RTN Newspaper - Costa Blanca South 24 - 30 November 2017 Issue 944

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Issue 944

24th-30th November 2017

Reporting The News

Water charges on the rise ORIHUELA city council has announced that the costs of water bills will increase by €1 per month.

The purpose of the rise is to renew the pipes within the municipality and stop a number of leaks in the network from which it’s estimated 21 per cent of tap water is currently being lost; translating into 1.5 cubic hectometres being wasted each year.

This compares to the average in the Vega Baja where around 18 per cent is lost and large cities such as Elche where that figure drops to 15 per cent.

Orihuela city council is facing up to their own situation by increasing water bills by €12 per year that will enable them to finance the old pipelines.

Orihuela has a total of 1,050 kilometres of underground water pipes. As many as 30 per cent of the pipes are more than 40-years-old and 70 per cent more than 20-years-old. The ageing of the pipework and the lack of investment over a number of years has contributed to the loss of water; in 2013, the loss was 15 per cent compared to the 21 per cent now.

expats brexit health indicator

Photo credit Pixabay

by Steve Collins

Inside this week...

P4 black friday bargains galore LEAKS: €1 extra monthly charge to replace network of water pipes The manager of Hidraqua in Orihuela, Juan José Alonso, said that Orihuela should increase the performance and effectiveness of their networks otherwise it will be faced with increasing the rates

even higher than desired.

Not every household will pay the €1 charge per month. Those that consume the most water will pay the most.

P12 tourist office wins ‘happy’ prize

P15

2

Let’s get planting

by Ray Chadwick STUDENTS studying gardening at the IES Mare Nostrum in Torrevieja took part in a major tree planting scheme within the Natural Park. The initiative, which is part of the environmental programme ‘Mare Natura’ has been set up with the collaboration of the Environment Department of Torrevieja’s council.

Accompanied by two teachers, the 20 students received an introductory talk on the environmental values of the Natural Park given by environmental education monitors before moving on to the Lo Albentosa area. This is next to the cemetery and in that area they planted four

Aleppo pines, two carob trees, three wild olive trees, three black hawthorns and 15 mastic trees.

The boys and girls involved in the scheme have the ultimate objective to bring them a greater awareness of their environment through study and the consequences of their planting actions.

The project also includes the municipal programme for the conservation of bats where a number of shelter boxes have been installed throughout the study areas; the monitoring of sparrow nesting boxes that are already in existence; and the creation of a garden with a number of native plants and some traditional crops in the area.

Markets get early Christmas present

ALICANTE’S city council has accepted the requests from market traders for them to be able to open on Christmas Eve...Sunday December 24, and also authorises them to trade on December 21, 22 and

Shaken again... and slightly stirred

THE CITY of Lorca has been shaken yet again.

This time the locals experienced three minor earthquakes in the space of five hours. As reported by the National Geographic Institute, the tremors registered 1.6 and 2.1 on the Richter Scale and were felt between 6.54am – when two took

place simultaneously in different points of Lorca – and 9.43am when a smaller tremor was felt. Each time Lorca shakes even the smallest amount, the residents are taken back to that fateful day in May 2011 when they suffered the devastating 5.1 earthquake that killed nine.

Revamp to city centre

Photo credit Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja

LEARNING: Local students learning about their environment 23. The main markets in the city – the Central, Carolinas, Benalúa and Babel – will be allowed to open their doors on those days to enable their customers to get the bulk of their ingredients for the big

Christmas Eve dinner and for Christmas Day. On the Thursday (21) and Friday (22), they will be allowed to stay open until 8pm; until 5pm on Saturday (23) and 3pm on the Sunday (24).

THE area in Elche known as La Corredora will be pedestrianised during 2018. As part of a major redevelopment scheme for the city centre, a total of €600,000 has been budgeted for the main pedestrianisation work and a further €300,000 to revamp the new traffic routes affected. The project was originally announced some months ago and while the work is taking place the road will be permanently closed to traffic; although regular users of the road will have already noticed it’s been closed on Saturday’s for the past year. The ultimate plan is to pedestrianise the entire city centre.

New street cleaner

ROJALES town hall has taken delivery of a new and modern street cleaner. It will be employed throughout the municipality and will be able to clean a space of 10,000m2 in one hour and collect objects up to the size

of 1 ½ litre bottles. Operators of the machine will notice it’s more comfortable and handles better than its predecessor and it only consumes two litres of fuel per hour instead of the five litres used by other machines.

3 Photo credit Torrevieja Hospital

Back in the swim QUALITY SERVICE: Torrevieja Hospital celebrates another year of treating thousands of patients

Eleven years of service to the community

by Lynn Whittaker NOVEMBER 21, 2006 was a significant date in the history of Torrevieja. It marked the opening of the Torrevieja Hospital and on Tuesday celebrated its 11th anniversary.

Over the intervening 11 years, it has gained a reputation as being one of the very best hospitals not only in the Alicante province but across Spain as a whole. It has achieved operating waiting times three times less than any other hospital in the Valencian Community with an average of 41 days compared to 103 elsewhere.

In pure figures, since it’s been open the Torrevieja Hospital has carried out 180,000 surgical operations, attended to 800,000 admissions to the accident and emergency department and delivered more than 14,000 babies.

Department of Health Manager in Torrevieja, Dr José Antonio Velasco, emphasised the high degree of standards and professionalism that the team at the hospital has displayed over the years to enable it to reach the heights it has. He recognised the appreciation of patients, visitors and the professionals on the services provided by the hospital and said, “It’s a pleasure for me to have been part

For one lucky winner, it beats working

THE Vega Baja town of Almoradí has seen some pre-Christmas luck fall on them with one of their residents winning the much sought after ONCE Lottery prize called the ‘Sueldazo’.

The winning ticket was sold by Francisco Jesús Casado and the lucky winner will receive €2,000 a month for the next 10 years.

‘Sueldazo’ translates in English to ‘very large salary’ and is a prize that a majority of the regular buyers of the ONCE (Spanish National Blind Charity) tickets can only dream of.

of this team from the beginning and to witness at first hand the incredible achievements of these 11 years.”

Torrevieja Hospital was originally built due to the increased population in the area – mainly made up of foreign nationals – and since opening has given patients access to high quality and specialist services without having to travel into Alicante, Orihuela, Elche or even further away for their treatment.

Every patient staying in the hospital on the day of the anniversary received a special get well card, and members of staff were also given a special memento.

TORREVIEJA’S indoor municipal swimming pool has finally opened its doors.

It’s been closed to the public since June 2016 and reopened yesterday after an investment from the municipality of €120,000 to put a stop to the leaks that have been suffered since the inauguration in the year 2000 and to change the air conditioning system.

The pool will be open to the public from Tuesday to Friday from 8.15am to 9.30pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 2pm. It’s closed for maintenance on a Monday morning and opens between 3pm to 9.30pm.

Torrevieja’s sport councillor Víctor Ferrández said: “In November 2016 I joined the council with many challenges ahead, and one of the main one ones was to reopen the pool in the best possible condition. It’s not been easy.” He did however go on to say that it may be necessary to close the pool again in the future to enable even more improvements to take place.

4

Expats get healthy Brexit indicator but alert ‘not to stay under radar’

by Glenn Scott THE clearest assurance yet that healthcare –of major concern to tens of thousands of British expats following Brexit - is “more or less settled.”

And the same goes for pensions and residence rights, according to British Ambassador Simon Manley when he updated a packed university gathering in Elche, on the Costa Blanca.

“Healthcare, in particular, is not a controversial subject within the general negotiations as both sides want an agreement,” he stressed.

The meeting hosted by Brexpats in Spain and moderated by their regional representative Richard Hill, was attended by more than 100 visitors at the Miguel Hernandez University.

It was addressed by the Ambassador and the British Consul in Alicante Sarah-Jane Morris as well as legal representatives from Pellicer and Heredia, regional Spanish politicians and law professors from the university.

What came through was the 100 per cent support from the Spanish authorities and their people – there

were a number of Spanish at the meeting – that an agreement can be made for UK citizens living in Spain.

“The Spanish politicians at all levels of government are very keen that there is no disruption to any Briton’s day-to-day life here,” the ambassador stressed.

He opened by thanking all the individuals and organisations that had contributed information, ideas and suggestions in recent months, with him and the Consul attending more than 70 such events and meetings.

“They have enriched our understanding of the individual circumstances of the people living in Spain and everything has been fed back to London”, the ambassador added.

“Spanish politicians at all levels of government are very keen that there is no disruption to any Briton’s day-to-day life here.”

Questions from the floor covered several issues but no concrete answers could be given from any source.

The Ambassador expressed disappointment that agreements hadn’t yet been reached on future voting rights at local elections and recognition of professional quali-

fications, explaining that the UK wanted to guarantee such rights for EU citizens in the UK, but as yet it was something the EU weren’t prepared to reciprocate on.

Concerning the status of UK nationals in Spain after Brexit,and Consul Sarah-Jane Morris stressed that the advice has been the same for a long time.

“Everyone living here now should make themselves as legal as it is possible to be under the existing rules such as registering on the padrón, obtaining residencia, paying taxes, Spanish driving licences etc.

“After the UK leaves the EU, those trying to remain in Spain under the radar may begin to run into difficulties and I fear the Consular services will be inundated with people at that point.”

RTN spoke with visitor John Parkinson from San Miguel after the meeting who said: “I didn’t really learn anything new from today, but what did surprise me was the UK’s negotiating position at the talks which was more positive than is being portrayed on the news. I feel more assured that the British government are looking after us more than I thought”

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ENRICHED:The Ambassador thanked everyone for their input

6

by Steve Collins A MOTHER who killed her daughter's rapist in a fit of rage in a high-profile case in the province of Alicante is now allowed to go home during the day and spend nights in prison only.

María del Carmen García's solicitor managed to secure what is referred to as 'the third degree', which means she can now spend her days in total freedom from 11am and only has to return to prison – this time, Alicante's Fontcalent institution, which is nearer her home – at 7pm every night to sleep.

María del Carmen’s daughter

Verónica was just 13 when Antonio Cosme raped her at knifepoint in October 1998 in Benejuzar and, when Cosme was on prison leave seven years later and attempted to provoke her, the distressed woman took her revenge.

One day, he went into the family's local bar, which they visited almost daily.

María del Carmen then went to the nearest petrol station, bought a can of petrol and returned to the bar, poured the contents over her daughter's rapist and set him alight.

He suffered 90 per cent burns and died in hospital within days.

Photo credit Twitter

Revenge mother now has her days free

RELEASED: María del Carmen leaves prison on day-release

Guardia Civil intercept drugs group TWO men have been arrested by National Police in Cartagena and another in Orihuela for alleged trafficking of heroin.

The first couple were detained in an area of the city known as ‘Las 600’ in a vehicle in which they were transporting the drug; the third following a house search in Orihuela.

The investigation began a few months ago with the aim of dismantling an organised group responsible for supplying heroin in Cartagena to customers.

During the course of the operation, the Guardia Civil discovered that the group

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were about to take a large quantity of drugs into the ‘Las 600’ for distribution to other traffickers in the area at the end of October.

Therefore, a major police operation was set up that intercepted the vehicle containing the traffickers and the drugs. They seized a packet containing heroin weighing 521 grams.

As a result of these arrests, a third person was detained in Orihuela where an amount of cash and two vehicles were impounded.

The detainees are three men of Moroccan nationality and aged between 31 and 41-yearsold.

Teenagers detained for causing ‘fun’ damage

TWO young people have been arrested in Crevillente for causing damage to cars...that they considered as being ‘fun’.

The children involved – aged 14 and 17 – apparently liked to hang around causing damage to a number of vehicles parked in Crevillente just for fun...but that fun has cost the car owners close to €32,000.

Those detained have been linked to 23 cases of criminal damage – which included smashing rear-view mirrors, windows and scratching paintwork - and six other cases of theft from the vehicles. One of the alleged crimes took place after one of the teenagers had escaped

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from a detention centre.

Officers from the Guardia Civil began their investigations after a number of reports came in from people that had suffered vehicle damage and robberies. They closely examined the complaints and realised that the crimes always seemed to happen at the same times, always during a weekend and with a month’s gap between them.

This pattern of robberies enabled the investigators to identify the suspect and was able to trace them to the 14-year-old held in the juvenile centre in Alicante, and that only took place when he ran away or went to stay with a friend.

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7

Sixth drugs raid this year results in six arrests GUARDIA CIVIL officers have raided yet another home that was allegedly selling drugs in the centre of Torrevieja. In this latest intervention – the sixth such raid this year - six members of a criminal gang were arrested and are already in prison on remand.

Investigations began when the Guardia Civil had their suspicions that a particular address in Torrevieja was being used as a base for drug dealing and had it confirmed early on that quantities of cocaine and heroin were being supplied.

However, the suspects then moved to another location in their attempt to through the officers off the scent but to no avail as they confirmed that drugs were still being sold from the new base.

They seized 30 grams of cocaine and heroin which was already split into doses and packaged for sale and could have attracted €1,600 on the open market, as well as €1,300 in cash and tools for preparing the drugs.

Burns victim rushed to specialist unit

A MAN has suffered third-degree burns to 40 per cent of his body in a house fire in La Mata. It’s unknown why the blaze broke out on the ground floor property of a fourstorey building in Calle Argolidas. The man needed to be rescued from his flat shortly before 9.30am on Tuesday morning and was taken to the Torrevieja Hospital.

After the extent of his severe burns was assessed, he was later transferred to the specialist Le Fe Hospital in Valencia.

Three years in prison for dog poisoner

A MAN has been sent to prison for three years for drugging dogs.

A provincial court in Alicante has sentenced the man from Torrevieja for crimes against public health and threatening behaviour.

The events that led to this case go back to February 2016 when the convicted man threatened to kill

a woman with a knife, claiming she owed him money. That same afternoon, the Guardia Civil went to the man’s house where they discovered more than 40 grams of cocaine and a number of different quantities of cannabis resin wrapped up and ready for sale.

The man wasn’t in the premises

but he was traced to the roof of the building which he’d accessed after breaking a window. Before being arrested, he threw a bag containing more than 80 grams of cannabis resin off the roof which landed on a nearby terrace. There were several dogs on that terrace that began nibbling at the drugs which poisoned them and

needed emergency vet assistance.

On top of the custodial sentence, the man was also instructed to pay the €141 vets bills incurred by the dogs’ owners who needed to rush them in for treatment once the drugs took effect. He also had to pay the €260 repair bill for the broken window.

8

Levels of hyperactivity in children being exaggerated

by Lynn Whittaker EXPERTS FROM the Elche General Hospital have warned of the levels of overdiagnosis of children suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

It’s estimated that between 3 per cent and 5 per cent of the population is hyperactive; a disorder that mainly affects children and whose main consequence is the inability to concentrate at school, thus leading to failure and even exclusion from their schools.

Head of Paediatrics at the Elche General Hospital, José Pastor, said that most cases of ADHD are mild and, although they have to be closely monitored to avoid problems in the future, in most cases it’s enough to introduce small changes into behaviour patterns that need to be looked at to stop such consequences being taken into adulthood.

“There is no need to spread alarm and worry, or to take away the importance of the condition but in recent years we’ve tended to over-diagnose these cases. To begin with, I wouldn’t be talking about ADHD in children that are under five-years-old,” said Pastor.

“Until they reach school age, it’s very difficult to know if children have these problems or not. Children, after all, are children. Some are naughty and are more active and livelier than others...

Tourism related employment continues off-season

EMPLOYMENT in the tourism and hospitality sector in the Murcia region broke the record for the month of October.

There were 1,043 more employees in the hotel, bar and restaurant trade which showed an increase of 2.8 per cent year-on-

year. Figures at this level are usually associated with the end of August and the peak of the tourist season, confirming the extended popularity of the region. Overall, between January and October 39,370 people were working in the sector.

