?

I’d forgotten about the pain that was caused to the big toe of my right foot a few years back, and I certainly didn’t appreciate being reminded that I was hobbling about for a week like a Victorian gourmand who’d overdone the rich food and port wine in London’s Army and Navy Club.

“Oh my ears and whiskers,” I exclaimed as I gazed at the pile of boxes and blister packs surrounding my computer, “taken together, these suggest that I might disintegrate at any moment.”

“Ah,” said Marcus, “you’ve still got the first aid box to trawl through. It contains about 20 different tubes of creams and lotions with funny names and no indication of what they are for.”

“I don’t feel well,” I retorted. “Let’s leave that for another day.”

Love Island stunner Cally Jane Beech, hits out LOVE ISLAND beauty, Cally Jane Beech, has been criticised online for enjoying a three-day holiday on Ibiza without her three-month old daughter, Vienna.

The twenty-five-year-old star took to Instagram to defend her trip, explaining her daughter was staying with her father, Luis Morrison and told critics to “get a life.”

The brunette stunner is taking a break after breaking up with Luis last month after claims he had cheated on her. Cally Jane explained she was at a Miss Swimsuit UK event on Saturday when she saw the online criticism and had to be comforted by a friend. In her Instagram post, Miss Beech hit back, saying, 'You shouldn't judge other parents on how they're living their lives and what they're doing.”

22

French farce by

Michael Walsh

keyboardcosmetics@ gmail.com

One doesn’t need to be a conspiracy theorist to express concern at sharp electoral practice in some European Union nations. One can also draw conclusions from a voting system wide open to abuse on a massive scale.

In this day and age it is a simple matter to provide a voting system that is 99% tamper proof. Why then use a paper system more suited to medieval Europe.

The surprising spike in votes cast for French President Emmanuel Macron was likely the outcome of electoral fraud. It is now suggested that populist candidate Marine le Pen might have become France’s president had the system not been rigged.

In France, people cast their votes on paper slips distributed by the state.

Delivered by post, each voter receives slips each carrying the names of candidates. Choosing their preferred nominee their choice is then placed in the ballot box. Damaged ballot papers are rejected.

Evidence is emerging that up to 60 per cent of the ballot slips bearing the name of Marine le Pen were damaged before their being mailed to the electorate. There is no evidence that slips bearing Macron’s name were similarly damaged.

The damage to a slip need only be slight but that is enough to disqualify the vote. How convenient if you want an electoral process that is far from

tamper proof.

The randomness of the rips in the Le Pen ballot slips suggests that destruction was carried out by hand with intent.

Another oddity is that many electors in districts known to favour Macron received multiple ballot papers.

Unnervingly, the French Election Commission confirmed that multiple votes would count. If there were complaints these would be investigated after the election. Sure!

When evidence of electoral tampering was referred to the election watchdog the complaint was dismissed and media asked not to report the news story.

Television corporate CNN conceded that ‘there had been irregularities’ in the French elections. The American broadcaster says ballot papers were spoiled. The report went on to say, Emmanuel Macron’s ‘mandate may not be as overwhelming as it seems.’

There was a breaking of the ranks in media output.

Agence France Press reported that ‘a staggering number of French voters cast votes which didn’t count.’

There is always allowance for

blank or spoiled protest votes. However, it was reported that the number of spoiled ballots in the most recent French election was quadruple the usual number recorded. This anomaly was shrugged off as voters ‘declined to choose’ between the two candidates.

The failed vote records were the worst in nearly half a century, abstention the highest since 1969. The fact is the European Union is corrupt from top to bottom.

23

High noon at the Town Hall by

Colin Bird

So I turn up at the office for the padron in the Ayuntamiento at 12pm. It was part of my cunning plan to avoid the long queue that I was convinced would be there if I arrived at the opening time of 9pm.

I was wrong.

A friend had advised me with an all knowing wink and nudge, that before 9pm was when everyone went in order to steal a march on everybody else, and the numbers would be of mob proportions.

He supported this by relating his own experience a few weeks before, when he was able to march straight in at midday.

This made sense, but I hadn’t reckoned on my friend also telling the same thing to the world and his brother and thus, like me, everyone had turned up later in the morning.

I suffer from an extreme case of queuephobia and get very bad tempered, but I figured, hey, what the heck, the office closes at 1.30pm for the day and although there are perhaps fifteen or sixteen people in front of me, quite a few are probably couples, so try and relax.

Because these thoughts were coursing through my mind I forgot the need to extract a numbered ticket from the machine on the wall, until a large lady waiting on a bench indicated brusquely that I should do so.

Having taken my ticket, the large lady exchanged a few words in French to a man standing in front of me and they laughed uproariously in my direction.

What they didn’t realise is that I understood exactly what was said and my resultant glare at the large lady was met with a nervous grin. I say grin but it could have been wind.

It’s just that I take great exception to the suggestion that I have an appendage other than my nose extending from my head.

The clock ticked on in Spanish, meaning very quickly indeed, whilst the queue decreased in length also in Spanish, which is exceedingly slow.

There was the usual banter between our gallant but dwindling band and eventually my turn arrived, although by now it was almost 2pm.

But bless her, the lady dealing single handedly with the padrons and renewals, greeted me with a smile and attended to me quickly and efficiently.

It’s not all bad news when dealing with officialdom.

Just make sure you take along a packed lunch and your funeral plan details.

24

money

Eurozone enjoys rapid growth ACCORDING to official statistics, the Eurozone is now out of its decade of financial crisis. Not only that, it’s growing at a rapid rate.

With Greece showing its own major signs of recovery from its lowest ebb and Spain's economy growing again – albeit some aspects of the job market among the youth population still have some way to go – economic recovery in the 19 countries which use the euro, as a bloc, is showing positive signs at last.

Figures from Eurostat show year-on-year growth at 2.1 per cent, with the economy increasing at 0.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 and 0.6 per cent in the second quarter.

Unemployment figures in the 19 nations are said to be at their 'lowest-ever' since

the plunge back in 2009. Added to this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already reported that Italy, Germany, France and Spain are doing better than they had originally believed.

Spain, one of the weakest Eurozone economies during the crisis, grew 0.9% in the second quarter of 2017 as a result of higher consumer spending and increases in exports, making it one of the fastest-growing of the Eurozone countries.

Current figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) suggest Spain's economy is now back to where it was prior to the crisis which began in 2008.

Unemployment has gone from approximately 25 per cent to 17.2 per cent, although at present this is largely because of summer tourism work and jobless figures are likely to rise again in September.

ON THE UP: Spain leading the way among Eurozone countries

Check your change Photo Credit: RTN

TIME FOR CHANGE: Old £1 coin has two months left as legal tender.

NOW IS time to check your purses, wallets and draws and dig out those old £1 coins. Perhaps you’ve been on a recent trip to the UK and came back with a pocket full of change? You have until October 15 to spend them or give them to people who are returning to the UK to spend them on your behalf.

The point has now been reached where there are more of the new 12-sided £1 coins in circulation than the old round pounds.

Speaking on reaching the changeover point between the old and new pound coins, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Jones MP said: “To have more new coins in circulation than

old at this point is great news. However, with less than 100 days to go, the clock is ticking. We are urging the public to spend, bank or donate their old pound coins and asking businesses that are yet to do so, to update their systems before the old coin ceases to be legal tender.

CEO and Deputy Master of The Royal Mint, Adam Lawrence, said: “The Royal Mint is very proud to have delivered the new 12-sided £1 pound coin and ensuring a smooth transition is now our top priority. We hope our announcement about the changeover point will encourage those businesses who have not yet upgraded their

equipment to do so ahead of the October 15 deadline.”

The new 12-sided £1 coin was brought in to tackle the rise of counterfeit coins, which cost businesses and the taxpayers across the UK millions of pounds every year. With less than two months to go before the round pound loses legal tender status, it is vital that the public continue to return their old pound coins.

Businesses are also being encouraged to get ready. The government is reminding all those who are yet to prepare for the new 12-sided £1 coin to do so now by upgrading equipment and informing customers.

Prudential announce major tie-up Prudential plc has announced that it is to combine Prudential UK & Europe and its asset manager M&G, to form a leading savings and investments business that is ideally positioned to target growing customer demand for comprehensive financial solutions.

The market for savings and investments is changing fast – and Prudential are changing with it. They believe they’ll be better placed to meet the changing needs of customers and financial advisers by combining the complementary strengths of Prudential UK & Europe and M&G. The two businesses already collaborate closely.

M&G manages most of Prudential’s UK life assets, including two-thirds of the very successful PruFund.

So the creation of the new business being announced is a logical step.

Prudential UK & Europe is a leader in the provision of managed funds through PruFund, which offers smoothed returns to protect savers from the extremes of market volatility. They are also a leading player in the retirement income and pension savings markets.

M&G is recognised for its active fund management across the full range of major asset classes – from bonds and equities, to multi-asset, real estate and private debt.

M&G also has an extensive institutional and wholesale distribution network.

In this new combined business – which is called M&G Prudential – they will be able to invest more efficiently in the growth of the business, including the improvement of customer service through new digital channels. They will also have the larger scale to enable them to meet the evolving needs of customers and advisers more effectively.

Their priority, of course, is to build this new business without any disruption to services to existing customers. There should be little change in the interactions that both customers and advisers have and they are keeping both brands – Prudential and M&G. They believe this is a powerful combination of businesses which will enable them to offer a wider choice of propositions and a better service to their customers and advisers.

