Euro Weekly News - Costa Blanca South 25 - 31 December 2014 Issue 1538

ISSUE NO. 1538

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New births in time for kings RIO SAFARI in Elche has welcomed the birth of three camels.

The parents will be used in the Three Kings Parade in Elche transporting the royal personages.

The animal park now has nine camels.

Camps accused THE Anti-Corruption Prosecutor has filed a complaint against the president of the regional government, Francisco Camps, for alleged embezzlement, breach of trust and corporate crime relating to the F1 Grand Prix in Valencia.

Cultural asset ALICANTE’S Bonfires of San Juan have been declared an Intangible Asset of Cultural Interest in recognition of their traditional and cultural offerings.

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Consul says front-line services will not change NEW British Consul SarahJane Morris has said frontline support to the consulate service across Alicante will not change and will continue to be headed by Vice-Consul Lloyd Milen.

Mrs Morris (pictured with Lloyd Milen) addressed concerns that the service was being cut and streamlined as she will be based in Madrid where she will continue her work as the Consul-General in Madrid serving Central and Northern Spain as well as overseeing Alicante.

She said: “There will be no change to the front-line service and the consular team here remains and is the biggest in Spain. I will be making my best efforts to make sure it is unnoticeable to expats.”

The management of Alicante and Madrid consulates by one consul follows the model already used elsewhere in Spain, with the nine British

consulates covering Spain and Andorra now managed by three British consuls.

Having served as consul in Madrid for the last two years and spending 10 years working in the consular field, Mrs Morris believes her experience can only aid and assist the 165,000 expats registered.

“I have worked a lot with central government already on issues such as residency and healthcare and have that direct line so rather than listening to issues and

passing them on, residents will have a quicker route to the front line,” she explained. Logistically, she said she can also be in Valencia quicker from Madrid than the team travelling from Alicante.

With a background in the voluntary sector, having worked in Africa and Asia and also for the Red Cross in Madrid, the new consul is keen to continue the work of her predecessor Paul Rodwell and forge stronger relations with local charities.

She already has links with local organi-sations. “I am on the executive committee of Age Concern and have just been supporting the Samaritans in setting up a branch in Madrid so know them also,” Mrs Morris said.

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INDEX News 1 - 34 Finance 35 - 40 Letters 41 Leapy Lee 47 Daily TV 42, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 Time Out 59 - 62 Health & Beauty 63 - 65 Food 67 - 70 Homes & Gardens 72 - 73 Services 79 - 82 Classifieds 83 - 85 Motoring 86 - 87 Sport 88

INAUGURATION: Second phase of Los Balcones park opens.

Los Balcones park officially opens THE SECOND and final phase of the Reina de la Sal park in Los Balcones has been officially inaugurated.

The work on the last phase was carried out by 22 student workers on an employment workshop. The park now has a completed area of 35,000 square metres with a large green sports zone, a jogging circuit, planted area and picnic zone. There is also a monolith and plaque in memory of Carla Vaquera, the local woman who died with her son in the Santiago de Compostela train crash in the summer of 2013.

Mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo Dolon, was joined by the Director General of Labour, Cooperatives and Social Economy of the Valencian Regional Government, Rafael Miro, in inaugurating the second phase.

Dolon congratulated the entire team for their “excellent craftsmanship” throughout the year.

Miro meanwhile announced that more employment workshops would commence in Torrevieja, including the construction of a large garden area in Urbanisation El Chaparral that would employ 40 people.

Deadline looms for voting register DECEMBER 30 sees the deadline for residents to ensure they are on the electoral roll to be eligible to vote in next year’s elections.

In Orihuela, the National

Statistics Institute (INE) said there were 4,733 foreigners registered at the end of September. Since the opening of the information desk at the

Playa Flamenca Town Hall for expats to check their status, a further 200 potential voters have been added to the list.

The councillor for the Coast

said during the last elections there was 42 per cent participation across the Orihuela Costa compared to 75 per cent in Orihuela.

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NEWS Dog shot A MAN has been arrested in Aguilas for allegedly shooting a dog. The animal may lose the sight in one eye.

Meter fraud ELECTRICITY companies pursued 23,000 Valencian Community residents for meter manipulation and illegal hook-ups this year, almost 30 per cent more than in 2013.

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Out-of-date development ORIHUELA Town Hall’s request for a €50,000 grant, presented to the provincial administration for improvement work at La Zenia roundabout on the N-332, has been denied.

The request was not granted because the present construction status does not match the currently valid zoning plan.

Councillor for the Coast Martina Scheurer said that the widening of the N-332 and the roundabout itself were not taken on board by the previous government in their zoning plan.

The new development plan was rejected in a plenary session with the majority of votes of the PP and is therefore

still not in the publication phase.

The proposed works are urgently needed and must be done to meet the necessary requirements issued by the ministry, and will now have to be financed from the funds due to the coast from the sale of properties as soon as the money is released.

Reuters/Cordon Press

Model show THE Old Medieval Market in Elche is hosting the fourth exhibition of static models produced by more than 40 artists recreating historical moments. The exhibition is on until January 11.

Run over A WOMAN and her daughter were injured after being hit by a car in the parking area next to the Martinez Valero stadium in Elche. The car was travelling at low speed preventing serious injury.

Robber arrested LOCAL POLICE arrested one of the suspects in the robbery of a stationery store in Orihuela.

Stolen material recovered is valued at thousands of euros.

House fire A MAN has died and a woman, aged 88, treated for smoke inhalation following a fire at a home in Calle Maisonnave in the centre of Alicante.

Anniversary activities RAFAL is preparing a series of events throughout 2015 to mark and celebrate the 375th anniversary of the founding of the town.

No cover DOCTORS’ holiday leave over the festive period will not be covered. The CCOO union warned appointments would be scarce in 11 health centres administered by Alicante General Hospital.

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New Year

NEXT week your edition of Euro Weekly News will be on the streets the last day of the year - Wednesday, December 31, instead of our usual Thursday. Happy New Year.

Legal action VALENCIAN COMMUNITY residents launch 45 lawsuits for every 1,000 inhabitants compared with the national average of 43.7. The Balearics take more legal action with 58 cases per 1,000 people.

Motorway begins WORK has begun on the motorway between Jumilla and Yecla. The project, which will improve infrastructure in the north-west of the Murcia Region, has an investment of €75 million.

VIKING MARAUDERS: Catoira festival re-enacts Spain’s Viking past.

Quest for answers to Viking past

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PAIN is hardly renowned for its links to fearsome Viking warriors, but a chance discovery has put a Spanish archaeologist on the trail of ancient Scandinavian raiders in her home country.

Dr Irene Garcia Losquiño of the University of Aberdeen is preparing a dig next spring in the Galicia Region, where a storm uncovered a set of anchors from Viking longships. Although there are written accounts of Viking raids in Northern Spain, archaeologically speaking, the Iberian pensinsula has been a barren hunting ground for Viking experts. Each year, however, locals in the Galician area of Catoira hold a Viking festival where they stage a re-enactment of the Viking raids that occurred 1,000 years ago.

Dr Garcia Losquiño thinks that she may be able to

Quote of the Week We can’t send a police squad to watch over a nativity scene, we appeal to people’s social conscience,’

said Santiago mayor Agustin Hernandez after a statue of the baby Jesus was stolen from the city’s nativity scene for the second time in three years.

uncover rare archaeological evidence of a Viking presence in Spain. “On the beach where the anchors were found was a big mound which locals thought might have been a motte-and-bailey construction, which was used by the later Vikings in France,” Dr Garcia Losquiño told The Herald Scotland. “But with the help of a geographer using tomography we now think this was a ‘longphort’, a Viking construction only found in Ireland during the early Viking age, and very similar to English Viking camps, where they would winter, after taking over the harbour.”

The Spanish archaeologist is planning a spring dig in Galicia and also in Sevilla, where a Norse warband was said to be active in the area for three years. Some of the Spanish sites are marshlands, with perfect conditions for preserving ancient treasures.

CREDITlev radin / Shutterstock.com

Number of the week

80,000

is the number of UK students who cannot find places on nursing courses because the NHS is hiring qualified nurses from countries like Spain and Portugal for a fraction of the cost of training a nurse in England.

Library birthday THE San Javier hospital lending library has celebrated its first birthday. In its first year more than 1,000 books and magazines have been lent out and returned.

Reckless driving A 62-YEAR-OLD woman has been sentenced to three years in jail after being found guilty of reckless driving. She drove for 35km on the wrong carriageway of the motorway between Elche and San Juan in Alicante.

Operation grape GRAPE thieves have been arrested in Murcia. A gang targeted farms, stealing the crop before selling it on at reduced rates in local markets.

And finally...

A FUGITIVE wanted in Spain for murder has been sending postcards from the Caribbean to his trial judges. The Frenchman has been on the run for six years for a murder in Huesca in 2006, but despite admitting to the crime, prosecutors could not prove motive or premeditation, resulting in the fugitive’s temporary release and subsequent abscondment.

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Spanish manhunt over following arrest in UK A MAN wanted for questioning over the murder of Francis Brennan, whose body was found washed up on La Zenia beach in

April this year, has been arrested.

Paul John Scott, from Liverpool, is a suspected member of a drugsmuggling gang and is wanted in

Missing British Alzheimer’s sufferer found A BRITISH man who had been missing for over 24 hours from his Valle del Sol home, has been found.

A search and rescue operation was launched after his wife reported that the man, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, had gone missing.

Members of the public

spotted him near Hoya Gallego in the Calasparra countryside almost 24 hours later and he was located by rescuers with signs of hypothermia, but no serious injuries.

He was taken to the Hospital Comarcal del Noroeste in Caravaca de la Cruz for observation.

relation to the murder of Francis Brennan. Brennan’s body was found at La Zenia taped up in a bin bag with a head injury and gunshot wounds. The 25 year-old has disappeared from Javea in January 2014 and is reported to have been seen being dragged from a car by men dressed as Guardia Civil officers.

A manhunt was launched for Scott, one of the UK’s most wanted fugitives, several weeks ago, including in Spain as the 32year-old has known ties to the country.

He was arrested at a Norfolk airfield trying to enter the country after landing in a small Cessna plane from Holland. The plane’s Dutch pilot was also arrested on money laundering suspicions.

Scott is said to have been in possession of €2,000 and a false Belgian identity card. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on January 2.

Our View

It’s time for a New Year resolution

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T’S that time of year again when a lot (but not all) of us cherish those last few days of over-indulgence before embarking on our well intended, but often fruitless journeys to better ourselves. Be it giving up smoking, joining a gym or promising to be a better person, come January 1 life will get that little bit harder for those full of good intentions. Yes, it’s time to decide on a dreaded New Year’s resolution.

Every year we know that whatever we decide to give up, take up, do more of or do less of will take determination, willpower, effort and strength. For those that stick with it, the rewards are plentiful. Giving up smoking will improve your health, be less of a strain on your finances, and make your teeth whiter! Joining a gym will make you fitter, feel better and more often than not, look better

too. Learning a new language is unbelievably rewarding. But boy, are they all hard to stick with! It’s so much easier to give up when something is hard, which is why so many of us soon fall back into old habits despite resolving to rid ourselves of them.

Setting small attainable goals throughout the year instead of making huge, sweeping changes on January 1 can often be the best way to approach a New Year’s resolution.

And by sticking with our resolutions through the difficult times (usually at the very start), we will soon find rewards that we may never have expected: a happier outlook, pride, the fulfilment felt from overcoming something difficult.

Whatever resolution you make in the next few days - assuming you make one at all - perseverance is the key.

The best of luck to all of you!

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Mayor in nepotism probe PSOE Mayor of Los Montesinos, Jose Manuel Butron, has been criticised for employing his daughter.

The leader of the opposition described the appointment as a “mockery of the unemployed,” with the mayor’s daughter hired for six months for €11,500. She was employed as leader of the summer school in 2013, a position which was advertised on the municipal website giving a deadline of 48 hours, which attracted two other candidates.

Her appointment was justified by the ruling party, saying she was a qualified specialist in early childhood education.

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Minister denies lack of facilities

Five arrested in alleged saffron fraud

VALENCIAN Regional Minister of Health, Manuel Llombart has declared that “there is no lack of health centres.”

Despite the loss of budgets intended to build up to nine new health centres in Alicante Province, plans which had been put in place before the economic crisis, Llombart insists new ones are not needed.

He made his comments during a visit to a paediatric unit at Alicante’s General Hospital.

FIVE workers in Alicante have been arrested for using forged ‘Designation of Origin’ authorisations to export saffron.

It is estimated that the company allegedly defrauded at least €100,000 by supplying American supermarkets with inferior Iranian and Syrian saffron which was packaged to claim it was from the La Mancha region of Spain.

As well as allegedly forging the certificates authorising them to sell DO products, they also obtained stickers issued by the Designation of Origin Regulatory Council.

He also explained that, so far, the Community has delayed the planned implementation of new software, which uses algorithms to dictate drug prescriptions to doctors.

“We are continuing dialogue with the doctors and seeing what problems they had when applying,” he said.

He went on to state that no new health sector programmes would be implemented “without the approval of the doctors.”

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More vets than jobs PROTESTS have been held against proposals for more veterinary schools in the Valencia Region.

Vets, veterinary students and professors protested at proposals to create nine more faculties in Alicante, Valencia and

other provinces, saying there are already more vets than posts available for them.

The president of the General Council of Spanish Veterinarians, Juan Jose Badiola, said to have more qualified vets would sink

Are toy shops gender-biased?

REGIONAL consumers’ association UCCV has complained about gender stereotyping when buying toys and gifts.

“Hypermarket catalogues and toyshops are sexist,” maintained the association, which lodged an official complaint with Spain’s Advertising Standards body. “Carrefour’s catalogue differentiates between toys aimed at boys and girls,” a spokesperson declared, “with green for boys and pink for girls.

The El Corte Ingles catalogue maintains the stereotype that some toys are only for girls and others for boys. Even packaging is colour-coded.”

However, Valencia-based toy shop, Toy Planet, announced recently they were actively breaking down stereotypes within their toy catalogues, leaving toys open for both boys and girls.

the profession and leave them without work.

Twelve Spanish universities currently offer degree courses, twice as many as recommended by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE), the European regulatory body.

Badiola said that, bearing in mind Spain’s population and market, there should be between four and six.

Death toll on the roads THE death toll on Murcia’s roads stood at 41 at the end of November, six more than during the first 11 months of 2013.

Whilst the number of people killed on the region’s roads has risen, the total number of casualties has decreased compared to last year.

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Regional wage gap SALARIES in the Valencian Community are below the national average.

According to the National Statistics Office (INE), a Valencia Region worker costs an employer €2,148.89 for wages, social security contributions and other benefits.

This is €301.21 below the national average and €644.84 lower than the

Basque Region’s average.

Low wages in the services sector, which provides much of the Region’s jobs, are much to blame for the discrepancy, analysts have said.

A worker’s cost to his or her employer in the Valencian Community fell by 3.3 per cent during the year’s third quarter this year.

Mayor plans Fines for to step down activists ALMORADI’S mayor, Antonio Angel Hurtado (PP), has announced that he will leave office in May 2015 and will not stand in the upcoming municipal elections.

Having worked in office for 16 years, he said his decision was for “professional, personal and political” reasons and his leaving would help him “pursue a career” in the business world.

With tears in his eyes, Hurtado said, “the greatest thing in politics is to be mayor of the people,” before going on to encourage people to support current Councillor of Finance, Maria Gomez, who he wants to be his successor.

SIXTEEN Greenpeace activists were each fined €1,000 for breaking into a nuclear power station in Valencia.

As previously reported in Euro Weekly News, the 17 environmentalists, along with a photographer, were in court for painting ‘nuclear danger’ across one of the cooling towers at the nuclear power station in Cofrentes.

The group were spared jail sentences.

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Price cuts win back travellers AIRLINES have reduced the cost of flights between Alicante and Madrid by 40 per cent to compete with the AVE high speed train and win back passengers.

According to data from airports authority Aena, the terminal has in the past 11 months recovered 60,000 of the near 200,000 travellers it lost in 2013 to the AVE. Lowering the ticket prices as well as ensuring regular daily flights appears to have won back passengers.

Many of them also recognised Madrid as being a hub to connect with flights to other international destinations.

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Go-ahead given for water transfer plan A WATER transfer of the Tajo al Segura has been approved.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food

and Environment has authorised a transfer from the reservoirs of Entrepeñas-Buendia, through the

Tajo-Segura, of 20 hectometres during the month of December due to the ‘exceptional hydrological situation,’ principally to help farmers.

The Central Commission for Exploitation of the Tajo-Segura issued a report in which it noted that the volume of actual stocks in all reservoirs of the Entrepeñas-Buendia, as of December 1, was 494,559 hectometres resulting in an ‘exceptional hydrological FELLED: Workers remove 100 infected trees to prevent spread of pine beetle. situation’ and meaning a monthly transfer could be made.

The Tajo-Segura ONE HUNDRED pine trees have been members to cut the trees affected by irrigation channel services felled in Monte de San Miguel. the Tomicus Destruens pine beetle.

61 irrigation cooperatives The maintenance of the forest area is Councillor for the Environment, that are located between Orihuela Town Hall’s responsibility, and Mannuel Gallud, said that all pines the provinces of Murcia, it sent 11 farm hands, two members of which were yellow were cut down as Alicante, Albacete and the Department of Infrastructures this indicates a tree infested by the Almeria. team and seven Civil Protection pest in the larval stage.

Pines fall victim to beetle pest

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Lottery tickets TICKET sales for the Christmas lottery are up 15 per cent on last year in Alicante Province, with many now buying tickets online.

No change FOR the first time in five years, the money allocated by the regional government to the University of Alicante for next year’s spending has been frozen at €120.5 million.

Job done ASUNCION MAYORAL has announced her resignation as a town councillor in Orihuela as she “has fulfilled her task.”

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Online shopping floods into local post offices IT seems Santa and the Three Kings now come from China. More than

10,000 packages bought online in Spain arrived from China this week at

the automated Correos processing centre in Alicante.

“We have very important clients who have turned exclusively to electronic commerce,” says Jose Antonio Martinez, head of the centre, who said Christmas time saw the number of parcels handled double thanks to online shopping.

The state postal service has just now also become a logistics

operator in Spain for customers such as Amazon where customers can pick up their orders at 81 post offices across Alicante Province, which can aid the speed of delivery which always suffers during December.

“Often people are not in their homes when parcels arrive,” said Martinez, a problem confirmed by parcel and courier service Nacex Alicante who deliver items of all sorts in packages of up to 40kg.

Urgent repairs done WORK is due to be completed on repairs to the Paseo de Los Locos on Avenida Mariano Ruiz in Torrevieja.

The coastline was severely damaged following recent storms with 30 metres of the walkway crumbling away, and work was approved immediately.

QEP: Photographer celebrated for his portraits.

Photographer receives award A PHOTOGRAPHER from Santa Pola, Philippe Uglietta, has received the title of QEP (Qualified European Photographer).

The title was awarded at the last session of European Qualification recently held in Rome,

Italy, giving the photographer prestigious international recognition for his stunning portraits in black and white.

Uglietta was praised for creating the emotion in his work as well as the technical perfection of the photos.

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FEATURE

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La gente AS part of our series La Gente, Euro Weekly News reporter Gemma Quinn has been out and about to see what skills, talent and inspirational people can be found on the Costa Blanca. This week she met an inspiring expatriate working in local politics...

SAMANTHA BIDDLES is the perfect example of expat integration. Moving to Algorfa in 1999, she arrived with her husband, three children and dog and settled on the Montebello urbanisation when infrastructure was little more than a dirt track. Since then, she has seen the town and surrounding area flourish and grow, which she credits largely to the thousands of other expats who, like her, chose to live on the Costa Blanca.

Admitting she wanted to escape ‘the rat race’ in the UK and live a more simple life with quality family time, she may now be busier than ever running her local hairdressing, estate agency and events businesses, working within the town hall in Algorfa as Councillor for Foreign Residents, and with the PP party on a provincial level. Crediting her own success to integration she now focuses on helping others do the same. “We were very lucky to be integrated. It was a conscious decision I made to learn the language and respect the culture, and I was lucky that the local community welcomed us and took me under their wing. I think you really have to integrate into the Spanish lifestyle to succeed here,” Samantha said.

In 2005, more expats descended on the town. “It was unbelievable. It was like the floodgates were opened and it was jaw-dropping the changes

that were made. It really turned the village around and new facilities were being built, and it is all thanks really to the British coming her,” she remarked.

With her ‘been there done that’ attitude, Samantha’s friendly persona naturally drew her to other new expats, offering them help and advice. She was a regular at the town hall, so much so that she ended up in politics. She explained: “I’ve always been interested in it and my dad was very political and I think I’m very opinionated!” As Councillor and joining the PP on a provincial level three years ago, she divides her time between Algorfa and Alicante helping to structure the party’s integration, tourism and general policies. She said: “I see the party making a lot of changes and we want level and equal treatment for all citizens and to make things easier for British residents. One in four in the province is a foreigner and they need to recognise that.”

Having largely spent the last year away from office as she received treatment for cancer, Samantha is returning at full speed in 2015 and is ready and waiting to receive comments and proposals from residents via the ‘Count on You’ international section on the website: www.alicantepp.es

BRINGING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER: Samantha Biddles.

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Budget boost helps open care centres SEVEN new social care centres are to be opened in Alicante Province in 2015.

The Valencian Minister for Social Welfare, Asuncion Sanchez Zaplana, said these centres will bring 300 new places for residential and day care intended for dependent older people, in

the year up to those with disabilities and people with chronic mental illness.

Zaplana said the regional government “will continue to work with municipalities and organisations in the sector to meet the needs of people and ensuring social welfare.”

She also said that the budget of her department will next year rise by 19 per cent, with 74.2 per cent of next year’s budget being used on programmes and resources for older people, dependants and LOW cost airlines carried 4.37 million passengers across people with disabilities. the Valencia Region until November, representing an That reflected what annual increase of 3.8 per cent.

Zaplana said is: “The Specifically, Alicante-Elche airport recorded 3.34 million commitment of the passengers in that period, representing an increase of regional government to 5.2 per cent and 10.9 per cent of the total number of society, especially those passengers, and Valencia airport saw 1.02 million in particularly vulnerable passengers, 3.3 per cent of the total. situations.”

Among the low cost airlines Ryanair, easyJet and The new care centres Vueling continued to lead the rankings in November. will be in Alicante City, Both Ryanair and Vueling saw an increase in passengers Elche, Torrevieja, Alcoy, during the month, with easyJet recording a slight drop.

Crevillente and Pilar de la The UK (37.8 per cent) and Germany (11.1 per cent) Horadada. were the main markets for the low cost companies.

Travellers take low cost route

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Water waste as pipeline breaks THE breakage of one of the joints connecting the tubes that make up the Tajo-Segura pipeline at the height of the Lo Cabello neighbourhood in Orihuela caused the loss of thousands of gallons of water which poured over the fields to border infrastructure.

The leak is the second that has occurred in recent weeks after water leaked through another pipeline that was

being repaired. Technicians, who in recent months have carried out maintenance work on the transfer tubes to verify that they are in good condition, said they detected no gap on the pipeline on the section at Lo Cabello which caused the recent leak.

They indicated that the Tajo-Segura, now almost 40 years old, sometimes experiences expansions between the joints of the pipes due to the problems of pressure and temperature changes.

There are now calls for the Confederacion Hidrografica del Segura to comprehensively review the entire pipeline to ALICANTE Province has received half of this year’s ensure not a drop of rainfall in the space of just three weeks. water is lost again.

Following a year of virtual drought, the end of Provincial Secretary November and December brought storms and General of PSPV-PSOE, downpours that would normally occur in late David Cerda, said: “Each summer and early autumn. litre of water is a missed During this period, the meteorological office opportunity for Vega Baja AEMET said that the province registered 80 litres and for the province and per square metre of rain, 55 per cent of the 152 we are not to lose litres that has fallen so far this year. opportunities.”

Half a year’s rain falls in 3 weeks

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Christmas cheer in San Fulgencio THE AAN Charity, based in urbanisation La Marina, which supports and helps the needy in the municipality, has bought €2,500 worth of food for distribution this Christmas.

The food has been given to the Office for the Urbanisations where it will be distributed to local families through the Social Services Department. The charity has also purchased each child a toy for Christmas.

Since the shop opened in March 2014, AAN has bought food to the value of about €10,000 for the needy people of San Fulgencio and Urbanisation La Marina.

President Pauline Prior said: “We would like to thank everyone who

contributed to this fantastic sum and we hope to continue this next year.”

Samantha Hull from the Office for the Urbanisations said a strict control is kept to ensure that food only goes to those who need it and names of families are never given to the volunteers.

She said: “It is fairly evident from the responses of the recipients that these donations are very, very much appreciated and vital.”

Samantha added: “This Christmas we have received a huge donation from AAN for which we are so incredibly grateful.

“Countless parcels of

food have been donated by people of all nationalities. So many people have donated so much for the needy children this year.

“You can all be assured that this Christmas all of these children will have a huge smile on their faces on Christmas morning thanks to the generosity of all the people of so many nationalities.”

FOOD PARCELS: AAN charity is ensuring those in need have a happy Christmas.

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A Christmas message from the Euro Weekly News WE would like to extend a huge thank you and happy Christmas to our valued readers, without whom the Euro Weekly News (EWN) would not be Spain’s largest, free, local newspaper, reaching more than half a million people every week.

We wish you every success in 2015 and we look forward to continuing to bring you all the news from your communities.

At the EWN we believe in our community and we never stop striving to do what we can. We look for goodness and we emphasise it in our pages, and we try to help people to integrate by making the community stronger.

We believe in helping others who

are less fortunate, weaker, or older, as one day we know that will be us.

In order to move on, we learn from our mistakes, and our passion, energy and our belief carry us forward.

As Thomas Watson once said: “To be successful you have to have your heart in your business and your business in your heart.”

We would also like to wish a very merry Christmas to all our advertisers. When you come on board as an advertiser with the EWN, you become part of the EWN family, and your business is treated like our own.

We put our heart and soul into making it work, and each and every one of our advertisers is treated like a valued family member.

A very big thank you and merry Christmas to you all.

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Police race for families in need THE Seventh Cross Night Race, organised by the Association of Local Police will take place in Orihuela on December 27 from 10pm.

Councillor for Public Safety, Manuel Gallud, has said that this act “is one of the traditional events of Christmas, filling

the streets with fun with the costumes of the participants.”

This year the registration fee has been lowered by €2 to €8 if paid in advance and €10 on the night. Monies raised will go towards food purchases for the Red Cross to be distributed to families in need. Red Cross will also install a collection point at the start of the race for any donations of food items.

Registration can be done via website LOCAL businesses have come together this festive www.crono3.com. season to give the children at Elche’s Children’s Home a Christmas to remember.

The charity wishes to thank Vanessa, Alan, staff and customers of the Fountain Bar in Dolores, who filled a large box with toiletries which has been delivered to the EXPONADAL is on at the Home for the children so they can treat themselves.

IFA exhibition centre from Cookeze in Dolores has also donated lots of Boxing Day until January 4. chocolates to make the children’s Christmas extra The festive fair has sweet this year and Cathy’s Curiosity Corner in shows daily at 11am and Benijofar, which has supported the home throughout 9pm. Tickets €10 or €30 for the year, raffled off a Christmas hamper and donated a family of two adults and proceeds from Santa’s recent visit to the store. two children.

Supporting Elche’s children’s home

Festive fun

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Christ mas Greetings

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Cycle challenge benefits 4 charities and gives children a happier NEARLY €900 has already been raised in sponsorship from a charity cycle ride.

Keen cyclist Neil McKay organised the event and mapped out a 100 mile route, divided into four circuits, starting and finishing at the Marjal Campsite in Crevillente.

Neil and his wife Gina, originally from Staffordshire in the UK, are spending the winter at Marjal and the idea came about for Neil to do a big cycle of 100 miles in a day: “An old family friend got in a camper van and cycled the whole coast of the UK and that seemed great and is something that just stuck in my mind, but it was never the right environment until I came here and discovered the great cycle routes through the local countryside and villages.”

Neil began training in the UK and continued whilst here on the Costa Blanca with help from Dutch friend

Christ mas

XMAS GIFTS: Collected for children.

Jan Hooijer, who he met at the Marjal last winter. Helping build up Neil’s stamina, Jan also helped him in the organising of the cycle challenge.

With such an international community, the event was to be in aid of four charities. Neil’s best friend’s wife was helped by Macmillan Nurses during the end stages of her life, so that was one chosen charity.

Gina is a former teacher and so locally the Elche Children’s Home was also chosen as well as Dutch and German cancer care charities. All monies raised will now be split

between the four beneficiaries with Gina also collecting gifts for the children which have been made into shoe box presents to be distributed for Christmas.

On the day, many cyclists turned up to take part and join the cause, but with one notable absence, Neil: “My training was going really well until two weeks ago when I had what is known as, a training incident. I thought I would recover quickly but unfortunately I ended up in hospital and was told I wouldn’t be fit enough to ride. I was and am deeply disappointed not to take part, but we had tremendous support.”

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Christmas generosity on the Orihuela coast TOYS and gifts have been gathering in the entrance of the town hall in Playa Flamenca for children in need this year.

Toy collections are done every year, given to Caritas to distribute, mainly in Orihuela City, but after councillor for the Coast Martina Scheurer contacted the local priest and discovered there were around 75 families being helped on the Orihuela Costa, she lobbied for the gifts to stay on the coast: “They have been donated by local residents and will now be distributed locally to those who need it and this year we have more gifts given than last year.”

Among everyone who contributed, the town hall would like to specifically thank the Little Pod association and the Rendezvous Social Club for their numerous contributions and to ‘Santa’ Mel Roberts

GIFTS GALORE: Santa Mel with Linda Squires (left) and Barbara Palmer from the Rendezvous Social Club. who brought a sack full of chocolates for the children.