Smoke can exist without any fire

SMOKE began to emerge from a car’s radiator as it was driving along in the centre of Elche. The car was forced to stop at the junction of La Corredora and Calle Puente Ortices when smoke began to billow from the engine and the fire service was called. When they arrived, their services weren’t required as in this case there was no fire even though there was plenty of smoke. There were no injuries at the scene and the only disruption was to local traffic that needed police to intervene to control the build up a result.

Repeat robber detained thanks to CCTV evidence but that doesn’t signify they’re suffering from ADHD.” In fact, he goes on to state that the majority of patients that come into paediatric consultations do so for minor cases in which, with a little help from both home and school, the problem can be reduced.

Pastor continued: “The problem is that

we tend to look for a medical reason to explain everything, and the belief that a pill fixes everything. Sometimes there isn’t a problem there at all.” He does recognise, of course, that there are real problem cases. “Primarily, the help the child receives should be psychological and be prescribed medication in only the most serious and extreme cases.”

A MAN was arrested by National Police in Alicante for the second time in the space of one week as he attempted to rob premises in the city centre by trying to access them with a crowbar. Police were called out on Sunday morning when a suspect-

ed thief was allegedly trying to steal from a number of establishments in the Alicante port zone. The man was identified with the help of CCTV cameras and it was realised that the suspect was also arrested for similar offences a few days earlier.

9

What a catch!

by Ray Chadwick TORREVIEJA’S FISHERMEN celebrated a spectacular catch of 13,000 kilos of the popular dorada fish in one day. The 1,946 boxes of fish were sold at auction for €3 a kilo.

The dorada – known by the British as the sea bream – arrived in substantial amounts in the port and is usual for this time of the year when the sea temperatures drop.

The reduction has been more noticeable this season when those recorded for November fell significantly following the unseasonably high sea temperatures that often reached 20ºC during the month of October. The fish naturally approach the areas of the coast with

the warmer waters, and in this case the Mar Menor and those close to Torrevieja provided the perfect home as the sea remained warmer for longer than usual.

Torrevieja’s Fishermen’s Guild and the port of Torrevieja is appreciative of the popularity with many of the fishing fleets from other areas due to its location and thus attracts numerous boats from municipalities such as San Pedro del Pinatar, Águilas or Mazarrón. They occasionally dock from as far away as Almeria, Carboneras and Vera knowing that their catches will attract good prices and quick and efficient distribution The large fishing pier and dock offers everything an arriving fishing fleet needs, and at its busiest can handle 30 boats at any one time.

Walking with, more or less, man’s best friend

AROUND 150 people walked with their pets through the municipality of Almoradí in the first ‘Animal Solidarity Walk’. Owners turned out in force with their pets – mainly dogs – and apart from the 4 kilometre walk, it was a fund raising event too for the Cruz Roja and the Animal Association of Almoradí. The Dance Factory was also on hand to put on their usual excellent performance that got the feet and paws tapping. Such was the overall success of the day that the organisers are already thinking about repeating the walk next year.

LARGE HAUL: 13,000 kilos of dorada landed in one day

Car crash driver fails breath test A CAR that crashed in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Murcia blocked the entrance to the tunnel at Plaza de Castilla. The car had overturned at the scene and local police, ambulance and the fire services were mobilised. In the event, the driver wasn’t hurt but was then routinely breathalysed at the scene where he was found to be over the legal alcohol limit and arrested. Nobody else was involved in the accident.

Train station fire FIREFIGHTERS were called to extinguish a blaze that broke out next to the FEVE San Ginés Station in Cartagena. The alarm was raised at 4.26pm on Tuesday afternoon and eight firefighters, a ‘water bomb’ aircraft, and a helicopter backed up by local police and the Guardia Civil were mobilised although only the fire engine was needed as they were able to suffocate the fire before it spread. It affected about 120m2 of scrub land and there was no need to suspend the trains while the fire was being fought.

10

Have your Say!

A popular post this week

is “Car labour charges

affected by Brexit”

which has reached over 4,200 people with over 55 reactions.

Graham Murray “ I have a small garage in the UK. People come to independents because they can’t afford either brand new cars or their maintenance costs. It has always been that way.”

Carole Swallow “Things went ahead before the EU came into being, so why should it affect everything afterwards?”

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Our most liked posts from this week Car labour charges affected by Brexit How to keep calories down whilst eating out The secret to happy marriage? Retirement!

Castration programme prevents 18,000 cats in Torrevieja Brits say they are not officially “over the hill” until the age of 83

In Total 12,982 People reached 3,945 Post engagements

rtnnewspaper.com Beautiful Bouillabaisse

by Steven Saunders from the Little Geranium

Jeanne Southworth “ Love the recipe and will have a go. Thank you. ”

Armed forces numbers dropping

by Ray Chadwick THE number of people serving in the military in the Murcia region has reduced since 2011.

Latest figures released as part of a parliamentary question showed a drop of 145 in the six years from January 2011 to January 2017 and represents a fall of 2.3 per cent.

Thus, the total strength of the Spanish Armed Forces assigned to the autonomous region dropped from 6,215 to 6,070 in the period.

Areas that saw increases were Extremadura, Cantabria and Catalonia, followed by Galicia and Asturias. All the other autonomous communities, including Valencia, saw falls.

In percentage terms, the highest increase corresponds to Extremadura which with 4,635 troops has registered an increase of 12.3 per cent, ahead of Cantabria (8 per cent) and Catalonia (6.2 per cent).

The biggest reduction was in Castilla-La Mancha with a 16.8 per cent drop, Baleares (13.3 per cent), and País Vasco (12.4 per cent). Despite being the richest autonomous community, Madrid – with a 28,159 members of the military – has registered a decrease of 7.8 per cent.

Photo credit Ministerio de Defensa ATTENTION: Small fall in armed services in Murcia

Medicine recycling on the increase MURCIA region’s Environment Minister, Javier Celdrán, has highlighted that the community is above the national average when it comes to recycling certain items.

This is especially the case in that of packaging waste and any left-over medicines and it’s estimated that 85 per cent of homes in Murcia regularly recycle pharmaceutical products.

The figures were announced at the 15th anniversary of SIGRE, the company responsible for collecting and recycling such waste from

chemists in the region.

According to the director general of SIGRE, Juan Carlos Mampaso, there are 561 collection points in the chemists in the Murcia region and up to 73 per cent of the population use between at least one and three

times a year. 10 per cent use them on more than seven occasions.

“The use of the SIGRE collection point for the recycling of medicine and tablet containers with or without anything in them has markedly increased in the Murcia

region, and is an important achievement in environmental matters,” said Mampaso.

For his part, Javier Celdrán, stressed that the Murcia region grows above the national average for the recycling of such items and showing an increase of 3.51 per cent over the past three years standing at 81.96 grams per inhabitant.

“More and more, we are aware and concerned about preserving our environment and we’re intensely dedicated to promoting that we all contribute to that aim,” said Mampaso.

Elderly man goes missing from residential home

A HELICOPTER was launched during Tuesday afternoon to help in the search for an 83-year-old man missing in San Javier.

He was reported missing from the Pozo Aledo residential home at 7.30pm on Monday evening which set in motion a full scale search for the man by a combination of local police from San Javier and bordering municipalities, civil protection officers and dogs from the specialist canine unit.

Foreign worker registrations on the up THE NUMBERS of nonSpanish nationals registering to pay social security contributions reached 79,083 in October, representing an increase of 5.81 per cent compared to September.

Foreign registration with the system grew by 4,340 people compared to an overall decrease of 0.11 per cent across Spain. Over the past 12 months, the average number of foreign workers paying contributions in the Murcia region alone rose by 4,580 people...and increase of 6.15 per cent.

12

Black Friday bargains and prizes galore

by Lynn Whittaker THE tradition of Black Friday, once the sole property of the USA, has gained popularity across the world in recent years and none more so than in Spain.

Some of the very best discounts of this year’s Black Friday – November 24 – will be in the Habaneras Shopping Mall in Torrevieja, and apart from some superb deals on offer shoppers can qualify for some great prizes too.

The grand draw will take place on ‘Cyber Monday’ – on Monday November 27 – where you can win the value of your purchases from the shops in the Habaneras in gift vouchers**.

How to take part and stand a chance of winning?

During the weekend of shopping, on Friday 24 and Saturday 25, enjoy the discounts and don’t forget to validate the receipts at the customer service point in the Habaneras centre.

For every €20 validated, people will receive a draw ticket for the raffle that will take place on Cyber Monday, and the winner will get the value of their validated shopping purchases in gift vouchers to spend in shops and stores in the Habaneras.

But that’s not all on offer. Everyone who comes to the Habaneras during the weekend can enjoy a champagne and chocolate tasting session while taking in the atmosphere of the day accompanied by music and live entertainment.

And there’s more! During the course of the weekend Habaneras will be performing their own Christmas lights switch-on on the Saturday evening with a giant countdown! **Please note that only purchases made in the stores participating in the Black Friday event in the Habaneras qualify for entry into the draw and also where the prize gift vouchers can be exchanged.

Time to ‘find’ the new charity shop

‘YO-ENCUENTRO’ or ‘I find’ is a new and small community charity and are about to open a charity shop in Los Belones on Tuesday December 4 at 10am.

Yo-Encuentro is formed from a small group of people who live locally who are grateful for the great lives they can enjoy here and at the same time want to share some of that goodness with others, both lo-

cally and internationally.

The name derives from the concept that people ‘will find’ what they need in their lives through buying quality goods at competitive prices, through donating surplus items, through volunteering and by taking part in future community activities The shop is located on Calle Murilo 18, Los Belones, next to the launderette and the Taverna Murillo.

Opening hours are 10am to 2pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It will be run entirely by volunteers and no salaries will be paid. It will aim to keep operating costs to a minimum but costs like rent, electricity, insurance, taxes etc are inevitable. All surplus profits will be given out to local charities.

Accounts will be published on their website at www.yo-encuentro.org and also in the shop so people can regularly see

SHOP TIL YOU DROP: Black Friday starts November 24 where their donated money is being spent.

The shop would like to receive quality items for resale, new or used, such as clothing, all kinds of smaller household items that will go in a small van, golf equipment, children’s items, general bric a brac, jewellery etc.

The charity is also looking for individuals or businesses to sponsor a wide variety of things from advertising and promotional material to the

weekly rent of the shop. All the generous sponsors will be advertised accordingly.

For more details of the charity, contact: Bob and Mary Barham La Manga Club – 693 806 043 bob@yo-encuentro.org Mike and Rowie Opper Los Urritias 634 311 084 info@yo-encuentro.org

13

Schoolchildren encouraged to play a round

by Glenn Scott MORE than 300 schoolchildren will be given golf lessons...in school.

The municipality of San Javier will introduce a pioneering scheme of introducing golf as part of the normal school curriculum during the second quarter of the school year. The scheme will involve 6th grade pupils at primary school level and is taking place with the cooperation of the Murcia association for the promotion of golf (AMPROGOLF).

The announcement was made by Councillor for Sport, Estibaliz Masegosa, and the director general of sport, Alonso Gómez in San Javier and highlighted the enthusiasm with which most of the schools have received this news, with the project being entirely financed by AMPROGOLF. Lessons begin as part of their physical education programme on January 1 2018 until May 7 2018 and will take place at the Diego Torné Golf School in La Serena, Los Alcázares.

President of AMPROGOLF Juan García Cascales said that the initiative aims to provide children with a better knowledge of the game of golf alongside its values and principles and to encourage

FORE!: They’re beginning younger these days future use of local courses in the traditional sporting spirit of San Javier.

Councillor Masegosa was confident of the success of the scheme in the

same way that free lessons in swimming, canoeing and sailing have been introduced in the past, and thanked AMPROGOLF for their support.

Poppy totals head toward new high THE POPPY Appeal was aiming to raise a record £43 million in UK this year. To help reach that target, over 150,000 volunteers were out on the streets, markets and in shopping centres across the UK and many European countries including here in Spain.

Although local branches have been busy raising funds for those needy ex-servicemen and their dependants since the beginning of the year, their activities have increased dramatically in recent weeks as they set out on their final fundraising efforts of the year with the Poppy Appeal here in District Spain (North).

In Spain the members from 30 branches, 12 on the Costa del Sol, and the remainder from the areas that make up Spain District North, predominantly the Costa Blanca, Calida and Almeria, have also been busy during recent weeks, collecting your thousands of donations.

With poppies and collection boxes distributed to over 550 bars, restaurants and other locations across the region, the three local branches mobilised their armies of volunteers, in Mid-October.

Last year, branches based in Marina/Gran Alacant, Torrevieja and the Orihuela Costa raised over €73,000, a figure that this hoped to be well surpassed when the final amounts are counted.

On the Orihuela Costa the appeal was boosted by the presence of two Chelsea Pensioners, Wayne Campbell and Skippy Teasdale, who were collecting at La Zenia Boulevard and in the Plaza at Villamartin.

New members are always welcome and there is no need to have an Armed Forces background. For support and information please email: assistance.rbl.dns@gmail.com or call 676 451 780. Also, log on to the website at www.britishlegion.org. uk/counties/spain-north

24 feb - 2 march 2017

Tourist office wins ‘happy’ prize TORREVIEJA’S tourist office located on the Paseo de Vista Alegre has been awarded first prize based on quality and service organised by the Valencian Tourism Agency. Under the scheme called Una Visita Feliz 2017 (A Happy Visit), Torrevieja and the office on the beach of Benissa came out equal top with an average score of 9.87 points.

Councillor Fanny Serrano, who attended the presentation in Elche with members of the office, said: “I have an outstanding team and I’m very happy and satisfied with my team that always have enormous smiles on their faces when they greet tourists to Torrevieja. It gives a wonderful first impression for many with

Photo credit Ayuntamiento de Torrevieja

by Steve Collins

up to a thousand people a day coming into the doors during the busy month of August and keep up the tradition of us being a friendly city that welcomes the whole world.”

Throughout the Valencia Community, 149 offices were evaluated

Green light for first public nursery

HAPPY WINNERS: Torrevieja’s tourism team with their prize

through a series of anonymous and unannounced visits over certain periods of time and a questionnaire was completed by the ‘visitors’. The prizes were awarded to those offices that gained the highest aggregate score in the three evaluations.

Oh, what a night! Mid November 2017 AGE CONCERN held one of their many fundraising events on Saturday November 11 at the Coopers Arms in Dona Pepa. All 95 people who attended enjoyed a tasty meal after which they danced the night away with the fabulous Reef

Band. A huge €315 was raised from the proceeds of the raffle which will immediately go to continuing support people in so many ways who are need of any of the myriad of services offered by Age Concern.

Age Concern praised

Chanade Cooper and all her staff at the Coopers Arms for the very warm welcome and thanked them for their constant and endless ways in which they work closely with them at their extremely worthwhile charity events. After the

dinner, the dance floor quickly filled up once the ever-popular Reef Band began to play their vast repertoire of music. The band is a solid supporter of Age Concern and always willing to give of their best, as one of their preferred charities, aid-

15

ing the fundraising challenges. More information about personal aids, welfare and support can be obtained from the Age Concern centre situated at Calle Paganini, La Siesta or telephone 966 786 887 between 10.30am and 1.30pm.

TORREVIEJA council have given the green light to the design of the first public nursery in the municipality.

Currently, such day centres are private concerns and Torrevieja is one of the few cities across Spain – especially with its population of 85,000 – that doesn’t have a municipal run centre for children up to 3-years-old.

The municipal nursery project was one of those included and promoted by Councillor Víctor Ferrández back in 2017 and was one of the suggestions made by many of the local residents when asked for their own ideas as to where council funds should be destined. The project has now been approved as part of the extended budget and moving into 2018.