26

home and garden

From the catwalk straight to your home Tesco Home Bright colours and geometric patterns have made a welcome return, with interesting textures such as tassels and contrasting trims. Inspiration is global, from the natural textures of the Balearic Islands to Cuba, with its palette of terracottas, deep yellows and browns.

It's easy to add vibrancy by building on this scheme with bold cushions, throws, colourful bedding and statement crockery.

Modern melamine tableware has the look and feel of ceramic. Light and unbreakable, it comes in every colour and style, making it ideal for alfresco entertaining.

Invest in bold cushions with contrasting patterns across a neutral background to add instant colour to a room.

Look for candleholders and lanterns with patterned glass or metal walls with cut-out designs that deflect light to create flickering patterns across your walls.

Major players in the home design market are gearing up for the summer season by targeting the designer catwalks of Milan for inspiration, as do their counterparts in the fashion clothing industry. Designs from the catwalk are filtering through to home-ware departments in supermarkets and stores near you, and all at affordable prices.

Here, we look at designs from some of the biggest high street stores about this year's summer trends for the home, and they share their top tips to help you update your living space:

The Heart of House at Argos Combining Japanese and Scandinavian design to keep the look simple, subtle, calm and natural is popular now. This means decluttering and investing in furniture made from blonde-toned wood.

The Japanese influence is strong in ceramics, which have unfussy lines and surface decoration inspired by delicate origami folds, embossing and micro-geometric patterns.

Always create a moodboard with swatches, colour chips and inspirational pictures to pull your favourite styles and looks together before you buy.

Get your storage sorted. Ditch the plastic boxes in favour of modular wall shelving. Invest in extending tables for entertaining and multifunctional furniture to maximise space. Gold and brass are becoming fashionable; just one accessory will add a gorgeous touch of luxury and elegance.

Sainsbury’s Home This season is all about bringing opulent prints and patterns together with rich hues of emerald green and gold in velvets and cotton sateen. Contrasting colours such as fuchsia pink against darker backgrounds comes straight from the catwalk, adding vibrancy and texture to any interior. Bring together plain blocks of colour with accents of pattern. Pick out one colour from your main print and use it for accessories as a highlight to unify your scheme. Make the most of garden space and create a focal point using colourful floor cushions, lanterns and melamine tableware. Show your own individual style by combining new season accessories with vintage pieces and favourite artworks.

H&M Home

Inspired by the elements, air, fire, earth and water – and there's still a big trend focused around wellbeing and calm that's influenced by Japanese and Scandinavian styles. For a modern feel, dress the entire room in tones of soft pink, grey and blue to create an atmosphere of gentle harmony, offset with hints of gold. For a more exotic style, add accents of vibrant green mixed with a range of blues. Keep it low key by bringing in monochrome touches with cushions and rugs. Dotting natural woven baskets in different shapes and sizes around rooms will make the scheme feel more relaxed, as well as offering some useful storage.

George Home Botanical, featuring playful, nature-inspired prints and natural materials mixed with beautiful shades of the rainforest, continues to be a key focus.

Cacti and foliage appear on accessories, soft furnishings and abstract wallpapers. For a more toned-down style, mix with natural textures like rope and raffia.

Introduce the botanical trend into your home with a few artificial plants and leaves used throughout your living space and in the bedroom.

Accessories and soft furnishings such as cushions and vases bring the trend to your home without you having to spend much.

Add hints of copper and gold to create a luxurious, modern scheme.

27

home and garden

The hidden world of flowers THROUGH THE ages and throughout the world, flowers and herbs have been used as medicine, gifts and treatments by virtue of their powers.

Some of the most famous and wellloved varieties have hidden meanings that very few people are aware of.

Here we open the hidden world behind the flowers we love: ASTER The daisy look-a-like gets its name from the Greek word ‘astron,’ meaning star. With its wildflower appearance and multitude of colours, the aster is a perennial favorite

but blooms best in the summer. Among its colour variety, purple asters are most common and generally symbolise wisdom and royalty. The flower overall suggests devotion, purity, and faith.

PEONY One of the most popular wedding flowers, the peony is a symbol of good fortune, a happy marriage, and everlasting prosperity.

Perhaps their happiness is why the flower comes in every colour except blue.

Their blooming period is fleeting – late spring and early summer.

But don’t let this strongly scented, proud petaled flower fool you – the peony also represents bashfulness, according to one Greek myth.

MORNING GLORY Morning glories are named so for their fleeting lifespan, blooming after sunrise and dying before nightfall that very evening.

Because of their short time in the sun, these colourful flowers represent unrequited or restricted love – a warning to cherish the brief moments when love is in reach. There are numerous folktales about how the flower drew this meaning.

It is said Victorians placed morning glories on the graves of lovers to signify a love forever unreturned.

On the other hand, in one Chinese myth God banishes two lovers to separate sides of a river, allowing them to meet just once a year.

MARIGOLD Contrary to modern views,

marigolds were not always considered a delightfully positive flower. Throughout many cultures, marigolds were thought of as a link between death and love.

They represented grief or despair for the loss of a loved one–most notably shown in Mexican culture as the marigold is the spearhead for Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.

SHASTA DAISY There are many types of daisies–Ox-eye, Blue, Lazy, Prairie–but Shasta Daisies are commonly known for their summer appearances because they thrive in direct sunlight and don’t need much water.

These simple flowers symbolise innocence and purity and have been graced with this reputation for

SUNFLOWER This bright yellow flower is more than just a symbol of happiness and vitality.

According to the Greek myth of Apollo and Clytie, it also represents unwavering adoration.

The story tells of a water nymph named Clytie who in her rage from Sun God Apollo’s unrequited love, exposes his relationship with Leucothoe. In anger, Apollo denied her further and turned her into a flower.

But despite this, she

continued to gaze upon him as he rode his chariot across the sky – just as the sunflower loyally follows the sun’s path from East to West throughout the day.

Sunflowers are typically gifted to couples for their third wedding anniversary.

LAVENDER

For centuries, lavender has been lauded for its healing properties. It was used as an insect repellent by the Romans, a perfume by the Greeks, and in healing concoctions by monks in the Middle Ages.

But being the colour of royalty, lavender’s purple hue denotes refinement and luxury. The flowers from a lavender plant are symbolic, representing devotion or luck.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

SHASTA DAISY: Originated as a hybrid produced in 1890 by the American horticulturist Luther Burbank from a number of daisies

PEONY: Ancient Chinese texts mention the peony was used for flavouring food Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

MORNING GLORY: First known in China for its medicinal uses, due to the laxative properties of its seeds

centuries. For instance, in Victorian times when a child stumbled and fell, one would say ‘ups-a-daisy.’

Over time this phrase altered to ‘whoops-a-daisy’ or ‘oopsie-daisy’ as expressions uttered when someone makes an innocent mistake.

SUNFLOWERS: Especially well known for their symmetry based on Fibonacci numbers

29

30

television

18th-24th August

friday

BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

E4

Sky1

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Wanted Down Under 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Heir Hunters 12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Red Rock 3:30pm Impossible 4:15pm Escape to the Continent 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm A Question of Sport 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Celebrity MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News 11:25pm BBC London News 11:35pm Not Going Out 12:05am The Client

7:00am The World’s Most

Photographed 7:30am Bargain Hunt 8:15am Heir Hunters 9:00am Gardeners’ World 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 2:00pm Two Tribes 2:30pm Natural World 3:30pm Grand Prix 6:15pm Put Your Money

Where Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Royal Recipes 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Mastermind 9:30pm Only Connect 10:00pm Gardeners’ World 11:00pm QI 11:30pm Newsnight 12:05am In Our Name

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm Cash Trapped 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Teach My Pet to Do That 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Benidorm 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Piers Morgan’s Life Stories 12:40am Tipping Point

7:00am Countdown 7:45am Will and Grace 8:10am Will and Grace 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Couples Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Posh Pawn 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Cheap Cheap Cheap 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Child Genius 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats

Does Countdown 11:00pm Naked Attraction 12:05am Rude Tube

7:00am Childrens TV

7:00am Hollyoaks 7:30am Coach Trip 7:55am Made in Chelsea 9:00am Melissa and Joey 10:00am Black-Ish 11:00am Baby Daddy 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 4:30pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Black-Ish 5:30pm Black-Ish 6:00pm The Goldbergs 6:30pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Coach Trip 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm The Host 12:25am The Big Bang Theory

7:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 8:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00am Monkey Life 9:30am Monkey Life 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am It’s Me or the Dog 11:30am It’s Me or the Dog 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm MacGyver 5:00pm The Flash 6:00pm The Flash 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm Zoo 11:00pm The Force: North East 12:00am Micky Flanagan

Thinking Aloud 1:00am A League of Their Own

10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm The Yorkshire Vet 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Celebrity Big Brother 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm Jesse Stone: Sea Change 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm 20 Moments

That Rocked the 80s

9:30pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Make or Break?