Get shopping in Torrevieja TORREVIEJA’S Commerce Department has launched an awareness campaign to encourage last minute Christmas and Three Kings shopping supporting local

trade. The campaign in Spanish and English flyers being distributed includes two for one tickets to the fair area open until January 11. shoppingtorrevieja.com

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NEWS

Hardy helpers brave the chill EVEN though the early mornings have now turned very cold the band of HELP Murcia Mar Menor volunteers still turn out every Sunday morning.

They work at the Auto Cine Car Boot Sale to raise funds for good causes in the Murcia Region.

The dedicated group work all year round selling donated goods, sweltering and sweating in the summer and shivering and freezing in the winter, but always with a smile on their faces, and thanks go out to each and every one of them. One volunteer said:

Panto frolics with Smile are all in a good cause TICKETS are still on sale for forthcoming shows of Panto Frolics by the Smile Charity Group.

Performances are on January 6 and 7 at Marjal campsites in Guardamar and Catral and on January 9 at Restaurante El Alto La Dolores, Guardamar, with the money raised going to charity. Tickets cost €10 for both the show and a two-course meal, and are available by calling 966 712 382.

“It’s hard work and turning out on these cold mornings is not easy, but the work is very satisfying. We always have great fun and a hot cup of coffee with a drop of spirit in it makes all the difference.”

The charity would also like to thank everyone who donates items for sale as this enables HELP Murcia Mar Menor to provide funds for the poor and needy in the area.

If you have any items to donate, collection can be arranged or they can be dropped off at the HELP office in Calle Penelope 11, Los Narejos, (behind the Deutsche Bank). Anyone able to give a few hours of their time as a volunteer should call 968 570 059.

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THEY’RE OFF: The 12th Volvo Ocean Race departed from Alicante.

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NEWS

RACING: Teams battled it out on Leg One.

Volvo Ocean Race 2014-2015 Alicante was swept away with the hype and excitement surrounding this year’s Volvo Ocean Race launch. Euro Weekly News reporter Gemma Quinn, who was at the start of the race, looks back on what the race has meant for the province and the latest on the race itself...

V

OLVO CARS has underlined its commitment to the Volvo Ocean Race as part of a radical new marketing strategy unveiled this week.

The company has backed the race, which saw the latest edition depart from Alicante Port in October 2014, and been joint owner of offshore sailing’s leading event with Volvo Group for more than 15 years.

Volvo Cars said it was cutting back on many of its sponsorships but not when it came to the Volvo Ocean Race. The company’s statement said: “Volvo Cars will increase its commitment and investment in the Volvo Ocean Race. Rather than just another sponsoring activity, it sees the Volvo Ocean Race as purely Volvo.

It is the most competitive, fair and pure blend of people with nature.”

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said he was delighted that the 41year-old event, currently in its 12th edition and due to finish in June 2015, had such public support. “Volvo’s backing has been the foundation on which we’ve been able to build this race year after year,” he said.

“Without that kind of support we simply wouldn’t have been able to make probably the biggest decision we’ve taken in the race’s history; to move to the one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boat, which has put the emphasis fully on the sailors on board and their skills and determination.”

The race has not only been at the forefront of Volvo’s marketing plan, but also proved beneficial for Alicante.

Adolfo Rodriguez, Director of the Alicante Race Village, said attendance was impressive during the 10 days the village was open in Alicante Port prior to the launch on October 11. “It has

BOOST: Thousands visited the Race Village in Alicante Port. been spectacular with both domestic and international visitors and they have not been disappointed,” he remarked.

A total of 313,463 people visited the exhibitions and attractions for the Volvo Ocean Race at the port, along with delegates from 15 countries. The Volvo Ocean Race generated revenue of €66.3 million in the Valencia Region, according to the Economic Impact Study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Hotel occupancy also received a boost, recording an average of 90 per cent occupancy during the opening weekend which coincided with the inport race. Adolfo added: “Alicante has had a huge branding internationally, thanks in part to the 834 accredited journalists from 42 countries on five continents. Both the volunteer programme and the schools deserve

COMMITMENT: Knut Frostad said Volvo support the race. special mention because of the great reception.”

Race latest Spaniard Iker Martinez has announced he is stepping down for the next leg as skipper of MAPFRE in the Volvo Ocean Race to concentrate on a pre-arranged commitment to prepare for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

His best friend and long-time sailing

partner, Xabi Fernandez, is taking the helm of the Spanish boat for Leg Three, from Abu Dhabi to Sanya, China, in Martínez’s temporary absence.

The pair are joint gold and silver Olympic medallists as well as joint ISAF Sailors of the Year in 2011.

Martinez explained: “I have to go and focus on this (Olympic) project now.

When we started the Volvo Ocean Race, we knew that I already had another commitment with the Olympic campaign.”

Martinez will now leave Abu Dhabi, where he and MAPFRE finished fourth in Leg Two from Cape Town earlier this month, and head for Miami where he will train and compete in Nacra 17 with Marina Lopez, his partner on this Olympic class catamaran.

Having completed the first two legs, the teams will spend Christmas in Abu Dhabi and set off for Sanya on January 3, Cars will continue to travelling 4,670 nautical miles to the next port.

Seven teams set off on the round the world race, including Team SCA, which marks the return of an all female crew. Team Brunel currently heads the leader board. Team Vestas Wind did not complete Leg Two after running on to rocks.

The teams are headed for Gothenburg, Sweden, for the final in June 2015.

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DANIEL PEREZ BERLANGA is perhaps the most famous person living in tiny Bronchales in Teruel, but for all the wrong reasons, after apparently attempting to mount an attack with a homemade bomb on the Partido Popular (PP) headquarters.

Bronchales, population 460, is a small municipality located at 1,500 metres above sea level in the Albarracin mountain range.

Its residents woke up on Friday December 19 to the shocking news that a neighbour had crashed his car, containing two butane gas bottles, into the PP offices in Madrid.

“I wanted to carry out an attack against politicians because they are all the same. I could have just as well attacked any other party,” he reportedly told

CORDON PRESS

Homemade bomb attack in Madrid

PP MADRID: Police stand guard while car is towed. police after being detained.

Berlanga, who is undergoing treatment for schizophrenia and drug addiction and has a criminal record for robbery, drove a Citroën Xantia at high speed into the building located on Calle Genova in Madrid – and nearly ran over a cleaning lady in the process – in an apparent attempt to blow it up.

Inside his car the police found two butane gas bottles, several kilos of ammonium nitrate, a timer and a homemade ignition device. However, the explosive device he built was not likely to explode because of how it was made, said police. But it appears he had been planning the attack for several days.

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By Luis Salazar FOR many the Tom Hanks character in movie The Terminal is as far from real life as you get.

The story of a man who ends up living in an airport terminal, while a good yarn, was far-fetched. No one does that in real life.

Really? Think again.

Approximately 30 homeless people live at Barajas Airport in Madrid.

One of them is Edu. He decided to go out for a walk. But not for just any walk. He planned to walk the 332 kilometres that

separate Madrid from Zaragoza. He was not exactly busy at the time. If it is difficult for the average man to find a job, it is even harder for a man who has just been released from prison after 10 years behind bars.

He did the maths and calculated it would take him roughly 20 days to reach his goal. On the first day, dusk found him looking for the Barcelona motorway and he decided to spend the night at Terminal 4 in Barajas Airport. And that was the

Madrugada Verde / Shutterstock.com

The airport, my home Barajas Airport, and, right, Tom Hanks. end of the road for him.

Fast forward a year and a half and Edu still lives at the airport, surrounded by flight crews, passengers

and suitcases.

And he is not alone.

Close to 30 homeless

people call Madrid airport home, most of them invisible to the average traveller.

But just how do they manage to blend in and go unnoticed? They are welldressed, look clean, carry their luggage around like normal tourists, and some spend all day walking around the airport window shopping as if they were waiting for a plane.

The homeless living at Barajas have found a roof, clean bathrooms, heating, 15 minutes of free Internet a day, security, anonymity and 24-hour cafés.

Technically speaking, airports are public places, so ENAIRE - the Spanish public body that operates most airports in Spain - lets them live there as long as they do not cause any problems.

“We do what we can to survive,” said Andre (fictitious name).

When it gets dark and the temperature drops, even more homeless move in for the night and sleep on newspapers scattered on the floor of the terminal’s hidden corners.

But while Tom Hanks' character had a happy ending, there is no such finish in sight for his Spanish equivalents. For them a lonely Christmas is in store.

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Increasing costs ACCORDING to a report drawn up by Andalucia’s Audit Office, the construction and operating costs - until 2042 - of the Malaga Metro will increase to €2.6 billion, 113 per cent more than originally expected.

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THE tornado that hit the Costa del Sol in late November covered approximately seven kilometres in 15 minutes, said the State Meteorology Agency. It formed at sea and caused serious damage in Torremolinos, Churriana and near Malaga airport.

LOW cost airline passengers at Malaga airport increased by 10 per cent up to November this year, making it second in Spain for volume of low cost company users. Only Barcelona had more passengers.

Council helps out COIN Council has approved measures to help families with low or non-existent income by halving their water bills as long as the property does not use more than 45 cubic metres every three months.

COSTA DE ALMERÍA

Documents recovered

Tabernas helipad TABERNAS has opened the eighth helipad in the province. The helipads are for medical use in order to transport patients direct to the capital’s hospital, saving a lengthy journey by road.

Drivers tested

Flights increase

over the road and the driver sustained minor injuries

MOORISH documents detailing surrender to the Christian armies during the 15th century have been found and restored. They are currently on display at the Museo Arqueologico Provincia.

Tornado report

SIX drivers tested positive for drugs and one was caught driving without a licence in just 90 minutes at a police check-point on the road to Campanillas.

NEWS DESK

2ND EDITION WINNERS: Manuel Molina, who came first, holds his prize piglet aloft.

Piglet racing, but not as you know it THE third edition of the Carrera Ciclista del Cochinillo (piglet cycling race) was rescheduled in Huercal Overa.

The race was moved from December 18 to December 21 and participated in by professional cyclists including Juan Antonio Sanchez Navarro, Javier Chacon Quesada and Manuel Martinez Costa who all compete in Spain.

The race gets a huge amount of media coverage due to its uniqueness, with previous journalists coming from Britain, China, Denmark, Greece and South Africa. The race directed cyclists

through a Huercal Overa street circuit in 16 laps, starting and ending at Avenida Guillermo Reyna.

Councillor for Sports, Alonso Mena, highlighted the good reception, adding: “Carrera Ciclista del Cochinillo is already a landmark in the holiday sports programme both for our province and those nearby.” He went on to encourage everyone to get involved in future races. The overall winner gets a trophy and a live piglet.

There are also prizes including hams and wine for the first three in each category.

Mining plots THE Junta has put 118 mining plots out to tender in Almeria. Almeria is the Andalucian province with the highest number of available mineral plots, occupying 88,175 hectares.

Bumper turnover COSENTINO, one of Almeria’s largest companies has announced that it will close 2014 having billed a total turnover of €560 million, an increase of 14.7 per cent over 2013.

Family aid MORE than €173,000 has been earmarked for 26 families in Alhama, Illar, Terque and Santa Cruz de Marchena. The money comes from the Junta and is for home improvements.

AXARQUIA

TV magnet MORE than 40 audiovisual productions have taken place in Nerja during 2014.

One of the most important ones was the shooting of the international action movie, ‘Pursuit.’

Bank aid LA CAIXA bank has aided Frigiliana’s Caritas foundation with €1,250 to help the town’s poorer families during the Christmas season.

department, it was aimed at encouraging people with disabilities to practice light physical activities.

lodged with the police for domestic violence, followed by Canarias, Valencia and Murcia.

Band anniversary

Runaway horse

NERJA’S Municipal Music Band marked its 25th anniversary with a Christmas concert held last Saturday (December 20). More than 500 musicians have been members of this band during its trajectory.

A RUNAWAY horse that escaped from the Son Pardo racetrack was caught by police. For reasons unknown, the horse got scared during a trotting exercise and galloped out of the racetrack and onto the motorway.

MALLORCA

Fewer foreigners

Volunteer’s excellence

Tobacco sales

THE Spanish Red Cross has awarded volunteers, associations and institutions of Axarquia with medals for their performance in social issues.

DATA shows that no Spanish autonomous community has seen a sharper increase in tax revenues from tobacco sales in 2014 than the Balearic Islands (+1.48 per cent).

Sport for everyone THE Council of Velez-Malaga celebrated the second Day for Integration through Sports. Launched by the Social Services

Domestic violence THE Balearic Islands rank first in Spain for the largest number of complaints

THE number of foreigners registered in the Spanish social security on the islands dropped by 23.52 per cent compared to October and now totals 55,316 people, said the Labour Ministry.

Bin lorry A BIN lorry carrying 22 tons of compacted rubbish brought from Ireland overturned at the Palmanyola roundabout. The rubbish scattered all

COSTA BLANCA NORTH

Lucky escape FIREMEN rescued a 24-year-old British climber who fell 20 metres from the Penya Roja cliffs near Gandia. No bones were broken but he was admitted to Francesc de Borja hospital for a thorough check-up.

All clear CAMPELLO’S Fisherman’s Monument, formerly covered in graffiti, has now been cleaned. The town hall’s Maintenance department used a special gel but had to wait until rain stopped before it could be used.

Long wait FAMILY doctors’ Christmas holidays will not be covered, the regional Health department confirmed. The CCOO union warned that appointments would be scarce in 11 health centres administered

by Alicante General hospital.

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Royal family sends first official card ROYAL princesses Leonor and Sofia have signed their first official Christmas card as Leonor, Princess of Asturias and Sofia, Infanta of Spain.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia chose two pictures taken on the day of their coronation for this year’s official Christmas card from the royal household.

While the front of the card sports a picture of the royal couple waving from a balcony of the Royal Palace, a family photo with their daughters is placed inside opposite a handwritten message and signatures from the king and queen and both princesses.

In the message, King Felipe and Queen Letizia express their desire for Christmas hope and goodwill to outlast the

FAMILY SNAP: Coronation day picture. festive days.

Novelties this year include the red colour of the card and the addition of the letter R after the king and queen’s signatures.

Meanwhile the king’s parents King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia chose a

work of art for their Christmas card.

The Adoration of the Magi, by Italian late Baroque period painter Luca Giordano, is depicted on the card from which the letter R after the signatures has disappeared as they no longer reign.

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NEWS

Dangerous toys seized in Madrid HUNDREDS of thousands of dangerous toys were seized in Madrid by the police.

In a massive operation launched in the Spanish capital called Black Toys, law enforcement officials seized 224,341 toys included in the alert network of the Health, Social Policy and Equality Ministry. They are deemed dangerous because they pose a serious health risk to children.

Police conducted searches in 16 stores and also seized 16,870 articles for violating industrial property legislation and 104,340 fireworks. Six people were brought up on charges.

The operation was

launched after police detected a large number of suspicious items being sold by street vendors and stores on Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Celenque.

The Government had reportedly banned the sale and import of some of them.

According to Economy and Taxes councillor in Madrid Enrique Ossorio, Madrid is the Spanish autonomous community with the largest number of reported cases of dangerous products.

“Toys that do not bear the CE marking cannot be sold in the European

Union. So we advise people against buying them because they could be dangerous,” said Ossorio.

If consumers decide to make their purchases online, they should make sure the information regarding the stores’ tax identification number and registered office is also available, as well as their email, to make contacting it easier, he recommended.

Chief of Police Ignacio Cosido said operations like these are crucial because they allow law enforcement officials to pull from the market products that jeopardise consumers’ health or safety, especially that of children.

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S CANDINAVIAN P RESS

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Stories making headlines in Europe

BRITISH PRESS Begging problem SWEDEN – Romania’s Social Affairs and Labour Minister Rovana Plumb will visit Stockholm in January to discuss the problem of the increasing number of Roma people begging on Swedish streets.

Search stats DENMARK – Google has revealed that the most searched for subjects by Danes during 2014 were the iPhone 6, the football World Cup, and Robin Williams. Also in the top 10 were the Eurovision Song Contest and the Ebola virus.

Hottest year DENMARK – 2014 was the hottest year on record in Denmark, with an annual average temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists have put it down to climate change.

Comfort food SWEDEN – A new study has revealed that more than one in 10 people living in Stockholm regularly indulge in comfort eating. Reasons include stress, worry and loneliness.

Ban KO’d NORWAY – Norway has ended its ban on boxing after three decades of being outlawed. Norwegian world champ Cecilia Braekhus can now defend her title on home turf.

Oil permits NORWAY – Energy company Statoil has been awarded four new offshore exploration permits in New Zealand, building on its existing position in the country.

No kissing

Hitchhiking Romeo

BRITONS travelling to Dubai for some winter sun have been advised by the British Embassy not to hold hands, avoid Christmas kisses and not to be drunk on the street. Foreigners often fall foul of the UAE’s strict rules.

A BRITISH traveller has hitchhiked across the USA solely by using a dating app to woo women into giving him lifts. He would buy his ‘dates’ a gift as way of thanks.

Nativity clueless

A BRITISH soldier’s letter has revealed that German and British soldiers bonded during the unofficial Christmas truce of 1914 by telling jokes about the French.

NO KISSING: Be careful in Dubai.

RUSSIAN PRESS Online favourites

BRITISH and German soldiers met recently to participate in a game of football – Game of Truce – to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the famous series of impromptu games between opposing soldiers during an unofficial ceasefire on the Western Front during World War I.

Poisonous trees

THE Sochi Olympics was the number one subject Googled by Russians in 2014. Other popular searches included the Ukraine crisis, Eurovision 2014, pop star Zhanna Friske and television show Fizruk.

MORE than half of all German Christmas trees tested have been found to contain poisonous chemicals. Friends of the Earth Germany had trees tested for 150 different types of pesticides.

Kim Jong Un invite RUSSIA has invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to attend the Victory Day ceremony in May which marks the end of World War II. It is currently unclear whether Kim will accept the invitation.

Politician of the Year

‘PUTIN’S TIGER’ has reportedly returned to Russia after going on a killing spree in China. Ustin the tiger was released into the wild under an animal protection programme and crossed into China where he has been accused of slaughtering chickens and goats.

DAVID HASSELHOFF will be singing in the New Year at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate. He will be the star performer at a five-hour concert set to attract hundreds of thousands of revellers.

Truce remembered

Mobile drunks

Tiger returns

PRESS New Year with Knight Rider

A SUSPECTED former Auschwitz guard will go on trial for murder in spring 2015. The 93-year-old is charged with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder. He worked at the concentration camp in 1944.

Having a laugh

RUSSIANS have voted President Vladimir Putin as ‘Politician of the Year’ 2014 for the 15th consecutive year. A survey showed that 68 per cent of Russians voted for President Putin.

GERMAN

Auschwitz trial

NINETY-NINE per cent of Britons don’t know what the Bible says about the nativity story and five per cent think that Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem because they were moving house, a survey found.

THE NHS has launched a series of mobile ‘drunk tanks’ to take care of boozed-up Brits this Christmas, instead of them being sent to A&E or police stations.

The 65-foot vehicles feature state-of-the-art medical facilities.

EUROPEAN PRESS

Road tolls TOXIC: Half contain pesticides.

Train birthday THE fastest train in Russia, the Sapsan, celebrated its fifth birthday in mid-December. The high-speed train covers the 650 kilometre journey from Moscow to St Petersburg in just three hours and forty-five minutes and can reach speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour. There are plans to upgrade the track to allow 400 kilometres per hour.

FOREIGNERS will be required to pay a road toll to use autobahns from 2016. German drivers will have to buy a sticker to display in their car windows but will be entitled to claim the amount back. Cars without stickers will have to pay a toll.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

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25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

business & legal

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STAT OF WEEK SIXTY PER CENT of Spain’s fruit and vegetable production is destined for export. Of this, 95 per cent goes to EU countries with the remainder going to notoriously demanding Japan, China and the US.

IAG reaps the benefits of restructuring IAG has increased its lead over Ryanair thanks to Iberia and budget airline Vueling.

“We were in intensive care, now we’re on the ward and soon we’ll be leaving hospital,” said Iberia president Luis Gallego.

BA and Iberia merged in 2011 to create IAG, acquiring Vueling in 2013. Restructuring

RECOVERY: IAG sees increase.

BT not won over

by Telefonica BT will not be buying O2, the UK mobile group owned by Telefonica.

Instead it has chosen EE, Britain’s largest mobile provider, for £12.5 billion (€15.7 billion) and is now in talks with O2’s German and French owners, Deutsche Telekom and Orange.

If the deal goes through Deutsche Telekom and Orange will take respective 12 per cent and 4 per cent stakes in BT. Negotiations are expected to last several weeks and the outcome will then need the approval of BT shareholders. Should it not succeed in pulling off the EE deal, BT

“remains confident” that it will still be able to deliver on its plans, sources revealed.

Ironically, BT sold its own mobile network BT Cellnet – now O2 – in 2002. It was acquired by Telefonica in 2005 for almost €23 billion and is now valued at £9 billion (€11.3 billion).

BT returns to the mobile market in order to offer packages with mobile, landline, internet and television connections.

Telefonica declined to comment on BT’s decision, although sources revealed that the Spanish company could now seek a UK agreement with Hutchison, Sky, Virgin Media or Talk Talk.

B

usiness extra

Dinner date EXACTLY 32.7 per cent of Spanish shoppers will shop in Mercadona for their traditional Christmas Eve dinner. A further 26 per cent use Carrefour.

Jobs safe THE new PeugeotCitroen van will be built in Vigo and not Trnava (Slovenia), guaranteeing jobs for 7,000 workers and indirect employment for another 12,000.

Big spender MEXICAN telecoms magnate Carlos Slim is now principal shareholder in Spanish construction company FCC.

Talisman to accept Repsol offer REPSOL is buying Talisman Energy for $8.3 billion (€6,640 billion) and assuming its $4.7 billion (€3,760 billion) debt.

The Talisman board unanimously approved the offer, which it has advised shareholders to accept. The transaction will be financed principally by the $6.3 billion compensation for the expropriation of Repsol’s Argentinean subsidiary, YPF.

Losing YPF prompted Repsol to seek alternative markets and the Spanish multinational will now be investing approximately half of its exploration capital in North America, compared with 22 per cent in Latin America. Output will increase by 76 per cent, boosting reserves by 55 per cent and situating Repsol amongst the world’s 15 biggest privatelyowned oil companies.

which began in 2012 was plagued with labour disputes, redundancies and cutting out routes but now IAG is reaping the benefits with this year’s 32,637,741 passengers.

This is 9.5 per cent more than in 2013 and the distance separating IAG from Ryanair, the second-biggest player in Spain has doubled.

Although Ryanair remains the biggest individual airline with 25.8 million passengers, this shows a 1.1 per cent drop on 2013’s figures.

The Irish company is followed by Vueling whose 17.3 million passengers represent a 16.8 per cent increase on last year and Iberia, with 10,148,710 passengers.

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Units per €

US dollar .................................................................1.22575 Japan yen...............................................................146.881 Switzerland franc ..............................................1.20356 Denmark kroner ................................................7.43845 Norway kroner....................................................9.01703

currenciesdirect.com/la-zenia • Tel: +34 965 994 830 C O M PA N Y

PRICE(P)

British Land Co PLC BT Group PLC Bunzl PLC Burberry Group PLC Capita PLC Carnival PLC Centrica PLC

771.50 408.30 1769.50 1631.00 1086.00 2825.50 274.80

C H A N G E ( P ) % C H G.

DOW JONES

NASDAQ

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 22

C LOSING P RICES D ECEMBER 22

C O M PA N Y MMM 3M Co AXP American Express Co T AT&T Inc BA Boeing Co CAT Caterpillar Inc CVX Chevron Corp CSCO Cisco Systems Inc KO The Coca-Cola Co DIS Walt Disney Co DD E I du Pont de Nemours and Co XOM Exxon Mobil Corp GE General Electric Co GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc HD Home Depot Inc IBM International Business Machine...

INTC Intel Corp JNJ Johnson & Johnson JPM JPMorgan Chase and Co MCD McDonald's Corp MRK Merck & Co Inc MSFT Microsoft Corp NKE Nike Inc PFE Pfizer Inc PG Procter & Gamble Co TRV Travelers Companies Inc UTX United Technologies Corp UNH UnitedHealth Group Inc VZ Verizon Communications Inc V Visa Inc WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc

PRICE CHANGE %CHANGE VOLUME 165.48 92.90 33.54 126.23 91.71 112.93 27.77 41.95 92.89 73.29 93.64 25.62 193.28 101.93 158.51 36.37 105.55 61.93 93.22 59.58 47.66 94.84 31.94 92.05 105.75 115.59 102.49 47.02 261.67 85.16

+0.18 -0.27 +0.03 +0.56 +0.02 +3.90 +0.12 -0.44 +0.28 +1.06 +2.48 +0.48 +1.67 +1.26 +0.83 -0.65 -1.26 +0.45 -0.45 +0.60 +0.14 -2.24 -0.03 +0.05 -0.20 -1.37 +0.25 -0.03 -2.49 -0.78

+0.11% -0.29% +0.09% +0.45% +0.02% +3.58% +0.43% -1.04% +0.30% +1.47% +2.72% +1.91% +0.87% +1.25% +0.53% -1.76% -1.18% +0.73% -0.48% +1.02% +0.29% -2.31% -0.09% +0.05% -0.19% -1.17% +0.24% -0.06% -0.94% -0.91%

4.9M 7.2M 40.2M 7.7M 9.7M 15.7M 59.6M 24.0M 12.8M 7.0M 38.5M 86.7M 4.8M 12.5M 8.9M 76.8M 19.2M 22.8M 10.3M 17.4M 64.6M 13.5M 44.9M 14.0M 3.9M 7.9M 8.0M 31.3M 3.9M 12.1M

4.00 3.70 10.00 9.00 10.00 14.00 2.10

C O M PA N Y

0.52 0.91 0.57 0.56 0.93 0.50 0.77

NET VOLUME 94.13 384.09 13.93 21.79 31.30 28.13 1,019.68

PRICE

CHANGE NET / %

$ 5.27 $ 7.85 $ 16.43 $ 5.94 $ 37.94 $ 13.90 $ 33.06 $ 4.80 $ 6.87 $ 5.67 $ 4.38

1.57 ▲ 42.43% 1.87 ▲ 31.27% 3.36 ▲ 25.71% 1.10 ▲ 22.73% 6.69 ▲ 21.41% 2.45 ▲ 21.40% 5.62 ▲ 20.48% 0.80 ▲ 20% 1.01 ▲ 17.24% 0.82 ▲ 16.91% 0.60 ▲ 15.87%

$ 6.11 $ 23.35 $ 19.77 $ 13 $ 27.23 $ 6.64 $ 33.80 $ 12.86 $ 12.56 $ 30.82 $ 2.62

4.74 ▼ 43.69% 5.55 ▼ 19.20% 4.11 ▼ 17.21% 1.68 ▼ 11.44% 3.32 ▼ 10.87% 0.7599 ▼ 10.27% 3.45 ▼ 9.26% 1.26 ▼ 8.92% 1.20 ▼ 8.72% 2.84 ▼ 8.44% 0.24 ▼ 8.39%

Most Advanced Fate Therapeutics, Inc. Corium International, Inc. Aratana Therapeutics, Inc. Security National Financial Corporation Omega Flex, Inc. UBIC, Inc. Immune Design Corp.

Roka Bioscience, Inc. Approach Resources Inc. Minerva Neurosciences, Inc Parnell Pharmaceuticals Holdings Ltd

Most Declined ImmunoGen, Inc. The Finish Line, Inc. Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Landec Corporation Digimarc Corporation Aquinox Pharmaceuticals, Inc. National Research Corporation Veritex Holdings, Inc. Momo Inc. Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc.

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

C O M PA N Y PRICE(P) CHANGE Coca-Cola HBC AG 1245.00 10.00 Compass Group PLC 1092.50 6.95 CRH PLC 1536.00 13.00 Diageo PLC 1838.75 5.00 Direct Line Insurance ... 290.75 2.00 Dixons Carphone PLC 458.85 -3.00 easyJet PLC 1653.00 3.00 Experian PLC 1099.00 12.00 Fresnillo PLC 751.25 12.50 Friends Life Group Ltd 374.55 1.76 G4S PLC 277.55 1.50 GKN PLC 346.35 2.99 GlaxoSmithKline PLC 1396.75 4.50 Glencore PLC 303.02 5.10 Hammerson PLC 614.00 3.50 Hargreaves Lansdown 1013.50 11.10 HSBC Holdings PLC 613.50 5.90 IMI PLC 1254.50 10.00 Imperial Tobacco Group 2861.00 3.00 InterContinental Hotels 2591.00 10.00 International Consoldtd ... 470.05 1.20 Intertek Group PLC 2377.50 22.00 Intu Properties PLC 333.85 -1.70 ITV PLC 211.15 1.10 Johnson Matthey PLC 3413.50 60.50 Kingfisher PLC 327.70 3.40 Land Securities Group PLC1165.00 10.00 Legal & General Group PLC245.30 2.60 Lloyds Banking Group PLC 76.54 0.40 London Stock Exchange Group...2231.5023.00 Marks & Spencer Group PLC476.60 0.60 Meggitt PLC 515.50 4.00 Mondi PLC 1070.50 11.00 Morrison (Wm) Supermarkets PLC177.151.02 National Grid PLC 918.45 6.86 Next PLC 6500.00 6.69 Old Mutual PLC 190.20 1.90 Pearson PLC 1189.50 8.01 Persimmon PLC 1576.00 -2.20 Petrofac Ltd 731.00 8.50 Prudential PLC 1525.50 12.00 Randgold Resources Ltd 4366.50 -66.00 Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC5307.50 30.00 Reed Elsevier PLC 1083.00 5.00 Rio Tinto PLC 2923.25 52.50 Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC 879.25 8.50 Royal Bank of Scotland Grou...391.95 3.40 Royal Dutch Shell PLC 2290.75 69.00 Royal Mail PLC 414.40 0.60 RSA Insurance Group PLC 448.40 -1.10 SABMiller PLC 3383.75 9.00 Sage Group (The) PLC 457.05 -0.62 Sainsbury (J) PLC 241.60 1.80 Schroders PLC 2732.50 39.00 Severn Trent PLC 2034.50 19.00 Shire PLC 4662.00 39.00 Sky PLC 895.00 6.00 Smith & Nephew PLC 1118.00 29.00 Smiths Group PLC 1081.50 9.00 Sports Direct International...696.50 2.50 SSE PLC 1627.50 4.00 Standard Chartered PLC 942.90 15.60 Standard Life PLC 414.15 4.90 St James's Place PLC 806.25 6.50 Tesco PLC 186.80 1.45 Travis Perkins PLC 1825.00 0.00 TUI AG 1071.50 0.00 Tullow Oil PLC 439.35 14.80 Unilever PLC 2645.50 15.65 United Utilities Group PLC 930.75 9.50 Vodafone Group PLC 224.43 -0.60 Weir Group PLC 1935.00 31.00 Whitbread PLC 4695.00 9.62 Wolseley PLC 3675.00 24.00 WPP PLC 1345.00 17.50

% C H G. 0.81 0.64 0.85 0.27 0.69 -0.65 0.18 1.10 1.69 0.47 0.54 0.87 0.32 1.71 0.57 1.11 0.97 0.80 0.11 0.39 0.26 0.93 -0.51 0.52 1.81 1.05 0.87 1.07 0.53 1.04 0.13 0.78 1.04 0.58 0.75 0.10 1.01 0.68 -0.14 1.18 0.79 -1.49 0.57 0.46 1.83 0.98 0.87 3.10 0.15 -0.24 0.27 -0.14 0.75 1.45 0.94 0.84 0.67 2.66 0.84 0.36 0.25 1.68 1.20 0.81 0.78 0.00 0.00 3.49 0.60 1.03 -0.27 1.63 0.21 0.66 1.32

VOLUME 42.30 88.21 45.23 127.01 103.29 94.43 30.81 103.40 72.29 42.70 27.47 61.38 446.34 1,105.93 26.80 17.45 968.07 16.79 97.47 15.92 388.31 10.13 87.02 155.46 32.73 183.50 82.51 620.95 5,273.49 18.14 261.79 20.82 104.05 989.65 345.96 16.05 565.70 217.55 57.51 274.67 120.24 49.08 60.27 102.05 323.88 385.08 220.44 349.46 59.09 99.56 56.94 118.81 385.91 40.44 24.45 62.15 121.81 179.82 33.95 40.15 112.43 391.45 110.62 28.12 2,350.26 14.26 21.64 327.26 131.11 103.28 2,405.78 61.36 15.97 21.66 114.99

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

EWN

37

Modern book business pushes forward MANY businessmen and women, especially those in retirement, have acquired much knowledge and expertise over the years. This reservoir of experience is invaluable to newcomers whose business experience leaves much to be desired. Why not publish your advice so others can benefit from it?