The building is planned to be located in a 1,000m2 plot of public land in Calle Las Hormigas close to the Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas and the Virgen del Carmen School.

16

News from around Europe NETHERLANDS

Record-breaker FOR THE SECOND day in a row, the record for the busiest morning rush hour of the year was broken on Dutch roads. At the peak of rush hour at 8.30am on Tuesday, there were 894 kilometres of traffic jams on Dutch highways and provincial roads, five kilometres longer than on Monday.

On the rise EXISTING home prices in the Netherlands increased by 8.2 percent in October, compared to the same month last year - the biggest increase since early in 2002.A total of 20,143 existing homes were

sold in October - more than in October 2016, but less than in September 2017.

Stop right now THE DUTCH TAX AUTHORITY still hasn’t stopped welfare payments to any suspected Dutch jihadists who joined the war in Syria, despite a law making this possible being implemented in October, the Dutch press reports.

Why? A 21-YEAR-OLD man from Rotterdam was arrested on suspicion of murdering an elderly woman in a Puttershoek nursing home and attempting to murder two oth-

FRANCE No praying in Paris FRANCE will stop Muslims from praying in Paris’ multi-ethnic Clichy-la-Garenne, following skirmishes between worshippers and authorities. Tensions have grown in recent weeks, with residents protesting street-prayers. ”They will not have prayers on the street, we will prevent street praying,” Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told Questions Politics.

Even more expensive THE PRICE of foie gras is set to rocket in France once again

ers. According to the Public Prosecutor, he killed the elderly woman by administering insulin without medical necessity.

Civilian action THE POLICE arrested a total of 148 suspects in a so-called ‘civilian action’ in Amsterdam’s Red Light District last weekend. 72 arrests were drug related. 15 people were arrested for begging and 18 for disrupting public order.

Two muggers and two pickpockets were arrested and another man for carrying pepper spray.

RUSSIA

Nothing to do with us RUSSIA’S national nuclear operator has denied that any of its sites were the source of the cloud of radioactive pollution that spread over Europe. French nuclear safety officials detected the cloud in September and blamed it a possible “accident” at a site in Russia or Kazakhstan.

Death threats A RUSSIAN schoolboy has received online abuse and death threats after suggesting that many German troops who invaded the USSR in World War Two were themselves victims of the conflict. Pro-Kremlin social media users accused him of attempting to whitewash Nazi Germany’s crimes.

Cyber schemers CYBER CRIMINALS based in Russia are stealing Britons’ air miles and reward points and using them to buy luxury fivestar holidays at a huge discount. The situa-

this Christmas as the ravaged industry continues to suffer the effects of avian flu. Franceinfo estimates that 180 grams of foie gras will jump €4 in comparison to last year’s prices.

Economic improvement FRENCH shoppers plan on average to spend more on online sales this Christmas compared to a year ago, the country’s Commerce Federation (Fevad) said on Tuesday, marking the latest sign of a gradual improvement in the economy.

What was he thinking?

A TOP OFFICIAL in France’s Socialist Party is facing a legal in-

tion is so worrying that one American bank has banned buying flights in Russia using its reward scheme.

From A to B THE 8,000-TONNE Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov and her supporting tanker were returning from the eastern Mediterranean late last week. As they sailed off eastern Scotland, 5,000 tonne Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset was ordered to shadow and escort the vessels from the Moray Firth off Inverness up to the Norwegian coast.

Backing off SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD was asked to come to Russia to get him to agree to potential peace initiatives drafted

by Russia, Iran and Turkey as Russia prepares to scale down its military presence in the country’s 6-year war, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

quiry after he tweeted an image with anti-Semitic overtones against President Emmanuel Macron, sources close to the inquiry told the French press on Monday.

Another smoking ban A FRENCH POLITICIAN has put forward the idea of banning smoking in films. Senator Nadine Grelet-Certenais has accused film-makers of advertising for the tobacco industries and has reignited the debate about whether smoking should appear on the big screen.

18

The way I see it… by

Harvey Mann The opinions published in Harvey’s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

PART ONE… The image in the mirror is familiar, however less than before, the eyes seem a little strange, pinched, pained and less bright.

To explain, I have been diagnosed with (MCI) mild cognitive impairment this affects one in five people over the aged of 65, and as I will be 78 in three months-time I’m no exception to this devastating rule.

Ten percent of MCI suffers go onto developing dementia or alzheimer’s, there is no way of knowing who will, or who won’t, it’s a toss of the coin.

The consultant I have been seeing since earlier this year, has been guiding me through the process of trying to ward off my symptoms, which are obviously very short- term memory, anger, short temper, and now disorientation, feeling giddy and unsteadiness, I’ve had several falls, the last time I fell two weeks ago, I dislocated my jaw.

After two brain scans the last one at the University College hospital nuclear medicine department in London, added to the dementia and alzheimer’s diagnosis, my doctor now believes I have Lewy Bodies Disease which can be an extension of some of the Dementia, and has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, hence my falling and unsteadiness.

Amongst all the drugs that I’m on, my consultant has given me a further one to add to the collection, this I must say has helped my condition slightly, although my sleep only lasts a few hours a night, for two or three hours. I’m plagued by nightmares, when I wake up I’m relieved.

Occasionally the medication has seemed to help, some days my speech is quicker and my search for the words is slightly easier, before my speech was very la-

boured.

I now attend a mental health clinic once a week, as I am not allowed to drive again since the DVLA asked me to return my licence to them. I’m picked up by an ambulance (thanks to the brilliant NHS) and taken with other people that have the same problem as myself to the clinic.

So, what will the outcome be? The consultant cannot tell me in the short term, in the long term with the diagnosis that I have, it probably does not look good.

I am not feeling sorry for myself I’ve had a wonderful life, travelling the world, and meeting people in the top echelons of governments, leaders of countries, and the occasional royals. The people I feel sorry for are my nearest and dearest, my saintly wife who has to put up with my rages, my wandering around during the night, and my falling over, my children are magnificent in their support and my three grandchildren are the loveliest and adoring people that anybody could wish for.

This love and attention from my family will drive me

on, as I will continue to fight off the ill effects that some days manifests itself to its fullest. Maybe soon another drug will arrive, as unsung heroes of research laboratories are constantly trying to find new cures. I have agreed to any research programmes that would need me.

No time for friends

by

Colin Bird The opinions published in Colin’s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

The British are rightly labelled the most generous nation on earth when giving to worthy causes.

The top one thousand charities in the UK have combined annual receipts in excess of a staggering 19 billion pounds which is made up of donations, purchases, and legacy income.

The range covers a whole spectrum of causes and these charities include everything from animal and environmental organisations to disease research and the arts.

But even this amount is dwarfed by the estimated 37 billion raised in total through the 160 thousand charities registered in the UK. We are all familiar with the well established ones such as Cancer Research UK, Help For Heroes, Oxfam, The Salvation Army, RSPCA and a host of other household names, but amongst them there are thousands of less well known organisations dealing with localised issue and no less vital for that.

Where there is a need of help and aid for deserving cases, we Brits it seems, are always ready to put our hands in our pockets and long may that be the case.

A practice that seems to be on the increase at this time of year as we ease into the Christmas season, is to be told by friends and relatives that from now on they will not be sending cards, but will instead, donate to charity.

One of our great pleasures at Christmas time is receiving cards from our friends and acquaintances, the majority of whom live in the UK and many far flung locations, and often it is the only time of the year when we have specific contact.

We receive similar pleasure from sending cards and always include a well chosen line or two sum-

CHRISTMAS CARDS: Is this now a thing of the past? marising our year; the whole point being that we preserve and perpetuate our link with people who have played a sometimes small, but important part in our past lives.

The cost of mailing cards is a factor as are personal reasons for donating to a particular cause, but often the only reason for discontinuing the practice I suspect, is because of its time consuming nature and the hours spent in writing those few lines.

But isn’t that the point?

By putting aside the time and taking the trouble to remember our friends, we are illustrating that they are still very much in our thoughts and appreciate their attachment.

Charity is important at whatever time of year, but to risk losing that one link with friends and acquaintances in order to save time and energy, is a false and sad economy.

20

A nation without spires by

Michael Walsh

keyboardcosmetics@ gmail.com The opinions published in Mike´s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

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While the first built Russian churches were built to accommodate 200 - 300 people the decision has since been made to build churches for no fewer than 500 people.

The largest Russian Orthodox Church so far has just been built in the southeast of the capital. The balconies, lower church and internal design of the church will be completed by the end of 2018. The church, built in the classical style, will honour the Meeting of The Lord. It is 49 meters high, will fit in 1,000 people and have 13 cupolas (domes).

Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow

Meanwhile, the face of Britain is changing beyond all recognition. In Britain is now situated over 3,000 mosques, 130 Muslim Sharia Courts of Law and over 50 Muslim Sharia Councils. The mayors of London, Birmingham (Britain’s second largest city), Leeds, Blackburn, Sheffield, Oxford, Luton, Oldham and Rochdale are now Muslims. But none dare call it treason.

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Sadiq Khan: London’s First Muslim Mayor

As Britain turns its back on Christianity Russia is building new churches at an extraordinary rate. In Moscow alone it is expected that 200 new churches will soon bring Christians and God closer together.

Meanwhile, in Britain many churches have been razed to the ground. Thousands have been de-consecrated before being turned into bars, apartments, stores and wholesalers, even mosques. A void awaits a people destined for spiritual bankruptcy.

According to the UK Census, between 2001 and 2011 the number of Christians born in Britain fell at the rate of 10,000 each week. A continued rate of decline at the present level means British born Christians will reduce to zero by 2067. The Church of England, Britain’s traditional and all powerful spiritual faith will disappear as early as 2033.

In 2010, the head of the Russian Church, Patriarch Kirill, stated that Moscow needs at least 200 more churches to accommodate the growing number of believers in the city, and to compensate for the tens of thousands of churches destroyed during the Soviet occupation.

Funded exclusively by donations, its far-reaching goal is to make sure that all believers have churches ‘within walking distances’, especially those, who live far from the centre of Moscow, in the newer areas of the ever-expanding city.

Prior to the American-backed seizure of Imperial Russia in 1917 – 1922 there were throughout Russia listed 54,174 Christian churches. In addition there were 25,593 chapels, 1,025 monasteries, military churches and cemetery chapels. By 1987 only 6,893 churches and 15 monasteries remained.

During the martyrdom of the Russian Orthodox faith Western clergy remained silent and media was

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22

Whoops, the balcony’s gone to pot! by

Barry Duke The opinions published in barry’s weekly column are not necessarily representative of those of the publishers, advertisers or newspaper sponsors.

A while back I wrote an article for the Freethinker – a 136-year-old atheist magazine I have edited for almost 20 years – about the attitude of church leaders in America towards the legalisation of cannabis.

Some supported legalisation, others were dead against it. In Massachusetts, the Catholic Church spent $850,000 on an anti-pot crusade. The cash, which could have been spent on something worthwhile – like feeding the poor – went down the drain, because, in December, 2016, Massachusetts wisely made the possession and cultivation of marijuana legal for adults.

And so began the process of establishing a regulated, multi-million dollar marijuana industry.

Today, it is legal in seven US states for adults to use cannabis as a recreational drug, and 16 states allow it to be used solely for medical purposes.

When I wrote my piece, I pointed out how easy it was to obtain cannabis seeds and identified a Dutch company, Sensi Seeds, as being one of the world’s top suppliers. To my astonishment, a week later, I received an email from the company, thanking me for the mention.

To show their gratitude, they offered me a complimentary selection of seeds. Not knowing what the legal situation was in Spain, I decided to make some inquiries before I took up the offer. Naturally, the last thing I wanted to do was break the law.

One website informed me that “Spain has become one of the most cannabis-liberal parts of Europe for its relaxed attitude towards marijuana. It is a decentralised country, meaning that the laws vary from place to place, and any region can go about setting up its own marijuana laws. It is one of the most comfortable places to consume cannabis, and in certain circumstances, even grow.”

Another informed me that “since Spanish drug laws cannot reach into homes and other privatelyowned spaces, the reach of the state’s drug policy is

limited to public space.

“The beauty of growing one’s own cannabis at home is that it completely eliminates the need to incur the infraction of buying and carrying it out in the street, where they can bust you. By virtue of this, there is no law being broken, since what one does at home is not the state’s concern.

“However, it must be noted that a ‘bad neighbour’ can still report you and, if busted, then it is up to you to prove that it is for personal use only.”

So I said yes to Sensi Seeds, but only germinated three of the dozen seeds they sent me because – believe me – this was just an experiment to satisfy my own curiosity.

At this point I should point out that I have always supported cannabis legalisation because it’s a proven fact that dope is far less dangerous than alcohol.

But I stopped using it about 20 years ago because of a growing workload. I had three jobs – one involving a lot of driving – and I felt that pot would impair my ability to properly focus on any of them.

Well, the plants flourished on our sundrenched balcony to such a n extent that, when they reached maturity, they’d grown into bushes four foot high and began to exude such an intoxicating aroma that our entire apartment was filled with the smell. What’s more, I became convinced that the increasing sluggishness of our two dogs – and their uncharacteristic demand for munchies

– was due the fact that they were stoned.

At this point I panicked. Although we live on the 31st floor, I feared the smell might upset our neighbours. So, at 4 am one morning I sadly bagged up the plants and disposed of them in a dumpster outside our apartment block.

I sincerely hope that the bin men put them to good use. Today, the greenery on our balcony is provided by two enormous dragon trees and a yucca plant.

Ironically, all were retrieved from a dumpster.

25

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26

by

Kevin Wright Account Manager

Moneycorp

currency Currency questions answered by Moneycorp

The cost savings of using a specialist currency company are attractive but I have been put off as I understand there could be extra work involved. I also have concerns regarding the safety of my money - am I being over cautious?

Specialist currency providers are becoming popular choices for British ex-pats living in Spain or, indeed, those returning to the UK. Opening a trading facility is much easier and quicker than you may think but is necessary to comply with European KYC anti-money laundering legislation. moneycorp offers the option for customers to apply for registration on-line, via our website, which is a short and straight forward process. Alternatively, customers can simply complete a paper registration form. Additional documentation such as proof of identity and proof of address may be required in some cases. For the small amount of effort to apply for an account, there are many potential benefits available. These include potential cost savings and the advantage of having a range of currency services that are not always offered by traditional financial institutions, such as high street banks. Trading is also straightforward and is normally conducted over the telephone. Put simply, you can have access to great rates along with ‘real time’ information on the market which can help you to trade your currency at an advantageous time. Using a specialist currency company means you can arrange to have the rate monitored on your behalf, to help you make the most of market movements and potentially avoid trading when the market is not favourable for you. Purchasing a Forward Contract, means that you can fix the prevailing rate of exchange to buy currency now, to be settled at a determined date in the future, thus avoiding any potential impact from subsequent market fluctuations. A deposit of 10% of the total amount is required for this service.

The question of security is completely understandable and one that any client needs to be comfortable with. There are certain questions that will allow you to choose a currency provider with confidence and should be addressed if you have any doubts: How long have you been in business?

How many staff do you have?

What is your turnover?

How many clients do you deal with each year?

Do you have any other divisions as part of the company?

Do you speculate with the funds?

How do you handle client funds?

Do you have audited accounts at Companies House?

Where are your offices?

Are you Financial Conduct Authority Regulated?

This is how moneycorp answer:

How long have you been in business?

Moneycorp has been dealing in foreign exchange since 1979.

How many staff do you have?

Over 760 last year.

What is your turnover?

The last financial year saw Moneycorp trade over £25.6 billlion worth of currencies.

How many clients do you deal with each year?

We executed over 7 million client transactions in 2016.

Do you have any other divisions as part of the company?