12:05am Celebrity Big Brother’s

Bit on the Side

SATURDAY CHANNEL 5

E4

Sky1

7:15am Motorsport 7:45am Triathlon 8:40am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:05am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am The Big Bang Theory 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:25am The Big Bang Theory 11:55am The Simpsons 12:25pm The Simpsons 12:55pm Ramsay’s Kitchen

Nightmares USA 1:50pm Four in a Bed 2:25pm Four in a Bed 2:55pm Four in a Bed 3:30pm Four in a Bed 4:00pm Four in a Bed 4:35pm A Place in the Sun 5:35pm Big House, Little House 6:35pm Kirstie and Phil’s

Love it or List it 7:30pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Britain at Low Tide 9:00pm Child Genius 10:00pm The Hunger Games:

Catching Fire 12:50am X-Men

7:00am Childrens TV 11:50am Igor 1:25pm Disobediant Dogs

Make You Laugh Out Loud 2:20pm Bargain Loving Brits

in the Sun 3:20pm Bargain Loving Brits

in the Sun 4:15pm Nightmare Tenants,

Slum Landlords 5:15pm Nightmare Tenants,

Slum Landlords 6:10pm The Nightmare Neighbour

Next Door 7:05pm The Nightmare Neighbour

Next Door 8:00pm Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away!

9:00pm Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away!

9:55pm 5 News Weekend 10:00pm Football on 5 11:00pm Football on 5 11:30pm Celebrity Big Brother 12:30am Lip Sync Battle UK

7:00am The Goldbergs 7:25am The Goldbergs 7:50am Coach Trip 8:25am Coach Trip 8:55am Coach Trip 9:30am Coach Trip 10:00am Coach Trip 10:30am Made in Chelsea 11:35am Escape From Planet Earth 1:15pm Rude(Ish) Tube Shorts 1:30pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Goldbergs 2:30pm The Goldbergs 3:00pm The Goldbergs 3:30pm The Goldbergs 4:00pm The Big Bang Theory 4:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:00pm The Big Bang Theory 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm The Big Bang Theory 6:30pm Don’t Tell the Bride 7:30pm Beautiful Creatures 10:00pm I Give it a Year 12:00am Gogglebox

7:00am Ashley Banjo Street Crew 8:00am The Dog Whisperer 9:00am Duck Quacks Don’t Echo 9:30am Soccer Am Best Bits 10:00am Premier League

Prediction Show 10:30am Premier League

Preview Show 11:00am Soccer A.M. 12:30pm What’s Up 1:00pm David Attenborough’s

Natural History History

Museum Alive 2:00pm The Dog Whisperer 3:00pm The Dog Whisperer 4:00pm It’s Me or the Dog 4:30pm It’s Me or the Dog 5:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Funniest Moments 10:00pm Days of Thunder 12:05am Micky Flanagan

Thinking Aloud

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

E4

Sky1

7:00am CITV 9:25am ITV News 9:30am Weekend 10:25am Judge Rinder 11:20am Long Lost Family 12:20pm Love Your Garden 1:20pm ITV News and Weather 1:25pm James Martin’s

French Adventure 2:00pm Rebound 2:55pm Tipping Point 3:55pm Bear Gryll’s Survival School 4:25pm Licence to Kill 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:10pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm The Chase Celebrity Special 8:30pm Harry Potter and the

Deathly Hallows: Part 2 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm Judge Rinder’s Crime Stories 12:15am Take Me Out

7:00am Last Man Standing 7:25am Last Man Standing 7:50am Last Man Standing 8:10am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Frasier 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:30pm George Clarke’s

Amazing Spaces 2:35pm The Simpsons 3:05pm The Simpsons 3:35pm The Simpsons 4:05pm The Simpsons 4:35pm Toy Story Toons 5:05pm Toy Story That Time Forgot 5:30pm Tangled 7:30pm Channel 4 News 8:00pm Amazing Spaces

Shed of the Year 9:00pm From Russia to Iran:

Crossing the Wild Frontier 10:00pm The State 11:00pm The Gunman 1:10am Belle

7:00am Childrens TV

7:00am Kevin Can Wait 7:25am Couples Come Dine with Me 8:25am Couples Come Dine with Me 9:25am Hollyoaks Omnibus 12:00pm Made in Chelsea 1:00pm The Goldbergs 1:30pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:30pm The Big Bang Theory 4:00pm The Big Bang Theory 4:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:00pm The Big Bang Theory 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm The Big Bang Theory 6:30pm The Big Bang Theory 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm The Crystal Maze 9:00pm Shallow Hal 11:15pm Don’t Tell the Bride 12:20am Tattoo Fixers on Holiday

7:00am The Hour of Power 8:00am Futurama 8:30am Futurama 9:00am Futurama 9:30am Futurama 10:00am Futurama 10:30am Duck Quacks Don’t Echo 11:00am WWE Raw 12:00pm MacGyver 1:00pm MacGyver 2:00pm MacGyver 3:00pm MacGyver 4:00pm MacGyver 5:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family 6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm David Attenborough’s

Natural History History

Museum Alive 10:00pm Ross Kemp Special 11:00pm The Force: North East 12:00am Zoo

BBC1

BBC2

7:00am Breakfast 11:00am Saturday Kitchen 12:30pm Nadiya’s British

Food Adventure 1:00pm Football Focus 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather 2:15pm Bargain Hunt 3:15pm Money for Nothing 4:15pm Escape to the Country 5:00pm Final Score 6:15pm Toy Story 7:30pm BBC News 7:40pm Regional News 7:43pm Weather 7:45pm Len Goodman’s

Partners in Rhyme 8:20pm Pointless 9:05pm Who Dares Wins 9:45pm Casualty 10:35pm Mrs. Brown’s Boys 11:05pm BBC News 11:20pm Weather 11:25pm Match of the Day 12:50am People Just Do Nothing

7:00am Coast 8:00am Return of the Bad Men 9:30am Great Day in the Morning 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Ulster Derby Highlights 1:00pm Nigel and Adam’s

Farm Kitchen 2:00pm Wanted Down Under 2:45pm Forbidden Planet 4:20pm Mastermind 4:50pm University Challenge 5:20pm Only Connect 5:50pm Gardeners’ World 6:50pm The Big Family

Cooking Showdown 7:50pm BBC Proms Extra 8:30pm Welcome to Edinburgh 9:00pm Iolo’s Great Welsh Parks 9:30pm Dad’s Army 10:00pm The Lady in the Van 11:40pm Being Alan Bennett 12:40am The History Boys

7:00am CITV

ITV1

BBC1

BBC2

7:00am Breakfast 8:35am Match of the Day 10:00am BBC News 11:00am Sunday Morning Live 12:00pm Homes Under the Hammer 1:00pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:10pm Weather for the Week Ahead 2:15pm Money for Nothing 3:15pm Songs of Praise 3:50pm Athletics 6:10pm Celebrity Mastermind 6:40pm BBC News 6:55pm Regional News 7:00pm Weather 7:05pm Countryfile Summer Special 8:05pm Fake or Fortune?

9:05pm Far From the Madding Crowd 11:00pm BBC News 11:20pm Regional News 11:25pm Weather 11:30pm Match of the Day 2 12:30am Dream House

7:15am The Instant Gardener 8:00am Garden Rescue 8:45am Gardeners’ World 9:45am The Beechgrove Garden 10:15am Countryfile 11:15am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:45pm Lorraine’s Fast, Fresh

and Easy Food 1:15pm MOTD2 Extra 2:00pm The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs

That Built Britain 2:30pm Athletics 3:50pm Flog It! 4:45pm Britain’s Ancient Capital :

Secrets of Orkney 5:45pm Equestrian 7:50pm Tribes, Predators and Me 8:50pm Meet the New Dragons 9:00pm Dragons’ Den 10:00pm Astronauts:

Do You Have What it Takes?

11:00pm Ill Behaviour 12:00am The Hunter

9:25am ITV News 9:30am Weekend 10:25am Judge Rinder 11:20am Gok’s Lunchbox 12:15pm 1000 Heartbeats 1:15pm ITV News and Weather 1:25pm The Chase 2:25pm Joanna Lumley’s Postcards 2:55pm Tipping Point 4:00pm Midsomer Murders 6:00pm Little Big Shots USA 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:05pm ITV News and Weather 7:20pm You’ve Been Framed!

8:15pm Catchphrase 9:00pm Amazing Spider-Man 11:35pm ITV News and Weather 11:50pm The World is Not Enough

CHANNEL 4

SUNDAY 11:40am Football on 5 12:30pm Football on 5 1:00pm Police Interceptors 2:00pm Police Interceptors 3:00pm Police Interceptors:

Deadly Pursuits

4:00pm Police Interceptors 4:55pm Police Interceptors 5:55pm 5 News Weekend 6:00pm Biggest Dog in the World 7:00pm The Secret Life of Puppies 7:45pm The Secret Life of Puppies 8:30pm The Ant and Dec Story 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:05pm Before They Were Stars 1:05am Cricket on 5

31

MONDAY BBC1

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Wanted Down Under 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Heir Hunters 12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Red Rock 3:30pm Impossible 4:15pm Escape to the Continent 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm Regional News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Land of the Giants 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Damilola, Our Loved Boy 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm Have I Got Old News for You 12:15am Have I Got a Bit More

Old News for You

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

E4

Sky1

7:00am The World’s Most

Photographed 7:30am Heir Hunters 8:15am Bargain Hunt 9:00am Super Small Animals 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 2:00pm Two Tribes 2:30pm The Pirates! In an Adventure

with Scientists!