Most of us recall periodicals like the Exchange and Mart. In its Business Section, one would find books and booklets promising riches by purchasing advisory books. Much of it was ‘How to be a Millionaire in 12 Months’ pie in the sky promises. In fairness, there were many booklet gems from which I, and I

Talking shop Mike Walsh Mike Walsh was for 20 years Regional Assessment Manager for the Guild of Master Craftsmen, Britain’s biggest quality assurance body for businesses.

www.michaelwalsh.es • 966 786 932

am sure many others, benefited.

By buying such help books and booklets I found my business ventures were less hassle and more profitable.

Each time I forked out £4.95 or whatever, I received returns with bells

on, thank you very much.

Self-publishing business tutors back then had little choice but to invest in the considerable upfront costs of printing and distributing their booklets. A minimum book order might be 1,000 for which one had to wait months for delivery. If the books failed to sell then that was their problem.

Self-publishing is so much easier now.

After the book has been written, assisted by an editor cum ghost-writer if necessary, the laptop completes the preparation. When my books are ready I sell them through Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

I complete the online process, which takes an hour or so. Within 24-hours I quickly check the proof and my book is immediately on sale throughout the world. I receive royalties each month.

It sounds easy enough and for those who can, like everything else, it is easy.

Self-publishing has shown remarkable progress. It makes it easier than ever for those retired to pass their experiences on to newcomers. The books ordered online are printed to order and posted direct to buyer. No stock to carry and costly mailing is ducked. Amazon does it all all. Times have indeed changed.

Mahou turns to US craft beer THE Maho-San Miguel group acquired a 30 per cent stake in US company Founders Brewing.

Founders is a family enterprise, based in Michigan, established 17 years ago. It produces craft beers, some aged in bourbon barrels and others with flavours that range

On the ball at Iberdrola VICENTE DEL BOSQUE, manager of the Spanish side that won the 2010 World Cup and crashed out of this year’s competition, is now on the board of the team’s sponsor, energy group Iberdrola.

Del Bosque has collaborated with Iberdrola since 2010 when he joined its Advisory Council in Castilla y Leon

production, focusing on innovation and intensifying its presence in its existing markets.

On its website Founders’ stressed that Mahou is also family-owned. “It is a 125-yearold, seventh-generation, familyowned brewery based in Madrid,” Founders said.

“Mahou will bring its unique experience and strong networks to build our brand in Spain and beyond,” the statement continued. The Mahou deal would also bring liquidity to longstanding shareholders, Founders said.

Mahou-San Miguel sells its

brands in more than 50 countries although its 10 key markets are located in the UK, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scandinavia, the US, Chile, Equatorial Guinea, China and India. International sales now represent 13 per cent of the group’s global turnover.

More traffic on toll roads THIS year toll roads will chalk up increased traffic for the first time since 2006.

According to ministry of Public Works figures, they have been used by an average 16,400 vehicles a day, approximately 3 per cent more than 2013’s daily 15,932 average.

Despite this increase, the volume of traffic on Spain’s toll roads is roughly the same as it was in the late 90s when there were 1,700 kilometres of paid motorways compared with the present 2,560 kilometres.

This is the outcome of an accumulated 33 per cent reduction since 2006’s daily average of 23,909 vehicles.

AIDA RICCIARDIELLO

BUSINESS EXTRA

from blackberry to chocolate.

Neither company revealed how much buying into Founders had cost Mahou but the acquisition will help the Spanish firm to tap into the growing international market for craft beers. Both companies will boost Founders’ growth in the US by increasing

INCREASE IN USE: Three per cent more vehicles travelled on toll roads this year.

The predicted increase by the end of 2014 confirms the tendency that was detectible since the beginning of the year, with – apart from last March - toll road traffic slowly increasing each month.

Sources in the sector attributed the rise to a “more stable macroeconomic environment,”

boosted by increased tourism and “favourable meteorological conditions.”

Toll charges will be frozen in 2015 for the first time in five years, while the ministry of Public Works also plans to reduce charges during offpeak hours on some motorways, following agreements with concessionary companies.

Second term as CEOE president for incumbent Rosell JUAN ROSELL was relected as president of the CEOE, Spain’s federation of employers.

It will be the second four-year term at the head of the CEOE for Rosell, who negotiated Spain’s labour market reforms with Mariano Rajoy’s government in 2012. This was a closerrun contest than that of September 2010

when Rosell obtained 444 votes compared to his competitor’s 247.

This time round Rosell obtained 345 votes against the 312 that went to his only rival, Antonio Garamendi, who is president of the small and medium business-owners’ association, Cepyme.

Much of Rosell’s support came from Spain’s car and machinery

manufacturers, retailers, building contractors, the chemicals industry, technology, finance, services and catering.

A former journalist who has been president of several companies, Rosell, who is 57 and married with three children, has degrees in civil engineering and political science.

On learning the results of the ballot, Rosell declared that he would continue to be guided by ethical principles during his second and last term as CEOE president. Employers must continue the process of improving governance and transparency, he insisted: “We have to regain and demand good practices within the CEOE.”

38

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

www.euroweeklynews.com

FINANCE, BUSINESS & LEGAL

Loose change A look at finance for females

Jane Plunkett

ROMBOSTUDIO

How to survive the party season, while still holding it together at work DON’T CRASH: Drink water, exercise and eat!

jane.plunkett@euroweeklynews.com

‘TIS the season for many late nights out - as our calendars fill up with work parties, holiday gettogethers, happy hours and New Year and Three Kings festivities.

It’s all go in December and January and oh so much fun at the time, but the chances are that at least one morning you’ll wake up with a throbbing headache, an aching stomach and a deep desire to hide in bed all day and sleep off that horrible hangover.

But unfortunately for you and festive mid-week drinking - it’s a workday. So what can you do?

SWEAT IT OUT It is so tempting to pass on

exercise when the world is still spinning once you wake up, but a 30-minute run or an active yoga class is the best thing you can do for your aching body.

Sweating out all those beers and cocktails is what will actually help you to feel human again.

Ramping up your heart rate will

help jump-start your metabolism, making you feel better faster.

WATER IS LIFE Remember this. Drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks while out celebrating, as this will keep you hydrated and will also slow you down on consuming too much booze.

Start drinking water the moment you get up too, and then don't stop - fluids are the key to counteracting your alcohol-induced dehydration.

DON’T SKIP BREAKIE Even though your stomach may be in knots getting a good breakfast in is vital. As appetising

as greasy bacon and sausages may be to some, a fatty breakfast is not always the best option, as it can irritate your stomach and lead to nausea.

Cook up some eggs instead, which are a good source of protein. Served with some toast, this should get you through a difficult morning at the office.

DISTRACT WITH STYLE Try to take the attention away from your puffy red eyes and killer alcohol breath by scrubbing up nice for work.

Have an extra long shower to get rid of the booze and cigarette stench.

Although you may be tempted to get into all black and throw your hair in a ponytail - to draw attention away from you, brighten up your appearance with a nice skirt or colourful jumper. Cheery clothes will help downplay the lack of sleep and dehydration that's likely showing in your face.

Wheelchair access obligatory?

Q. I am president of a large community where we need your advice as to the correct law You and the regarding wheelchair access. Part of our community does not have wheelchair access Law in Spain for owners. One owner has requested that we

By David Searl install access. The cost is estimated at €6000.

The owner’s annual fees are €1200. This owner is over 70. Our urbanisation was built in 2005. The owner in fact does not need it himself at the moment but he has a friend in a wheelchair who regularly visits. What is the picture?

T.A. (Costa Blanca) A. The short answer is that an owner over 70 years of age, whether or not he requires a wheelchair at this time, can request the installation of ramps, a lift, or other facilities to ensure wheelchair access to his flat. This does not require a majority vote of the Community AGM and the Community as a whole is required to pay the costs, as long as the share of each owner does not exceed his present regular payments for a year.

These measures are set out in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the new Article 10 of the Law of Horizontal Property, revised in 2013. Read the Horizontal Law in English in the 2015 edition of my book, You and the Law in Spain. In your case

BUSINESS EXTRA

Amazon pickups AMAZON clients will now be able to pick up their orders in 2,400 Correos post offices throughout Spain. Collecting Amazon orders rather than having them delivered is Spaniards’ preferred system and the Correos agreement, allied to Amazon’s existing arrangement with 1,200 local shops, will provide approximately 3,600 pick-up points.

‘Grey ratio’

you estimate the total cost at €6,000. If we suppose 100 flats, then each owner will face an extra assessment of €60.

Send your questions for David Searl through lawyers Ubeda-Retana & Associates in Fuengirola at Ask@lawtaxspain.com, or call 952 667 090.

SPANIARDS aged 65 or over exceed the working population by 26 per cent, a recent study found. Despite an ageing population and relatively few births this is lower than the EU’s 27 per cent or Japan’s 40 per cent but well above India, Mexico, Turkey or Brazil’s 10 per cent difference.

OPINION & COMMENT

Gib Open Skies exclusion is non-starter KINDLY note that contrary to Spanish media reports, Gibraltar’s inclusion remains in place as per the Cordoba agreement of 2006.

It can only be rescinded with the full agreement of the UK government, which will not be forthcoming. The UK government has called it a non-starter to exclude Gibraltar from any Open Skies format.

It is the Spanish government that has to convince all that it wishes to renege on the 2006 Agreement signed by them.

Thank you for a very good and useful newspaper.

Eric Sciacaluga (by email)

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

Letters YOURSAY@EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

T

our aRUST dvert isers

WE D

O!

Letters for Your Say should be emailed to yoursay@euroweeklynews.com, posted to Euro Weekly News, C/Moscatel 10, P-62, Polígono Industrial, Arroyo de la Miel, 29631 Benalmadena, Málaga, Spain or faxed to 0034 952 440 887

Photographs for possible publication should be sent by email with a full caption to: photonews@euroweeklynews.com

Whose fault?

I HAVE rarely come across such a paranoiac writer as Mike Walsh.

He compulsively interprets each and every world political development as the result of the devilish machinations of the US or the EU. Any sensible person would agree that it is not wise to provoke Russia, or anyone else for that matter. It is also clear that politics in the Ukraine is a very dodgy marshland.

However, the fact remains that it is Russia, not the EU, which has already stolen part of that country and is making a pretty good impression of wanting to steal more of it.

Mike flings in mentions of Budapest and Gdansk, etc; is he saying that the West was wrong to want those movements to succeed? Does he think that Hungarians and Poles want to return to Russian domination?

It may be that the loss of the South Stream pipeline will hurt many in Eastern Europe, but who is doing the hurting? Russia.

If it stays cancelled the pipeline will be replaced by another, routed through Turkey and the same Balkan countries.

To call Kiev “a baseball bat regime” is to insult the brave people who sat out in the cold to protest against their arbitrary government, something few would dare to do in Putin’s Russia.

An “international journalist”

LOOK closely at the reeds in the background and you’ll see a Grey Heron with its back turned. As I put my camera away, it took flight - the ornithological version of the one that got away!

Andrew Fields, Altea (Alicante)

should not be governed by paranoia or throw out loose statements like this.

Bill Campbell, Mojacar (Almeria)

Real records?

ONCE AGAIN we are faced with headlines claiming that record numbers of tourists are coming to the Costa del Sol. But there is no indication as to how these figures are arrived at.

They may possibly be too low: we all know that many flat rentals are never declared to the authorities.

Those driving from outside Spain and occupying undeclared accommodation won’t show up in tourist numbers.

Conversely, they may well be exaggerated, as taking figures of airport arrivals is highly dubious.

Most expat residents fly back to their country of origin several times a year and many, like those receiving medical treatment at ‘home’ go much more often.

We all know people who commute to work weekly in the UK. Are all these coming and goings recorded as tourists?

WHEN YOU WRITE All letters, whether by email or post, should carry the writer’s postal address, NIE and contact number though only the name and town will be published.

Letters may also be edited.

Readers who have missed earlier correspondence can see all letters posted on:

www.euroweeklynews.com

It seems that Spain is clutching at any straw, whether to show rises in property sales or the number of tourists. We are reminded of the saying that “there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

David Chown (by email)

Pat on the back I FEEL I ought to say a few kind words in support of Exclusive Shuttles.

Recently a friend came to visit me from England and booked a flight from Gatwick to Alicante with a shuttle seat to Los Gallardos. The flight left at

8.30am and was due to arrive at 10.30pm.

The plane developed a fault so the passengers had to wait and transfer to another plane, which arrived at 10pm and flew out at 10.30pm, arriving in Alicante two hours later.

Exclusive Shuttles waited two hours for her. What a fantastic story! If they had not waited she would have been in terrible trouble having to get from Alicante to Los Gallardos, so very well done!

Mr Barnett, Los Gallardos (Almeria)

Bandwagon WITH regard to Bill Cosby, this is all being blown up and made into another bandwagon.

Back in 1968 I worked as a plugger for a record company and each week I was at Top of the Pops. All the girls in the audience should have been 18 years old or more but a lot were 15 or 16.

They came with one thing in mind: to s--g a band, DJ or road crew and a lot kept a record of who they had been with. This lust

EWN

41

was not driven by the males. If you were a DJ at that time with young totty lusting after you, this messed up your mind.

Plus, why did Savile’s case only come out when his will was published?

Stuart Campbell (by email)

Heartless cheat WE found a recent article about homeowners dealing with unpaid taxes interesting.

We believe many more homeowners are involved, including owners of holiday homes that do not as yet know.

In my street here in Camposol there are at least two in the same situation and the last update from Facebook gave a number in excess of 180. A lot of people involved are, as we were, a little embarrassed to let the truth out.

We were recommended the person referred to in the Euro Weekly News article when purchasing our retirement home.

After signing at the Notary we were informed that our deeds had to go to Madrid to be registered.

A few months passed and upon inquiring we were informed that they were held up in Madrid.

Every time we asked for our Escritura we were given excuses that sounded plausible and this continued for two years.

Checking with the tax office we found that monies paid to deal with the purchase had indeed not been paid into the tax office, so the commission and tax money disappeared with the person herself.

Our problem including taxes amounted to more than €18,000 and ours is not the highest debt.

Now we have to sell our home to pay off the debt and move back to UK to rent. My wife is suffering a severe, stress-related illness which, as she is already disabled, causes us a lot of new problems.

A T Barber, Camposol (Murcia)

Bright idea A READER recently complained that a calendar she had purchased went through the till, appeared on her supermarket bill and promptly disappeared. She asked for suggestions as to its fate, so here’s mine: it slipped through the gap between the conveyor belt and the counter-top.

Sonia Johnson (by email)

The views expressed and opinions given in Letters are not necessarily those of the EWN publishers. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information, errors, omissions or statements, and reject claims arising out of any action that a company or individual may take on the basis of information contained therein.

42

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE

BBC TWO

7:00am Breakfast 10:00am The Gruffalo 10:30am On Angel Wings 11:00am Come and Join the Celebration 12:00pm Only Fools and Horses 1:00pm Wallace and Gromit: A Grand Day Out 1:25pm Gnomeo and Juliet 2:40pm Shaun the Sheep 2:50pm BBC News

7:00am Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 8:15am Short Circuit 9:50am Pollyanna 12:00pm Carols from King's 1:15pm To the Manor Born 1:45pm The Choir: New Military Wives 2:45pm 60 Years of Carols From King's

ITV 7:20am Pat and Stan 7:30am Dino Dan: Trek's Adventures 7:40am Dino Dan 7:55am Sooty 8:05am Almost Naked Animals 8:20am Almost Naked Animals 8:40am Horrid Henry 8:55am Horrid Henry 9:10am Horrid Henry 9:25am Weekend at Christmas 10:25am Valiant 11:55am Back to the Future 2:10pm Nanny McPhee

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 8:55am Prep and Landing 9:20am Father Christmas 9:55am Animals United 11:45am The Simpsons 12:15pm The Simpsons 12:45pm The Simpsons 1:15pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 1:45pm The Snowman 2:20pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 2:50pm The Alternative Christmas Message 2:55pm Channel 4 News

CH5 9:10am Peppa Pig 9:20am Peppa Pig 9:30am Toby's Travelling Circus 9:45am Milkshake!

Bop Box 9:50am Peppa Pig 10:00am Peppa Pig 10:05am Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:15am Access 10:20am Andre Rieu: Christmas Around the World 11:20am Scrooge 1:35pm The Sound of Music Live!

THURSDAY TV SKY 1 6:00am Stargate Atlantis 7:00am The Real A&E 7:30am The Real A&E 8:00am Moone Boy 8:30am Yonderland 9:00am The Flash 10:00am Football's Funniest Moments 11:00am Soccer AM - Christmas Special 1:00pm Football's Funniest Moments 2:00pm Football's Funniest Moments

3pm 3:00pm Top of the Pops 4:00pm The Queen's Broadcast 2014 4:10pm Puss in Boots 5:40pm BBC News

4:00pm HM the Queen 4:10pm The Queen's Garden 5:10pm ITV News and Weather 5:20pm Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas

3:05pm Scrooged 5:00pm Big

6:00pm The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2014 6:10pm James May's Toy Stories 7:15pm Morecambe and Wise in Pieces 8:15pm University Challenge 8:45pm Dad's Army

6:20pm You've Been Framed!

6:50pm Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 7:50pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale

7:00pm Arthur Christmas Animated festive family fun. James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy and Jim Broadbent are among the stars providing the voices for Aardman Animations' second CGI feature.

7:10pm Michael Buble's Christmas Songbook 8:05pm Chas and Dave's Xmas Knees Up

9:15pm Blackadder's Christmas Carol 10:00pm Tim Rice - A Life in Song 11:30pm QI

9:00pm Coronation Street

9:00pm Frozen at Christmas Frozen at Christmas takes an entertaining and in-depth look at the incredible story of Disney's Frozen, the most successful animated film of all time.

10:00pm Alan Carr: Chatty Man

9:00pm Britain's Favourite Christmas Songs

12:00am 8 Out of 10 Cats 1:00am Father Ted 2:05am Father Ted 2:35am Father Ted 3:00am Father Ted 3:30am Crazy Heart 5:25am Secret Eaters

12:05am Muriel's Wedding 2:20am Super Casino 5:00am House Doctor 5:25am House Doctor 5:50am Wildlife SOS

3:45pm Kiss Me, Kate at the Proms Christmas

With Ben Davis, Alexandra Silber, Tony Yazbeck, Louise Dearman, James Doherty, Michael Jibson.

Tom Hanks received a best actor Oscar nomination for his role in Penny Marshall's comedy drama.

4:25pm Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Classic musical fantasy based on the story by Ian Fleming about an eccentric inventor who rescues a derelict racing car and takes his two children on a memorable outing.

3:00pm Modern Family 4:00pm H.M. The Queen's Christmas Message 4:10pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family

6pm 6:00pm Strictly Come Christmas 7:15pm Doctor Who 8:15pm Miranda 8:50pm Call the Midwife

Dancing

The Cockney singers are joined by Eric Clapton and Jim Davidson for this special.

6:00pm Modern Family 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons

9pm 10:00pm EastEnders 11:05pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:40pm Michael McIntyre's Very Christmassy Christmas Show

Quiz show in which the aim is to be interesting.

Does Kylie stand to lose everything? Steve pulls out all the festive stops.

10:00pm Downton Abbey Feature-length special of the widely-acclaimed period drama.

A countdown of the nation's favourite Christmas songs. Artists, producers and pundits unwrap the greatest gifts that musicians have given to us for Christmases past and present.

9:00pm Best Christmas Movies Ever 11:00pm Predator Arnold Schwarzenegger leads a platoon of mercenaries into jungle carnage against an unseen alien beast. 80s classic from the director of Die Hard. Contains violence.

12am 12:40am BBC News 12:55am On Christmas Night 1:00am Not Going Out 1:45am Would I Lie to You? 2:15am George Michael at the Palais Garnier, Paris 3:15am The Heartbreak Kid 5:05am Skiing Weatherview 5:10am BBC News

12:00am Marvellous 1:30am The Producers 3:35am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

12:00am ITV News and Weather 12:15am You've Got to Love Christmas 1:15am Christmas Carols on ITV 2:15am Murder, She Wrote: The Celtic Riddle 3:45am ITV Nightscreen

1:05am Trollied 2:05am The Flash 3:00am Hawaii Five-0 4:00am A League of Their Own 5:00am Hawaii Five-0

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm Bolt 9:30pm The Pig Who Cried Werewolf 9:35pm Shrek the Halls 10:00pm Shrek Forever After 11:25pm Donkey's Caroling ChristmasTacular 11:30pm Bad Education 12:00am EastEnders 1:00am Family Guy 1:25am Family Guy 1:45am Family Guy 2:05am Family Guy 2:25am Family Guy 2:50am Cuckoo 3:25am Some Girls 3:55am Cuckoo

8:00pm The Winter's Tale From the Royal Ballet 10:00pm The Lady Vanishes 11:30pm Top of the Pops 12:30am Top of the Pops

7:25am Emmerdale 7:50am Coronation Street 8:20am Horrid Henry: The Movie 10:10am You've Been Framed!

10:35am You've Been Framed!

11:40am Scooby-Doo 1:25pm Emmerdale 1:55pm Coronation Street 2:25pm All Star Family Fortunes 3:30pm Catchphrase 4:35pm Jurassic Park 7:00pm You've Been Framed!

7:30pm The Mummy Returns 10:00pm GoldenEye 12:35am Celebrity Juice 1:20am Celebrity Juice

7:00am Judge Judy 7:20am Judge Judy 7:40am Judge Judy 8:05am A Christmas Carol 9:35am Santa Claus 11:50am Carry on Screaming 1:50pm Carry on Camping 3:35pm On the Buses 5:25pm Mutiny on the Buses 7:15pm Holiday on the Buses 9:00pm Carry on Cleo 11:00pm Steptoe and Son Ride Again 1:05am Up Pompeii 3:00am The Best of Royal Variety 3:55am The Best of Royal Variety 4:45am Santa Claus

7:00am World of Sport 7:20am Black Gold 8:00am Minder 8:55am The Professionals 10:00am Hornblower 12:00pm Pawn Stars 12:30pm Pawn Stars 12:55pm The Far Country 2:55pm The Horse Soldiers 5:20pm The Green Berets 8:10pm Police Academy 3: Back in Training 10:00pm National Lampoon's Vacation 12:05am Sneakers 2:30am Carlito's Way 5:10am Movies Now

4:30pm The Big Bang Theory 5:00pm The Big Bang Theory 5:30pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 6:00pm The Snowman 6:25pm The Snowman and the Snowdog 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm The Big Bang Theory 8:30pm The Big Bang Theory 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm The Big Bang Theory 10:30pm The Big Bang Theory 11:00pm The Inbetweeners 11:35pm The Inbetweeners 12:10am The Inbetweeners

Crime

Christmas

David Jensen and Peter Powell present the Christmas special focusing on 1979's best chart hits.

1:35am Only Yesterday: The Carpenters' Story 2:30am The Fir Tree 2:55am The Winter's Tale From the Royal Ballet 4:55am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

SKY MOVIES Action 6:30am Exodus: Gods and Kings Special 7:00am The Top Ten Show 2014 7:20am Romancing the Stone 9:10am Man of Steel 11:45am White House Down 2:05pm 47 Ronin 4:10pm Star Trek Into Darkness 6:30pm Man of Steel 9:00pm White House Down 11:15pm Con Air 1:15am 47 Ronin An outcast joins a band of masterless samurai to wreak revenge against an evil feudal ruler.

3:20am Star Trek Into Darkness 5:45am The Top Ten Show 2014 Which movies are doing the best business at home and across the pond?

Comedy 7:00am Mean Girls 8:50am Ernest Saves Christmas 10:35am National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 12:15pm The Mask 2:00pm The Nutty Professor 3:40pm Mean Girls After 15 years in Africa, home schooled Cady knows all about herd instincts.

5:20pm The Internship 7:20pm National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 9:00pm We're the Millers 11:00pm Last Vegas 12:55am Bruce Almighty 2:45am American Pie: The Wedding 4:35am The Mask

5:25am Malpractice 7:05am 25th Hour Drug-dealer Monty Brogan is going down for seven years.

9:25am The Fast and the Furious 11:25am 2 Fast 2 Furious 1:25pm The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 3:20pm American Hustle 5:45pm Pride and Glory 8:00pm The Bone Collector 10:00pm American Hustle 12:20am Pride and Glory 2:40am 25th Hour 5:10am Zero Dark Thirty Special 5:30am Point Last Seen

9:35am Home Alone 11:25am Best Christmas Movies Ever 1:00pm Elf 2:40pm Die Hard 2 4:50pm Love Actually Romcom following the interconnected lives of a group of loved-up, and lovelorn, Londoners.

7:10pm Home Alone 9:00pm Elf 10:45pm Die Hard 2 1:00am Elf 2:40am Pete's Christmas 4:15am A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 5:50am While You Were Sleeping A woman pretends to be the girlfriend of a man she is attracted to when he falls into a coma.

Premiere

TCM

7:00am The Muppets Sky Movies Special 7:30am Muppets Most Wanted 9:30am Escape From Planet Earth 11:00am Penguins of Madagascar Special 11:30am The Lego Movie 1:30pm Frozen 3:30pm Noah

7:40am What's Up, Doc? 9:30am Fiddler on the Roof 1:05pm Ben-Hur

In the face of apocalyptic floods, one man is chosen to be the world's saviour.

6:00pm The Lego Movie 8:00pm Frozen 9:45pm Jack the Giant Slayer Special 10:00pm Noah In the face of apocalyptic floods, one man is chosen to be the world's saviour.

12:30am Endless Love The life of a shy teen changes overnight when a charming but aimless mechanic asks her out.

The spectacular 20-minute chariot race is just one of the highlights of this magnificent epic.

5:10pm Superman 7:50pm Tootsie Michael Dorsey is a desperate unemployed actor until he gets a female role in a soap opera.

10:00pm The Fugitive 12:35am National Lampoon's Vacation 2:25am The Fugitive 4:45am Snowfire Heart-warming drama about a small girl who lives out in the countryside on a remote ranch who strikes a strange friendship with a wild stallion, but is the horse all that it seems?

OPINION & COMMENT

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WE DO!25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

EWN

47

A Christmas war letter...

LEAPY LEE SAYS IT OTHERS THINK IT 11TH DEC 1944.

‘C’ SQDN. Q. BAYS B.N.A.F.

M

Y dearest girl, Received today a beautiful letter from you dated the 1st Dec. Very quick, eh!

So happy you are both well, as it leaves me, but of course still longing to be with my dear ones again, whom I love so much. So happy you got the lemons OK. Were they ripe? As they were green when sent. Should love to be home when our son starts school but can promise nothing, only live in hope. Was sorry to hear of Joan’s husband being wounded I trust it’s not too serious. Nothing more has been heard of my cousin who was also wounded.

The weather here has been lovely this last week, just like the weather we used to like to go for walks, especially Sundays

ALL SMILES: Second World War soldiers display their Christmas goodies. when I used to take our son out while my girl prepared dinner and after dinner getting ready to go out, perhaps to the park, sneaking little kisses when we thought no one was looking.

You have made me so happy especially with such a dear son to crown all the other happy things. So pleased to hear the boy is in the pink, for the end could be in sight and it could soon be over.

It’s been a long time, dearest, but worth it to rid the world of such an evil race. Am having a few days’ rest now but not for long. It’s going to be hot while this little lot’s on but when finished will be the end of Hitler.

We are now looking forward to Christmas which under the conditions we try and make happy. There’s a Christmas tree for the local children. They have

never had Christmas, not knowing what the word means. Of course they are very poor. People in England do not realise the real meaning of poverty.