Yes. Retail, wholesale, commercial including an awardwinning online trading platform.

Do you speculate with the funds?

Absolutely not! Moneycorp does not take trading positions and all foreign exchange positions are exactly matched with our panel of liquidity providers.

How do you handle client funds?

All client funds are safeguarded in segregated client bank accounts.

Do you have audited accounts at Companies House?

Yes, we do. PricewaterhouseCoopers have been our auditors since 1987.

Where are your offices?

Moneycorp has its HO in central London and has other offices outside the UK. Details of locations are on our web site.

Are you regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority?

Yes. Moneycorp is the trading name of TTT Moneycorp Ltd. which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of payment services.

For further information about how Moneycorp can help with your particular currency requirement, contact us on +34 902 887 243 or email kevin.wright@moneycorp.com

Moneycorp is a trading name of TTT Moneycorp Ltd. which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the provision of payment services.

TTT Moneycorp Limites, Sucursal en España is registered with the banco de España under the code number 6875 and with the Mercantile Registry of Málaga under volume 5461, book 4638, sheet 7, page MA-131271, inscription number 1. Its registered office address is Centro Comercial Cala Sol, Local 108, La Cala de Mijas, 29649 Málaga and its Spanish tax identification number is W8266051E.

legal Over the Christmas period my ex - partner Q wants to take our children back to the UK? by

IGNACIO PELLICER MOLLĂ & PEDRO HEREDIA ORTIZ

LAWYERS

A

Does he need my permission?

In the case when both parents have joint custody of a minor, the written consent of the other parent must be given, in order to leave Spain. This can be done by a notarized letter in which the non-travelling parent accepts the trip of the minors for a fixed period of time.

The LUXEMBOURG AGREEMENT protects minors against the legal kidnapping of a minor by a relative, in the case when a custody or visitation order has been violated, if a child is taken to a foreign country.

If you have any further questions about this or any other legal matter, please do not hesitate to contact us; we have a team of experts standing by to assist you in any way we can. Call 965 480 737 or email info@pellicerheredia.com Videos at www.pellicerheredia.com

27

this weeks weatherinbrief FRI Nov 24

22º 12ºC /

sat Nov 25

22º 12ºC /

Sunny and pleasant

Periods of cloud and sun

sun Nov 26

20º 12ºC /

A couple of showers

mon Nov 27

18º 12ºC

tue Nov 28

14º 13ºC

/

19º 9ºC

/

Low clouds

wed Nov 29

14º 5ºC

/

Cloudy

thu Nov 30 /

Sunshine

Mostly cloudy and a little rain

Friday 24th November - Thursday 30th November

Pick of the Day

FRIDAY 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:45pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:30pm

11:00pm 11:25pm 11:35pm

Breakfast Claimed and Shamed Homes Under the Hammer The Housing Enforcers The Sheriffs are Coming Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country Royal Recipes Flog It! Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show Sounds Like Friday Night EastEnders Still Open All Hours Have I Got News for You Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special 2016 BBC News BBC London News The Graham Norton Show

An Island Parish Claimed and Shamed Royal Recipes Natural World Victoria Derbyshire BBC Newsroom Live The Daily Politics Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final Highlights Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip Going Back Giving Back WPC 56 Oxford Street Revealed Wartime Farm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Strictly - It Takes Two Match of the Day Live Extreme Wives with Kate Humble QI Newsnight Snowfall

7:00am 9:30am 10:25am 11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

9:30pm 10:00pm

11:30pm 12:00am 12:15am

Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Dickinson’s Real Deal Tenable Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street Australian Wilderness with Ray Mears Coronation Street I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News ITV News London Tonight at the London Palladium

7:15am 7:40am 8:05am 8:30am

9:55am 11:35am 12:05pm

1:00pm 1:05pm

1:55pm 4:00pm

5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 12:05am

King of Queens King of Queens King of Queens Everybody Loves Raymond Formula 1 Frasier Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Channel 4 News Couples Come Dine with Me Formula 1 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Coast v Country Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast Gogglebox The Last Leg First Dates

7:00am 10:15am 12:25pm 2:10pm 2:15pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:15pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

10:00pm

11:00pm

12:05am

Childrens TV The Wright Stuff Christmas Child 5 News Lunchtime Home and Away Neighbours NCIS Christmas Hero 5 News Neighbours Home and Away 5 News Tonight The Gadget Show The World’s Greatest Bridges Eight Days That Made Rome The Garden of Eden: Revealed Area 51

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

Monkey Life Monkey Life Animal 999 Animal 999 Send in the Dog The Dog Whisperer Monkey Life Monkey Life Modern Family Modern Family NCIS: Los Angeles Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: Los Angeles Stargate SG-1 The Simpsons Futurama Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Modern Family Karl Pilkington A League of Their Own The Simpsons

Modern Family, 9.30pm, Sky 1

5:30am

8:30am

9:00am 9:30am

10:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm

1:30pm

2:00pm 2:20pm 3:10pm 5:15pm 5:45pm 8:30pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:20pm 12:05am 12:35am

Rugby League World Cup Semi-Final Naomi’s Nightmares of Nature Deadly 60 Show Me What You’re Made of: UK Saturday Mash-Up! Natural World Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes Raymond Blanc: How to Cook Well Coast Talking Pictures Daddy Long Legs Britain Afloat Rugby Union Rugby Union Dad’s Army Joe Orton Laid Bare QI XL Insert Name Here Albert Nobbs

7:00am 10:25am 10:30am

12:25pm

12:50pm 1:00pm 2:30pm

5:00pm 5:25pm 5:55pm 6:55pm 7:20pm 7:25pm 7:35pm 8:30pm 10:10pm

11:10pm 11:30pm

Childrens TV ITV News Saturday Morning with James Martin Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape ITV News The X Factor ITV Racing: Live from Haydock Thunderbirds are Go The Harbour The Chase You’ve Been Framed!

ITV News London ITV News Ninja Warrior UK The X Factor I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News Rambo: First Blood Part II

7:05am

7:30am

7:55am 8:20am 8:45am 9:10am 9:35am 10:00am 10:25am 10:55am 12:25pm 12:55pm 3:45pm

4:45pm

5:30pm 6:30pm 7:25pm 7:45pm 10:00pm 12:05am

Everybody Loves Raymond Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Frasier The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Simpsons The Simpsons Formula 1 F1 Meets... Niki Lauda Formula 1 World’s Most Expensive Cars A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Best Laid Plans Grand Designs Channel 4 News The Day After Tomorrow Ex Machina Lone Survivor

7:00am 11:30am 12:25pm

12:55pm 2:40pm 4:25pm 5:25pm 5:30pm 6:15pm

7:15pm 7:20pm

8:00pm

9:00pm

9:55pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:25am

Childrens TV The Gadget Show Pets Make You Laugh Out Loud A Christmas Reunion Santa Who? Angels in the Snow 5 News Angels in the Snow Love You Like Christmas 5 News Love You Like Christmas Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away!

Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away!

5 News Weekend Football on 5 Football on 5 NCIS: New Orleans NCIS: New Orleans

7:00am 8:00am 9:00am 10:00am 11:00am 12:30pm 1:00pm 1:30pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:35pm 12:35am

Wild Things Ashley Banjo Supergirl The Flash Soccer A.M. Justice League: Special Modern Family Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Futurama Gillette Soccer Saturday Gillette Soccer Saturday Gillette Soccer Saturday Modern Family Modern Family The Simpsons The Simpsons A League of Their Own Living the Dream Bounty Hunters The Russell Howard Hour Ross Kemp

Michael Mcintyre's Big Show, 9.10pm, BBC1

7:05am 7:50am 8:35am

9:35am 10:30am

12:00pm 12:30pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 5:45pm 6:45pm

7:45pm

9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:40pm

Coast A to Z of TV Gardening Monty Don’s Secret History of the British Garden Countryfile Saturday Kitchen Best Bites Food and Drink My Life on a Plate MOTD2 Extra Rugby Union Natural World Demolition Escape to the Country Flog It! Turkey with Simon Reeve Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Robot Wars Expedition Volcano Snowfall John Carter

7:00am 10:25am 10:30am

11:00am 12:00pm

12:30pm 1:30pm 1:45pm 3:20pm 5:10pm 7:05pm 7:15pm 7:30pm

8:30pm 10:00pm

11:30pm 11:45pm 12:45am

Childrens TV ITV News Australian Wilderness with Ray Mears Peston on Sunday Save Money: Good Food Tipping Point ITV News The X Factor Midsomer Murders Les Dawson Forever ITV News London ITV News The Chase Celebrity Special The X Factor I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News Peston on Sunday Road Rage Britain: Caught on Camera

6:40am 8:55am 9:25am 10:00am 1:00pm

1:35pm 4:10pm

5:35pm 6:35pm 7:05pm 9:00pm

10:00pm

11:00pm 1:10am

The Parent Trap Frasier Frasier Sunday Brunch Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Live Build Up Formula 1 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Live Reaction Speed with Guy Martin Channel 4 News Men in Black 3 Coastal Railways with Julie Walters Guy Martin v the Robot Car RoboCop Good Kill

7:00am 11:20am 12:10pm 12:40pm 2:20pm 4:10pm

5:10pm 5:15pm

5:55pm

6:55pm 7:00pm

8:55pm 9:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm 11:05pm 12:35am

Childrens TV Football on 5 Football on 5 Chilly Christmas Winter Wedding A Christmas to Remember 5 News A Christmas to Remember Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 5 News Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 5 News Weekend Aviva Premiership Rugby Highlights Fury 5 News Fury Flight of the Phoenix

7:00am 8:00am 10:30am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 3:30pm 4:00pm 4:30pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 12:00am

The Hour of Power Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons WWE Raw Supergirl The Flash Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family Modern Family The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Inhumans Strike Back The Force Manchester Ross Kemp

Fury, 10pm, Channel 5

7:00am 7:30am 8:15am 9:00am 10:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm

2:45pm

3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:15pm 6:15pm

7:00pm 7:55pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 11:30pm 12:05am

Saturday 7:00am 11:00am 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:15pm 3:00pm 5:30pm 6:15pm

6:45pm 6:55pm 7:00pm 7:50pm 9:10pm

10:10pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 12:45am

Breakfast Saturday Kitchen Live Nigella: At My Table Football Focus BBC News Rugby League Rugby Union Final Score Len Goodman’s Partners in Rhyme BBC News BBC London News Pointless Strictly Come Dancing Michael Mcintyre’s Big Show Casualty BBC News Match of the Day The NFL Show

Sunday 7:00am 8:30am 10:00am 11:00am 12:00pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:15pm 3:15pm

4:15pm 4:55pm

5:55pm 6:55pm 7:10pm 7:20pm 8:20pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:20pm 11:30pm 12:30am

Breakfast Match of the Day The Andrew Marr Show Fern Britton Meets...

Sunday Politics Bargain Hunt BBC News Elizabeth and Philip Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets Songs of Praise Alan Shearer: Football, Dementia and Me? Blue Planet II BBC News BBC London News Countryfile Strictly Come Dancing Blue Planet II Howards End BBC News BBC London News Match of the Day 2 Ronny Chieng: International Student

30

Pick of the Day

monday 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:45pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

12:30am

Breakfast Claimed and Shamed Homes Under the Hammer The Housing Enforcers The Sheriffs are Coming Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country Royal Recipes Flog It! Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show Panorama EastEnders Would I Lie to You? New Tricks BBC News BBC London News Have I Got a Bit More News for You Michael Mcintyre’s Big Show

7:00am 7:30am 8:15am 9:00am 10:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:45pm

3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:15pm 6:15pm

7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am

An Island Parish Claimed and Shamed Royal Recipes Women at War Victoria Derbyshire BBC Newsroom Live The Daily Politics The Link Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip Going Back Giving Back The Indian Doctor Oxford Street Revealed Wartime Farm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip University Challenge Nigella: At My Table Employable Me Insert Name Here Newsnight Blitz

7:00am 9:30am 10:25am 11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm

9:30pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm

12:45am

Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Judge Rinder Dickinson’s Real Deal Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martin Lewis Money Show Coronation Street I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News and Weather ITV News London Killer Women with Piers Morgan Life Inside Jail: Hell on Earth

7:20am 7:45am 8:10am 8:35am

10:00am 10:35am 11:05am

12:00pm 1:00pm 1:05pm 2:05pm

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 12:05am

King of Queens King of Queens King of Queens Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Frasier Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Undercover Boss USA Channel 4 News Come Dine with Me Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News Paul Hollywood Supershoppers 999: What’s Your Emergency?

First Dates Don’t Tell the Bride

7:00am 10:15am 12:35pm

1:30pm 2:25pm 2:30pm 3:00pm 4:45pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm 10:00pm

11:00pm

12:05am 1:05am

Childrens TV The Wright Stuff GPs: Behind Closed Doors The Gadget Show 5 News Lunchtime Neighbours Christmas Mail A Perfect Christmas 5 News Neighbours 5 News Tonight Weather Terror Sinkholes Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railway Journeys Secrets of the Tube: Going Underground Inside the Mega Twister Aircrash: The Miracle of Flight 32

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:35pm 12:05am 12:35am

Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life Animal 999 Animal 999 The Dog Whisperer Monkey Life Monkey Life Modern Family Modern Family NCIS: Los Angeles Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: Los Angeles Stargate SG-1 The Simpsons Futurama Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Supergirl A League of Their Own Bounty Hunters Sick Note The Simpsons The Simpsons

Motherland, 11pm, BBC2

tuesday 7:00am 10:15am 11:00am 12:00pm 12:45pm 1:15pm 2:00pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:30pm 6:15pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 11:45pm 12:45am

Breakfast Claimed and Shamed Homes Under the Hammer The Housing Enforcers The Sheriffs are Coming Bargain Hunt BBC News BBC London News Doctors Armchair Detectives Escape to the Country Royal Recipes Flog It! Pointless BBC News BBC London News The One Show EastEnders Holby City The A Word BBC News BBC London News Drugsland Life and Death Row

Paul Hollywood, 9pm, Channel 4

7:00am

7:30am 8:15am 9:00am 10:00am 12:00pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 2:45pm

3:15pm 4:00pm 4:45pm 5:15pm 6:15pm

7:00pm 7:30pm 7:55pm 10:00pm

11:00pm 11:30pm 12:15am

An Island Parish: Falklands Claimed and Shamed Royal Recipes Great British Menu Victoria Derbyshire BBC Newsroom Live The Daily Politics The Link Terry and Mason’s Great Food Trip Going Back Giving Back The Indian Doctor Oxford Street Revealed Wartime Farm Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Eggheads Strictly - It Takes Two Match of the Day Live MasterChef: The Professionals Motherland Newsnight NFL

7:00am 9:30am 10:25am 11:30am 1:30pm 2:30pm 2:55pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

9:00pm

10:00pm

11:05pm 11:35pm 11:45pm 12:20am

Good Morning Britain Lorraine The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning Loose Women ITV Lunchtime News ITV News London Judge Rinder Dickinson’s Real Deal Tipping Point The Chase ITV News London ITV Evening News Emmerdale Save Money: Good Food How to Spend it Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

ITV News and Weather ITV News London On Assignment Lethal Weapon

7:20am 7:45am 8:10am 8:35am

10:05am 10:35am 11:05am

12:00pm 1:00pm 1:05pm 2:05pm

3:10pm 4:00pm 5:00pm

6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

10:00pm 11:00pm

12:05am 1:10am

King of Queens King of Queens King of Queens Everybody Loves Raymond Frasier Frasier Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA Undercover Boss USA Channel 4 News Come Dine with Me Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas Countdown Lost and Found A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun Four in a Bed Come Dine with Me The Simpsons Hollyoaks Channel 4 News The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds Grand Designs The Robot Will See You Now Gogglebox The Great Songwriters

7:00am

Childrens TV

10:15am

The Wright Stuff

12:35pm

40 Below and

Falling at Christmas

2:25pm

5 News Lunchtime

2:30pm

Neighbours

3:00pm

The Christmas Switch

4:40pm

Snowmance

6:30pm

5 News

7:00pm

Neighbours

7:30pm

5 News Tonight

8:00pm

Yorkshire:

A Year in the Wild

9:00pm

Jo Brand’s

Cats and Kittens

10:00pm

Ben Fogle:

New Lives in the Wild

11:00pm

The 90s: Most Shocking

Celebrity Moments

7:00am 7:30am 8:00am 8:30am 9:00am 9:30am 10:00am 11:00am 11:30am 12:00pm 12:30pm 1:00pm 2:00pm 3:00pm 4:00pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm 7:00pm 7:30pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 9:00pm 10:00pm 11:00pm 11:30pm 12:00am 12:30am

Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life Monkey Life Animal 999 Animal 999 The Dog Whisperer Monkey Life Monkey Life Modern Family Modern Family NCIS: Los Angeles Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: Los Angeles Stargate SG-1 The Simpsons Futurama Futurama The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons The Flash Strike Back Sick Note The Simpsons The Simpsons A League of Their Own

31

Pick of the Day

WEDNESDAY 7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Claimed and Shamed 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm The Housing Enforcers 12:45pm The Sheriffs are Coming 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Armchair Detectives 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Royal Recipes 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 9:00pm Mary Berry’s

Country House Secrets 10:00pm The Apprentice 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Match of the Day 1:25am Junior Doctors

7:00am An Island Parish: Falklands 7:30am Claimed and Shamed 8:15am Royal Recipes 9:00am Nigella: At My Table 9:30am Caught Red Handed 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 12:30pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm The Link 2:45pm Terry and Mason’s

Great Food Trip 3:15pm Going Back Giving Back 4:00pm The Indian Doctor 4:45pm Oxford Street Revealed 5:15pm Wartime Farm 6:15pm Put Your Money Where

Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly - It Takes Two 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm MasterChef:

The Professionals 10:00pm Peaky Blinders 11:00pm The Apprentice: You’re Fired!