3:55pm The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs

That Built Britain 4:25pm Coast Australia 5:15pm Planet Earth 6:15pm Put Your Money Where

Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Royal Recipes 8:00pm Royal Cousins at War 9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm Nadiya’s British

Food Adventure 10:00pm Dangerous Borders 11:00pm Normal for Norfolk 11:30pm Newsnight 12:10am Weather 12:15am Astronauts:

Do You Have What it Takes?

1:15am Billy Connolly:

Portrait of a Lifetime

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Good Morning Britain 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm Cash Trapped 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Countrywise 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Easyjet: Inside the Cockpit 11:00pm ITV News 11:40pm Britain’s Busiest Motorway 12:10am Sugar Free Farm

7:00am Countdown 7:45am Will and Grace 8:10am Will and Grace 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Couples Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Posh Pawn 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Cheap Cheap Cheap 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Streetmate 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Jamie’s Quick and Easy Food 9:30pm Superfoods: The Real Story 10:00pm The State 11:00pm How to Get a Council House 12:05am Naked Attraction

7:00am Childrens TV

7:00am Hollyoaks 7:30am Coach Trip 8:00am Made in Chelsea 9:00am Melissa and Joey 10:00am Black-Ish 11:00am Baby Daddy 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 4:30pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Black-Ish 5:30pm Black-Ish 6:00pm The Goldbergs 6:30pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Coach Trip 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Made in Chelsea 11:00pm How’d You Get So Rich?

11:55pm The Big Bang Theory 12:30am The Big Bang Theory

7:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 8:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00am Monkey Life 9:30am Monkey Life 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am It’s Me or the Dog 11:30am It’s Me or the Dog 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm MacGyver 5:00pm The Flash 6:00pm The Flash 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm The Simpsons 9:30pm The Simpsons 10:00pm A League of Their Own 11:00pm Micky Flanagan

Thinking Aloud 12:00am Karl Pilkington:

The Moaning of Life

10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm The Yorkshire Vet 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Celebrity Big Brother 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm Dark Desire 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Car Crash TV 9:00pm All New Traffic Cops 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Paul Burrell: In Therapy 12:05am Celebrity Big Brother’s

Bit on the Side

TUESDAY BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

E4

Sky1

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Wanted Down Under 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Heir Hunters 12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm Regional News 2:45pm Red Rock 3:30pm Impossible 4:15pm Escape to the Continent 5:15pm Flog It! 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 Trust Me 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm Regional News 11:40pm Weather 11:45pm New Tricks 12:45am Land of the Giants

7:00am The World’s Most

Photographed 7:30am Heir Hunters 8:15am Bargain Hunt 9:00am The Farmers’ Country

Showdown 9:30am Great British Menu 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 2:00pm Super League Show 2:45pm The Odd Life

of Timothy Green 4:25pm Coast Australia 5:15pm Planet Earth 6:15pm Put Your Money Where

Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Royal Recipes 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm The Big Family Cooking

Showdown 10:00pm India’s Partition:

The Forgotten Story 11:00pm Quacks 11:30pm Newsnight 12:10am Weather 12:15am The Mash Report

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Good Morning Britain 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Tenable 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm Cash Trapped 7:00pm Local News and Weather 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Britain as Seen on ITV 9:00pm Midsomer Murders 11:00pm ITV News 11:40pm Martin Clunes

Islands of Australia 12:40am Play to the Whistle

7:00am Countdown 7:45am Will and Grace 8:10am Will and Grace 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Couples Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Posh Pawn 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Cheap Cheap Cheap 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Streetmate 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Food Unwrapped Special 10:00pm The State 11:00pm My Son the Jihadi 12:05am Delhi Cops

7:00am Childrens TV 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm The Yorkshire Vet 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Celebrity Big Brother 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:15pm The Other Wife 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm FIA World Rally

Championship 9:00pm The Dog Rescuers

with Alan Davies 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm My Extreme Ocd Life 12:05am Celebrity Big Brother’s

Bit on the Side

7:00am Hollyoaks 7:30am Coach Trip 8:00am Made in Chelsea 9:00am Melissa and Joey 10:00am Black-Ish 11:00am Baby Daddy 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 4:30pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Black-Ish 5:30pm Black-Ish 6:00pm The Goldbergs 6:30pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Coach Trip 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Tattoo Fixers on Holiday 11:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats 11:55pm The Big Bang Theory 12:25am The Big Bang Theory

7:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 8:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00am Monkey Life 9:30am Monkey Life 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am It’s Me or the Dog 11:30am It’s Me or the Dog 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm Supergirl 5:00pm The Flash 6:00pm The Flash 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Diana: A Tribute to the

People’s Princess 10:00pm A Few Good Men 12:40am Modern Family

Pick of the Week Carpool Karaoke James Corden takes Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez for a musical spin in his minivan, and even performs an opening act of his own. He also shares highlights from his shows.

Thursday, 9pm, Sky 1

32

wednesday CHANNEL 5

E4

Sky1

7:00am Countdown 7:45am Will and Grace 8:10am Will and Grace 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Couples Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Posh Pawn 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Cheap Cheap Cheap 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Streetmate 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Location, Location, Location 10:00pm The State 11:00pm Flights From Hell:

Caught on Camera 12:00am Taxi of Mum and Dad

7:00am Children TV 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm The Yorkshire Vet 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Celebrity Big Brother 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:10pm The Other Wife 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Starting Up, Starting Over 9:00pm GPs: Behind Closed Doors 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Football on 5 12:30am Police Interceptors

7:00am Hollyoaks 7:30am Coach Trip 8:00am Made in Chelsea 9:00am Melissa and Joey 10:00am Black-Ish 11:00am Baby Daddy 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 2:30pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 4:30pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Black-Ish 5:30pm Black-Ish:

Just Christmas, Baby 6:00pm The Goldbergs 6:30pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Coach Trip 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Don’t Tell the Bride 11:00pm Made Over By 12:05am The Big Bang Theory

7:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 8:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00am Monkey Life 9:30am Monkey Life 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am It’s Me or the Dog 11:30am It’s Me or the Dog 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm Supergirl 5:00pm The Flash 6:00pm The Flash 7:00pm Road Wars 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Freddie Down Under 10:00pm Colony 11:00pm Ross Kemp Special 12:00am Air Ambulance

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

E4

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Good Morning Britain 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:00pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:20pm ITV News London 2:30pm ITV Racing Live 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm Cash Trapped 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Can Crooks Hack

Your Home? Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm James Martin’s

French Adventure 10:00pm The Brighton Police 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm Easyjet: Inside the Cockpit 12:40am Bear Grylls: Mission Survive

7:00am Countdown 7:45am Will and Grace 8:10am Will and Grace 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Frasier 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Big Bang Theory 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Couples Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Posh Pawn 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Cheap Cheap Cheap 5:00pm A Place in the Sun 6:00pm Come Dine with Me 6:30pm Streetmate 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Lego Masters 10:00pm 24 Hours in A and E 11:00pm Wasting Away 12:00am Britain’s Benefit Tenants

7:00am Childrens TV 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:15pm The Yorkshire Vet 1:10pm 5 News Lunchtime 1:15pm Celebrity Big Brother 2:15pm Home and Away 2:45pm Neighbours 3:15pm NCIS 4:10pm A Wife’s Suspicion 6:00pm 5 News 6:30pm Neighbours 7:00pm Home and Away 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm All New Traffic Cops 9:00pm Named and Shamed 10:00pm Celebrity Big Brother 11:00pm Celeb Trolls:

We’re Coming to Get You 12:05am Celebrity Big Brother’s

Bit on the Side

7:00am Hollyoaks 7:30am Coach Trip 8:00am Made in Chelsea 9:00am Melissa and Joey 10:00am Black-Ish 11:00am Baby Daddy 12:00pm How I Met Your Mother 1:00pm The Goldbergs 2:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:00pm Melissa and Joey 3:30pm Melissa and Joey 4:00pm Baby Daddy 4:30pm Baby Daddy 5:00pm Black-Ish 5:30pm Black-Ish 6:00pm The Goldbergs 6:30pm The Goldbergs 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Coach Trip 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm Kevin Can Wait 10:00pm Body Fixers 11:00pm The Inbetweeners 11:35pm The Inbetweeners 12:10am The Big Bang Theory

BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Wanted Down Under 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Heir Hunters 12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Red Rock 3:30pm Impossible 4:15pm Escape to the Continent 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm Fake Britain 9:00pm The Sheriffs are Coming 10:00pm Celebrity MasterChef 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm A Question of Sport 12:15am Live From the BBC

7:00am The World’s Most

Photographed 7:30am Heir Hunters 8:15am Bargain Hunt 9:00am The Bug Grub Couple 9:30am Great British Menu 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 2:00pm Coast 2:05pm Two Tribes 2:35pm Flushed Away 3:55pm The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs

That Built Britain 4:25pm Coast Australia 5:15pm Planet Earth 6:15pm Put Your Money Where

Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Royal Recipes 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm Saving Lives at Sea 10:00pm No More Boys and Girls: Can

Our Kids Go Gender Free?