Sorry I could not send you or our son a Christmas present they are much too expensive for me. I went into town last week and they wanted three pounds for two postcard sized photographs.

The old feet haven’t been too bad this year. Expect they are shrivelling up with old age or perhaps it’s the ‘tootsie’ powder you sent. Incidentally all the Regi knows about my tootsie powder, as I left an empty tin around with your handwriting on it.

Well, dearest, must close now. A very happy Christmas to you and our lovely boy. Remember me to all. Cheerio.

Yours for always my sweetheart Your loving Bill This letter sent by my Dad from the front line in Egypt during the Second World War. Dedicated to the millions who gave their lives so we could all be here to celebrate this Christmas. Happy Christmas, everyone.

Love Leapy leapylee2002@gmail.com

48

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE 7:00am Breakfast 10:00am Pinocchio 11:25am Cbeebies Peter Pan 12:05pm Room on the Broom 12:30pm Cool Runnings 2:05pm BBC News at One 2:15pm BBC London News 2:25pm The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm

BBC TWO 7:10am The Road to El Dorado 8:30am College Road Trip 9:50am Natural World 10:50am Ten Pieces 11:40am 60 Years of Carols From King's 12:40pm On the Town 2:15pm Talking Pictures 2:50pm Singin' in the Rain

ITV 8:20am Almost Naked Animals 8:35am Mr. Bean 8:50am Super 4 9:10am Super 4 9:25am Weekend at Christmas 10:25am Dinner Date Australia 11:25am Celebrity Squares 12:25pm Paul O'Grady: For The Love of Dogs 1:30pm ITV News and Weather 1:45pm The Chase: Christmas Special 2:45pm Back to the Future Part II

FRIDAY TV

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 6:20am Small Animal Hospital 6:50am Flicka 8:25am The Bear 8:55am The Morning Line 10:00am The Big Bang Theory 10:25am The Big Bang Theory 10:55am Inspector Gadget 12:30pm Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who 2:15pm Channel 4 Racing

CH5 9:20am Toby's Travelling Circus 9:30am Bananas in Pajamas 9:45am Tickety Toc 10:05am Peppa Pig 10:10am Wanda and the Alien 10:25am Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:35am The Mr Men Show 10:55am Access 11:05am Carry on Constable 12:45pm Carry on Teacher 2:30pm Carry on Nurse

SKY 1 7:00am The Real A&E 7:30am The Real A&E 8:00am Moone Boy 8:30am Yonderland 9:00am The Flash 10:00am Football's Funniest Moments 11:00am Modern Family 11:30am Modern Family 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm Modern Family 1:30pm Modern Family 2:00pm Modern Family 2:30pm Modern Family

3pm 3:20pm My Family 4:15pm Monsters, Inc. 5:40pm The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists

4:30pm Victoria Wood: That Musical We Made 5:30pm Final Score

4:45pm Off Their Rockers 5:15pm Downton Abbey

4:50pm Turner and Hooch

6:25pm War Horse at the Proms 7:45pm University Challenge 8:15pm The Two Ronnies Christmas Show

7:15pm ITV News and Weather 7:30pm Emmerdale 8:00pm Coronation Street

6:50pm Channel 4 News

Roger Spottiswoode's comedy-thriller stars Tom Hanks as Detective Scott Turner, who's about to move to a better job.

4:15pm The Ladykillers Black comedy about a hapless gang of robbers whose plans are upset by a little old lady who runs a boarding house. This was the last of the great Ealing comedies.

3:00pm Harrow: A Very British School 4:00pm The Flash 5:00pm The Simpsons 5:30pm Treasure Island

6pm 7:05pm BBC News at Six 7:20pm BBC London News 7:25pm Still Open All Hours 7:55pm The Boy in the Dress

Includes sport and weather.

6:00pm A Shot in the Dark Second in the series of Inspector Clouseau comedies.

7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons

7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

8:05pm Rob Brydon Live

9:00pm A Christmas Cracker 10:00pm Birds of a Feather 10:30pm Through the Keyhole 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm Out of Sight

9:00pm Bear's Wild Weekend with Ben Stiller 10:00pm The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2014

9:00pm Morecambe and Wise Live! 1973 10:25pm Tommy Cooper's Christmas 11:25pm Carry on Christmas

Join Jimmy Carr as he tests a panel of A-list celebrities to see who knows the most about 2014.

Comic adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale 'A Christmas Carol' by the Carry On team, whose menbers include Sid James, Charles Hawtrey, Barbara Windsor and more.

1:15am The Winslow Boy 2:55am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

1:50am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 4:45am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.

12:00am Alan Carr: Chatty Man 2:05am Legend 3:45am Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 5:35am Small Animal Hospital

12:25am The Greatest Ever Carry on Films 1:35am Carry on Spying 3:25am Super Casino 5:00am Great Scientists 5:25am House Doctor 5:45am House Doctor

12:30am Football's Funniest Moments 1:00am Britcam: Emergency on Our Streets 2:00am The Flash 3:00am Road Wars 4:00am Hawaii Five-0 5:00am Hawaii Five0

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm Great Movie Mistakes 9:00pm Doctor Who 10:00pm Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 11:30pm EastEnders 12:00am Family Guy 12:25am Family Guy 12:45am Family Guy 1:10am Family Guy 1:30am Cuckoo 2:05am Some Girls 2:35am Don't Tell the Bride 3:30am Bluestone 42 4:00am Cuckoo 4:35am Vodka Diaries

8:00pm Sacred Music 8:30pm Carlos Acosta's Cuban Night 10:00pm Wallander 10:55pm Wallander 11:50pm Britain's Most Dangerous Songs: Listen to the Banned 12:50am More Dangerous Songs: And the Banned Played on 1:50am Frank Sinatra 3:25am Proms on Four: Battle of the Bands 4:50am This is BBC Four

6:55am ITV2 Nightscreen 7:00am The Hot Desk 7:10am Arthur and the Great Adventure 9:05am Emmerdale 10:05am Coronation Street 11:05am The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story 12:10pm Casper 2:05pm Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas 3:05pm Emmerdale 4:05pm Coronation Street 5:10pm Nanny McPhee 7:10pm Despicable Me 9:00pm Tomorrow Never Dies 11:30pm Celebrity Juice 12:30am Celebrity Juice

7:00am Movies Now 7:10am Rising Damp 7:35am Housewife 49 9:25am Clash of the Santas 11:15am Carry on Again, Doctor 1:05pm Carry on Cleo 3:05pm Carry on Girls 4:50pm Carry on Cowboy 6:55pm A Touch of Frost 9:00pm Lewis 11:00pm Come Rain Come Shine 1:00am The Portrait of a Lady 3:50am Judge Judy 4:10am ITV3 Nightscreen 4:40am Emmerdale Omnibus

8:05am Minder 9:00am The Professionals 10:00am Hornblower 12:05pm Kojak 1:10pm Kojak 2:15pm The 'Burbs 4:20pm Smokey and the Bandit 6:10pm Smokey and the Bandit II 8:15pm Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol 10:00pm National Lampoon's European Vacation 11:55pm Bowfinger 1:50am Cannonball Run II 4:00am Movies Now

3:00pm Tooth Fairy 5:05pm Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 5:30pm Father Christmas 6:05pm Rude(Ish) Tube 6:35pm Rude(Ish) Tube 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm The Big Bang Theory 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm The Big Bang Theory 10:30pm The Big Bang Theory 11:00pm Kick-Ass 1:20am The Big Bang Theory

Crime

Christmas

Will Gary resort to desperate measures? Roy struggles to control his nerves.

9pm 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Marvel Avengers Assemble 11:40pm BBC News 11:50pm BBC London News The latest news, sport and weather from London.

9:00pm Victoria Wood's Mid-Life Christmas 10:00pm That Day We Sang 11:30pm Hunky Dory In the heat of the summer of 1976, a drama teacher tries to put on an end-of-year music version of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

9:00pm The Simpsons 9:30pm Agatha Raisin: The Quiche...

11:30pm A League of Their Own Christmas Party and Exclusive.

12am 12:00am Match of the Day 1:35am EastEnders Omnibus 4:30am Weather for the Week Ahead 4:35am BBC News

BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

SKY MOVIES Action 7:00am The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 10:00am The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 1:00pm The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 4:30pm The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Evil forces threaten the peace of Middle-earth.

7:30pm The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 10:30pm The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 1:50am Fast and Furious 6 4:05am I, Frankenstein 5:40am Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot

Comedy 6:30am Turbo: Sky Movies Special 7:00am Monsters University Special 7:30am The Hangover Part III 9:25am The Heat 11:30am Grown Ups 2 1:20pm Home Alone 3:15pm Crocodile Dundee 5:00pm Crocodile Dundee II 7:00pm The World's End 9:00pm The Heat 11:00pm Grown Ups 2 12:45am The Hangover Part III When Doug is kidnapped, pals Alan, Phil and Stu become embroiled in a battle to save him.

2:30am Dumb and Dumber to Special

7:15am Dangerous Mind of a Hooligan 8:45am The Temp 10:30am Compulsion 12:05pm The Call 1:55pm Getaway 3:30pm Cellular 5:10pm Compulsion 6:45pm Cold Comes the Night 8:20pm The Call 10:00pm Getaway 11:35pm Basic Instinct 1:55am The Canyons Drama following the twisted relationships of a group of Hollywood hopefuls.

3:45am Death Wish 5:30am Sam Churchill

7:40am Let it Snow 9:15am Home Alone 4 10:45am Black Nativity 12:25pm Jingle All the Way 2:10pm The Santa Clause 3:55pm Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Special 4:25pm Black Nativity 6:05pm Gremlins 8:00pm New Year's Eve 10:00pm Bad Santa 11:45pm Gremlins 1:40am Snow Day 3:15am Let it Snow 4:50am Home Alone 4

Premiere

TCM

7:10am The Lego Movie 9:00am Frozen 10:55am Best Christmas Movies Ever 12:25pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2:45pm The Lego Movie 4:45pm Frozen 6:45pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 9:00pm Toy Story That Time Forgot 9:30pm Ride Along 11:10pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 1:25am Ironclad: Battle for Blood

7:25am Ben-Hur 11:40am Superman 2:20pm The Black Stallion 4:35pm The Littlest Hobo 6:10pm Son of Paleface 8:00pm Dial M for Murder 10:00pm The Long Kiss Goodnight 12:20am St Elmo's Fire

Medieval mercenary Guy battles to protect his family's estate from a brutal band of Celts.

3:15am Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5

The ultimate 'Brat Pack' movie.

2:30am The Long Kiss Goodnight 4:35am Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Basil Rathbone (Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Watson) return for a sixth adventure.

5:45am TCM Shorts A special look behind the scenes with comedian, director and actor Ben Miller.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

EWN

49

Trying not to fall into an age old trap economy.

As so depressingly often, the Bundesbank is right, but Podemos’s dislike of banks and hints of defaulting on Spain’s debt are likely to win more voters than they repel.

Podemos wants to substitute Alice in Wonderland’s “jam yesterday and jam tomorrow but never today” with lots of jam today although this invariably augurs hunger tomorrow.

Cassandra Nash

A weekly look - and not entirely impartial reaction to the Spanish political scene

T

HE PSOE can’t afford to fall into its old trap of imposing party preferences on the public.

Susana Diaz, the PSOE’s Number Two and president of the Andalucia region, was Alfredo Rubalcaba’s choice to follow him as party secretary general. Many - and possibly Diaz herself - were disappointed when this internal decision was challenged. The leadership race was thrown open and Pedro Sanchez took over.

Now Andalucia has said support for Sanchez will be conditioned by the results of May’s municipal and regional elections. If he does well, then Sanchez will have 100 per cent backing, and that backing is important because Andalucia is where so many PSOE votes

Ancient history SUSANA DIAZ: Overtaken in the leadership race. come from.

But a Sanchez success will have little to do with ideology and more to do with image. If his showing is poor because the appeal of Pablo Iglesias and Podemos is stronger, then Sanchez won’t be the PSOE’s presidential candidate for the November general elections.

Diaz could be jockeying for position but despite her

popularity within the party she has less national appeal than Sanchez. If the party does not stick with him, the PSOE could be in for another beating on the road to nowhere.

Jammy dodgers GERMANY’S Bundesbank believes fledgling party Podemos will threaten the EU

SPAIN’S Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy behaves like Eeyore but makes pronouncements like Tigger.

He sounded very Tigger when he declared in a speech to Spanish businessmen that the economic crisis was “ancient history” and this is “the Christmas of the recovery.”

On paper the country is out of recession and the economy is slowly recuperating but as yet few are feeling the benefits.

They did not hesitate to say

so and Rajoy later qualified his exultant claims. “Recovery has not reached everyone or reached everyone to the same degree,” he admitted a few days later.

Rajoy was wise to tone down the triumphalism. The speech was reminiscent of George W Bush’s elated “Mission accomplished!” exclaimed in May 2003. He said that two months after the invasion and occupation of Iraq and 11 years before its invasion and partoccupation by ISIS. There are times when it is preferable to emulate Eeyore.

Only answer THE government’s reform of the Penal Code contains a ‘life means life’ clause. This is new to Spain and causes concern in some legal circles although there are fewer misgivings outside them. But it is the only answer to some crimes and saves the state from contaminating its hands with capital punishment.

The true spirit of Christmas...

Colin Bird Each week, Colin brings his slightly off-the-wall view of the world to the pages of EWN in his own irreverent style.

A

S Christmas nears, I find myself being pulled irresistibly back in time by the invisible silver cord that binds us all to our childhood days, and in particular to one Christmas Eve decades ago.

Like all small boys, Christmas Eve was the one night of the year when no encouragement was needed to hit the wooden hill. I would snuggle down into cool sheets, safe and secure beneath layers of coarse, heavy blankets topped off with my mother’s winter coat for good measure. No electric blankets or duvets then, but with a rubber hot water bottle at my back and a stone one at my feet - being ever so careful not to stub my toe - I was soon toasty warm.

TOASTY WARM: A magical night from childhood.

The muffled voices of my parents in the tiny living room drifted up to me from below.

The distinct smell of hot cocoa wafted tantalisingly through the open door of my bedroom, blending in strange harmony with the faint odour that emanated from the black Valor heater strategically placed on the landing between our two small bedrooms. That and the

coal fire below were the full extent of our winter heating.

Nine o-clock on the big round faced alarm clock beside my bed. Was I the only child in the whole world still awake?

Everyone knew that Father Christmas only called when children were fast asleep.

But with visions of a long woollen sock full of traditional goodies and a pillow case

bulging with exciting shapes that would magically appear on my bed in the morning, how was sleep possible?

The glass in the metal framed window was blurred with a filigree pattern of frost both inside and out despite the efforts of the paraffin stove, but in one pane, an unfrozen aperture perfectly formed as if the Christmas Angel had

breathed gently on the glass until the thin layer of ice had retreated to reveal the full Christmas moon.

It was shining brilliantly down on the world from a clear star filled sky as surely it should on this special night and as I imagined it had over that Bethlehem hillside, I was transfixed.

Before finally drifting into a dreamless slumber to await the imagined sound of tinkling reindeer bells somewhere above the eaves and the soft tread of fur boots on floor boards, I gazed in childish wonder, and promised myself that I would remember always this perfect moment - through every Christmas and every year of my life yet to come.

And so it has been.

May your Christmas be as full of magic and may you always remember your own special night with joy and hope and love, holding dear the true spirit of Christmas.

50

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE 7:00am Breakfast 9:25am Match of the Day 11:00am Saturday Kitchen 12:30pm Nigel Slater's New Year Suppers 1:00pm BBC News 1:10pm Football Focus 1:50pm Saturday Sportsday 2:00pm Lewis Hamilton: Duel of the Silver Arrows 2014

BBC TWO 7:10am Natural World 8:10am Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo 9:50am Ensign Pulver 11:30am Top of the Pops 2 1:00pm The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 2:00pm The Cheyenne Social Club

ITV 7:50am Dino Dan: Trek's Adventures 8:05am Canimals 8:10am Canimals 8:20am Share a Story 8:25am Sooty 8:35am Mr. Bean 8:50am Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H 9:10am Horrid Henry 9:25am Weekend at Christmas 10:25am Columbo 12:25pm ITV News and Weather 12:30pm Dickinson's Real Deal 1:25pm The Cube 2:25pm Tipping Point

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 8:05am Lost and Found 8:30am Famous Fred 9:00am The Morning Line 10:00am Frasier 10:30am The Simpsons 11:00am The Simpsons 11:30am The Simpsons 12:00pm Alaska 2:10pm Channel 4 Racing

CH5 8:30am Make Way for Noddy 8:45am Paw Patrol 9:00am The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 9:20am Wanda and the Alien 9:35am Zack and Quack 9:50am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 10:05am Jelly Jamm 10:20am Access 10:30am World's Strongest Man 2014 11:30am Pal Joey 1:45pm The Secret Garden

SATURDAY TV

SKY 1 6:00am Stargate Atlantis 7:00am The Real A&E 7:30am The Real A&E 8:00am The Flash 9:00am The Fantasy Football Club 10:00am Modern Family 10:30am Modern Family 11:00am Soccer A.M. 1:00pm A League of Their Own 1:30pm A League of Their Own 2:00pm Modern Family 2:30pm Modern Family

3pm 3:10pm Sport Relief 2014 - The Final Score 4:10pm How to Train Your Dragon 5:40pm Kung Fu Panda 2

3:40pm Yes, Minister Sitcom about a British government minister and the advisers who surround him.

4:45pm The Eagle Has Landed

3:30pm Back to the Future Part III 5:40pm Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas Stop-motion animation Christmas special based on the film Elf.

4:35pm Zulu Based on an actual historic event, this is the story of a small group of British soldiers stationed at Rorke's Drift in Africa who are forced to defend their tiny outpost against an attack by powerful Zulu warriors.

3:45pm Watership Down 5:35pm Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

3:00pm Modern Family The Dunphys try to reconnect by enjoying some time apart from their various electronic devices.

3:30pm Modern Family

6pm 7:00pm BBC News 7:10pm BBC London News 7:20pm Celebrity Mastermind 7:50pm Pointless 8:40pm The National Lottery

6:55pm Dad's Army Feature-length version of the classic sitcom about the Home Guard unit of a small seaside town.

8:30pm Operation Grand Canyon with Dan Snow

4:00pm Modern Family 4:30pm Modern Family 5:00pm The Flash

6:40pm ITV News London 6:50pm ITV News and Weather 7:05pm You Saw Them Here First 8:00pm Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

7:20pm Channel 4 News

10:50pm Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality 11:45pm ITV News and Weather

8:10pm Mission: Impossible II A secret agent must undertake a difficult assignment to capture a rogue erstwhile colleague who has stolen a deadly genetically engineered virus.

10:30pm 50 Funniest Moments 2014

9:30pm The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies 10:30pm 5 News Weekend National and international news.

10:35pm The Haunting of Radcliffe House

6:00pm Portrait Artist of the Year 2014 7:30pm Futurama 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons

Includes sport and weather.

7:40pm Guy Martin's Passion for Life Guy Martin has passion: passion for engines, mechanics and, most of all, speed.

7:35pm World's Strongest Man 2014 8:35pm Chas and Dave's Xmas Knees Up The Cockney singers are joined by Eric Clapton and Jim Davidson for this special.

9pm 9:30pm Bruce's Hall of Fame 10:40pm Mrs. Brown's Boys 11:15pm BBC News 11:35pm Live at the Apollo

9:30pm Top Gear 10:30pm James May's Toy Stories 11:30pm QI XL Quiz show in which the aim is to be interesting.

Julie Etchingham with the latest headlines from around the world.

12am 12:15am Harry and Paul's Story of the Twos 1:15am I Confess 2:45am Canterbury Cathedral 3:45am Wonders of the Monsoon 4:45am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

12:05am An Audience with Joan Rivers 1:00am Clockwise 2:40am Jackpot247 4:00am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 4:40am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.

12:35am X-Men: The Last Stand 2:35am The Raven John Cusack stars in James McTeigue's period thriller. 4:30am Hollyoaks Omnibus

12:25am True Crimes: The First 72 Hours 12:55am Access 1:00am Super Casino 4:10am Kids' Hospital at Christmas 5:00am House Doctor 5:25am Make it Big 5:50am Make it Big

9:00pm Moonfleet 10:00pm Moonfleet 11:00pm Predator 2 1:05am Stella 2:35am Trollied 3:05am Trollied 3:30am The Flash 4:20am Hawaii Five-0 5:10am NCIS: Los Angeles

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm Shrek 9:25pm Donkey's Caroling ChristmasTacular 9:30pm Don't Tell the Bride 10:30pm Russell Howard's Good News 11:00pm Russell Howard's Good News 11:30pm Bad Education 12:00am Family Guy 12:25am Family Guy 12:45am Family Guy 1:10am Family Guy 1:30am Family Guy 2:00am Family Guy 2:20am Russell Howard's Good News 2:50am Bad Education

8:00pm Happy Holidays with Bing and Frank 8:30pm Whisky Galore!

9:50pm Top of the Pops

7:00am You've Been Framed!

7:20am Emmerdale Omnibus 10:05am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:35pm I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

2:35pm You've Been Framed!

3:40pm Horrid Henry: The Movie

7:00am The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 7:55am A Touch of Frost 10:00am Carry on Loving 12:05pm Carry on Girls 1:55pm Carry on Camping

10:30am River Monsters 11:25am River Monsters 12:25pm River Monsters 1:30pm The Green Berets

2:00pm The Spy Next Door 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 Big Bang Theory 8:30pm The Big Bang Theory 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Transporter 3 12:05am The Big Bang Theory

12:05am Not Going Out 12:35am Not Going Out 1:20am The Hot Chick 3:00am Weather for the Week Ahead Detailed weather forecast. 3:05am BBC News

A selection of hit Christmas songs from yesteryear.

10:00pm Inspector Montalbano 11:50pm Country Queens at the BBC 12:50am Country Kings at the BBC 1:50am Dolly Parton: Platinum Blonde 2:55am Sounds of the Eighties 3:20am The Heart of Country: How Nashville Became Music City USA 4:50am This is BBC Four

Grant. Comedy based on the animated series about the fictional anti-hero.

5:35pm The Lost World 8:10pm Johnny English 10:00pm Fast and Furious 12:05am Hostage 2:25am Release the Hounds The horror game show hosted by Reggie Yates returns for a full series.

Farcical comedy set in the great outdoors.

3:40pm Carry on Screaming 5:45pm Inspector Morse 8:00pm Rosemary and Thyme Light-hearted drama series about a pair of sleuthing gardeners.

9:00pm Doc Martin 10:00pm Midsomer Murders 12:05am A Touch of Frost 2:10am Bomb Girls

A guts-and-glory salute to US troops in the Vietnam War.

4:20pm Spartacus 8:10pm Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Comedy sequel.

10:00pm Renegades 12:10am Mcvicar Crime drama based on the true story of convicted armed robber John McVicar.

2:25am Sneakers

SKY MOVIES Action 7:10am 47 Ronin 9:20am X-Men 11:10am X2 1:30pm Batman Begins 3:55pm Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 6:25pm Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 9:00pm 47 Ronin An outcast joins a band of masterless samurai to wreak revenge against an evil feudal ruler.

11:00pm X-Men Adaptation of the long-running Marvel comic book series.

12:50am X2 3:05am Pain and Gain

Comedy 6:30am The Lone Ranger Unmasked 7:00am Elf 8:40am Liar Liar 10:10am Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me 11:50am Austin Powers in Goldmember 1:30pm Elf 3:10pm Uncle Buck 4:55pm Two Weeks Notice 6:40pm Love Actually 9:00pm About a Boy 10:50pm Four Weddings and a Funeral 12:55am About Time 3:05am Jackass: The Movie 4:50am A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas

Crime 7:15am The Transporter 9:00am Transporter 2 10:40am Captain Phillips 1:00pm The Mean Machine 3:15pm Reasonable Doubt 5:00pm The Da Vinci Code 7:40pm Captain Phillips 10:00pm Lucky Number Slevin Two New York crime lords think luckless Slevin owes them money.

12:00am The Transporter 1:45am Transporter 2 3:25am The Mean Machine 5:35am Deep Family Secrets

Christmas 6:20am Snow Day 8:00am Almost Christmas 9:50am Disney's A Christmas Carol 11:30am The Heat: Sky Movies Special 11:45am National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 1:30pm The Santa Clause 2 3:20pm The Best Man Holiday 5:30pm Disney's A Christmas Carol An elderly grump is shown the error of his ways by three mysterious spirits.

7:10pm Grumpy Old Men 9:00pm National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 10:45pm The Best Man Holiday 12:55am Grumpy Old Men

Premiere

TCM

6:30am The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Special 7:00am Frozen 9:00am The Lego Movie 10:45am Ride Along 12:30pm Noah

7:30am Tarzan and the Great River 9:10am Tarzan and The Huntress 10:40am Tarzan and the Mermaids

In the face of apocalyptic floods, one man is chosen to be the world's saviour.

3:00pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 5:30pm The Lego Movie 7:15pm Frozen 9:00pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 11:20pm Noah 1:45am Ride Along

Tarzan and Jane attempt to protect a woman from being forced to marry a con artist.

12:05pm Tarzan and The Slave Girl 1:40pm Tarzan and The Valley of Gold 3:20pm Tarzan Finds a Son Tarzan adopts the infant survivor of a plane crash.

4:55pm Tarzan Goes to India 6:40pm Tarzan the Magnificent 8:15pm Tarzan's Fight for Life 10:00pm No Way Out 12:10am The File of the Golden Goose

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

EWN

51

Better to look poor and be safe than look rich and be a burglar’s victim Nora Johnson

Breaking Views A Costa del Sol resident for a number of years, Nora is the author of psychological suspense and crime thrillers.

To comment on any of the issues raised in her column, go to www.euroweeklynews.com/columnists/nora-johnson

WHEN I was last in the UK, I caught up with an old friend who’d just been burgled. She was livid as she’s most particular about security. Not half as particular, though, as the burglar himself. Here are a few of the things he won’t be telling you as you’re about to leave your house for your Christmas/ New Year holiday...

Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your windows or delivering your

new freezer. And hey, when I was working in your garden thanks for letting me use the bathroom, where I unlatched the back window to make my return a bit easier.

I just love your flowers. They tell me you have taste. And taste means there are nice things within. In fact, those toys your children leave outside always make me wonder what type of electronic games are inside!

It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door understandable.

But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

Another point: I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer

JACKPOT: The burglar always tries the doors first. to clean your gutters. (Just don’t take me up on it!) And, remember, a loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than

the best alarm system.

Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a gardener and carry a

strimmer. You see, I do my best never to look like an old lag.

And two things I hate most?

Loud dogs and nosy neighbours. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbour hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t, he’ll just return to what he was doing.

It’s human nature.

To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a great way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation. And, if you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in the house. Sorry if it happens to be yours…

But no hard feelings, eh? Just doing my job. Happy Christmas!

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/eBook (€0.89;£0.79) and iBookstore.Profits to Cudeca

52

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE 7:00am Breakfast 10:00am G-Force 11:20am 3 Men and a Little Lady 1:00pm Christmas of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 2:00pm BBC News 2:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:55pm Call the Midwife

BBC TWO 7:50am Antiques Roadshow 8:50am Herbie Goes Bananas 10:20am Coast Australia 11:10am Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:40pm The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 1:40pm Talking Pictures 2:25pm Great Continental Railway Journeys

ITV 8:05am Canimals 8:10am Canimals 8:20am Share a Story 8:25am Sooty 8:35am Mr. Bean 8:50am Ultimate Spider-Man 9:10am Horrid Henry 9:25am Weekend at Christmas 10:25am Columbo 12:00pm ITV News and Weather 12:15pm The Cube 1:15pm Michael Flatley: A Night to Remember 2:15pm Tipping Point

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 6:45am Small Animal Hospital 7:10am NFL 8:10am Little Wolf's Book of Badness 8:35am Ivor the Invisible 9:05am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:35am Frasier 10:00am Frasier 10:30am Sunday Brunch 1:25pm Imagine That

CH5 9:00am The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 9:15am Wanda and the Alien 9:25am Zack and Quack 9:40am Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom 9:55am Jelly Jamm 10:10am Access 10:20am World's Strongest Man 2014 11:20am Carry on Christmas 12:25pm The Greatest Ever Carry on Films 1:25pm Carry on Spying

SUNDAY TV

SKY 1 6:00am Glee 7:00am The Hour of Power 8:00am The Flash 9:00am Modern Family 9:30am Modern Family 10:00am Modern Family 10:30am Futurama 11:00am A League of Their Own 11:30am A League of Their Own 12:00pm WWE Experience 1:00pm Modern Family 1:30pm Modern Family 2:00pm Modern Family 2:30pm Modern Family

3pm 4:10pm Songs of Praise 4:45pm Raiders of the Lost Ark

3:25pm The Heroes of Telemark 5:30pm Final Score

3:20pm Catchphrase 4:20pm E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

3:35pm The Simpsons 4:00pm The Simpsons 4:30pm The Simpsons 4:55pm The Simpsons 5:25pm The Simpsons 5:55pm Channel 4 News

3:10pm Black Beauty 4:55pm Out of Africa

6:35pm ITV News London 6:45pm ITV News and Weather 7:00pm The Queen's Garden 8:00pm Unbelievable Moments Caught on Camera

6:00pm Celebrity Fifteen to One 7:00pm The Golden Compass

8:00pm World's Strongest Man 2014 8:55pm 5 News Weekend

9:00pm Top Gear 10:00pm Racing Legends 11:00pm House of Fools 11:30pm Never Mind the Buzzcocks

9:00pm All Star Family Fortunes 10:00pm All New It'll be Alright on the Night 11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:15pm Through the Keyhole

9:00pm The Hotel 10:00pm Homeland 11:15pm Gogglebox

10:00pm Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2014

12:00am The Wrong Mans 1:00am Hidden Treasure: The Comedy Vault 2:00am Suspicion 3:40am Countryfile 4:35am Holby City 5:35am This is BBC Two

12:15am Rugby Highlights 1:10am The Store 3:10am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 4:00am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 4:45am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.