11:30pm Newsnight

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Coronation Street 9:00pm Gino’s Italian Coastal Escape 9:30pm Coronation Street 10:00pm I’m a Celebrity,

Get Me Out of Here!

11:00pm ITV News and Weather 11:30pm ITV News London 11:45pm Britain’s Busiest Airport Heathrow 12:45am Play to the Whistle

7:20am King of Queens 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00am Frasier 10:35am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay’s Kitchen

Nightmares USA 12:00pm Undercover Boss USA 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Kirstie’s Handmade

Christmas 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Lost and Found 5:00pm A Place in the Sun:

Winter Sun 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm The Secret Life of the Zoo 10:00pm The Channel 11:00pm Man Down 11:35pm How to Build a Robot 12:40am 999: What’s Your Emergency?

7:00am Childrens TV 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:45pm A Bride for Christmas 2:25pm 5 News Lunchtime 2:30pm Neighbours 3:00pm Last Chance Holiday 4:40pm My Christmas Love 6:30pm 5 News 7:00pm Neighbours 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm Traffic Cops Special 9:00pm GPs:

Behind Closed Doors 10:00pm Wallis:

The Queen That Never Was 12:00am Mobo Awards 2017

7:00am Monkey Life 9:00am Animal 999 9:30am Animal 999 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am Monkey Life 11:30am Monkey Life 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm Hawaii Five-0 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 5:00pm Stargate SG-1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm DC’s Legends of Tomorrow 10:00pm Inhumans 11:00pm Bounty Hunters 11:40pm The Simpsons 12:10am The Simpsons 12:35am A League of Their Own

Britain's Busiest Airport - Heathrow, 11.45pm, ITV1

7:00am Good Morning Britain 9:30am Lorraine 10:25am The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30am This Morning 1:30pm Loose Women 2:30pm ITV Lunchtime News 2:55pm ITV News London 3:00pm Judge Rinder 4:00pm Dickinson’s Real Deal 5:00pm Tipping Point 6:00pm The Chase 7:00pm ITV News London 7:30pm ITV Evening News 8:00pm Emmerdale 8:30pm Elderly Theft: Robbing the

Relatives - Tonight 9:00pm Emmerdale 9:30pm Paul O’Grady:

For The Love of Dogs 10:00pm I’m a Celebrity,

Get Me Out of Here!

11:30pm ITV News 12:00am ITV News London 12:15am Car Crash Britain

Caught on Camera

7:20am King of Queens 8:35am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:00am Everybody Loves Raymond 9:30am Everybody Loves Raymond 10:05am Frasier 10:35am Frasier 11:05am Ramsay’s Kitchen

Nightmares USA 12:00pm Undercover Boss USA 1:00pm Channel 4 News 1:05pm Come Dine with Me 2:05pm Kirstie’s Crafty Christmas 3:10pm Countdown 4:00pm Lost and Found 5:00pm A Place in the Sun:

Winter Sun 6:00pm Four in a Bed 6:30pm Come Dine with Me 7:00pm The Simpsons 7:30pm Hollyoaks 8:00pm Channel 4 News 9:00pm Great Canal Journeys 10:00pm Trump: An American Dream 11:00pm The Sex Robots are Coming 12:05am Naked Attraction

7:00am Childrens TV 10:15am The Wright Stuff 12:45pm Christmas Mix 2:25pm 5 News Lunchtime 2:30pm Neighbours 3:00pm Finding Mrs Claus 4:45pm The Christmas Angel 6:30pm 5 News 7:00pm Neighbours 7:30pm 5 News Tonight 8:00pm UK’s Strongest Man 2017 9:00pm Bargain Loving Brits

in Blackpool 10:00pm Seventh Son 11:00pm 5 News 11:05pm Seventh Son 12:15am Sinkholes

7:00am Monkey Life 9:00am Animal 999 9:30am Animal 999 10:00am The Dog Whisperer 11:00am Monkey Life 11:30am Monkey Life 12:00pm Modern Family 12:30pm Modern Family 1:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 2:00pm Hawaii Five-0 3:00pm Hawaii Five-0 4:00pm NCIS: Los Angeles 5:00pm Stargate SG-1 6:00pm The Simpsons 6:30pm Futurama 7:00pm Futurama 7:30pm The Simpsons 8:00pm The Simpsons 8:30pm The Simpsons 9:00pm Arrow 10:00pm Living the Dream 11:00pm The Russell Howard Hour 12:00am The Simpsons

Seventh Son, 10pm, Channel 5

thursday 7:00am Breakfast 10:15am Claimed and Shamed 11:00am Homes Under the Hammer 12:00pm The Housing Enforcers 12:45pm The Sheriffs are Coming 1:15pm Bargain Hunt 2:00pm BBC News 2:30pm BBC London News 2:45pm Doctors 3:15pm Armchair Detectives 4:00pm Escape to the Country 4:45pm Royal Recipes 5:30pm Flog It! 6:15pm Pointless 7:00pm BBC News 7:30pm BBC London News 8:00pm The One Show 8:30pm EastEnders 9:00pm DIY SOS The Big Build 10:00pm Love, Lies and Records 11:00pm BBC News 11:30pm BBC London News 11:45pm Question Time 12:45am This Week

7:00am An Island Parish: Falklands 7:30am Claimed and Shamed 8:15am Royal Recipes 9:00am DIY SOS 10:00am Victoria Derbyshire 12:00pm BBC Newsroom Live 1:00pm The Daily Politics 2:00pm The Link 2:45pm Terry and Mason’s

Great Food Trip 3:15pm Going Back Giving Back 4:00pm The Indian Doctor 4:45pm The Indian Doctor 5:30pm Oxford Street Revealed 6:15pm Put Your Money Where

Your Mouth Is 7:00pm Eggheads 7:30pm Strictly - It Takes Two 8:00pm Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 9:00pm MasterChef:

The Professionals 10:00pm Blitz 11:00pm Live at the Apollo 11:30pm Newsnight 12:15am Expedition Volcano

David Cassidy passes away at 67

David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother Shirley Jones), in the 1970s musical-sitcom The Partridge Family, which led to his becoming one of popular culture’s teen idols and pop singers of the 1970s. He later had a career in both acting and music.

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24 feb - 2 march 2017

Zombie weekend in Bigastro BIGASTRO WILL be the scene for a zombie adventure this weekend.

Beginning tonight (Friday) at 11pm and going right throughout the night and into the early hours of Saturday morning (due to finish at 5.30am) the event is collaboration between the town hall and specialist company LZD. They have a wealth of experience organising such events which sees a mix of live performers in amazing costumes with a number of competitions, challenges and surprises for everyone.

Tickets are available at a range

of prices depending on whether those taking part want to play the roles of survivors of the apocalypse or be one of the zombies themselves. They’re available from the Auditorio Municipal Francisco Grau and also via the organising company’s website at www. eventoszombies.com A number of people from all over the Vega Baja have been invited to take part in this event so just be a little wary and careful if you’re out and about or driving in Bigastro overnight on Friday / Saturday... and don’t have nightmares!

In Harmony – In concert – In December

THIS YEAR´S annual Christmas concert – Christmas Starts Here – will take place at the La Zenia Church on Sunday December 10 at 7.30pm.

It will feature the Costa Blanca’s leading chorus, In Harmony, conducted by Nigel Hopkins.

This year’s concert will be extra special as included in the programme will be the Christmas music from Handel’s Messiah.

This all-time favourite work has thrilled audiences for more than two and a half centuries and will be a special feature of this concert.

Included in this Christmas celebration will be many Christmas songs and carols heard in the best cathedrals around the world, and will include many favourite carols especially for the audience to join in with.

This year, Nigel Hopkins’ choirs reached a charity fund-raising total of €50,000, and a substantial donation from this concert will benefit La Zenia church.

Tickets are €10 each, and are only available from La Ponderosa Gift Shop at La Zenia C.C. (next to Consum). Places are limited so you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.

Christmas is the time for carols THIS CHRISTMAS will welcome a new choir in town that will be singing at their first concerts during this festive season.

Conducted by the experienced musical director Karen Blagborough, Andante, will be accompanied by the talented pianist Nataliya Komyak.

The first of Andante’s performances this Christmas is on Sunday November 26 starting at 4pm at the Restaurant La Vuelta, Formentera del Segura, and will feature a programme of traditional carols sung in four-part harmony. Come along and get into the early Christmas spirit listening to some wonderful carols while at the same time browsing the seasonal stalls for those items and gifts you might not have thought of,The church in Benijofar hosts the second concert on Saturday December 2 at 8pm. Entrance is free but donations for the local charity would be gratefully received.

Unfortunately, it was necessary to cancel the planned concert in the church in Los Montesinos on December 3 as it conflicted with other arrangements in the town, however the final concert of the season will be at Plaza Diferente in Benimar on Saturday December 16 at 2pm where once again, donations

for the local charity will be much appreciated.

Benijofar church is also the rehearsal venue for the choir on Thursday evenings between 7pm and 9pm. New members are always welcome to join the group. The ability to read music is not essential but obviously an advantage.

The Andante International Classical Choir looks forward to performing and wishes everyone a very Happy Christmas.

Tapas trail in Torrevieja underway COUNCILLOR FOR Tourism, Fanny Serrano, has presented the XV edition of the Ruta de la Tapa that began yesterday (Thursday) and goes on to Sunday December 3 in Torrevieja. A truly gastronomic event that will see 45 venues participating and offering an amazing selection of 180 very varied tapas.

Among a sample of the sumptuous offerings during the 11 day event were a number of interesting combinations turning popular foods – such as the humble hamburger or the kebab – into gourmet items.

The presentation has been excellent and many of the restaurants taking part have prepared tapas suitable for celiac sufferers.

The commitment to using

meat as in integral part of the tapas continues, always combining with a myriad of sauces of different flavours and sensations to satisfy the taste buds. Seafood is also an important element that brings the city’s fishing culture to highlight their produce with some interesting tapas with grilled fish as the base.

Price is €2 for a ‘normal’ tapa and €2.50 for the ‘gourmet’ offerings, both including drinks. The hours of the trail are from 12 noon to 4.30pm and in the evening from 7.30pm to 11pm.

Those who participate in this event will be able to vote for their favourite tapas through the Ruta de la Tapa Torrevieja app, freely available for both iOS and Android.

Open day for the Torrevieja Animal Shelter TORREVIEJA’S COUNCILLOR for animal protection, Carmen Morate, has announced the date for the next open day at the Albergue Municipal Animal Shelter.

It will be on Sunday December 2, and is the third month in succession that people have the chance to visit the shelter to see the gorgeous pets, meet the people who work and volunteer there and see how they work on a day-to-day basis.

There will also be a dog show and parade of all the animals that are up for adoption. You can also visit the cats and, to quote Carmen, “you can receive a purr in exchange for a caress and a cuddle!”

There will be a market selling items to raise funds for the shelter, which includes a table for tasting

vegan food – no animal products here – and a craft workshop for children run by volunteers of the Asociación Animalistas of Torrevieja. “This activity combines the children being entertained while at the same time showing them the work of the shelter and the importance of adopting animals rather than buying them,” explained Carmen.

All animals lovers are invited, in the words of Carmen, “to spend a pleasant morning with both humans and animals” between 1130am and 1pm at the Torrevieja Animal Shelter. It’s located on Calle Nenúfares between and behind the local police station and fire station close to the Habaneras shopping centre.

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Virtually invisible hearing aid with directional microphone The way our ears and our hearing perform is an amazing process. To put it simply, for our ears to receive sound, the sound travels down our ear canal, through the middle ear and into the cochlea.

The cochlea is a portion of the inner ear that looks like a snail shell (cochlea is Greek for snail.) The cochlea is filled with a watery liquid, the perilymph, which moves in response to the vibrations coming from the middle ear which causes the small hair cells inside to move to the different frequencies.

These signals are then sent to the brain, which subsequently decodes the incoming messages and makes sense of them. When we have normal hearing, our brain routinely filters out the background noise and other nonimportant information to allow us to focus on speech and other important signals.

However, this process can be a more problematic for someone with hearing loss. Due to the damage to the tiny hair cells in the ear, people with hearing loss have a harder time distinguishing speech when

they are in a noisy environment and more often, they will also find loud noise uncomfortable.

Nowadays, hearing aid advancement means that hearing loss sufferers need suffer no more.

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If you suffer from this problem and dread going out to social gatherings, why not come in to our hearing test centres either in Ciudad Quesada or Benidorm to benefit from our FREE, NO OBLIGATION hearing test. We offer flexible appointments to our clients and, for those with reduced mobility, we can arrange home visits which cover the whole of

Costa Blanca region.

In most cases, we can guarantee your hearing will improve significantly. We pride ourselves in providing the best after care service which means that our relationship with our customers does not end at the point of sale, but we strive to continue taking care of the servicing, testing and repairing of the hearing aids as and when necessary. We are on hand to make sure you are satisfied with the aids and our life-long 6-monthly check up will

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34

Organic papaya mask Remove dead skin and revitalise your face with an organic papaya mask.

Many exfoliants contain abrasive ingredients that scratch your skin which can damage your skin and speed aging. Instead, it’s better to use an enzymatic exfoliant. Papaya contains the natural enzyme papain and pineapple contains the enzyme bromelain, which helps naturally exfoliate the skin, leaving it smooth and soft. Greener (unripe) papayas have higher amounts of papain, so opt for these to get the best exfoliation. If you have sensitive skin, use ripe papayas because they’re less likely to trigger an inflammatory reaction.

Scoop out a ¼ cup raw papaya flesh, mash or blend with 1 tablespoon fresh pineapple until smooth. Apply to your dry face and leave on for 5 to 15 minutes. Then rinse with cool water. If you have sensitive skin, do a patch test on your arm before applying to face.