11:00pm Detectorists 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am India’s Partition:

The Forgotten Story

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Good Morning Britain 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:00pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:20pm ITV News London 2:30pm ITV Racing Live 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm Cash Trapped 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Love Your Garden 10:00pm Long Lost Family 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:40pm UEFA Champions

League Highlights 12:40am British Touring Car

Championship

BBC1

BBC2

7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Wanted Down Under 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm Heir Hunters 12:45pm Close Calls: On Camera 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Red Rock 3:30pm Impossible 4:15pm Escape to the Continent 5:15pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm Who Do You Think You Are? 10:00pm Ambulance 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Deadliest Place to Deal 12:45am Killing at the Carwash

7:00am The World’s Most

Photographed 7:30am Heir Hunters 8:15am Bargain Hunt 9:00am Nadiya’s British

Food Adventure 9:30am Great British Menu 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 2:00pm A to Z of TV Gardening 2:15pm Two Tribes 2:45pm Cars 2 4:25pm Coast Australia 5:15pm Planet Earth 6:15pm Put Your Money Where

Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Royal Recipes 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm The Pacemakers 10:00pm Top of the Lake 11:00pm The Premier League Show 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am No More Boys and Girls: Can

Our Kids Go Gender Free?

CHANNEL 4

thursday Sky1 7:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 8:00am NCIS: Los Angeles 9:00am Monkey Life 9:30am Monkey Life 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am It’s Me or the Dog 11:30am It’s Me or the Dog 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm Supergirl 5:00pm The Flash 6:00pm The Flash 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Carpool Karaoke 10:00pm Karl Pilkington:

The Moaning of Life 11:00pm A League of Their Own 12:00am Freddie Fries 1:00am A League of Their Own

Life Always on his mind

By Michael Cano LAST week saw the 40th anniversary of the death of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley.

A number of artists on the Costa del Sol, some regular tribute singers and others just lovers of his music gave special Elvis performances in different towns.

One singer who is not a tribute but a dedicated aficionado is Marbella based Antony Wolfson who is currently appearing at some of the best hotels and nightclubs in the area on an almost nightly basis.

There is no wig, or copied stage costumes, indeed Antony is bald with a beard, but so impressive is his take on the Elvis catalogue that he has been contacted by Mike Stoller, one of the incredibly succesful song writing duo of Lieber and Stoller.

The pair wrote a number of songs for Elvis and after being made aware of Antony by Kathy Westmoreland who sang soprano with Elvis from 1970 to 1977, Mike Stoller offered Antony the opportunity to record one of the songs that they wrote for Elvis which was actually never used.

Antony jumped at this chance and recorded Stay Awhile in 2015 and with very little promotion it won the Akademia Award in Los Angeles and continues to receive 10,000 radio plays monthly around the world.

After the success of this recording, the next song from a number which never made it onto vinyl with Elvis was the more upbeat Touch of Heaven which was produced by

long-time friend and Marbella resident Tim Knight at the Mikki Nilsen studio in Cortija Blanca.

A number of top local musicians as well as American country rock pianist Susan Erwin became involved in the project and the resultant single made the BBC play lists and has received tens of thousands of downloads.

In between all of his local promotions, Antony also flew over to America to follow the footsteps of his hero and performed (unofficially) in a number of venues close to the heart of the King including the Hard Rock Café and a hotel just across the road from Gracelands.

Mike Stoller loved the treatment of the song, commenting after hearing it “Antony’s relaxed performance suits the style of my song perfectly.”

Now, Antony has an new project as he has now been offered four more new songs from the writers and plans to record an LP called Antony Wolfson sings Lieber and Stoller which will consist of the six songs now made uniquely available to him, together with six Elvis inspired songs.

In addition, he hopes to return to the Heartbreak Hotel in Memphis to perform on his next US tour which is being lined up at the moment.

If you love the songs that Elvis is so famous for but also want to explore some of the lesser known work, then you could do much worse than try to catch an Antony Wolfson performance.

33

Photo Credit: Antony Wolfson

Antony in the King’s favourite guitar store

Photo Credit: Antony Wolfson

Antony at Sun Studios Memphis

34

what’s on

Star studded MARBELLA’S sixth annual Starlite festival is hotting up, with a series of concerts left to go until the event ends on August 26.

Tomorrow night, El Arrebato will perform on the Starlite Lounge stage for the first time from 11.30pm. With ten platinum records behind him, the Sevillian artist will be performing some of his flamenco hits at the famous venue.

On Sunday, August 20, singer and songwriter Alvaro Soler will play in the El Arrebato

Starlite Sessions. The artist, who last year collected 37 gold and platinum awards all over the world, has achieved successes with the single “Animal”, from his last album, “Eterno Agosto,” earning him international fame.

On Wednesday, August 23, Sofia Ellar will be performing. The young singersongwriter has received more than 7 million views on YouTube, and her first album, “Seis Peniques”, which premiered in February, has dominated the second place in Spain’s Spotify charts. The

artist sold out her Madrid concert in March.

The Starlite festival is described by its organisers as a “a meeting of national and international artists; a meeting point between friends and celebrities of the cultural world, leisure, sport,” offering, “exclusivity and entertainment, high gastronomy and premieres.”

The event ends on August 26 with a performance by Morat. a young Colombian group, formed by Juan Pablo Isaza on guitar and vocals, Juan Pablo Villamil on guitar, bass and vocals, Martin Vargas on percussion and backing vocals, and Simon Vargas on bass and backing vocals. The group will be performing their widely acclaimed single “Como te atreves.”

The festival started six years ago when Starlite founders Sandra GarciaSanjuan and her husband Ignacio Maluquer, discovered the Nagüeles quarry in the heart of the mountains of Malaga, and “transformed this natural amphitheatre into a perfect place to bring together the best of music and entertainment,” for 45 days each summer.

Previous artists include Enrique Iglesias, Lenny Kravitz, Lionel Richie, Laura Pausini, Ricky Martin, Andrea Bocelli, Julio Iglesias, Tom Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Alejandro Sanz, Bryan Adams, Tony Bennett, Placido Domingo and Anastacia.

Starlite dedicates one night each year to philanthropy with its famous Starlite Gala, with Antonio Banderas as host, collecting funds for various foundations, including “Niños en Alegria” and “Lágrimas y favores.” The festival has been given the seal “Marca España” for representing Spain’s values.

For more information or tickets, go to www.starlitemarbella.com/en.

Craft beer LA CALA DE MIJAS is tonight hosting a craft beer festival, starting at 7pm and running until Sunday.

The event, which takes place on the Bulevar de La Cala de Mijas, will see a series of music performances as well as plenty of beer until 1am each day. Tonight will see pop, rock and soul performer, Yohan Diz, enliven the festivities, while pop/rock act, Money Markers will perform tomorrow and the festival will conclude with music by Tocata who covers on Sunday.

The event’s organisers bill the three-day fair, known as “Birra & Art,” as an “opportunity to taste the best craft beers from southern Spain and so much more,” promising, “gastronomy, art and live music every day to enjoy with your friends and family.”

35

learn spanish

Masculine and Feminine Part 2 Basic Spanish for everyday needs by

Jane Cronin

The idea of “gender” in the Spanish language is something most students have to come to terms with quite early on in their learning. The idea that a chair can be “female” and a car “male” usually gives rise to a few jovial remarks, followed by general incomprehension as to why such female related objects as “bolso” (handbag) and “vestido” (dress) should be masculine, although for some reason no one ever worries that “camisa” (shirt) and “corbata” (tie) are feminine. There is possibly some strange psychological reason why we question some words and not others, but I have no idea what it is. In any case I always insist on making sure that people use the terms “masculine” and “feminine” rather than “male” and “female”, and also explain that this gender distinction belongs to the words themselves, and not what they represent. Sometimes I wish they were called “apples” and “pears” or “giraffes” and “elephants”, but at some point in the development of the language the distinction was made in terms of “masculine” and “feminine”, and whilst this is meaningful when applied to male and female people and animals, it is really arbitrary when referring to anything else.

Anyway, hopefully my present readers have overcome this initial difficulty. The next question that arises is whether there is any way of knowing whether a word is masculine or feminine. As usual the answer

is not conclusive. There are certain characteristics which can indicate which gender a word is, but there are exceptions, and also many words that give us no indication whatsoever. The best known indicator is the characteristic “o” ending for masculine and “a” ending for feminine words. There are some notable and very common exceptions, such as “la mano”, “la radio”, “el sofá” “el planeta” and so on. Then there are many words that have other endings which do not indicate gender in any way. Here are just two examples out of thousands: “reloj” (clock) and “pared” (internal wall). You cannot tell by looking which one is which! In fact the word “reloj” is masculine – “el reloj” (the clock) and “pared” is feminine “la pared” (the wall). We just have to learn these differences gradually, and not worry about getting them all mixed up at first.

Having said that, there are some very common endings that are always feminine (I’m very wary of using the word “always”, but in this case I have never come across any exceptions). These are “– ción, -sión and –xión” (la estación, la televisión, la conexión), and also the “– dad” endings (la comunidad, la universidad, la felicidad). On the other side you have the “-ema” endings (el dilema, el problema, el tema) and a few other bits and pieces. Apart from that, you are more or less on your own.

I’ve always found the gender issue a little strange

when it comes to people. We have the usual clear distinctions (el niño – the boy, la niña – the girl), but some people words are always feminine irrespective of the gender of who they refer to. Two common examples of this are “la víctima” and “la persona”. We can say things like: “Mi hermano Pedro es una persona muy simpática”, and “la víctima era un hombre de 55 años”. These sentences sound perfectly normal in Spanish, but take a bit of getting used to for us.