12:50am Rude Tube Christmas Cracker 2014 1:45am Father Ted 2:10am NFL 5:55am NFL

12:55am Autopsy: Michael Jackson's Last Hours 1:55am Super Casino 4:10am World's Strongest Man 2014 5:00am House Doctor 5:25am Make it Big 5:50am Make it Big

12:00am A League of Their Own 12:30am 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy 1:30am Trollied 2:00am Trollied 2:30am The Flash 3:30am Micky Flanagan's Detour De France 4:30am NCIS: Los Angeles 5:20am Hawaii Five-0

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm The Gruffalo 8:30pm The Gruffalo's Child 9:00pm Shrek 2 10:25pm Live at the Apollo 10:55pm Bad Education 11:25pm Family Guy 11:50pm Family Guy 12:10am American Dad! 12:35am American Dad! 12:55am Cuckoo 1:25am Live at the Apollo 1:55am Bad Education 2:25am Some Girls 2:55am Some Girls 3:25am Some Girls

8:00pm The Bermuda Triangle: Beneath the Waves 9:00pm Return to Betjemanland 10:00pm The Good Shepherd 12:35am The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill 1:35am Kate Bush at the BBC 2:40am Dolly Parton @ Glastonbury 2014 3:50am John Denver: Country Boy 4:50am This is BBC Four

7:00am The Hot Desk 7:10am Emmerdale Omnibus 9:55am Coronation Street Omnibus 1:25pm Jurassic Park 3:50pm The Mummy Returns 6:20pm Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas 7:20pm Die Another Day 10:00pm The Bourne Identity 12:15am Saw II 2:10am Release the Hounds 3:10am Viral Tap 3:45am Crazy Beaches 4:10am Crazy Beaches 4:35am Educating Joey Essex 5:25am Life's Funniest Moments

7:00am Movies Now 7:10am Judge Judy 7:30am The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes 8:25am The Best of Royal Variety 9:25am The Best of Royal Variety 10:25am Sherlock Holmes - The Last Vampyre 12:40pm Inspector Morse 2:55pm Goodbye, Mr. Chips 4:55pm A Touch of Frost 6:00pm Lewis 8:00pm Inspector Morse 10:00pm Lewis 12:00am Bird on a Wire 2:15am Lewis

8:35am Ax Men 9:30am British Superbike Championship Show 2014 11:30am Pawn Stars 12:00pm Pawn Stars 12:25pm Pawn Stars 12:55pm Pawn Stars 1:20pm Pawn Stars 1:50pm Pawn Stars 2:20pm Destry Rides Again 4:15pm Shalako 6:30pm The Horse Soldiers 9:00pm Rugby Highlights 10:00pm Born on the Fourth of July 12:55am L.A. Confidential

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 Big Bang Theory 8:30pm The Big Bang Theory 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm The Big Bang Theory 10:30pm The Big Bang Theory 11:00pm End of Days 1:25am The IT Crowd

Crime

Christmas

Action-packed adventure epic in which an intrepid archaeologist tries to beat a band of Nazis to a unique religious relic which is central to their plans for world domination.

Jason Mohammad presents all the day's football results along with reports and reaction from the big games on another busy day of football.

Heartwarming sci-fi fantasy.

Oscar-winning drama based on the remarkable story of Karen Blixen, who left her native Denmark in 1913 to marry a Swedish baron and run a coffee farm in Kenya.

3:00pm Treasure Island 5:00pm The Flash A muscly metahuman who can transform into metal wreaks havoc in Central City.

6pm 6:35pm BBC News 6:50pm BBC London News 7:00pm Celebrity Mastermind 7:30pm Countryfile 8:30pm Still Open All Hours

6:30pm Flog It! 7:00pm John Carter Action adventure film. Arizona, 1868.

Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards star in Chris Weitz's family fantasyadventure, based on the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

National and international news.

9:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

Documentary series revealing the work of bailiffs and repossession agents.

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm The Simpsons 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Futurama 8:00pm The Flash

9pm 9:00pm Antiques Roadshow 10:00pm Last Tango in Halifax 11:00pm BBC News 11:15pm Regional News and Weather 11:20pm BBC London News 11:30pm Match of the Day

This programme takes a light-hearted look at the most outlandish and outrageous behaviour by the rich and famous this year, featuring meltdowns, break-ups, booze-ups and punch-up.

9:00pm Got to Dance 10:00pm Modern Family 10:30pm Trollied 11:00pm Football's Funniest Moments

12am 12:55am The Football League Show 2:15am Goal II: Living the Dream 4:05am Weather for the Week Ahead Detailed weather forecast. 4:10am BBC News

BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

SKY MOVIES Action 7:00am Mission: Impossible III 9:20am R.I.P.D. 11:10am Thor: The Dark World 1:15pm The Wolverine 3:30pm Mission: Impossible III 5:45pm R.I.P.D. 7:35pm Elysium 10:00pm Thor: The Dark World 12:00am The Wolverine An old acquaintance brings the clawed mutant to Japan, where he finds himself in grave danger.

2:15am Fire with Fire 4:05am The Bridge on the River Kwai

Comedy 6:30am Monsters University Special 7:00am Bean 8:35am 13 Going on 30 10:15am Bad Santa 12:00pm Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues 2:00pm The Incredible Burt Wonderstone 3:45pm Bruce Almighty 5:30pm When Harry Met Sally 7:15pm Bad Santa 9:00pm Anchorman 2 11:00pm Grudge Match 1:05am A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 2:50am Jackass: Number Two More gross-out gags and painful pranks.

7:15am John Q 9:20am Courage Under Fire 11:30am The Manchurian Candidate Gulf War hero Raymond is running for vice president, backed by his ruthless mother.

1:50pm Inside Man 4:10pm The Pelican Brief 6:50pm Déjà Vu 9:00pm The Bone Collector A paralysed forensics expert teams up with a fresh-faced cop to hunt down a serial killer.

11:05pm Training Day 1:15am Inside Man 3:30am The Manchurian Candidate Gulf War hero Raymond is running for vice president, backed by his ruthless mother.

6:20am Holy Night!

8:00am Coming Home for Christmas 9:30am The Heat: Sky Movies Special 9:45am Elf 11:30am Miracle on 34th Street 1:15pm The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 2:55pm Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Special 3:25pm Saving Santa 4:55pm Love Actually 7:15pm Elf 9:00pm Sleepless in Seattle 11:00pm Love Actually 1:20am Miracle on 34th Street 3:05am Sleepless in Seattle

Premiere

TCM

7:00am The Lego Movie 8:45am Frozen 10:45am Captain America: The Winter Soldier 1:15pm The Lego Movie 3:15pm Frozen 5:00pm Best Christmas Movies Ever 6:30pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 9:00pm Noah

8:10am Tarzan Goes to India 9:55am Tarzan and the She-Devil 11:25am Tarzan and the Great River 1:05pm Tarzan and the Green Goddess 2:30pm Tarzan and The Slave Girl 4:00pm The Oklahoman 5:35pm The Buccaneer 7:55pm The Story of Mankind 10:00pm Hell on Wheels

In the face of apocalyptic floods, one man is chosen to be the world's saviour.

11:20pm Ride Along 1:15am Ironclad: Battle for Blood 3:15am Ride Along 5:00am Oz the Great and Powerful

Cullen sets out in search for fresh water when his workers are hit by a cholera epidemic.

10:55pm Hell on Wheels 11:50pm We are Marshall 2:20am Hell on Wheels 3:10am Hell on Wheels

OPINION & COMMENT

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DO!

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South E W N

What is your favourite Christmas memory or experience?

J STREET TALK

ULIAN from English Steps in San Pedro de Alcantara says that his favourite Christmas memory is from when he was very young and having Christmas dinner at his granny’s house, eating sherry trifle. His granny would wrap a 20p coin in silver foil and hide it inside the trifle and Julian would keep eating and eating until he found the coin.

His granny was heavy-handed with the sherry in the trifle, so Julian became very drunk!

Mark from The Sky Doctor in San Pedro de Alcantara says there should be good drunken memories: “You always know when you’ve had a good Christmas when you’re hungover on Boxing Day!” Conor at Charlie’s Property Angels in Marbella and Torrequebrada said that six years ago he volunteered to help at The Crisis Shelter for the homeless, which that year was in the old BBC building in Isleworth, London. He found it a very fulfilling and rewarding time helping others over Christmas, when they feel the most alone. In his eyes it’s what Christmas should really be about.

Alicia and Cati, of Eat Away, a brand

new, outside catering and events company in the Calvia region of Mallorca, are hoping that this Christmas will be the most memorable one.

Alicia said: “We have opened the new business, with great hopes for the New Year, but I have many memories of the fiestas of recent years. I have always run bars and cafes, so the holiday time is a busy time for me. But the best thing is seeing happy customers, which in turn makes me happy.”

Cati said: “We are very excited about the new venture, but my favourite memory of Christmas was when I played my first solo concert, with acoustic guitar, here in Mallorca. That was a night I will always remember.”

Paula Read Kenny, from Sophia Wellness Centre, Arboleas, said: “My favourite Christmas memory has to be as a child. At seven years old I got my

first bike, a yellow Tomahawk, and was the proudest girl in the world.

“I only got this great present from

Mark.

53

Santa because I must have been such a good girl all year.”

HACO MUEBLE’S Mark Strien, in Altea, said family Christmas dinners are always his favourite memories of Christmas back home in Holland: “It has been about eight years since I was back in Holland for Christmas so those memories are always special, the usual traditions and drinks around the tree. I think for most people when they move away from their home country, those family memories are always Alicia and Cati. the best.”

Samantha Biddles, from Algorfa Town Hall, said her favourite Christmas memory was just last year: “We raised money locally for food hampers and stood there on Christmas Eve all day giving them to needy families. The look on the Samantha Biddles. faces of all the people was just lovely.”

54

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE 7:00am Breakfast 9:00am Match of the Day 10:30am Flushed Away 11:50am Megamind 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:15pm BBC News at One 2:30pm BBC London News 2:40pm Bedknobs and Broomsticks

BBC TWO 7:10am Tom Kerridge's Best Ever Dishes 7:40am The Football League Show 9:00am Natural World 10:00am Coast Australia 10:50am Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 11:50am Great Continental Railway Journeys 12:50pm The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 1:50pm Talking Pictures 2:40pm Around the World in 80 Days

ITV 6:05am The Jeremy Kyle Show 7:00am Dinner Date 8:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am Judge Rinder 12:30pm Who's Doing the Dishes? 1:30pm All Star Family Fortunes 2:15pm ITV News and Weather 2:30pm Secret Dealers

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 8:20am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:45am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:10am Frasier 9:40am Frasier 10:10am The Big Bang Theory 10:40am The Big Bang Theory 11:05am The Big Bang Theory 11:30am The Simpsons 12:00pm The Simpsons 12:30pm The Simpsons 1:00pm Hachi: A Dog's Tale 2:50pm Deal or No Deal

CH5 9:35am Bananas in Pajamas 9:50am Tickety Toc 10:00am Milkshake! Bop Box 10:05am Peppa Pig 10:10am Peppa Pig 10:20am Wanda and the Alien 10:35am Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:45am The Mr. Men Show 11:00am World's Strongest Man 2014 12:00pm Carry on Sergeant 1:50pm The Glenn Miller Story

MONDAY TV

SKY 1 7:30am The Real A&E 8:00am Moone Boy 8:30am Yonderland 9:00am The Flash 10:00am Futurama 10:30am Futurama 11:00am Futurama 11:30am Futurama 12:00pm Futurama 12:30pm Futurama 1:00pm Modern Family 1:30pm Modern Family 2:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie

3pm 4:35pm Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave 5:05pm Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

5:30pm Big Dreams Small Spaces Monty Don works with amateur gardeners up and down the country to help them create the garden of their dreams.

3:30pm Surprise Surprise 4:30pm Dr. No The first James Bond film. Secret Service agent 007 goes to Jamaica to look into the death of a British operative.

3:50pm Brewster's Millions 5:50pm Channel 4 News Includes sport and weather.

4:05pm The Dam Busters Classic war film with one of the best-known theme tunes of all time.

3:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie 4:00pm Futurama 4:30pm Futurama 5:00pm The Flash

6pm 6:55pm BBC News at Six 7:10pm BBC London News 7:20pm The Muppets

6:30pm Wild Brazil 7:30pm Nature's Weirdest Events 8:30pm Operation Grand Canyon with Dan Snow

6:35pm The Chase 7:30pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street

9:30pm University Challenge 10:00pm Snow Wolf Family and Me 11:00pm Dave Allen: God's Own Comedian

9:00pm Countrywise 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm Christmas Epic Fails 11:00pm ITV News at Ten and Weather 11:15pm Atonement

6:30pm Hollyoaks 7:00pm The Italian Job Classic comedy crime caper.

6:35pm What the Dambusters Did Next 8:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

Documentary series revealing the work of bailiffs and repossession agents.

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons

9pm 9:00pm EastEnders 9:30pm Miranda 10:05pm Mapp and Lucia 11:05pm BBC News at Ten 11:20pm BBC London News 11:30pm Darcey Bussell's Looking for Audrey

Told by family and friends, with rare unseen archive, this documentary reflects on the career of Dave Allen, who became a TV star in Australia in his twenties, before returning home to dominate the schedules in Britain.

9:00pm Mini Cooper: For the Love of Cars 10:00pm 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 11:00pm The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2014

9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2014 The third heat of the 2014 'World's Strongest Man' competition.

10:00pm The Rock

9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm An Idiot Abroad 11:00pm Micky Flanagan's Detour De France

12am 12:35am Sport Relief 2014 - The Final Score 1:35am Eurotrip 3:05am Weather for the Week Ahead Detailed weather forecast.

3:10am BBC News

12:00am The Wrong Mans 1:00am Notorious 2:40am The Apprentice 4:40am The Mekong River with Sue Perkins 5:40am This is BBC Two

1:25am Jackpot247 Join the presenters live and play roulette on your telly. 4:00am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.

1:00am NFL 2:00am The Omen 3:55am Flight of the Phoenix 5:45am Kirstie's Handmade Treasures

12:50am Reservoir Dogs 2:50am Super Casino 4:10am World's Strongest Man 2014 5:00am Great Scientists 5:25am House Doctor 5:50am House Doctor

12:00am Trollied 12:30am Trollied 1:00am The Flash 2:00am Hawaii Five-0 3:00am Hawaii Five-0 4:00am A League of Their Own 5:00am Airline USA 5:30am Airline USA

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm Bolt 9:30pm Shrek The Third 10:55pm Hammy's Boomerang Adventure 11:00pm Bad Education 11:30pm EastEnders 12:05am Family Guy 12:30am Family Guy 12:50am American Dad! 1:15am Family Guy 1:35am Him and Her 2:05am Him and Her 2:30am Him and Her 3:00am Him and Her 3:30am Him and Her 4:00am Don't Tell the Bride

8:00pm Pompeii: The Mystery of the People Frozen in Time 9:00pm RI Lectures: Sparks Will Fly - How to Hack Your Home 10:00pm Al Murray's Great British Spy Movies 11:00pm The Ipcress File 12:45am The Joy of the Guitar Riff 1:45am Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music 2:45am Glen Campbell 3:45am Al Murray's Great British Spy Movies 4:45am This is BBC Four

7:50am Emmerdale 8:15am Coronation Street 9:15am Wonderful World of the X Factor 10:10am The X Factor: Your Top Ten 11:10am Beethoven 12:55pm Emmerdale 1:25pm Coronation Street 2:25pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 3:30pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:35pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:40pm Catchphrase 6:40pm A Night in with Olly Murs 7:45pm Back to the Future 10:00pm The Bourne Ultimatum 12:20am Celebrity Juice

7:00am Judge Judy 7:20am Judge Judy 7:40am Judge Judy 8:05am Second Thoughts 8:30am Inspector Morse 10:50am A Touch of Frost 12:45pm The Young Ones 3:00pm Agatha Christie's Marple 5:00pm Carry on Cruising 6:55pm A Touch of Frost 9:00pm Doc Martin 11:00pm Lewis 1:05am Bomb Girls: The Movie 2:50am Inspector Morse 4:35am Inspector Morse

11:00am Magnum, P.I. 12:00pm Goodwood: Cars of the Future 1:00pm British Touring Car Championship 2014 Review 3:05pm The Professionals 4:05pm The 'Burbs 6:10pm Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment 8:00pm Pawn Stars 8:30pm Pawn Stars 9:00pm Storage Wars 10:00pm Storage Wars 10:30pm Storage Wars 11:00pm Natural Born Killers 1:25am Rugby Highlights

4:30pm Bad(Ish) Robots 5:00pm Troy 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm How I Met Your Mother 6:30pm How I Met Your Mother 7:00pm Hollyoaks 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm The Big Bang Theory 8:30pm The Big Bang Theory 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Made in Chelsea 11:00pm Rude Tube Christmas Cracker 2014 12:05am The Big Bang Theory

Comedy

Crime

Christmas

SKY MOVIES Action 7:00am Lone Survivor 9:10am Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Special 9:40am Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 11:30am King Arthur 1:45pm Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 4:15pm Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 6:50pm Lone Survivor 9:00pm Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 11:00pm Con Air 1:00am Bad Boys II 3:30am Crank 5:15am Angel Flight Down

6:30am Despicable Me 2 Special 7:00am National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 8:40am The Internship 10:45am Groundhog Day 12:35pm Employee of the Month 2:30pm The Harry Hill Movie 4:10pm Identity Thief 6:10pm National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 7:55pm The Internship 10:00pm American Pie 11:40pm American Pie 2 1:30am American Pie: The Wedding 3:10am Identity Thief 5:10am Little Shop of Horrors

7:30am Captain Phillips: Sky Movies Special 7:50am Proof of Life 10:15am Blood Work 12:20pm Runner Runner 2:05pm The Call 3:55pm Proof of Life Engineer Peter Bowden is snatched by professional terrorists in the South American jungle.

6:20pm Blood Work 8:20pm Runner Runner 10:00pm The Call 11:40pm Oldboy 1:35am Basic Instinct 3:55am City of God

7:00am Jingle All the Way 8:45am Snowmen 10:15am Miracle on 34th Street 12:15pm Best Christmas Movies Ever 1:45pm New Year's Eve 3:45pm Black Nativity 5:25pm Miracle on 34th Street 7:25pm Pete's Christmas 9:00pm New Year's Eve 11:00pm Black Nativity 12:40am Black Christmas 2:10am Pete's Christmas 3:45am Holiday Inn 5:30am Snowmen Three youngsters try to break the world record for building the biggest number of snowmen.

Premiere

TCM

7:00am The Lego Movie 8:45am Frozen 10:30am Ride Along 12:15pm The Top Ten Show 2014

7:30am The Oklahoman 9:05am The Buccaneer 11:25am The Story of Mankind 1:30pm Darby's Rangers 4:00pm The Command 5:50pm Romance of a Horse Thief 7:55pm Hotel Paradiso 10:00pm The Illusionist

Which movies are doing the best business at home and across the pond?

12:35pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3:00pm Frozen 4:55pm Noah 7:15pm The Lego Movie 9:00pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 11:20pm Noah 1:40am Ride Along 3:30am Ironclad: Battle for Blood

Edward Norton, and Jessica Biel star in this drama set in Vienna, 1889.

12:05am Raging Bull 2:20am The Illusionist 4:10am The Iron Sheriff 5:30am Off Set TCM presents a special on the acclaimed English jazz-pop singer-songwriter.

OPINION & COMMENT

www.euroweeklynews.com

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

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An African Queen to crown all Mike Walsh Mike, based in Mediterranean Spain, is an international journalist, author and professional writer.

WHEN on December 12, MV Mutambala, a ferry operating on Lake Tanganyika sank in a storm there was little news coverage.

The disaster claimed the lives of up to 150 passengers, mostly women and children. Strong winds and overloading are said to be the cause of the tragedy.

It is not uncommon for ships operating on Lake Tanganyika to sink, usually for the same reasons.

Still operating on the lake today is a ship that really does appear to be unsinkable. What a remarkable history this ferry has. The 1,600 ton MV Graf von Goetzen was built in Germany in 1913 but not in a conventional way. The shipbuilders, Meyer Werft, built the Goetzen in thousands of parts.

After assembling it to make

TROUBLED WATER: Lake Tanganyika is second largest in the World. sure all was as it should be the MV Graf von Goetzen was disassembled and its parts packed in 5,000 crates. These boxes were shipped to East Africa, which was then a German Protectorate.

Germany’s economy in 1913 was on a high as were German spirits. That year, the Kaiser’s daughter Viktoria Luise, was to marry a commoner. In common with millions of fellow Europeans, thousands of Germans emigrated, many to

Germany’s overseas colonies and protectorates.

On reaching the East African port of Dar es Salaam these thousands of crates, each containing bits and pieces of the 234 feet ferry-liner, were unloaded. These were then shipped across the jungle savannah to Kigoma, a small lakeside town 1,300km distant.

Teams of master fitters and shipbuilders arrived soon afterward and set about rebuilding the liner. Lake

Tanganyika, the second largest lake in the world, borders four countries; it is the length of England and is an average 50km in width.

In 1917, three years after the outbreak of the Great War, British troops advanced on Lake Tanganyika. Scuttled to prevent the ship from falling into British hands this fine vessel appeared to have met its Waterloo at the bottom of this fantastic lake.

The surrendering Germans were taken into captivity and were to

remain in concentration camps until 1920.

Later raised to the surface, the Graf Goetzen, now named Liemba, was returned to service.

In 1951, it became internationally famous. The Liemba is the gunboat, Luisa, in the movie, African Queen. The stars were Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.

Today, this proud liner still carries passengers from township to township, delivering produce to markets, and offering a vital supply linkage to the four Central African republics.

Yes, it was disheartening to learn of the recent sinking of the MV Mutambala with such terrible loss of life. Somehow, I am relieved to know that the ship involved was not the MV Graf von Goetzen, sorry, MV Liemba.

If this wonderful maritime adventurer ever reaches its climax may it go up in a ball of flames without loss of life as anything less would be too unbearable to think about.

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E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE 7:00am Breakfast 10:00am Shark Tale 11:25am Hotel for Dogs 1:00pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News at One 2:15pm BBC London News 2:25pm Father Brown

BBC TWO 7:15am Secrets of the Castle with Ruth, Peter and Tom 8:15am When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth 9:50am Coast Australia 10:40am Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 11:40am Great Continental Railway Journeys 12:40pm The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 1:40pm Talking Pictures 2:20pm The Horse Whisperer

ITV 7:00am Dinner Date 8:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am Judge Rinder 12:30pm Who's Doing the Dishes? 1:25pm All Star Family Fortunes 2:10pm ITV News and Weather 2:20pm Secret Dealers

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 8:45am Freaky Friday 10:30am The Big Bang Theory 11:00am The Big Bang Theory 11:25am The Big Bang Theory Amy gets caught in the middle of a battle of wills between Sheldon and Penny. 11:55am Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back 1:30pm The Simpsons 2:00pm The Simpsons 2:25pm The Simpsons 2:55pm The Simpsons

CH5 9:50am Tickety Toc 10:00am Milkshake! Bop Box 10:05am Peppa Pig 10:15am Peppa Pig 10:25am Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:35am World's Strongest Man 2014 11:35am The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies 12:35pm Fun in Acapulco 2:35pm Close Encounters of the Third Kind

TUESDAY TV SKY 1 6:00am Stargate Atlantis 7:00am The Real A&E 7:30am The Real A&E 8:00am Moone Boy 8:30am Yonderland 9:00am The Flash 10:00am Futurama 10:30am Futurama 11:00am Futurama 11:30am Futurama 12:00pm Futurama 12:30pm Futurama 1:00pm Futurama 1:30pm Futurama 2:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie

3pm 3:10pm George of the Jungle 4:35pm Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

5:00pm Big Dreams Small Spaces Monty Don works with amateur gardeners up and down the country to help them create the garden of their dreams.

3:20pm The Queen's Garden 4:20pm From Russia with Love

3:25pm Deal or No Deal 4:25pm The Parent Trap Family comedy about identical twin sisters who are separated at birth when their parents divorce.

5:15pm Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The classic musical fantasy, based on the story

by Ian Fleming, about an eccentric inventor who rescues a derelict racing car and takes his two children on a series of memorable adventures.

3:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie 4:00pm The Flash 5:00pm The Flash

6pm 6:35pm BBC News at Six 6:50pm BBC London News 7:05pm Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted 8:30pm EastEnders

6:00pm Wild Brazil 7:00pm Flog It! 7:30pm Nature's Weirdest Events 8:30pm University Challenge

6:35pm The Chase 7:30pm ITV News London 7:40pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Wilderness Walks with Ray Mears

7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 8:05pm Come Dine with Me

8:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

9:00pm Sacred Wonders of Britain 10:00pm Snow Wolf Family and Me 11:00pm Charlie Brooker's 2014 Wipe

9:00pm Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 11:30pm ITV News and Weather 11:45pm Birds of a Feather

9:00pm Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 10:00pm David Blaine 11:20pm The Look of Love

9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2014

Documentary series revealing the work of bailiffs and repossession agents.

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons

9pm 9:00pm Holby City 10:00pm Mapp and Lucia 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:15pm BBC London News 11:25pm Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

The fourth heat of the 2014 'World's Strongest Man' competition.

10:00pm Elvis by the Presleys Uncut This is the story of Elvis's life and career told by those who knew him best, his family.

9:00pm Modern Family 9:30pm Modern Family 10:00pm 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy 11:00pm Britcam: Emergency on Our Streets

12am 2:00am The Hand That Rocks the Cradle 3:45am Weather for the Week Ahead Detailed weather forecast. 3:50am BBC News

12:00am Dave Allen: the Immaculate Selection 1:00am Backchat with Jack Whitehall and His Dad 1:45am Spellbound 3:35am World's Greatest Food Markets 4:35am Doctor Who 5:35am This is BBC Two

12:15am American Gangster 2:55am Jackpot247 4:00am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA Jeremy Kyle presents the American version of his daytime talk show. 4:40am ITV Nightscreen Text-based information service.

1:20am Damien: Omen II 3:10am If...

5:05am Phil Spencer: Secret Agent Phil visits Shoreham-by-Sea, where Ben and Kate have lived in their Grade II listed cottage for five years.

12:00am Elvis '68 Comeback Special 1:00am The Last Hours of Elvis Presley 2:00am Super Casino 4:10am World's Strongest Man 2014 5:00am Nick's Quest 5:20am House Doctor 5:45am House Doctor

12:00am An Idiot Abroad 1:00am Trollied 1:30am Trollied 2:00am Hawaii Five-0 3:00am Hawaii Five-0 4:00am Chickens 4:30am Chickens 5:00am Airline USA 5:30am Airline USA

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm Pop's Greatest Dance Crazes 8:25pm Streetdance 10:00pm Shrek Forever After 11:25pm The Pig Who Cried Werewolf 11:30pm EastEnders 12:00am Family Guy 12:25am Family Guy 12:50am American Dad! 1:10am Family Guy 1:35am Bad Education 2:05am Russell Howard's Good News 2:35am Don't Tell the Bride 3:35am Jenny Bede: AAA 3:55am Festivals, Sex and Suspicious Parents 4:55am This is BBC Three

8:00pm Genghis Khan 9:00pm RI Lectures: Sparks Will Fly - How to Hack Your Home 10:00pm Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of CS Lewis 11:00pm The 39 Steps

10:10am The X Factor 11:15am Beethoven's 2nd 1:05pm Emmerdale 1:30pm Coronation Street 2:05pm Coronation Street 2:30pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 3:40pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:40pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:45pm Catchphrase 6:45pm Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality 7:45pm You've Been Framed and Famous!

8:50pm Miss Congeniality 11:00pm Unseen Celebrity Juice Tit Bits 11:50pm Celebrity Juice 12:35am Two and a Half Men 1:00am Two and a Half Men

7:00am Up Pompeii 8:20am Inspector Morse 10:25am Inspector Morse 12:35pm A Touch of Frost 2:30pm Goodnight Mister Tom 4:35pm Jane Eyre 6:50pm A Touch of Frost

8:10am Minder 9:10am The Professionals 10:15am Kojak 11:15am Magnum, P.I. 12:20pm Pawn Stars 12:50pm Pawn Stars 1:15pm Classic TT 2014 2:15pm Minder 3:20pm The Professionals 4:25pm The Vicious Circle 6:05pm Guns of a Stranger 8:00pm Pawn Stars 8:30pm Pawn Stars 9:00pm The Chase: Celebrity Special 10:00pm Bowfinger 12:00am National Lampoon's Vacation

3:00pm The Big Bang Theory 3:30pm The Big Bang Theory 4:00pm Rude(Ish) Tube 4:30pm Bad(Ish) Robots 5:00pm Troy 5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm How I Met Your Mother 6:30pm How I Met Your Mother 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm Hollyoaks 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm Rude Tube 11:00pm Wanted 1:15am The Big Bang Theory

Crime

Christmas

Classic Hitchcock mystery based on John Buchan's novel.

12:25am Kenny Rogers 1:25am Country Kings at the BBC 2:25am Synth Britannia 3:55am Narnia's Lost Poet: The Secret Lives and Loves of CS Lewis 4:55am This is BBC Four BBC Four is the BBC channel for people who want more.

A man who has Down's syndrome is accused of the murder of a young girl.

9:00pm Foyle's War 11:00pm Lewis 1:00am A Touch of Frost 3:00am Sparkling Cyanide 4:40am Inspector Morse Detective drama series.

SKY MOVIES Action 7:00am Iron Man 3 9:15am The Patriot 12:05pm The Mask of Zorro 2:30pm Kick-Ass 2 4:20pm Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 6:25pm The Lone Ranger A lawman and his Comanche Indian sidekick embark upon a quest for justice across the American West.

9:00pm Iron Man 3 11:15pm White House Down 1:30am Kick-Ass 2 3:20am Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time 5:25am Volcano: Fire on the Mountain The Angel Summit ski resort has been blessed with early snows.

Comedy 7:00am The World's End 9:05am We're the Millers 11:10am Crocodile Dundee 1:00pm Crocodile Dundee II 3:05pm Ghostbusters 5:00pm Ghostbusters II 7:00pm The World's End 9:00pm We're the Millers 11:00pm This is the End 1:00am Bad Santa 2:45am A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas 4:25am There's Something About Mary Hilarious slapstick comedy about a man so tormented by memories of a missed high school date with a beautiful girl that he hires a detective to trace her several years later.