The alpha hydroxy acids and the enzymes in this recipe dissolve dry, dead skin. You only need to do this once or twice per week.

35

health Dry body brushing – why, how and when…

Why? Just a couple of minutes body brushing a day before a bath or shower will promote your lymph, helping your body metabolise toxins more efficiently, discouraging fluid retention and cellulite (the two are related to each other), and softening and toning your skin. The benefits are immediate and lasting.

Breathing exercise for stress This calming breathing technique for stress, anxiety and panic takes just a few minutes and can be done anywhere.

You will get the most benefit if you do it regularly, as part of your daily routine.

You can do it standing up, sitting in a chair that supports your back, or lying on a bed or yoga mat on the floor.

Make yourself as comfortable as you can. If you can, loosen any clothes that restrict your breathing.

If you're lying down, place your arms a little bit away from your sides, with the palms up. Let your legs be straight, or bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor.

If you're sitting, place your arms on the chair arms.

If you’re sitting or standing, place both feet flat on the ground.

Whatever position you're in, place your feet roughly hip-width apart.

• Let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as is comfortable,

without forcing it.

• Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.

• Breathe in gently and regularly.

Some people find it helpful to count steadily from one to five. You may not be able to reach five at first.

• Then, without pausing or holding your breath, let it flow out gently, counting from one to five again, if you find this helpful.

• Keep doing this for three to five minutes.

“I beat testicular cancer” THANKS to early diagnosis and successful treatment, footballer Neil Harris beat testicular cancer and was back playing for Millwall FC within months. This is his story...

“It was in June 2001. I'd just completed a great season with Millwall. We'd won the old second division championship and I'd finished as top scorer with 28 goals. There was speculation that I might be moving to a Premiership club and everything was fantastic. Then one day I was watching television with my hands resting in my shorts, as blokes tend to do.

And as I felt my testicles, I thought, 'This doesn't feel right.' One was bigger than the other.

“The next morning I rang the club doctor and he told me to come straight in. He then sent me to hospital to have an ultrasound test. I got dressed and a doctor gave me the diagnosis. I had testicular cancer.

"A million things went through my mind in a split second. My

first question was, 'Will I live?' and the second was, 'Will I be able to play football again?' At that stage, the doctor couldn't give a definitive answer. I just kept asking myself: 'I'm a fit and healthy person, so how could this happen to me?' I was quickly taken for a CT scan to see if the cancer had spread further around my body, and then I had chest X-rays to check my lungs. Fortunately, the cancer hadn't spread.

"I had an operation, which was quite straightforward, and afterwards I felt OK. Following the operation, I was lucky enough to have radiotherapy rather than chemotherapy, so I didn't lose my hair.

"If you think anything might be wrong, just go to see your GP. That's what they're there for. I understand that some men don't want to go to a doctor for any reason, let alone such a serious one that involves their private parts. But this is your life we're talking about. It takes a bigger man to go and speak to his doctor than it does to pretend nothing is wrong. So just go."

How? It’s so simple - just swift strokes, up your body towards your heart. So, from feet (you should do your soles if you have time) to knees, a few short strokes behind your knees where there is a density of lymph, then up over your thighs to your hips and over buttocks. On your arms, start on your hands and brush up to your elbows, then up over upper arms to shoulders. A few gentle strokes under your arms is a bonus too - again because this area is concentrated with lymph.

When?

It couldn’t be easier: turn on your morning shower, grab your brush and do a few brisk strokes over your legs and arms while the water heats up - it takes two minutes or less! Do it in the shower if it’s quicker - you can brush wet or dry skin. But the main thing to remember is not to scrub your skin with the brush: maintain steady, long, swift strokes of the bristles.

36

Puzzles Code Breaker

With your innermost energies charged and your natural instincts open, intuition tells you that something is just not right; although you cannot put your finger on it. The Mars opposition to Kora has sent things out of kilter, and it is sure that you have to get your priorities right in this time of recuperation, before any damage is done.

Word Pyramid

6

Things often come in two’s for you and right now is no exception. Having to make choices that make everyone happy may not be possible, however this time around you have to think of yourself, for a change. The Cosmos seems to be testing your reserve right now, but if you will just believe in what you deserve it could be yours!

WORD fit

Using just logic, can you make all the words fit correctly into the grid?

Mystical Postbag DIARY Kenny will be giving readings at the forthcoming Alfaz Spiritual Foundation's Dickensian Christmas Fair on December 2nd at: Bar Estacion in

Worry not about balancing the books right now, even though there have been some unexpected emergency purchases of late. Finance is under the microscope but you know how to budget and can turn things around if you have to. Saturn is in action with Mercury and now you are free to let the magic happen!

Mars transits your sign all month, bringing up partnership issues of an intimate nature. You are able to interpret your own special and very psychic inner energies into reality, and love is the key! Be very unafraid to ask for what it is you need right now, as you should be free to explore what it is that you really want and deserve to have.

H

Each number in the Code Breaker grid represents a different letter of the alphabet. In this week’s puzzle, 8 represents J and 12 represents V. 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.

Don’t do anything that you may regret this week. Though your bark can be worse than your bite just remember that you can lash out and then you hurt yourself more than anyone else. Mars opposes Kora and Venus faces Kora, and they say that all is fair in love and war. Make peace because your inner self really does need it!

New goals for your future are in place now Sagittarius swings into action and not before time, either! Those dreams could be much closer to reality if you are prepared to go the extra mile right now. Take a risk! Mercury connects with Uranus bringing exciting news. This paves the way for chance meetings and new friends.

P

There is 1x8 letter word and 34 others! Make as many 3 or more letter words as you can using any letter combination just once and you must use the central letter in every word!

Peace and harmony, at all costs, is your greatest desire. Your insecurities serve to delay what could be and standing back or waiting for something to happen could be a recipe for disaster right now. You have a deep inner desire to make others happy, but what about you? Venus brushes up to Uranus this week, so do not wait.... go for it!

The interesting thing is that whilst you appear to be so well controlled and strong, all you really desire is the approval of others. This week is all about love and fulfilment, so start by approving of yourself; and let a very wily Saturn do a good job on your behalf. It is time to open your heart and to love the inner you, it all helps!

E

O

Word Wheel

Don’t get mad, but get even! True you have to fight your corner sometime. Things haven’t exactly been easy as of late; and minor irritating problems certainly haven’t helped either.

This week Mercury conjuncts Saturn and they act as a double whammy bringing resolve and getting out a clear message you are not to be messed with!

Uranus, planetary leader of your opposing sign of Aquarius, trines with Mercury; and it is clear you are waiting to receive news before planning your next step. As someone who is governed from the heart it is hard for you to have to keep things back right now, but know your time is coming; and soon you must strike while the iron is hot!

G

Start at a letter and spell out a 10-letter word by moving to adjacent letters. Each letter will be used at least once, but no letter will be used twice in a row.

Just ignore what others are saying right now. They may think their misguided solutions are what you need to hear, and this is because they don’t know the real truth of the matter! Mercury trines with Uranus midweek and though this will put the cat amongst the pigeons, it will send them off track freeing you to do what you have to

The coast is clear, and you are free to go! This is an ideal time to take that break away that you have been planning in your mind, but which now really has to happen. Not only would you benefit from the change of air, but so too could you look back and see things from a distance. Mercury trines with Kora to facilitate action!

D

Alfaz. This is an afternoon and evening event with all the fun of the fair. With Santa's Grotto for 3 LETTERS CBS IRE KIN LEA LEE MBA OER ORE PER TEL TTY YET 4 LETTERS AGEE AKIN ANNE

CAMP DEAR FLAM ICON IDLE LAIR MAST MELT METE NOEL OLAV OPEN OSLO PEER RISE SEAN SERA THIS

TOOT TORN YALE 5 LETTERS ADORE AGATE ALOHA ARENT BEEBE CLOMP EERIE INAPT METER MINOR PERIL QUAKE REPEL

SARAN SLEEP SPIKY TENSE UNTIL 6 LETTERS ARISEN AUNTIE CLEVER FUNNEL MUTTER NOTION QUIVER VENEER 7 LETTERS CANTEEN

CONSIGN EMANATE EMINENT GROMMET LACERTA LATERAL LEANDER MELANIN MEMENTO NANETTE ONETIME VARIATE VENISON

the children, there will be a chance to buy

enjoy a glass, or two, of mulled wine. With roasted chestnuts and a barbeque and a Festive Choir, this promises to be a fun filled evening for all the family.

Pre bookings for appointments with Kenny are available at: kennycorris@ hotmail.com or text to: 686 361 594.

Looking forward to meeting you!

that extra special Christmas gift and

For Birthday Celebrants Above all, eliminate fear and home in on what it is you

really need. Showing your strength now will ensure that

the Zodiac respects you and supports you this astro-

logical year, all along the way. Be unafraid, and be true to yourself!

More Puzzles

Cryptic

ACROSS 1 Taking new hanky out? There’s gratitude! (5,3) 6 European Monetary Union gets the bird (3) 9 Sea in which canoe collapsed? (5) 10 Reg hops about finding burrowing rodents (7) 11 Cured fish, apparently very filling (7) 13 It turns backwards and forwards (5) 14 Rodney wanders over there (6) 15 Sweet that’s doubly good in France (6) 18 Darkness is an odd thing (5) 20 Name of girl from a strange nation (7) 21 Taking issue about press operator (7) 22 Drag one’s feet in a cubicle? (5) 23 Fellow turning to move his head? (3) 24 A printer turning turtle (8) DOWN 2 One who’d change for dance (7) 3 Religious woman not affected by revolution (3) 4 Preparation for guy or Tibetan leader - food made from curdled milk (6) 5 Top giving me support (9) 6 Standing up before empty court? (5) 7 Incompetent psychiatrist entered, not getting less? (12) 8 No boy demands new version of Dickens novel (6,3,3) 12 Handling medicine (9) 16 Language translated by Belgian (7) 17 Leatherworker finding old coin (6) 19 Blush when injured by animal’s horns? (5) 22 Watering place in cyberspace? (3)

Soduku

Quick

Futoshiki

The purpose of the game is to discover the digits hidden inside the board’s cells; each cell is filled with a digit between 1 and 6. On each row and column each digit appears exactly once; therefore, when revealed, the digits of the board form a so-called Latin square. The board may also contain some inequalities between the board cells; these inequalities must be respected and can be used as clues in order to discover the remaining hidden digits. ie > is greater than and < is less than.

37

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

Quiz 1 The web ‘error’ code 404 means: Insufficient memory; Not found; Password

required; or Broken mouse?

2 A famous sports car named after Argentina’s hot dusty North wind, is the: Corvette; Porsche; Zonda; or SLK? 3 A ship/plane’s side-to-side turning movement is called: Yaw; Mye; Hur; or Thair?

4 On a QWERTY keyboard the backslash (\) shares the key with the: Colon; Asterisk; Hash; or Vertical bar?

5 What metal has the lowest boiling point?

6 What is half of three-eighths?

7 What regal name is capital of Seychelles, and British Columbia (Canada), and is an Australian state?

8 What area unit is an American football field, equal to 4840 sq yds, originally that a farmer and ox could plough in a day?

9 Horology is the study of: Light; Time; Coincidence; or Fear?

10 The still-used ancient unit of weight equating roughly to 0.065 gms or 65 milligrams is a: Seed; Petal; Grain; or Drip?

ACROSS

DOWN

1 Without risk (6)

1 Brief period of rain

4 Afternoon snooze

(6)

(6)

2 Adroitness (7)

8 Come clean (3,2)

3 Pass into disuse (5)

9 Eye make-up (7)

5 Jiffy (7)

10 Oriental (7)

6 Skin of the head (5)

11 iPod manufacturer

7 Flabbergasted (6)

(5)

9 Collection of wild

12 Vigorous (9)

animals (9)

17 Proverb (5)

13 Everlasting (7)

19 Cattle thief (7)

14 Vocation (7)

21 Huge (7)

15 Rudiments (6)

22 Assumed name (5)

16 Rubbed out (6)

23 Rider’s seat (6)

18 Media (anag.) (5)

24 Implored (6)

20 Digging tool (5)

Last Weeks Solutions on page 42

38

24 feb - 2 march 2017

Answers and más, mucho, muy Basic Spanish for everyday needs by

Jane Cronin

First of all, here are the answers to your homework. I know you have all been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting to know if you’d got it all right.

Tengo una gata siamesa.

I have a Siamese cat. ¿Tienes mascotas?

Do you have pets?

(Of course in English we would often add the word “any” which has no equivalent in Spanish).

Mi hermano tiene dos perros grandes.

My brother has two big dogs.

No tenemos vasos en nuestra casa.

Tenemos que comprar más.

We don’t have any glasses in our house.

We have to buy more. By the way, “vaso” refers to a tumbler or general drinking glass but not a wine glass which is a “copa”.

Los padres hoy en día tienen proble-

mas para educar a sus hijos.

Parents nowadays have problems bringing up their children. (Notice the meaning of “educar”. It can mean “educate” but its principle meaning is to “bring up”.

Prefiero vivir en San Pedro, aunque mis hijas prefieren vivir en Asturias.

I prefer to live in San Pedro although my daughters prefer to live in Asturias.

Podemos jugar al tenis mañana si quieres.

We can play tennis tomorrow if you want.

Vamos a comer en un restaurante este sábado.

We are going to eat in a restaurant this Saturday.

Los extranjeros en España viven bien en general, pero necesitan hacer mucho papeleo.

Foreigners in Spain live well on the whole,

Mucho - a lot Muy barato

but they need to do a lot of paperwork.

Cuando los españoles hablan rápido, los británicos tienen problemas para entenderlos.

When the Spanish speak quickly the British have problems in understanding them.

Well if you managed to notice the changes in the verbs in these sentences then you did very well. In fact you have overcome a major hurdle.

As I have said before, there are quite a lot of details to study before we know all the right forms for each verb in the present tense, but that can come gradually and we’ve already covered a lot of the basic principles.

We’re now going to have a break away from the present tense and will shortly start to look at something else of a similar ilk, but today I thought we could follow a short digression and look at a small point that tends to trip a lot of people up, and that is the difference

Más barato

Más - more

between más, mucho and muy. I constantly hear people get these confused, so here is a brief explanation of the difference. First of all a simple translation: más = more, mucho = a lot, muy = very.

Actually – that’s it! There is a problem that appears though when we translate things directly. For example, a lot of people know the expression “mucho calor” and have learnt to translate it as “very hot” thereby concluding that mucho must mean very. However, if we translate that phrase literally we are actually saying “a lot of heat”.

A common error is to use más (more) instead of muy (very). This can cause confusion as it might appear to be asking for more of something, when we are just making an observation. If we want to say something is very cheap, for example, we have to say muy barato, if instead we say más barato we would be asking for it to be cheaper.

Well that is a brief explanation, but perhaps it will help in some of those little transactions in life!

Muy - very

Mucho calor

Jeffreys Tale Tell Tale

by Jeffrey Archer NEARLY 10 years after his last volume of short stories was published, Jeffrey Archer returns with his eagerly awaited collection of short stories, Tell Tale, giving us a fascinating, exciting and sometimes poignant insight into the people he has met, the stories he has come across and the countries he has visited during the past ten years.

Find out what happens to the hapless young detective from Naples who travels to an Italian hillside town to find out `Who Killed the Mayor?’ and the pretentious schoolboy in `The Road to Damascus’, whose discovery of the origins of his father’s wealth changes his life in the most profound way.

Revel in the stories of the woman who dares to challenge the men at her Ivy League university during the 1930s in `A Gentleman and a Scholar’, and another young woman who thumbs a lift and gets more than she bargained for in `A Wasted Hour’.