When it comes to job words, there is a certain amount of argument and variation. This has a lot to do with the fact that for many years in Spain professional jobs where exclusively in the hands of men, so it was not necessary for them to have feminine forms. A good example is the word for “doctor” which would normally be “el médico”, but has evolved to “la médico”, and now “la médica”, although not everyone accepts this final form. Other cases where masculine job words have been adapted to the times are: “juez” (male judge) “jueza” female judge, “presidente” (male president) “presidenta” (female president). Some jobs do not alter their endings in any circumstances, for example: “el piloto, la piloto” (pilot) and more surprisingly “el modelo, la modelo” (model).

Now here’s a thought to finish off with – is the word “agua” masculine or feminine? The answer and a riveting discussion on the matter to follow next week.

An Enchantment of Ravens

by Margaret Rogerson Isobel is a prodigy portrait artist with a dangerous set of clients: the sinister fair folk, immortal creatures who cannot bake bread, weave cloth, or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and Isobel’s paintings are highly prized among them. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes – a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious and devastated, Rook spirits her away to the autumnlands to stand trial for her crime. Waylaid by the Wild Hunt’s ghostly hounds, the tainted influence of the Alder King, and hideous monsters risen from barrow mounds, Isobel and Rook depend

on one another for survival. Their alliance blossoms into trust, then love, violating the fair folks’ ruthless Good Law. There's only one way to save both their lives, Isobel must drink from the Green Well, whose water will transform her into a fair one—at the cost of her Craft, for immortality is as stagnant as it is timeless.

Isobel has a choice: she can sacrifice her art for a future, or arm herself with paint and canvas against the ancient power of the fairy courts.

Because secretly, her Craft represents a threat the fair folk have never faced in all the millennia of their unchanging lives: for the first time, her portraits have the power to make them feel.

Sponsored by Bookworld Puerto Banus info@bookworldpuertobanus.com

www@bookworldpuertobanus.com | 952 816 084

36

Last Weeks Solutions on page 40

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 13 represents K and 14 represents B, so fill in K every time the figure 13 appears and B every time the figure 14 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.

Code Breaker

Horoscopes and Puzzles

Kenny’s Mystical Postbag

Kenny, what are Cardinal Signs? How do they affect my horoscope?

Solveig H.

There are four cardinal signs in the Zodiac. They each deal with activity and adaptability and are fixed and mutable signs, which means that they know how

to go with the flow! The Cardinal signs are Aries,

Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. People who are born

under these signs will act directly and decisively under most circumstances. They have very strong initiative, and are enterprising, realistic and organising. Able

to think on their feet, they are decisive and rapidly

grasp situations just as they can openly see potential coming their way!

If It’s Your Birthday This Week Guidance is the greatest gift the Cosmos can give

you, but you have to have sufficient faith! This year

will only be the same old, same old, if you wish it to be.

Your belief in your many talents will see you taking a chance on something that finally will work...for

you!

Mars takes on Jupiter in sextile and Saturn in trine bringing you a mixed bag for the week ahead. Whilst something now needs the go ahead, you will be kept waiting; and something new falls into your lap just when you least expect it. Lucky Jupiter prevails to ensure that even behind the darkest cloud, up there is a silver lining!

Forever championing the cause you are openly perceptive this week as your psychic energies are released and you see a clear way ahead. You are being tested right now as a leader, and this may herald the spearheading of a number of poignant changes. The Sun moves on towards Virgo, and trines dramatically with Uranus midweek.

You can be so very stubborn if you want to be! The Venus square with Jupiter brings you a camouflage for your inner anger and bad temper right now. Time will resolve the actions that you feel are directed at you, but there are currently some things that you do not know and may find hard to understand.

Value truly all that you have.

Sometimes love and friendship can get confused! It all depends on exactly how much of your personal freedom you wish to surrender in order to bring some stability back to a rocky relationship. A brief encounter really does put this into perspective as Venus squares with Uranus and your emotional energies are haywire this week.

There is much to achieve right now, and little time to do what you now know that you have to. The entry of the Sun towards the end of the week should be seen as a blessing in disguise, but you are taking the reins, and this boosts your own confidence to highly positive levels.

The Sun has strong influences, and aspirations should be high!

Everything seems to be pointing towards your overpowering need to achieve. You are a good provider and a great organiser and you veer between favouring your ambitions, whilst protecting your security at the same time.

Actions of Saturn see you on your toes this week, and ready and willing to take on now that which you have to!

Don’t let anybody interfere with your plans just now. Your creative and original thinking has brought you to a stage whereby you have to follow your own instincts and ignore what others have to say on the subject. As you visualise your way ahead, Ceres opposes Pluto, which brings you a solution right here and now, calling time!

Mars is in detriment because Libra is in opposition to Aries, which rules Mars with an iron glove! It is hardly surprising however, that Libra tones down the selfish and aggressive actions of Mars due to the social graces of leader, Venus. This week Saturn adheres to bring discipline and timbre, which are much needed to steer things along!

The Sun trines with Uranus and you are getting some flashes that are portents for the future. Something right now has happened for a reason and that reason though yet unknown, is the stimulus you need to move onwards and upwards. Stay cool, look around and then take on something that nobody else has even heard of.

The position of the Moon is strong right now, and you seem to be protecting your loved ones as there is a strong focus on the domestic front. Financial prospects are better than they were and without re-inventing yourself you are turning things around. Don’t stop the flow and be very unafraid to ask for the guidance that you need to get by!

Mars is afflicted in Scorpio, which can mean extreme anger and resentment over nothing!

Such feelings are not forgotten very easily and can bring grudges and the nursing of anger.

Try to find peaceful solutions that work for all those concerned, but if people do not want to listen to you then out comes a pressure cooker of deep anger!

Look towards your opposing sign of Virgo this week to see that you need to approach something from another direction entirely.

You are a cardinal sign of leadership and though you need to see things happen on your terms so too are you free to share energies and balance your mystical powers for the true benefit of all!

Cryptic Crossword

37 ACROSS

DOWN

1 Runner’s problem with mounted frame (6,2)

2 First-class swimming in the pool (3-4)

6 Watering place in cyberspace? (3)

3 Principle of having it both ways? (5)

9 Singular writer behind a tree (5)

4 Simpson’s pigeons? (6)

10 I’m great novel detective (7)

5 Trap I’ve set for soldier (7)

11 Fish left in hat (7)

6 Kid taking part in news

12 Wrath when fisherman loses heart (5)

programmes (5)

13 A kid relaxed (2,4)

7 Wine waiter finally on the move (5)

15 Council finally reduces rents (6)

8 Essayist getting attorney to reveal Greek letter (6)

19 See most of the soldiers retreating (5)

14 Declining environment? (7)

21 Come forward for a loan (7)

16 Nurse is working at break of day (7)

23 First nuts in glade (7)

17 Transport needed by Santa - his leg is broken (6)

24 Telling stories — some only in Greek (5)

18 Witch is eating good food in Scotland (6)

25 You must get time to be still (3)

19 Rush out suddenly to see a girl (5)

26 Delicate material found when sorting some

20 Allowance made for American general (5)

rags (8)

22 Home where criminal dropped in (5)

Quick Crossword ACROSS 1 Lacking flavour (7) 5 Accommodate (3,2) 8 At no time (5) 9 Mexican liquor (7) 10 Compensation (7) 11 Praise highly (5) 12 Severe shortage (6) 14 Stilton, for example (6) 18 Tartan cloth (5) 20 Around-the-clock (7) 22 Careful and sensible (7) 23 Tropical fruit (5) 24 Give way (5) 25 Brio, flair (7)

General Knowledge 1 Playboy Russia covergirl Maria Kozhevnikova, boxer Nikolai Valuyev, and tennis player Marat Safin shared what honour in December 2011?

2 What William S Burroughs 1961 book popularised the rock music term ‘heavy metal’, and provided the names for at least two rock bands of the 1970s?

3 What main religion celebrates festivals including Nuakhai, Yatra (or Zatra/Jatra), Pongal, Holi and Shigmo?

4 Which country experienced the Velvet Revolution in Nov-Dec 1989?

5 According to the UK General Teaching Council how many of the 28,000 newly qualified teachers in 2010 had a computer-related degree: 3; 30; 300 or 3,000?

6 Spell the word: Remanisence; Reminissense; Remeniscence; or Reminiscence?

7 What ancient Sanskrit word loosely meaning ‘region’ commonly now refers to people (and culture, products, etc) of Indian sub-continent origins?

8 Whom did Forbes Magazine list as the most powerful woman in the Southern Hemisphere in 2011?

9 Unrelated, what is a set of slats and a museum?

10 What ship, whose name means thunderbolt, was Nelson’s flagship 1799-1801, and later a training ship for boys?

DOWN 1 Disregarded (7) 2 Rescued (5) 3 Omen (7) 4 Hate intensely (6) 5 Resentment of a slight (5) 6 Scottish emblem (7) 7 Precious stone (5) 13 Generally (2,1,4) 15 Executioner (7) 16 Blow up (7) 17 Part of the foot (6) 18 Bright red flower (5) 19 Fear greatly (5) 21 Pick-me-up (5)

Word Wheel

There is 1x10 letter word and 203 others!

Make as many 3 or more letter words as you can using any letter combination just once and you must use the central letter in every word!

Fill the grid so every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9

38

health

Are we nuts to be nuts about nuts?

Many of us would happily drink a pina colada laced with cocunut spirit, or knock back an almond based ameretto liqueur and then later pronounce, “I don’t like nuts!”