8:00am The Bravados 9:50am To Kill a Mockingbird Deep South tale of racism and courage seen through the eyes of little Scout Finch.

12:10pm Thelma and Louise 2:30pm Getaway 4:15pm Reasonable Doubt 6:00pm Pride and Glory 8:20pm Getaway 10:00pm 25th Hour Drug-dealer Monty Brogan is going down for seven years.

12:20am Pride and Glory 2:35am Sharky's Machine 4:40am The Canyons Drama following the twisted relationships of a group of Hollywood hopefuls.

7:00am Christmas in Wonderland 8:45am Snow Day 10:25am Let it Snow 12:05pm Home Alone 2:00pm Millions 3:45pm Look Who's Talking Now! 5:25pm Home Alone 7:15pm Millions When a bag of cash lands in young Damian's lap, he takes it as a sign from God to help the poor.

9:00pm Love Actually 11:20pm The Best Man Holiday 1:30am Snow Day A school in upstate New York is closed by an unexpected snowfall.

3:15am Look Who's Talking Now! 5:00am Christmas in Wonderland

Premiere

TCM

9:00am Noah 11:20am The Lego Movie 1:05pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3:25pm Ride Along 5:15pm The Lego Movie 7:00pm Frozen 9:00pm Noah

7:50am Darby's Rangers 10:05am Romance of a Horse Thief 12:20pm Hotel Paradiso 2:20pm Canyon River 4:00pm The Stranger Wore a Gun 5:40pm Battle Zone 7:20pm King Rat 10:00pm The Silence of the Lambs

In the face of apocalyptic floods, one man is chosen to be the world's saviour.

11:20pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 1:40am Ironclad: Battle for Blood Medieval mercenary Guy battles to protect his family's estate from a brutal band of Celts.

3:35am Ride Along 5:30am Oz the Great and Powerful: Premiere Special

Enthralling psychological thriller with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.

12:15am Spawn 2:05am The Silence of the Lambs Enthralling psychological thriller with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.

4:05am Heaven Can Wait

FINANCE

EUROPEAN PRESS 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

www.euroweeklynews.com

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The UK Autumn Statement.

How Does It Affect You? The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, delivered his Autumn Statement on 3rd December. There were a few announcements which may affect expatriates, depending on your circumstances.

Personal tax allowance The personal allowance will increase from £10,000 to £10,600 from 6th April 2015.

The Government still believes there is a ‘strong rationale’ for removing it for non-UK residents, but that this is a ‘complex change’ for those affected.

Consultation will continue on this matter.

Capital gains tax charge for non-UK residents The Government released a document to explain how this charge on gains arising on disposal of residential properties will work. In summary: ■ Gains arising before 6th April 2015 will not be taxed. Individuals can rebase the value of their property to the value as at that date, or opt for the gain

By Brett Hanson, Partner, Blevins Franks to be time-apportioned, or the whole gain to be taxed.

■ The Annual Exemption will be available to individuals (£11,000 from April 2015) and trustees (£5,500).

■ The rate applicable will be 18% or 28% for individuals, 28% for trustees and 20% for companies.

■ Losses can be offset on gains on other UK residential properties, and carried forward to set against similar gains if unutilised in the

current year.

■ Private Residence Relief (PRR) elections can only be made if the non-UK resident spends at least 90 days in their UK properties during the relevant year. This may have an impact on their UK residence position, so consider this carefully and take advice.

UK residents owning overseas property can also now only make an election for PPR if they spend more than 90 days in their properties in that jurisdiction that year.

ISAs From 6th April 2015, the ISA (or NISA) threshold will increase from £15,000 to £15,240. Note that while non-UK residents may hold ISAs, they cannot add to them.

From 3rd December 2014, ISA holders will be able to pass on their ISA benefits to their spouse/civil partner on death, via an additional ISA allowance usable from April 2015. The value then becomes liable

to income tax.

Pensions For annuities providing ‘death benefits,’ the 55% tax charge on death is abolished. This brings annuities into line with income drawdown plans, which will see the so-called ‘death tax’ removed from next April. It will only apply where the payment occurs after 6th April 2015. If the person who dies is 75 or over, beneficiaries will have to pay tax on the amount received at their marginal rate of income tax. This levels the playing field between pensions and annuities. The changes do not affect people in final salary pensions.

There is still no clarity on the position of Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS).

Stamp duty The ‘slab system’ which operated under the old rules in respect of the stamp duty charge on property

purchase has been abolished from midnight 3rd December 2014.

The new system means that buyers will only pay the rate of tax on the part of the property price within each tax band - like income tax.

If any of these changes may affect you, seek specialist advice relating to your personal circumstances.

Remember you need to take the tax rules of both the UK and Spain into account to determine the best solution for you.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com.

58

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

BBC ONE 7:00am Breakfast 10:00am The Cat in the Hat 11:15am Eight Below 1:05pm Bargain Hunt 1:50pm BBC News at One 2:00pm BBC London News 2:10pm Ratatouille Children's animation. Remy is a young rat in the French countryside who has a nose for fine food.

BBC TWO 7:10am Secrets of the Castle with Ruth, Peter and Tom 8:10am Natural World 9:10am Saboteur 10:55am Talking Pictures 11:35am Shadow of a Doubt 1:20pm The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure 2:20pm Becoming Jane

ITV 7:00am Dinner Date 8:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am Judge Rinder 12:30pm Who's Doing the Dishes? 1:25pm All Star Family Fortunes 2:10pm ITV News and Weather 2:20pm Secret Dealers

www.euroweeklynews.com

CH4 7:20am How I Met Your Mother 7:40am How I Met Your Mother 8:05am Everybody Loves Raymond 8:30am The Valley of Gwangi 10:20am The Brady Bunch Movie 12:00pm The Big Bang Theory 12:25pm The Simpsons 12:55pm The Simpsons 1:25pm Five Children and It

WEDNESDAY TV

CH5 9:45am Bananas in Pajamas 10:00am Tickety Toc 10:10am Milkshake! Bop Box 10:15am Peppa Pig 10:25am Peppa Pig 10:30am Wanda and the Alien 10:45am Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures 10:55am The Mr. Men Show 11:10am World's Strongest Man 2014 12:10pm Carry on Regardless 2:00pm The Vikings

SKY 1 7:30am The Real A&E 8:00am Moone Boy 8:30am Yonderland 9:00am The Flash 10:00am Exodus: Gods and Kings Special 10:30am Night at the Museum Special 11:00am Got to Dance 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm Modern Family 1:30pm Modern Family 2:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie

3pm 3:50pm Monsters vs Aliens 5:15pm Top of the Pops

4:10pm Coast Australia Series exploring Australia's coastline.

5:00pm Big Dreams Small Spaces

3:20pm The Queen's Garden 4:25pm Goldfinger

3:15pm Home Alone 3 5:20pm Fantastic Mr. Fox

4:10pm The Dirty Dozen

7:05pm Tommy Cooper's Christmas

Classic spy thriller.

Blockbusting adventure featuring a motley crew of death-row criminals who get the chance to redeem themselves in action in World War II.

3:00pm Greggs: More Than Meats the Pie 4:00pm Football's Funniest Moments 5:00pm Modern Family 5:30pm Modern Family

6pm 6:00pm Wild Brazil 7:00pm Flog It! 8:00pm Tigers About the House: What Happened Next

6:35pm The Chase 7:30pm ITV News London 7:45pm ITV News and Weather 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street

7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:30pm Channel 4 News

9:00pm University Challenge 9:30pm The Help 11:50pm Mock the Week

9:00pm Rita and Me 10:00pm A Funny Old Year 2014 11:00pm Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This

9:00pm Frozen at Christmas 10:00pm Alan Carr's New Year Specstacular

12:20am Jools's Annual Hootenanny 2014 2:35am Glastonbury 2014 Highlights 4:40am This is BBC Two Highlights of programmes on BBC Two.

12:55am ITV News and Weather 1:10am Carry on Camping Farcical comedy set in the great outdoors. 2:40am The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 3:25am ITV Nightscreen Textbased information service.

12:05am 50 Funniest Moments 2014 2:05am C4's 30 Greatest Comedy Shows 3:55am The IT Crowd 4:20am The IT Crowd 4:50am Phil Spencer: Secret Agent 5:45am Kirstie's Handmade Treasures 5:55am Secret Eaters

1:00am The ABBA Years 2:00am Super Casino 4:10am World's Strongest Man 2014 5:00am Great Scientists 5:25am Chinese Food in Minutes 5:30am Chinese Food in Minutes 5:45am House Doctor

12:55am New Year Fireworks Live 1:15am A League of Their Own 2:15am A League of Their Own 3:05am A League of Their Own 4:00am Hawaii Five-0 5:00am Airline USA 5:30am Airline USA

BBC THREE

BBC FOUR

ITV2

ITV3

ITV4

E4

8:00pm Puss in Boots 9:20pm Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos 9:30pm Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers 10:00pm The FA Cup's 50 Greatest Moments 12:00am Family Guy 12:25am Family Guy 12:45am Family Guy 1:10am Family Guy 1:30am Family Guy 1:50am Family Guy 2:15am Family Guy 2:35am Family Guy 3:00am Sexy Beasts 3:30am Sexy Beasts

8:00pm Danny Boy - The Ballad that Bewitched the World 9:00pm RI Lectures: Sparks Will Fly - How to Hack Your Home 10:00pm The Joy of ABBA 11:00pm ABBA at the BBC

7:45am Emmerdale 8:10am I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

9:00am The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story 10:00am The X Factor Class of 2014 11:05am Back to the Future 1:20pm Emmerdale 1:55pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 3:00pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 4:05pm The Jeremy Kyle Show 5:10pm You've Been Framed!

5:45pm Nanny McPhee 7:40pm Back to the Future Part III 10:00pm GoldenEye 12:40am Celebrity Juice

7:00am Movies Now 7:10am Sparkling Cyanide 9:00am Inspector Morse 11:10am A Touch of Frost 1:25pm On the Buses 3:15pm Mutiny on the Buses 5:05pm Holiday on the Buses 6:55pm Rosemary and Thyme 7:55pm Agatha Christie's Marple 10:00pm Gosford Park 12:50am The Portrait of a Lady 3:30am Inspector Morse 5:15am A Touch of Frost

9:20am Kojak 10:25am Pawn Stars 10:50am Pawn Stars 11:20am TT 2014 12:20pm TT 2014 1:25pm Magnum, P.I. 2:25pm Minder 3:30pm Pawn Stars 4:00pm Pawn Stars 4:25pm Smokey and the Bandit II 6:30pm Police Academy 3: Back in Training 8:15pm Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol 10:00pm Payback 12:05am L.A. Confidential

5:30pm The Big Bang Theory 6:00pm How I Met Your Mother 6:30pm How I Met Your Mother 7:00pm The Big Bang Theory 7:30pm The Big Bang Theory 8:00pm The Big Bang Theory 8:30pm Hollyoaks 9:00pm The Big Bang Theory 9:30pm The Big Bang Theory 10:00pm The Big Bang Theory 10:30pm The Inbetweeners 11:00pm The Inbetweeners 11:35pm The Inbetweeners 12:05am The Inbetweeners 12:40am The Inbetweeners Top Ten Moments

Crime

Christmas

6:20pm Pointless 7:05pm BBC News at Six 7:20pm BBC London News 7:35pm Celebrity Mastermind 8:05pm Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Includes sport and weather.

Festive comedy and magic from Tommy Cooper.

8:00pm Can't Pay? We'll Take it Away!

Documentary series revealing the work of bailiffs and repossession agents.

6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Modern Family 7:00pm Modern Family 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons

9pm 10:00pm Mapp and Lucia 11:00pm BBC News at Ten 11:15pm The Graham Norton Show

After the success of last year's show, Alan again celebrates New Year's Eve and welcomes in 2015.

9:00pm World's Strongest Man 2014 10:00pm Britain's Favourite Sitcoms In the final heat of the competition, Englishman Graham Hicks has his work cut out as he competes in a field that includes the reigning champion Brian Shaw, who is looking to impress on home soil.

9:00pm Football's Funniest Moments 10:00pm An Idiot Abroad 11:00pm Karl Pilkington: The Moaning of Life 11:55pm A League of Their Own

12am 12:15am Queen and Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live 12:55am New Year's Eve Fireworks 1:10am Queen and Adam Lambert Rock Big Ben Live 1:30am Mrs. Brown's Boys 2:10am John Bishop Live: Elvis Has Left the Building

Compilation of ABBA's greatest performances at the BBC.

12:00am Kind Hearts and Coronets 1:45am Rich Hall's California Stars 3:15am The Joy of ABBA 4:15am The Carpenters at the BBC The Carpenters' debut BBC concert, recorded on their first British tour in September 1971.

4:50am This is BBC Four

A man who has Down's syndrome is accused of the murder of a young girl.

SKY MOVIES Action 7:00am Sahara 9:10am Man of Steel 11:35am 47 Ronin 1:35pm Fantastic Four 3:25pm Thor: The Dark World 5:20pm Pacific Rim 7:35pm Man of Steel 10:00pm 47 Ronin An outcast joins a band of masterless samurai to wreak revenge against an evil feudal ruler.

12:00am Thor: The Dark World

Comedy 9:35am Alien Autopsy 11:20am Last Vegas 1:15pm When Harry Met Sally 3:00pm Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues 5:05pm Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby 7:10pm The Hangover Part III 9:00pm Last Vegas 11:00pm When Harry Met Sally 12:40am Anchorman 2

8:00am The Italian Job 10:05am Black Hawk Down 12:40pm Captain Phillips 3:05pm The Italian Job 5:10pm American Hustle 7:40pm Captain Phillips 10:00pm The Green Mile 1:10am American Hustle 3:40am Black Hawk Down

10:15am Jingle All the Way 11:50am Grumpy Old Men 1:40pm Jack Frost 3:25pm New Year's Eve 5:30pm Grumpy Old Men 7:20pm National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 9:00pm Jack Frost 10:45pm New Year's Eve 1:00am National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Premiere

TCM

11:20am The Heat: Sky Movies Special 11:35am Captain America: The Winter Soldier 1:55pm The Lego Movie 3:40pm Middle Earth: There and Back Again 4:40pm Frozen 6:40pm Noah 9:00pm Captain America: The Winter Soldier 11:20pm Ride Along

6:00am Trouble Along the Way 8:05am Legend of the Lost 10:05am Cahill U.S. Marshal 12:00pm The Green Berets 2:40pm The Train Robbers 4:30pm The Alamo 7:30pm Rio Lobo 10:00pm On Deadly Ground 11:55pm Money Train 2:15am On Deadly Ground 4:00am Trouble Along the Way

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25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

Time Out EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

dvert

WE D

T

isers

O!

MADDOCKS’ VIEW ON LIFE

Famous quote

This week

Christmas is a season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.’

‘

in history

Washington Irving

1695: A window tax is introduced in England, causing many home owners to brick up their windows to avoid the tax. The act is not repealed until 156 years later.

1759: Arthur Guinness signs a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum at St James’ Gate in Dublin and starts brewing Guinness. The stout goes on to become one of the most successful beer brands in the world and is now available in 120 countries.

1865: The Ku Klux Klan is formed in Pulaski, Tennessee, by six former Confederate soldiers. The group becomes infamous for terrorising African Americans, particularly in the southern US states, through lynching and crossburning.

1952: Queen Elizabeth II makes her first Christmas speech since beginning her reign. The address is made from the study at Sandringham House and broadcast on BBC radio.

1977: Silent movie comedy actor Charlie Chaplin dies at the age of 88 at his Swiss manor on Christmas Day. The London-born actor suffers a stroke in his sleep and is buried two days later in Switzerland.

1977: Star Wars hits movie theatres in the UK, with thousands of people queuing to get nonreserved tickets that are otherwise booked up until March. The movie had earlier set the US box office alight and goes on to spawn a movie franchise.

1991: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as General Secretary of the Soviet Union and the union itself is dissolved the next day. Ukraine’s referendum is finalised and Ukraine officially leaves the Soviet Union.

2004: A tsunami devastates parts of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, leaving more than 230,000 dead.

An earthquake in the Indian Ocean triggered massive waves that wreaked havoc on coastal communities.

Women’s wit I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.’

‘

Jane Austen

World of English

‘

Of the more than two billion words in the English language, the average person is likely to know only around 50,000 of them.

K a k u ro

Costa Blanca weather for next 7 days JAVEA

DENIA JAVEA

CALPE CALPE ALTEA ALTEA BENIDORM BENIDORM

ALICANTE

ALICANTE

TORREVIEJA

TORREVIEJA

ORIHUELA

ORIHUELA

Alicante

Benidorm

CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 7C MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 17 9 C Tues - 18 9 S Wed - 16 9 C

17 8 Cl 17 9 Cl 17 10 C

CLOUDY MAX 18C, MIN 10C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Mon - 19 12 Cl Tues - 18 12 Cl Wed - 18 12 Sh

17 10 Cl 17 12 C 18 12 Cl

Mon - 18 9 Cl Tues - 18 9 S Wed - 17 9 C

17 8 Cl 17 9 Cl 18 9 Cl

SUNNY

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX 16C, MIN 8C

13 6 C 12 8 C 15 8 C S Sun,

MAX MIN

Mon - 14 9 Cl Tues - 14 9 S Wed - 14 9 S Cl Clear,

TODAY:

Fog,

Fri Sat Sun -

18 10 S 16 11 C 17 11 Cl

MAX 18C, MIN 8C MAX MIN

Mon - 17 11 Cl Tues - 17 11 C Wed - 17 11 Sh

TODAY:

CLOUDY MAX 17C, MIN 8C

Fri Sat Sun -

15 8 Cl 14 9 C 16 10 Sh

MAX MIN

11 4 C 14 9 C 12 9 Sh

Mon - 13 9 Sh Tues - 12 7 C Wed - 13 8 Cl

MAX MIN

MAX MIN

Mon - 16 9 S Tues - 15 9 Cl Wed - 16 9 C

Murcia

SUNNY

MAX 12C, MIN 3C

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Mallorca SHOWERS MAX 13C, MIN 8C

TODAY:

SUNNY

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Madrid

MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

Fri Sat Sun -

MAX MIN

Barcelona TODAY:

MAX MIN

Bilbao

Almeria TODAY:

Malaga

CLEAR MAX 17C, MIN 8C

TODAY:

12 1 S 11 4 C 13 4 Sh C Cloudy,

TODAY:

MAX MIN

Mon - 13 6 C Tues - 11 5 C Wed - 12 4 C Sh Showers,

CLEAR MAX 17C, MIN 7C MAX MIN

Fri Sat Sun -

17 6 Cl 17 8 Cl 20 9 C

Sn Snow,

MAX MIN

Mon - 19 9 S Tues - 18 8 Cl Wed - 18 9 C Th Thunder

LOTTERY

DENIA

Fill all the empty squares using the numbers 1 to 9, so that the sum of each horizontal block equals the ‘clue’ on its left, and the sum of each vertical block equals the clue on its top. No number may be used in the same block more than once.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

TOMORROW

TODAY

TODAY:

59

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TRUS

our a

EWN

UK NATIONAL LOTTERY

UK THUNDERBALL

IRISH LOTTO

EURO MILLIONS

LA PRIMITIVA

EL GORDO DE LA PRIMITIVA

Saturday December 20

Saturday December 20

Saturday December 20

Friday December 19

Saturday December 20

Sunday December 21

18

22

1

1

6

23

2 23

32

12

40

42

32

12

20

16

22

26

21

34

40

37

29 12

21

31

23

45

44

29

20 32

39

BONUS BALL

THUNDERBALL

BONUS BALL

28

3

17

LUCKY STARS

5

8

REINTEGRO

16

2

REINTEGRO

0

60

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

CROSSWORDS

www.euroweeklynews.com

Time Out EURO WEEKLY’S SPACE FOR YOU TO TAKE A BREAK, BE INFORMED AND ENJOY A CHALLENGE

H ex a g r a m IF IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK: This will be a super year for romance in all its guises. Physical relationships can be important to you and this year is all about getting a balance.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) This being a family oriented week, much of it may be spent getting together with relatives and going over old times. Perhaps you are compiling a photo album for older members of the family or vice versa.

December 25, Annie Lennox, 60, singer Scottish singer-songwriter Lennox was lead singer of 80s band Eurythmics and penned the hit single ‘Sweet Dreams’.

She went on to enjoy a solo career later, and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) An exciting invitation may set tongues wagging and make a loved one jealous. You, meanwhile, are quite bemused by the whole thing.

What comes out of this week is that you are of considerable value to others.

The mere thought of you not being around sends ripples through your social circle.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Being asked to take on a new and demanding task this week may see you wishing that you had been less visible.

However, don't think of the hard work involved but rather the brilliant outcome. You will be popular.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) An interest in technology is not something new to you. What is great, though, is that the penny has suddenly dropped. This week sees you understanding more and wanting to know more.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) An urge to get moving must mean that spring is round the corner. Certainly, you are questioning where you want to be in the months ahead. A house move or work placement may be on your mind.

CANCER (June 22 - July 23) Be aware that not everyone is willing to work as hard as you.

When approached by someone wanting you to trust them, be sure of their

December 25, Helena Christensen, 46, model One of the original supermodels of the 1990s, Danish model Christensen has enjoyed a 30-year career in the modelling/fashion world. She was crowned Miss Denmark in 1986 and in recent years has become passionate about photography.

December 26, Phil Spector, 75, music producer Spector is famous for creating the ‘wall of sound’ method of production that was prevalent in 1960s music. He was jailed in 2009 for the 2003 shooting of nightclub hostess Lana Clarkson at his home. He has worked with Tina Turner, The Beatles and Connie Francis. motives. Do what you feel is right but remain firmly in control, especially financially. It may not be the time to make a particular move, although others think that it is. There's no problem with discussing things and talking them through. Keep up your healthy habits because you need lots of energy, especially at the weekend.

LEO (July 24 - August 23) Social demands are made, but try to shuffle them to the weekend. Be diplomatic or someone close could become irritated. Keep an eye on the small print because something fundamental may have changed in a long-standing arrangement. Suddenly, at the weekend, you are thrust into the limelight.

BEARDS

MUTTER

CANNOT

NOISES

CURSED

NOVELS

DEALER

ORDERS

ELDERS

RENDER

GINGER

SCENES

HEARTS

TINSEL

HEDGES

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION 1 Shreds, 2 Seduce, 3 Desire, 4 Hauled, 5 Raised, 6 Wheels, 7 Fields, 8 Trails, 9 Leered, 10 Firing, 11 Massed, 12 Rigour, 13 Traits, 14 Pierce, 15 Corona, 16 Retain, 17 Scurry, 18 Scream, 19 Uprose

Your Stars EL HORMIGUERO

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Contact with a less than ideal situation makes you realise just how lucky you are. It has been clear that the weeks are changeable and your situation at the moment far from settled. Pity those whose day-to-day life is completely predictable.

LARDER

December 26, Pablo Puyol, dancer and singer. Malaga-born Puyol began studying biology before switching to drama and started his professional acting career in Madrid with the musical Grease. He has appeared in numerous television shows and short films, and thanks to his dancing and singing abilities landed a role in the hit TV series Un paso adelante.

39

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Be aware that leopards do not change their spots, they merely hide them. Those who demand your trust need a cool checking out and don't be afraid to say 'no' as and when necessary. Finances are well aspected this week with a new idea proving both worthwhile in terms of your time and profitable.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Career and home are in disharmony but a bit of compromise soon sorts things out.

You don't like playing the 'bad guy', but honesty is also important to you. Speaking your mind can be liberating although, initially, you may see it as a nuisance and embarrassing. A meeting at the weekend is both confusing and disarming.

December 28, Denzel Washington, 60, actor A-list movie star Washington won a Best Actor Oscar for his role in the 2001 film Training Day. He worked as a summer camp counsellor before discovering his passion for acting. In 2012, he donated $1 million to the Children’s Fund of South Africa.

December 29, Ted Danson, 67, actor Danson shot to fame as the lothario barman Sam in television series Cheers.

He has appeared in a number of big screen productions and is married to fellow actor Mary Steenburgen. He has been a vegan since 2007.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Someone with a larger-than-life imagination makes you smile but that was not their intention. Try to be diplomatic and steer them in a different direction. Some feelings of loneliness will not be assuaged by working more.

Perhaps it is time to consider taking on a pet or giving a current pet more attention.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Sometimes, you find it hard to do things just for the pure enjoyment of it. Realise that not everything has to have a purpose or a profit. Look round this week and seek out something that will please your senses and bring a smile to your lips.

Make this a week when you live for the moment and give full rein to your imagination.

FESTIVE FUN

The initial letters of the answers to these seasonal posers spell out the name of your favourite English language newspaper.

1. Band Aid’s single Do They Know It’s Christmas? was originally released to raise money for relief of the 1983–1985 famine in which African country?

2. What is the surname of the Scottish musician who cowrote Do They Know It’s Christmas? with Bob Geldof?

3. In which country is ‘sochivo’, a porridge made from wheat, barley, rye or rice, often the first dish in the traditional 12-dish Christmas Eve supper (Svyatah Vecherya)?

4. Adeste Fideles is a Christmas carol that has been attributed to various authors, including the 18th century hymnist John Francis Wade. What title did the English Catholic priest Frederick Oakeley give it when he translated it into English in 1841?

5. Which part of the festive turkey is also known as the merrythought or furcula?

6. First broadcast on Christmas Day, 1986, an episode of which programme was the most watched UK television programme of all time, with 30.1 million viewers?

7. Which mechanical drawing toy invented by Frenchman André Cassagnes was the best-selling Christmas toy in 1960?

8 In the 1994 remake of the Christmas fantasy film Miracle on 34th Street, what was the name of the Santa Claus character played by Richard Attenborough?

9. ‘Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents, grumbled Jo, lying on the rug’ is the opening line of which famous novel, first published in 1868?

10. In France, this traditional Christmas dessert is known as bûche de Noël, by what name is it known in English?

11. In which ‘fantasy land’ is it ‘always winter but never Christmas’?

12. According to the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, on which day did my true love bring me pipers piping?

13. ‘Nadolig Llawen’ is ‘merry Christmas’ in which language?

14. What was the title of the 1988 American comedy film that was a modernisation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol?

It was produced and directed by Richard Donner and starred Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwait, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, John Houseman and Robert Mitchum.

Nonagram How many English words of four letters or more can you make from the nine letters in our Nonagram puzzle? Each letter may be used only once (unless the letter appears twice). Each word MUST CONTAIN THE CENTRE LETTER (in this case T) and there must be AT LEAST ONE NINE LETTER WORD. Plurals, vulgarities or proper nouns are not allowed.

TARGET: Average: 18 Good: 23 Very good: 33 Excellent: 40

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION agin, gain, gale, gave, gean, gear, gene, girl, girn, give, glee, glen, gran, grin, ling, rage, rang, ring, agile, agree, align, align, angel, anger, angle, eager, eagle, eager, gavel, genie, genre, given, giver, glare, glean, gnarl, grail, grain, grave, green, ingle, lager, large, leger, liege, liger, range, regal, reign, vegan, verge, angler, avenge, earing, enrage, gainer, genera, Geneva, genial, glaive, gravel, graven, greave, grieve, laving, linage, linger, raving, regain, regale, regnal, avenger, engrave, enlarge, evangel, general, gleaner, leaving, leering, lineage, realign, reeling, reeving, veering, vinegar, levering, ravelling, reveling, REVEALING

Word Ladder SLED

DOGS

Move from the start word (SLED) to the end word (DOGS) in the same number of steps as there are rungs on the Word Ladder.

You must only change one letter at a time.

DUES DOES DOGS

This comedy-drama based on the book of the same name

by Jonathan Tropper tells the story of four siblings returning to the family home upon the death of their father. Requested to stay a week, they and their free-speaking mother – along with a collection of exes, spouses and might-have-beens – must come to terms with emotional and tattered relationships and re-evaluate their shared history. You can choose your friends but you certainly can’t choose your family.

Directed by Shawn Levy and starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey and Jane Fonda.

Run time 103 minutes. Rated R.

INLAND

ASTERS

SLED SUED SUES

This Is Where I Leave You

ANGELS (10)

14-Star Quiz

1. ETHIOPIA, 2. URE (Midge Ure), 3. RUSSIA, 4. O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL, 5.

WISHBONE, 6. EASTENDERS (when Den Watts handed over divorce papers to his wife Angie), 7. ETCH-A-SKETCH, 8 KRIS KRINGLE, 9. LITTLE WOMEN, 10.

YULE LOG, 11. NARNIA, 12. ELEVENTH DAY, 13. WELSH, 14. SCROOGED

The purpose of the Hexagram puzzle is to place the 19 six-letter words into the 19 cells. The letters at the edges of interlocking cells MUST BE THE SAME. The letters in the words must be written CLOCKWISE. The word in cell 10 (ANGELS) and one letter in four other cells are given as clues.

NEW ON DVD

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Crosswords

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

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Cryptic

Funagram

Quick

Unscramble the title of a UK Christmas number one hit single from the 1990s (two words): YOUR SAD VISA

Across 1 Speechless like the crossword solver sometimes (4,3,5) 7 Girl with an article for the fete (4) 8 Change of diet not a remedy (8) 9 Upset baby's plaything (6) 10 It is why one has intelligence (6) 11 Catch some wine tasters (3) 12 Hilaire Belloc uncovered protestor (5) 14 Like the female bird, anaemic looking (5) 16 Insincerity conceals an evil act! (3) 18 Understand a luxury car is kept in the attic (6) 20 Shrewd sort of statue (6) 22 On watch when living at sea (8) 23 It's a method, but not here (4) 24 This stranger is disturbed by such personal emotion susceptibilities (12)

Unscramble the title of a UK Christmas number one hit single from the 1950s (two words): CHARMS A BATTLESHIP FUNAGRAM SOLUTION: SAVIOUR’S DAY, CHRISTMAS ALPHABET

Play on Words

SMEFRANKLL

previously (7) 15 Sets up careless parents (7) 16 Purloins duck between beginning and end of shifts (6) 17 Chew the fat about ‘Net art (6) 19 Put up with a sailor, one of the French (5) 21 Coach for bride’s retinue (5)

Code Breaker

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 2 represents G and 5 represents D, so fill in G every time the figure 2 appears and D every time the figure 5 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.