These wonderfully engaging and always refreshingly original tales prove not only why Archer has been compared to Dahl and Maugham, but why he was described by The Times as `probably the greatest storyteller of our age’.

Jeffrey Archer is one of the most successful novelists in the world, having sold over 250 million books; books he claims he writes solely with a felt tip pen. In a life as eventful as the pages of any novel, he has produced monumental bestsellers from Kane and Abel to Paths of Glory.

Sponsored by Bookworld Puerto Banus

info@bookworldpuertobanus.com

www@bookworldpuertobanus.com | 952 816 084

24 feb - 2 march 2017

food & drink

39

Welsh top the British obsession for coffee CAFFEINE loving Britons consume 1,460 cups of coffee a year on average (that’s 93,440 cups in an adult lifetime), according to new research.

Researchers took an in-depth look into the hot beverage habits of the nation and discovered £676 is the average amount Brits now spend each year on coffee from shops and cafes – that amounts to £43,264 over a lifetime.

According to the poll, Brits now drink an average of four cups a day – with the latte the most popular coffee of choice (41 per cent said it was their favourite).

And according to the data, people from Cardiff are the biggest fans of the black stuff - with folk from the Welsh capital downing a staggering 1,825 cups a year, more than any other City in the U.K. The poll shows a staggering 61 per cent prefer drinking coffee to tea, with a separate report by retail research consultancy Allegra, revealing there

are now 22,845 coffee shops in the UK, a six percent increase year on year – with 2.3 billion coffees a year being bought and consumed out of home.

The first coffee shop, The Angel, was opened in Oxford in 1652, with the second opening in London in the same year.

Cappuccino came second to latte in terms of the nation’s favourite, with 38 per cent, followed by Americano (26 per cent) and Mocha (16 per cent).

Asked why people switched from tea to coffee, 46 percent said they needed the caffeine boost they get from coffee to wake up in the morning and 39 percent said they needed it as a pick me up during the day.

However, the majority - 65 per cent - said they simply preferred the taste to tea, and 65 per cent of health-conscious Brits say going out for coffee to catch up with friends has now replaced heading out for a boozy night.

LATTE: First choice of coffeeloving Britons

Summer braised chicken with tomatoes A simple light casserole with cannellini beans, basil and green chilli served with gluten-free Parmesan cornmeal Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 3 banana shallot, finely sliced 4 chicken legs 300ml gluten-free chicken stock 2 large garlic clove, peeled but left whole a few lemon thyme sprigs 400g cherry tomatoes 3 plum tomatoes, quartered 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 green chilli, finely sliced 175g quick-cook fine polenta 85g finely grated Parmesan knob of butter small bunch basil, leaves picked and torn, to serve Method 1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a shallow flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Throw in the shallots and soften, then remove and set aside. Season the chicken, turn up the heat

and add to the pan with the remaining oil, browning all over. Return the shallots to the dish, pour over the stock and add the garlic, thyme, tomatoes, beans and chilli.

Bring to the boil, cover and put in the oven for 30 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the lid and cook for 10 mins more to

reduce the sauce.

2. Meanwhile, pour the polenta into 700ml boiling water while whisking. Cook for 2 mins (or according to pack instructions). Season generously, remove from the heat and stir through the Parmesan and butter. Serve the polenta with the chicken on top, scattered with basil.

40

home & garden

Planning next summer’s garden already ANOTHER SUMMER in Spain has come to an end, and perhaps you’re wishing you’d spent a little more time outside in the garden... but not happy with your space?

Now is the time to plan for next year...

With just a few simple improvements, you can make even the smallest outdoor space feel comfortable and welcoming to you and your guests.

That old cement patio or walkway in your backyard may be unsightly and uninviting, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can make that space much more appealing by replacing it with a raised wooden deck. Easy to build and affordable as well, a raised wooden deck makes the entire area more inviting without taking up any additional space.

Your current outdoor space may have only a single light or it may have no light at all, making it

impossible to use at night. To make the space more welcoming, add string lights or uplighting to your outdoor area. These lights are available in a wide array of styles to match your personality and they take up very little space, allowing you to create the perfect atmosphere you’re looking for.

If finding the right furniture to fit your space has been difficult, consider making your own instead.

Building a customised bench is easier than you think and it allows you to build your furniture to meet the design requirements of your space. You can even add built-in storage to your bench or furniture design for more space-saving solutions.

When space is at a premium, you need to utilise every inch. To do this, segment your outdoor space into defined zones such as cooking, relaxing and eating areas. You can then further define these zones

by adding the perfect finishing touches to each like a barbecue enclosure for your cooking area

and a pergola over your dining table. Each of these DIY projects is a worthy addition to your outdoor

space and will make it the area you can’t wait to enjoy every time you step outside.

Fruit or vegetable?

We’ve ‘bean’ wrong MILLIONS OF families in the United States of America would’ve celebrated Thanksgiving Day yesterday (Thursday) and accompanying the traditional turkey among the trimmings would be a substantial amount of green beans.

The humble green bean has always been – no pun intended – considered by gardeners and farmers across the world as a vegetable...but no longer.

And the blame for this must be laid firmly at the

steps of the US Supreme Court According to the Edible Academy at the New York Botanical garden, green beans are actually considered ‘dried fruit’ unless, that is, they come from cans.

Toby Adams, the director of the Edible Academy, explained, “Fruits are structures that contain seeds, and a green bean is, basically, a pod that has seeds inside of it.”

However, while the food is technically a fruit - as

well as a legume - it’s still considered a vegetable by many.

That’s because the Supreme Court got involved in a case about tomatoes in 1893, after importers wanted it officially classified as fruit so they could avoid the 10 per cent import tax imposed on vegetables.

The court essentially ruled that tomatoes and beans, including green beans, are used in dinner recipes and therefore constitute a vegetable, while fruits are typically used as a dessert.

So, until there is a good green bean pie for dessert, the pod and seed dry fruit will still be called a vegetable.

41

builders

architect 251843

structural

254863

surveys

Mark Paddon BSc Hons. MCIOB. CAAT.

Property buyer’s surveys and expert defects diagnosis

962 807 247 653 733 066 www.surveyorscostablanca.com electrical repairs

ALARMS ALARMS & CCTV: All types, quality systems, very reasonable, guaranteed. Tel: 966 797 370 / 662 243 099 bathrooms

Bathroom Conversions Costa Blanca, contact 698 320 434 (260101) 254841

locksmith

Boating Yacht share for sale.

7m day sailing boat with cabin. Moored in marina on Mar Menor. Well established group that will crew and help you gain experience. €2,200 Email: peter.ewers@outlook.com Text: 0044 789 900 7646 (240992) BUILDING SERVICES

motoring

J & J PAINTERS. Inside outside - clean - fast - low cost. Torrevieja - Orihuela Costa and surrounding areas.

Tel: 650 363 159 ALL types of construction services, reforms, reconstruction: kitchens, bathrooms, roofs, tiling, floors, plasterboard, bricklaying, plumbing & facades. Reasonable Prices.

Torrevieja & surrounding areas. Call 672 929 913 any time CARAVANS FOR SALE WE BUY, sell & transport all makes of static caravans 630 055 418 Elsyd7@hotmail.com CHARITIES/CHURCHES LA SIESTA EVANGELICAL CHURCH on Urbanisation La Siesta, Torrevieja is a friendly, English speaking Church. We hold services each Sunday and everyone is welcome.

Our 11.00 am Services are held every 2nd and 4th Sunday in the month (and 11.00 am on the 5th Sunday, if this applies.) On the 1st and 3rd Sunday’s our Services are at 9.30 am. Our choir sings at our 11.00 am Services and there is also a Sunday

School, called Stepping Stones, on these Sundays.

We welcome residents, visitors and children.

For more information see our website www. lasiestaevangelicalchurch.org or telephone Pastor Keith on 666 180 108.

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: *625 912 078* 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) Alcoholics anonymous Our meetings currently are held on Wednesday evenings in Cañada de Gallego, near Mazarrón. From next week (w/c 3rd September) they will be moving to Thursday evenings. So the first Thursday meeting will be on 7th September at 5.30pm.

Meetings are one hour. Your readers (visitors or others who think they may have a problem with alcohol) can obtain details by calling our helpline on 646 290 420.

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! We are situated on Avenida Del Furs close to the Fountain Roundabout and immediate left by Don Colchon bed shop.

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.

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, La Fustera. For more info: contact Frank Bentley on 966 495 188 CANCER SUPPORT GROUP (MABS) MURCIA/MAR MENOR Help and support is just a phone call away, Avda Rio Nalón, Tel: Sylvia 633 306 035 TORREVIEJA Christian Fellowship (TCF) is an English speaking lively church located at Avenida de las Valencianas 68, Torrevieja 03183. Residents and holidaymakers are welcome to attend our services with communion and ‘kids church’ each Sunday at 10.30am. We have a Fellowship Meeting (Bible Study) each Wednesday at 6.00pm. For further information see our website www.tcf-Spain.org or tel 966 700 391. stroke Association Spain formally torrevieja stroke support.

Meets each Wednesday and Friday 14.30 till 17.00.

Casa de cultura Benijofar.

Our aim is to support and rehabilitate stroke survivors and their carers. Speech Therapy and physiotherapy.

Carers meetings etc more info please contact Suzanne 654 801 260. strokesupportgroup@hotmail. com Donations for our car boot appreciated.

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Gran Alacant & La Marina Branch meets First Monday of the month 18:00 at “La Taberna next to Monte & Mar Restaurant & Bowls Club, Plaza Mayor (MASA Square) Gran Alacant. granalacant.secretary@gmail. com CHIMNEY SWEEP PROFESSIONAL CHIMNEY SWEEP. Family Business established over 60 years.

660 478 881

DAMP www.dryzone-espana. com - We are the longest established Damp Proofing company in Spain. We can cure Rising Damp, leaking Flat Roof or Terrace problems quickly & safely. We can make your Underbuild Dry. Villa Paint Due! We can protect your villa & stop PENETRATING DAMP with a Protective Coating. Call us for a survey now; Tel: 634 322 672 ELECTRICIAN MR FIXIT. For all your electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler repairs. No call out charge.

698 320 434 (250877) INSURANCE & iNVESTMENTS BENEFICAL INSURANCE SERVICES. Car, Home, Business, Travel, Life, Funeral, all insurances available.

Policies in English. BEST rates, covers & service. Immediate quotes. Tel 961 129 215 / 622 275 561, (whatsapp) info@ beneficialinsuranceinspain. com or visit www. beneficialinsuranceinspain. com for online quote.

(257880)

SOS www.sosinsuranceinspain.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 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 mark.w@ euroweeklynews.com for more details.

42 METALWORK

PLUMBING

situations vacant

MOBILE Metal Work Any welding or plasma cutting work carried out. For a free quote call 639 487 503

MR FIXIT. For all your

www.eriksmetalwork.com.

ALL METAL WORK UNDERTAKEN. Costa Calida. stan@eriksmetalwork.com.

636 050 008.

repairs. No call out charge.

MOTORING 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.

UK MOT. All legal and on line. Arrangements made for collection and delivery £400.

Email carsinspain@hotmail.com Tel. 0044 7553367285 (246860) 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@yahoo.co.uk 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

electrical, plumbing, general & appliance & boiler

698 320 434 (250877) POOLS POOL MAINTENANCE Repairs, Spares and Leak Testing. Call 965 725 565 / 676 945 360 www.pooltechspain.com (256710)

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REMOVALS AND STORAGE

CIUDAD QUESEDA Villa 500m2 plot, 4 double bedrooms, large bathroom and shower room. Large Balcony, Cloakroom, lounge dinner, large kitchen (white goods included). Oil central heating though out. Double glazed conservatory, car port. 10x8 solar heated pool. Screened BBQ area, plus much more seeing is believing. 340,000€. Contact 688 486 752 private sale removal services UK - SPAIN - UK. Masses of experience. New clean vehicles running weekly. Fully insured with RSA. Genuinely CARING service. 1 CBM to ANY size move! ONLINE QUOTE!! www.bmceuropean. com Tel: 951 242 430 or UK 08456 443 784 please FIND US ON FACEBOOK! (253763)

Services removals & storage

Sales rep required for distribution company. Part time, one day per week.

Torrevieja / Orihuela Costa areas. Would suit active retired person.

Call 600 061 202.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

MAN AND VAN UK - Spain. 2 vans travelling twice a month, Murcia - North / South UK. Storage in Spain. Tel 610 846 260 or 0044 751 918 6355 email van.man@hotmail.co.uk 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 satellite and tv

DO YOU CARE? If so, why not join our team of carers who work in the UK. Earn from £952 - £1,456 for 2 weeks. Good written/spoken English, British or EU Passport required. Contact Sandra on 658 965 204 or email s.field@consultuscare.com FIELD SALES positions available. Must have own transport, English and Spanish preferred, but not essential, must have local knowledge of the area and be smart and presentable.

Applications by email with full CV should be sent to recruitment@uroweeklynews.com.

situations vacant

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) WANTED DIESEL car LHD and motorhome right or LHD wanted. Cash waiting Tel 650 722 905

Last weeks puzzle answers (Issue 943)

Wordwheel Solution at et it ta ti ut ait art ate eat eta

Need an extra income?

Earn 75€ to 400€ per week, flexible hours from home. We are a reputable British home retailer, new to Spain. No selling required or experience needed as full training given.

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Word Pyramid contention

Codebreaker Solution

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Quick Solution

Soduku Solution

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Quiz solutions 1 Grams per Square Metre 2 Golf courses 3 Swimming strokes 4 Fjord 5 Mosquitoes, Humans, Dogs, Sharks 6 Neanderthal Man 7 Maria 8 Pause 9 Leotard 10 Nose, Thumb and Fingers

43

259519

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Leah & Sox Beautiful Leah and Sox are four month old sisters who are devoted to each other. They were abandoned in July in a Supermarket basket, when they were four weeks old. Living in a foster home, they are fully vaccinated and neutered. It would be wonderful if someone looking for two kittens to grow up together could give them a loving home.

LA ZENIA 15 TURQUESA ST & HOUSE 77 NEXT CONSUM. 656 314 941/600 784 461

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Patch is a wonderful 1 year old Bodeguero and was found wandering near a busy road recently. He is a fantastic little boy in his foster home, house trained, very loving and good with the other dogs. He weighs just 7 kilos and is very obedient.

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Bruno Bruno is a beautiful Mastin cross He would make someone a wonderful, loyal companion as he loves people. He has been castrated and regularly treated for ticks and fleas, vaccinated and micro chipped. Bruno has Leish but has no health problems from this condition. As Bruno is entering his twighlight years, we would also consider a FOSTER home for him. K9 would be responsible for vet fees for fostered animals.

D.O.B APPROX SEPT 2008.

Louie Louie appears to have been well looked after.

He had no microchip so could not reunite him with his owners. He is well house trained, is very good on a lead and when left to roam freely within boundaries.

Louie would suit a single man as we have found he has tendencies to bond with one individual only. Not suitable for families or other animals.

44

motoring ON THE RISE: World-wide sales up 3.4 per cent

BMW breaks the two million sales mark FOR the first time ever at this point in the year, the BMW Group has delivered more than two million vehicles to customers around the world.

A total of 2,008,849 vehicles have been sold in the first ten months of 2017, an increase of 3.4 per cent on the same period last year. October sales of 197,601 (+0.8 per cent) achieved the same high level as last year, despite the current changeover of the significant BMW X3 model, the new version of which is arriving in dealerships during November.

“Our sales results for the first ten months of the year confirm the broad range and appeal of our model line-up,” commented Dr Ian Robertson, BMW AG

Management Board Member for Sales and Brand BMW. “Despite significant model changeovers and headwinds in some of our biggest markets, we have delivered over two million vehicles to customers in the first ten months of the year.