However, the truth is, nuts have amazing health benefits, when consumed in a more natural form, even though they lend themselves to so many sinful delights …..

Honey pistachio ice cream anyone?

Not only are they a far better alternative to biscuits when you get your mid-morning hunger pangs, but they also work wonders for the body.

Here are six scientifically-backed benefits to eating them regularly.

They could help you live longer Eating a handful of nuts a day keeps the doctor away - and might help you live longer, according to two long-running Harvard studies.

“We found that people who ate nuts every day lived longer, healthier lives than people who didn’t eat nuts,” said study co-author Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.

The report showed that daily nut-eaters were less likely to die of cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease.

Overall, the daily nut-eaters were 20% less likely to have died during the course of the study than those who avoided nuts.

(Peanuts, which are actually legumes, counted as nuts in this study).

They could positively impact cholesterol Initial findings from the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) study indicate that daily walnut consumption positively impacts blood cholesterol levels without making people gain weight.

“Given walnuts are a high-energy food, a

prevailing concern has been that their long term consumption might be associated with weight gain,” said Dr Emilio Ros, director of the Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology & Nutrition Service at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

“The preliminary results of the WAHA study demonstrate that daily consumption of walnuts for one year by a sizeable cohort of ageing free-living persons has no adverse effects on body weight.

“They also show that the well-known cholesterol-lowering effect of walnut diets works equally well in the elderly and is maintained in the long term.

“Acquiring the good fats and other nutrients from walnuts while keeping adiposity at bay and reducing blood cholesterol levels are important to overall nutritional well-being of ageing adults. It’s encouraging to see that eating walnuts may benefit this particular population.”

They’re full of nutrients In terms of dietary composition, nuts have a good nutritional profile, are high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

They are also good sources of vegetable protein.

Nuts also contain substantial amounts of dietary fibre, minerals such as magnesium and potassium, vitamins including folate and vitamin E, and other beneficial bioactive compounds such as phytosterols, tocopherols, and polyphenols.

“The results of this study suggest that incorporating nuts into diets does not lead to greater weight gain and may help weight control,” researchers said.

They could help prevent pancreatic cancer Eating nuts regularly may ward off pancreatic cancer, according to researchers from Harvard School of Public Health.

Researchers sampled data of more than 75,000 women from the Nurses’ Health Study - a long-running investigation into the health of thousands of female nurses in the US - and analysed the link between pancreatic cancer and nut consumption.

The findings revealed that women who ate a handful of nuts two or more times per week had a 35% lower pancreatic cancer risk, compared to those who did not eat them.

They could help you lose weight A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating nuts regularly was associated with a lower risk of weight gain and obesity.

The aim of the research was to determine the relationship between nut consumption and long-term weight change.

Nut-eaters are less likely to die of cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease

Banana and Egg Hair Treatment Looking for a little more shine in your hair?

Simply mix one egg and a mashed up banana.

Apply it as a thick paste to your hair and leave it on for 10 – 30 minutes. Wash it our doing your usual hair washing ritual (if you usually use a store-bought conditioner you’ll probably only need to condition the ends). And voila! Super simple, and all natural, beauty tip.

Beauty tips

Simple Honey Face Mask

Raw honey is naturally anti-bacterial and a super quick way to get soft, beautiful skin. Once a week use a tablespoon or so of raw honey (not the processed stuff parading as honey) and gently warm it by rubbing your fingertips together. Spread on your face. Leave on for 5 – 10 minutes and then use warm water to gently rinse it off and pat dry. Then bask in the glow of your honey-awesomeness. This raw honey is awesome, by the way.

39

health

Maintaining a healthy liver LIVING IN Spain can, in some cases, put temptations our way that may be fun at the time but can create a long lasting effect on our bodies and our health.

One of the key organs of the body, the liver, can suffer from the relaxed lifestyle that most of us enjoy across the Mediterranean, with tapas combined with a glass of wine or two or three on a daily basis causing our livers to struggle processing the alcohol.

The liver is the largest gland in our body and without it a person cannot survive. It has a number of functions the key ones being: • Detoxifying the blood to rid it of harmful substances (such as toxins, drugs, alcohol and more) • Converts stored sugar to usable sugar when the body’s sugar levels fall below normal • Produces bile, a substance needed to digest fats • Breaks down haemoglobin as well as insulin and other hormones • Destroys old red blood cells Performing so many vital functions the liver is very prone to disease.

It isn’t all doom and gloom though as you can detoxify your liver with certain super foods, here are just a few:

1. Beets and Carrots: Carrots are rich in Glutathione, a protein that helps detoxify the liver.

Both are extremely high in plant-flavonoids and betacarotene. Eating beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve overall liver function.

2. Tomatoes: They have abundant amounts of Glutathione which again, are a great detoxifier for the liver. As a side effect, Lycopene in tomatoes will protect against breast, skin, and lung cancer.

3. Grapefruit: Another source of the liver cleansing glutathione. It’s also high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes and increase the natural cleansing process of the liver.

4. Spinach: Raw spinach is also a major source of glutathione, triggering the toxin cleansing enzymes of the liver.

5. Citrus Fruits: Lemons and limes contain very high amounts of vitamin C, which helps stimulate the liver and aids the synthesizing of toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water.

6. Turmeric: Turmeric is the liver’s favorite spice

and helps boost liver detox.

It does this by assisting enzymes that actively flush out dietary carcinogens.

7. Apples: They are high in pectin and other chemicals essential to cleansing and releasing toxins from the digestive tract. Apples make it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.

8. Garlic: Garlic is loaded with sulphur, which activates liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins.

Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that also aid in liver cleansing.

9. Leafy Green

Ask the Optician Eye advice for the Over 70s by Amrik Sappal, Store Director, Specsavers Opticas Fuengirola Vegetables: Green veggies are extremely high in plant chlorophylls that absorb environmental toxins, increase bile production, and neutralize heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides, which lowers the burden on the liver.

10. Green Tea: Green tea is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist liver function.

How should I protect my eyes from the sun?

Why is the sun damaging for your eyes?

The ultraviolet (UV) light radiation from the sun can cause long term damage to your eyes and contribute to developing; cataracts, macular degeneration, eyelid skin cancer, pinguecula (small, yellowish, slightly raised lesions that form on the surface of the white part of the eye), pterygium (scar tissue that can grow over the surface of the eye and impair the vision) and photokeratitis (an inflammation of the cornea due to UV exposure).

When are your eyes most at risk?

Strangely, eyes are most at risk when the light hits at an angle, typically between 08.00-10.00 and 14.00-16.00, not during the hottest part of the day. In places with highly reflective surfaces such as the beach or on the ski slopes the risk is even higher.

How should I protect my eyes?

My advice would be to use photochromic lenses, polarized lenses, sunglasses and tinted lenses which block 100% of ultraviolet A and B radiation at all times of the year and day to fully protect your eyes. When buying sunglasses, always look out for the CE kite mark and ensure that your sunglasses are marked UV400. Cheaper glasses not bearing these marks will not provide adequate protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Specsavers Opticas is located in Marbella and Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. To find your nearest store and book an eye test visit www.specsavers.es.

40

food & drink

Jungle Juice, Mister …?

by Simon Roberts

On an all-inclusive holiday, staying in a small two star hotel on the island of Mauritius a few years ago, I discovered a new drink.

Or, to be exact, it discovered me, as every time I walked past the bar the waiter would shout loudly …… ”Jungle Juice Mister? “ Not wanting to be rude, of course I accepted the barman’s kind offer and spent the whole two weeks in a jungle juice induced semicoma.

The delicious but ever so slightly lethal drink was actually their version of rum punch, basically, rum mixed with tropical fruit flavours to give it a bit of a kick.

Here are three variants on the Jungle Juice theme, from around the tropical world straight to a large jug full of ice close to you.

Caribbean Rum Punch There is an old saying in Barbados, that goes, “One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong and four of weak.”

Hey presto, a perfect (if rather lethal) punch. The ratio works for just about any punch. Serves one.

Ingredients: 1 shot fresh lime juice 2 shots sugar syrup 3 shots rum 4 shots water 1 dash Angostura bitters Nutmeg, to garnish

Mississippi Planters Punch The Planter´s Punch is an old rum drink and the origin is unknown to me. The most common recipe is 1/3 Rum, 1/3 Orange Juice, 1/3 Pineapple Juice and a dash of Grenadine.

The only thing known is that the recipe has been evolving through the decades and the name

Method:

Stir the lime, syrup, rum and water in a large glass or jug, and pour into a glass over lots of crushed ice. Add a few drops of bitters and a grating of nutmeg, and serve.

Jungle Juice

changed from Jamaican Rum Punch (In Modern American Drinks (1895)) to the Planter`s Cocktail #2 (Savoy Cocktail Book 1930) and in Trader Vic`s Bartender’s Guide (1948) there are no less than four variations, switching the lemon to mostly lime, and three of the recipes call for grenadine.

Jungle Juice with rum, pineapple juice, passionfruit juice and lime juice, is absolutely perfect for a hot summer night.