Across 1 Bottle material (5) 4 Father or mother (6) 9 Put in order (7) 10 Prickly shrub (5) 11 Large water pitcher (4) 12 Exterior (7) 13 Play on words (3) 14 Appeal (4) 16 Cooker (4) 18 Be victorious (3) 20 Check closely (7) 21 Counterfeit (4) 24 Fact of being elsewhere (5) 25 Put back (7) 26 Large wild cats (6) 27 Live in (5

Down 1 Small beard (6) 2 Concur with (5) 3 Dispatched (4) 5 Cherished desire (8) 6 Building (7) 7 Large domesticated bird (6) 8 Juicy fruit of the gourd family (5) 13 US name for dummy (8) 15 Ahead (7) 17 Go away (6) 18 Physically and mentally fatigued (5) 19 Disclose (6) 22 Fill with wonder (5) 23 Potato (4)

English - Spanish

O KNIGHT Answers: Frankincense, O Holy Night

Down 1 Escape from can? (7) 2 It’s clever to start some more art

(5) 3 Marshland shelters careless blonde (6) 4 About to right a counter (6) 5 Tests or distributes (7) 6 Letter of credit to me contains more of the same (5) 13 Nobleman that is king

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS CRYPTIC Across: 1 Rococo, 4 Canals, 9 Cargo, 10 Plato, 11 Arena, 12 Sterile, 13 Tacked, 15 Crisis, 19 Amnesia, 21 Cured, 23 Serve, 24 Elope, 25 Tidies, 26 Angers.

Down: 1 Radiant, 2 Cycle, 3 Carcase, 5 Apple, 6 Adagios, 7 Score, 8 Moose, 14 Centred, 16 Raccoon, 17 Saddles, 18 Cases, 19 Asset, 20 Scene, 22 Reeve.

QUICK Across: 1 Cockerel, 4/6 Long jump, 7 Spoof, 9 Round, 11 Stain, 12 Plain, 13 Elapse, 15 Assess, 19 Jeans, 21 Llama, 23 Tense, 24 Large, 25 Damp, 26 Fearless.

Across 3 Muñeca (4) 4 Diversión (entretenimiento) (3) 6 Ponche de huevo (6) 7 Platos (para comer) (6) 11 To roast (4) 12 Duende (3) 13 Juguete (3) 15 Cometa (5) 16 Camels (8) 18 Abierto (6) 19 Campanas (de iglesias, puertas) (5) 21 Beard (5)

The clues are mixed, some clues are in Spanish and some are in English.

Down 1 Plum pudding (5,2,5) 2 Acebo (5) 4 Chimenea (9) 5 Comida (4) 8 Trineo (4) 9 Regalo (4) 10 Cocina (aparato) (5) 14 Gold (3) 17 Cornamenta (de ciervo) (7) 19 Bebé (4) 20 Estrella (4)

Down: 1 Costume, 2 Cross, 3 Errand, 5 Groan, 8 Flats, 10 Drake, 14 Apart, 16 Shawl, 17 Success, 18 Fleece, 19 Jaded, 20 Sane, 22 Agree.

ENGLISH-SPANISH Across: 1 Dieciseis, 8 Acera, 9 Grain, 11 Lana, 12 Kiss, 14 Tall, 16 Arma, 19 Ayuda, 21 Chico, 22 Camareros.

Down: 2 Items, 3 Cual, 4 Sign, 5 Ida, 6 Hacksaw, 7 Anillos, 10 Rat, 13 Sad, 15 Aviso, 17 Rama, 18 Ache, 20 Uva.

62

E W N 25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

TOP 10 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION FAILS With the best of intentions most of us vow to give up, take up, do more or do less of something come January 1 each year. Most of the time we fall back into old habits pretty quickly, but here is a list of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions made by people – and failed by people – around the world at this time of year.

1. Quit smoking The perennial list-topper when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. We vow to stop, telling ourselves it’s bad for our health and we’ll save a fortune and our breath will smell better and food will taste nicer, but two days later most of us are back puffing away, feeling guilty and ashamed.

SPONSORED BY For solutions: http://www.euroweeklynews.com/puzzle-answers.html

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Bestselling author Anthony Horowitz brings us back into the dark and complex world inhabited by the two. Pinkerton Detective Frederick Chase travels to Europe in the aftermath of

Moriarty’s disappearance; a disappearance that has left a void in the criminal underworld with no shortage of characters to fill it.

A fiendishly clever criminal mastermind emerges on the scene, and Chase and Scotland Yard inspector Athelney Jones forge a path through the

darkest corners of London in their search for the man determined to become Moriarty’s successor.

QFAMILY

SLICE OF CHIC

4. Travel more Easier said than done. It’s a lovely idea and great if you can do it, but money,

App of the Week Bookstreams, Free A completely new way of reading books based on the idea of giving each book a unique story and promoting socialising through book sharing. The bookstreams app will add your books to the cloud library, and thanks to geolocation technology, you can always find books around you that you might be interested in and choose your next read.

NO MORE! (left): Breaking the habit.

EATING HEALTHIER (right): Salads and juices replace junk food work commitments and general lack of time means most of us don’t get around to fulfilling that particular resolution of spending a month exploring India.

Sudoku Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3X3 box contains the digits 1-9. There’s no maths involved. You solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic.

Christmas season. We promise to cut back on non-essentials and budget better but managing finances can be frustratingly difficult.

6. Learn something new Taking up an instrument or learning a second language sounds great and ultimately achievable, but who has the time? Television and the sofa is most people’s choice of relaxation after a hard day at the office.

books@euroweeklynews.com

2. Join a gym Gyms love the New Year. During January they are packed with enthusiastic, slightly pudgy rookies who don’t know how to operate the fitness machines. In February they are generally pretty empty again, the domain once more of the gym junkies and fitness freaks.

3. Drink less One of the less difficult ones to stick with but also one that goes out the window come birthdays, family gatherings or every Saturday night. Once December comes around again we wonder what happened and vow to cut down again after the Christmas festivities.

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5. Get out of debt Again, easier said than done, particularly when you check your bank balance after the wallet-crippling

7. Spend more time with family In theory it sounds lovely, but again, everyday life and commitments get in the way. Finding the time is usually a big factor in failed New Year’s resolutions.

8. Eat healthier Not so hard to get started with after the general over-indulgence at Christmas.

Salads and juices are a welcome relief from weeks of stuffing our bellies with turkey and treats, but most soon find themselves craving a nice pizza or burger by Easter.

9. Help others A beautiful sentiment and one that many people adopt and stick with. You can volunteer or be more generous with charity donations without infringing too much on your time or wallet, but again, it’s a resolution that is often stated but practiced little.

10. Be happier A new year, a new me. I won’t let the boss grind me down. I’ll take brisk walks in the open air. I’ll be more romantic. I’ll learn to love life. I won’t be so stressed.

Ah, the naivety of New Year’s resolutions!

Boggled How many English words can you find in the Boggled grid, according to the following rules?

The letters must be adjoining in a ‘chain’. They can be adjacent horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Words must contain at least four letters and may include singular and plural or other derived forms.

No letter may be used more than once within a single word, unless it appears twice.

No vulgarities or proper nouns are permitted.

TARGET:

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

Average: 22 Good: 28

Just Joking Q: What do you get when you cross a tiger with a snowstorm?

A: Frostbite Q: What do you get when you cross a lemon and a cat?

A: A sourpuss Q: What do you get when you cross a hamburger with a computer?

A: A Big Mac

Very good: 41 Excellent: 50

SCORING:

4 letters: 1 point • 5 letters: 2 points 6 letters: 3 points • 7 letters: 4 points 8 or more letters: 11 points

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION dines, idler, inbred, oiled, linen, nilled, nones, newts, wilder, willed, wonder, wonts, liner, linens, riled, reefs, refer, blind, brine, bents, beefs, beets, twill, twine, twines, tender, tenon, teens, senile, steer, sneer, direr, diner, drill

HEALTH & BEAUTY

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When chemo gets serious, a seasonal choir lightens the load Erica Russell Watson: My journey – and I’m driving

17th December TODAY was an early start. I had to shake the sparrows out of the trees!

As with every chemotherapy session you need to have a series of blood tests to check you are in a good state to take the treatment. If your immune system is compromised you might not be able to have the chemo on the scheduled day.

I arrived in Malaga at 7am and staked my claim to third in the queue outside the hospital for my blood test or ‘extraction’ as it is known here!

Finally the doors swung open and in I went to get my number and wait to be called. It was over very quickly; these people are pros as they must do a staggering number of ‘extractions’ on a daily basis!

Armed with my ticket, up I went to the oncology section on the eighth floor and handed it in and collected my appointment slip to see the oncologist later. It seemed unusually quiet, which was a good sign. I would hopefully collect my bone scan

results and be given the all clear to proceed with chemo. In the meantime I went for breakfast.

I walked out into the cold morning air and with the sun rising and my stomach grumbling I made a beeline for a café. Always a good sign when you see lots of Guardia Civil and firemen having their breakfast, so I stopped there to take on fuel.

I ordered my usual breakfast and people-watched. I finished my breakfast and headed back to the hospital. I went and sat in the waiting room and saw some familiar faces. It was a very pleasant atmosphere and I sat and read my book. At 10am I was called to see the oncologist.

In I went. My oncologist is a charming woman. She asked how I felt after my first session.

I told that aside from a little cold I had tolerated the treatment very well. I also told her that I had had my coil or IUD removed. She was pleased. She told me my blood test results were perfect and that my immune system was in good shape so there would be no problem in receiving my second dose of chemo. I asked her for the results of the bone scan. She looked at my file online and said: “Good news, totally clear.”

I have to say I wasn’t expecting anything negative but it is always good to have positive news. It seemed that the cancer was localised and hadn’t spread.

Whilst having my breakfast, I

SANTA SALUD: The surprise choir cheered everyone up. had bought an ice pop which the nurses kept in the fridge for me.

It is important for the last dose of chemo in the session that my mouth is cold to reduce blood flow and possible ulceration of the mouth.

So I went and sat in my giant reclining seat and waited for the nurse to take my blood pressure and then put the line in. There was a young nurse, just graduated, who tried to put the line in my hand and didn’t manage it. So trusty Jesús came and got the line in a vein further up my arm. I haven’t got the best veins so it took about 20 minutes but they managed it in the end by stimulating the veins with a bag of boiling hot water.

Once the drip was in, I relaxed.

The first bag provides me with a stomach protector. Then your vein is cleaned out and the next bag is hooked up; then the

same flushing out process until the last bag, which is toxic orange, and then one final flushing of the veins. All in all it took about three hours.

Suddenly a group of ladies arrived to accompany the lady in the chair next to me, who was very nervous. They had musical instruments, Santa hats and flashing glasses, chocolates and even a bottle of aniseed! I declined the alcohol preferring to enjoy their spirit! Jorge took photos of us all and the time flew by as we laughed. What a great way to take your mind off things!

I was disconnected from the machine as it made its final beep and it was time to go. Fantastic, two down and six to go! I went with Jorge to visit his uncle, who also has cancer, and to have lunch with his family. I can’t express the love and gratitude I

feel toward them all. They have looked after me and cared for me in the most wonderful way.

After lunch it was back to my house as the children had arrived back from school and had activities in the afternoon.

Business as usual and my children, although they love me and care a great deal about how I am, it doesn’t get me off the hook when it comes to jobs around the house.

Oliver chirps: “Mum, where are my football socks? You have to collect my report from school on Friday.” Isabella informs me: “You have to buy me a red tutu today for the end of term dance.

I have a sore throat and you need to sign this form for school.” And so it goes on but I like the routine.

It had been a long day. I took off my wig and put on a scarf.

The wig gets itchy after a while.

I was starting to get used to the strange reflection that greeted me in the mirror although I still had quite a lot of hair.

I tried hard not to rub my eyebrows too much as I hoped they would hang on for a bit longer. I wasn’t quite ready to see a frameless face with two blue orbs staring back at me!

That was it until 7th January, so time to concentrate on Christmas. My tree twinkled at me every morning and I had the joy of the imminent arrival of my family to look forward to.

Life wasn’t bad at all.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Advertising Feature

Think of your body before you text TEXTING can put up to four stone of extra weight on your spine as you hunch over your phone, the equivalent to three car tyres.

This pressure on the cervical vertebrae in the neck can cause longterm damage, and osteopaths Russell Dougall and Sonja van Kommer are seeing the results in their clinic in Pilar de la Horadada.

Russell said good posture is essential to prevent damage: “We encourage people to adopt good posture, by having the ears aligned with the shoulders and the hip bones when sitting. Limit working times to no more than 20-minute blocks, before getting up and moving away from the device.”

Bad posture has been linked to a range of other conditions: heart problems, headaches, neck pain and constipation.

Good posture reduces the production of the stress hormone cortisol: “We all know today, more than ever, whatever your age, technology and internet go hand in hand with everyday life.

Like any revolutionary change, the technological age is generating unwelcome side-effects.”

The human head weighs between four

produced in the muscles around the forearm, shoulder and then up into the neck.

Muscles have evolved to perform two vital functions; firstly to maintain good posture, and secondly to allow large powerful movements such as running and walking.

Our bodies have not had time to adapt to the small feeble movements

Russell: ‘Technological age is generating unwelcome side-effects.’ and seven kilos when it is upright. But, when you tilt your head forwards by 15 degrees this adds an extra 12 kilos, with more weight added the further you lean. For example, a 60 degree angle adds as much as 27 kilos (four stone). Think about this when you operate your tablet while watching TV! When you use your index finger on one hand and repeatedly move it across a phone or small screen

Sonja: Seeing the results in their clinic. hundreds of times in an hour, imagine the fatigue and strain

that are required to operate the technology surrounding us.

Russell said: “Basically, the smaller the device the worse it gets, iPad-itis is not a joke; unfortunately, today, many people are suffering severe neck pain and shoulder pain as a result of the repetitive strain involved in the manual operation of these devices. We have treated thousands of patients successfully for repetitive strain. We advise them on how they can help unload these delicate muscles of the neck and shoulder, and then recuperate and rehabilitate these muscles to help minimise the strain and pain.”

If you feel you would benefit from some advice and treatment for a posture related injury, call the clinic and speak to a professional who can help.

Osteopathic Healthcare clinic is 10 minutes south of La Zenia Boulevard, with parking on the main street of Pilar de la Horadada.

Osteopathic Healthcare Calle Mayor 110C Pilar de la Horadada Tel: 965 352 481

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75% of mothers gain weight after birth

Runners’ groups spur growth of a sport that’s no longer lonely

STRUGGLING to lose your baby weight? You’re not alone, with many women not only struggling to lose the extra pounds gained during pregnancy, but also actually putting on weight.

Researchers from the University of Chicago and Houston Methodist Hospital found that 75 per cent of new mothers were heavier a year after giving birth than they were before they became pregnant.

Analysing data from nearly 774 low-income women, researchers found that one-third of those who were normal weight before pregnancy became overweight or medically obese one year after childbirth. It is believed that as well as diet and exercise, the pressures of being a new mum could be the culprit.

The researchers said the low-income status of the women may also have affected the results, with a lack of time or money for gym membership and the possibility they might not even have a safe area to to take a walk and exercise.

RUNNING groups have been instrumental in the growth of the sport in Spain.

In the last decade, the number of running fans has been increasing due to the sport’s simplicity and the low cost involved in taking it up, with just some trainers, comfortable shoes and willpower needed to begin.

With its origins going back to the 1970s in the USA, where it was largely seen as a sport exclusively for men, now it is open and enjoyed by everyone and is ever more popular in Spain.

It is estimated that around 10 per cent of the population are regular runners and the Madrid and Barcelona marathons

SOCIAL SIDE: People running together, sometimes with a beer afterwards, has seen the sport spread. are amongst the largest in the world.

The latest ‘alternative’ runners’ groups are known as ‘Beer Runners’, ending their running sessions with

a beer at a bar. Its origin is found across the pond in Philadelphia, where the first group was created in 2007 following a study led

by Dr Manuel J Castillo at

the University of Granada, concluding that beer can help the recovery of water after exercise.

The practice has spread over the last two years to

more than 40 cities with upwards of 15,000 participants, meaning that what was once a lonely sport, is now a very social activity.

Older people are becoming healthier OLDER people are becoming healthier each year.

A study by the University of Oxford, England, said that older people should not be seen as an extreme burden on the National Health Service (NHS). The study found people born in each year

from 1912 were increasingly less likely to need emergency treatment and a 70-year-old now was spending less time in hospital than a 70-year-old five or 10 years ago.

Healthier diets, reductions in smoking, more vaccinations and

preventative drugs have all helped to keep people healthier in later life.

The news comes after a charity warned that the NHS was having to fork out millions of pounds every year because of delays in getting elderly patients back into their own

homes following a hospital stay.

Charity Age UK said the average patient needing adaptations to their home, such as handrails, was forced to wait in hospital for an extra 27 days while improvements were made allowing them to go home.

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Donkey dies after 150-kilo man takes ride

PLATERO, a five-month-old donkey taking part in a nativity scene in Lucena, Cordoba, died after a 150kilo man climbed onto its back.

No policemen or guards were about to stop the man climbing over the fence to the scene outside the town hall, pushing the delicate animal about then clambering on top of it.

Two days later locals notified the council that little Platero was obviously ill and could hardly stand up and a vet was called.

After examining the donkey the vet decided to take Platero to an animal hospital to try and treat extensive internal injuries but the young animal died the following morning.

Photos of a man apparently on the back of Platero are doing the rounds of the town by WhatsApp while the council awaits an official vet’s report before searching for the suspect. If the report proves that Platero was killed by the man’s impromptu ride, police will identify him and start legal action.

The Donkey Defence Association and Circulo Podemos Animalista Lucena group representatives declared: “We will move heaven and earth to ensure that the council pays for its negligence and the culprit pays for his repulsive crime.”

How to clean up cat urine

IF you have a cat that has urinated or made a mess where it shouldn’t it is important to clean up properly.

If not it is likely to return to relieve itself in the same spot. Here are a few tips: • One should clean up when the cat is not in the room, otherwise the cat thinks its mark gets attention.

• Consider redecorating after cleaning up if the spraying has been going on for a long time.

• Never use bleaches or disinfectants. They smell like urine to a cat, as does anything pine, rose or lemon scented.

• Disinfectants that go cloudy are poisonous to cats.

• Use warm water with 10 per cent solution of biological washing liquid or powder.

• Alternatively use one tablespoon of Napisan and

David THE Dogman

Listen to David on TRE every Saturday 10 thru 11.

Costa del Sol (Gibraltar/Sotogrande) 98.7fm (San Roque to Calahonda) 91.9fm (Calahonda to Motril) 88.9, Costa Calida 92.7fm Costa Blanca (Torrevieja to Elche) 105.1fm (Elche to Calpe) 88.2fm, (Calpe to Gandia & Ibiza) 104.6fm, (Denia to Valencia) 95.3fm Mallorca 103.9fm

one tablespoon of biological washing powder to one pint of water. Then rinse the area thoroughly in cold water and let it dry or dry it with a hair dryer if time presses.

• Next spray surgical spirit. Use a nail brush to get this into fabric and crevices. This gets rid of the fatty residues that prompt a cat to top up his own marks. Dry this off completely.

• Any curtains that have been sprayed with urine should be sent to the dry cleaners and linen machine washed.

• With moveable mats

REPEAT OFFENDER: Cats return to the spot. and small carpets get these cleaned somehow if you can or throw away.

• Do not try to save money on cleaning because in the long run the more thorough one is the

cheaper it all will be. A spraying/middening cat can cause a lot of grief and nothing is too much to stop it early on.

• The edge where the skirting board meets laminated flooring will have a pool of spray urine if the site has been used repeatedly. Use a silicon sealant between the two. Then cover with heavy varnish of the sort used to varnish boats to make a barrier between the sprayed urine pool area and the outside world.

• The intersection between tiles collects a pool. Clean the tiles - scrub in the intersection - then put the heavy boat varnish in the intersection or even over all the tile surface as well.

For professional petsitters, ask this mum and son couple of explorers

By Lamia Walker of HousesitMatch AN AUSTRALIAN mother and her son have been travelling around the world for three years.

In that time Ruth and Louis have been house and petsitting in over 30 countries. Ruth is a travel writer, and reviews hotels for a living. They are digital nomads. Because of the vast distances between cities in some

parts of Oz, Australians are used to home schooling, connecting with teachers by phone or radio. Now the internet enables home-schooling from anywhere!

As a travel writer Ruth has been fortunate in that she can take her work and her son with her. They write a blog about their experiences. On their travels they’ve cared for a wide variety of pets and farm animals. There were

cats and dogs in Australia, geese and hens in France, dogs and horses in Spain, turkeys in Turkey, parrots and goats in Fiji!

In Australia Ruth was a professional gardener.

She can care for fruit orchards and vegetable gardens in domestic plots.

Louis has been brought up to respect whichever host home they are caring for, and is equally happy helping his mum with the domestic duties, and he

especially loves caring for the animals.

They are currently touring Europe, and are a great example of the professional housesitters and petsitters available on HouseSitMatch.com.

Download your Free Easy Guide to Housesitting from here www.bit.ly/eurown001 To find a petsitter go to www.HousesitMatch.com or call Lamia on +44 (0)1865 521 508

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Costa Blanca’s best guide to local restaurants

TO READ MORE VISIT: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM/FEATURES/RESTAURANTS

Find friendly faces at The Pub THE PUB in Formentera del Segura is your true, friendly, welcoming local.

Previously The Liffey, it was taken over by Sheralee Selves and Kenny Tomkins seven months ago and has since received a full makeover and refurbishment, turning it into the simple, classy, modern venue it is now.

Whilst primarily a pub venue with live action sports on three large screens around the bar, there is also a strong bar menu, starting with breakfasts served from 9am2pm where a small English breakfast is just €3.50 including tea or coffee, or large from €5.50. A full range of tostadas are also available from €2.

From 6pm Monday to Saturday, there is a range of main meals and bar snacks from omelettes and winter wraps, to scampi, burgers

CARVERY: Served every Sunday at everyone’s favourite local. and jacket potatoes, all cooked by home cook Sheralee: “We also do weekly specials with curry, chips and a pint for €5 on a Monday and liver, bacon and onion on a Wednesday. Everything is prepared and cooked fresh on the day.”

Her home cooking style seems to

be going down well with customers. Sheralee is proud of the ever growing popularity of their Sunday carvery and rightly so. On a wet and windy Sunday afternoon, The Pub offered a welcoming warm stop from the wintery weather.

Sheralee served a choice of

seafood salad on a bed of crisp, fresh lettuce, or home-made hot mushroom soup with a hearty chunk of bread before guests were welcomed to help themselves to the carvery.

Even later in the afternoon, fresh, thickly cut, juicy chicken was just coming out and the vegetables were all still hot. Sheralee offers three different types of meat each week which can include chicken, beef, gammon and pork, and regularly changes the choice of four seasonal vegetables, plus mashed and roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and stuffing.

The Sunday carvery is served from 1-5pm with one course costing just €7, two courses €8 and just €9 for three.

The Pub, Formentera del Segura Tel: 603 234 731 or 966 792 634

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FOOD & DRINK

Top UK vocalist is the jewel in music and sparkle show MUSIC lovers are in for a treat on New Year’s Eve at the Royal Asian Restaurant, Benijofar.

The UK’s top soundalike, Karen Noble, will be making a rare appearance in the area, due to huge demand in the UK and Spain.

Karen has appeared at the London Palladium in the show ‘Dusty’ with Matt Monroe, to standing ovations at every performance.

She has a mindblowing, five-octave range, has won many music awards and sung live with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli and Sammy Davis Jnr. at Monte Carlo Casino. During her career she has also toured with Jim Davidson for the forces.

Her astonishing talent

KAREN: Performing in a special gala night show on New Year’s Eve. knows no bounds as this diva can sing anything from opera to pop with ease. She has been

hailed in the press as the best impersonator of the late Eva Cassidy, Barbra Streisand, Dusty

Springfield, Petula Clark, Shania Twain, Karen Carpenter, Celine, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey and many more.

Not only is she a rare vocal talent, but also an accomplished guitarist and pianist.

Performing for a special Music and Sparkle New Year’s Eve Gala night, the fun starts at the Royal Asian Restaurant in Benijofar at 8pm.

A hot and cold buffet, including 50 different dishes will be available all night long and tickets cost just €30 to include the show, food, fireworks, cava, grapes and party bags. Group discounts are available.

Tickets are available from Let’s Rock Shows via www.lrshows.com where video clips of Karen performing can be seen, or by calling 697 501 992.

Tickets are also available from the restaurant, Cards and More La Marina, the Hire Centre in San Luis, Post Box Doña Pepa and from The Card Place in Benimar.

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A very Happy Christmas to gardeners

Dick Handscombe

Gardening Corner

By Spain’s best known expatriate gardening author living in Spain for 25 years.

HOW fast the gardening and social years go round

and earlier writing deadlines creep up on one.

Am writing this early morning with a fusty head as only came out of hospital last evening after a rough week and health scare. Somehow half the words get typed looking like Latin Plant Botanical

names, but let’s persevere.

First Christmas Best Wishes to our friendly EWN team, who have been keeping the compiling of the EWN running smoothly this week, plus all EWN gardening readers whether seasoned or newcomer gardeners.

Fortunately

temperatures are keeping warm and there is little rain forecast at the time of writing, so Christmas Day can start with a traditional leisurely beach or country walk followed by tostadas coated with tomato, garlic and olive oil with a festive coffee and brandy.

No more required with a big festive meal ahead.

Over lunch let’s raise a glass to those readers unfortunate to be in hospital over Christmas.

Having just survived five days of a modern prisonlike medical environment with no thought given to the mental and motivational sides of survival and recovery, I would like to raise a Christmas Challenge.

I experienced kilometres of bare white walls and ceilings with black speckled floors. Many windows were difficult to look through, but where you could you could see large areas of lower stone chipping covered flat

roofs and bare patio areas just waiting to be brightened up to cheer staff, patients and visitors.

How wonderful it would be if the many expat gardening, sculpture, painting, photography, tapestry clubs, often coordinated within the umbrellas of local U3A Groups organised to offer install and maintain such things as the following, as a united Mediterranean coastal Christmas present.

Low maintenance patio and roof top gardens.

I am reminded of the expansive cacti and succulent gardens on various levels of the flat roofs of the Hotel Reina Isabel in La Palma Gran Canaria.

A hotel developed initially to serve the early overwintering British tourists.

Temporary or permanent exhibitions of colourful cheerful sculptures in the patios, on roof tops or waiting rooms.

Temporary or permanent exhibitions of paintings and photographs in public areas and corridors I thought that most of our readers will not yet be ready to think about garden related New Year Resolutions so held them back until next week.

So until then enjoy your well-earned seasonal rest from gardening.

Finally a great thanks to the many readers who have purchased during the past 12 months, copies of my Amazon Kindle book ‘Our 52 day retirement adventure along the Spanish Pyrenees’ which was launched in an EWN article last Christmas. The book is also in hard copy. © Dick Handscombe www.gardeninginspain.com December 2014

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Rentals up this Christmas

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HOLIDAY apartment owners in Spain look to be getting a Christmas present with rental enquiries for the festive season up 19 per cent.

According to holiday rental website HomeAway, 41 per cent of enquiries from Spain were for destinations within the country, giving a winter boost to property owners.

The report was looking at data for enquiries to rent on dates between December 20 and January 7.

Much of that growth has come from Spaniards looking for an extra break, perhaps an indication of an improving economy. The numbers of enquiries from people in Spain grew by 35 per cent, with Catalonia, Valencia, the Canaries and Andalucia being the most popular destinations. The Canaries saw a 75 per cent rise in enquiries compared

BARCELONA: A popular rental destination. to the same period in 2013, and Catalonia had an 88 per cent rise.

When heading abroad the Spanish preferred destination is France, followed by the USA and Costa Rica.

For British people Christmas is the time to head for the Canaries with 75 per cent of the site’s UK enquiries

for the Christmas period being for the islands.

Germans head to the Balearics, which have shown a 40 per cent rise in Christmas period enquiries. Most foreign tourists were looking to spend an average of six days on their festive holidays.

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Advertising feature

Common questions about installing a solar energy, grid-connected electricity system ELECTRICITY bills have increased by an average of 20 per cent each year over the past five years and are likely to increase over the next few years.

Fidelma Matthews from Solar in Spain answers some questions about solar electricity systems: How does a solar, gridconnected system work?

Solar electricity systems capture the sun’s energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells, made from layers of semiconducting material. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field. This system allows solar electricity to be used as it is being generated.

Do I need permission from Iberdrola to install a system in my property?

Yes. Permission has to be obtained prior to installation. Every gridconnected electricity system needs authorisation from both Iberdrola and the Spanish Government. Iberdrola is currently issuing fines of up to €30,000 for unauthorised installations.

that is produced but not used?

Iberdrola will now buy back any solar electricity that is sent back to the grid.

Are solar electricity systems expensive?

A solar electricity system will pay for itself within five to six years. Plus, every time Iberdrola increase their prices your solar investment improves!

SUN POWER: Iberdrola will buy back any surplus electricity.

Does solar energy only work on sunny days?

No. These cells don’t need direct

sunlight to work – they can still generate electricity on cloudy days.

What happens to the electricity

Where can I find out more information?

The Solar in Spain office and showroom is in the Pedreguer Industrial Estate, just off the N332, open from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.

They can be contacted on 962 854 488 or by email: info@solarinspain.com.

Their website is at: www.solarinspain.com

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HOME sales in Spain have posted a third consecutive quarter of rises as 13.5 per cent more homes were sold in quarter three than the same period in 2013.

According to the Ministry of Development the number of sales completed before a notary between July and September was 80,136.

Between January and March there was a 48.5 per cent rise in sales, with a further 12 per cent rise in the second quarter.