Vehicles as wide-ranging as the BMW X1, the BMW 5 Series, 7 Series and the BMW i3, to name just a few, have all contributed to that growth,” he continued.

The BMW Group’s unrivalled range of nine electrified vehicles boosted their sales by a total of 63.7 per cent in the first ten months of 2017, with a total of 78,096 delivered to customers. Independent research

confirms the BMW Group’s leading position when it comes to combined sales of battery and plug-in hybrid electrified vehicles worldwide, with the company well ahead in Germany and Europe as a whole. In October, BMW i and iPerformance vehicles made up around 8 per cent of total BMW sales in the USA, France, the UK and the Netherlands, with electrified sales in Scandinavia accounting for over 30 per cent of total BMW deliveries.

October sales of BMW i, BMW iPerformance and MINI Electric vehicles totalled 9,405, an increase of 60.3 per cent on the same month last year. The BMW i3 increased sales in the month by 20.3 per cent (2,851).

Automobile fair earns millions for exhibitors ATTENDANCE AT the combined vehicle fair held at the IFA Exhibition Centre in Alicante was so high that exhibitors reported taking €30,000,000 in sales...much more than ever expected.

The 41st holding of FIRAUTO, 27th EXPOCAR and the 9th SOBRE2RUEDAS that specialise in new, used cars and motorcycles respectively was held over three days last weekend and was branded a great success all-round.

The exhibition was dedicated to bringing new motors to the attention of the visitors and reporting on developments in the world of automobiles of all sizes, shapes, styles and prices.

This combination event has become the most supported since records of attendance began with more than 33,000 visitors over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The numbers were 8,000 up compared to the equivalent fair in May and the success is entirely attributed to the fact that the entire venue was used, an extra 120 exhibitors, and an increased variety of vehicles on display.

During the weekend, the sale of vehicles was relentless. In total, around 2,500 vehicles were sold which accounted for more than €30,000,000 in sales...much higher than the previous exhibitions.

Both exhibitors and visitors expressed their 100 per cent satisfaction with the fair and have already expressed their interest in taking part again and visiting again next year.

SUCCESSFUL: Visitor numbers and takings beat all expectations

45

motoring

The LEGAL way to scrap your vehicle HAVING worked in the trade on the Costa Blanca for over ten years the staff at Bradley Breakers could tell a horror story or two about people who thought they had scrapped their “old banger” only to find that the car was still registered many months later.

There are individuals who have faced large fines after the vehicle they thought they’d seen the back of was still driving around.

Unfortunately as long as your name remains on the document of ownership you are legally responsible for that vehicle. Here in Spain the system of scrapping a vehicle is far more complex than anything you are likely to face back in Ireland or the UK. You also have the added complication of the language barrier so it is imperative that when considering disposing of a vehicle, you use a company in which you have complete trust.

You will find one such company in Bradley Breakers who have recently joined forces with the experienced and extremely reputable Spanish company Autos Deugusces Gomez.

They are experts in the field and they can make the whole process as simple and uncomplicated as you might wish. Simply make the call, they will make you a cash offer for your vehicle and if accepted they will collect on a tow truck from your home.

They will leave you with the necessary legal documentation advising that they have taken ownership of your car and then following its scrapping, you will be issued with the official DGT Certificate (Baja).

Do be aware that if this is something that you are currently considering, you need to ensure that your vehicle is scrapped by 31 December to avoid any further SUMA bills.

Bradley Breakers, who employ over

40 people, also have an impressive new scrapyard consisting of a 20,000 square metre on which they house a 3,000 square metre warehouse in which they store thousands of used parts which they have removed from cars.

All parts are recorded on a computer stock system and attached on racking within the warehouse. You can even buy parts online.

At any one time they also have oven 2,000 cars on site so they will always be able to find that elusive part from a wheel nut to a complete gearbox or an engine.

The new fully legal scrapyard is located just minutes from the AP-7 motorway exit 730 at Catral…….they are sure to be able to help and they can even recommend a reliable local mechanic to help fit the part is needed.

Contact Bradley Breakers Central in English on (0034) 607 848 332, drop an e-mail to bradleybreakerscatral1@outlook.com or visit Facebook Bradley Karl Thompson.

46

sport

Battle for the Ashes begins ´ERE WE GO: First test gets underway in Brisbane with England winning the toss and choosing to bat.

THE long awaited battle for the Ashes is finally underway.

The first day of the First Test played in Brisbane ended with England finishing on 196 for 4 after captain Joe Root won the toss and elected to bat.

After suffering the early loss of opener Alistair Cook for 2, Mark Stoneman (53) and James Vince (83) steadied the ship with a valuable partnership of 125 either side of a rain delay that caused 95 minutes to be lost. Joe Root contributed 15 and the not out batsmen are Dawid Malan on 28 and Moeen Ali on 13. Weather permitting, day two of the Brisbane Test will begin as we go to press.

This series is set up to be a close and fiery contest between Australia’s fast bowling attack and the resilience of England’s

batting line up, and the visitors need to avoid the familiar batting collapses that have dominated previous Ashes battles on Australian soil.

The full Test Match programme is reproduced below with the hours of play in Spanish time: First Test: November 23 to 27 (Brisbane) - 1am to 8.30am Second Test: December 2 to 6 (Adelaide) 4.30am to 12noon Third Test: December 14 to 18 (Perth) – 3.30am to 11am

ALLEY GATORS THE PHANTOMS THE BANDITS PIN PALS 999s STRIKE FORCE

THIS WEEK´S TOP PERFORMERS

HI/GAME HI/GAME+H/CAP HI/SERIES HI/SERIES+H/CAP Pos TEAM

LADIES DOREEN WILES DOREEN WILES LYNNE AILSBY MAVIS RILEY

189 189 538 601

GENTS TERRY CAPON TERRY CAPON MAURICE ALLEN GAZ BOWDEN

236 236 554 589

PLD W D L TOTAL GMS AVE. HI-G HI-S PTS

1 S***T HAPPENS 21 20 0 8 14921 21 2 STRIKE FORCE 21 18 0 10 14465 21 3 GI GI’S HOOKERS 21 17 0 11 14771 21 4 SUNRISE COLEGAS 21 17 0 11 14753 21 5 SOL AMIGOS 21 16 0 12 14460 21 6 999s 21 16 0 12 13964 21 7 THE BANDITS 21 13 0 15 14495 21 8 PIN PALS 21 13 0 15 14316 21 9 ALLEY CATS 21 13 0 15 14252 21 10 PIN PUSHERS 21 13 0 15 14054 21 11 ALLEY GATORS 21 12 0 16 14530 21 12 THE PHANTOMS 21 0 0 28 10920 21

710 688 703 702 688 664 690 681 678 669 691 520

799 772 822 785 770 728 827 775 731 738 766 520

2208 2228 2193 2259 2187 2053 2245 2219 2130 2104 2164 1560

40 36 34 34 32 32 26 26 26 26 24 0

Fifth Test: January 3 to 7 (Sydney) – 4.20am to 11.50am The Ashes will be shown live on BT Sport 1 every night during the series, with highlights shown during the day on the same channel.

Highlights will also be available for FREE on BTSport.com and the BT Sport app from 8pm each day.

The match will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and online via the BBC Sport website and app.

Duchess “very saddened” at tennis star’s death

Cadena Sunrise 10 pin league Bowling Results 15 NOVEMBER 2017 (WEEK 7) RESULT

PIN PUSHERS 6 - 2

S***T HAPPENS 8 - 0 SUNRISE COLEGAS 4 - 4 GI GI’S HOOKERS 2 - 6 SOL AMIGOS 6 - 2 ALLEY CATS 2 - 6

Fourth Test: December 26 to 30 (Melbourne) 12.30am to 8am

THE tennis world is coming to terms with the untimely death of Jana Novotna who lost her long battle with cancer at the age of 49.

Novotna, a former world number one in doubles and number two in singles, passed away peacefully on Sunday surrounded by her family, the WTA announced.

A statement read: “It is with deep sadness that the WTA announces the passing on Sunday, November 19, of Jana Novotna, the former WTA World No. 1 doubles and No. 2 singles champion. After a long battle with cancer, Jana died peacefully, surrounded by her family in her native Czech Republic, aged 49.”

She captured the hearts of fans when she burst into tears after losing to German great Steffi Graf in 1993 and was consoled by the Duchess of Kent.

Novotna started crying when presented with the loser’s trophy before the Duchess of Kent put a comforting arm around her and gave her a shoulder to shed her tears on during emotional scenes on Centre Court.

Novotna said the Duchess had told her “she would do it” when she went to collect her trophy. Despite losing to Martina Hingis in 1997, she finally won Wimbledon a year later. In doing so, she became the oldest first-time Grand Slam singles winner in the Open era at 29 years and nine months.

On hearing the news, the Duchess of

EMBRACED: Duchess of Kent gives Jana Novotna a shoulder to cry on Kent said: “Jana Novotna was a brave, courageous sweet lady with a wonderful sense of humour. I am very saddened by the news of her death and all my feelings are with her family. Wimbledon will not be the same without her.”

Novotna, a runner-up to Monica Seles at the 1991 Australian Open, also won four Wimbledon doubles titles with compatriot Helena Sukova in 1989 and 1990, with Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1995 and with Hingis in 1998.

Wearing her distinctive headband, she won doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments — triumphing 12 times in the women’s doubles and on a further four occasions in the mixed event.

24 feb - 2 march 2017

sport

47

A former player, Tony Matthews is now the world’s most prolific author of football books with 150 published since 1975. He has also been a PE teacher, policeman, radio correspondent and is now a quiz-organiser and fund–raiser, for various charities.

Rockets Golf Society – November report

A VERY good turnout of golfers on a chilly morning was accompanied by some good scoring on a course in excellent condition and superb greens.

The Society has one more game to play this year and a new course awaits them in 2018.

They cannot wait...

Results from the last golf day: Gold category: 1st place – Ron Swift (35 points), 2nd place – Arfur Williams (33) and 3rd place – Mike Davies (27).

Silver category: 1st place – Andy Stenning (33), 2nd place – Andy Billing (32) and 3rd place – Paul Mutter (30).

Nearest the Pins: C Couglan (Hole 3), Arfur

Williams (8) and Rod Smith (15).

Longest drive belonged to Paul Mutter and the Best Guest was J Hayward with 31 points.

Afterwards, everyone went back to Bar Patricia for a very tasty Cottage Pie. The next game is the last away day of the year at Altorreal which is one of the favourite courses the Society plays at.

First tee is 10am, so players are asked to be there by 9.15am.

Anyone who is interested in joining the Rockets Golf Society or fancy a game when on holiday should call Ron on 678 849 142 or via e-mail: sanmigron@gmail.com

Messi starts on subs’ bench as Barcelona go top BARCELONA claimed top spot in Group D after a 0-0 draw away at Juventus in a UEFA Champions League tie on Wednesday night.

The hosts looked the livelier in the early exchanges and it was Douglas Costa, who had the first shot on target in the second minute but Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was up to the challenge.

Barcelona came closest in the 21st minute when Ivan Raktitic’s free-kick delivery evaded everyone and hit against the upright which saved Juventus’ blushes.

Good interplay outside the Barcelona box saw Paulo Dybala link up with Juan Cuadrado, with the latter volleying the ball well-over the bar with 35 minutes gone on the clock.

Dybala glided past the Barca defence before shooting towards goal but his effort failed to find the target again.

Neither team managed

to find the back of the net as the half ended with sides deadlocked at 0-0.

Just five minutes into the second half, Luis Suarez attempted a free-kick effort which went just inches over the bar. Gonzalo Higuain turned his way clear in the box and got a shot away but disappointingly shot wide of the target in the 60th minute.

The players were struggling to find the target despite the numerous number of shots towards goals and this was the case again when Costa charged towards the

box, only to shoot wide of the post.

A good touch of appreciation was shown by the Juventus fans when Lionel Messi was introduced off the substitute’s bench as well as Andres Iniesta’s withdrawal as the pair received standing ovations from the opposition fans.

Ernesto Velverde’s men seemed content with a point as they sat back while Juve were unable to break the visitors’ rearguard with the game ending in a goalless stalemate.

Round-Up • Northern Ireland football manager Michael O’Neill could take over Scotland; Chris Coleman has left Wales for Sunderland with Ryan Giggs set to replace him as national team boss and WBA have sacked boss Tony Pulis.

• Manchester City (2-0 winners at Leicester) lead the PL by eight points (34-26) from neighbours United (4-1 victors over Newcastle). Spurs (4th) lost 2-0 at Arsenal (6th); Liverpool (5th) beat Southampton 3-0; WBA (two wins in 21) crashed 4-0 at home to Chelsea (3rd) and West Ham (David Moyes’ first game in charge) lost 2-0 at Watford. Championship leaders Wolves won 2-0 at Reading; Shrewsbury and Notts County head Leagues 1 and 2; SPL pacesetters Celtic are now unbeaten in 64 domestic matches after beating Ross County 2-0 and Barcelona lie 10 points clear in La Liga following the 0-0 Madrid derby draw.

• Gareth Southgate handed debuts to five players in England’s recent 0-0 friendly draws with Germany and Brazil.

• Gregor Dimitrov won the end-of-season ATP tennis final (collecting £1.9m) and Andy Murray has ditched his coach Ivan Lendl again!

• Tommy Fleetwood is Europe’s number one golfer after beating Justin Rose in the ‘Race to Dubai’ title. Spain’s Jon Rahm won the season’s last Tour Championship.

• Jessica Breach’s six tries as England’s women blitzed Canada 79-5 in the first of three Rugby Union Tests.

• Andrew Thornton has joined the elite band of NH jockeys (including Sir A.P. McCoy) to ride 1,000 winners and compete in 10,000 races.

Sad news The 1998 Wimbledon women’s singles champion, Jana Novotna, has died from cancer, aged 49.

Diary of events: • In cricket, the first Australia-England Ashes Test is underway at the Gabba in Brisbane while England’s women must win their last game to share their Ashes series with the Aussies.

• The 2017 F1 season ends on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

• Rugby League’s World Cup semi-finals - Australia v. Fiji and England v. Tonga take place tomorrow. The final is on 2 December.

• Also tomorrow there are ‘Union’ internationals featuring England (30-6 winners over Australia last Saturday – their 12th successive win at Twickenham) v. Samoa, Ireland-Argentina, Scotland-Australia and Wales-New Zealand.

• In tonight’s Aviva PL, it’s Newcastle-Gloucester followed tomorrow by Bath- Harlequins, Leicester-Worcester and Sale-Northampton.

• This weekend we have the world squash and weightlifting championships, Davis Cup tennis and golf’s Hong Kong Open, plus Burnley-Arsenal, Huddersfield-Manchester City, Liverpool-Chelsea, Manchester United-Brighton and Tottenham-WBA in football’s PL; Sheffield United-Birmingham and Wolves-Bolton in the Championship; Celtic-Partick in the SPL and Real Madrid-Malaga and Valencia-Barcelona in Spain.

• On Tuesday, it was Apoel-Real Madrid, Dortmund-Tottenham, Manchester CityFeyenoord and Sevilla-Liverpool in the Champions League, followed on Wednesday

by Basel-Manchester United, Juventus-Barcelona, PSG-Celtic and Qarabag-Chelsea.

And last night Koln-Arsenal and Everton-Atalanta played in the Europa League.

Footy Facts • Australia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and South Korea will join the big boys in the hat when the draw for the 2018 World Cup group stage takes place in Russia next Wednesday. Italy, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will not figure, having been eliminated last week!

• Keith Burkinshaw is the only Englishman alive (out of 14) to have managed a team to victory in a major European competition – Tottenham Hotspur, 1984 UEFA Cup.