Ingredients:

Dark rum (1,5 part) Pineapple juice (1 part) Passionfruit juice (1 part) Lime (juice of half a lime) Syrup (2 drops) Garnish: pineapple or passionfruit 1 part = 30 ml

Ingredients: 1 tblsp sugar (or simple syrup) Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 jigger rum (1.5 oz) 1/2 jigger (0.75 oz) Bourbon whiskey 1 jigger ( 1.5 oz) cognac brandy

Method:

Use a shaker and a tumbler glass filled with crushed ice. Take the shaker with ice cubes and pour in the rum, pineapple juice, passionfruit juice and fresh juice of half a lemon. Give it a good shake for about 5 to 8 seconds.

Pour out the cocktail into the glass with a strainer and fill it up till te top of the glass.

Now add the 2 drops of grenadine syrup.

This gives the cocktail a special look and feel. Garnish the cocktail with a piece of pineapple of fresh passion fruit.

Method: Dissolve the sugar with a little water in a mixing glass. (or use simple syrup) Add the lemon juice, bourbon and brandy. Fill with fine ice and shake thoroughly, strain into a tall glass.

Garnish with fruit and serve with straw.

Tip: This cocktail is also perfect to make in a big punch bowl if you have a lot of friends coming over for a BBQ this summer.

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41

food & drink Chicken with almonds and apricots This aromatic chicken stew with a thick apricot and almond sauce makes a tasty, low-fat midweek meal that’s easy to prepare

INGREDIENTS

Substitute the apricots for dried prunes, if you prefer.

• 1tbsp sunflower oil • 2 onions, sliced • 1tsp ground turmeric • 1tsp ground cinnamon • 1tsp ground ginger • 500g chicken, cubed • 500g pot of chicken stock • 250g pack dried Apricots, halved • 25g organic shelled almonds, chopped or sliced

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a medium pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until softened.

Add the spices and chicken; stir to coat evenly. Pour in the stock.

2. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Remove the lid, stir well and continue to cook for 10 minutes more, until the chicken and apricots are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.

3. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the almonds. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander, and serve with couscous, flavoured with a little fresh lemon juice.

Artien is created and illustrated by Jan Gamm

Stir fried chicken with broccoli and asparagus A STIR fry is a great way of using up left over ingredients and this one works very well. other ingredients could be used if you wish and the principal of cooking in a wok is always the same – use a very high heat and start with the ingredients that require the most cooking.

1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sweet chilli sauce 1 tsp five spice powder A little water

2 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips A thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced 1 tbsp soy sauce A small head of broccoli, cut into florets 6 spears of asparagus cut into 5cm pieces Half a red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips A slice of fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks (optional) A small onion, peeled and roughly sliced Vegetable oil for frying

1. Combine the sliced chicken with the soy sauce and chopped ginger and set aside to marinate.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

3. When ready to cook, add a little oil to a wok and heat until smoking. Stir-fry the chicken with the marinade, onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add the broccoli and asparagus and stir fry for 4-5 minutes before adding the pineapple.

4. Pour in the sauce and heat until bubbling. Add a little more water if the sauce is too thick. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat. Cook for a further 2 minutes. Serve immediately with plain boiled rice.

For the sauce 2 tbls tomato ketchup 1 tbls honey

Serves 2 Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Cooking time: 10-12 minutes.

42

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46

motoring

The original GT40 MK I, MK II and MK III were designed and built in England

Gurney and A.J.Fiyt at Le Mans in 1967.

Continuing to celebrate the time when Ford beat Ferrari at Le Mans for four years in a row, this latest Heritage edition is again a loud and brash reminder of past glory.

This stunning edition features a Photo credit: Ford

The name GT40 is a combination of Grand Touring and the original cars height of 40 inches

gloss Race Red exterior with exposed carbon fibre details and Frozen White bonnet and door graphics. The wheels are 20 inch, one-piece forged aluminium with a silver satin clearcoat finished with black wheel nuts and red brake callipers behind.

The interior is just as discrete with exposed carbon fibre elements alongside leather trimmed carbon fibre racing seats with red stitching and red seat belts. Matching leather steering wheel with anodized grey paddle shifters and dark satin stainless steel details on the instrument panel, doors and cross brace. Each of the 1967 Heritage edition cars will come with an

unique serialised identification plate.

“The first Heritage edition car was a huge success, honouring our history with a modern interpretation of the Le Mans winner,” said Garen Nicoghosian, exterior design manager for the car.

“Continuing with a 2018 Ford GT based on the Ford V8 winning GT40 engines were Mark IV race used to car was simply compete something with the we needed to Ferrari do.”

V12´s

Whilst only limited numbers of this edition are to be made and 1967 was the only time a GT40 won Le Mans with an all-American team, the GT40 also claimed victory in 1968 and 1969, so there may well be two more heritage editions to come.

Growth in specialist sports car sales THE UK new car market declined -9.3 per cent in July, according to figures published by the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the fourth consecutive monthly fall.

161,997 new cars were registered in the month as the market continues to fall amidst growing uncertainty over Brexit and in line with forecasts.

Demand was down across business, fleet and private buyers – with corresponding falls of -23.8 per cent, -10.1 per cent and -6.8 per cent.

Elsewhere, in the month more buyers opted for dual purpose and specialist sports cars – the only two vehicle segments to enjoy growth of 7.3 per

Credits: Wikimedia

Mercedes AMG GT With a M156 6.3 V8 engine

cent and 10.3 per cent respectively.

The demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) soared 64.9 per cent as consumers continue to invest in the latest low-emission fuel technology. AFVs took a new record 5.5 per cent market share in July, as 8,871 new units were driven off forecourts. Nearly 70,000 new AFVs have joined UK roads this year. Meanwhile registrations for new petrol and diesel cars declined by -3.0 per cent and -20.1 per cent respectively.

Months of speculation about government policies on diesels has inevitably led to a softening of demand and

Photo credit: Ford

FORD PERFORMANCE have revealed a new limited edition 1967 Heritage themed GT40. Following on the highly successful 1966 Heritage edition released in 2017, this new car is a tribute to the Mark IV GT40 race car driven to victory by the all-American team of Dan

Photo credit: Ford

Ford celebrates beating Ferrari at Le Mans

Westfield SEWi with a 4 cylinder Ford engine.

slowed the market shift to the latest cleaner Euro 6 diesels which are valued by consumers for their fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

Despite the disappointing July sales figures, so far the year-to-date overall performance remains at a high level thanks to a strong first quarter – with more than 1.5 million new cars registered on UK roads since January.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The fall in consumer and business confidence is having a knock on effect on demand in the new car market and government must act quickly to provide concrete plans regarding Brexit. While it’s encouraging to see record achievements for alternatively fuelled vehicles, consumers considering other fuel types will have undoubtedly been affected by the uncertainty surrounding the government’s clean air plans.”

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sport

England in the pink HISTORY WAS made in England yesterday (Thursday) when the first ever day-night Test Match held in the country started at Edgbaston.

Joe Root’s side take on the West Indies in a three-match series that ends at Lord’s in September and the home XI are strong favourites having only last week beaten South Africa 3-1 in a four-match series.

The day-night Test is the fifth of its kind across the world after three held in Australia and one in Dubai. Play gets underway at 2pm (UK time) with ‘lunch’ at 4pm and ‘tea’ taken at 6.40pm and cricket due to finish at 9pm. It’s a trip into the unknown for many and hard practice with the pink ball took place leading up to the game.

England fast bowler Stuart Broad had never bowled with the pink ball before which has been proved to be easier to pick up under lights without clashing with white clothing.

The 31-year-old admitted: “It’s stepping into the unknown completely. I’ve bowled one ball with the pink ball – I got it relatively straight! I just don’t know what to expect. We are just going to have to be so adaptable on the day, and figure out what’s going on.

“It’s an exciting concept. I watched the day-night match in Adelaide and enjoyed it. The exciting thing as a player is we are going in with a clear mind and learning on the job almost. The team which will come out successful this week will be the team which reacts quicker.”

Photo credit: Twitter

CLEARER: Pink cricket balls easier to see under floodlights.

Special award for Spanish athlete

by Lord Coe for the way she consoled a rival Italian athlete, Alessia Trost, for some time after she was eliminated and ended up sobbing on the sidelines.

Ruth said: “I’ve spent 32 years practising this sport [since she was six years old] and I owe all that I am to athletics. I don’t know whether what I did was a beautiful or an ugly gesture or what – for me, it was just a human gesture and I’ve always been like that around my fellow competitors.”

Ruth has said she will be 41-years-old come the time of the next Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and the Rio 2016 gold medallist is uncertain

of her future. However, she seemed more concerned about the fellow high-jumper she helped. “[Alessia] has gone through a rough ride this year – only two weeks ago, her lifelong trainer died, and she was distraught when she arrived here in London. We get on really well. The day after [Alessia’s elimination], she sent me a really affectionate message to say it had been a ‘lovely gesture’ on my part and congratulating me on having reached the final,” said Ruth.

Photo credit: Twitter

Beitia first broke the Spanish record in 1998 COMFORT: Spanish athletics hero Ruth Beitia

Photo credit: Wikimedia

AS THE eyes of the world were focused on getting glimpses of world superstar athletes Sir Mo Farah and Usain Bolt – whose farewell performances ended in disappointment – a Spanish athlete was left in floods of tears for different reasons.

Veteran Olympic highjumper Ruth Beitia, now 38, was seen by millions of viewers in her emotional state after crashing out of the World Athletic Championships but the smile quickly returned when it was announced that she would be receiving a special award. She was presented with the IAAF’s International Fair Play Award for ‘outstanding sportsmanship’