These are encouraging figures, particularly when taken with latest data from the Institute of National Statistics (INE) which showed a 16 per cent gain in October compared with the same month in 2013.

But there is still a long way to go before pre-housing crash figures are reached. The quarterly record stands at 251,649 homes sold, set in quarter two of 2006.

While 95 per cent of transactions were for private housing, the lion’s share was in the resale market, with

nito / Shutterstock.com

Housing sales keep on growing, but pre-crash figures still a long way off

TORREMOLINOS: Andalucia leads the way in home sales. just 15.1 per cent of sales being of new homes. While signs are good for

a recovery of the new homes market, the vast stock of unsold new builds

will have to reduce further. But it is slightly surprising that new homes sales are not rising faster as a recent report stated that new houses are being sold for less than they cost to construct, giving home buyers a unique opportunity that may not be seen again for decades.

Topping the sales list in quarter three was Andalucia (16,360 transactions); followed by Valencia (12,116); then Catalonia (11,983) and Madrid (10,272).

Boosting the figures were foreign residents of Spain. In quarter three purchases by them accounted for 12,764 transactions, an increase of 17.2 per cent, the 13th quarterly rise.

The total number of sales to foreigners including non-residents reached 13,789, or 17.2 per cent of all home purchases in the quarter.

Most popular spots were Alicante (3,323) Malaga (1,918), Barcelona (1,103), Madrid (839) and Tenerife (721).

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FEATURE

Jake LaMotta

By Tony Matthews

A

T the age of 93, Jake LaMotta is the oldest former world boxing champion alive today.

Born in the Bronx, New York City, in 1921, he boxed at both middleweight and light heavyweight and had 106 senior fights, winning 83 - 30 by a knock-out - losing 19 and drawing four.

Jake was forced by his father into fighting other children to entertain neighborhood adults, who threw change into the ring. This was used to help pay the rent.

In 1941, aged 19, Jake turned professional but during the Second World War he was rejected for military service because of an operation on one of his ears. He carried on boxing and went from strength to strength.

He won 14 of his first 15 bouts as a middleweight before losing a highly contentious split decision to Cleveland-based Jimmy Reeves; chaos erupted after the decision was announced.

Later, Jake met Reeves again and this time Reeves won, before a third match between the two took place in March 1943 in Detroit, Michigan. After an even contest, Jake struck with a vicious left hook, sending Reeves crashing to the canvas.

Now one of the best at this level, Jake’s next fight was against the former welterweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson - Robinson’s first bout at middleweight. Spectators at Madison Square Garden saw Jake knock Robinson down in the first round but he took control of the fight, winning comfortably on points.

Jake was forced by his The re-match took place a few months father into fighting later in Detroit when other children to those present witnessed entertain adults an historic eighth round.

Jake landed a right to Robinson’s head and a left to his body, sending him straight through the ropes. The bell saved dazzling Robinson at the count of nine. Jake left jabs and was already well in front with the jarring uppercuts. judges. Robinson never recovered and A fourth fight, staged nearly two suffered the first defeat of his career, years later, resulted in another win for beaten on points.

Robinson, who also won the fifth in The two met again three weeks later Chicago in September 1945, on a split when Robinson, although floored, won decision which was booed by the a close fight after producing some 14,755-strong audience.

The ‘Bronx Bull’ of the boxing ring Jake returned to boxing in November 1947, but was knocked out in the fourth round by Billy Fox. Suspecting the fight was fixed, the New York State Athletic Commission withheld purses for the fight and suspended Jake. This fight with Fox would come back to haunt him later in life, during a case with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In his testimony Jake admitted to throwing the fight in order to gain favour with the Mafia. All involved agreed the fix was obvious and its staging inept.

In Jake’s words: “The first round, a couple of belts to his head, and I see a glassy look coming over his eyes.

Jesus Christ, a couple of jabs and he’s going to fall down. I began to panic a little. I was supposed to be throwing a fight to this guy, and it looked like I was going to end up holding him on his feet... By the fourth round, if there was anybody in the Garden who didn’t know what was happening, he must have been dead drunk.”

The thrown fight and a payment of $20,000 to the Mafia got Jake his title bout against the world middleweight champion from France, Marcel Cerdan.

Jake won his fight against Cerdan in June 1949 in Detroit; the Frenchman retired with a damaged shoulder before the start of the 10th round. A re-match was arranged, but as he was flying back to the United States, Cerdan’s plane crashed in the Azores, killing everyone on board.

In February 1951, Jake fought Sugar Ray Robinson for the final time in their legendary six-bout rivalry. In a tough contest, Jake took a terrible beating over the last few rounds but refused to go down. In the end Robinson won by a technical knockout in the 13th.

Jake moved up to the light heavyweight class after losing to Robinson, but had a run of poor results at first, including a debut defeat against Bob Murphy.

Thankfully, he recovered well and won three fights in a row, beating Norman Hayes, Eugene Hairston and Murphy in re-matches.

On New Year’s Eve 1952, Jake had his fight with Danny Nardico stopped in the eighth round after being knocked down for the first time in his career. When he returned to the ring, he knocked out his first two opponents, Johnny Pretzie and Al McCoy, but lost on a split decision to Billy Kilgore, which convinced him to retire.

After taking off his gloves, Jake managed and also owned a number of bars. He also became a stage actor and stand-up comedian but in 1958 was arrested and charged with introducing men to an underage girl at a club he owned in Miami. He was convicted and served time on a chain gang, although he has maintained his innocence.

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ALARMS: All types, quality systems, very reasonable, guaranteed. Tel: 966 797 370 / 600 237 223 (234564)

AUTHORS

BUSINESS OPP

DEALERSHIPS available for safety pool fencing. Only one dealership will be offered for every 100km radius. Including the only ‘No-Holes’ pool fencing system in the world suitable for rentals. Tel 952 810 443, info@lifeguardfence.com (226434) BUYING or Selling a Business?

Contact Spain’s leading Business Broker, ‘Business Broker Spain.’ Free consultation and Assessment. Tel: 617 062 421 (229626) VENDING MACHINE route on the Costa. €30K nett p.a., no overhead. All cash income. €49,900. UK: 0044 2392 160657 (231437)

CARS WANTED

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ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS IS ALCOHOL COSTING YOU MORE THAN MONEY? Drinking to excess not only affects your health it can spill over into every other aspect of your life – damaging everything that is important to you. Englishspeaking AA meetings are held throughout the Costa Blanca from Valencia City to Murcia.

Anyone wishing to attend a meeting or discuss a possible drinking problem contact Costa Blanca North: *648 169 045* or Costa Blanca South: *625 9 1 2 0 7 8 * or Costa Calida *679 385 105*. All calls are treated in the strictest confidence. AA in German: 645 456 075; Spanish: 679 212 535;

Flemish: 635 047 053; and Scandinavian: 659 779 222. www.aa-costablanca.org (93323) ROUNDABOUT CHARITY SHOP. We are now into summer and very soon we will be feeling the heat! It is time therefore for another visit to the shop where you might find a bargain or two.

Choose from the clothing selection, jewellery, household goods, books or bric a brac.

There is usually something there for everyone —- but not always. Charitable donations have recently been made to The Alzheimers Centre, Cancer Research and The Amigos Ambulance Service. We still need your help with donations etc.

Please keep them coming in!

During July and August the shop will only be open Wednesday to Saturday from 09.30 until 13.00. We are situated on Avenida Del Furs close to the Fountain Roundabout and immediate left by Don Colchon bed shop. (93325) THE SPIRITUALIST CHURCH OF QUESADA, meets at new premises, Hamiltons Bakehouse, Calle Vicente 62, Blasco Ibañez, Benijofar. Sunday Service at 11.30am. A Tuesday evening of Mediumship at 7.30pm and every Thursday there is an opportunity to develop your skills at the Open Circle at 7.30pm. Spiritual Healing is available Sunday and Tuesday.

Contact Wendy on 965 323 028.

(95454) THE ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION, Torrevieja Branch, meet at 17.00 on the first Wednesday of each month at the Restaurante El Paraiso, Urb. Jardin del Mar 3 (behind Carrefour), Torrevieja. Contact Mike Wright, Chairman 966 722 895 or Margaret Forshaw, Secretary 966 921 996. (95455) HELP Vega Baja. We help people of all ages with all sorts of problems, particularly at times of crisis and emergencies.

Offices based in San Miguel at Calle Lope de Vega 46 (Tel 966 723 733), Torrevieja at Rambla

CHARITY

Juan Mateo Garcia 4 (Tel 965 704 282). La Marina Helpdesk Calle Madrid 5 (Tel: 673 109 096). Our offices are open Monday to Friday 10am -1.30pm and the Helpdesk at La Marina is open every Friday 10 am 1.30 pm. We are online at www.helpvegabaja.com or email office@helpvegabaja.com Remember we also have a 24 hour Emergency help-line on 966 723 733 (95456) THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Orihuela Costa - covering from Punta Prima to San Javier. The branch meets at Olympia restaurant, Mil Palmeras on 3rd Thursday of each month at 19.00 - 19.30pm. More info can be found on branch website www.orihuelacostarbl.co.uk.

(95457) THE BAKER FOUNDATION for SPIRITUAL AWARENESS. 16 Nicolas De Bussi Ave, Playa Flamenca. Sunday Service every week 11am to 12 noon, everyone welcome. For further details please phone/fax 966 760 665 (95458) THE PHILIP SCOTT LODGE No 10671 of the RAOB meets every Friday in the Bar Catorce, Benijofar. Please call the secretary, Colin Bird on 693 287 614 for further information. (95459) CHARITY BOOK STALL PEGO THURSDAY MARKET. Selection of over 500 books, all proceeds given to the elderly/disabled of Pego and local Animal Rescue.

More stock always required please contact Chrissie 965 977 228/617 647 395 (95460) THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188 (95461) CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: 693 275 779 (95462) PILAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH, Calle Canalejas, 3. Pilar de la Horadada. Sunday Service at 11am & Thursday at 5pm for Prayer and Praise and

Worship. Home groups meet during the week. All welcome from any church background or none. For further information, contact PilarChristian.Communi tyChurch@gmail.com / 968 575 417 / 966 848 806. Reg No: 2009-SG/A (95463) TCF is a multi-national English speaking church now located on Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas 68, Torrevieja. The Sunday Service, including Communion and Creche/Sunday School, commences at 10.30am with a Bible Study/Prayer Meeting on Wednesday evenings at 6.00pm. Telephone 966 700 391 or call in to the Church any day between 9.00am until 1.00pm. Monday to Friday to find out more about Church activities. (95464) THE AIRCREW ASSOCIATION COSTA BLANCA BRANCH. Former & serving aircrews of the UK or Allied Armed Forces are welcome to join this convivial & friendly organisation, now in its 21st year. www.acacostablan ca.org or call the Secretary on: 966 495 042 (95465) THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION JAVEA BRANCH meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month @ Scallops Rest on the Arenal at 11.00am. Everyone is welcome to attend as a visitor and join the branch if they wish.

Anyone needing any help or advice on welfare, or any information regarding the branch can contact either Sheila on 965 791 270 or Roger on 965 790 123 (95472) TORREVIEJA STROKE SUPPORT GROUP meets each Friday 3pm to 5pm in The Annex, (behind Age Concern Centre), Calle Paganini, Urb. La Siesta. Our aim is to support stroke survivors and their carers by a range of facilities from speech therapy, rehabilitation exercise, group discussion etc. For info: Louie 96 671 8964 or Carol, Secretary: 966 765 488, email: strokesupportgroup@hot mail.com Donations and further voluntary helpers are needed and guest speakers with relevant knowledge or experience are very welcome.

(95473) THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch meets 1st Monday of every month (except July and August) at Bar Sioux , Avda Escandinavia GA at 7pm for 7.30pm prompt. For further info contact Brian, Branch Secretary on 639 917 971 / email secretarybr3606@gmail.com (95474)

CAMPELLO CONTRA CANCER in conjunction with AECC Association Español Contra Cancer has opened a charity shop at C/Virgen de los Desamparados No 13 (next door to Mas y mas) El Campello. The shop is open Mon-Fri 10 - 2pm and is run by unpaid volunteers and all monies raised goes to the AECC. We urgently need donations of clothes, books, large and small furniture etc, and we will arrange collection of large items. We need volunteers to help out in the shop and also clothes rails, shelves etc. for display. Please support your local Cancer charity and if you wish to obtain literature or simply talk to someone. Please stop by at the shop. Contact Mina or Trisha. Tel 650 071 278 or 610 921 413 e-mail aecc_campel lo@hotmail.com (95475) International Christian Assembly Calle Pilar de Horadada 5, Torrevieja Evangelical non-denominational Sunday services 11am Children’s church 11am House groups in Torrevieja, Los Balcones, San Javier Ladies meeting Thursdays 11am. Pastor, Rafael Restrepo All nationalities welcome 966 799 273 / 660 127 276. (95476)

DAMP RISING DAMP! We can cure Rising Damp, Leaking Flat Roof or Terrace. We can make your Underbuild Dry. Villa Repainting Due? We can protect your villa and stop PENETRATING DAMP with a Protective Coating. You can also pay in Sterling. Phone/email us now for a FREE survey. Tel 965 050 065 or 634 322 672 www.dryzone-espa na.com (230334)

ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (234560)

INSURANCE

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Price per word: 0,42€ + IVA minimum 15 words - Discount: Book 10 weeks, get 2 weeks free - Deadline: 4pm Mondays Contact: Phone (0034) 952 561 245 • Fax (0034) 952 440 887 • email classifieds@euroweeklynews.com • www.euroweeklynews.es

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MOBILE HOMES

PETS

WE BUY, Sell, Store, Remove all types of Mobile Homes. We pay CASH and cover all of Spain.

More details call Suzi Caley 616 250 727 / 951 063 059 or email suzicaley@gmail.com (228718)

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www.euroweeklynews.com GATAMI ORGANISATION, to help kittens and cats, looking for good homes, also spaying wild cats in the community. Kittens require adoption, fully vaccinated, de-wormed, de-fleed.

We also need volunteers to help Car boot sale in Polop on Sundays Tel Anna: 966 806 976 / 654 729 977 (95709)

PLUMBING

PET-COURIERS.COM – If you love your pet try us first – we are the best. Door to door service throughout Europe. Specialised vehicles – bespoke service. Full legal service including documentation if required. For further information call or email us: Tel: (0034) 651 033 670 or (0034) 637 066 227.

Email: info@pet-couriers.com or www.pet-couriers.com (206497) DEES Kennels and Cattery, Dolores. Small, friendly, dedicated.

Call 965 996 807 for a visit.

(229874)

PET TRANSPORT

SOS <http://www.sosin suranceinspain.com> Insurance in Spain. Best prices available. CALL US FIRST for all your insurance needs, including best deals on Funeral plans. Buildings and contents cover from just 82 euros per year and cars from 120 euros. Tel 966 787 123 / 622 275 561 / 686 116 297 / email info@sosinsuranceinspain. com (228606)

INTERNET GET YOUR business noticed online! Make sure that expats in Spain can find your product, service, restaurant, bar or shop.

Contact Spain’s newest and brightest online directory TODAY. Call 952 561 245 or email serena@euroweeklynews.com for more details.

METAL WORK METAL WORKS, gates, rejas offer: from 50€, buy 3 get 1 free.

NOT including installation. 638 449 944 (230670)

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SCRAP YOUR CAR LEGALLY. Cash paid for newer cars, but all cars taken and legally disposed of for free and Baja Final issued. Call 667 711 380 (220225) WE ARE currently the market leader in our country in the sale of direct car, motorbike, home and company fleet insurance. Since we started out in 1995, our philosophy has always been to offer an excellent service with the best prices in the market. For the most competitive quotes in English, call Linea Directa on 902 123 309.

(200726)

WANTED WANTED Cars, vans, caravans, 4 X 4’s British Spanish 600 781 873 ibuyanycar@ hotmail.com (234586)

FOR SALE LOOKING for a specific car?

Abundant range of cars available. 659 647 471 Sharok (226414)

PERGOLA COVERS TAILOR made, durable canvas, sails, umbrella, spa and BBQ covers. Mazarron based, and at Procomobel Market, Guardamar Saturday mornings. 667 879 399 krugercanopies@in.com (229101)

THE DOG MOVER. Licensed transporters. Two handlers, so never alone. 680 781 699 / 0044 (0) 7875 947230. www.thedogmover.com (220443) PET TRAVEL UK Family pet transporters Spain/UK. Travel with your pets for free. All air conditioned vehicles (no vans) www.pettraveluk.co.uk. Removals also arranged in other vehicles. Tel UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 960130537 (223645)

MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434 (234560)

POOL SERVICES YES YOU CAN HAVE A POOL We design & install Wooden Above-Ground Pools. Pools installed from 1,185€. With above ground pools there is “No Planning Permission Required”. You can also pay in Sterling. Phone or email for a FREE BROCHURE NOW. info@piscinasmadera .com - Tel: 965 050 064 / 634 322 672 www.piscinasmadera .com (230334)

POOLS POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (227500)

PROPERTY TO LET

SPAMA GANDIA SHELTER. Dog and cat rescue registered charity, La Safor area. 500 animals awaiting re-homing. Shelter open 7 days a week 12noon 2.00pm & 3.30pm - 7.00pm.

(Spanish speaking staff) or phone Gail 962 896 118. Visit our website for directions. www.spama.org and view our new blog at www.spamasafor.blog.com.es PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM (95707) P.E.P.A. VOLUNTEERS & FOSTER HOMES URGENTLY NEEDED. By fostering an abandoned dog, or spending a few hours each week on our telephone helpline, you could help save the lives of many animals.

Please call: 650 304 746. For more information browse our website: www.pepaspain.com EURO WEEKLY NEWS CLASSIFAX AGENT (95708)

Ref GO43 - Spacious 3 bedroom apartment in Villamartin with balcony and large solarium. All bedrooms have ceiling fans and fitted wardrobes, master bedroom has en suite shower room. Fully equipped kitchen including dishwasher and ample cupboard space. Balcony off lounge overlooks the attractive communal pool. For long term let 350€ pcm - 965 720 766 www.easybuyspain.es Ref 2076 - 2 bedroom apartment situated in Guardamar, close to the pine forests and has sea views from the balcony.

Situated on the 5th floor of building with lift. Communal solarium and swimming pool. 5 minute walk to the beach. For long term let 300€ pcm - 965 720 766 - www.easybuyspain.es

PROPERTY FOR SALE £26,000 ONO. 2 bed bungalow in Kent, 10 months occupancy, part ex. considered. ron-elliott1@hotmail .co.uk or phone 965 696 113 (226377) COUNTRY HOUSE in Orihuela, Vereda Buenavida 51. NEW. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, air conditioning, parking, 130/150m2. 2.5km to town centre, 30km to the beaches. ONLY 75,000 euros. Tel: 629 991 543 (228607)

PET CHARITIES EASYHORSE CARE RESCUE CENTRE We aim to rescue HORSES. If you would like to DONATE please call 965 967 033 or sales@easyhorsecare.net www.easyhorsecare.net or call Sue 652 021 980 (95706)

SM205 - 2 bed townhouse at Las Filipinas, Villamartin. Property consists of 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, kitchen, lounge, solarium, terrace, garden and communal swimming pool. Two minutes to shops, bars and restaurants. Short drive to beaches and golf. For long term let 375€ pcm - 965 720 766 www.easybuyspain.es (226350)

REMOVALS/STORAGE SM211 - La Mirada, Playa Flamenca. 2 bedroom unfurnished apartment. Kitchen, utility room, lounge and bathroom.

This apartment could also be rented part furnished or fully furnished. The apartment also benefits from heating and air conditioning. For long term let 350€ pcm - 965 720 766 www.easybuyspain.es (226350)

REMOVALS / STORAGE

UK - SPAIN - Anywhere Europe! Masses of experience.

New clean vehicles. Insured with Royal Sun Alliance.

Genuinely CARING service.

FULL and part moves. ONLINE QUOTES!! www.bm ceuropean.com UK 08456 443 784 / ES 634 344 787 FIND US ON FACEBOOK!(220152)

CLASSIFIEDS VAN going from Spain to UK return. Door to door service, full/part loads. Pets welcome. +34 603 192 957 / +44 7905 198895 / +34 966 848 607 / melvyynleo@yahoo.com (229898) MAN AND VAN UK - Spain. 2 vans travelling twice a month, Murcia - North / South UK. Tel 610 846 260 or 0044 751 918 6355 email van.man@hotmail .co.uk (226351) CAR TRANSPORTER. Call for excellent rates, fully insured, professional service. 951 319 320, email move@freinterna tional.com / www.car-transportspain.com (215605) SPANISH MOVES Small removals and deliveries. Spain/UK Budget prices. Last minute jobs undertaken. www.spanishmoves.net. Pet transport also arranged in our air conditioned pet/people carriers. Telephone UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 960130537 (223645) UK-SPAIN-IRELAND. Removals with the personal touch. Pets carried with care 965 696 750 / 0044 (0) 7447 918 589 e-mail chrisyounge73979@aol.com (208688)

SEWING QUALIFIED SEAMSTRESS 40 years experience, turn-ups to tailoring patterns taken from your favourite cloths, reasonable prices. Torrevieja, Sandra: 966 799 188 / 680 486 336 (229238)

SITUATIONS VACANT Dynamisch team is op zoek naar vlotte televerkopers. Hoge verdiensten mogelijk voor doorzetters. Voor inlichtingen 644 032 615 (229652) HGV DRIVER required for full time position based in Alicante area. Furniture removal experience an advantage, but not essential. Some nights away from home and occasional trips to UK. Must have HGV C Licence and digital tachograph card. Apply with CV to thespanishremovalcompany@gmail.com (230378) DO YOU CARE? If so, why not join our team of carers who work in the UK. Earn from £910 - £1372 for 2 weeks. Good written/spoken English/ British or EU Passport required. Contact Sandra on 658 965 204 or email s.field@consultuscare .com. (221355)

SITUATIONS WANTED RUSSIAN 40 years. Looking to work as cleaner, look after elderly person, cooking, ironing.

Massage (back, legs, hands, head). Olga, tel 634 306 324 (whatsapp) (234449)

SOLAR LOWEST PRICES IN SPAIN. www.solarmegastore.es (226345)

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CLASSIFIEDS SPAS / JACUZZIS

SWIMMING POOLS TOTAL POOL CARE. Weekly maintenance from 45 euros per month, including chemicals, one-off cleans, regrouts, replacement pumps and filters etc, leak detection and structural repairs, also warranty service available for pipework, pumps, lights etc.

Tel 654 687 536 (229062)

TELECOMS FED UP PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MOBILE PHONE CALLS? THEN CONTACT TELITEC TODAY. CALLS TO SPAIN 7C PER MINUTE INCLUDING MOBILES. CALLS TO UK 5.3C PER MINUTE. NO MONTHLY FEES, NO CONTRACT. WWW.TELITEC.COM TEL: 902 889 070 (0)

SITUATIONS VACANT

TILING

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South WANTED

PLUMBER/CERAMIC WALL & FLOOR TILER. 30 years’ experience. No job too small, free quote. Tel Shane on 645 664 298 / 965 075 190 (234258)

TRANSLATOR INTERPRETER/TRANSLATOR, over 20 years experience. Hospital, Health Centres, Police, Guardia Civil, Town Hall, Notary. Torrevieja, Orihuela and surrounds. Good rates. Call Monica 652 123 607 (225566)

For daily news visit www.euroweeklynews.com

JACUZZI, SPAS, HOT TUBS WANTED. Working or not 650 722 905 (226805) WANTED Quad Bike and Jet Ski. Call 650 722 905 (226807) RECORDS and CDs WANTED. Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues. Top cash paid. 630 665 363 Wanted Local to Rent in La Zenia. We are looking for a local to rent on a long-term basis to use as an administration office; it must be accessible for clients and easy to find. Please Call:600 583 576 (12345)

XXX RELAXATION Readers of a sensitive disposition may find some of the advertisements in this section offensive.

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SOPHIE, elegant, slim, sexy, naughty lady. Home, hotel, in and out services 693 357 526 (221576)

RUSSIAN. Pretty, sex, massage, golden rain, couples, hotel outcalls and home. Torrevieja, 24hrs. 611 332 746 (234444)

www.chicosorihuela.com.

Guys, transvestites, complacent, feisty. We are eager and hot. DARE!!! 616 804 411 (234589)

VIVIAN, Cuban girl, 24 years, brown, seductive. Kind & discreet, great sex you won’t regret. Apartment visits. 695 120 795 (234284)

GENERIC Viagra extra strength 120mgs. Also Kamagra 100mgs and Weekenders (Cialis). www.costablues.com or phone Colin 680 878 735 (228604)

SPANISH lady - classic. Playa Flamenca, private house, 35 years, attractive. All erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie.

From €40. Ana 865 646 437 (231464)

BEAUTIFUL Dutch girl, 32, slim, blonde hair, big breasts, all fantasies. Campoamor, 676 067 381 (226933)

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MOTORING

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SPONSORED BY For best rates in motor insurance call: 952 89 33 80

Coys Rent a Car: keeping quality car hire in the family MIKE and Heidi, the owners of Coys Rent a Car, are not only celebrating being together for 25 years next year but also the running of their successful car hire business for the past 20 years, since 1995.

Heidi said: “Working together for this long is sometimes testing but we must make a great team

BEST SERVICE: Transparent prices with no hidden charges. as it has worked really well for us.”

The couple, originally from the Midlands, add that they always finish the day with a smile and forget about work when arriving at home.

Mike and Heidi decided to leave their jobs in the UK back in 1995 and seek

pastures new in one of the healthiest places in the world where they could eventually raise a family. Back home, Mike was a Sales Executive for Peugeot and Heidi was a travel agent so life changed more than just a little when they arrived in Spain although Mike’s history and knowledge of the car industry has always complimented their car rental business.

Coys Rent a Car is an

independent car hire company serving the Costa Blanca and including Alicante-Elche and Murcia (San Javier) airports.

Based in Torrevieja, Coys Rent a Car do not claim to be the cheapest when you compare prices on the internet, however you can be sure that the price you get quoted will be the price you pay on arrival, with no hidden surprises.

The company has a very clear pricing structure so as not to confuse the customer, as they understand from experience that a happy customer means that their business will continue to prosper even further.

Mike said: “We appreciate that hiring a car can sometimes be a confusing experience, so we try hard to make car hire simple and as transparent as possible.

“We are not just offering competitive prices with no hidden charges, we offer the highest of customer service, an easy booking procedure, fast replies and, most of all, quality cars.”

They have an excellent easy to use website www.coysrent-a-car.com Or if you prefer, you can also email them on info@coysrent-a-car.com Or telephone them on (0034) 966 702 816 or (0034) 629 362 764 You can also Like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Coys Rent a Car, a family business you can rely on!

MOTORING

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King meets an old friend HE visited most of the SEAT facilities in Martorell, he got close up to the assembly lines and was given an insight into some of the car company’s best-kept secrets – its future models.

But the biggest smile on the face of Felipe VI during his entire visit came from a surprise.

The King once more came face-toface with his first-ever car – a 1.5 litre, metallic gold Ibiza which his father, King Juan Carlos, gave him for his 18th birthday in 1986.

The King let out an emotional laugh on seeing the car.

“I imagine he recalled his first car, his student days, his 18 years,” said Isidre Lopez, head of Classic Cars at SEAT, and whose team carried out the painstaking work of restoring it, with 152,000 kilometres on the clock and not having been started up for more than 16 years.

When it was built, the car was very much ahead of its time, being equipped with an injection engine and

EWN

87

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REUNITED: The King is presented with his first car.

air conditioning, two full years before these items were introduced on series production cars. For the technical team in charge of the process of restoration, the most difficult part was

getting the fuel feed and injection system up and running, since the car had not been on the road for many years. Other work was also done on the integrated paintwork, upholstery, tyres and wheels. In fact, “it is a unique, special, custom-built Ibiza,” added Lopez. One example of this is that the seats are tailored to the height of Felipe VI. “The effort put in was well worth it,” said Lopez and his team.

25 - 31 December 2014 / Costa Blanca South

Sport Costa Blanca’s best guide to local sport

SPORT

www.euroweeklynews.com

Rory McIlroy with the US PGA trophy Cord on p ress

88 E W N

Will 2015 bring even more rewards for the No. 1 golfer?

TO READ MORE SPORT VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM

A hectic festive sports season Preview AS always there is a full programme of football matches on Boxing Day, as well as on 28/29

December, while there are also 10 Premiership games scheduled for New Year’s Day before 64 teams compete in the third round of the FA Cup between January 3 - 6.

This is why clubs have such big squads!

On Boxing Day, there are two London derbies in the Premiership - Arsenal against QPR at The Emirates and Chelsea v West Ham United at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United play Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion entertain reigning champs Manchester City.

Looking into my 2015 ‘Golden Globe,’ wouldn’t it be great to see: England’s cricketers win every Test

Tony Matthews

International Sports A former football player and the world’s most prolific author of football books (more than 100 published), Tony is also the sports reporter for Spectrum Radio and lives in the Cabrera mountains.

Costa de Almeria

Match they play in 2015; Rory McIlroy triumph in every golf competition he plays in; Lewis Hamilton repeat his Formula 1 Grand Prix exploits by winning the driver’s championship for a third time; Amir Khan continue beating his opponents in the ring; GB’s athletes collect medals in track and field events; England, Ireland, Scotland and

LEWIS HAMILTON: Hopes for a third championship.

CHRISTMAS FOOTY FACTS • The first-ever League game played on Christmas Day ended Preston North End 3 Aston Villa 2 in 1889.

• Derek Dooley was the first manager to be sacked on Christmas Day dismissed by Sheffield Wednesday in 1977.

• West Bromwich Albion, bottom of the Premiership at Christmas 2004, avoided relegation - the first team to achieve this.

• In 1936, Wrexham’s Ambrose Brown was the first player to get sent-off in a League game on Christmas Day, taking an early bath against Hull City.

And a very Happy Christmas to you all.

Wales all register record breaking victories in Six Nations matches; and

Andy Murray win three major tennis tournaments.